Aesthetics in the classroom

Aesthetics in the classroom

I would like to engage my student's in a way similar to Sara I want to get them thinking about what, exactly, art “is”. I think that the best way to get them to do this is not to read a bunch of aesthetic theory, but to have them take the first step in generating their own theoretical framework. I've been thinking about a series of assignments (or two linked assignments; I think continuity is important). The first one would be a review of a current album or film that they enjoy. The goals for this assignment would be relatively simple; here, we're looking for clear, precise, writing-simple description. I would hope that this would engage the students, because writing about something you like is almost as much fun as writing about yourself. This paper would be short, maybe just two pages. It would afford me a chance to work on writing issues before argumentation issues, and it would get students invested in a piece of writing.

The next assignment would ask them to formulate an argument; what constitutes art? They would be asked to consider, for example, if they think there is any meaningful difference between art and entertainment. Returning to whatever they reviewed for the first assignment, they would now be asked to write a persuasive essay where they argued whether, or not, the item they reviewed has artistic value. They would have to develop a set of criteria, and apply it via careful analysis. Here, students would be required to argue rhetorically via ethos, pathos, and logos. Judging from my experience in the writing lab, this approach works well for first-year composition students.