Course Syllabus
Race, Identity, and Experience in American Art
Race and Diversity
TYLE 0805, Sec 002 | CRN# 26993 & Sec 005 | CRN# 55112
Fall, 2025
Instructor: Kara Mshinda, MA
E-mail: kara.mshinda@temple.edu (link to Outlook email) or email me through Canvas using the Inbox link
Office Hours: TUESDAY / THURSDAY 9:30AM – 10:30AM or by appointment
How This Course Will be Taught: In-person, on campus
Syllabus PDF (Download)
Syllabus OneDrive Link (this will be the most up to date with regard to course schedule)
Syllabus Word (Download)
The course syllabus will provide you with the course schedule, course objectives, explanations of assignments and assessments, grading policies, and instructor contact information. Please read it carefully. You should have a deep familiarity with the schedule and process of the course.
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Basic Course Information
General Education
This course fulfills the General Education area of Race and Diversity
Race & Diversity courses develop a sophisticated understanding of race and racism as dynamic concepts, pointing to the ways in which race intersects with other group identifications such as gender, class, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation or disability.
Welcome Message
Welcome to Race, Identity, and Experience in American Art! We will be spending the semester together in an exploration of the intricacies of racial identity, lived experience, and diversity through art history. Along the way, you''ll also get an opportunity to learn new skills, such as:
- Visual Literacy & Art Analysis Skills
- Critical Thinking and Information Literacy
- Cultural Competency & Identity Analysis
- Communication & Collaboration Skills
- Creative & Reflective Skills
- Civic Engagement and Global Awareness
Meeting Time and Location
TUESDAY/THURSDAY - SEC 002 | 11AM-12:20PM | Classroom B089 in Tyler School of Art and Architecture
TUESDAY/THURSDAY - SEC 005| 12:30PM-1:50PM | Classroom B085 in Tyler School of Art and Architecture
Asynchronous/Independent Study Dates
- Thursday, September 11, 2025
- Thursday, October 9, 2025
No in-person classes will be held on these dates. Visit Modules for Week 3 and Week 7 to see activities. Attendance will be via Check-in on these dates.
Field Trip Dates
- Thursday, October 2 - Visit to Temple Contemporary, First Floor Tyler School of Art and Architecture
- Thursday, October 16 - Charles L. Blockson Afro American Collection, 1330 Polett Walk, Sullivan Hall
- Thursday, October 30 - Class visit to the Special Collections Research Center, First Floor, Charles Library
Emergency Meetings
Students are to register for the TUAlert System to be made aware of University closures due to weather or other emergency situations and follow all additional university-wide emergency instruction. To register please visit the following link: Campus Safety Services. In the event of an emergency, class materials/instructions will be provided via Canvas.
Instructor Information
My Name:
Kara Mshinda, MA
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Please refer to me as Professor Mshinda or Ms. Mshinda. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
Instructor Biography
My name is Kara Mshinda. I am a visual artist, anthropologist, and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Foundations Department at Tyler School of Art and Architecture.
Background and Education
Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, I attended college outside of Cleveland before relocating to Philadelphia in 2002 for graduate school at Temple University. I am an alumna of the Anthropology of Visual Communication graduate program in the Department of Anthropology, where my research focused on visual literacy and socialization within a community of graffiti writers in South Philadelphia.
Research and Professional Experience
My current research interests include art and ethnography, the history of modernism in art, and American vernacular art traditions. I have experience in museum education and collections, having worked at the Museum of the American Revolution. You can read my review of The "Black Art" Renaissance: African Sculpture and Modernism across Continents at caa.reviews.
Artistic Practice
I have been exhibiting art professionally since 2013, working primarily in alternative photography and collage. My commissioned artworks have been created for the Village of Arts and Humanities and Of Black Wombhood. Additionally, my artwork appears on the published book of poetry Open Source by poet Warren Longmire.
Currently, I serve as Network Co-Director of Tiger Strikes Asteroid, an artist-run gallery collective. I formerly served as Fellowship and Residency Director at Da Vinci Art Alliance. You can view my work at www.karamshinda.com or @karamshinda on Instagram.
Teaching Philosophy for this Course
As an educator, I recognize and accommodate the various ways students learn. I believe theory and practice are equally important for personal and professional development. When assessing assignments, I use grading rubrics that consider both the quality of engagement and ideas as well as writing mechanics and grammar. I provide extensive, supportive feedback on all assignments.
My goal is to create a learning environment that develops critical thinking and visual literacy skills you can apply beyond the classroom. Drawing from my anthropological training and experience as an artist, I approach art as both a cultural product and a communicative practice. I am committed to an art history curriculum that includes both canonical artists and artworks alongside historically under-recognized artists and art forms.
My Contact Information
Please reach out to me at any time for assistance with the course or just to chat about the field or navigating university life. The best way to reach me is to send me a message through the Canvas inbox or email me at kara.mshinda@temple.edu. I will generally respond within 24 hours, Monday through Friday.
My Office
Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Foundations
Office: 230 O, 2nd floor of Tyler
Office hours: Tuesday/Thursday 9:30AM - 10:30AM and by appointment
Student Drop-In Hours
Seeking out individual assistance from the instructor is a normal part of the learning process. I set aside 9:30AM to 10:30AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays for you to come to my office with no appointment necessary. We can discuss the course content, your progress on the assessments, your future in the field, or anything else you need to talk about. If my regular Drop-In Hours don’t fit your schedule, please email me to make an appointment. I want to help you succeed!
Purpose of the Course
Overall Purpose
It is important to keep in mind that Gen Ed is about making connections. Gen Ed classes draw connections between academic knowledge and current controversies, and these classes involve looking at cutting edge issues from multiple perspectives.
Note too, that Gen Ed draws connections with the city of Philadelphia, and as such our study will also consider art in and around Temple University’s dynamic location.
This General Education Race and Diversity course expands the breadth of your knowledge and skills, adding to the depth acquired in your major. This course emphasizes the critical competencies of critical thinking, oral/written communication, and information literacy while delving into the dynamic concepts of race and identity in American art.
Overview of the Course
How might investigating one’s identity be a rich source of inspiration for artistic expression?
And how can art and artists of the Americas assist in our understanding about identity, race, diversity, and ourselves?
Arts of the Americas and United States are the focus of this course which achieves the race and diversity General Education (Gen Ed) credit. Learning centers art forms and practices from the 1400s to today which highlight how race and racism are dynamic concepts intersecting with other group identifications such as gender, class, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, or ability.
This course offers opportunities to explore, converse, and learn about racial identity, lived experience, and diversity through art history, and topics range from colonial contact in the Americas, to Civil Rights and disability activism of the 20th century, to LGBTQIA2+ art histories, to contemporary Indigenous art and Afrofuturism. Active learning will be engaged as we develop art analysis skills through visits to archives and art exhibitions.
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisites/Corequisites
No prerequisites are required for this course,
Learning Goals
Upon successful completion of this General Education course, you will be able to…
- Articulate the connections between artists, identity, and a work of art including ideas about how identity investigations may be a rich source of inspiration for artistic expression
- Identify, recognize, and critically examine art, art projects, and artists that explore race, identities, and experiences in the Americas
- Observe, examine, appraise, and critique local arts organizations, arts projects, programs, or exhibitions which relate in some way to race, identity, experience, and art in the Americas
- Evaluate and employ a variety of art related information literacy approaches and sources
Section Learning Goals
Race & Diversity classes intend to teach students how to:
- Recognize the ways in which race intersects with other group identifications or ascriptions (gender, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, etc.)
- Understand the relationships among diversity, justice and power
- Explore what it means for individuals and institutions to exist in a multi-racial, multicultural world
- Investigate the various forms race and racism has taken in different places and times
- Discuss race matters with diverse others in relation to personal experience
All materials, activities, and assessments of this course are designed to help you achieve these goals. If at any time you feel that you are not making progress towards one of these goals, please reach out to me. It is my job to help you get there!
General Education Competencies and Area Learning Goals
Gen Ed facilitates linkages by stressing the development of eight skills and abilities rather than on content knowledge.
The Program in General Education provides opportunities for students to engage in:
- Critical thinking
- Understanding historical and contemporary issues in context
- Understanding and applying knowledge in and across disciplines
- Communicating effectively orally and in writing
- Exercising quantitative and scientific reasoning and apply these reasoning processes to explain phenomena in the context of everyday life
- Functioning as an engaged citizen in a diverse and globalized world
- Practicing information literacy by identifying, accessing and evaluating sources of information
- Promoting lifelong learning and lasting curiosity
The Learning Environment
How Class Will Be Conducted
Most class sessions will combine a lecture and one or more learning activities based upon the assigned reading for the day. Quizzes are listed in the course schedule. You may complete them outside of class meeting times. Quizzes are open-note and you may take them up to 3 times. All assignments including quizzes will be submitted online in Canvas.
You are expected to complete the preparatory reading, video, or assignment before coming to class in order to ensure that we can all engage in an informed dialogue. I will generally be available for a few minutes after class to discuss individual issues, but, as a courtesy to the next class to use our space, we may defer lengthy and/or serious matters to an appointment in my office.
The course is organized into weekly modules, each containing a combination of readings, multimedia content, and assignments. You can expect a mix of video lectures, VoiceThread presentations, and interactive activities designed to reinforce the material. I will post weekly announcements to keep you on track and informed, and I will check discussion boards regularly to engage with student posts and answer questions. Written or video feedback on assignments is typically provided within one week of the submission deadline. I aim to be present and responsive throughout the course, and you are encouraged to reach out with any questions or concerns at any time.
Classroom Civility
It is important to foster a respectful and productive learning environment that includes all students in our diverse community of learners. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Therefore, all opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse.
Treat your classmates and instructor with respect in all communication, class activities, and meetings. You are encouraged to comment, question, or critique an idea, but you are not to attack an individual. Please consider that sarcasm, humor, and slang can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. Profanity should be avoided as should the use of all capital letters when composing responses in discussion threads, which can be construed as “shouting” online. Remember to be careful with your own and others' privacy. In general, have your behavior mirror how you would like to be treated by others.
For more information, please visit the IDEAL website.
In this course, we will have conversations that address racism, sexism, imperialism/colonialism, gender identities, sexual orientation, religion, political polarization, and other issues that some may find challenging and uncomfortable to discuss, so we will prepare as a group and develop agreements about how we can have these discussions in a productive and respectful way, and help us consider viewpoints that may be different from our own. In this class, we want to make space for each student and create an inclusive environment where we respect each other’s different identities, lived experiences, and perspectives. Please do not ever hesitate to reach out to me if I can do something better or differently to support your learning or our collective learning experience.
Materials
This course has no required course materials or readings that must be purchased.
Links to required readings, videos, etc., will be supplied electronically in Canvas in the appropriate module. These items will be provided to you at no additional cost.
Software or Other Supplies
If you need access to basic software for creating documents, slideshows, or spreadsheets, you have free access to Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud.
Programs that we will use in this course include:
- Canvas
- Zoom (if needed)
- VoiceThread
- OneDrive
- Padlet
- Poll Everywhere (for interactive and class activities as needed)
- Quickly (attendance)
Whether you use a paper or digital tool, you should have a calendar for managing your schedule. Use a calendar like Outlook calendar, a software available to you as part of the Microsoft 365 suite of tools, to manage your schedule. Similarly, I expect you to take notes while reading course materials and during lectures, but the choice is yours whether to use software or paper.
Accessibility
It is important to me that every student has the opportunity to succeed in this course. Please reach out to me if any obstacle is in the way of your success.
Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) located in the Howard Gittis Student Center South, 4th Floor at drs@temple.edu or 215-204-1280 to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to you. If you have a DRS accommodation letter to share with me, or you would like to discuss your accommodations, please contact me as soon as practical. I will work with you and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential. Students can learn more about the accommodation process and pre-register on the DRS website. Students may register at any time during the semester, but accommodations are not active until you register, so I recommend doing so as early in the semester as possible.
Information regarding accessibility for additional technologies is provided below:
Resources and Support
Sometimes the biggest factors impacting student success are things happening beyond the scope of the individual classroom. Temple provides a wide array of resources both to help you overcome academic challenges and those not directly related to the educational challenges of the course. Please reach out to me if you need help deciding which resources might be right for you.
Undergraduate Research Support
Disability Resources and Services
If you are experiencing food insecurity or financial struggles, Temple provides resources and support. Notably, the Temple University Cherry Pantry is in operation, as well as a variety of resources from the Division of Student Affairs.
Library Resources
Temple University Libraries provide resources to assist Temple students with their class projects and research needs. Visit the Libraries’ website to find millions of articles, books, video, and other resources, both in print and online.
This Library Guide developed for our course will be a reference throughout the semester.
The site also provides tutorials to help you start your research, as well as subject and course research guides to help you identify resources that may be particularly useful for this class.
Contact the library at any stage of the research process. You can chat with a librarian 24/7 or make an appointment with your subject librarian, who can help you explore a topic, craft a research question, and identify and cite sources.
Course Schedule
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Course Introduction |
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Date |
Before Class |
During Class |
After Class |
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Tues Aug 26 |
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Thurs Aug 28 |
Read Syllabus and Explore Canvas |
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SUBMIT Syllabus Quiz between AUG 28 - SEPT 8, 11:59PM |
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Conceptual Foundations |
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Date |
Before Class |
During Class |
After Class |
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Tues Sep 2
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EXPLORE: Introductions and Identities Padlet WATCH Understanding Race: Are We So Different? READ American Anthropology Association (AAA) Statement on Race |
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Prepare and read in advance of next class
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Thurs Sep 4 |
Watch (optional): Byron Kim's Synecdoche in this video by Art in Color, published on YouTube on November 18, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwOieSLKQZULinks to an external site.
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Prepare and read in advance of next class
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Colonial Hierarchies and Casta Paintings |
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Date |
Before Class |
During Class |
After Class |
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Tues Sep 9 |
READ and WATCH Smarthistory series and Study Guide on Casta Paintings and Constructing Identity in the Spanish Americas
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Review Study Questions and Study Guide in Canvas |
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Thurs Sep 11 |
VIEW: Discussing Art from the National Humanities Center
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READING QUIZ 1 DUE SEP 11 – SEP 14
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Early American Identity |
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Date |
Before Class |
During Class |
After Class |
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Tues Sep 16 |
EXPLORE Padlet – Portraiture and Identity in the Early U.S.
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Prepare and read in advance of next class
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Thurs Sep 18 |
READ: (approx. 1 webpage plus images) David Jaffee, "Art and Identity in the British North American Colonies, 1700–1776" Hielbrunn Timeline of Art History MET Museum, October 2004
WATCH "Nari Ward, We the People (black version)
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WEEK 5 |
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Date |
Before Class |
During Class |
After Class |
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Tues Sep 23 |
EXPLORE Fulfilling a Prophecy: The Past and Present of the Lenape in Pennsylvania & READ M. Soderblom, “Lenape People Continuing Presence” Encyclopedia of Philadelphia EXPLORE: Cultures in Contact Padlet |
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Thurs Sep 25 |
READ: Lisa Farrington, Chapter 2. Art and Design in the Colonial Era, Africanisms in the New World in African American Art: A Visual and Cultural History, Oxford University Press, 2017. (PDF) WATCH: Brandy Culp, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art and Dr. Beth Harris, "The triangle trade and the colonial table, sugar, tea, and slavery," in Smarthistory, December 29, 2018 |
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WEEK 6 |
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Visual Analysis Skills |
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Date |
Before Class |
During Class |
After Class |
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Tues Sep 30 |
READ Dr. Robert Glass, "Introduction to art historical analysis," in Smarthistory, 2017 READ: Elements of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art (PDF) & Principles of Design, Understanding Formal Analysis Education, The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2011 (PDF)
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Thurs Oct 2 |
READ Visual Analysis Assignment and Rubric READ: Thinking and Writing About Art History, Donna K. Reid (PDF)
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Discussion Post 1 DUE OCT 5, 11:59PM |
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WEEK 7 |
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Scientific Racism and New Technologies |
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Date |
Before Class |
During Class |
After Class |
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Tues Oct 7 |
READ Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s “Frederick Douglass’s Camera Obscura”
EXPLORE Padlet - Early Photography, Scientific Racism, and Frederick Douglass' Camera Obscura
READ Dr. Kimberly Kutz Elliott, "Images in a Divided World," (https://smarthistory.org/seeing-america-2/civil-war-in-art/imagesdivided- World/) in Smarthistory, 2022 |
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Thurs Oct 9 |
READ Edward Clay (Canvas page)
BROWSE (1 webpage with links to images): Life in Philadelphia Collection, The Library Company of Philadelphia
EXPLORE Blockson Digital Collections - |
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READING QUIZ 2 DUE OCT 12, 11:59PM |
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WEEK 8 |
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Date |
Before Class |
During Class |
After Class |
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Tues Oct 14 |
WATCH (26 mins): Big Think interview with Nell Irvin Painter, author of The History of White People
READ (1 webpage, approx. 5-6 pages): K. Kutz Elliott, "Nativism, immigration, and the Know-Nothing party," in Smarthistory, 2021 |
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Visual Analysis DUE 11:59PM
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Thurs Oct 16 |
WATCH Holding History: The Collections of Charles L. Blockson, by Penn State Univ. & REVIEW: Blockson Reflection and Activity (Canvas)
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WEEK 9 |
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Self-Determination in the Arts, 1960s to Today |
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Date |
Before Class |
During Class |
After Class |
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Tues Oct 21 |
WATCH (7 mins): How American artists captured the Great War up close
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Art and National Identity in the Global Wars of the 20th Century: World War I Artist spotlight: Horace Pippin
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Thurs Oct 23
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READ (3 pages): War and Superheroes: How the Writer’s War Board Used Comics to Spread its Message, Library of Congress.
BROWSE (1 webpage with several images): Powers of Persuasion, Parts 1 and 2, online exhibition of propaganda posters from World War II, National Archives |
Art and National Identity in the Global Wars of the 20th Century: Golden Age of Comics
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Blockson Creative Reflection DUE OCT 26, 11:59PM
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WEEK 10 |
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Date |
Before Class |
During Class |
After Class |
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Tues Oct 28 |
READ Larry Neal, The Black Arts Movement, 1968
WATCH Robyn Farrell "Identity and Civil Rights in 1960s America” Smarthistory
READ (1 webpage, approx. 5 pages): Nina Wallace, “Yellow Power: The Origins of Asian America,” DENSHO
READ "Art, Pride, and the Rainbow Flag," & Temple and Philadelphia: Our Queer History
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Introduction to self-determination in the arts
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Mid semester - Portfolio Check-In Assignment |
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Thurs Oct 30 |
COMPLETE SCRC tutorial: https://alt.library.temple.edu/tutorials/SCRC/story.html & READ Creative Reflection Assignment and Rubric REVIEW SCRC tutorial and reflection activity |
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READING QUIZ 3 DUE OCT 30 – NOV 2, 11:59PM |
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WEEK 11 |
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Bodies, Ability, and Environment |
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Date |
Before Class |
During Class |
After Class |
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Tues Nov 4 |
READ (3 pages): Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, “Becoming Disabled,” New York Times, 2016 & WATCH: The Social Model of Disability
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Discussion Post 2 DUE NOV 6 11:59PM
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Thurs Nov 6 |
WATCH Decolonizing Landscape Painting, SFMOMA & LaToya Ruby Frazier, “A Creative Solution for the Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan,” TED Talk WATCH (7 mins): "Entropy and environment at Spiral Jetty," in Smarthistory, September 25, 2018
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SCRC Creative Reflection DUE NOV 9, 11:59PM |
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WEEK 12 |
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Date |
Before Class |
During Class |
After Class |
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Tues Nov 11 |
EXPLORE: Visions and Voices of the Future - Padlet READ “The Afrofuture is Now” Google Arts & Culture
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Thurs Nov 13 |
READ (1 webpage): Allison Hsu, Imagining Asian Futurity: History, Multiplicity, and Racial Solidarity, ColorBloq: The Stories of Us
READ Sadaf Padder, “In Search of Inclusive South Asian Futurisms”
READ Sunanda K. Sanyal, "Jeffrey Gibson, I’m Not Perfect” &
VIEW (virtual exhibition): Indigenous Futurisms: Transcending Past/Present/Future, Museum of Contemporary Native Arts
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Discussion Post 3 DUE NOV 16, 11:59PM |
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WEEK 13 |
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Digital Identity & Viral Art Movements |
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Date |
Before Class |
During Class |
After Class |
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Tues Nov 18 |
READ "What makes a movement go viral?" (USC Today, 2022)
READ "Social Media, Online Activism and 10 Years of #BlackLivesMatter" (2023), Pew Research
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Thurs Nov 20 |
READ #Art Is Social, #Art is Media" (Mn Artists, 2024)
WATCH Art + Activism with Sanaz Mazinani | KQED Art School
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READING QUIZ 4 DUE NOV 20 – NOV 23 |
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WEEK 14 – FALL BREAK – NO CLASSES NOV 24 to NOV 30 |
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WEEK 15 |
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Memes, Virality, and Digital Art Forms |
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Date |
Before Class |
During Class |
After Class |
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Tues Dec 2 |
READ (3 pages): An Introduction Chris E. Vargas Executive Director, MOTHA, Transgender Hirstory in 99 Objects: Legends & Mythologies March 21 -July 11, 2015
Additional readings TBD |
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Complete SFF End of Semester Feedback Forms |
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Thurs Dec 4
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Final Learning Portfolio DUE DEC 8, 11:59PM |
There is no final exam in this course. The final assignment is your Learning Portfolio.
Grading & Assessment Guidelines
Grading Scale
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Percentage |
Letter Grade |
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94-100 |
A |
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90-93 |
A- |
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87-89 |
B+ |
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84-86 |
B |
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80-83 |
B- |
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77-79 |
C+ |
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74-76 |
C |
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70-73 |
C- |
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67-69 |
D+ |
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64-66 |
D |
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61-63 |
D- |
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0-60 |
F |
Course Minimum Grade*
A grade of “C-” or better is required in all GenEd courses for you to satisfy a General Education requirement.*
I will do my best to warn you if you are in danger of not meeting this minimum, but you should reach out to me if you become worried about not achieving the minimum needed grade.
Assessment Summary
The assessments in this course have been created for two reasons: (1) For you to demonstrate your progress towards the learning goals for the course and receive useful feedback. (2) For you to practice skills and develop ways of thinking that will be of use to you in the future.
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Assignment |
Percent of Grade |
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Syllabus Quiz |
5 |
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Attendance |
10 |
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Discussion Posts |
10 |
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Visual Analysis Paper |
15 |
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Blockson & SCRC Creative Reflection (2) |
20 |
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Final Learning Portfolio |
20 |
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In-class activities |
10 |
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Reading Quizzes |
10 |
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100% total |
Assessments
Syllabus Quiz and Questionnaire / 5%: a classic quiz with questions stemming from the policies and schedule published in the Syllabus.
Attendance / 10%: Expansive and connected learning is enhanced by presence, engagement, and contributions in class; attendance will be recorded at the beginning of class.
Discussion Posts / 10%: Sharing your own insights, learning, and connections is most important in Gen Ed classes. At least once this semester, you will create a unique Discussion on Canvas that will demonstrate your in-depth analysis of our posted readings, your contemporary connections to our learning, and interactive questions for class discussion; you’ll create the Discussion on Canvas and also verbally present ideas and questions to the class. You will be assigned a discussion topic. Full details and a rubric will be available on Canvas.
Visual Analysis Paper /15%: Art analysis and arts literacy is a foundational skill for our semester, and in life. Comfort with close looking and talking about art, critically asking questions, and employing helpful art terminology will be important over our 15 weeks together. We will practice art analysis in the classroom, then you’ll apply this skill in the Art Analysis paper, throughout the course, and yes, perhaps even elsewhere in your life or career.
Blockson & SCRC Creative Reflection (2)/ 20%: Hands-on, active learning in TU Archives will take place this semester when we visit the Charles Library Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) and the Charles L. Blockson Afro American Collection. A creative Reflection assignment due after each visit asks you to synthesize, interpret, analyze, respond, and creatively re-present what you learned and experienced. All details and rubric on Canvas.
Mid-Semester Portfolio Check + Final Learning Portfolio /20%: At the end of the semester, you will select, assemble, and curate your own key learning moments demonstrating the story of your learning in this Gen Ed race and diversity class; peer reviews will be required. Note that this will be DUE on the last day of class. Full details and a rubric will be available on Canvas. There will be a mid-semester portfolio writing check.
In-Class Learning Activities /10%: In-Class Assignments will be completed this semester with the goal of critical reflection and deeper learning. There is no ‘participation grade’ in this class, rather, regular attendance and active participation is necessary to meet the course goals and successfully complete the course. Some In-Class Assignments may not be announced in advance. The three lowest grades will be dropped; no make-ups are permitted, which is why the three lowest grades are dropped. These activities may take the form of: Journaling, Small Group Reading Reviews, 3-2-1s, Quick Writes, Reflective Writing Exercises, Think-Pair-Shares, Visual Literacy Exercises, and/or Worksheets.
Reading Quizzes/10%: There will be 4 short quizzes throughout the semester. These quizzes will be based on course content in the weekly modules. A study guide will be provided for each quiz. You may take quizzes up to 3 times with your highest grade recorded. All quizzes are “open-note” meaning you may use your notes and refer to the course content to answer questions. These quizzes are meant to assess your understanding of key concepts in the course.
More information on each assessment will be provided approximately three weeks before their due date.
When planning your semester, I recommend adding all due dates to your calendar. For the more extensive assessments, I recommend scheduling at least two separate hour-long work/study sessions per week for the two weeks before the due date. The final project will require more time. You should schedule time beginning just after the midterm.
Late Submissions/Missed Quizzes
Life gets in the way for all of us from time to time. Please notify me if you may miss a deadline or an exam/quiz as soon as possible. Please do not delay in informing; as soon as you suspect a problem, let me know. Depending on the timing and the specific assessment, I may ask you to give me a copy of your current draft or provide an extension. Whether you will be given an additional opportunity or an extension to complete the assessment will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Class Attendance & Participation
Your attendance and participation are expected at all our class meetings. The classroom is an inherently social environment where we are all mutually responsible for each other’s learning. I encourage you to make friends so that, in the event that you must miss class, you can borrow someone’s notes for the session. Furthermore, if you miss class, we lose your perspective in classroom discussions and learning activities. If unforeseen circumstances cause you to miss multiple sessions, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss the situation.
Attendance and Your Health
To achieve course learning goals, students must attend and participate in classes, according to the course requirements. However, if you have tested positive for or are experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness, you should not come to campus or attend in-person classes or activities. It is your responsibility to contact me to create a plan for participation and engagement in the course as soon as you can, and to make a plan to complete all assignments in a timely fashion.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
- Attendance will be taken in each class meeting and counts toward grading in the course
- 3 unexcused absences are allowable
- After 3 absences, please contact me to discuss attendance
- Repeated patterns of absences and/or tardiness not due to illness will negatively impact grading
- 6 unexcused absences without a DRS accommodation will result in automatic failure of the course. 6 absences are the equivalent of missing 3 weeks of the course.
- Please be on time; instructors reserve the right to consider late or disruptive arrivals as an absence
School-Life Conflict
Many unpredictable things can happen over the course of a semester. If you find yourself struggling to balance your education and your other commitments, please reach out to me immediately so that we can work together to build a plan for your success. Some of the resources in the next section may also be of use to you.
Religious Holidays
It is your right to observe religious holidays without impacting your opportunity to learn and succeed in this course. Please reach out to me at the start of the semester so that deadlines can be reviewed in advance of your religious observations. You will still be held responsible for course content and any assignments, but you will not lose points for attendance and participation on days important to your faith.
Caregiver Responsibilities
I have great respect for students who are pursuing their education while responsible for the care of children or other family members. Please contact me if you encounter challenges that require you to miss a class session or if your caregiving responsibilities are interfering with your success in the course. Together, we may be able to find some flexibility to support your learning.
Withdrawal
If you are considering withdrawing from the course after the add/drop date, please don’t make that decision alone! Withdrawing from the course without talking to me first eliminates the possibility of finding a path to success for you. Furthermore, it is extremely important that you consult your academic advisor before withdrawing. They will be able to walk you through how the withdrawal would impact your progress towards your degree and your graduation date.
Please check the academic calendar for the last day to withdraw from a course.
Incomplete
A student will be eligible for a grade of “Incomplete” only if the student: 1) has completed at least 51% of the work at a passing level, 2) is unable to complete the work for a serious reason beyond their control, and 3) files a signed agreement with the instructor outlining the work to be completed and the time frame in which that work will be completed. The student is responsible for initiating this process, and all incomplete forms must be sent to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs prior to the start of study days in that semester.
Please refer to the following for further details: Temple University’s Incomplete Policy. (Policy #02.10.13).
Technology Guidelines
Technology Requirements
To participate in this course, you will need the equipment, software, and internet access necessary to reliably use Zoom and Canvas, as well as “productivity tools” like word processors and slide show creators.
Limited resources are available for students who do not have the technology they need for class. Students with educational technology needs, including no computer or camera or insufficient Wifi access, should submit a Student Technology Assistance Application located in TUPortal and linked from the Dean of Students Support and Resources. The University will endeavor to meet needs, such as with a long-term loan of a laptop or Mifi device, a refurbished computer, or subsidized internet access.
Note that there are technology resources available for students, including on-campus computers available for student use, the Tech Center computer labs and free laptop and battery borrowing at Charles Library, software that is available for free download and other specialty software that may be available for remote access through ITS.
Technical Support
For a listing of technical support services available to Temple University students, see the Tech Support page.
Live Chat or Request Help: help.temple.edu
Phone: 215-204-8000
Email: help@temple.edu
Website: its.temple.edu
Location: The TECH Center, Room 106
Technology Usage
Excellence in any endeavor requires attention. To that end, we need to be mindful of the unnecessary use of technology in the class. To avoid distracting yourself or others, please only use your laptop, phone, or other device for activities relevant to the course. If you find yourself needing to take a call or participate in a text, please excuse yourself from the classroom and return as soon as you are able.
Class Recording
While this is an in-person course, we may use Zoom in the event of an emergency. Zoom class meetings will only take place in such events as outlined in Emergency Meetings above. Please note that our Zoom meetings will be recorded, and you will have access to these through the end of the course. These recordings are intended to be for University academic and research purposes only. Individuals are not permitted to record, copy, publish, or redistribute audio or video recordings of any portion of the session to individuals who are not associated with the University without the express permission of the host/faculty member and of any other meeting participants who are recorded. Distribution without permission could be a violation of various privacy laws, including FERPA, as well as the Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act, and possibly copyright law.
Attending Zoom meetings using an AI proxy is not allowed.
Privacy and Data Protection
Please see the links below to become familiar with the privacy policies for each of the following:
AI Policies
The use of generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Dall-e, any others, etc.) IS permitted in this course for the following
Activities:
- Brainstorming and refining your ideas
- Fine tuning your research questions
- Finding information on your topic
- Drafting an outline to organize your thoughts
- Checking grammar and style
The use of generative AI tools is NOT permitted in this course for the following activities:
- Impersonating you in classroom contexts or Creating Discussion Board posts or Peer Responses or Peer Reviews
- Completing group work that your group may assign to you
- Writing a draft of a writing assignment
- Writing entire sentences, paragraphs, papers, assignments, or etc. to complete class assignments
You are responsible for the information you submit based on an AI query; for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, or contain misinformation or unethical content.
*Keep in mind that AI can generates incorrect information*
*You are responsible for checking that the information is accurate, correct, and cited properly*
If you are in doubt on how to use AI for an assignment, contact me. Also, refer to Temple University’s Academic Honesty policy and Student Conduct Code,
Academic Guidelines
Academic Freedom
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. I have the freedom and responsibility to design and facilitate our learning environment to best achieve the promise of the course as outlined in its official description. You have the responsibility to engage with the course in good faith and freedom from mistreatment when your opinion differs from mine. Note that it is not an abuse of this freedom for me to require that you support relevant opinions with clear argumentation and solid evidence. For more on academic freedom, consult the official Temple policy on the matter.
Academic Integrity
Temple University believes strongly in academic honesty and integrity. Plagiarism and academic cheating are, therefore, prohibited. All work you submit for assessment should be your own efforts. For more on this topic, consult the relevant portions of Temple Bulletin and the Student Conduct Code.