AP Art History - Bergen County Technical Schools

Dear Student:
Welcome to what is going to be an awesome year of AP Art History. You will need to prepare for the
course with summer assignments to focus your senses on art in a way that may be new to you. This is going
to be a fulfilling course where you will be inquiring often and think in an introspective manner as we look
at a variety of pieces of artwork.
The purpose of the summer assignments is not to make the course daunting, but to prepare you in a way
that will hone your approach as we observe art of many forms.
If you have any questions over the summer pertaining to your work, do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail:
petgut@bergen.org, or miymin@bergen.org. We will reply as quickly as possible.
Enjoy your summer,
The AP Art History team
Summer Assignments
Choose either Part 1 OR Part 2. There is also required reading/viewing from Kahn Academy - see
Part 3.
PART 1a
Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art this summer. The purpose of this visit is to get you looking at lots and
lots of art. Seeing art LIVE is always the best way to experience it. This will count as a project grade.
1.
You must bring a camera with you on your visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum
generally allows you to photograph work as long as you are not using a flash. Cell phone cameras
are okay to use too. If don’t own a camera or a phone with one, borrow one or buy a disposable
camera and get a disc made. Email me if you have a problem finding a camera and we will work
something out.
2.
First visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art (www.metmuseum.org) website. Review museum
policies, current exhibits and floor plan. The price is a suggested donation. You do NOT have to
pay full price for your admission to the museum. I suggest from 5-10 dollars for your visit. Please
keep your tag and attach it to your assignment.
3.
When visiting the Met, plan to spend at least 2 hours exploring. Find art you like and really
observe it. Visit all the floors. When viewing the artwork read the cards next to the work. It will
give info such as the title, artist’s name; date art was completed, etc.
4.
Take at least 20 photos (or short videos) at the museum as “proof” of your visit. One photo must
include yourself and least 7 photos must be works of art that interest you. The other 12 are free
choice. Try to take more than 20 photos so you have more to choose from later.
5.
Make sure you write down the information about each piece of art you are using in this project.
You will need the title, artist’s name, date it was completed, and what part of the museum it is
located (Modern Wing, Medieval Hall, Sculpture Garden, etc.)
6.
Have fun! This is a great opportunity to go to the city with your friends to look at some art, eat a
tasty lunch, walk in Central Park, get some coffee, and feel sophisticated and worldly. Enjoy!!
PART 1b
1.
Create a brief but interesting story/narrative using the photos from your Met trip. Put images in
PowerPoint, Keynote or a similar program. You can create a video if you feel ambitious. The
Story should contain text and/or sound, a title page and at least 20 photos but no more than 25
slides. Your Met story is due on the first day of school and must be burned to a disc or
accessable via your z-drive. Be prepared to present your story to the class.
2.
You must also be prepared to discuss what works of art you liked the best (and why) and be ready
to relate your art museum experience to me and the rest of the class.
PART 2a
If you prefer not to do the museum assignment, choose a book from the following list to read. Of course,
you’re more than welcome to read more than one. The purpose of reading the material is to get you
learning about art from a unique perspective that you may not be familiar with, and/or thinking about the
context from which it was made. Most if not all of the books should be available from your local library. If
you cannot get access to one that you are particularly interested in, let one of us know and we can try to
arrange something.
!
False Impressions: The Hunt for Big-Time Art Fakes
By Thomas Hoving
!
THE FORGER’S SPELL: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of
the Twentieth Century.
By Edward Dolnick.
!
Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture
By Ross King
!
Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's
By R. A. Scotti
!
Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling
By Ross King
!
A World Lit Only by Fire
by William Manchester
!
The Pillars of the Earth (historical novel set in the Gothic period)
By Ken Follett
!
World Without End (sequel to The Pillars of the Earth)
By Ken Follett
!
The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade That Gave the World Impressionism –
Ross King
!
American Gothic: A Life of America’s Most Famous Painting – Steven Biel
PART 2b
1.
Write a thorough summary and reaction to the work you chose to read. The paper should be a
minimum of three pages, and should follow the guidelines for a well-written report, with and
introduction, supporting ideas, and a conclusion. Be prepared to present the information in your
paper to the class on the first day of school. The report must:
✓ have well-developed paragraphs
✓ be written in third person (no first person - “I”)
✓ be typed
✓ have 1.5-line spacing
✓ be proofread prior to submission
✓ be in a standard 12 pt. Times or Times New Roman (standard margins)
2.
You must also be prepared to discuss what aspect of the book you liked best (and why).
PART 3
READINGS /VIEWINGS
We will be using Kahn Academy for much of the research for the course. Be sure to add this link to your
bookmarks, we will be using it often:
https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/ap-art-history
It’s the link to their home page.
For the summer assignment, go to this link:
https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/ap-art-history/global-prehistory-ap
On this page, there is a list of links for our first unit on Paleolithic - Mesolithic, and Neolithic art and artifacts,
which include articles and videos. You will be responsible for going over this information during the summer.
Your first test will be on this information during the second week of school in September, so be prepared!
Read over the starter kit (included with the summer assignments). Create a Google doc and complete the study
guide for this unit, including definitions for the key terms (also with the summer assignments). You are allowed
to work with other people in the class to complete the study guide. Just label who worked on which part.
When it is due, you will share the link with Ms. Min and me. It will be due the first week we are back.
In general, while reading and completing study guides, take notes for each unit, making sure you include
information specifically about the art, as well as about the context from which the art was made. Read the
following section on taking notes…
Best Way to Take Notes
First: View a video or read an article from Kahn Academy, or section of your textbook chapter (we
will be distributing them in September),
Read just enough to keep an understanding of the material. Do not take notes, but rather focus on
understanding the material.
It is tempting to take notes as you are reading the first time, but this is not an efficient technique: you are
likely to take down too much information and simply copy without understanding
Second: Review the material
!
!
!
Locate the main ideas, as well as important sub-points
Leave the web link or set the book aside
Paraphrase this information: Putting the textbook information in your own words forces you to
become actively involved with the material
Third: write the paraphrased ideas as your notes
!
!
Do not copy information directly from the website or textbook
Add only enough detail to understand
Review, and compare your notes with the text, and ask yourself if you truly understand
Write down any specific questions/confusions you might have about what you read so you can ask about them in
class. Please have page numbers ready so you can easily reference what you want to discuss/clarify.
Prehistory and Prehistoric Art
Vocabulary
Abstraction
Cairn
Capstone
Corbeling
Dolmen
Henge
Incising
Low relief
Menhir
Modeling
Neolithic
Paleolithic
Passage grave
Post and lintel construction
Relative dating
Relief sculpture
Sculpture in the round
Ware
Historical Evidence
1. Define the term “Prehistoric.”
2. What are the principal sites where Prehistoric art has been located?
3. Describe the changes that occurred throughout the Prehistoric period from the
Paleolithic to the Neolithic eras?
4. How is early art dated without the assistance of written sources?
5. How does the introduction of Bronze during the Neolithic period change the type of
objects that appeared during this time?
Interpretation and Meaning
1. What are the theories related to the meaning and purpose of Prehistoric cave
paintings?
2. Discuss the changes that occurred in architecture from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic
periods. How does architecture possibly show advances that echo other changes from
the same time?
3. What are the possible meanings of early figurine images of women during the
Paleolithic period?
4. How does pottery and ceramics provide additional clues in interpreting the living and
trading patterns of lost cultures
5. Explain why calling a prehistoric figure a "woman" instead of "Venus" frees us to
think about the object in new and different ways.
Materials and Techniques
1. Explain the various techniques that were possibly employed to create Prehistoric wall
paintings.
2. What techniques did Neolithic potters use to create vessels?
3. Explain the construction techniques used to build megalithic structures. What were
the key features of these monuments?
Compare and Discuss
1. Compare/contrast the Woman of Willendorf with the Woman from Ostrava Petrkovice.
Why do you think they are different?
2. Compare any prehistoric work to something that is created in present day. Try to find
some kind of connection they may have, visually, symbolically, etc.
Bergen County Academies
200 Hackensack Avenue
Hackensack, New Jersey 07601
June 13, 2016
Dear Parent(s):
Summer is quickly approaching. It’s time for fun and relaxation, and of course, thinking about art! While
we still have the students before the break, the AP Art History teachers will be discussing the summer
assignments for the following 2016 – 2017 school year.
The students will have assignments during the break. The first part will consist of two options. Option one
includes going to the Metropolitan Museum of art and doing follow-up work. Option two includes choosing
from the list of books below to read, and doing a write-up on one book they have chosen. Some of the
selections may contain mature themes and strong language. These selections are a suggested part of the
course because they are powerful teaching tools for describing art and/or the context from which it was
created.
We use great discretion when choosing the material, but we like to give you some advance notice that, as
our children mature, so does the content of the books that interests them.
Particularly, we are referring to:
! False Impressions: The Hunt for Big-Time Art Fakes – Thomas Hoving
! THE FORGER’S SPELL: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the
Twentieth Century – Edward Dolnick
! Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture – Ross King
! Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's – R. A. Scotti
! Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling – Ross King
! A World Lit Only by Fire – William Manchester
! The Pillars of the Earth (historical novel set in the Gothic period) – Ken Follett
! World Without End (sequel to The Pillars of the Earth) – Ken Follett
! The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade That Gave the World Impressionism – Ross King
! American Gothic: A Life of America’s Most Famous Painting – Steven Biel
All are worthy of a student’s time, attention and study. So that I know that you are aware of our selections
this summer, please sign this letter below and return it to me via your son/daughter.
Furthermore, we want you to be aware that throughout the school year leading up to the AP exam in May,
students will have a considerable amount of material to read along with writing assignments. Our main
resource for content is the Kahn Academy AP Art History website. Students will also be reading excerpts
from Marilyn Stokstad’s Art History. The course is very time intensive and your child should keep this in
mind when considering other electives and extra-curricular activities. You can find a course description and
outline at users.bergen.org/petgut/apah.html to get an idea of what we are covering. There is also a set of
links to class-related resources that your child should make use of.
Thank you for your time, and, once again, know that we are here should you have any questions or
concerns. You may e-mail us anytime at petgut@bergen.org or miymin@bergen.org
Very truly yours,
Peter Guthrie and Miyoung Min
Parent name:___________________________Signature:_______________________________