All students in our '23-'24 AP Art History class are required to sign an honor pledge related to plagiarism and to the use of A.I. and other electronic tools. A parent's signature is also required on this form. It is available on our Google Classroom and should be completed and returned immediately.
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Hello students and parents who are gearing up for next year. The AP Art History course syllabus for next year is available on the Google Classroom now. What is a syllabus? It is an outline of what we will be covering, in what order we'll cover it, and about how much time we'll spend on each topic.
Students and parents should know that things will change from what is presented on the syllabus as the semester progresses. Some units may move more quickly than allotted, others may go slightly slower. Art-making experiences (to provide context for your studies) are not indicated in the syllabus at this time, although we will do as many of these as time allows. Activities may be added as time allows or removed should we be running behind. Additionally, short days (2 hour early dismissals) and any Flexible Instruction Days (FID) during our semester count on the syllabus as full days. Take a few minutes to check it out on Google Classroom! WE will spend loads of time looking at loads of prehistoric art, examining the forms and symbol making that were common among cultures of pre-history. Chief among the ideas that we will explore is that ART as we imagine it now did not exist in prehistoric times. What we consider today to be art objects were almost always attached to practical purposes, either physical or through ritualistic use. Whether a bowl or a religious votive, the object was there to perform or assist in the completion of a specific task. There was no superstition in prehistory, so whether they were used to please a god or natural force, or for some other purpose (as a bucket to carry water), art objects were useful objects.
IMPORTANT TIP: The first assignment that you will be required to complete when class starts is to share with the rest of the class members (and me) your most important insights gained from doing the summer work. To that end, it is probably a good idea to take some notes as you watch and read over the summer.
PARENTS AND STUDENTS: All students are required to maintain an active account in Khan Academy (khanacademy.org) and enroll in my AP Art History class (classroom join code will be provided in class). Khan Academy will be a source for many articles, videos, and images that are required materials for our course. In addition, all students must join my AP Art History Google Classroom (classroom code will be provided in class) as this is where one will receive assignments, announcements, and turn in work.
If students do not have Internet access at home, they should see me privately so that we may work out alternatives. Parents may also be included in these online classrooms (email me at the address below to join). All students will receive a copy of our text, Art History, 6th Edition at the AP meeting at the end of last school year. This is to keep at home for studying and reading assignments. We will use a classroom set of books in school and a copy is on file in the library for the exclusive use of class members, so the book does not need to be brought back to school until the end of the course. This college-level textbook should be kept in excellent condition. Do not write in the book, highlight text, dog-ear the pages, etc. Do not lose, damage, or throw away the dust jacket. The cost to replace a lost or damaged book is almost $200. If one needs to make notes in the book or otherwise mark things, I recommend using Post-it notes. Students should expect from 50 to 100 pages of reading per week and are required to complete assigned readings/viewings (of videos) by the due dates so that productive classroom discussion is possible. If it is clear to the instructor that readings or viewings have not been completed, grading penalties may be assessed. Students must remain in good standing regarding their assignments. Strict due dates will be maintained as they would be at the college level. Students are expected to make up missed work promptly. Unless otherwise stated, all class work, homework, etc. is to be completed electronically and turned in via Google Classroom. Field trips are part of the course: transportation and admission (when charged) is provided at low or no cost to the student. LUNCHES, DINNERS, AND OTHER VOLUNTARY EXPENSES ARE THE STUDENTS’ RESPONSIBILTY. Students are expected to make every attempt to attend the field trips and are required to make up work missed in other classes due to the trips. There are 2-3 field trips per year which may include any or all of the following: the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Museum, the Philadelphia Art Museum, the National Gallery of Art, the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, the Hirshhorn Museum, the Museum of African Art, the National Portrait Gallery, the Museum of American Art, Dickinson College’s Trout Gallery and Shippensburg University’s Kauffman Gallery. Parents (or students) who have questions or concerns should contact Mr. Martin at [email protected] Hello, parents and students. This is the first posting of my blog about the AP Art History course as taught at Shippensburg Area High School. There are a couple of notes here about the curriculum that I think are important for all to understand.
THE CURRICULUM The subject matter and amount of time spent on each topic is not up to me, nor the school district; the College Board mandates the inclusion of certain curriculum points and we must meet their requirements if we wish to provide an approved Advanced Placement (AP) Art History course. As of August 2019, this course has been audited and is approved by the College Board. We will continue to teach the course content as required until the course is revised by the College Board requiring a curricular modification and re-approval. THE EXAM Students are being prepared to take the AP Art History Exam; however, there is no requirement for students to take the exam. Further, the College Board requires that we inform you that one’s grade in the course does not indicate what their performance will be on the exam AND one’s grade on the exam does not affect one’s grade on the course. Exams are graded on a 1-5 scale with a “5” being the highest possible score. The AP Art History exam is offered in May and there is a fee (approximately $100) to take the exam. Students will be notified of the date when they must sign up for the exam and make their payment. Again, the exam is optional. HOW AP CREDIT WORKS WITH COLLEGES Some institutes of higher learning will provide college credit for certain scoring levels on AP exams. Some schools will offer credit for a score of “3” and up, some for a “4” or a “5,” some only for a “5.” Still other institutions provide no credit for AP courses at all. Further, some schools will allow AP credit to substitute for courses offered at the college so that overall college cost is reduced, but many institutions only allow students to use the AP credit to “test out” of lower level courses and take more advanced courses (this does not reduce the number of required credits taken from the institute of higher learning and provides no cost savings, but it may allow students to take more advanced coursework while there). Families should check with the admissions departments of the schools they are considering to obtain details on the AP exam credit policies of those schools. WHEW! WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT… We are not studying the history OF art; we are studying history THROUGH art. We will focus on how art informs us about cultures, illuminating its religions, customs, values, struggles, and triumphs. Much of what we know about cultures of the past, we know through their art. We know how they worshipped and how they mourned their dead through their art. We know about their heroes and enemies through art. We will study art and history through many windows. We will read a lot, watch many videos, visit museums, write many reflections, and try to emulate many artistic techniques and processes. We will compare civilizations and cultures and look for similarities and differences. Most of all, because art is a human pursuit, we will try to find the humans like us who stand invisibly in the shadows of all of these places and things. |
AuthorMr. Martin is a 25+ year veteran art teacher with the Shippensburg Area School District. The Art Department Chairperson, he teaches Drawing, Design, Advanced Design, 3-D Design, Graphic Design, Media Arts, Horror In Literature and Film, and Art History. He is advisor to the Student Activism Club, the Coffee House Club, Horror High, and co-advisor to the Art Honor Society. He serves on the Greyhound Foundation's Board of Trustees. Archives |