You will now participate in a discussion that focuses on how two of the artists you have learned about thus far—Raphael and Mary Cassatt—used their art to communicate feelings and ideas. During the discussion, you will cite evidence from the text to support your points and ideas. You will also be asked to share a piece of art or music that has affected you.

Check out part of a sample student response.

In “The Child of Urbino,” the author presents Raphael as a figure who is compassionate, thoughtful, talented, and dedicated. The text focuses on Raphael’s “wondrous” abilities and incredible talent as an artist by highlighting the powerful and moving impact his art had on those who saw it. The article, "Mary Cassatt: Artist and Trailblazer" focuses on the work of Mary Cassatt. It captures the way in which Cassatt developed her talent under difficult circumstances. As the author notes, Cassat "developed a style all her own, and chose the subjects that suited her, regardless of official opinions."

I am affected by music. I went to Phantom of the Opera with my mom, and the music in that play was haunting. Whenever the phantom entered, the music that accompanied him made me think that he was startling and alone. I think the people who wrote the music did that on purpose to make the audience feel sorry for the phantom, even when he was doing bad things, and build the audience's capacity for empathy.

Create one original post that

Compares the way the authors of the texts you’ve read present two of the following artists: Raphael and Mary Cassatt. Cite evidence from the texts to support your answer.
Shares a piece of art or music that has affected you personally and explains its impact.
Create two response posts that

Respond in a meaningful way to the original post of a classmate, reacting to the post’s comparison of the two artists and the piece of art or music your classmate shared.
Review the rubric to check how your work will be graded.