As I mentioned in the Unit 1 assignment sequence, the humanities are often viewed as a set of disciplines based on personal opinion rather than fact. In this unit we will test this assumption, using the argumentative strategies we developed in units 1 and 2 to determine if there are such things as "proof" and "facts" in the humanities. You will present these arguments using software called VoiceThread, which will allow you to build on your podcasting skills by adding images to the mix.
Feeder 3.1: Gathering First Impressions
For your first feeder assignment, visit the Ackland Museum on campus and choose a piece of art that strikes you. Note that the Ackland Museum has strange hours, so consult their web page (http://www.ackland.org/Visit/index.htm) to make sure the museum will be open. You may want to choose a piece from the museum’s permanent collection, since digital images and other information is often unavailable for pieces in the temporary exhibits.
After you choose a piece, spend at least five minutes or so studying the piece. Try just looking at it without taking notes; as you spend time with the piece, you will probably notice many details that did not strike you at first glance.
Next, spend a few minutes free-writing about your impressions of the piece. Write down anything that occurs to you... feelings that the piece evokes, details that you might not understand, connections to topics you already know about, etc. Fill at least one typed page with your thoughts. You don’t need to shape this into a coherent essay, just a list of notes or impressions that occur to you while you’re looking at the piece.
Place your final document in a Google Doc, share it with my gmail address, and when you have completed the assignment turn it in using the "Turn in Assignments" link under Course Documents.
Feeder 3.2: Background Research / Exploring Contexts
For your Unit 3 Project you will be asked to make an argument about how your piece fits into a particular artistic, social, historical, or cultural context. For Feeder 3.2, you will begin exploring these contexts in much the same way you did in Feeder 1.1. Begin by brainstorming a list of at least 4 key terms that will allow you to explore the artwork’s various contexts. These might include:
- the artist’s wider body of work
- movements or schools with which the artist is associated
- significant buildings, people, or characters depicted in the piece
- significant cultural events occurring as the piece was being created or in the time period it depicts
For each term, write a concise, one-paragraph explanation of the term and its significance in clear, straightforward language and include a list of at least two links to reliable sources that explain the topic further, along with a short, 1-2 sentence explanation of the source and its significance. These should be formatted similarly to your Feeder 1.1 assignments.
Place your final document in a Google Doc, share it with my gmail address, and when you have completed the assignment turn it in using the "Turn in Assignments" link under Course Documents.
Feeder 3.3: Collecting Visual Contexts
In Unit 3 we are working with visual art, so we must go beyond just finding written contexts. For this assignment find at least 5 images that relate to the contexts you explored in Feeder 3.2. For each image, write a concise, one-paragraph explanation of its significance in clear, straightforward language, including an explanation of how the image relates to the piece of art you chose in Feeder 3.1.
Paste these images and your explanations in a Google Doc, share it with my gmail address, and when you have completed the assignment turn it in using the "Turn in Assignments" link under Course Documents.
Feeder 3.4: Working Thesis Statement
Next, review the research you collected in the earlier feeder assignments and begin brainstorming claims you might make about the relationship between your artwork and a specific social, cultural, historical, or artistic context. Think about how the artist is attempting to have an impact on the world: who is he or she talking two, what is s/he trying to say, and how is s/he saying it? Once you have decided on a claim, shape it into a working thesis statement. As we talked about in Unit 1, a strong thesis statement should:
- Introduce your essay’s central claim
- Provide a road map for how your argument will unfold
- Describe the stakes of your argument, i.e. why it matters to your readers
As we also noted in class, your thesis statement may be composed of more than one sentence, but it should be as concise as possible.
Place your final document in a Google Doc, share it with my gmail address, and when you have completed the assignment turn it in using the "Turn in Assignments" link under Course Documents.
Feeder 3.5: Outline / Script for Your VoiceThread
Now that you have a working thesis statement, it’s time to begin constructing an outline/script for your VoiceThread. This document will be constructed in much the same way as your Feeder 2.5 assignment, but rather than following the format for a scientific research report, you will be following the format of an argumentative essay. As with your Unit 2 podcast, your VoiceThread should contain a strong introduction, a mix of scripted/extemporaneous speaking, and transitional music / sound effects to orient the viewer, but you are not required to use other voices for this assignment.
Place your final document in a Google Doc, share it with my gmail address, and when you have completed the assignment turn it in using the "Turn in Assignments" link under Course Documents. Since your VoiceThread will be 4-6 minutes long, your outline should be about 3-4 pages in length.
Feeder 3.6: Recording Audio
For the next feeder assignment you will record the audio for your VoiceThread. Record the audio using the same tools and skills you used to record your podcast for Unit 2, and I will explain in class how to export the audio and construct your VoiceThread.
Unit 3 Project
For your Unit 3 Project you will create a 4-6-minute VoiceThread video presentation in which you make and support a claim that, in the piece you selected, the artist has attempted to make a statement about a particular social, historical, cultural, or aesthetic context. In addition to historical, biographical, or other contextual information, your VoiceThread should contain a sustained analysis of the piece's formal qualities. At least 40-50% of your VoiceThread should be devoted to analyzing the artwork directly.
A successful VoiceThread will (in order of importance):
1. be focused around a sophisticated, surprising thesis about the author's political, social or aesthetic motivations.
2. include thoughtful, sustained analysis of the chosen piece of art.
3. include background information and other research that helps the viewer understand this context more fully
4. contain a strong introduction that follows one of the patterns for strong introductions that we discussed in class
5. be delivered in a lively, engaging and authoritative style
6. Be free of errors in spelling and grammar as well as visual formatting
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