The document outlines a course on constructing logical arguments, emphasizing the importance of good reasoning in both academic writing and everyday life. It specifies requirements for a discussion post which includes presenting arguments for and against a selected topic, along with engaging with peers to improve reasoning. Additionally, it introduces fundamental concepts of logic, arguments, and their components, along with a weekly to-do list for participating in class activities.

1. Standard Form Arguments
Discussion Title
The central tool of logic is the argument. Accordingly,
constructing good arguments is the central element of this
course. Each writing assignment in this course will give you an
opportunity to construct and improve upon an argument that you
will develop as the course progresses. This discussion post
allows you to begin the process of developing your argument by
presenting good reasoning on both sides of an issue.
The requirement for this discussion is a minimum of four posts
on four separate days, including at least two substantive
responses to peers. The total combined word count for all of
your posts for this discussion, counted together, should be at
least 400 words. Answer all the questions in the prompt, and
read any resources that are required to complete the discussion
properly. In order to satisfy the posting requirements for the
week, complete your initial post by Day 3 (Thursday) and your
other posts by Day 7 (Monday). We recommend that you get
into the discussion early and spread out your posts over the
course of the week. Reply to your classmates and instructor.
Attempt to take the conversation further by responding
substantively to the replies that others make to you as well.
Keep the discussion on target, and analyze things in as much
detail as you can.
Prepare: To prepare for this discussion, make sure to read the
assigned chapters of the primary text and to review the required
resources, including the videos about arguments (in the
“Lectures” link on the left). Before responding to the prompt,
make sure as well to participate in the interactive scenario at
the top of this page titledThe Raise to gain more appreciation of

2. the importance of constructing good arguments in life.
Reflect: Choose a topic from thePHI103 Final Paper Options
list. It should be a topic that you find interesting, but also for
which you will be able defend a position with careful logical
reasoning. Construct the strongest argument that you can on
each side of the issue. Strengthen your arguments by
contemplating possible objections to each argument, and revise
your arguments in light of the objections. Continue this process
until you feel that your arguments for each side are as
convincing as you can possibly make them.
Write: Present your two arguments (one on each side of the
issue) in standard form (with each premise and conclusion on a
separate line) on the topic you selected from thePHI103 Final
Paper Options list. The two arguments should defend different
positions on the topic. For example, if your topic was the
existence of Santa Claus, then you would present one argument
for the claim that Santa Claus does exist and another argument
that Santa Claus does not exist. The premises of each argument
will present reasons for thinking that the conclusion is true.
Here is an example of what an argument in standard form looks
like:
Premise 1: If Santa Claus exists, then he lives at the North Pole.
Premise 2: No one can live at the North Pole.
Conclusion: Santa Claus does not exist.
For each argument, provide a brief explanation of the strengths
and weaknesses of the argument. You might explain whether the
argument is inductive or deductive, or you might provide a
diagram of the argument. Think about how the two arguments
compare to each other. Is one better than the other? If so, what
makes that one better? Is each a fair presentation of what
someone taking that position would say? Are the premises

3. reasonable? How might each argument be made better?
Guided Response: Read the arguments presented by your
classmates, and analyze the reasoning that they have presented.
Whether you agree with their position or not, see if you can
help them to improve their arguments. In particular, point out
any respect in which a reasonable person might disagree with
the truth of their premises or with the strength of their
reasoning. Consider addressing the following questions: Did
your classmate present a convincing argument? Why, or why
not? Which part of the argument might someone dispute (e.g.,
premise, conclusion, structure, etc.)? How might the argument
be strengthened? Make sure that your posts for the week include
at least two substantive responses to classmates.
Ashford 2: - Week 1 - Instructor Guidance
Week 1: The Nature of Arguments
Welcome to Informal logic; I am happy to have you in class!
This week’s guidance covers the following topics:
1. What is logic, and why is it important?
2. What is an Argument?
3. Identifying Arguments
4. Evaluating Arguments
5. To-Do List for the Week
What is Logic, and why is it Important?
Simply put, logic (from the Greek logos), is the study of
reasoning. We use logic to evaluate what types of reasoning are
good and bad. Reasoning can be thought of as the effort to find
out what is true by careful thought. Since logic studies
reasoning and since reason’s goal is to discover truth, logic
itself is ultimately aimed at the discovery of truth. It is the

4. study of how the mind can effectively come to know, by study
and thought, what is true and what is false. The same process
also helps us to know what decisions are best to make.
Theoretically, there can hardly be a more important study.Here
are some real life questions that careful logical thought can help
with:
Should I go to College?
Should I Invest in my Friend's Company?
Should I trust this salesperson’s claims?
Should I study or watch TV?
Should I eat a salad or sweets for dinner?
Should I Marry this Person?
Though learning to reason well may be difficult at first, the
effort to improve is well worth it. It is through the power of
reason that humanity has learned about how the universe works
and how to use that knowledge to develop technology. It is
through the power of reason that we have been able to get to the
moon and create the computer upon which you are now reading
this. It is through the use of reason that you can effectively
manage your money and live in a healthy manner. Given these
and other extremely important uses, it is hard to doubt the value
of learning to reason well.
One could even say that reason is what made us emerge to
become who we are as a species:
(Note: the videos in this guidance are for entertainment
purposes and are optional. The required instructional videos for
this course are contained in the "Lectures" tab in the ecollege)

5. What is an Argument?
In order to study reasoning, it is useful to break it down into its
smallest elements. The smallest element of reasoning is called
an argument. You may associate the word “argument” with
some kind of quarrel:
In logic, however, an argument is a piece of reasoning. Here is
an example of an argument:
Premise 1: Mike is taller than Lucy
Premise 2: Lucy is taller than Joe
Conclusion: Therefore, Mike is taller than Joe
(This style of expressing arguments, with the premises listed
above the conclusion, is called standard form. Putting them in
this form clarifies the reasoning and makes it much easier to
evaluate it.)
Notice that in this argument the first two statements lead to the
truth of the third one. These first two statements are called
premises. The premises in the above argument are “Mike is
taller than Lucy” and “Lucy is taller than Joe.” From these
premises, an argument infers the truth of another statement
which is called the conclusion. In this argument, the conclusion
is “Mike is taller than Joe.”
Identifying Arguments
Arguments, as we find them in real life, aren’t usually spelled
out so clearly. We might find an argument in real life expressed
something like this: “I can’t go to the party. I have a test in the
morning, and I have a ton of studying to do. Plus I think that
Mike will be there, and I am mad at him.”
What is the conclusion of this argument? What are the
premises? Because arguments in real life are often expressed in
such a confusing manner, putting them into standard form is
often quite tricky; however, it can be very valuable for
clarifying the reasoning. Here is how we might clarify this one:
Premise 1: I have a test in the morning
Premise 2: I have a ton of studying to do

6. Premise 3: Mike will be there
Premise 4: I am mad at Mike
Conclusion: Therefore, I can’t go to the party
There are some things that we can learn about arguments from
this example: First, arguments do not have to have two
premises. In fact, there are arguments with any number of
premises. Second, arguments do not always have the word
“therefore” before their conclusions. Sometimes they use other
words that mean the same as “therefore” include “so,” “thus,”
“hence,” “it follows that,” “from which we can infer,” etc.
Because these words indicate conclusions, they are called
conclusion markers. Some arguments instead use words that
identify the premises, called premise markers. Premise markers
include “because” and “since.”
Some arguments don’t have premise marker or conclusion
markers. The argument about not going to the party has neither;
we are simply supposed to tell what the conclusion is from the
context. None of the other sentences within the argument make
nearly as much sense as the conclusion. Sometimes the process
of identifying the exact premises and conclusion of an argument
can be quite tricky. For more guidance about arguments and
standard form, watch the required videos in the lectures section
of this course.
Evaluating Arguments
Since logic is the study of arguments, the next question to ask,
after we have identified the argument, is whether it is any good.
What kinds of things are needed for an argument to be a good
one? If the goal of reasoning is to discover truth, good
arguments are ones that are likely to lead us to true conclusions.
For an argument to establish the truth of its conclusion, two
things need to be the case:
1. The premises should be true. If it turns out that one or more
of the premises is false, then we have no guarantee of the truth
of the conclusion.
2. The truth of the conclusion should be supported by the

7. premises.
This second criterion comes in all degrees of strength. In the
extreme case, we have arguments that whose premises are
intended to establish the truth with absolute certainty. These
arguments are called deductive. Then we have arguments whose
premises are intended only to confer an added likelihood to the
truth of the conclusion; these are called inductive. We will
cover these two types of arguments in the next two weeks of the
course.
For now, let’s close this week with a humorous take on the
nature of arguments (Notice that this video, despite its silliness,
attempts to give an actual description of good arguments from
0:35 to 1:14):
To-Do List for the Week
1. Read the required materials for the week, including this
guidance and chapters 1 & 2 from the textbook
2. Watch the weekly intro video and all of the videos under the
“Lectures” tab for this week of the course and view all other
required materials.
3. Post a timely (by day 3) and thorough response to the “Post
Your Introduction” forum as well as substantive replies to
peers. Make sure to follow all instructions listed.
4. Respond to the week’s discussion (initial post by day 3). This
discussion asks you to present your own argument on one of the
paper topics. It is good practice for your paper assignments as
well as a place to get feedback on your initial argument from
your instructor and/or fellow classmates. Make sure to follow
carefully all elements of the discussion prompt.
5. Take the Quiz for the week (by day 7). It covers the central
concepts of the course as covered in the textbook, this guidance,
and the lecture videos for this week.
6. Post your first paper assignment, the Initial Argument Paper
(by day 7). This paper allows you to refine the argument that
you presented in the discussion and to support the truth of its
premises and the strength of its reasoning in a short essay.

8. Please pay careful attention to the assignment instructions
before posting. There are several links and even a sample paper
(known as a worked example) to help you to write your paper.
If you have any questions, make sure to let your instructor
know, either via email or in the Ask Your Instructor forum.
References
Fernando Phillipi (2010). 2001 dawn of man (best cut) [Video
file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2iiPpcwfCA
Logic. (n.d.). In Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved from
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&se
arch=logic&searchmode=none
Rai Castle (2012). The cutest argument (subtitles) [Video file].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-
cUTV56Yh0
Traceur in training (2009). Monty Python - argument clinic
[Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnTmBjk-M0c
+tn# tY
Management 306
November 5,2013
An Instructional Guide on How to Make Delicious
Mexican
Food
Meals

9. By: Brianna Van Horn
ENCHILADAS (can serve up to 10-15 people) . ?,.V*l't;
'/
" 1;r bcV
Instead of eotingiust tortillas and chicken, why don't you spice
it up a bit!. And make your dish
cheesy, saucy andfull of amazingflavors.
What will you need:
I bag of corn tortillas
2 cans of Las Palmas Red Chile Sauce
I bag ofchicken hreast
I package of Queso Fresco
1 package ofshredded Colby Jack cheese
I small onion
1 green onion
I container of garlic
I medium can of sliced olives
1 container ofsour cream
1 medium frying pan

10. I baking square pan
I medium pot
I small bowVmedium bowl
I bottle of oil (canola, vegetable, etc)
Directions:
I fiU a medium pot half way with water. Place about 3 to 4
chicken breasts into the pot.
Sprinkle in garlic to flavor chicken. You may add as much
garlic as you would like to get yoru
desired flavor of chicken. Let chicken cook for about an hour or
until chicken easily breaks apart-/
Once ready, pull the chicken out ofthe pot and place on a plate
to cool down. When completely
cooled down, you can then shred the chicken into thin pieces.
2 n"the chicken cooksryou can start to prepare other things.
First, grab a bowl.-This will be
used to place chopped up ingredients. Make sure to
wffigff,vegetables before cutting up. With a
knigcut up the onion into small pieces and then phc$inJBwl.
Once the onion is chopped up,
you can now get the Queso Fresco and place it in the bowl with
the chopped onions. Since this
cheese is a big roundiirclg-yo" will need to crumble it up until
it looks crumblike. Then mix the
cheese and onion to make sure it's evenly mixed.
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11. -$r.r
sgatkr
3 N"*t, chop up green onions but don't put these in the bowl.
Store on the side soqewhere toJ Next, chop up green oruons but
don't put these rn the bowl. store on the srde sorEewhere to / - -
. . .t
eventually use ht;ininrhfr""tiorrr. Afterwardgopen a can of
olives and drain out aft?";.,i"" /;{:"ff
Leave olives to the side. Eventually;they will be used as well in
later directions. t .. t t^t*-. c)vp lJ^
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Leave olives to the side. Eventually;they will be used as well in
later directions.
4 lo ufrying panTpour about half a cup or sor of oil and let it
preheat. After heating up the oil, - , I
iately place a tortilla into the pan. Let tfr" tortitlu -'n tI* J
seconds. Then pull out and place on the baking pan. Oil and
sauce will eventually keep running out so you will have to
repeat step 4. Be carefirl.the tortillas
can become exhernely hot when taken out of the sauce. Sorit's
best to let thern "*t)iffim-
*'UL?
not try to roll them right away. Once you have a good amount of
saucy cooked tortillas on your

12. baking pan, proceed to step 5.
c
5qqltprinkle the queso fresco and onion mix onto each tortilla.
Theggrab a fewpieces of
shredded chicken and place on top. Lastly, spoon a few olives
onto tortilla. Repeat until all
tortillas have all the=ingredients gr them. Once everything is
placed in the tortillasyou can then
begin to roll them. - lh
elr, 1
48urutta<-
u"rlb
"^
-."0I (TIP) When adding ingredients make sure not to over
stuffthe tortillas orthey will be hard to ) ^Jt,f Xg ' roll. Also
,when you roll them up make sure they are rolled up tightly to
avoid falling apart. Ll
6 Witl the remaining red chile sauce, pow it all overthe
enchiladas. Nex! sprinkle Colby Jack
cheese all on top until it covers the majority of the enchiladas.
Once the cheese is all sprinkled
on, then grab the green onion *rat was chopped up early and
sprinkle it all over the enchiladas as
well.
7 N"*t place the pan of enchiladas in the oven. Set the
temperature to about 350 degrees. Leave
in the oven until cheese is fully melted on top. Then carefully
take out. pf ehea'* ?

13. ag rzz
B Carefully serve how many you would like on a plate. hrt as
much sour cream as desired on
top of enchiladas.
9 Eat and enjoy!
Looking for a side dish that goes great with enchiladas refer to
prge l2l
(Rice Recipe) ) ;lZuce
'
Michelle Alvarez
Management 306
How to Have the Perfect Marriage
Studies have shown that married people live longer, have better
health, earn more
money, feel happier, enjoy more satisfying sexual relationships
and have more
successful children than those who are single*^Hq4/-ever, the
divorce rate keeps
increasing or less people decide not to g"[email protected]#usqit
can be very scary. Here
are the basic and easy instructions you need to follow in order
to have the marriage you
always dreamed of.
Marriage can be divided into 5 different stages. 1) Honeymoon,

14. 2) Realization,
3) Family, 4) Emptiness 5) completion. Building a perfect
marriage is a lifelong
challenge, but it is definitely possible if you follow these easy
instructions.
Tools
. Communication
o Love
. Respect
o Money
. Humor
. Vacations
. You-Me time
. Organization
Honeymoon
This stage is the first or second year depending on the arrival of
children. lt is the most
beautiful stage because it's the first everything. First, spend
quality time with your
Spouse. Do not just stay home and watch movies. Go out,
converse, have
experiences, make plans with friends and make the best of it.
Second, this stage
should be wisely used to learn how to communicate effectively
and make adjustments
to satisfy each other. lt is the stage where couples should take
advantage of you-me
time because things change when there are children. The key
tools for this stage
are love and respect.
Tip: Avoiding cheating temptations is essential for a perfect
marriage. Stay away
from people you know you are attracted to. Don't carpool to

15. meetings, don't exchange
numbers, don't add him/she on Facebook and don't put
yoursell,o-rfrompromising
situations. Things can get out of control.
Realization
This is the stage for some teamwork. lt's the realization stage
where you have learned
things about your spouse you didn't know or you have happily
ignored. You have
discovered his/her weaknesses or habits you mostly hate. lt is
the first divorce danger
zone. The key tool for this stage is communication. First, it is
important to let your
partner know what bothers you without criticizing. Second,
share responsibilities and
duties. Do not let your spouse do all the hard work. Admit fault,
forgive and forget.
Tip: Take this time to talk about children, money, religion, how
often should you
visit family. Finally, never complain about the house being
messy; instead offer
yourself to clean up.
Family
There's a lot going on during this stage. ls the time where
couples spend most of their
time raising children, paying mortgage, possibly working two
jobs or switching
careers. To make your marriage perfect you will at least
organize or plan a family
vacation once a year. lt can be as simple as camping on your
backyard. Have a family

16. adventure, be creative and have fun. The key tools for this stage
are humor, vacations and organization. Second, maintiin a
healthy living style. lt is
very important to stay active during this stage to release stress.
lt would be excellent if
the entire family participates on any sport events.
Tip: Pay close attention to your spouse. Turn off the television
when the
children go to bed and have you-me time.
Emptiness
During this stage both of you are back on your own. Children
have grown up and leave.
Now, you and your spouse should take this time to acknowledge
your
accomplishments. lt is essential to get to know each other again
and make up for the
time lost on the previous stage. Remember to enjoy his/her
company. Also, Plan
vacations and explore the world if possible.
Tips: Make your spouse fall in love with you once again by
dedicating songs,
sending flowers (not necessary on special occasions), help with
chores and don't ever
complain about his/her physical appearance.
Completion
Congratulations, you have made it through the most difficult
stages. You lived and
loved through the chaos of marriage. Continue to show affection
toward each other.
Enjoy life, grandchildren and most important yourself.
. ,r d^p py L,'In I.

17. lAy /,,'+o " &'g PY
a)
' l Q '
4Pr
Jonathan Grisham
MGMT 306
2/21/2013
How to Have a Good Time in Las Vegas
If you feel like recently you haven't had any excitement in your
life, a good weekend in Las
Vegas is sure to spice up your boring life. There is plenty to do
in Vegas, from: shopping,
drinking, clubbing, going to shows, and walking the strip
looking for a suitable hookup for the
weekend. I would advise on this trip that you do not gamble, as
the trip is already very 't)
expensive, and gambling under the influence is a good way to
go brokeThe fun that Vegas has
to offer requires a full weekend, so clear your schedule and
gather your closest friends for one of
the best weekends of your life.
The Vegas experience can be divided into these steps: l) gather
friends and drive to Vegas, 2)
get hotel room and start drinking, 3) go out clubbing 4) wake up
and get food 5) go shopping or

18. swimming (optional) 6) see a show such as Cirque du Soleil 7)
go back out clubbing, unless you
have already found a suitable mate to take back to the room 8)
end the night by finishing all
remaining alcohol and other drugs. 9) head home
Tools and Supnlies:
-Car
-Cash (remember to get singles too)
-Credit Card
-Alcohol (As much as you feel you need) tln-r"^,b3 .rp I
-At least 1 ounce of Kuslrt(or less you're new to the game)
-Smoking utensil (I prefer bong)
-At least Yz owce of Psilocybin Mushrooms
-Any other drugs you feel necessary to get you through the
weekend hu)o
r(5V
{ugs you reer necessary to get y
.tOn fu$Uf corrrlowrS, *,
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Gather X'riends:
2 Make sure all friends have pitched in for gas, alcohol and
other drugs. Once you have all the
supplies you need, you can begin driving out to Vegas. I would
suggest leaving Friday moming
so you avoid the evening traffic and have time to enjoy Friday
night in Vegas.

19. Get Hotel Room and Let the Pre-eame Beein:
The first step in your adventure is to get a hotel room. Ideally
you would have made a
reservation in advance, but if no$should be able to find a room
although selections will be
limited. In choosing where to stayfl am an advocate for getting
a more expensive room for two
qhtun?'
reasons. One, you can save money when you're dead. Two, it
will make you more attractive to
your potential hookup buddy which is a definite plus.
Personally, my favorite hotel to stay at is
Manjalay Bay. They have pools to swim in where you can order
food in the morning ygule 2
)d,ttu"g over and there are plenty of cute girls by the pools.
Once you get to your room; its
'g*rr"time, let the party begin!
Go F'ridav Night Clubbine:
Start the weekend right by attending some of the many clubs in
Las Vegas. Make sure you have
consumed enough alcohol and marijuana to keep you on a
sufficientbuzzto last you the night.
You can always buy more alcohol but leave the Kush at home.
Once you hit the clubs,
immediately start scouting the room for some babes to bring

20. back to the room. The great thing
about Vegas is that even if you can't find a mate for the night,
there are many strip clubs that you
can visit to have your needs met. Make sure to bring your
singles!
Wake Up and Get Food:
When you finally stumble back to your room Saturday morning,
try to get a couple of hours of
sleep. When you wake up you will be hung over, so you're going
to need to eat something. If
you're at the Mandalay Bay, all you need to do is head out to
the pool and order pool side from a
cabana. This presents another possibility to look for a potential
hookup buddy if you struck out
and had to pay for a lap dance the previous night.
Shop/Swim/llan:
While the nightlife in Vegas is great, there is plenty to do
during the day as well. If you need to
upgrade your wardrobe, there are plenty of stores on the Vegas
strip. If you're not looking to
spend the day shopping, you can always stay at the pool to
swim. If neither of these appeal to
you, a good nap is a solid idea as well.
Cirque du Soleil:
After you finish up your shopping, swimming or napping, it's
time to get ready to go see Cirque
du Soleil. You will need to eat some Psilocybin Mushrooms to

21. enhance the show. Trust me, it is
definitely worth it. You might want to have a sober friend go
with to babysit all users of the
mushrooms, because you may not be acting rationally.
{tf$hAl
Go Back gut Clubbine or Finish offthe Niehtwith a Partv in vour
Room:
So your final night you can either go out to a club, or if you
already have a mate for the night
you may just want to have aparty in your room. Both are
excellent decisions, and the goal of the
night is to finish offall remaining drugs you brought. Enjoy!
Ifead Home:
How to Make and Install a Window Curtain
If you have basic sewing knowledge and access to a sewing
machine, you can make a simple curtain in a short
amount of time. Curtains make a big difference in the "look" of
a room, adding color and style to your decor.
Once the curtain is made, it's easy to hang it just where you
want it. With these simple step-by-step
instructions, you can: (1) measure your window and purchase
the appropriate type and amount of fabric; (2)
sew a simple curtain; and (3) install the curtain on your
window.
Equipment and Supplies

22. As in any project, it helps to know what equipment and supplies
you are going to need before you get started.
To make the curtain, you will need the following some
equipment and supplies.
First, you'll need the following tools:
Also, you'll need these sewing items:
To install a curtain inside the window frame, all you will need
is a spring-tension curtain rod. To hang the

23. curtain on the wall outside of the window frame, you will need
these items:
-style curtain rod and its brackets
Preparing to Sew the Curtain
You're probably ready to start sewing right away, but there are
some preliminary things you need to do first.
Note: Since the size of the window determines the amount of
material you will need, measure the window
before you buy the material.
Before you can sit down at your sewing machine and begin to
sew, you must:
1. Decide what type of curtain rod you want to use.
2. Measure the window.

24. 3. Purchase the curtain fabric and rod.
4. Cut the curtain piece out of the fabric.
Deciding what type of curtain rod to use. A simple curtain can
be hung with a cafe-style curtain rod or a spring-
tension rod. Mounting a spring-tension rod does not require any
hardware and installs the curtain inside the
window frame. A cafe-style curtain rod must be hung with
brackets that are affixed to the wall-side of the
window frame and hangs the curtain outside of the window
frame, against the wall. So, before you go any
further, decide where on the window you want the curtain to
hang and what kind of curtain rod you'll need to
do that.
Measuring the window. The measurements you take here will
determine the success or failure of your curtain
making project. Remember the old saying: measure twice, cut
once! Refer to the diagram below as you
measure your window in the following manner:
1. Get your pencil, paper, and measuring tape.
2. Decide how long or short you want the curtain to be.
3. Measure the width of the window. For a curtain that will fit
inside the window frame, measure from
the inside of one corner to the inside of the other corner. For a
curtain that fits outside the window
frame, measure between the points outside the window frame
where you want the curtain.
4. Write down your measurement in inches.
5. Measure the desired length of your curtain against the
window.

25. 6. Write down your measurement in inches.
Purchasing the fabric and curtain rod. Now it's time to go to the
fabric store and purchase your curtain rod and
material. Since you will probably have your curtain for a long
time, make sure you purchase a color and design
pattern of material that you really like.
Notes:
1. Some types of fabrics do not make good curtains. I
recommend that you purchase drapery fabric for
your curtain. Although it costs a little more than regular fabric,
the investment in a material that will
hang correctly and look good is well worth the extra expense.
Drapery fabric also comes in widths wide
enough to allow for making curtains out of one piece of fabric,
without having to seam the curtain.
2. Consider purchasing a little more material than you will
actually need. This gives you some leeway in
working with the material, in case you make a mistake in
cutting out the curtain or want extra material
to make matching accessories.
To determine how much material you need:
1. Get your pencil, paper, and calculator.
2. Multiply the width of the window (W) times 3 (Wx3). Write
down your measurement.
3. Add 8 inches to the length (L) of the finished curtain to allow
enough material to make the casing and

26. hem (L+8). Write down your measurement.
4. Convert your measurements to yards by dividing each by 36
inches per yard. For example: (L+8)/36 =
the length of the curtain in yards (L') , and (Wx3)/36 the width
of the of curtain in yards (W'). Write
down your measurements.
5. Go to the fabric store and purchase at least W' yards of
material, making sure the material is at least L'
yards wide.
6. Purchase a cafe-style curtain rod for a outer window frame
curtain, or a spring-tension rod for an inner
window frame curtain, making sure the rod is longer than the
width of your window (W).
Cutting out the curtain pieces. Most likely, the material you
purchased is larger than the piece you need to
make the curtain. Although you can purchase a curtain pattern,
a simple design such as the one these
instructions describe doesn't require a pattern. Again, let me
remind you to measure twice, cut once! Follow
these steps to cut out your curtain:
1. Lay the material out on your work table, wrong side up,
making sure to smooth out all of the wrinkles.
2. Measure the width of the curtain with your tape measure
(W'), marking the edge of that width with

27. pins or a fabric marker.
3. Measure the length of the curtain piece (L'), also marking the
edge with pins or a marker.
4. Check your measurements.
5. Cut out the curtain piece along the pins and/or markings.
Sewing the Curtain
After all that preparation, it's finally time to start sewing.
Remember that the wrong side of a fabric is that side
which you don't want to show. The fabric design and pattern are
not as attractive on the wrong side, as well.
There are three steps involved in sewing your curtain: (1)
setting up your equipment, (2) making the curtain
casing, and (3) hemming the curtain.
Setting up your equipment. It's important to have everything
ready to go before you start to sew. To get ready,
do the following:
interruptions.
setting the iron at the
proper setting for your curtain fabric.
with your chosen thread.
Caution: Be careful not to burn your fingers with the hot iron
while ironing the fabric.
Sewing the casing. The casing will form the part of the curtain
that fits over the rod. To make the casing:

28. 1. Turn down the top edge of the fabric 1 inch along its entire
length, wrong side to wrong side, pressing
the fabric with the iron as you go, until the fabric stays down by
itself.
2. Turn down the same edge another 2 inches, with the right
side of the previous turned- down edge
against the wrong side of the fabric, again pressing the fabric
with the iron as you go, until the fabric
stays folded by itself.
3. Pin along lower folded edge.
4. Sew along pinned edge.
Hemming the sides and bottom of the curtain. If you want your
curtain to have a finished, professional look,
you must hem the sides and bottom. Follow these steps to hem
the sides of the curtain:
1. Fold the edges of the fabric in 1 inch along each side, wrong
side to wrong side, pressing the fabric
with the iron as you go, until the fabric stays down by itself.
2. Turn each side edge in another 2 inches, with the right side
of the previous turned-in edge against the
wrong side of the fabric, again pressing the fabric with the iron
as you go, until the fabric stays folded
by itself.
3. Pin along folded edges.
4. Sew along pinned edges.

29. Now, follow these steps to hem the bottom of the curtain:
1. Fold the bottom edge of the fabric up 1 inch, wrong side to
wrong side, pressing the fabric with the
iron as you go, until the fabric stays down by itself.
2. Turn the bottom edge up another 4 inches, with the right side
of the previous turned-in edge against
the wrong side of the fabric, again pressing the fabric with the
iron as you go, until the fabric stays
folded by itself.
3. Pin along folded edges.
4. Sew along pinned edges.
Take a look at your beautiful new curtain. The only thing left to
do now is to hang it up.
Installing the Curtain Rod and Hanging the Curtain
The way you install the curtain rod will greatly affect the look
of your new curtain. After all the effort you put
into making the curtain, you don't want it to hang crooked or
fall down.
Note: If you're mounting the curtain rod outside the window
frame on a part of the wall that is not backed by a
wooden stud, I strongly recommend that you use molly bolts
instead of screws to affix the brackets. This will
prevent the curtain rod brackets from pulling out of the wall.

30. Using molly bolts. A molly bolt is a type of fastener used to
hang on object on wallboard (sheetrock) that has
open space behind it. A molly bolt consists of 3 pieces: a screw,
a washer, and a metal or plastic sleeve that fits
over the screw. The sleeve is open at both ends, slightly larger
than the screw, and has a flat, nail-like head.
The middle part of the sleeve is not solid, but made of 4 wavy
metal strips that are continuous with the solid
ends of the sleeve. The inside of the sleeve is threaded to fit the
screw, and the washer fits between the
screwhead and the metal sleeve. The sleeve is inserted into a
properly-sized hole in the wall. As the screw is
screwed into the sleeve, the metal strips of the sleeve expand
behind the wallboard, shortening and thickening
the sleeve to provide a large area of contact between the sleeve
and wall holding the screw firmly in place.
Note: Make sure you really want that molly bolt where you're
putting it, because once it's in, the sleeve can't
be removed without making a large hole in the wall.
To use a molly bolt:
1. Drill a hole that is slightly smaller than the metal sleeve at
the desired location.
2. Insert the sleeve into the hole.
3. Place the curtain rod bracket over the hole.
4. Put the washer on the screw and screw the screw into the
metal sleeve.
Installing the curtain rod. Installing a curtain rod need not be
difficult or time consuming. If you choose to use a
spring-tension rod, all you have to do is push the ends of the
rod together until the rod is short enough to fit

31. inside the window frame, put the rod inside the frame, then let
the rod expand until it fits snugly against each
side of the window. To install a cafe-style curtain rod, gather
these tools:
Now you're ready to put up the curtain rod by following these
steps:
1. Hold one of the brackets against the wall where you want the
edge of the curtain, and mark the holes
in the bracket on the wall with a pencil.
2. Pre-drill the marked holes.
3. Insert molly bolt sleeves if you are using these instead of
plain screws.
4. Place the bracket against the wall and insert the screws into
the holes or molly bolt sleeves.
5. Use the screwdriver to screw the screws into the wall .

32. 6. Measure the distance of the bracket from the edge of the
frame, and them down.
7. Repeat steps 1-5, making sure to place the second bracket the
same distance from the edge of the
window as the first bracket.
8. Hang the rod on the brackets, using the level to test for
crookedness.
9. Hang the curtain if the rod is level, or remove the second
bracket and repeat step 7 if the rod is too
crooked.
Hanging the curtain. Now you're ready for the last and easiest
step of all, hanging your beautiful new curtain.
Just follow these steps:
1. Insert the curtain rod into the casing at the top of the curtain.
2. Gather the much-wider curtain along the rod until the rod-
ends are visible at either end of the curtain.
3. Hang the curtain and rod up on the window.
4. Arrange your curtain along the length of the rod so that it
gathers evenly.
Now that you've finished hanging your curtain, take a moment
to look around the room. You'll notice that it
looks completely different. Window curtains pull the decor of a
room together, softening the edges of the
window and making the room a more pleasant place to be. Give
yourself a big pat on the back for taking the
time to make your curtain, then relax with a cup of tea while
you plan your next home decorating project!

33. Homework 6
Instructions
Your choice!
Write a set of instructions for the class. The topic is up to you.
Assume your reader is not familiar with
the subject, and he or she will follow your instructions to the
letter.
How to Raise Potatoes in a Home Garden
If you like tender, juicy potatoes, home-grown are definitely the
best. Although the plant of the potato is
visible above the ground, the end product is found below the
soil. The process from preparing to eating can
take as long as 3-4 months, but the results will be worth the
wait. Gardening experts agree that the best time
for potato planting is about a month before the last spring frost.
This time period will allow the potato to
emerge from the soil after freezing conditions but be harvested
before the extreme heat of summer. Although
this vegetable can be purchased rather cheaply in the
supermarket, the quality of home-grown potatoes far
exceeds those bagged on grocery shelves.
The production of potatoes can be divided into these steps: (1)
preparing the soil, (2) preparing the potatoes,

34. (3) planting the potatoes, (4) maintaining the plants, and (5)
harvesting the potatoes.
Tools and Supplies
To complete the entire project you will need the following
tools:
ble)
A tiller is a gas-powered machine that can break up, mulch, and
aerate soil with deep-cutting blades that
extend deep into the ground. Tillers are useful in small gardens
over one-hundred square feet. A typical tiller is
somewhat larger than a gas-powered lawn mower and requires a
larger, more powerful engine than do typical
lawn mowers. Its most important components are its blades,
usually measuring 24 to 36 inches across, that
turn in a circular motion digging down into the soil with a
continuous motion. Gas-powered tillers make
preparing a garden much easier, faster, and less back-breaking
than doing so by hand with a shovel or hoe. You
guide the tiller along in front of you and set the depth that the
blades will cut into the soil. You make several
cuts through the soil to fully turn it over and aereate it. A
garden tiller can also be attached to the rear of a
small tractor. This type of tiller provides satisfactory results but

35. may pose some difficulty in controlling the
direction.
You will need to purchase the following:
Preparing the Soil
Although potatoes can be raised in virtually any type of soil,
best results can be achieved in loam which is a red
clay, sandy combination. Once the garden plot has been
selected, the following steps will utilize the best
growing conditions: (1) clearing the land, (2) loosening the soil,
and (3) digging the holes.
1. Clearing the land of all debris and plants will improve growth
of your potatoes. Best results can be
achieved if all debris and previous growth is removed from the
area. It is suggested that raking the
entire plot will prove beneficial as the plants start to grow.

36. 2. Loosening the soil will allow the potatoes to develop into
healthy plants. Although a hoe and rake will
provide satisfactory results, the job will be much easier with the
use of a gas-powered tiller. These can
be rented from local equipment rental facilities.
3. Digging the holes correctly will enable the potatoes to grow
above and below the ground. Although
there is some difference in varieties, most potatoes should be
planted from 3-5 inches below the
ground. These holes can be dug with a hoe in a long trench or
individual holes.
Preparing the Potatoes
Although any type of potato can be used for planting, best
results can be achieved with the purchase of
certified seed potatoes from a local nursery. After securing the
potatoes, they can be prepared for planting by
(1) cutting into pieces and (2) sprouting the eyes.
1. Cutting the potatoes can be achieved with a small, sharp
knife. Cut the seed potato into several pieces
making sure each piece as at least one eye and a large piece of
the potato.
Note: It is important to include at least one eye on the planting
portion since the new potato will grow
from the eye. The first food for the plant will be derived from
the portion of potato.

37. 2. Sprouting the eyes will provide better results for future
plants. Lay the pieces out on flat or shallow
trays and allow them to sit in a sunny, airy place for several
weeks until the eyes sprout. These sprouts
will be dark green and closely clustered in the eye.
Planting the Potatoes
Once the soil has been prepared and the potatoes have sprouted,
you are ready to put them into the ground.
This procedure is extremely important to the success of your
future crop. The planting can be divided into
these steps: (1) inserting the potatoes, (2) covering the potatoes
and (3) giving the potatoes a boost.
1. Inserting the potatoes correctly will insure the emergence of
your plant. Place a small segment of the
sprouted seed potato in your previously dug trench or hole.
Place one piece of potato every 12 inches.
Make sure the eye of the potato is facing up to direct the plant
out of the soil.
2. Covering the potatoes with sufficient loose soil will enable
the plant to emerge successfully from the
soil. If the trench or hold has been dug to the correct depth, you
should be able to cover each potato
piece with approximately 3 inches of surrounding loose soil.
3. Giving your planted potatoes a boost with water and fertilizer
will start them off on the right track.

38. Since the eyes are already sprouted, water and fertilizer will
allow for the continued growth of the
plant toward the surface of the soil. Sprinkle lightly with
commercial fertilizer or manure and then
water each location thoroughly.
Maintaining the Crop
Although the potatoes are now in the ground, it is important to
follow some simple procedures to guarantee
the success of your potato yield. This is a crop with a fairly
long growing period, so maintenance of the garden
will ensure success. The steps for maintenance include: (1)
weeding the plants, (2) fertilizing the plants, (3)
controlling insects, and (4) watering when necessary.
1. Weeding the plants should be done on a regular basis. Use a
sharp-pointed hoe to chop out the foreign
weeds. Removal of the chopped weeds will ensure that they do
not start to grow again.
Warning: The vines of the potato can grow freely along the
ground. Be careful not to damage the
growing plant.
2. Fertilizing the plants of the potato can ensure growth above
and below the ground. The type of soil will
determine the correct fertilizer to be used. A local nursery can

39. provide the information you need.
3. Controlling insects in your potato garden will enable your
plants to continue growing. There is an all-
purpose potato dust or spray that can be purchased to control
most bugs that will damage this
vegetable.
4. Watering the plants may be necessary if there is not
sufficient rainfall. Keep a water hose nearby to
water whenever the plants seem dry. This will become even
more important as the summer months
get hotter.
Harvesting the Potatoes
After several months of anticipation, your potatoes should be
carefully observed to determine if they are
ready to be harvested. Because your crop should provide
potatoes for many meals to come, it is important to
finalize your project with the following procedures for
harvesting: (1) determining correct time of harvest, (2)
removing potatoes from the ground, and (3) storing the potatoes
for extended use.
1. Determining the time of harvest will depend upon several
factors. When the vines have completely
died down, the potatoes below the ground will no longer grow.
You may also check the size of your
potatoes by digging up in various spots throughout your garden.

40. 2. Removing potatoes from the ground will be hard work but
very rewarding. Very carefully dig up a large
area of earth around each vine using a spading fork. Turn over
the soil and carefully remove the
potatoes from the soil. Allow the potatoes to dry completely.
3. Storing the potatoes for extended use will allow you to enjoy
them for many months to come. The best
environment for storing potatoes is a cool, dark place with
plenty of air. Slat crates are much better
than solid boxes or bins.
Warning: Potatoes that have been dug up should not be exposed
to the sun any longer than is
necessary to remove dirt. The sun will make the potatoes
acquire an unpleasant flavor.
Although the process of raising potatoes is a time-consuming,
lengthy procedure, the results can be very
satisfying. Not only can you enjoy the benefits for many
months, you may also be able to share your harvest
with friends and neighbors.