Students will write six blog posts of at least 300-400 words throughout the semester, with the student’s choice of topics and deadlines to be arranged together with the instructor. These are graded for completion and effort (i.e. following guidelines of the assignment) and are not assigned a letter grade. Students will also comment on their classmates’ posts (comments will receive a letter grade). Students may then choose specific blog posts to use as the basis of their writing assignments. There will be three short analytical essay assignments:
Essay 1 – a detailed formal analysis of a specific artwork – min. 750 words/ approximately three pages.
Essay 2 – a midterm essay comparing and contrasting two artworks using formal analysis (min. 1250 words; approximately four pages).
Essay 3 – final analytical paper discussing how the form and content of a work of art or architecture relate to its specific religious meaning and use-function (min. 1700 words; approx. five pages with 1-2 references).
Essay 1 will be a single draft and receive a letter grade. Essays 2 and 3 have a three step process: students will receive a letter grade for their first drafts, peer reviews, and final drafts. The due dates are marked in the course schedule and the guidelines for each assignment will be provided in class and/or electronically. Lastly, there will be midterm and final exams that include vocabulary and short response questions taken from course lectures, readings, and handouts.
Course Grades (Total 100%):
Participation (Attendance, etc.)—5%
Writing Responses & Blog Posts (graded for completion and creativity)—20%
Comments on Blog Posts—10%
Essay 1: Formal Analysis—7.5%
Essay 2: Midterm Essay Draft—7.5% | Midterm Peer Review and Essay Revision—10%
Midterm Exam—10%
Essay 3: Final Essay Draft—10% | Final Peer Review and Essay Revision—10%
Final Exam—10%
Art of South Asia Project 