Textbook Information

Title:    The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living           

            Author: Richard Janaro and Thelma Altshuler

            ISBN: Custom

            Publisher: Pearson Longman

 

 

 

Final project instructions

 

Your Final Project for this course will be a virtual time capsule. A time capsule is a grouping of items for future discovery. For our purposes, we will imagine that our time capsule will be buried at the end of the course and opened 100 years later.

 

The goal of our capsule is to provide an overview of what you believe future generations should remember about the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The project can be composed in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. It can include multimedia if you wish.

 

You must include the course materials in your time capsule; incorporate APA formatting (citations and a references section).  Word count specifications are described below for each category.

 

The final project should include the following EIGHT criteria:

 

 Item 1:   Letter of introduction: Write a letter, including a minimum of 250 words, describing your current life to a potential reader 100 years in the future.

 

In your letter, consider the following questions:  What is your daily experience? Describe your daily routine, as well as your customs and habits (i.e., holidays, work schedules, etc.).  Also describe your perspective on the modern era, and your dreams/ goals for the future.

 

Item 2:  Morality/ Decision Making

 

Include one specific example of morality and decision-making in current culture.  Feel free to reference the course materials, or specific examples of morality.  Include at least 100 words for this category.

 

Item 3:  Happiness  Include your definition of happiness in 100 words or more.  Describe how you reached this view of happiness.  Do you believe your definition of happiness corresponds with one of the theories of happiness we studied in our unit on happiness?,

 

Item 4: Literature In one paragraph, select one specific literary word (poem, short story, play, or novel).  Indicate why this literature selection is significant to you.  Why is this item worth preserving for readers 100+ years in the future?  What does this selection communicate about our culture today? 

 

Item 5:  Art and Architecture

 

In one paragraph, select one piece of architecture or art.  Indicate why this art or architecture selection is significant to you.  Why is this item worth preserving for readers 100+ years in the future?  What does this selection communicate about our culture today? 

 

Item 6:  Music

 

In one paragraph, select one specific song (or group of songs).  Focus specifically on the selected song(s) and not the artist / musician for the song(s).  Indicate why this song or group of songs is significant to you.  Why is this item worth preserving for readers 100+ years in the future?  What does this selection communicate about our culture today? 

 

Item 7:  Film

 

In one paragraph, select one film.  Indicate the film genre as well as why this film selection is significant to you.  Why is this item worth preserving for readers 100+ years in the future?  What does this selection communicate about our culture today? 

 

Item 8:  Pop Culture

 

In one paragraph, select one specific item from pop culture.  Indicate why this item from pop culture is significant to you.  Why is this item worth preserving for readers 100+ years in the future?  What does this selection communicate about our culture today? 

 

Conclusion / Summary:  Summarize your time capsule in a concluding paragraph. What should a reader in the future learn about the current era after reviewing your time capsule?

 

Please feel free to include examples that you discovered in our studies this term; incorporate the course materials in your time capsule. Challenge yourself to choose items that might be valuable for the future, though they might not necessarily be your favorites. The course materials are required sources for the unit 9 final project; feel free to incorporate additional outside sources as well.  Add citations and references for all consulted sources.  

 

Remember to include APA formatting (citations and references); the course materials (including the Janaro and Altshuler course text) must be included.

 

 

 

Part 1:  Letter of introduction

 

In this letter, include a minimum of 250 words. 

 

Address the following questions:

 

What is your daily experience? Describe your daily routine.

 

What are your customs and habits?  Address holidays, work schedules, etc.

 

What is your perspective on the modern era?

 

What are your dreams/ goals for the future?

 

Part 2:  Example of Morality and Decision Making

 

Include one specific example of morality and decision-making in current culture.  Feel free to reference the course materials, or specific examples of morality.  Include at least 100 words for this category.

 

Part 3:  Example of Happiness

 

 Include your definition of happiness in 100 words or more.  Consider the following questions:  Describe how you reached this view of happiness.  Do you believe your definition of happiness corresponds with one of the theories of happiness we studied in our unit on happiness?

 

Part 4:  Example of Literature

 

In at least one paragraph, select one specific literary word (poem, short story, play, or novel).  Indicate why this literature selection is significant to you.  Why is this item worth preserving for readers 100+ years in the future?  What does this selection communicate about our culture today? 

 

Part 5:  Example of Art and Architecture

 

 

 

In at least one paragraph, select one piece of architecture or art.  Indicate why this art or architecture selection is significant to you.  Why is this item worth preserving for readers 100+ years in the future?  What does this selection communicate about our culture today?

 

 

 

Part 6:  Example of Music

 

 

 

In at least one paragraph, select one specific song (or group of songs).  Focus specifically on the selected song(s) and not the artist / musician for the song(s).  Indicate why this song or group of songs is significant to you.  Why is this item worth preserving for readers 100+ years in the future?  What does this selection communicate about our culture today? 

 

 

 

Part 7:  Example of Film

 

 

 

In at least one paragraph, select one film.  Indicate the film genre as well as why this film selection is significant to you.  Why is this item worth preserving for readers 100+ years in the future?  What does this selection communicate about our culture today? 

 

Part 8:  Example of Pop Culture

 

In at least one paragraph, select one specific item from pop culture.  Indicate why this item from pop culture is significant to you.  Why is this item worth preserving for readers 100+ years in the future?  What does this selection communicate about our culture today? 

 

Conclusion: 

 

Incorporate a concluding paragraph to summarize your time capsule.  What should a reader 100+ years in the future learn about the current era after reading your time capsule?

 

 

 

References

 

The final project requires the incorporation of terminology and ideas from the Janaro and Altshuler course text; as such, you must include citations in the time capsule and a reference entry for The Art of Being Human on the References page of your time capsule.

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

Janaro, R. P., & Altshuler, T. C. (2012). The art of being human: The humanities as a technique for living (Kaplan University 3rd custom ed.).  New York:  Pearson Education.

 

If you choose to incorporate additional references, please include them here as well.