Author: Jim Janossy

Page  of  (Revised 2/14/2018)

GPH-205 TAKE-HOME FINAL EXAM WINTER 2018 QUARTER – PART 1
    CONCLUSIONS WORK STATEMENT #1 (.rtf)
This is the first of three parts of your take-home final. This is presented during the term as a learning tool to help you learn how to develop logical arguments. Working on this now, ahead of time, is optional but can be very helpful to you! Please also read the help document posted at the class web site entitled 
“How do I work on conclusion statement #1” before attempting this!
Your name: xxx
BACKGROUND (make sure you read this first!)
Hundreds of highly placed government officials and dignataries are at a reception at Buckingham Palace in London celebrating the crowning of the 68-year old Charles as king of England after his mother Elizabeth (aged 91) announced that she was abdicating in favor of her son. Seen mumbling excitedly at the new king is the head of the American delegation. The king’s many interests include the public funding of art museums and charities. Wishing to appear erudite and knowledgeable this prominent American blurts out: 
“Despite some inventions and discoveries since ancient times things really haven’t improved much in the way artists paint paintings.” 
The new king is visibly shocked by the statement, as is the Prime Minister standing nearby. Before the king can regain his composure and respond he is whisked away by the PM to view a new solar-powered rubbish truck passing by a window.  The now stood-up American looks perplexed at being abruptly ignored. While being ushered back to a table of diet Coke by his aides he is observed tweeting “…but I heard it on Fox News…”. Bystanders are confused (and amused) by this sequence of events since it’s obvious to everyone that the statement to the King is wrong.
ASSIGNMENT
You are at the celebration described above and overhear the statement indicated in bold red above and are surprised by it too. You have studied changes in art technology and its impact on painting. You are embarrassed on behalf of the now-ignored (and sadly ignorant) American; you feel compelled to rationalize that he was just joking and would have gone on to support his argument with “alternative facts” until the king and other listeners realized that he was putting them on. You feel knowledgeable enough to join a conversation among some of the confused bystanders; you introduce yourself and begin explaining why the statement is false. In this assignment you’ll document how you support your contention that the statement is false. You start by stating clearly whether or not you agree with this person’s statement (Is it true or false? You think it’s false. Why? Because I am telling you so! You’ll supply the facts in a logical argument to prove it!). Then support this determination with facts drawn and cited as to page number from your own reflective essay/diary/oral history only. Use this form for your response and submit your essay with your response.
COMPLETION INSTRUCTIONS
Follow these steps to complete your work on this! All of your work is to be typed into this document. Then submit this whole document for grading as indicated at item E below.
1)	Put your name at the top of page 1 by typing over and replacing the blue x’s above at “Your name”.
2)	Decide if the conclusion statement shown in bold red in the “BACKGROUND” paragraph above is true or false and state your determination at item A below. In this first try at making a logical argument I am making it easy on you by telling you that the statement is false. In your actual take-home final I will give you two more statements and unlike this learning example I don’t tell you if those statements are  true or false—for statements #2 and #3 you have to figure that out on your own! 
3)	Compose your argument substantiating your determination incorporating 10 facts from your diary/oral history at item B (“Your argument)”. You need to identify (“cite”) where in your reflective essay each fact is located. Your fact citation numbers will run in ascending sequence from 1 through 10 in the format [1] through [10] within the body of your argument writing. That is, the [n] number appears right after you state the fact, and it refers to a corresponding number in the list of “endnotes.” This is a fairly common academic citation format.
4)	Compose your summary sentence at item C “Summary sentence”.
5)	Compose your list of citation locations (page number of each of the cited facts) at item D “Endnotes”. You need to include ten supporting facts in your argument. This form already provides ten citation numbers at item D matching ten facts identified as [1] through [10] that you will have used in your argument. Note that the [n] numbers refer to the endnotes list, not essay page numbers. The page numbers are actually the contents of the endnotes.
6)	Submit this completed form by attaching it to an e-mail you send to the dedicated course e-mail address. In the subject line please use the words “My conclusion forms submission #1”. Submit a copy of your essay/diary with this form.
A. Your determination
I feel that this statement is xxx (replace those xxx’s with  “true” or “false”)

B. Your argument supporting your determination
What facts lead you to claim that this statement is false? 
“Despite some inventions and discoveries since ancient times things really haven’t improved much in the way artists paint paintings.” 
What can you say to convince someone else that it is false? Form a logically consistent argument for your determination by listing specific facts, including explanations of their relevance to your argument, from eras/civilizations over the full expanse of history that you have lived through to support your claim. Write this as a paragraph containing several concise sentences with facts in them. Include a citation number following each fact in the form [n] where “n” are ascending numbers. (These are citation numbers, NOT essay page numbers.) Tie your facts together into a cogent argument in sentences indicating how the facts support your determination. A way to imagine this process is to picture yourself as a lawyer at a trial; you need to convince the jury to agree that your determination is correct. Form this argument as one concise paragraph by typing over the xxx’s below and composing up to 300 words. This form will automatically extend to as many pages as you need for your writing.
xxx

C. Summary sentence
Write here ONE SENTENCE that affirms that you have proven your point. In effect it says “because of the facts I have stated above I have proven that the statement is…
State this by highlighting and typing over the xxx’s here:
xxx

D. Endnotes
Where does each of the ten supporting facts that you stated come from? Cite each fact as to its location in your reflective essay body referring to your essay body by page number as shown below. To make entries start by highlighting and typing over the x’s  here. Note that the number in brackets here such as [1] is a citation number, not a page number. What you enter after the citation number is the name of your reflective essay (for citation [1] or ‘ibid’ for citations [2] through [10]) followed by the essay page number on which the cited fact is located (put it at the x below). Citation numbers run in ascending order but the page numbers you enter here may not necessarily be in ascending order.

[1] your-essay-name, p. x
[2] ibid., p. x
[3] ibid., p. x
[4] ibid., p. x
[5] ibid., p. x
[6] ibid., p. x
[7] ibid., p. x
[8] ibid., p. x
[9] ibid., p. x
[10] ibid., p. x

E. Work submission instructions
This first part of the take-home final is actually a learning exercise. As such, it’s a little different from the second and third parts. Submit this along with a current copy of your complete essay/diary as soon as you finish this; don’t wait to submit all three of your conclusions work responses at the same time. I will give you feedback on this first one that can help you when you finalize it and can help you work on the second and third statements. Some hints:
1.	Use the most powerful facts you can identify. In this case it will be facts that make it easier for artists to create paintings, safer, and with a wider variety of colors, and the scientific perspectives.
2.	List facts from civilizations in chronological order, don’t skip forward and backward in time when making a point. 
3.	Remember that this question deals with painting, not sculpture, not architecture, not mosaic, and stained glass.
4.	Explain why each fact you state is relevant. Don’t just state a fact; state it and then identify how it is relevant to and supports your argument.
When you have completed this form submit it attached to an e-mail you send to gph205winter@gmail.com before the ultimate work submission deadline of 11:59 PM March 24, 2018. If you submit this no later than 11:59 PM March 21, 2018 I will give you feedback on it and you will have the opportunity to revise and resubmit it if necessary (any resubmission will still have to be submitted by the ultimate deadline). Make sure you submit a current copy of your essay with your submission! If you submit this after the March 21, 2018 deadline it will be impractical for me to give you feedback in time for you revise and resubmit this before the ultimate March 24 deadline.
Have fun with this part of your take-home final! I have posted this work at least two weeks before the end of the term to give you plenty of time to develop your response from your completed reflective essay. Make sure you respond to the statement: think about what that statement is saying, whether it’s true or not, and respond with a cogent logical argument. This involves critical thinking supported by facts, not just opinions! If you make the incorrect determination or try to support a correct determination it with facts that are not relevant you won’t receive full (or possibly, any!) credit! ☺ Jim