Our Previous Samples

Weighting: 30%
Length and/or Format: 1,100 words

Instructions:

Write a feature article that analyzes how one “target” from the following options accounts for human dignity and the common good in the context of a specific global community related to your course of study at ACU:

1. SDG 4 – Quality Education
   Analyze how SDG 4 addresses human dignity and common good with reference to a specific global community related to your study.

2. SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities
   Evaluate how SDG 10 addresses human dignity and common good with a focus on a specific global community connected to your course.

3. SDG 14 – Life Below Water
   Examine how SDG 14 promotes human dignity and the common good in relation to a specific global community relevant to your field of study.

Additional Requirements:

• Provide explanations of human dignity and the common good.
• Demonstrate engagement with Module 2: Sustainable Development Goals.
• Cite at least the following four resources:
  1. Wolfgang Sachs, “The Sustainable Development Goals and Laudato Si’: Varieties of Post-Development?” Third World Quarterly 38 (2017) 2573–2587.
  2. United Nations, The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2022/.
  3. One LEO resource (e.g., LEO book, a linked article, reading (other than the Sachs reading), a YouTube video clip, etc.) from Module 2: Sustainable Development Goals.
  4. One course of study-specific reading/resource from Module 2: Sustainable Development Goals.
• Identify your course of study, chosen SDG, chosen target, and chosen specific global community.
• Adhere to all ‘Assessment writing and research instructions’ as provided.

Submission:

This assessment task must be submitted electronically via Turnitin on LEO.

Weighting: 20%
Length and/or Format: 700 words

Instructions:

Students will prepare a dynamic and engaging 700-word graduation speech (which roughly equates to a 6-minute recording), addressing the following two questions with clear explanations:

1. What is Pope Francis’ understanding of human dignity and the common good in Laudato Si’?
   Discuss Pope Francis' views on human dignity and the common good as presented in "Laudato Si’."

2. How is it relevant to your course of study and a specific human community involved in your future profession?
   Explain how Pope Francis' concepts are connected to your course of study and a specific human community in your future profession.

Additional Requirements:

• Produce your graduation speech using Echo360 (ACU’s licensed audio-visual application – not any other audio-visual application) and include an Echo360 ‘public link’ to your graduation speech at the top of your script.
• Demonstrate close and critical engagement with "Laudato Si’" (when citing "Laudato Si’", ensure you include specific paragraph numbers).
• Cite at least the following three resources:
  1. Francis, "Laudato Si’".
  2. Christopher P. Vogt, “Laudato Si’: Social Analysis and Political Engagement in the Tradition of Catholic Social Thought.” In Integral Ecology for a More Sustainable World: Dialogues with Laudato Si’, edited by Dennis O’Hara, Matthew Eaton, and Michael T. Ross, 13-27 (Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2020).
  3. One course of study-specific reading/resource from Module 1: Laudato Si’.
• Identify your course of study, specific human community, and future profession.
• Adhere to all ‘Assessment writing and research instructions’ as provided.

Submission:

This assessment task must be submitted electronically via Turnitin on LEO.

EXERCISE C
Write a 3-sentence rationale for if – and how – ACU could balance commitment to local ecology with commitment to global sustainability.
Instructions: Provide a rationale on how ACU might balance its dedication to local environmental concerns with its global sustainability goals. This will help link local actions with broader global objectives.

DISCUSSION C
What are the sustainable-development dividends of small biogas plants? How do these plants connect with specific SDGs?
Instructions: Discuss the benefits of small biogas plants in terms of sustainable development. Identify the SDGs these plants align with and explain their connections.

EXERCISE B
Write 2 sentences arguing for or against the view that ACU has a total obligation to buy offsets created by Aboriginal communities to advance reconciliation and to protect Australian ecosystems.
Instructions: Construct a brief argument supporting or opposing the idea that ACU should fully commit to purchasing offsets from Aboriginal communities as part of reconciliation efforts and environmental protection.

DISCUSSION B
How would you summarise carbon farming? How do traditional land management activities benefit ecosystems, and how does the selling of offsets support Aboriginal communities?
Instructions: Summarize the concept of carbon farming and discuss how traditional Aboriginal land management practices contribute to ecosystem health. Explain how selling carbon offsets supports Aboriginal communities.

EXERCISE A
Write a 1-sentence explanation of the tension between the procurement of carbon offsets and the continued use of fossil fuels.
Instructions: Provide a brief explanation highlighting the conflict between buying carbon offsets and the ongoing reliance on fossil fuels. Reflect on public discourse around carbon offsets and their impact on the environment.

DISCUSSION A
What are carbon emissions? What is carbon neutrality?
Instructions: Define carbon emissions and explain the concept of carbon neutrality. Discuss their relevance in the context of environmental sustainability.

Write a 3-sentence rationale for where community engagement is a necessary factor in sustainability discourse where you live.
Instructions: Formulate a brief rationale explaining the importance of community engagement in local sustainability efforts. Consider how council or government submissions might be structured to support this.

DISCUSSION C
What are 3 overlaps between the reading/s and other topics and issues you’ve come across in this unit? How do you think the reading/s relate to your future profession?
Instructions: Identify three connections between the readings for Module 3 and other topics discussed in the unit. Reflect on how these readings might influence your future career.