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1. 20th
& 21st
Century Humanities
Spring Term 2023 • Professor Will Adams • wadams5@valenciacollege.edu
Tuesdays, 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM • East Campus, Building 1, Room 370
Course Description
Twentieth Century Humanities offers the student integrated examinations of dominant
ideas in Western Culture expressed in art, literature, music, philosophy and religion during the
twentieth century. The course will cover the period from 1900 through 2010, emphasizing
development and influence of modern and postmodern ideas.
This course is a Gordon Rule course in which the student is required to demonstrate
college-level writing skills through multiple writing assignments. A minimum grade of C
required if used to satisfy Gordon Rule requirement. In addition, this class will require the
student to utilize the Valencia Core Competencies: Think, Communicate, Value, and Act.
Course Objectives
§ To understand the continuation and evolution of the human experience by thinking
critically about humanity’s artistic, cultural, and intellectual development.
§ To broaden the student’s knowledge of the ideas and personalities of members of the
20th
& 21st
centuries.
§ To learn skills essential to critical thinking and synthesis of thought by carrying out
scholarly research and authoring thoughtful essays.
Required Textbook
Gloria K. Fiero, The Humanistic Tradition, Book 6 – Provided by Instructor as scans via Canvas
each week
Evaluation Formula
Attendance & Class Participation 25%
§ Attendance is required.
§ Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class meeting, and count as part of the
attendance & class participation grade.

2. § Please be aware that, under Valencia’s Attendance Policy, there is no such thing as an
“excused absence”.
§ After 3 missed classes, a student may be withdrawn for non-attendance, at the instructor’s
discretion.
In-Class Assignments, Canvas Assignments, Class Activities & Reading Quizzes 25%
§ Throughout the term, we will have various in-class assignments and activities.
§ Quizzes may be given to determine student retention of lecture or reading material at any
time.
§ Additionally, homework will be assigned to deepen your understanding of in-class discussions.
Examinations 30%
§ Four long-form examinations will be administered.
§ Examinations will not be cumulative in their subject matter.
§ You will be given a study guide for exams, at the instructor’s discretion.
Research Opportunity 20%
§ One four-page written research project is required.
§ Proper MLA or APA-style citation should be used for all written assignments.
§ One draft may be turned in for the professor’s perusal two weeks prior to the due date.
§ Plagiarism = A grade of zero. No exceptions.
§ Wikipedia as a source = A grade of zero. No exceptions.
§ A detailed research project description will be distributed at Week 9.
Grading Scale
100 – 90% = A
89 – 80% = B
79 – 70% = C
69 – 60% = D
59 – 0% = F
Late Work & Make-Up Policy
§ Late work will be accepted only in the event of an extreme emergency, with the instructor’s explicit
permission.
§ The final exam must be taken by the date published for final exams.

3. Extra Credit Policy
§ Extra credit may be earned by writing more than the required number of pages for any written
assignment. Extra credit for extra written work will be given up to a maximum of 15% of the
assignment’s total point value.
§ No other extra credit opportunities will be available.
Guidelines for Written Work
§ All written work should be set in Arial 12-point font, with double spacing and standard 1” page
margins.
§ Additionally, each written assignment should begin with the following header, placed at the top,
left side of the first page:
Your First & Last Name
HUM2250
Prof. Will Adams
Assignment Due Date: MM/DD/YYYY
§ Minimum page totals for any written assignment require that the written page be filled in its
entirety to count as one page.
o In other words, if a written assignment requires 2 pages, but the student only writes 1.5, the
student will not earn all possible points for the assignment
Schedule of Class Meetings
Dates Assigned Reading Class Agenda, Due Dates & Assignments
Week 1
Tuesday
1/10
None
Lecture: Introduce class
Activity: Distribute & discuss syllabus
Lecture: “Analytical Life of Sigmund Freud”
PowerPoint
Assigned on Canvas: Proust Questionnaire

4. Week 2
Tuesday
1/17
Landmarks in
Humanities: Pages
1120 – 1129 (Begin
with “Post-
Impressionist
Painting”
Reading Quiz #1
Lecture: “The Wildness of the Fauves”
PowerPoint
Canvas Discussion: Fauvism Discussion: 1st
Post:
Due by 11:59 PM ET on Sunday; 2nd
Post: Due
by 11:59 PM ET on Sunday
Week 3
Thursday
1/24
Landmarks in
Humanities: Pages
1166 – 1168 (Begin
with “The Origins of
Cinema”
Reading Quiz #2
Lecture: Come One, Come All!: The Story of
Vaudeville, Burlesque & Cabaret” PowerPoint
Watch Online: Chicago via HBO Max, Prime Video,
etc.
Due on Canvas: Chicago Film Response
Week 4
Thursday
1/31
Exam #1 Study Guide
(Posted in Week 3)
EXAM #1 in class
Week 5
Tuesday
2/7
Landmarks in
Humanities: Pages
1212-1217 (Begin
with “Skyscraper and
Machine:
Architecture in New
York”)
Reading Quiz #3
Lecture: “A Delicate Balance: Frank Lloyd Wright
& Fallingwater” PowerPoint
Activity: Team-based Jenga activity
Due on Canvas: Organic architecture assignment
Week 6
Tuesday
2/14
Landmarks in
Humanities: Pages
1262 – 1267 (Begin
with “The Great
Depression in
America, stop
before”Cinema: The
Talkies and Color”)
Reading Quiz #4
Lecture: The Art of Recovery: The New Deal, The
WPA, & The FAP” PowerPoint
Canvas Discussion: WPA Art & Artists Discussion:
1st
Post: Due by 11:59 PM ET on Sunday; 2nd
Post: Due by 11:59 PM ET on Sunday

5. Week 7
Tuesday
2/21
Landmarks in
Humanities: Pages
1203-1209 (Begin
with “New York,
Skyscraper Culture,
and the Jazz Age”)
Reading Quiz #5
Lecture: “C’mon, Get Rhythm!: Blues, Jazz, &
Rockabilly: The Forerunners of Rock” PowerPoint
Week 8
Tuesday
2/28
Exam #2 Study Guide
(Posted in Week 7)
EXAM #2 in class
Week 9
Tuesday
3/7
None Activity: Research Opportunity Instructions &
Topic Assignments
Week
10
Tuesday
3/14
SPRING BREAK – NO CLASSES
Week
11
Tuesday
3/21
Landmarks in
Humanities: Pages
1288 – 1296 (Stop
before “The
Dynamic Sculpture
of Calder and
Smith”)
Reading Quiz #6
Lecture: “The Scene Inside: The Life & Work of
Jackson Pollock” PowerPoint
Week
12
Tuesday
3/28
Exam #3 Study Guide
(Posted in Week 11)
EXAM #3 in class

6. Week
13
Tuesday
4/4
Landmarks in
Humanities: Pages
1302 – 1307 (Begin
with “Pop Art”)
Reading Quiz #7
Lecture: “Pop! Goes the World” PowerPoint
Due on Canvas: Endangered Species Pop Art
Assignment Due by 11:59 PM ET on Sunday
Week
14
Tuesday
4/11
Landmarks in
Humanities: Pages
1296 – 1302 (Begin
with “The Dynamic
Sculpture of Calder
and Smith”, stop
before “Pop Art”)
Reading Quiz #8
Lecture: “A Whimsical Motion: The Oeuvre of
Alexander Calder” PowerPoint
Due on Canvas: Calder-Inspired Mobile
Multimedia Assignment Due by 11:59 PM ET on
Sunday
Week
15
Tuesday
4/18
Landmarks in
Humanities: Pages
1335 – 1342 (Begin
with “The Birth of
the Feminist Era”)
Lecture: “We Don’t Need Another Hero: The Art
of Feminism” PowerPoint
Week
16
Thursday
4/27
Exam #4 Study Guide
(Posted in Week 15)
Research Opportunity Due in Class
EXAM #4 in class at 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM EST
Class Conduct
Conduct yourselves with maturity and respect for others.

7. Academic Honesty
Plagiarism is intellectual theft and will not be tolerated. Presentation of the ideas and words of others
as if they are your own work constitutes plagiarism. Direct use of another author’s words or ideas, as
well as paraphrasing must be cited. Plagiarism in any work will result in a grade of zero for that
assignment.
Students with Disabilities
§ Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a notification
from the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the professor,
preferably during the first two weeks of class.
§ The Office for Students with Disabilities determines accommodations based on appropriate
documentation of disabilities.
Computer & Equipment Use Policy
§ Use of computers in the Business, IT, and Public Service classrooms at Valencia
§ Community College is restricted to those activities designated by the instructor to enhance the
class materials. Any other use is strictly forbidden. Inappropriate use includes, but is not limited to:
§ Use of computer to send E-mail or access Internet sites not specifically assigned in class.
§ Use of computer for job, internship, homework or other activities not assigned in class.
§ Modifying any hardware or software system configuration or setting.
§ Use of computers in the departmental open lab is limited to those activities involved with
preparing homework or coursework in this department and is subject to the same restriction as
listed above.
§ Computer use is remotely monitored; any student using computers inappropriately may be subject
to dismissal from class or banishment from the lab. Subsequent offense may be sent to the campus
administration for further disciplinary action.
Disclaimer
This outline may be altered, at the instructor’s discretion, during the term. It is the responsibility of the
student to make any adjustments as announced.