This task requires you to:
Essay Plan
Produce a one page, point-form essay plan for Essay 1. This plan should:
This activity is designed to demonstrate that you are familiar with the organisational and structural format of a persuasive academic essay.
This assignment also gives you the opportunity to write about your thinking and to engage with the topic. This plan represents you working through the first six steps in the essay writing process. When you come to write your essay, you may discover that this plan might change. This change will demonstrate your continued reading and thinking which informs your understanding of the essay topic.
Answer the following essay question. This one topic will be developed by you through both essay assignments. The emphasis is on the process of developing a well-rounded and well informed piece of academic writing. Over the course you will be handing in two essays.
You will be required to complete a self-evaluation sheet for each essay. This sheet follows the same criteria as the staff feedback so that you can compare the two when your work is returned. These can be found on the UOSS website. Please take time to do this task. Reflection is a powerful tool in your learning process.
The Essay Question
"One of the defining values of Australian society is its high degree of tolerance" To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Contextualise your answer within two of the following social modalities: gender, sexuality, class, 'race' and ethnicity.
Rationale
This assignment is designed to encourage you to develop the skills you need to critically evaluate some of the viewpoints expressed in the Course Readings and in other readings. It is important to come to a scholarly decision about the merits of the issues discussed and communicate them in an acceptable academic style.
Research Requirements
You should complete Essay 1 by using at least four readings from the UOSS Course Reader.
A list of suggested readings gives a starting point for extra reading. These books are available from the UNSW Library. As many of the suggested books are well-known texts, it is also worth looking for them in your local municipal library.
Internet sources will not be accepted.
Locating sources for assignment research is an important skill for tertiary study, so take this opportunity to practise locating readings. Try using the library catalogue to do subject or keyword searches. When you locate a book you want to use in the library, try browsing through other books on the shelves.
The purpose of this assessment is to give you and your partner the opportunity to work collaboratively and to practise the presentation and discussion skills necessary for university study. Each of you will be asked to read the assigned reading and then come together and share your individual scholarly interpretation of what the author is saying. From these discussions, formulate your own position. This collaboration allows you then, to help each other rehearse your five-minute individual presentations as well as create a discussion question to present to the class. Together you are expected to conduct and maintain a group discussion.
Each student should prepare an individual point-form summary of the presentation (no longer than an A4 page). It must be handed to your tutor prior to giving the presentation.
Presentation Guidelines
In your presentation & discussion, you and your colleague should:
1. Indicate in what way the reading is relevant to the essay topic.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the main points of the reading.
3. Express your point of view on the opinion/argument/thesis you think the author is trying to convey.
4. Have a clear organised structure to the presentation:
5. You are expected to demonstrate an ability to question the material presented in the text.
6. Avoid straight reading of a text or simply describing it. Try to express your ideas in your own words and support them with direct referenced quotes from the reading.
7. Keep within the allotted time (5 minutes). Do not waste too much time on each point; try to present the whole picture rather than all the details.
8. Invite and engage the audience in a discussion in response to you and your partner’s interpretations (5 minutes).
Questions to be considered in your presentation & discussion:
Task
Rationale
This assignment is designed to help you demonstrate that you have further developed your writing and analytical skills.
Research Requirements for Essay No. 2
In addition to the four (or more) sources you used in Essay 1, you need to do further research. You must use at least four other texts.
Remember, internet sources are not allowed.
There will be no tutorial classes in exam week
This exam is based on demonstrating and engaging in the skills you have learned in the UOSS course. The exam will include multiple choice questions, short answer questions and an essay-style question.
You will be graded on your active participation in tutorials. The participation mark includes assessment of your contribution to class discussions and your overall class efforts.
| HD | High Distinction | 85-100% |
| D | Distinction | 75-84% |
| C | Credit | 65-74% |
| P | Pass | 50-64% |
| F | Fail | 0-49% |