Choose one question: Why make art? or Why teach art?

3-5 pages, 1-inch margins, 12 point font, double spaced. 

Incorporate in-text citations and a works cited page following a style guide.

APA style

Paragraphs Paragraphs should contain a topic, an explanation or expansion of that topic, support or examples, analysis or original thought on the topic, and a transition, in that order, generally speaking. Each paragraph should focus on one main topic, additional topics should be broken into additional paragraphs. As a rule of thumb, paragraphs should be ⅓ to ½ a page, if your paragraph is longer than this, make sure you are sticking to one topic per paragraph. If so, that’s fine, a paragraph can be longer, but if not, break into separate paragraphs, ensuring that each one has a topic, expansion, analysis, and transition.

Introduction For this essay, you’ll be answering one of two questions: Why make art? Or why teach art? In the introduction, you should have a specific thesis that answers this question that you will then use the body of the essay to expand and support. Don’t be too general. I don’t want answers to this question like, “I make art because it is my passion.” Or, “we should teach art because students deserve a well-rounded education.” Both these things may be true, but in this essay you should focus on specific benefits that you can support with research as we have done in class. You are making an argument, which you are then going to support with evidence in the body of your essay.

Supporting Paragraphs Keeping in mind the structure of a paragraph that I have discussed above, the body of your essay should expound on the specific evidence that you have collected to support your thesis. Make sure you are using academic research such as published texts and peer-reviewed journals (both of which you should be able to find through Pfau Library online). Make sure you are properly citing them in the body of your paper and including them in a works cited page. To develop your support, keep in mind the arcs we covered in class. In this essay, you are developing a thesis on a very broad topic, but the objective here is to answer it within the framework of the class. So you might consider cognitive development, what we know about humanity throughout time, art education in schools, or socioeconomic factors. Conclusion Your conclusion is the final paragraph of your paper and it should be used to solidify what you want your reader to take away from your paper. It’s the answer to the “so what?” of what you have written. Don’t simply tell me what you told me, don’t restate your thesis, don’t introduce new material. Your conclusion should pull everything together and make your position clear to your reader, not just summarize what you’ve written.