Q HUM 200 Project Part One: Exploration Document Guidelines and Rubric Overview We all share common experiences that can be generally classified within the major themes of art. Examples of these themes include love, mortality, identity, truth, and beauty. The representation of these themes through various media reveals central beliefs shared by a common people. The comparison of objects from the humanities with similar themes helps to uncover not only the uniqueness of each respective cultural artifact, but also a shared human consciousness that transcends time and place. Your project for this course has two parts. In Project Part One, you will complete an exploration document examining two cultural artifacts that you select, identifying a theme common to both of them and developing a thesis statement related to the theme and artifacts. You will also identify an audience who would be interested in your artifacts, theme, and thesis statement. In Project Part Two, you will develop a presentation for your audience. In your presentation, you will discuss the impact of the cultural artifacts, theme, and thesis statement on both individuals and society, supporting your claims with evidence. You will also explain how study of the humanities has impacted you both personally and professionally. In Project Part One, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes: Illustrate the impact of the humanities on personal and professional experiences Select appropriate and relevant resources in the humanities in investigating expressions of human creativity Communicate effectively to specific audiences in examining fundamental aspects of human culture Apply essential principles of the humanities in exploring major themes of human culture and creativity Prompt Choose two cultural artifacts to analyze. These artifacts may take the form of any artistic medium, such as literature, poetry, music, film, dance, painting, and sculpture, and so on. Then, identify a common theme and compare your examples to one another as expressions of the same theme in different cultural artifacts. Chapters 3 through 6 in the Soomo webtext will walk you through this process. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed: I. Describe the cultural artifacts that you chose. Consider questions such as these in your response: What is the name or title of the artifact? Who is the author or artist? What is the date or time period when the artifact was created? What is the cultural location or physical setting of the artifact? In addition, you could consider including a photograph or image of each cultural artifact, if they are visual artifacts. II. Identify at least one common theme that will serve as the framework of your exploration document. How is the theme expressed in your artifacts? 1 III. Explain how the theme you identified is related to your personal experience. For instance, you could discuss how the expression of the theme in your cultural artifacts is connected to you personally. IV. Discuss a profession that could be impacted by the theme you identified. In other words, how is the theme you identified related to professional experiences? How could a working knowledge of the humanities be useful in this field? V. Describe at least three humanities resources that you could use to investigate your theme and artifacts. Your sources must be relevant to your theme and of an appropriate academic nature. In your description, consider questions such as the following: What are the similarities and differences in the content of your sources? What makes them appropriate and relevant for investigating your issue? What was your thought process when you were searching for sources? How did you make choices? Did you encounter any obstacles and, if so, how did you overcome them? If you did not, why do you think it was so easy to find what you needed? VI. Use the humanities resources that you selected to research your theme and cultural artifacts, making sure that you cite your sources. Based on your research, do the following: A. Discuss the relationship between each cultural artifact and its historical context. In other words, what were the circumstances under which each artifact was created? B. Explain the similarities and differences that you observe in the cultural artifacts you selected, in relation to the theme. For instance, do the artifacts contain any symbolism? If so, how are the symbols both similar and different? What do the symbols tell you about each artifact? C. Discuss the medium—such as literature, music, or sculpture—through which your cultural artifacts were created. For instance, how did the creator or creators of each artifact use the medium to convey something about the meaning of the artifact? VII. Based on your research, develop a thesis statement that conveys the claim you plan to make about your theme and artifacts. Your thesis statement should be clear, specific, and arguable. VIII. Based on your research, identify an audience that would be interested in your theme and thesis statement. For example, who would benefit most from hearing your message? IX. Describe how and why you can tailor your message to your audience, providing specific examples based on your research. For example, will your audience understand the terminology and principles used by humanities scholars, or will you need to explain these? How will you communicate effectively with your audience? X. Provide a reference list that includes all of the humanities resources you used to research your artifacts, theme, and thesis statement. Ensure that your list is formatted according to current APA guidelines (or another format with instructor permission). 2 Project Part One Rubric Guidelines for Submission: You will upload the polished version of the Word document you downloaded from Soomo to the submission link for instructor grading and feedback. Please see the feedback provided by your instructor in your SNHU course. Your exploration document should adhere to the following formatting requirements: 3 to 5 pages in length, double-spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font and one-inch margins. You should use current APA style guidelines (or another format approved by your instructor) for your citations and reference list. Critical Elements Exemplary Proficient Needs Improvement Not Evident Value Cultural Artifacts Meets “Proficient” criteria and Describes selected cultural Describes selected cultural Does not describe selected 8 description is exceptionally artifacts (85%) artifacts but with gaps in detail cultural artifacts (0%) clear and contextualized or clarity (55%) (100%) Common Theme Meets “Proficient” criteria and Identifies at least one common Identifies at least one common Does not identify at least one 8 identified theme is especially theme to serve as framework theme to serve as framework common theme to serve as well-aligned with artifacts of exploration document and of exploration document and framework of exploration (100%) explains how theme is explains how theme is document and does not explain expressed in artifacts (85%) expressed in artifacts but with how theme is expressed in gaps in clarity or detail (55%) artifacts (0%) Personal Experience Meets “Proficient” criteria and Explains how identified theme Explains how identified theme Does not explain how identified 8 explanation demonstrates is related to personal is related to personal theme is related to personal keen insight into impact of experience (85%) experience but with gaps in experience (0%) humanities on personal clarity or detail (55%) experiences (100%) Profession Meets “Proficient” criteria and Discusses a profession that Discusses a profession that Does not discuss a profession 8 explanation demonstrates could be impacted by identified could be impacted by that could be impacted by keen insight into impact of theme (85%) identified theme but with gaps identified theme (0%) humanities on professional in clarity or detail (55%) experiences (100%) Humanities Resources Meets “Proficient” criteria and Describes at least three Describes at least three Does not describe humanities 8 description of resources relevant and appropriate humanities resources that resources that could be used to demonstrates strong humanities resources that could be used to investigate investigate theme and artifacts understanding of information could be used to investigate theme and artifacts but with (0%) needed to investigate theme and artifacts (85%) gaps in appropriateness, expressions of human relevance, or detail (55%) creativity (100%) 3 Critical Elements Exemplary Proficient Needs Improvement Not Evident Value Research: Historical Meets “Proficient” criteria and Discusses relationship between Discusses relationship between Does not discuss relationship 8 Context response demonstrates insight each cultural artifact and its each cultural artifact and its between each cultural artifact into essential humanities historical context, citing historical context but with gaps and its historical context (0%) principles (100%) sources (85%) in detail, clarity, or citation (55%) Research: Similarities Meets “Proficient” criteria and Explains similarities and Explains similarities and Does not explain similarities and 8 and Differences response demonstrates insight differences observed in cultural differences observed in differences observed in cultural into essential humanities artifacts in relation to theme, cultural artifacts but not in artifacts (0%) principles (100%) citing sources (85%) relation to theme or with gaps in detail, clarity, or citation (55%) Research: Medium Meets “Proficient” criteria and Discusses the medium through Discusses the medium through Does not discuss the medium 8 response demonstrates insight which the cultural artifacts which cultural artifacts were through which the cultural into essential humanities were created, citing sources created but with gaps in detail, artifacts were created (0%) principles (100%) (85%) clarity, or citation (55%) Thesis Statement Meets “Proficient” criteria and Develops clear, specific, and Develops thesis statement that Does not develop thesis 8 claim demonstrates insight into arguable thesis statement that conveys claim about theme statement that conveys claim connection between theme conveys claim about theme and artifacts but thesis about theme and artifacts (0%) and artifacts (100%) and artifacts, based on statement is not based on research (85%) research, lacks clarity or specificity, or is not arguable (55%) Audience Meets “Proficient” criteria and Identifies an audience that Identifies an audience but Does not identify an audience 8 identification of audience would be interested in theme audience is not appropriate for (0%) demonstrates insight into and thesis statement, based on theme and thesis statement or theme and thesis statement research (85%) is not based on research (55%) (100%) Message Meets “Proficient” criteria and Describes how and why Describes how and why Does not describe how and why 8 response demonstrates message can be tailored to message can be tailored to message can be tailored to sophisticated understanding of audience, providing specific audience but with gaps in audience (0%) how to effectively examples based on research examples or research support communicate with specific (85%) (55%) audience (100%) 4 Critical Elements Exemplary Proficient Needs Improvement Not Evident Value Reference List Provides reference list that Provides reference list that Does not provide reference list 8 includes all humanities includes all humanities that includes all humanities resources used to research resources used to research resources used to research artifacts, theme, and thesis artifacts, theme, and thesis artifacts, theme, and thesis statement, ensuring that list is statement, but list has gaps in statement (0%) formatted according to current adherence to current APA APA guidelines (100%) formatting guidelines (55%) Articulation of Submission is free of errors Submission has no major errors Submission has major errors Submission has critical errors 4 Response related to citations, grammar, related to citations, grammar, related to citations, grammar, related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and spelling, syntax, or organization spelling, syntax, or spelling, syntax, or organization organization and is presented (85%) organization that negatively that prevent understanding of in a professional and easy-to- impact readability and ideas (0%) read format (100%) articulation of main ideas (55%) Total 100%