EDUC1001 Assessment 3: Essay
Southern Cross University | SCU College
Due: Week 6
Length: 1000 words (give or take 10%: 900 – 1100 words)
Weighting: 45%
The task:
Write an expository (or explanatory) essay discussing the topic in your discipline, as outlined below. Draw on the four readings you used in your Assessment 2 Essay Plan and find another TWO current (within the last 5 years) peer-reviewed articles or academic textbooks of your own to support your discussion. In total, you must use at least six peer-reviewed Journal articles or academic textbooks in your essay – the four journal articles you used in your Assessment 2 and at least two you find yourself.
NOTE: There are no resubmissions for this final assessment.
Discipline topics: Use the same topic as Assessment 2, which should be in the Discipline you are enrolled in
Information on what to include in your essay:
You are to write an expository (or explanatory) essay, which explains and presents facts on your topic. It requires you to investigate a topic, evaluate the evidence from the literature, develop your ideas relevant to your topic, and set forth an argument concerning your topic in a clear and concise manner. It includes the following sections (Remember not to use any headings or sub-headings in your essay):
- Introductory paragraph (usually 10% of total length or 100-150 words)
The first paragraph of an essay introduces the reader to the essay topic. It should create interest in the essay by providing background information and a definition (if relevant); outline the writer’s main ideas in the order in which they appear in the essay’s body paragraphs. It should be written in the present tense. The Introduction consists of three main elements: A hook, building sentences, and a thesis statement (including the main ideas to be covered).
1. Hook
The first sentence (or sentences) of an essay should catch the reader’s attention. It introduces the topic of the essay in an interesting way.
2. Building sentences
After the hook, the following sentences should provide background information to give readers some context about the topic. They should build towards the thesis statement.
3. Thesis statement
The thesis statement comes towards the end of the Introduction and must have a controlling idea, which states the focus or position on your topic. It is the most important sentence in the entire essay because it presents the purpose of the essay. The thesis statement is followed by the main ideas discussed in the body paragraphs in the same order in which they appear in the essay’s body paragraphs. Sometimes the thesis statement and list of topics to be discussed are in the same sentence. A good thesis statement communicates your essay’s position, the context for this position, and the scope of your essay’s supporting paragraphs. It is a decisive statement upon which your entire essay is structured.
2. Body paragraphs (80% of total length or 800 words)
The body of an essay consists of several paragraphs. In this essay, you are required to write three (3) body paragraphs. Each body paragraph explains in detail one of the main ideas expressed at the end of the Introduction. There are three parts to a body paragraph: A topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence.
1. Topic sentence
The first sentence of a body paragraph expresses the topic of the paragraph and provides a controlling idea about the topic. All information in the paragraph supports the controlling idea.
2. Supporting sentences
Supporting sentences explain and develop the topic sentence. They present logical thoughts, evidence, and explanations supporting the topic sentence.
3. Concluding sentence
The paragraph ends with a concluding thought on the paragraph topic. It links back either to the topic sentence or the next paragraph.
3. Concluding paragraph (usually 5-10% of total length or about 100 words)
The concluding paragraph ends the essay by reviewing the main ideas from each body paragraph and leaving the reader with a final thought. The conclusion consists of three elements: A restated thesis statement, a summary of main ideas, and a final thought.
1. Restated thesis
At the start of the conclusion, the thesis statement is restated in words different from those in the Introduction.
2. Summary of main ideas
The main ideas from each body paragraph are summarised as a reminder to the reader.
3. Final thought
The writer ends the essay by presenting a final thought on the topic. For example, providing a recommendation, a solution, or a prediction. The final thought should leave a strong impression and encourage the reader to think further about the topic.
Referencing:
You must reference consistently using EITHER APA 7th edition OR HARVARD style. Students studying Business, IT, Tourism, and Hospitality Management at The Hotel School use HARVARD style. Students studying the other disciplines, such as Health (including Psychology and Social Welfare), Education, Science, Engineering, Arts, and Social Sciences, use APA 7th edition:
APA 7TH edition: https://libguides.scu.edu.au/apa
HARVARD: https://libguides.scu.edu.au/harvard
Your reference list at the end of your essay appears on a separate page following the correct format for your referencing style. It is not included in your word count. However, in-text references within the body of your essay are included in the word count.
Topics and Readings:
You choose your discipline topic and MUST use the same four (4) required readings provided in myReadings for Assessment 2. The readings are located in myReadings and are all peer-reviewed sources (e.g. journal articles).
You are required to find two (2) additional peer-reviewed and current (i.e. within the last 5 years) references for your final essay.
You will find useful information about how to write an essay in your Unit Content. Use the Essay Structure handout to guide you.
You will be marked according to the rubric on the next page.
Marking Criteria or Rubric:
| CRITERIA | High Distinction (HD) | Distinction (D) | Credit (C) | Pass (P) | Fail (F) |
| Introduction 10 points | Excellent lead-in statement and background information providing clear, focused context to the topic. Key terms may be defined and contextualised extremely well. Thesis statement is extremely clear, concise, and relevant to the topic. Excellent identification of main points in the order in which they appear in the essay. | Very good lead-in statement and background information providing focused context to the topic. Key terms may be defined and contextualised very well. Thesis statement is very clear, concise, and relevant to the topic. Very good identification of main points in the order in which they appear in the essay. | Good lead-in statement and background information providing good context to the topic. Key terms may be defined and mostly contextualised. Thesis statement is clear, concise, and mostly relevant to the topic. Good identification of main points mostly in the order in which they appear in the essay. | Adequate lead-in statement and background information providing some context to the topic. Some terms may be adequately defined and may be contextualised. Thesis statement may be provided, but is unclear. Adequate identification of main points and may be in the order in which they appear in the essay. | Poor or no lead-in statement or background information providing little or no context to the topic. Inappropriate or no definitions of key terms. Thesis statement is unclear, irrelevant to topic, or missing. Inadequate or no identification of main points and may not be in the order in which they appear in the essay. |
| Quality of discussion and structure 17 points | Excellent discussion of points through logical paragraph sequencing. Excellent paraphrasing to support discussion. Excellent synthesis of ideas from various sources. Uses academic language, including transition words, in a sophisticated way. Uses the 4 required readings from myReadings and at least 2 more peer-reviewed current references. | Very good discussion of points through logical paragraph sequencing. Very good paraphrasing to support discussion. Very good synthesis of ideas from various sources. Uses academic language, including transition words, very well. Uses the 4 required readings from myReadings and at least 2 more peer-reviewed current references. | Good discussion of points through logical paragraph sequencing. Good paraphrasing to support discussion. May have demonstrated a good synthesis of ideas from various sources. Good use of academic language, including transition words. Uses the 4 required readings from myReadings, but may not have used at least 2 more peer-reviewed current references. | Adequate discussion of points through mostly logical paragraph sequencing. Adequate paraphrasing to support discussion. Might have attempted to synthesise ideas from various sources. Adequate use of academic language, including transition words. May not have used the 4 required readings from myReadings nor at least 2 more peer-reviewed current references. | Inadequate or no discussion of points. Limited or no paraphrasing to support discussion. Inadequate or no synthesis of ideas. Limited use of academic writing conventions, with an inadequate use of transition words. May not have used the 4 required readings from myReadings nor at least 2 more peer-reviewed current references. |
| Conclusion 5 points | Excellent restatement of thesis statement. Exemplary summary of main points with no new information provided. | Very clear restatement of thesis statement. Very good summary of main points with no new information provided. | Good restatement of thesis statement. Good review of most main points with no new information provided. | Adequate restatement of thesis statement, although it may not be clear. Adequate summary of some main points with no or little new information provided. | Fails to restate thesis statement or it is not clearly stated. Poor or non-existent summary of main points and may contain new information. |
| Referencing 8 points | All in-text references conform with the relevant style guide. Reference list conforms with the style guide with no or very minor errors. Includes the 4 required references from myReadings and a minimum of 2 more current peer-reviewed sources. | Most in-text references conform with the relevant style guide. Nearly all reference list entries conform with the relevant style guide. Includes the 4 required references from myReadings and a minimum of 2 more current peer-reviewed sources. | In-text references generally conform with the relevant style guide. Reference list mostly conforms with the relevant style guide with minor errors. Includes the 4 required references from myReadings, but may not have used a minimum of 2 more current peer-reviewed sources. | Some in-text references do not conform with the relevant style guide. Some reference list entries do not conform with the relevant style guide with several errors. May not have used all 4 required references from myReadings and a minimum of 2 more current peer-reviewed sources. | In-text references do not conform with the relevant style guide. Reference list may be missing or does not conform with the relevant style guide with numerous errors. May not have used all (or any) of the 4 required references and a minimum of 2 more current peer-reviewed sources. |
| Format, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word count 5 points | Written in essay format and submitted as a Word document. Always uses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Word count is met. | Written in essay format and submitted as a Word document. Mostly correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation with only minor errors. Word count is met. | Written in essay format and submitted as a Word document. Some grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. May be slightly above or below the word count. | Mostly written in essay format and may not have submitted as a Word document. Several grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. May be above or below the word count. | May not be written in essay format and may not have submitted as a Word document. Numerous grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. Word count may not be met. |
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