Course Syllabus

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Syllabus
THEA 138/ FDM 138

Costume Periods and Styles

Fall 2025

Online- assignments will be due Fridays at 11:59pm

Course # THEA/FDM 138

section #

Instructor: Kara McLeod
E-Mail: McLeod_Kara@sac.edu  

Emails will be responded to within 48 hours on weekdays

www.sac.edu/fashion

www.sac.edu/theatre   

Course Description

A study of the changes in dress from ancient times to the present. Social and political influences, as well as the historical accuracy of period dress, are considered relative to the practical needs of costuming for stage, film, and television.

THEA 138 printable Syllabus.docx

 

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course students should be able to:

  1. Use a systematic approach to analyzing current and historic fashion styles to place and trace a style by historic periods, after learning to identify and discriminate fashion images.
  2. Practice, comprehend and use standard costume vocabulary.

Class Policies

Late assignments will be accepted.

Weekly assignments will be due on Friday, by 11:59 pm

 

Materials

Note taking supplies

 

Textbook

None required. Required reading will be class handouts posted on Canvas and online resources.

Optional text:

Phyllis G. Tortora and Sarah B. Marcketti, Bloomsbury Press, Survey of Historic Costume, 6th edition

Course Site

Our course can be accessed at http://rsccd.instructure.com. You may access our Canvas course site from home, the library, or the student labs at SAC. When you are officially enrolled in the class and the class has been made available to students, you will have access to our class on the college Canvas site. The student is expected to monitor our Canvas course site and complete all assignments in a timely manner. Students are expected to login at least every two days.

Communication

The primary sources of communication in this course will be through the discussion board and by email. Please be sure to have a current working email address in Self-Service and update your Canvas notifications to receive notifications by text or an additional email if you prefer.

Personal Issues

For questions regarding personal issues such as a grade on a specific assignment, please communicate with me via a Canvas message or Email. Emails must include our Course Section Number (e.g. 65824), your name and the subject, in the subject line (e.g., #65824 Your Name – Exam 1 Question). I encourage you to use the Canvas Inbox for messages.

I will generally respond to emails/messages within 48 hours between Monday 9am and Friday 5pm with a proper subject line. Emails/Messages received over the weekend will be answered on Monday. Responses to emails without the proper subject information may be delayed.

Assignment and Course Questions

For questions about specific assignments, this course, or Canvas, please refer to our course syllabus or assignment instructions. If an answer to your question cannot be found, please post a question on our discussion board. Students are encouraged to post answers to each other’s questions. I will check the board at least once each day to post answers during the school week

 

Deadlines

All Assignments, Online Quizzes, and Discussion Boards, must be completed by the listed due

date and time. Due dates are noted in: Grades, Canvas syllabus page, module assignment listing, Canvas

To Do list, and Canvas course calendar.

**All Scheduling and Requirements for class are subject to change. 

 

Conduct

 Informed consent is an important part of your job as a theater artist. As a costumer, you will be working closely with actors’ bodies. We will discuss correct protocols for the dressing room and backstage. We will also be discussing clothes and their relationship to the body. Students are expected to enter in to these discussions in a way that is respectful and sensitive to all body types.

 

Additional Course Information

The students will utilize all of the following techniques during this course: class discussions, group activities and study exercises, worksheets, instructor demonstrations, lectures, media presentations, reading assignments, research projects, visual aids, writing projects and reports, and quizzes and exams to test knowledge throughout the course. 

 

This course will utilize the following methods of learning: 

  • Class Discussions
  • Directed Learning Activities
  • Group Study & Exercises
  • Handouts 
  • Instructor Demonstrations and Videos
  • Lectures
  • Video and Media Presentations
  • Reading Assignments
  • Research Projects
  • Visual Aids
  • Writing Projects & Reports

 

Grading Policy

The student will be graded on completed assignments, in-class work, projects and quizzes/exams.

Canvas Gradebook will be used to communicate grades to students.

​​Participation

Attendance Policy

In accordance with the college drop policy, students who do not access the class

course site and submit the “first assignments” by the due date may be dropped as a no show. Students

who fail to turn in the weekly assignments and/or participate in the discussion boards will be considered

“absent” and may be dropped from the class for “excessive absence.” Students are responsible to

officially drop the class or they will receive a letter grade based on their performance.

No Show Drop:

In this course, you must complete all of the following activities by Friday of the first

week of classes or you will be dropped as a “No Show”

  1. Post a new thread on Discussion board Week #1, following directions described in the thread,

and respond to at least two students.

  1. Complete the Orientation Quiz

 

Excessive Absence Drop

If two consecutive weeks of non-participation is observed by the instructor the student will be dropped.

 

 

Non-Discrimination Policy

The Rancho Santiago Community College District is committed to equal opportunity in educational programs, employment, and all access to institutional programs and activities.

The District, and each individual who represents the District, shall provide access to its services, classes, and programs without regard to national origin, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race or ethnicity, color, medical condition, genetic information, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, or military and veteran status, or because he or she is perceived to have one or more of the foregoing characteristics, or based on association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

SAC Non-Discrimination Policy page

 

Academic Honesty Policy

You should be familiar with the Academic Honesty Policy at Santa Ana College. There is absolutely no tolerance for cheating in this class. Academic dishonesty or cheating is defined as an intentional act of fraud in which a student seeks to claim credit for the work or efforts of another without authorization. This includes assisting other students in acts of dishonesty or coercing students into acts of dishonesty, whether it is in coursework or on exams.

Any student caught cheating or assisting another student in the act of cheating, will receive a zero score for the assignment or quiz. Students will be reported to College District through the Incident Reporting Form upon a second breach of the Academic Honesty policy.

If you have any questions regarding this policy or application of this policy, please let me know.

SAC Academic Dishonesty Policy page

 

Accommodations for Disabilities

Disabled Student Programs & Services Statement

Your success in this course is important to me. Santa Ana College and I are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability that may have some impact on your ability to do well in this course, I encourage you to speak with me as soon as possible. Also, please contact Disabled Student Programs & Services so that we can all collaborate on your classroom accommodations in a timely manner. The DSP&S office requires documentation of your disability in order to receive reasonable accommodations. If you do not have documentation, they will work with you to acquire it. I look forward to supporting you to meet your learning goals.

SAC Disabled Student Programs and Services page

Weekly Course Schedule (Subject to change)

 

Week 1:

Introduction
The Clothing Code and silhouette
21st Century costume
The 20th century: 80s Conspicuous Consumption and 90s Minimalism

 Week 2:

The 20th Century: Long and Lean 70s and the 60s fashion flip

Week 3:

The 20th Century: 50s conformity, 40s and WWII

­­­­­­­­­­Week 4:

The 20th Century: Glamourous 30s and Roaring 20s

Week 5:

The 20th Century: The Teens, WWI and the New Century

Week 6:

19th Century: Crinoline- Bustle

Week 7:

19th Century: Empire- Romantic

Week 8:
The 17th and 18th Century

Week 9:  

MIDTERM

Week 10:
16th Century- the Northern Renaissance

Week 11: 

15th Century- The Italian Renaissance

Week 12:

Gothic

Week 13:

Ancient Rome and Greece

Week 14:

 Egypt and the Ancient Near East

Week 15:
Special Problems in Design: Interpreting the Past to Create the Future and Fantastic Worlds

Week 16: 

FINAL EXAM

 

 

SANTA ANA MISSION STATEMENT

“Santa Ana College inspires, transforms, and empowers a diverse community of learners.”

 

 

 

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due