Discussions (Humanities – Arts, Ideas & Values)

Question 1. Journal

In these assignments, you select a prompt and respond. Each of these allows you to focus on a specific idea or example of art and then write your thoughts and reactions – essentially a reflection.

Choose one of the following prompts:

#1: Expose Yourself to Art!
What has been your exposure to visual art? Has it been primarily from your family? School? Social activities? Personal explorations? Do you make art? If so, what kind? What is the medium you use? What kind of style is it? Who is your audience? If you haven’t made any art, have you ever wanted to? What kind?

#2: A Definition of Art
Do you agree with the definition for ‘art’ as it is explained in the textbook? Why or why not? Can you add to the definition? Is your definition coming from a subjective or objective perspective?

Task.

1. Identify which prompt you selected. (5 points)
2. Compose a written response to the prompt. Be thorough and address each point or question in the selection. You can choose to do this as an essay or use a question/answer format. (15 points)
3. Your response must be at least 150 words. (5 points)

Question 2. Explore Song Lyrics

There’s a whole world of creativity out there to explore. Most of us probably think of paintings and sculpture when someone asks us, “What is art?” but the reality is that art encompasses so much more. There are many mediums to investigate, so many different techniques and methods of producing objects of beauty, and there are the art forms that encompass movement, sound, and performance. For this series of exercises students are encouraged to think outside the basics. There’s a lot of creativity to explore, here’s your opportunity to share the things that you find intriguing.

Music and words can each resonate with an individual but when they are combined they can become even more powerful. In this activity students will evaluate social acceptance and inherent messages within the lyrics of a song of their choice. Endeavor to listen beyond what is expressed in the lyrics to determine if there is an underlying theme or message encoded in the song. Remember that there are many sites on the internet that offer song lyrics in case you can’t figure out all the words.

Think about:

• Why did you choose this song instead of another?
• Are these lyrics meaningful to all of today’s listeners?
• Will your lyrics have any special meaning to listeners a generation from now?

If you want to explore some music from other generations, here’s an auditory sampling of popular American music from the twentieth century (these are brief snippets):

Listen to Top Songs of the: 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s. Links from more recent decades don’t appear to work anymore – try searching YouTube (Links to an external site.) for something which appeals to you! If you select a song in a different language please provide lyrics in English and a link to the song in the original language so I can both understand it and hear it.

The Task:

1. Select a song of your choice and identify the title, artist, and release date – include lyrics or a link to the song if possible. Consider if the meaning of the lyrics will be affected by the passage of time and explain the meaning or message of the song lyrics. Remember to think about implied meanings as well as expressed ones. (20 points)
2. Your post should be a minimum of 250+ words and you should cite resources used. (5 points)
3. Leave substantive* comments on THREE (3) other student posts – select ones who wrote about different songs than you selected. Use this as an opportunity to learn what they have to share. Each comment should be a minimum of 75+ words. (5 points each)

*Substantive comments extend the conversation, ask a question, or offer an observation – strive to create a dialogue. Comments that consist of only praise will be awarded 20% of points or less.