Class, this week we are working on our final essay! Let’s help each other out. Here are the instructions.  Part 1 (Essay 3–Paragraphs) First (in your initial response), post at least two paragraphs of essay three. You may post any paragraphs you wish, but please tell us which paragraphs they are and also be sure to include your thesis statement at the top of your post if you are not sharing paragraph one. Please put your thesis in bold. Also include at least one citation and one Works Cited entry. Part 2 (Goodbye) Class, we have made it all the way from A to Z, from hello to goodbye! Feel free to add any final thoughts or comments here for your classmates and/or your instructor. Be kind, please. It has been a joy working with all of you. Good luck and goodbye! *** For your student replies, answer some or all of the checklist questions below (enough to reach the required word counts, please). Please do NOT copy and paste the questions into your post, but please do include the numbers, so we will know to which questions you are responding. Answer in complete sentences. An example is below.  4. I do not see a transition word in your topic sentence for paragraph two. Perhaps you could add “furthermore” at the beginning of the sentence.  Here are the questions.  Is the thesis statement one concise sentence (i.e., a statement, not a question)? Is it the last sentence of the introduction? Does it contain three clear parts? What are the three topics that will be discussed in this essay? Does the topic sentence of each paragraph coordinate with the thesis statement and in the correct order (i.e., the same order they are presented in the thesis statement)? Do the supporting details of each paragraph support that particular topic sentence? Are there any sentences that do not belong? Why do they not belong? Did the author use transitions? Which words are transitions and where are they used? Can you suggest any other transition words that would work well in this essay?  Did the author use third person only and avoid first and second person? See the Grammar Review if you need examples of each. Did the author use contractions (e.g., don’t, can’t, won’t)? If so, where do you see these words? You may suggest a revision, if you wish. Did the author write enough words per paragraph (at least 100)? Did the author write approximately 5-7 well developed sentences per paragraph? Do you see any misspelled words or other grammatical problems? Use your grammar review handout, a dictionary, or a previously recommended site.  Did the author use signal phrases and in-text citations within the essay? Example: Critic John Smith indicates that “quote from article” (page number).  Are the sources listed in alphabetical order and in MLA style on the Works Cited page?  Which APUS library search engines were used, and are they listed in italics? (Hint: Sources should be listed in alphabetical order according to the author’s last name. If the author is unknown, alphabetize by the first important word in the title.)  The grading rubric for this forum is attached below. This week’s initial post will not be submitted through Turnitin since your essay will be submitted through Turnitin under Assignments.

Assignment 1: Essay
Due Week 4 and worth 100 points

Choose one (1) of the three (3) reading selections from the list of topic choices below. The focus is on brief but important primary source material written by major authors. Read the selections  as identified with each topic below. Write a three to four (3-4) paragraph essay (250 words minimum) which analyzes the “surprise ending” of the reading selection. 

Topic Choices

• Reading selection from Descartes’ Discourse on the Method (Part IV). Descartes begins with a  proof of one basic conclusion and ends with a proof of something much grander. Remember to focus on the surprise and point of realization, not the details of the philosophical argument. Read Part IV of the Discourse on the Method located at http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/authors/descartes.html. This is only four or five (4 or 5) pages of the larger work.
   
• Reading selection of Swift’s A Modest Proposal. It is essential to recognize the genre of this work, as discussed in our class text, which you should consult and cite. Swift promotes a radical solution, but subtle options are mentioned. You are looking for surprise and a point of realization. Read and focus on A Modest Proposal located at http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/swift/modest.html. 
• Two (2) reading selections from Voltaire’s Candide. Consider how these readings start and end in terms of the action and the beliefs. You are looking for surprise and a point of realization. These selections can be found on pp. 834-835 in the textbook. In addition, consult the class text at pp. 815-817.

For the reading selection you choose:

1. Clearly state in your own words the “surprise ending” in the reading you selected. Clearly identify the point in the reading when you realized that there were elements in the reading that surprised you. Not all of the surprises come at the end.
2. Evaluate how successful the author was in convincing you to accept the validity of the “surprise ending” that was different from what you expected. 

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA Style format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. (Note: Students can find APA style materials located in the course shell for reference)
• Include a cover page containing the tile of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
• Use the source(s) identified above for the topic you choose, focusing on the main primary source of that author. You may use additional sources also if they are of good academic quality for college papers (Wikipedia and similar websites do not qualify). Use proper APA style in-text citing and also a matching APA style References list at the end.  

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Explain how key social, cultural, and artistic contributions contribute to historical changes.
• Explain the importance of situating a society’s cultural and artistic expressions within a historical context. 
• Examine the influences of intellectual, religious, political, and socio-economic forces on social, cultural, and artistic expressions. 
• Identify major historical developments in world cultures from the Renaissance to the contemporary period. 
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in the study of world cultures.
• Write clearly and concisely about world cultures using proper writing mechanics.

You likely noticed that during the three hundred years covered in this week’s study that religious art remained quite important just as it had been in earlier “art ages.” There were monumental changes, however, in the way the religious subjects were depicted.

Use the textbook and/or online sources to locate and capture three works of religious art. All three pieces should be dealing with the same subject matter— for example, the Crucifixion, mother and child, or the Last Supper. Capture one image from each:

• the Early Renaissance period
• the High Renaissance period
• the Baroque period

Your works of art must either be all paintings or all sculptures. (Do not use the three David sculptures from Assignment 1 as your comparisons.)

Place these images in a Word document. Then do the following:

1. Identify each image with the following information:
   1. Name of the artist
   2. Title of the work
   3. Date of the work
   4. Medium/materials used to create the work
   5. Current location
2. In a well-developed paragraph (4–6 sentences) for each:
   

   1. One to two important historical facts about each piece.
   2. Based on your personal observations, describe and analyze how the artist has used at least one of the artistic elements, such as color, composition, or use of light.  You should focus on the same element for all 3 works.

3. In a 6–10-sentence concluding paragraph(s) discuss specifically how religious art has changed compared to each period and geographical region, and what may have been influencing factors behind these changes.
   1. How has religious art changed compared to each, based on your observations as to how each artist used the art element you have focused on exploring?
   2. What events in history may have been influencing factors behind these changes, and why? 
   3. Offer a citation of your sources for each image and the information provided as appropriate.