Term Project: Experiencing the Humanities
Overview
The term project for this course is design to give students the opportunity to experience some aspect of the Humanities first hand and apply what we have learned in the course to the “real world.” To complete this project, students are asked to research and discover a Humanities-based experience that fits within the scope of our course. For HUM2210 this means an experience related to the time period from prehistory to the 1500s (16th century).
“Experiences” might include attending a musical performance or live theatre production, visiting an art gallery or living history museum, researching a local sculpture or architectural building, etc. The point is to encourage you to actively engage with the Humanities around you and to use the critical thinking and analytical skills honed in this course to analyze new, local examples of the Humanities.
Requirements
The Pitch. Students will submit a Term Project Topic Pitch via Discussion Board on Canvas by June 10th at 11:59 p.m. Students are encouraged to submit multiple ideas for my feedback on which would be best suited for this course. The Topic Pitch much include
- a description of your proposed humanities “experience” (provide as many details as possible to let me know that you have actually looked into this: name of site, dates of performances, location, hours of operation, ticket prices, etc.)
- a brief summary of how you think your “experience” fits within the scope of the course (here, you should address how the experience meets the timeframe for the course).
I will provide feedback for your Topic Pitches and give approval before you proceed with the project (feel free to submit topics early). The Topic Pitch is worth 10 points towards the Term Project grade.
The Final Project. The final Term Project is due on July 8th at 11:59 p.m. The final product must include the following:
- Details about your “experience” – provide as much detail as possible and be sure to provide an analysis of all humanities-related parts (analysis of art, architecture, theatre, etc.). Provide research about your site when necessary and include citations.
- At least one image verifying your experience: a “site-selfie” that includes you having the experience (additional images are encouraged).
- An analysis of how your experience with the humanities fits within the scope of this course.
- A discussion of how the humanities benefit our lives (backed up by research).
- you must have at least two sources; one of them must come from an academic source like a journal article from the TCC database. The other may come from a well-regarded website, magazine, newspaper, etc. All sources must be college-level (no dictionaries or encyclopedias). Feel free to run sources by me for approval.
Logistics
All information will be presented in a 3-4 page paper. Use MLA Style Guide for all issues relating to formatting (font size, margins, font type, etc.). You can easily find a copy online or through TCC’s library. You will submit your final project online through Canvas (we will use a Turnitin link). Students will use MLA for citations and all papers must include both in-text citations AND a Works Cited Page. You may organize your paper and images in any manner you would like, as long as it meets the project requirements. (Please note: Students are responsible for verifying that the file they have uploaded is correct and readable. After you have submitted, click on your item and verify that it uploaded correctly. If it did not, resubmit or email to me. If your file did not upload correctly by the deadline, it is considered late. Please see the course syllabus policy regarding late work. I will not email students and ask them to resubmit files that do not work. You will get a zero.)
Grading and Checklist
This assignment will be graded out of 100 points and counts for 20% of your overall grade. Use the following grading rubric to see how I will assess this assignment:
| Category | Points Rubric | Total Points Possible |
| Information Literacy | Information Literacy · Accessing: How well does the student locate or gather the pertinent information requisite for mastering the subject matter? (6) · Evaluation: How well does the student determine or judge that the information presented is reliable, relevant, timely and authoritative? (8) · Effective Utilization: How well does the student utilize the information to accomplish his/her task? (8) · Ethical and Legal Utilization: How well does the student quote, cite, and paraphrase his/her sources? (8) | 30 |
| Critical Thinking and Cultural Connections | Critical Thinking · Following the Argument: How well does the student logically transition from one point to another? (10) · Opinions and Conclusion: How well does the student defend or rationalize resolutions? (10) Global/Cultural · Illustrations/Connections: How well does the student assess arguments or points of view? (10) · Analysis and Evaluation: How well does the student exemplify and relate the subject matter to other areas [specifically course material]? (10) | 30 |
| Logistics | Written Communication · Thesis: How well does the student state and support the project’s primary concern? (5) · Organization: How well does the student structure the project? (5) · Mechanics: How well does the student employ grammar and syntax? (5) Digital Literacy · Doing: How well does the student find, operate and utilize digital tool(s) for academic and professional purposes? (5) · Thinking: How well does the student use digital tool(s) to create content? (5) Relating: How well does the student use digital tool(s) to share content effectively? (5) | 30 |
| Topic Pitch | I previously submitted a topic pitch by the deadline for approval. | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
Checklist: Please conduct a self-assessment before submitting your work.
- My research article(s) comes from a college-level, reliable, academic source (No encyclopedias, personal blogs, website with unverified author, etc.).
- My paper includes all required parts of the assignment and meets the length requirements.
- My paper is well-organized with a clear thesis statement.
- My paper includes both in-text citations as well as a Works Cited page.
- My paper uses guidelines from the Modern Language Association (MLA) for both citations and formatting.
- My work has been proofed and edited by me and (ideally) one other person.
- I know where to submit my paper online.
- I know the deadline for submission and understand that late work is not permitted in this course.
- I understand that I must check my file submission after submitting to verify that it uploaded correctly and that failure to do so may lead to a zero for this assignment.