Art

Topuc will be on Jordan Bentley the owner of hypland. if you have a better topic please email me.

1. Choose a topic. Find a subject that you find interesting AND that either does not have a Wikipedia entry OR has a very basic entry that needs improving. You might want to look at some well-developed Wikipedia entries to see what kind of information is usually included. Here is an example on architect Walter Gropius: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Gropius; fashion designer Willi Smith https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willi_Smith; and architect Zaha Hadid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaha_Hadid

2. Make sure your topic is noteworthy. One of the criteria for a Wikipedia entry is that the topic must be “notable”. What does that mean? It means that there should be some historic, artistic, cultural, etc. significance to your topic. Your job is to explain WHY the topic is notable and therefore deserves to be listed on Wikipedia. Please note that Wikipedia discourages writing about yourself, a member of your family, or a person or organization that in any way is associated with you and in which you or your family could personally gain from promoting.

3. Research your topic. Look online, in magazines, journals, newspapers, talks, etc. and try and piece together meaningful information. Be sure that you are using reputable sources and list these sources. Your recitation leaders will discuss the idea of reputable sources in class.

4. Provide useful information. Who was this person? When were they born? What were some of their significant projects? If you are looking at an organization, consider who works there? What is its point of view? What has it achieved?

5. Reflect on your subject. WHY did you choose it? What spoke to you about this topic. Why do you think nobody had written a Wikipedia entry on it until you did?

6. Reflect on the process. How did it go? Was it easy to find information? Harder than you thought? What does it mean that there might not be a lot of information out there on your topic? How did you piece together what you have?

7. Illustrate your topic. Do you have any pictures you could share?

8. Think about what’s next. What do you consider to be the next steps for your topic? What suggestions might you have for a future researcher taking over where you left off?

9. Write up your findings (see below for specifics). This assignment should take you about 3 hours. It is due on Wednesday, December 2nd to your recitation leaders. There is no reading for that week and no reading response. The time you usually reserve for the reading and writing responses should be spent on this assignment.

10. Enjoy the process. One of the points of this assignment is for you to enjoy researching someone or something that you find interesting. It is an important first step in a chain of steps in a larger project. Your project will not be perfect, and it will not be complete. We are interested in the PROCESS just as much as the finished result. Remember—what you are doing is very important. You are helping to write design history!

To turn in:
Please turn in a write up of your topic, research, and your reflections on the process of completing this assignment. The paper should be 500-750 words, double spaced, and have a list of all of the sources used