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.

Writing tAssignmen – Critical Analysis
Critical Analysis Term Paper

Time to use what you have learned in BECA 201 “Life on TV” to write your own critical analysis of a TV show. You will be evaluated on how well you use what you’ve learned in our course to write academic TV criticism.

As academic TV critics, our job is to apply a model of thinking to a TV show in order to expand our understanding and experience of it. There are many ways to do this. We sometimes write about the remarkable aesthetic qualities of a TV show, such as the special way a story is told or staged and photographed. Equally important is the way a TV show relates to our social and political context. The latter involves analysis of discourses as well as the controversial social issues that may be present in the show, such as sexism, racism or homophobia. Academic critics don’t engage in ‘thumbs up, thumbs down’ evaluation.

Your essay should present an original critical analysis of a TV show of your choice. Watch one or more episodes of the show closely to gather evidence that will support the argument of your essay. Because a television program is made for an audience, questions of analysis focus on audience involvement in the program and how that is accomplished.

In order to do well on this assignment, you must:
Start out with a critical orientation that is appropriate for academic criticism (example: feminism)
Use at least one specific concept that you learned about in our course (example: realism) to interpret the show you’ve chosen. Give a definition or example of how the concept is used in our textbook.
Present a clear and nuanced argument about the show you’ve chosen to analyze (an argument is something that people could reasonably have different opinions on) presented in a thesis statement that appears in the introduction to your essay
Analyze some aspect of the television show by breaking it down using a model of thought from our course (example: narrative analysis breaks down the story, visual style breaks down the way a show looks, Roberta Pearson’s ‘Anatomy of a Character’ breaks down a character into a series of traits, etc.)
Reference two ideas from academic criticism about your show, or about the genre of show, that helped you to expand your understanding of the show. Be sure to cite those sources correctly.
Write with respect for your audience: Academic TV criticism is an activity that sincerely hopes to improve television and society. If you make a mockery of those objectives in your essay, you will not do well.
Write clearly and carefully without major errors of grammar or spelling

Format of your essay

Your essay should be 6 pages long including a ‘works cited’ page. The essay should be typed and double spaced. Choose a title that tells the reader what your argument is. ‘Critical Essay’ is a bad title because it doesn’t tell us what your argument is.

Submit your paper as a .doc, .docx or .pdf file.

Citation: Use APA style.

Content

The topic areas that you should cover in your essay are:

1. an introduction that states the argument of your essay, the goal of your critique, and a thesis sentence. An argument must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade us of it.

2. a description of the television show and history of its production (No more than 2 paragraphs)

3. a description of your critical approach to the show and the questions you used to get started on your analysis. What did you learn as you worked on these questions? Which of the problems or theories in our textbook or discussions has helped you understand the show? Why do you think this is an important topic?

4. The analysis of the TV show, which should be 4-5 pages long. Here you will present your argument with examples from the show that serve as evidence to support and clarify your argument. This is the most important section of your essay. You’ll find more specific advice about it in the next section below.

5. A conclusion that contains your overall evaluation and restates your contribution to understanding the program (1 paragraph)

How to present your argument effectively in the body of your essay

The longest section of your essay will be #4, the analysis section. It should contain 4 – 5 pages of analysis in which you do the following:

1. Present the argument summarized in your thesis statement in greater detail. Break the argument into steps. Write the steps up as paragraphs, each of which should make a clear claim about your show. Each step in your argument should be related back to your paper’s thesis or main idea.

2. Provide evidence in support of each claim that you make. Evidence consists of concrete, specific examples drawn from individual episodes of the series you analyzed (for example: dialogue, story lines, character actions, camera angles, etc.).

3. For every claim that you support with evidence from the show, be sure to write a bridge that tells us how the evidence proves your point. Here, for example, is a bridge that spells out the connection between the theory of the public sphere and the town hall meeting chaired by Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation:

In a speech addressed to those opening the capsule in the future, Leslie explains that “This is truly what life was like. A lot of people, with a lot of opinions, arguing passionately for what they believed in.” She thus acknowledges that it is conversation (rational or not, loud or soft) that keeps democracy alive. Ultimately, the episode offers a humorous civics lesson in what a public sphere could look like.

4. Some claims that you’ll make will not require evidence from the show, but instead they will require evidence from the context (for example, the claim that Parks and Recreation represents the ideological divisions in our politics requires mention, at least, of the Tea Party and the clash of conservative and liberal ideology)

5. Take time to consider possible counterclaims that disagree with parts of your thesis. You must think of what an intelligent, rational person might argue against your claim. Then think of how you could defend your claim and prove that the counterclaim is wrong. This can extend your argument for a page or more. On rare occasions, another academic TV critic has written the counterclaim that you want to refute, but usually you will make up the counterclaim yourself.