PREHISTORY TO GOTHIC (Chronological Syllabus)
 Corresponds to Volume 1 of Stokstad’s Art History
 This plan is for a class that meets twice a week for 75 mins per class for a 14
week semester
 ***Remember to factor in college holidays!
 See Chronological Survey Resources for lesson plans, & readings for each
week which you can add to the syllabus per your requirements.
You will be held responsible for all the assigned readings, course lectures, and images
shown in class. Readings are due on the date under which they are listed. The images
will be available in your textbook and/or on Blackboard. If you miss a lecture, you are
responsible for obtaining notes from another student. You should check Blackboard
frequently for updates on the course. Always alert me as soon as possible if you have
technical issues preventing you from accessing Blackboard, so that we can work to
solve the problem in a timely manner.
 Preparation before start of course: Buy textbook and read “Introduction.” Look
at “Why Look At Art” video on Smarthistory.org.
 Useful for course background: Smarthistory’s Glossary.
 Course Span: Prehistory (c. 38,000 BC) – Gothic (c. 1300 AD).
Week 1
I. Focus: Read through course syllabus together & Introduction: What is art history?
What is close looking?
II. Focus: Watch Nigel Spivey/PBS “How Art Made the Word: The Art of Persuasion”
& introduce course theme “Art and Power.”
Week 2
I. Focus: Chapter 1, Prehistoric
II. Focus: Chapter 2, Ancient Near East
Week 3
I. Focus: Chapter 3, Ancient Egypt
II. Focus: Chapter 3, Ancient Egypt & Review
Week 4
I. Focus: Chapter 4 Ancient Aegean Art & intro to museum visit/essay assignment
*Special Topic – Visit from the College Writing Center
II. Museum Visit: Metropolitan Museum of Art
Week 5
I. Focus: Chapter 5, Early Greek Art
II. Focus: Chapter 5, Late/Hellenistic Greek Art
*Special topic – Choosing your essay topic and writing an essay thesis
Week 6
I. Focus: Chapter 6, Etruscans & Early Roman Art
1
II. Focus: Chapter 6, High Imperial/Late Empire Roman Art
*Email Professor your essay thesis for review
Week 7
I. Focus: Chapter 7, Byzantine, Jewish & Christian Art & Architecture Pt 1 (watch
“Engineering an Empire”)
II. Focus: Chapter 7, Byzantine, Jewish & Christian Art & Architecture Pt 2
*Metropolitan Museum of Art Response Paper due.
Week 8
I. Focus: Chapter 8, Islamic Art
II. Focus: Chapter 8, Islamic Art
Week 9
I. Focus: Review session before midterm exam
II. MID TERM EXAM (Covering Chps 1 – 8)
Week 10
I. Museum Visit: Rubin Museum of Art (Chapter 9, South & Southeast Asian Art)
II. Focus: Chapter 10, Chinese & Korean Art
Week 11
I. Focus: Chapter 11, Japanese Art
II. Focus: Chapter 12, Art of the Americas (Watch PBS Nova “Cracking the Maya
Code”)
* Rubin Museum Response paper due (optional second written assignment)
Week 12
I. Focus: Chapter 12, Art of the Americas
II. Focus: Chapter 13, Early African Art
Week 13
I. Focus: Chapter 14, Medieval Art
II. Focus: Chapter 15, Romanesque Architecture (optional video)
Week 14
I. Focus: Chapter 16, Gothic Architecture (optional video)
II. LAST DAY OF CLASS – EXAM REVISION
Week 15
FINAL EXAM
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