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: Submit your topic choice to the instructor for approval before the end of Week 2. For the topic you choose: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.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.Use at least two (2) sources besides the textbook, which counts as one (1) source.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 Some may believe that being “gentleman” or a “lady” in today’s society is an outdated notion, but others may disagree.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’u omo 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 Chinese Contributions. Essay. To win a trip to China, you enter a contest to determine the four most useful contributions or inventions created by the ancient Chinese. (1) Identify eight to ten of these useful inventions or contributions. (2) Nominate four that you believe are the most ingenious or innovative. (3) Explain why you believe these four inventions or contributions are the most useful inventions or contributions from the ancient Chinese. (4) Identify one invention or contribution that you cannot live without and explain why.Other topic choice recommended and approved by the professor and supported by the grading rubric.The Project Paper will be graded on:The level to which the instructions were followed.The extent to which all four (4) parts in the topic were addressed.The adequacy of information, examples, and details which support the general claim or main idea.The clarity and relevance of the explanations and description.Adherence to standard rules of grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.The inclusion of three (3) required references (two additional sources besides your textbook) documented using APA style.Your assignment must: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.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.

As a way of experiencing the Humanities beyond your classroom, computer, and textbook, you are asked to attend a “cultural event” and report on your experience.Visit a museum or gallery exhibition or attend a theater, dance, or musical performance before the end of Week 10.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.Provide a summary of the event and describe your overall reaction after attending the event.Note: Submit your cultural event choice to the instructor for approval before the end of Week 5. Visiting a MuseumIt makes sense to approach a museum the way a seasoned traveler approaches visiting a city for the first time. Find out what 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.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 one or two (1 or 2) pieces of art or exhibits which intrigue to 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? Your assignment must: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.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.

1. Watch the J. Paul Getty Museum’s videos on sculpture at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AR_KftDRs4 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWUuGDovHEI2. Learn about printmaking, including the ancient art of woodblock carving and printing, from a contemporary artist at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2hguBvmZb4 and from the Museum of Modern Art at: http://www.moma.org/interactives/projects/2001/whatisaprint/flash.html3. Learn about the history of, and differences between, tempera and oil paint at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUmzLewk5dk and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyhoPD3hA9M4. Visit http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org and click on the “Time” tab to access the menu for “1400-1500 Renaissance in Italy & the North” and then click on the “Florence” tab on the left. View the pages and videos for each of the following: Brunelleschi, Linear Perspective (2 pages), and the Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore; The Sacrifice of Isaac; Masaccio’s Trinity and The Tribute Money; Botticelli; the page and video for Donatello’s “David” and the video on “Representations of David in the Florentine Renaissance.” 5. Read about the dome of Florence Cathedral at http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/ARTH-206-Dome.pdfand listen to a podcast about its construction at https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/arts-facts-podcast/id469401360 (scroll down to #44, called “Arts and Facts: Brunelleschi’s Dome - the Pretty Boy vs. the Genius”)  SHORT ANSWERS: After watching the videos on media and techniques, write at least a paragraph on each medium that answers the questions below. Some of the answers will come directly from the videos, and others ask you to draw conclusions based on what you’ve been watching and reading 1. Sculpture: What are some of the tools and materials used by sculptors? How does additive sculpture differ from subtractive sculpture? What are some of the difficulties sculptors face when working with materials like stone and bronze? 2. Printmaking: In many ways, artists working in this medium must think in “reverse”; why is this, and what difficulties does it pose? What are some of the advantages of printmaking? Painting: What are the components of oil and tempera paints? How do paintings in tempera differ in appearance from those in oil? When was oil paint first used and why was it appealing to later artists? How did the invention of linear perspective revolutionize art? What does it reveal about the values and interests of the artists and viewers in the time and place of its discovery?