Written Statement

Your written statement about your Opus Magnum should inform the reader of the topic and explain the method behind the madness: the symbols, representations and influences in your work. The statement should be in the paragraph format described in the assignment description and rubric. This lesson will go into greater detail about the written component of your final project.

Lesson Objectives:
  • identify the grading criteria established in the assignment description
  • develop the outline into a completed statement
  • evaluate other student work in a peer review
  • revise and submit the statement for a grade
Assignment Description & Grading Criteria

The GELO Assignment Description provided in the Final Project web lesson provides a detailed grading rubric to assist you in meeting the GELO assignment objectives. The Topic Selection, Annotated Bibliography, and Paper Outline activities guided you through the process. It is important to focus on the objectives of the GELO assignment during the writing aspect of the project.

Goals for your Statement

  • Clearly state and describe an issue (shared experience, message or meaning) with all relevant information
  • Clearly state and describe a position/perspective that considers the complexities of the issue
  • Situate the context of the issue in a way that considers multiple perspectives in the Humanities
  • Provide evidence to interpret or evaluate the issue and viewpoints
  • Use evidence from your evaluation to draw a conclusion

The chart below is an excerpt from the assignment description that provides a framework for your written statement that will help you achieve the goals for the assignment.

From Outline to Statement

Writing the statement is simply a matter of adding flesh to the bones created by the outline. It is not unusual to build the sections with sentence fragments you organize your information. You can then go back and work them into complete sentences and paragraphs. It is completely normal to modify and deviate from your initial plan. This is particularly the case with creative projects that lead you down a path full of new experiences, discoveries and outcomes.

The paper will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Structure and Content
  • The paper must include all sections specified in the paragraph chart in the assignment description. If it is helpful, use subheadings to organize each section of the statement to keep it organized.
Writing Style

Writing style is extremely important in your statement because it sets the tone for your expressive piece. Keep in mind that the word author is the root for authority; YOU are the authority in your statement – so write like one.

  • Be declarative: Avoid sentences that begin with ‘I think,’ ‘in my opinion,’ ‘in my experience,’ etc. The reader can already infer that the statements are your thoughts, opinions, feelings, etc. because you are the author. Just declare it.
  • Use active language: Avoid sentences that begin with ‘I used blue to represent…’ the reader already knows you used blue because you are the one who created the piece. Instead state, ‘Blue represents …’
  • Don’t sound preachy: Avoid ‘you’ in your writing. Statements such as ‘You need to ….’ can sound condescending and preachy. Instead, use declarative sentences to sound convincing.
  • The statement must not promote stereotypes, misinformation or generalizations about people. It is acceptable to approach topics from a controversial standpoint, but be sure it is not offensive or harmful to others. When in doubt, feel free to set up a Zoom meeting to bounce off ideas beforehand.
  • Use transition sentences to connect your paragraphs.
  • READ THE STATEMENT ALOUD or ask a friend to read it.
Spelling and Grammar
  • Always conduct a spellcheck before submitting a paper.
  • Read aloud to check for grammatical errors.
  • Use an online grammar check such as www.grammarly.com for assistance.
Formatting

The paper should be formatted to the following criteria:

  • Times New Roman
  • single-spaced
  • 12-point font
  • one-inch margins
  • no extra spaces between
  • paragraphs
  • name date and title in header
  • title page is not required
  • references should be on a separate page

There is no minimum word count. You have already done a substantial amount of writing in this class. Your statement is about quality, not quantity. It is better to be succinct and direct when delivering a message. The challenge is to provide more with less.

Referencing

All of the data in your paper must be referenced in the bibliography and cited in text either in parenthesis or as footnotes. In-text citations tie the data in your paper to the specific reference where you found the data. The image below provides an example of in-text citations that use parenthesis, also known as parenthetical citations.

You can also use footnotes to reference in-text instead of parenthesis. Footnotes assign a number to each reference and the number is inserted into the paragraph. You can do this manually by numbering your references on your own, or you can insert the footnotes using the referencing tool in programs like MS Word.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image.png
  1. Place the cursor in the text where you want to footnote mark to appear.
  2. Click the References tab and choose Insert Footnote.
  3. Type the reference.
  4. Double-click the footnote mark to return to your place in the document,

Writing Resources

The last month of the semester is dedicated to the final statement in order to ensure students have sufficient time and resources to produce an excellent project. In addition to starting early and completing the project development activities, there are several free resources available to receive assistance in the writing process both on and off campus.

  • Santa Fe Learning Commons offers tutoring and writing assistance on campus and remotely.
  • Smart Thinking is an online tutoring service. Simply upload your paper and receive feedback from an expert. You can access Smart Thinking in the left menu in Canvas (see right.)
  • Grammarly Online Proofreading Service
  • Bartleby Write (one month free trial)

I am also available to provide assistance at any time. Simply send me an email to set up a time for a phone conversation, Zoom meeting, or to meet and discuss on campus during office hours or by appointment.

For Discussion in Canvas:

Submit your Statement (with the un-annotated bibliography) for Peer Review (copy and paste into the text box so others can easily read it.) It must be complete with all paragraph sections listed in the assignment description. To receive credit, use the rubric in the assignment description as well as the information in this lesson to provide constructive criticism to at least four of your classmates on how they can improve their statement. Simply telling someone they did a eat job is nice, but not helpful, and it will not earn credit.

After completing the peer review, revise your statement and upload your Magnum Opus with the Written Statement to Canvas as your Final Project.

Extra Credit: Research in Undergraduate Education (RUE) Creative Project Competition

Earn extra credit by submitting your Magnum Opus with your Written Statement to the creative section of Santa Fe’s Research in Undergraduate Education (RUE) competition. Previous students in this class have placed in the competition, and it is a great opportunity to win prizes and add a line to your academic resume. To submit your project, visit the RUE page on the Santa Fe College website.