Tara King:

Office hours:

TrekNorth High School

Ethnic Arts
e-mail: tking@treknorth.org
218-444-1888 ext: 125
By appointment, 8:00-8:30 AM, 3:15-4:00 PM

Course Description:
Students will learn about world cultures through creating art. Any medium may be used
to create art from a given culture; this includes both 2D and 3D art. Two cultures will be
explored each month; one chosen by students, and one chosen by the instructor to learn
as a class. Through discussions and critiques, students will gain a better understanding
of cultures unfamiliar to them. Although students will be learning and creating art from
specific cultures, they must create their art not as reproduction but as their
understanding of that culture.

Expectations:
Respect each other and each others work

Students are expected to treat each other with kindness and respect. This means
honoring the person you may be assigned to work with, supporting each others work,
and contributing in a positive manner to the overall classroom atmosphere.

Critiques:

Students will be expected to participate in group and individual critiques throughout the
course. Critiques are a useful tool for student artists. They assist students to view art as
a language. Critiques help develop advanced considerations of media, composition,
themes, ideas, and concepts through the use of the Elements and Principles of Design.
They also give an opportunity for the student to reflect on his/her own work as well as the
work of his /her peers with informed and critical decision making skills.

Artistic Integrity:
Students must create original works of art. If they use any reference images off the
Internet, other artists work, published photographs, or illustrations, etc. the images must
be altered and put into the students own visual terms or it will be considered plagiarized
and will not be accepted.

References:

I highly suggest investing in a digital camera. As an artist you should have references
that you have taken. This helps ensure autonomy in your art. The worst thing you can
do is copy another artists work and label it as your own. This means; using direct
images, part of an image that is easily recognizable or doing the same work as a
classmate. You need to show your interpretation of the culture you are studying.

Student Objectives:
* Maintain a strong work ethic and dedication
*View art as a language, the elements and principles communicate content
*Refine skills and techniques
*Effectively work through and solve visual problems.
*Increase knowledge of tools and materials
*Understand that artistic skills only get better from practice, making mistakes and taking
risks.
*Become aware of similarities and differences among the cultures of the world

Daily Expectations:

Students should be in the classroom when bell rings. Should immediately check the
board for the daily objective and DO NOW, then get started on the DO NOW.
If a student needs to leave the room for any reason, they need to ask the teacher. Show
up for class prepared. Please no food in class because we do not want it getting on the
artwork and in some cases could be a safety hazard. Only drinks with a lid that can
close are allowed in class.

Grading:

*Studio work: 60% due to the large amount of time put into creating the portfolio,
studio work will be a large part of a students grade.
*Critiques and tests: 20%
*Homework & Visual journal: 20%

*Class participation is very important

The basis for letter grades:

Due Dates:

A- 90-100%
B-80-89

C- 70-79
D- 60-69

Students must meet due dates. We keep a quick pace and there is not room for falling
behind. If a student falls behind they may have to bring work home or attend once a
month studio nights. If student is sick they will have 2 days to make up the work. Late
work will be accepted up to two weeks after the due date, your grade will be marked
down for lateness. Until work is turned in, it will go in the grade book as a zero. All
course work is due by the end of term.

Attendance:

Attendance is mandatory! One needs to be in class to complete the amount of work

necessary for this class. Critiques are very hard to make up and students need to be in
class to participate fully.

Internet site: I will post assignments on my website, www.visualtrek.weebly.com. You

may access it through the school website, just go under faculty and click on my name. I
will sometimes take a picture of you with your artwork to post to this site. Please indicate

in writing if this is not acceptable to you, otherwise by signing this syllabus you agree to
have your photo on the website.

Studio Maintenance:
All students will be responsible maintaining the workspace in the classroom as well as
contributing to the maintenance of the over all classroom. This is very important due to
the fact that the classroom is a very cramped space and supplies art on a budget. This is
everything from washing out brushes to storing their work in the designated places.

Supplies Needed:
The school will supply most supplies. However students will be required to buy some
supplies. Supplies students need to buy:

# 2 pencils and an eraser

Visual journal (this may be a sketchbook, notebook or you may make your own)
THIS IS REQUIRED

Studio Fee
There is a $5 Studio fee to help cover the cost of consumable supplies. You may give
this either to Kirby or me. If you give it to Kirby make sure you specify it is for Art. Since
this class has more flexibility to use other art mediums, students who wish to work in
specific mediums and/or materials will need to supply them if they are not supplies
available in the art room.

In the art room students often use an electronic devise to look up

references for art and/or listen to music. Your electronic devise is not
meant to do anything else in this class. Social media, texts and games are
not allowed in this room.
Listed below are the rules for having an electronic devise in this class:
If someone (teacher or student) is presenting information to the class cell
phones/lap tops/ electronic devices, should be put away in pocket or bag. This is
the case for the beginning of class each day.
You may not take phone calls during class time. If its an emergency notify me
and you will be allowed to use the classroom landline.
You may listen to music while working BUT you need earphones and you need to
keep one ear bud out so that you can hear instruction in case of an emergency.
Having a smart phone/i pod etc. is like having a computer. You must make sure
that the information you carry and share from your device is appropriate. This

includes: pictures, video, audio, and reading materials located on your

phone/computer/electronic devices.
Bullying and harassment is not tolerated. This includes inappropriate txts,
pictures, web sites, and postings. You will be held accountable.
Electronic devices are not permissible during a lock down, fire drill, or building
evacuation.
Discipline Guide Line:
_Using device when asked not to1st offense-verbal reminder
2nd time, device is held by teacher until end of class.
3rd time, device is brought to the front desk to be held for the remainder of the
school day.
Refusal to hand over device administrative consequence. If a pattern of
inappropriate phone use becomes apparent, you will loose your electronic
devise privileges.

AllstudentsarerequiredtohaveaVisualJournal.TheJournalcouldbea
sketchbookofwhateversizeyouprefertoworkin.Youmayusea
notebook,sketchbookorpiecesofpaperstapledtogether.Thisisyour
personalrecordofyourartisticjourney.Iwillhavesuggestionsavailableif
youhavedifficultycomingupwithideas.Somestudentsmayproducemore
thanonejournalduringthecourse;thereisnomaximumlimit.Useyour
Journaleveryday!Youdon'tneedtoworryaboutmakingperfectpages,the
importantthingistorecordeverythinginyourjournal,visualandwritten,
andthenpullfromitlater.WhatshouldbeincludedintheVisualJournal?
draw,think,reflect,design,experiment,respond,observe,notesfromclass
andspecificvisualjournalassignments.Allofthefollowingcanbeincluded
inthejournaldevelopmentofartmakingskillsandtechniques
experimentswithmediaandtechnologiespersonalreflectionsfirsthand
observations,writtenandvisualcreativeideasforexplorationand
developmentevaluationsofartpracticesandartmakingexperiences
responsestoartistsandtheirworksgalleryandmuseumvisitsdetailed
evaluationsandcriticalanalysisrecordsofvaluedfeedbackreceived
challengesfacedandachievements.

Yourjournalwillbeagreatresourceforartisticdiscoveryandknowledge.
WhenIgiveyounotesorotherinformationyoushouldwritedown,include
theseinyourjournal.IwillcheckyourjournaleachThursday.Thiswillbe
20%ofyourgrade.

cuthere

Ihavesignedandagreetothetermscoveredinthissyllabus.
Studentssignature____________________________Date_____________
Parent/guardianssignature______________________Date_____________
As a class one culture will be studied each month. You will create at least one art from
the culture we study as a class. We will focus on: Moors, South Korea, Zulu and India. .
A list of cultural groups to choose from in creating your art will be provided below. You
must choose from this list, unless you get approval by Tara. Choosing these cultures is
done so by the diverse ethnic characteristic of a variety of different cultures. You will
create one work of art each month from the culture you choose for that month. Along
with the art you create, a summary of that culture will need to be included explaining the
significance of that culture and why you chose to create the art you did.
You will not stay with one culture for more than one month. This means if you decide to
study Edo Japan, the next month you must pick another culture such as Amish.
Two works of art will be created each month, one from our class culture and one from
individual culture.
Once a month we will have a group or whole class critique on your art work.
Japan-Paleolithic & Jomon
Yayoi Period
Asuka Period
Heian culture
Kamakura Period
Muromachi Period
Edo Period

Aboriginal
Celtic
Viking
Panamanian
Islamic
Amish
Creole

Aztec
Native American
Mongolia
Inuit
Persian
Cuban

China- Xia Dynasty

Shang Dynasty
Xin Dynasty
Han Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
Jin Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
Song Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
African TribesMaasai
San Bushmen
Yoruba
Xhosa
Hausa
Himba
Oromo
Kalenjin
Chaga

Shaker
Hawaiian
Greek
Roman
Mexican
Byzantine Russian art
Renaissance
Philippines
Samoan
Egyptian
Germanic
French culture until
19th century
English culture until
19th century
Early American until
19th century
Scandinavian until
19th century
Southeast Asia until
19th century
Middle Eastern culture until
19th century

South America until

19th century

Due Dates: September 19th

Moors culture
October 7th
1st culture
October 28th
South Korea culture
th nd
November 18 2 culture
December 2nd
Zulu culture
st rd
December 21 3 culture
January 19th
India culture