ARHU 125:
THE CREATIVE DRIVE:
CREATIVITY IN ARCHITECTURE, MUSIC AND SCIENCE



FORMAT

  • Faculty: S. Beicken (Music), R. Bennett (Architecture), D. Gulick (Mathematics)
  • Teaching Assistants: Alice Lee, Cindy Leibman, Joe McMahon

    The Creative Drive will address examples of great creative personalities and works in architecture, science and music during the past 1000 years. The first part of the course will address music from the Middle Ages through the present day.  The second part will focus on illustrious architects from the Renaissance to the present day. The third and final part will be devoted to science from Newton and his predecessors through Einstein to the contemporary science of chaos. Throughout the course, comparisons and contrasts will be made about creativity in the course's three main areas of study.

    There are no prerequisites for the course. The course satisfies the requirement of the CORE category HA (History or Theory of the Arts).

    GOALS: The goals for The Creative Drive include the following:

  • To help you obtain a basic understanding of the features of creative thinking.
  • To prepare you to draw on the content of the course in your educational experience and in life.
  • To provide examples and characterizations of creative works and persons in science, music and architecture.

    TEXTS: There are two required texts:

  • Alan Lightman, Einstein's Dreams, Warner Books, 1994
  • Packet #20 of readings on Science, Architecture, and Music, available at the Maryland Book Exchange
  •  For the music portion of the course, a compact disc prepared at the University of Maryland, is required

    • FORMAT OF THE COURSE: The course meets in large lecture Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:00-10:50am in Room 1202 of the Engineering Classroom Building (EGR 1202) -- except for the Music section, which will meet in the Ulrich Recital Hall of Tawes. It is important that you attend all these lectures because material you have read will be discussed, and topics not included in the readings will also be covered. There will be short impromptu items to be written in these lectures from time to time.

    You also have a discussion section that meets for 75 minutes on either Thursday or on Friday. It is equally important that you attend your particular discussion section each week, because not only will there be discussions and group work, but also homework will be collected at that time.

    N.B. HOMEWORK AND ASSIGNMENTS THAT ARE TURNED IN LATE WILL BE CHECKED OFF AS HAVING BEEN TURNED IN, BUT WILL NOT BE GRADED.

    Your primary instructional contact person outside of class will be your TA, who is available to answer questions and to help you succeed in the course. Thus it is important for you to know your TA's name, office location, office number, and office hours.

    GRADED WORK: The course grade will be composed of the following:

  • There will be two 50-minute tests, one on Wednesday, October 11 (at the end of the Architecture section of the course), and the other on Wednesday, November 8 (at the end of the Science portion of the course).
  • The final examination will cover the final third of the course (Music) as well as an overview of the course.
  • Each week there will be reading assignments and written items to be turned in, normally at the beginning of class on Mondays and the Thursday-Friday sessions. This may include periodic requests that you ask questions about the material covered in lecture.
  • In addition, there may be unannounced quizzes in lecture and in the Thursday-Friday sessions.

    • The maximum number of points for each item will be as follows:

        Two 50-minute examinations:                200 points
        Assignments/projects:                            300 points
            Music                                    100
            Architecture                          100
            Science                                 100 
        Final examination                                   200 points

            Total                                                    700 points  


    For course letter grades, we expect the following: A: 90-100, B: 80-89, C: 70-79, D: 60-69, and F:0-59. However, it is possible that there will be slight adjustments at the end of the semester if warranted by class performance. There is no necessary curve for the course; in particular, everyone can get a good grade. The grade you receive for the course will depend in large part on your conscientiousness.

    MAKEUP EXAMINATIONS will be given only for excused absence as defined by campus policy (see page 37 of the 2002-2003 Undergraduate Catalog).

    DOCUMENTED DISABILITY: If you have a documented disability, then as soon as possible you need to communicate the disability and your needs to your TA, with appropriate documentation by the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS).

    ACADEMIC HONESTY: Although you are encouraged to study with friends, you are to work individually on the assignments to be handed in. This means that the entire assignment, including any draft, must be executed solely by you. The work you present must be your own (not a copy of someone else's).  Violations of University policies will be dealt with in accordance with published University policies (see pages 44-47 of the 2002-2003 Undergraduate Catalog).  Also, consult the description of the Student Honor Pledge on page 21 of the Fall 2002 Schedule of Classes -- you will be asked to write and sign the pledge on all papers and examinations in this course.

    If you have any questions about this web page, please contact Professor Denny Gulick (phone: 301 405 5157; email: dng@math.umd.edu).

    Last edited: September 9, 2002
    This page created by D. Gulick