Critical Paper – Cheap Research Essays

For your Critical Paper, find something that would not normally be considered art by most people or even intended to be art by the maker, but you think should be art, and explain why you think so. Do not pick anything that you would see in a museum, hanging on someone’s wall or in a sculpture garden. Think of the everyday things around you or in the media that may be art. Please pick a specific object, not a series of objects. For instance, if you chose a car, pick a specific example, not a particular model, or just cars in general.
When you write your paper, please follow the format in the syllabus under Critical Paper exactly. Include a picture of the object or objects along with your paper when you turn it in here. If you do not have access to a digital camera or scanner, please choose something that you can find a picture of on the Internet. The paper must be three pages before including the picture! Place the picture on a separate page at the end of the paper. Do not send me a separate file with the picture on it, if you cannot figure out how to paste the picture into your paper, call me or the computer help desk, and you can get assistance.
When preparing to write paper, it may be helpful to think of some of the issues and concepts that we have covered in class. Be creative! However, remember that if you are going to make a conclusion about something, back it up with evidence. For instance, if you say that the object is a piece of art because of the way it uses line or color, explain how line and color is used in the object. You do not have to use criteria from the book to explain why your object is a piece of art (see the following paragraph).
To be able to write this paper, you must include, in the opening paragraph or two, your criteria that determine whether something should be considered art. Then explain in a general statement, in the opening paragraph or two, how this object lives up to your criteria. That is the thesis statement. Use the rest of the paper to explain the specifics of the argument. Make sure that the body of the paper explains the thesis statement.
Avoid clichés like “art or beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
Please do not choose the American Flag as your subject.
When I grade your paper I will apportion the hundred points thusly and triple them to get a score out of 300:
Format = 10 points
If you get the margins, the cover page, the length, the spacing and the font correct, you will get all the points for the format. Two points will be deducted for each deviation from the format. Do not put larger spaces between the paragraphs than between the lines within a paragraph.
Grammar = 20 points
I give everyone six small grammar mistakes or two big grammar mistakes or any combination of the two before I deduct points. After that, I deduct three points for each big grammar mistake, and three points for a combination of three small grammar mistakes. A big grammar mistake is one that effects the meaning of the sentence and makes it difficult for the reader to understand the meaning of the sentence. A small grammar mistake does not effect the meaning of the sentence.
Clarity = 20 points
A clarity error can be many things. The most important one is when a sentence is grammatically correct, but does not make sense to the reader, or is contradictory in some way. Another example of a clarity error is when the paper is broken up into too few paragraphs. Basically, if your paper is readable, understandable and organized logically, you will not have any clarity errors. I give one clarity error for each paper, then I deduct three points for each additional one.
Content = 50 points
Content is the most important part of your grade and it includes many things. The biggest factor of the content is your introduction with thesis statement. After the thesis, the most important factor is backing up your statements with evidence. If you are going to make a conclusion about something, back it up with evidence. That means that anything you say must either be backed up by details in the artwork you can pick out, or by some sort of authority or source, like a book or periodical. If what you say does not come from your direct observations or your personal expert knowledge, you must use a source.
Another factor in the content is whether you answer questions that are suggested by your statements. Read your paper and try to figure out if it seems like you left anything out. If so, elaborate on that statement. It is better to fully explore just a few points, rather than touch on many different points.