Tuesday, October 28, 2014

AP Literature: Estrella Paragraphs

Please post your paragraph as a comment here. As you offer commendations and criticisms to your peers, please include your name and direct your commentary to the individual author.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Interdisciplinary Arts: Blog Work for Halloween Week


This week, you will progress through the hodgepodge of micro-assignments below and post a comment to this blog containing all of your responses (due prior to Halloween weekend). It is wise to preserve your work in Word or Google Drive as you progress. Enjoy!

WARM-UP: Click here to see the most amazing pumpkin carvings in the history of pumpkins and carving and all things amazing!

PART A:

1. Click here to visit Stephen Wiltshire's website. Mr. Wiltshire is an artistic savant who is capable of reproducing incredibly detailed landscapes from memory. 1. On the left, click on "My Videos". Watch at least four of the videos and offer a commentary for each.


2. Visit his "Gallery" and browse through his work. Identify his most impressive drawing and his most impressive painting; offer explanation for each.


3. Produce a response (as a comment here) that includes a discussion of artwork by: Julian Beever; Kurt Wenner; Kris Kuksi 


4. View Scott Wadell's tutorial on edging. Offer a synopsis, focusing on his description of edge work in comparison and contrast to your cast drawing experience. 

5. Search the internet for self-portraits by the following artists: Rembrandt van Rijn, Vincent Van Gogh, Kathe Kollwitz, Chuck Close, Lucian Freud, Gregory Gillespie, Edward Hopper, Pablo Picasso, Paul Cezanne, Susanna Coffey, Brett Gamache (my college roommate and good friend). For each artist, record the title, year of completion, and country of origin. Identify three comparable (composition, color, mood, etc.) self-portraits from the list. Construct a paragraph which identifies the parallels between these 3 works.

6. Identify the strongest self-portrait (from #5). In a paragraph, explain its salient elements and defend your claim. 

7. Typically, self-portraits are not lucrative efforts for living artists. Why might an artist choose to focus on self-portraits? What may drive an artist, like Rembrandt, to devote so much time and effort towards depicting himself? Explain in paragraph form.



PART B:

Virtual Scavenger Hunt: Find the answers to the following questions. These questions will require viewing, reading, and strategic web browsing skills.

1. How many windows are in Andrew Wyeth's "Master Bedroom"? What medium does Wyeth use?
2. Identify the figure depicted in a boat in Michelangelo's "Last Judgement".
3. What pachyderm is distorted in the background of Salvador Dali's "One Second Before Awakening from a Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate"?
4. What time is it in Vincent van Gogh's "Night Cafe"?
5. Monet and Manet are both Impressionists and have similarities beyond their names. Compare and contrast these two artists.
6. Who is Camille Claudel? Examine her "L'Age Mur" and identify the 3 figures depicted.
7. Identify the works stolen during the infamous Gardner Museum heist. Identify and describe your favorite piece.
8. Summarize the "legend" behind the man with the top hat in Eugene Delacroix's most famous painting.
9. What is David Mach's "Gorilla" made of?
10. Describe your favorite Ron Mueck sculpture.
11. Paul Rahilly is one of Mr. Kefor's former professors. a) What breed of dog is depicted in his "Girl in a Paper Dress"? b) In which of his paintings does one find a chili pepper? c) a brioche?

PART C: 

Review the Metacognitive Reflection rubric (on our Edline page) and begin your reflection.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Cognitive Biases: Journalism

Please post your exercise results as a comment to this post.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

F Block Seniors: "Lost" Thesis Reflections

Reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of your thesis based on the feedback you have received. Which components were successful? Which components do you need to focus on in the future? After reflecting on these questions, please revise your thesis and include it in your comment here. Be sure to include your name.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Journalism: "Generation Like" Reflection

Reflect on the documentary and our class discussion. Then, peruse the linked review of "the Dumbest Generation" and locate 2 of Bauerlein's core points- 1 that you agree with and 1 that you disagree with. Finally, respond to the following prompt as a comment to this post:

How would you encapsulate your final thoughts regarding how your generation is perceived and defined? Which criticisms do you side with? Which do you contest? Why?