CHIC 302: ANCIENT MEXICAN CULTURE Research Essay/Art ... · 1 of 1 4 CHIC 302: ANCIENT MEXICAN...

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CHIC 302: ANCIENT MEXICAN CULTURE Research Essay/Art Project – Prompt

Assignment Abstract: Pick a representative visual from Ancient Mexican Culture. Draw it or recreate it by any artistic means (i.e. painting, sketch, etc…) on an standard size paper (more points for larger projects / models, clay model, dioramas, etc.); write 5-7 pages (including mandatory photos) which answers the following four questions: Describe/Identify the art you created. Why did you choose this topic/learn? Elucidate your artistic process. Why is your art topic important to Mesoamerican History? Write a minimum of 5-pages. Upload essay to TITANium. Late assignments are accepted up to 1-week after due date with significant loss of points. No more submissions after 1-week. 1. CREATE ARTWORK DUE: WEEK 13, TUES., APRIL 21, 2020. 1-PAGE DRAWING -- Pick and choose a representative person(s), place(s), or “thing(s)” from any

topic within the historical framework of the course: Ancient Mexican History – Pre 1521.

Essentially, you can choose any subject (within the course) to draw on a one page (81/2 x 11”) paper

found within the book, lecture, or multiple required videos/readings (as long it comes from the time

frame). Write your name on your essay and on the back of your wonderful work of art. You may

also sign your work of art like many artists do.

Your drawing must be hand drawn. No photos, photoshopped, or digitized art unless first cleared

by the Professor. It is ok to trace (draw) your artwork, but it must be freehand (no coloring books).

You may also add images to your hand drawn work (i.e. cut off images from somewhere else and paste

them to create a multi-media artwork), but the majority of your one-page art submission must be hand

drawn images. Your work must be specifically done this semester for this assignment.

Use color, unless philosophically it is better represented with less hues. Be creative: I strongly

suggest you choose from a variety of mediums including colored pencils, markers, watercolors,

oils, acrylic, crayons, etc…. Any pencil work must be colored pencil. Utilize artistic resources.

Let me know if you need art supplies.

Your “drawing” can be on a standard one page (81/2 x 11”) paper. But feel free to draw on other

forms such as larger and thicker pieces of paper, canvas or something more creative.

OPTION 2: Extra Points may be earned by completing ARTWORK more advanced than a

standard 81/2 x 11” drawing. Examples include a painting/drawing on a larger canvas, creating a

model (made of clay, foam, paper, plastic, sand, etc..), creating an ofrenda (altar), performing music

(Spanish/Nahuatl/English), live theatre, poetry, murals, diorama, models, Aztec and Maya

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pyramids, etc… Some previous works include an Olmec clay head, pottery, an ofrenda, live music

performance in Nahuatl, and many very large paintings/drawings (yes, all made by students;

background art on prompt are all made by LBCC students). The possibilities are nearly endless and I

strongly encourage you to earn extra points by being creative in this assignment.

OPTION 3: Extra Points may be earned by completing other “artistic” work. Such as performing

a sketch (i.e. a theatrical skit), write and perform a song, draw a comic book or other artistic

representation. You may also wish to create an educational game, a board game, or another artistic

manifestation that teaches Mesoamerican History.

2. WRITE 5-7 pages (5 PAGE MINIMUM). Answer the following three main questions. You

MUST utilize the aforementioned questions in at least four subheadings. No spaces between

subheadings and text. Write a minimum of five complete pages. A full page utilizes all spaces

from top margin to the bottom line. You must include photos of your artistic process on 1-page.

That is, include at least 3 photos that show the progression of your art from begging, middle, to

end. See end of prompt for more data.

4 TOPICS YOU MUST INCLUDE • Describe/Identify the art you created. • Why did you choose this topic? / What did you learn? • Elucidate your artistic process. • Why is it important to Mesoamerican History?

* Describe/Identify the art you created (Give the basic information such as who, what, where,

when, and why when it is appropriate? The reader might not know what you drew. Explain. Give

specific examples.

* Why did you choose this topic? / What did you learn? Why did you choose this topic in lieu of the

many we described in class? Was the connection personal? Family? Was it something you learned

from reading and/or lecture? Be honest.

* Elucidate your artistic process. You must also describe your artistic process. For many of you,

this will be rudimentary (i.e. you only used colored pencil on a blank sheet of paper). But some of you

will rise to the occasion and create intricate artwork. In every case, explain how you did it step-by-

step. This section is important so don’t underestimate this section. Give details. This section would

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be a good time to include the mandatory photos of your artistic process: beginning, middle, and

finished project.

* Why is your art topic important to Mesoamerican History? Make connections from the object

you drew and other concepts we have discussed in the class. Connect the dots from one singular

artwork you reproduced to other pertinent themes we’ve examined.

Essay must be typed, double-spaced, 1” margins, use page numbers, 12-point font, Times New

Roman, use subheadings (do not leave additional space between subheadings). Write complete

sentences; do not write in bullet points. You must have your name, course title/time, and date on

your paper. You should only take three spaces. See below for visual examples on how your paper

should be formatted. WRITE A MINIMUM OF 5- FULL PAGES.

3. DUE. Your research essay and art project essay will be DUE: WEEK 13, TUES., APRIL 21.

NO ART/ESSAY WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER 1 WEEK. You must submit a digital copy of

your essay to the course website @ TITANium.

4. GRADE. Your grade is based on your artwork and 5 – 7 page essay; 50% of your grade is your

“artwork” and 50% on your essay. Artwork is graded on effort, historical connection, and

effectiveness of getting your “point” across. Evaluations will be based on how well students

demonstrate their understanding of an important Mesoamerican person, place, or object

through your artistic rendering. That is, student’s artistic creation should clearly express an

important period, event, theme in Mesoamerican history and also be used as a springboard for a

college level essay. Historical accuracy is more important than aesthetic value. Your essay is

graded on how well you have addressed the aforementioned questions with academic rigor.

Don’t use colloquialisms.

Your essay portion grade is also based on the veracity of your scholarship. That is, your research

matters and is part of your grade. Use trustworthy, peer-reviewed, credible sources.

Remember, extra points are awarded for extra efforts, such as producing work on a larger

canvas or paper. Students who challenge themselves and choose themes/topics that are less popular

or items from the book that we have not discussed in class may do better. I would gladly examine any

drafts of your essay. Students who show more effort, more color, and larger mediums will

probably be more pleased with the results they earn.

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Students will lose points for not following instructions, including missing page numbers, wasting space, and not addressing the prompt. Plagiarism (roughly defined as appropriating another person’s ideas, arguments, or wording and claiming them as one’s own) can result in an “F” grade. Plagiarism can occur when you copy another source word for word, every other word, every third word, etc. http://www.lbcc.edu/policymanual/regulations/4018reg.pdf NOTE: I may utilize your artwork in my office or other setting where people can see. Please let me

know if you DO NOT want me to display your artwork. Feel free to say no without any retribution.

5. SOURCES: The Course of Mexican History and all of the authorized websites you were required

to visit during the semester should be enough to provide you with extensive information to thoroughly

answer the aforementioned questions. Here are a few additional sources I will recommend.

Codex Mendoza:http://codicemendoza.inah.gob.mx/inicio.php;

FAMSI: http://www.famsi.org;

PBS, KCET, http://www.mna.inah.gob.mx/index.html,

BRITISH MUSEUMhttp://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/cultures/the_americas/aztecs_mexica.aspx

PBS: STORM THAT SWEPT MEXICO: http://www.pbs.org/show/storm-that-swept-mexico/

MOMA-RIVERA: https://www.moma.org/artists/4942

KHAN ACADEMY: https://www.khanacademy.org

U.S.-MEXICO WAR: http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/index_flash.html

CRACKING THE MAYA CODE: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/cracking-maya-code.html

Manuel Aguilar-Moreno, Ph.D., “Aztec Architecture – Part 1, http://www.famsi.org/research/aguilar/Aztec_Architecture_Part1.pdf The Aztecs, Richard F. Townsend, 2000;

Letters from Mexico, Hernan Cortes, 1519-1526;

The Aztecs: A Very Short Introduction, David Carrasco, 2011;

Eduardo Matos Montezuma, Great Temple of the Aztecs: Treasures of Tenochtitlan.

Codex Mendoza ipad app available on ITunes;

David Carrasco, Religions of Mesoamerica, 2014;

Berden & Anawalt, The Essential Codex Mendoza, 1997;

The Codex Borgia: A Full Restoration of the Ancient Mexican Manuscript;

Mary Ellen Miller, An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the

Maya, 1997;

Bernard R. Ortiz de Montellano, Aztec Medicine, Health, and Nutrition;

Luz Calvo and Rueda Esquibel, Decolonize Your Diet: Plant-Based Mexican-American Recipes for

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Health and Healing, 2015.

Miguel Leon-Portilla, The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico, 1959

Bernal Diaz Del Castillo, The True History of the Conquest of Spain, 1632;

Buddy Levy, Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs, 2009

Stuart Schwartz, Victors and Vanquished, 2000: William Prescott, History of the Conquest of the

Aztecs; Hugh Thomas, Conquest: Cortes, Montezuma, and the Fall of Old Mexico, 1995

SEE SYLLABUS.

* Do NOT use “public information” sites like Wikipedia, Tumblr, or any site where anyone can upload un-vetted “information.” You will lose points.

Your paper should be

organized as follows:

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Emiliano Zapata CHIC 302, CSUF, Class Day / Time Nov. 6, 2019

Chichen Itza Artistic Description

Write a clear and pertinent topic sentence. Then provide specific evidence from the

sources to support the main point(s) you elaborated in your topic sentence. Provide specific evidence

to support the claims you are trying to make. Provide specific examples; give names, dates,

geographic locations, citations, statistics, and other specific detail that shows you understand the

material at a college level. Limit quotations. Edit your essay before you submit. Avoid

colloquialisms. Continue with more academic rigor, etc… for 5-7 pages. This is only an example of

what your essay might visually look like. It adheres to the standards on the prompt, is organized

around subheadings and paragraphs, which makes it easier to read. That is, the points you are trying to

make will be more lucid. Organize your paper effectively. Use evidence to support your answers.

Show that you have done the reading by incorporating the authors into your essay. I believe in you.

Continue with more academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor,

academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor,


academic rigor, academic rigor, make your friends and family proud, academic rigor, academic rigor,



academic rigor.


sources to support the main point(s) you elaborated in your topic sentence. Provide specific evidence

to support the claims you are trying to make. Provide specific examples; give names, dates,


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academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor, don’t plagiarize, academic rigor, academic rigor,



academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor.

Why I chose this topic/ What I learned

Write a clear and pertinent topic sentence. Then provide specific evidence from

the sources to support the main point(s) you elaborated in your topic sentence. Provide specific

evidence to support the claims you are trying to make. Provide specific examples; give names, dates,








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Write a clear and pertinent topic sentence. Then provide specific evidence from the sources to

support the main point(s) you elaborated in your topic sentence. Provide specific evidence to support

the claims you are trying to make. Provide specific examples; give names, dates, geographic locations,

citations, statistics, and other specific detail that shows you understand the material at a college level.

Limit quotations. Edit your essay before you submit. Avoid colloquialisms. Continue with more

academic rigor, etc… for 5-7 pages. This is only an example of what your essay might visually look

like. It adheres to the standards on the prompt, is organized around subheadings and paragraphs,

which makes it easier to read. That is, the points you are trying to make will be more lucid. Organize

your paper effectively. Use evidence to support your answers. Show that you have done the reading

by incorporating the authors into your essay.

Artistic Process










by incorporating the authors into your essay. I believe in you. Continue with more academic rigor,

academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor.

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Fig. 1. Give a description of the photo. Follow this example. It should be smaller font and blocked indention, just like this. Don’t take up too much space here. But it is okay to write a brief description not included within your text.



academic rigor, academic rigor, do your best, academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor,


Write a clear and pertinent topic sentence. Then provide specific evidence from the reading to

support the main point you elaborated in your topic sentence. Continue with more academic rigor,

etc… for 4-6 pages. This is only an example of what your essay might visually look like. It adheres to

Appropriate size images. Using more space is also approporiate.

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the standards on the prompt, is organized around subheadings and paragraphs, which makes it easier to

read. That is, the points you are trying to make will be more lucid. Organize your paper effectively.

Use evidence to support your answers. Show that you have done the reading by incorporating the

authors into your essay. I believe in you. Continue with more academic rigor, academic rigor,






academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor.

Write a clear and pertinent topic sentence. Then provide specific evidence from the reading to

support the main point you elaborated in your topic sentence. Continue with more academic rigor,

etc… for 5-7 pages. This is only an example of what your essay might visually look like. It adheres to

the standards on the prompt, is organized around subheadings and paragraphs, which makes it easier to

read. That is, the points you are trying to make will be more lucid. Organize your paper effectively.

Use evidence to support your answers. Show that you have done the reading by incorporating the

authors into your essay. I believe in you. Continue with more academic rigor, academic rigor,

academic rigor, academic rigor, academic rigor.

Importance to Mexican History






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by incorporating the authors into your essay. I believe in you. academic rigor, academic rigor,





academic rigor.


reading to support the main point you elaborated in your topic sentence. Continue with more academic

rigor, etc… for 5-7 pages. This is only an example of what your essay might visually look like. It

adheres to the standards on the prompt, is organized around subheadings and paragraphs, which makes

it easier to read. That is, the points you are trying to make will be more lucid. Organize your paper

effectively. Use evidence to support your answers. Show that you have done the reading by

incorporating the authors into your essay. I believe in you. Continue with more academic rigor,




THIS EXAMPLE MEETS THE REQUIRED PAGE LENGTH.

THIS EXAMPLE IS NEARLY 6-PAGES.

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Your paper should

NOT be organized as

follows:

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DONOT

FORMATYOU

R

PAPERLIKETHIS

MarthaSwanson

MexicanHist.

T&Th

Itisthe1stassignment

Mywork

Mexican Americans

Donotformatyourpaperlikethissection.Thissectiondoesnotconformtotheinstructionson

theprompt.Thissectionswasteslotsofspaceanddoesnotmeetthe

fivepageminimum.Ibelieveinyou.Youarecapableofcompletingthis

assignmentwithcollegelevelproficiency.

Not properly formatted. Too many spaces. Use only 3 lines.

Don’t waste space. Start at the top.

Wrong class.

Don’t waste space. 1” margins. Provide evidence.

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Besuretoproperlyformatyouressay.Executespellcheck.

Writeaclearandpertinenttopicsentence.Thenprovidespecificevidencefromthe

crediblesourcestosupportthemainpoint(s)youelaboratedinyourtopicsentence.Provide

specificevidencetosupporttheclaimsyouaretryingtomake.Providespecificexamples;give

names,dates,geographiclocations,citations,statistics,andotherspecificdetailthatshowsyou

understandthematerialatacollegelevel.Limitquotations.Edityouressaybeforeyousubmit.

Avoidcolloquialisms.Continuewithmoreacademicrigor,etc…for2-4pages.Thisisonlyan

exampleofwhatyouressaymightvisuallylooklikeifyoudidahorriblejob.Itdoesnotadhere

tothestandardsontheprompt.Ibelieveinyou.Besuretobringyourresearchtotheforefront.

Letyoursourcesspeakforthemselvestoanswersomeofthequestions(whenappropriate).

“Quotationsarenotnecessary.Ifyouutilizequotationsbesuretheyarenomorethanafew

sentences.Itisbettertoanalyzeandputtheinformationinyourownwords.”

Donotformatyourpaperlikethissection.Thissectiondoesnotconformtotheinstructionson

theprompt.Thissectionswasteslotsofspaceanddoesnotmeetthefivepageminimum.I

believeinyou.Youarecapableofcompletingthisassignment.

Don’t leave blank spaces. They don’t count as part of your 4-pages.

No photos included.

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DONOTF

ORMATY

OUR

PAPERL

IKETHI

S

Writeaclearandpertinenttopicsentence.

This assignment does not meet the

4-full page requirement.

DUE. Your research essay and art project essay will be due before WEEK 13, TUES., APRIL 21,

2020. NO SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER 1 Week. Essays must be uploaded to

course website. Turn in HARDCOPY of your artwork; write your name on your artwork. Your

essay must include a photo of your artwork process: beginning, middle, and finished project;

You must submit a digital copy of your essay to the course website. Write a minimum of 5-pages.

Begin page on the top.

You don’t meet the minimum page requirement.

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