Description: Designed for beginning students in art, this course covers the basic principles of design and the elements of art: line, color, shape, texture, and form. Emphasis is placed on the quality of the students' art work, their understanding and appreciation of art, and their application of design elements. This course is designed to meet the requirements of the first semester of a typical art program in most high schools across the United States. The course uses a ?discipline-based art education? (D.B.A.E.) approach established by the Getty Center for Education in the Arts. The major goal of discipline-based art education is to enable students to develop their abilities for making art, examining art, and reading and talking about art. This approach integrates instruction in the following areas: aesthetics (the nature and values of art) art criticism (the analysis of art) art history (the cultural and historical setting of art) art production (concepts and skills for making art) You will be introduced to many traditional forms of art through art activities and written assignments, with the exception of three-dimensional art. This limitation is necessary to accommodate the independent study format, because sending three-dimensional art through the U.S. mail is difficult. Another difference between this course and a classroom art course is the necessity to structure the art activities rather than use an ?open-ended? approach. In a regular classroom, the teacher is available for constant feedback as a work of art is developing. He or she is right at hand to offer suggestions and to guide and encourage the student. The structured format of the art activities in this course is designed to serve as a guide and to help ensure a successful start. Many of the art activities ask that you copy the basic composition of a known work of art or that you create a variation; a great deal may be gained by emulating these works of art. At the same time, you are encouraged to develop your own skills and to bring part of yourself to the creative process. The main objective of this course is to help you gain an understanding of art. You do not have to be an outstanding or talented artist to do well. It is more important that you read and follow all directions for each assignment and that your work is well crafted. Neatness and care are as important as skill. Effort, more than natural talent, is the key factor in determining your progress and grade.

Prerequisites: None

Description: This is an introductory course on visual art. It contains information on art elements and principles, style, technique, materials, history, criticism, and careers in art. Working with the textbook and study guide, you will develop and enhance your ability to enjoy, understand, and appreciate works of art. This course also gives you an opportunity to experience art and apply what you have been learning through writing art criticism and creating your own artwork. The course will give you information and background to see, discuss, and critique art in an educated and enlightened way. This course will be graded by nine computer-evaluated tests (or ?progress evaluations?), two instructor-evaluated art criticisms, and computer-evaluated midterm and final examinations. The artwork created will be optional and for enrichment purposes only.

Prerequisites: None

Description: The humanities are the stories, the ideas, and the words that make sense of our lives and our world. The humanities introduce us to people we have never met, places we have never visited, and ideas that may have never crossed our minds. By showing how others have lived and thought about life, the humanities help us decide what is important in our own lives and what we can do to make our own lives and the lives of others better. By connecting us with other people, they point the way to answers about what is right or wrong, or what is true to our diverse heritage, traditions, and history. The humanities help us address the challenges we face together in our families, our communities, and as a nation. As fields of study, the humanities emphasize analysis and exchange of ideas and may be interdisciplinary. In this course we will explore topics of art, architecture, music, dance and theater, personal expression, cinema/movies, media and digital storytelling.

Prerequisites: None

Description: This course explores the concepts, styles, techniques, instruments, and history of music from the Medieval through the Classical eras. Enhanced multimedia recordings are available on the publisher's online site to provide listening examples of various types of instruments and forms of music.

Prerequisites: None

Description: This course is designed to give you a basic understanding of photography and design principles and to facilitate a joy of photography. Through this course, you will be taken through a number of projects that will take you beyond being a person who casually captures photos and turn you into someone who thinks about how you compose photos artistically. The course will begin by looking at photography as an art form, looking at photographs for their composition, color, and overall design. Your assignments will help you learn how take action photos, portraits, as well as landscape photos all with a smartphone or simple digital camera. Along the way, you will be building a portfolio of your best work for the final project in this course, which is your opportunity to show your growth and abilities as a photographer. Photography has provided the opportunity for people to see the world in ways that they have never seen it before. It has the power to isolate the beauty and drama of the complex world in which we live. It can also make visible much of the inconsistency, emotion, and wonder we often do not see. Like all art, the most wonderful thing about photography is the way it shapes our vision to see the richness that surrounds our lives. Enjoy this course as you are introduced to an exciting new way of seeing.

Prerequisites: None