Assessment 4: Persuasive Essay
Submission: 2,000 words Microsoft Word Document (NO PLAGIARISM WILL BE TOLERRATED)
Task Overview:
This assessment represents the final product which brings together all your brainstorming, thinking, planning, learning, researching, notetaking and summarising into a clearly organised, and referenced persuasive essay. It is a chance to put into practice what you have learned about writing academic essays and bring together all you have learned in the unit about sustainability.
The skills you learn through writing this essay will continue to apply throughout your study, and the knowledge about sustainability will be relevant to your daily lives and in your future profession.
Task Details:
Write a 2,000-word persuasive essay on the following: (REFERENCES NOT PART OF WORD LIMIT) Sustainability is a paradigm for thinking about the future in which environmental, societal and economic considerations are balanced in the pursuit of an improved quality of life
(UNESCO 2015).
From your chosen scenario below – scope it to a specific location (e.g., Australia), community, organisation and/or aspect.
Explain the key sustainability concerns from the perspective of each of the three key dimensions: environmental, social, and economic.
Discuss synthesised responses to these concerns that could help to achieve sustainability.
Students Chosen Scenario
Extreme climate events (BUSHFIRES IN AUSTRALIA) scope it to a specific location (e.g., Australia), community,
organisation and/or aspect. (THIS IS VERY IMPORANT!!!!!!!)
FOLLOW Essay Structure Assessment 4.pdf & Lecture Notes Assessment 4.pdf
Further Instructions:
You must support your arguments with in-text citations from credible academic sources;
You must include at least 12 references (2 may include your core readings);
Consistently format in-text citations and the complete reference list at the end of your essay using the
current APA edition referencing style.
Suggestions to help you complete this assignment successfully:
All work in this subject prepares you for your final essay. Review what you have learned throughout
this subject and build on the research, planning, notes and ideas you have developed through your
learning activities, previous assessments, and tutor feedback;
Ensure you have scoped your chosen scenario to a specific location, community, organisation and/or
aspect, in order to focus the explanation and discussion in your essay;
Your PowerPoint presentation helped refine your planning for this essay, so we expect you will be using
your refined taxonomy, draft thesis, and definition from the PowerPoint to help you draft your essay;
Assessment 4: Persuasive Essay
Use the first body paragraph after your introduction to provide the sustainability definition and
background to your scenario and scope;
Reflect on what you have learned about referencing in this subject and in your annotated bibliography
to consolidate your understanding of the correct referencing conventions;
Draw on the textbook (Rolls & Wignell, 2015). It is an excellent source of information and advice on
writing an academic essay and referencing. Chapters 1-5, 8, and 10 are particularly relevant;
Remember you can use the core readings as references, but you will also need to do your own further
research because you need at least 12 references minimum (MUST BE PEER REVIEWED SOURCES);
Use credible sources for your research and references. This means peer-reviewed articles from
academic and/or professional journals, academic textbooks, and credible websites (i.e., not Wikipedia
or randomly chosen sites you may have Googled).
Assessment 4: Pre-submission Checklist
Text organisation
Introduction
Does the introduction include:
an orientation to the topic?
an indication of why the topic is important?
a clear thesis statement?
an outline of the key ideas to be covered in the essay?
Body
Is the definition and relevant background provided in the first body paragraph after the introduction?
Are the ideas organised logically into paragraphs which are arranged in an order that reflects the outline and the
thesis?
Conclusion
Does the conclusion include:
the paraphrased thesis statement, re-stated and qualified if necessary?
a summary that is clear, captures the key concerns, and flows from the body of the paper?
Content
Response to the question Are the ideas relevant in the context of a scoped scenario, and do they provide a comprehensive response to and
discussion of the essay question?
Critical analysis
Is evidence of critical analysis of the concerns and responses reflected in:
your definition of sustainability?
the presentation of different perspectives related to the concerns?
analysis of all three points of view (environmental, social, economic)?
the discussion of responses related to the concerns raised?
Language Style Is the essay written in a formal academic style?
Does the essay include persuasive language to reinforce arguments?
Sentence Fluency Is the sentence structure consistently logical and clear with ideas appropriately linked within/across sentences?
Word choice Are specific words relating to the topic, concerns and responses used?
Grammar Is the writing free of grammatical and spelling errors?
Quality of evidence
Research Are the ideas supported by a minimum of 12 different credible and relevant sources? (MUST BE PEER REVIEWED)
Has evidence been used to support all concerns and responses discussed?
Referencing Are in-text citations and a reference list provided to support ideas and consistently follow current APA referencing
conventions?
Presentation
Word processing conventions Is the essay presented with correct formatting, line-spacing, headers and footers with student name, unit code and assignment number included?
Proofreading Have you proofread your work before submitting?
