STRAYER HUM111 WEEK 4 , 8 and 10 assignment [ total 3 assignments ]

Assignment 1: Essay
Due Week 4 and worth 100 points

Choose one (1) of the topics below and develop a three to four (3-4) paragraph essay (of at least 250-500 words) which adequately address the topic you have chosen.

Topic Choices:

• There have been many theories regarding how the pyramids at Giza were constructed. Most experts agree that they were constructed as burial monuments for pharaohs, but “how” these ancient people constructed monuments of such great size without modern machinery is a mystery which is still being debated.
• No one can say for certain what happened to the Mayan people, but theories abound and include varied possible alternatives to explain the abrupt and mysterious disappearance of the Mayan civilization.
• Tutankhamen died young, at around 18 years of age. However, his cause of death has not been confirmed. Did he die of an injury, of illness, or was he murdered?
• Considered the “Mummy’s Curse,” a series of unexplainable, unfortunate, or tragic events that happened to the people who were present at the opening of Tutankhamen’s tomb.
• There has always been debate about the identity of the poet Homer, the presumed author ofThe Illiad and The Odyssey. Was he a real person or not?
• The monumental size and complexity of the Tomb of Shihuangdi is astounding. It is believed that the workers were forced to remain inside the tomb when it was walled shut so they would not reveal the secrets of its construction. What was the emperor’s purpose for such an elaborate burial place?
• Other topic choice recommended and approved by the professor and supported by the grading rubric.

Write a 3-4 paragraph paper in which you:

1. Clearly state the “mystery” and provide a brief summary of at least two (2) reasonable and scholarly theories which could explain the mystery. Because some theories may sound far-fetched, include the source or promoter of each theory – such as a scientist, a historian, a theologian, etc.
2. Identify one (1) of the theories as the most plausible and provide at least two (2) convincing reasons why the theory you have chosen is the best one to explain the mystery.
3. Use at least two (2) sources besides the textbook. Note: Wikipedia and other similar Websites do not qualify as academic resources. You are highly encouraged to use the Resource Center tab at the top of your Blackboard page.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA Style format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. (Note: Students can find APA style materials located in the course shell for reference)
• Include a cover page containing the tile of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Explain how key social, cultural, and artistic contributions contribute to historical changes.
• Explain the importance of situating a society’s cultural and artistic expressions within a historical context.
• Examine the influences of intellectual, religious, political, and socio-economic forces on social, cultural, and artistic expressions.
• Identify major historical developments in world cultures during the eras of antiquity to the Renaissance
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in the study of world cultures.
• Write clearly and concisely about world cultures using proper writing mechanics.

Assignment 2: Project Paper
Due Week 8 and worth 200 points

The Project Paper focuses on a suggested topic related to art, architecture, history, music, or literature. The project will reflect your views and interpretation of the topic. This project is designed to help you stretch your mind and your abilities to be the creative, innovative, and critical thinker you already are!

Choose one (1) of the topics from the list of topic choices below. Read the topic carefully. Write a three to four (3-4) page paper (750-1,000 words) that responds to each of the items described in the topic.

Note: Your instructor may require you to submit your topic choice for approval before the end of Week 5.

For the topic you choose:

1. Support your ideas with specific, illustrative examples. If there are questions or points associated with your chosen topic, be sure to answer all of the listed questions and address all of the items in that topic. If your topic requires you to do several things related to the topic, be sure to do each of the things listed.
2. While some of the topics tend to lend themselves toward particular writing genres, you are not restricted to the specific format suggested for the individual topic. For example, you may do an “interview,” a “proposal,” a “letter,” a “short story,” a “blog,” an “essay,” an “article,” or any other written genre for almost any of the topics. The project is intended to be fun as well as informative, so feel free to be creative with the delivery of your information.
3. Use at least three (3) good quality academic sources with one (1) source being the class text. Note: Wikipedia and other similar Websites do not quality as academic resources. You are highly encouraged to use the Resource Center tab at the top of your Blackboard page.

Topic choices (pick 1):

• Self-Portraits. Journal. The Renaissance artists Titian, Rembrandt, and Durer have each painted self-portraits. Imagine yourself as one of these artists (or another artist of your choice that has painted a self-portrait) and write a journal expressing your thoughts on “your” art (in other words, the journal entries the artist would probably write.) (1) Explain “your” primary reason for painting a self-portrait. (2) Describe “your” artistic choices in composition: use of color, space, etc. (3) Explain what the portrait represents about “you” (as the artist.) (4) Explain “your” choices of subject with regard to at least three other specific pieces “you” have painted.

• Ladies & Gentlemen. Survey & Report. Some may believe that being “gentleman” or a “lady” in today’s society is an outdated notion, but others may disagree. (1) Briefly summarize the main characteristics of a well-rounded person, “l’uomo universal,” referring to specific sections within the excerpt from The Courtier which identifies these characteristics. (2) Create a “survey” based on the identified characteristics and “poll” at least ten people to find out whether or not the characteristics are relevant for a “gentleman” or “lady” of today. (3) Tabulate and discuss the responses in terms of gender, age, vocation, etc. of your survey participants, making note of any interesting or surprising results which show up in your poll answers. (4) Finally, explain whether or not you agree with the characteristics expressed by Castiglione in The Courtier.

• BayeuxTapestry Experience. Letter. Imagine yourself as one of the figures in the battle depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry; in a letter home, you describe your experience to your family. (1) Write a first-person account of this historical event from the perspective of one of the figures in tapestry. (2) Use your senses to describe your impression of the event. (3) Describe specific elements of the scene such as uniforms, weaponry, fighting styles, etc. (4) Explain why you believe your side was justified in participating in the battle and how you would like the battle to be remembered.

• Ancient Emperors. Deathbed Memoir. Pretend you are one of the emperors we have studied, such as Shihuangdi, Constantine, Ashoka, or Charlemagne. You are on your deathbed and want to write a brief account of your life. As you look back over your life, what do you consider your greatest accomplishments in 1) politics, 2) art / architecture, and 3) religion, philosophy or intellectual life? Finally (4), describe and explain anything you have done for which you fear history will judge you harshly, or present the proudest aspects of your legacy.

• Other topic choice recommended and approved by the professor and supported by the grading rubric.

The Project Paper will be graded on:

1. The level to which the instructions were followed.
2. The extent to which all four (4) parts in the topic were addressed.
3. The adequacy of information, examples, and details which support the general claim or main idea.
4. The relevance of the explanations and descriptions.
5. The inclusion of three (3) required references (two additional sources besides your textbook) documented using APA style.
6. Adherence to standard rules of grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA Style format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions specific to the selected topic. (Note: Students can find APA style materials located in the course shell for reference)
• Include a cover page containing the tile of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Explain how key social, cultural, and artistic contributions contribute to historical changes.
• Explain the importance of situating a society’s cultural and artistic expressions within a historical context.
• Examine the influences of intellectual, religious, political, and socio-economic forces on social, cultural, and artistic expressions.
• Identify major historical developments in world cultures during the eras of antiquity to the Renaissance.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in the study of world cultures.
• Write clearly and concisely about world cultures using proper writing mechanics.

Click here to view the grading rubric.

week 10 ass 3

Assignment 3: Cultural Activity Report
Due Week 10 and worth 100 points

As a way of experiencing the Humanities beyond your classroom, computer, and textbook, you are asked to do a certain type of “cultural activity” that fits well with our course and then report on your experience. Your instructor will require you to propose an activity and get instructor approval before you do it and report on it (students should look for any instructions in that respect). Every effort should be made to ensure that this is a hands-on experience (not a virtual one), that this activity fits the HUM111 class well, and that the activity is of sufficient quality for this university course. The two key types of activities are a museum visit or a performance. NOTE: This must not be a report on the same activity (and certainly not the same report) as done for another class, like HUM112. For instance, one might go to the same museum as done for HUM112, but this HUM111 report will focus on entirely different works and displays.

1. Visit a museum or gallery exhibition or attend a theater or musical performance before the end of Week 10. The activity (museum or performance) should have content that fits our course well. Have fun doing this.
2. Write a two to three (2-3) page report (500-750 words) that describes your experience.

• • Clearly identify the event location, date attended, the attendees, and your initial reaction upon arriving at the event.
  • Provide specific information and a description of at least two (2) pieces (e.g. art, exhibits, music, etc.).
  • Provide a summary of the event and describe your overall reaction after attending the event.
  • Use at least the class text as a reference (additional sources are fine, not necessary unless required by your content). Your report should include connections you make between things observed in your activity and things learned in the course and text.

Note: Submit your cultural activity choice to the instructor for approval before the end of Week 5 (earlier is even better). Look for guidance from the instructor for how or where to make your proposal. You may also seek advice from your instructor (provide your town/state or zip code) for a good activity in your general area.

Visiting a Museum

• It makes sense to approach a museum the way a seasoned traveler approaches visiting a city for the first time. Find out what there is available to see. In the museum, find out what sort of exhibitions are currently housed in the museum and start with the exhibits that interest you.
• If there is a travelling exhibition, it’s always a good idea to see it while you have the chance. Then, if you have time, you can look at other things in the museum.
• Every effort should be made ahead of time to identify a museum that has items and works one can easily connect to our HUM111 class and book. Since HUM111 covers from ancient times to the 1500s AD, it makes more sense to focus on items from that time frame. In general, museums with artistic cultural artifacts and fine arts work better than history museums.
• Any questions about whether a museum-visit activity fits the course and assignment well enough will be decided by the instructor when the student seeks approval for the activity. Any alternative activity outside the normal ones listed here, such as for those limited by disability or distance, will be determined by the instructor. Normally we do not expect students to travel over an hour to get to an approved activity.
• Make notes as you go through the museum and accept any handouts or pamphlets that the museum staff gives you. While you should not quote anything from the printed material when you do your report, the handouts may help to refresh your memory later.
• The quality of your experience is not measured by the amount of time you spend in the galleries or the number of works of art that you actually see. The most rewarding experiences can come from finding two or three pieces of art or exhibits which intrigue you and then considering those works in leisurely contemplation. Most museums even have benches where you can sit and study a particular piece.
• If you are having a difficult time deciding which pieces to write about, ask yourself these questions: (1) If the museum you are visiting suddenly caught fire, which two (2) pieces of art or exhibits would you most want to see saved from the fire? (2) Why would you choose those two (2) particular pieces?

Attending a Performance

• Check your local colleges to see if there are any free or low-cost performances or student recitals. Student performances are generally of almost the same quality as professional performances, but typically cost much less. However, performances of high school level or lower will not meet this requirement.
• A performance that is relevant to a HUM111 course is more difficult to find than a performance that would be relevant to HUM112 (which covers from 1600 to the present). But, our course does cover Shakespeare and Greek tragedy and drama, so any performances of those will work. One can sometimes find music performances of music from the Renaissance or Reformation period, or even earlier.
• Any questions about whether a performance activity fits the course and assignment well enough will be decided by the instructor when the student seeks approval for an activity. Any alternative activity outside the normal ones listed here, such as for those limited by disability or distance, will be determined by the instructor. Normally we do not expect students to travel over an hour to get to an approved activity.
• Unlike visiting a museum, where you can wear almost anything, people attending performances are often expected to “dress up” a bit.
• Take a pen or pencil with you and accept the program you are offered by the usher; you will probably want to make notes on it during or after the performance.
• Turn off your cell phone before entering the auditorium. Do not use your phone to record the music or to take pictures or videos. To play it safe, turn the phone off.
• Most long musical performances have at least one (1) intermission. If the lights start blinking, it is a sign that the performance is about to begin.
• Look for very specific things (such as a particular piece of music or the way certain instruments sounded at a specific time) which tend to stand out as either enjoyable or not enjoyable. Be sure to make notes of the things which you find enjoyable as well as the things which are not enjoyable.

If a student is unable to attend a cultural event in person due to circumstances beyond the student’s control, then the instructor will recommend an alternate event/activity for the student to “attend” online. The “virtual” event/activity is usually only for students who, due to their physical location, cannot possibly attend an event/activity in person; typically, these students are stationed overseas or have no means of transportation. Experience shows most museums and activities are modest in cost and manageable for students, and you will often see students from other universities there on similar course projects. If you are facing financial hardship, keep in mind that many museums have a free day each week and performance discounts are often available for students and veterans, among others. Feel free to ask your instructor to help with finding low-cost options. If you believe that you have a legitimate reason for attending a “virtual” activity, you must contact the instructor no later than Week 5 for your request to be considered.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA Style format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. (Note: Students can find APA style materials located in the course shell for reference)

• Include a cover page containing the tile of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Explain the importance of situating a society’s cultural and artistic expressions within a historical context.
• Examine the influences of intellectual, religious, political, and socio-economic forces on social, cultural, and artistic expressions
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in the study of world cultures.
• Write clearly and concisely about world cultures using proper writing mechanics.

Click here to view the grading rubric.