HUMA 1301 - Introduction to Humanities
Houston Community College, Central College
Spring 2011 / CRN 68080
3 hour lecture course / 48 hours per semester / 16 weeks
Tu/Th 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Fine Arts Center (FAC) - Room 316
Professor: Roger Wood, Ph.D.
Contact information: 713-718-6247 / roger.wood@hccs.edu
Office location and hours: FAC 318 (and 319), Mon/Wed 1 - 2 pm, Tue/Thu 2:30 - 3:30 pm
Course description: HUMA 1301 provides an introduction to the arts and humanities. The
course investigates the relationship between individual human lives and works of imagination and
thought.
Course prerequisites: Must be placed into college-level reading (or take GUST 0342 as a corequisite) and be placed into college-level writing (or take ENGL 0310/0349 as a co-requisite).
Course goal: To expand the student’s knowledge and understanding of how human culture has
expressed itself via mythology, drama, poetry, philosophy, visual art, music, film, and various
related modes.
Student learning outcomes: The student will be able to (1) describe representative themes
and developments in the humanities; (2) interpret representative terms, works, figures and artists
in philosophy, literature, and the visual and performing arts; (3) compare and contrast
representative terms, works, figures and artists in philosophy, literature, and the visual and
performing arts; and (4) evaluate cultural creations in the humanities.
HUMA 1301 is a Core Curriculum course.
Instructional materials (books and online resources): (A) There are two specifically required
books (available via the college bookstore or other stores, online retailers, etc.):
*MYTHOLOGY by Edith Hamilton (any available edition). ISBN: 0-3163-4151-7.
*GREAT MASTERPIECES OF THE WORLD by Irene Korn (New Line, 2006). ISBN: 1-5976-4122-7.
(B) Moreover, there are two other texts which are available for free online (or, if you prefer actual books,
via any modern English translation (available via libraries, booksellers, online retailers, etc.):
*OEDIPUS THE KING by Sophocles (NOTE: aka OEDIPUS TYRANNUS and OEDIPUS REX). Available
at <http://classics.mit.edu/Sophocles/oedipus.html> or via any other modern English translation.
*THE ODYSSEY by Homer. Available at <http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/odyssey.html> or via
any other modern English translation.
(C) Finally, one selected short essay and several poems covered in this course are available for
free online, via the EServer Poetry Collection, with corresponding links listed in course calendar.
Assessment overview (grade values): Unless the professor announces otherwise, the overall
breakdown of assignments and their corresponding values in relation to final grade is as follows:
Mid-term examination
Final examination
Major paper
Short quizzes (avg. of 4)
Journals
In-class presentation
Attendance/participation
20%
20%
20%
10%
10%
10%
10%
Course Calendar / 16 weeks
Read the material in the designated books or via online resources by the date of the
corresponding class session (for details on text resources, see “Instructional Materials” above).
WEEK 1:
1/18: Overview of the course requirements and key concepts in the humanities.
1/20: Introduction to classical philosophy: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Read sections on these
thinkers in “Introduction to Philosophy” (available at <http://www.focusing.org/philosophy.html>).
WEEK 2:
1/25: Classical mythology. Read Mythology 21-52 (the major Greco-Roman gods).
1/27: Classical mythology and epic poetry. Read Mythology 255-290 (summary of The Iliad and
the Trojan War). Short quiz #1.
WEEK 3:
2/1: Classical mythology and epic poetry. Read Mythology 291-318 (summary of The Odyssey).
2/3: Epic poetry. Read The Odyssey, Book I and Book V (See “Instructional Resources.”)
WEEK 4:
2/8: Classical tragedy. Read approximately the first half of Oedipus the King (aka Oedipus
Tyrannus and Oedipus Rex) by Sophocles. (See “Instructional Resources” for text options.)
2/10: Classical tragedy. Read the second half of Oedipus the King. Short quiz #2.
WEEK 5:
2/15: Introduction to the visual arts, classical masterpieces. Read Great Masterpieces 4-40.
2/17: Introduction to the Middle Ages, visual arts and theology. Read Great Masterpieces 41-66.
WEEK 6:
2/22: Introduction to the Renaissance, visual arts and the philosophy of humanism. Read Great
Masterpieces 67-97. Short quiz #3.
2/24: Renaissance literature. Read Shakespeare sonnets # 73 and 130 (available at
<http://poetry.eserver.org/sonnets/073.html> and <http://poetry.eserver.org/sonnets/130.html>).
WEEK 7:
3/1: Classical mythology, ritual, and the cultural significance of the Dionysia. Read Mythology
53-76 (the two great gods of Earth: Demeter and Dionysius).
3/3: Folk mythology, ritual, and the art of carnival. Film: Colores del Carnaval Domincano.
WEEK 8:
3/8: Review for upcoming midterm examination.
3/10: Midterm examination.
NOTE: HCC Spring Break, March 14-18: no class sessions.
WEEK 9:
3/22: Modernism and the visual arts. Read Great Masterpieces 99-113.
3/24: Modernism and the visual arts. Read Great Masterpieces 114-127.
WEEK 10:
3/29: In-class presentations(from students in Group 3/29, as assigned by the professor).
3/31: In-class presentations (from students in Group 3/31, as assigned by the professor).
WEEK 11:
4/5: Introduction to music: early theories/philosophy, key terms and concepts. Read handouts.
4/7: Symphonic music and the philosophy of Spring, an overview: selections from (1) Vivaldi,
The Four Seasons: Spring; (2) Copland, Appalachian Spring; and (3) Stravinsky, The Rite of
Spring (Le Sacre du Printemps). Read handouts.
WEEK 12:
4/12: Avant garde symphonic music and popular culture: Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring (Le
Sacre du Printemps), and Disney, scenes from the animated film Fantasia. Read handouts.
4/14: Modernism and American opera: Gershwin, Porgy and Bess. Read handouts. Short quiz
#4.
WEEK 13:
4/19: Modernism, blues music, and rock-n-roll. Read handouts. Journals due.
4/21: Modernism and pop music/pop art: The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Read handouts.
WEEK 14:
4/26: Modernism and film: Modern Times (first half) by Charlie Chaplin. Read handouts.
4/28: Modernism and film: Modern Times by Charlie Chaplin, continued. Read handouts.
WEEK 15:
5/3: Poetry: selected poems by Emily Dickinson, see these numbered poems: #280, 288, 303,
315, 324, 326, 341, and 441 (available at <http://poetry.eserver.org/dickinsonpoems.html>).
Major paper (final draft) due.
5/5: Review and preparation for the upcoming final exam.
WEEK 16:
5/10: Final examination.
Student assignments: For each the following out-of-class assignments you will receive a
separate, detailed handout from the professor in advance of the due date.
In-class presentation: You will do one brief (approximately five minutes) in-class presentation on
the date assigned by the professor, who will explain your topic options and evaluation criteria..
Journals: You will write five informal journal entries (based on a list of topic options and
requirements) in which you analyze and evaluate key ideas from this course in relation to
particular questions, your personal interests, and/or field-trip observations.
Major paper: You will write one formal, properly documented (MLA-style) out-of-class paper
(750-word minimum) based on research in response to one of the assigned topic options.
Midterm and final examinations: On the former, you will demonstrate objective knowledge of key
terms, representative works, figures, artists, themes and developments in the humanities in
relation to the material assigned from Week 1 through Week 7 of the course (see the course
calendar), as well as the ability to compare and contrast and evaluate elements of that material.
On the later, you will do the same in relation to the material assigned from Week 9 through 15.
Short quizzes: Four (approximately 15-min. each) quizzes test comprehension of key material.
Grading scale: 90 - 100 = A, 80 - 89 = B, 70 - 79 = C, 60 - 69 = D, 0 - 59 = F.
Attendance: Students must attend class regularly and submit assignments on time to pass this
course. HCC policy establishes that a student may be administratively withdrawn from a course
upon missing more than 12.5% of the scheduled sessions (i.e. more than four class sessions).
Attendance grade: You will earn an attendance grade based on the following scale:
0 absences = 100 (A+); 1 absence = 90 (A-); 2 absences = 85 (B); 3 absences = 75 (C);
4 absences = 70 (C-); 5 absences = 65 (D); 6 absences = 55 (F); 7 or more absences = 50 or
less (F).
Course withdrawal: If you elect to withdraw formally from any HCC class and thereby receive a
“W” on your grade transcript, you must contact a HCC counselor or your professor prior to the
withdrawal deadline for the current semester to initiate the process. If you do not do so and
simply cease to attend, you will receive a final grade (quite likely “F”) based on your course
average in relation to the full slate of required assignments.
Academic honesty: Students are expected to be familiar with the HCC policy on academic
honesty (as detailed in various HCC publications) and are responsible for conducting themselves
with honor and integrity in fulfilling course requirements. Penalties and/or disciplinary proceedings
may be initiated by HCC officials against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty (which
includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion). Should you have any
questions about proper handling of source material for your writing, consult the MLA guidelines, :
Tutoring: For free assistance on any of the writing requirements for this course, visit the Writing
Lab in FAC 321-B. Check the sign posted on the door there to determine specific hours of
operation during the current term. (It’s generally open mornings through early evenings, Monday
through Thursday, plus half a day on Friday. NOTE: In addition to his scheduled office hours,
your professor for this class will normally be available for consultation in the Writing Lab on
Mondays and Wednesdays 8 - 11 AM.
Late papers: If a paper is not to be submitted on time, you must formally request an extension
from the professor. No final drafts of papers may be submitted via email. All final draft
submissions must be in hard copy provided directly to the professor. Do not deposit your
submission in a faculty mailbox, under an office door, with a secretary or other staff member, etc.
Services to students with disabilities: Any student with a documented disability who needs to
arrange reasonable accommodations should contact the Disability Support Services Office at the
beginning of each semester. For more information, contact the disability counselor at Central
College (or call 713-718-5165).
Classroom decorum: No cell phones or electronic communications devices may be used
without permission. No disruption (behavioral, electronic, or otherwise) of class is acceptable.
Be courteous and respectful of others.
At his discretion, the professor may announce necessary changes in this syllabus and
assignment calendar at any time during the term.