Cultural Activity Report

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 HUM 112 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. 

1. Visit a museum or gallery exhibition or attend a theater, dance, or musical performance. The activity (museum or performance) should have content that fits our course well. Have fun doing this. 

2. 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 pieces.
• 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. 

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 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 HUM 112 class and book. Since HUM 112 covers from 1600 AD to the present, it makes more sense to focus on items from this time frame. In general, museums with 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 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:  If the museum you are visiting suddenly caught fire, which two  pieces of art or exhibits would you most want to see saved from the fire? Why would you choose those two  particular pieces?  

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