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Art History 457: History of American Vernacular Architecture & Landscapes

GUIDELINES FOR PRÉCIS

In this class, you are responsible for submitting two précis, each on a particular reading assigned for the class in the COURSE READER (not the textbook). Although you can turn in your précis early, there are some deadlines you should be aware of; the first précis (dealing with readings assigned for the first third of the class) should handed in no later than Thursday, 2/21, and the second (dealing with readings for the middle third) turned in no later than Tuesday, 3/11. Your précis MUST BE TURNED IN ON THE DAY THEY ARE ASSIGNED ON THE SYLLABUS. The goal of these critical essays is threefold; first, they ensure you are prepared for class discussion; second, they require you to engage with an essay/topic that particularly interests you, thus giving you an opportunity to demonstrate your comprehension of course content; and third, they help you hone your skills in reading critically, an important skill that is key to a liberal arts education.

In a nutshell, each précis is a summary of the reading’s argument (thesis) and critical components/parts. Although it should largely focus on summarizing the author’s basic points, you should also try to relate the argument(s) to the themes and issues discussed in this class at the end of your analysis (the last few sentences or so). Part of the exercise involves learning to read a text “critically”—that is, learning to distill the basic argument and consider its merits and flaws. Although reading (and writing) critically is an exercise in “criticism” in the sense that you are distilling an argument and considering its usefulness for the study of issues in our course, your précis should not be overly judgmental in content or tone. Do not spend time bashing an author’s findings or method at length (or praising them). Focus on summarizing and considering the article’s/book’s usefulness for our class themes, and conveying the major points of the argument in question clearly and concisely, and assume an objective tone as you do so. In other words, avoid “language of praise” of “language of fault.”

Other Requirements:

  • Your paper must be your OWN WORK; plagiarism in any form is not allowed.
  • Your paper must be typed.
  • It must be written in complete sentences and organized into paragraphs that logically fit together.
  • It should be free of spelling and grammatical errors. (USE SPELL CHECK!)
  • It must be double-spaced.
  • Please put page numbers on each page & your name should be on the front.
  • Font size: no smaller than 10 point font and no larger than 12 point (please avoid cursive fonts).
  • Length: your paper should ideally be one page long, and no longer than two.
  • JUST TO REITERATE: Your précis must be handed in on the day the reading is ASSIGNED. No exceptions.