Refer to Assessment guideline
Commentary piece and letter to the editor – 20% of subject grade Description and assessment guidelines Students will develop 2 written responses to a recent news article on drug use (might be from a magazine, journal, online news or newspaper). In the first (750 words) they present their opinion, substantiate this by using the evidence presented in the course material and from their own supplementary research. Evidence is important - even if you don't agree with it. The Conversation is a really good place to go to read the type of response we are looking for in this assessment task - they are generally 750 words and have evidence to support the view You can write this in first person and it is different from most of the academic articles you will be writing for Uni assessments. Secondly, students will then summarise their commentary as a 150-250-word letter for publication in a mainstream newspaper. You will be required to submit both pieces and only the full 750-word version will require proper academic referencing. They can be submitted as one file. please include the original news item you are commenting on. Please refer to the examples of newspapers and topics below which will help you complete this assessment. You are not limited to these examples, but it is a good place to start. Other examples have been posted in the discussion forum at the end of weeks 1, 2 and 3. Articles to choose from (more articles in pdf’s attached) Some example topics: https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GCEA_enAU840AU840&biw=1280&bih=561&tbm=nws&ei=PK0TX8brKYGvyAPfkJjQDg&q=drug+news&oq=drug+news&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l2.6558.8013.0.8821.10.9.0.0.0.0.311.1293.0j3j2j1.6.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..8.2.361....0.sEr9IyKXsz0 The Age Letters: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/rules-and-tips-for-submitting-letters-20150701-gi249r.html How to submit a letter to The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/info/2015/jan/28/contact-the-guardian-letters-desk The Guardian Letters: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/politics+tone/letters The Australian Letters: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/letters Tips for writing letters to the editor: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/advocacy/direct-action/letters-to-editor/main How to write a good commentary opinion piece: · https://www.climatescience.org.au/content/1053-ten-tips-write-opinion-piece-people-read · https://www.editage.com/insights/a-young-researchers-guide-to-perspective-commentary-and-opinion-articles guide for journalists that will help students to consider the quality of the news story they are writing about: http://www.aodmediawatch.com.au/guidelines-for-journalists/ Overdose reporting style guide that has been developed for North American journos: https://www.changingthenarrative.news/style-guide A new drug policy newsletter (The latest in drug policy from across Australia and around the world): https://drugswrap.substack.com/p/a-new-drug-policy-newsletter?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email&utm_source=copy The Business of Drugs: inside the economics of America's longest war (A former CIA analyst investigates the economics of six illicit substances in the US): https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/jul/14/the-business-of-drugs-netflix-amaryllis-fox Cocaine use at new highs, increased vaping use in young people, report finds, but cigarette, alcohol consumption down: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-16/cocaine-vaping-up-smoking-alcohol-down-in-australian-drug-survey/12457114 (Note - interesting how despite the headline that cocaine use is at a 'record high' nowhere in the story does it tell you how many people reported using it) Questions about this assignment: 1.In the first assignment part 1 (750 words), the assignment video gives the impression that we are supposed to write it outlining the opinion of the story, not our own opinion. Is this correct, or are both pieces supposed to be in our own opinion (with evidence to back it up)? it is your opinion on the story and having this supported by evidence from peer-reviewed journals 2. Did you want us to confirm our article choice with you? Not required BUT please have a URL link so we know which media story you are commenting and writing about 3. It says to make a response to the article. Are we critiquing what they have written with evidence and how this has highlighted aspects of our opinions? (Are we making comments linked directly to the article or addressing the same topic in the article by using the article among other references? Yes, it is a commentary /critique of that specific story you have chosen and you should be able to argue (or support the position) with evidence i.e. peer reviewed journal articles - please don't use other news stories as evidence 4. I looked at examples from The Conversation. Are we encouraged to use the same sort of format (such as the use of subheadings), or just the style of writing? Great you have looked at these - you will see that not all use sub-headings but if you think they help to tell the story you want then please feel free to use them - I don't want to be too prescriptive the main thing is to allow you a different way of thinking about presenting arguments 5. I know we are required to do academic referencing (APA6?). Did you want us to use in-text referencing, paraphrase or use something like footnotes? APA 6 is fine but I know that the Conversation often uses hyperlinks to the evidence - my preference is that you use 'standard' referencing as you would with other pieces of writing for Uni. Obviously, the shorter piece 150-200 words does not require it and can even be more informally written like many of the ones you see published are Marking Rubric for Letter Writing Assessment Task: Teachers’ Rubric Rubric Commentary writing task (Assessment 1) Due Monday Week 5 Criteria Knowledge/ Understanding -accurately identifies issue and provides accurate information about the issue (e.g., the problem, the cause, who is involved, what decision/action needs to be made) -limited accurate information about the issue -some accurate information about the issue -considerable accurate information about the issue -thorough accurate information about the issue Thinking/Inquiry - summarize alternate courses of action or opposing views -limited information about possible courses of action or opposing views -some information about possible courses of action or opposing views -considerable information about possible courses of action or opposing views -thorough [but succinct) information about possible courses of action or opposing views Application -uses evidence to offer a reasoned conclusion or plan of action -provide reasons designed to appeal to reader -conclusion or suggestions for action shows limited logic -provides limited support for conclusion -conclusion or suggestions for action shows some logic -provides moderately convincing support for conclusion -conclusion or suggestions for action shows considerable logic -provides convincing support for conclusion -conclusion or suggestions for action shows a high degree of logic -provides highly convincing support for conclusion Communication -clarity of communication -effectiveness in terms of audience and purpose (follows editorial style and conventions) -written with limited clarity -limited evidence that writer is considering impact on audience -written with some clarity -some evidence that writer is considering impact on audience -written with considerable clarity -considerable evidence that writer is considering impact on audience -written with a high degree of clarity -extensive evidence that writer is considering impact on audience Comments:____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ /20 Rubric Commentary writing task (Assessment 1) Due Monday Week 5 Rubric Commentary writing task (Assessment 1) Due Monday Week 5 Comments:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________... Comments:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________... Thinking/Inquiry Application DUB items of interest Week 1 (might help with Assessment 1) Thanks everyone for all your contributions in class this week – See below for some interesting follow-ups on some of the issues that have already came up in the classes I was teaching – some material here that might also be good for the assessment 1 as well From The Age (Melbourne newspaper) City of Melbourne council rejects injecting room location From news GP (a resource for general practitioners) Is there hidden trauma behind strict drug laws? From a Journal for Australian pharmacists (published paper from the story is here) These are the reasons people (mis)use opioids To watch on ABC TV (Iview catch up - started Tues 8:30pm) – News story here Drunk History: Shaun Micaleff’s ‘On the Sauce’ Guardian News from just over a month ago – data shows huge disproportionate treatment NSW police pursue 80% of Indigenous people caught with cannabis through courts Vice UK The Ups and Downs of Dealing Drugs During Lockdown From the International Journal of Drug Policy Commentary by Judy Chang - International Network of People who use Drugs, London, UK COVID-19 - Enacting a ‘new normal’ for people who use drugs FacebookLive watch - History of the #DrugWar and how racism is embedded in drug use treatment in the USA – interesting in the discussion of Black Lives Matter (start at 7:30 min) runs for 90 mins Creating a Framework for Anti-Racist Substance Use Treatment From the New England Journal of Medicine (very prestigious medical journal) Coffee, caffeine and health Associated news story here from USNews.com ABC News Hep C outbreak in Far North Qld Prison New report from Turning Point and La Trobe Uni (CAPR) People affected by public drunkenness laws in Victoria EVENTS: Book in for Wed 5/8/20 – story above and link to Iview Meet La Trobe Uni alcohol researchers featured in ‘On the Sauce’ (Wed 2-3pm) https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbourne-council-rejects-injecting-room-site-20200721-p55e2z.html https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/gp-opinion/is-there-hidden-trauma-behind-strict-drug-laws https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dar.13118 https://www.australianpharmacist.com.au/reasons-people-misuse-prescription-opioids/?doing_wp_cron=1595160465.6842849254608154296875 https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/drunk-history-shaun-micallef-takes-a-deep-dive-into-our-booze-culture-20200713-p55bkx.html https://iview.abc.net.au/show/shaun-micallef-s-on-the-sauce https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/10/nsw-police-pursue-80-of-indigenous-people-caught-with-cannabis-through-courts https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/jgxvqb/the-ups-and-downs-of-dealing-drugs-during-lockdown https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395920301730 https://twitter.com/TruthPharm/status/1285701154647740416 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1816604 https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2020-07-22/coffee-good-for-you-or-not https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-23/hepatitis-outbreak-reignites-prison-needle-exchange-debate/12479512 https://www.turningpoint.org.au/sites/default/files/2020-06/Public%20drunkenness%20summary%20report%20May%202020.pdf https://iview.abc.net.au/show/shaun-micallef-s-on-the-sauce https://events.humanitix.com/meet-alcohol-researchers-featured-in-on-the-sauce/ DUB items of interest Week 2 (might help with Assessment 1) We hope you are all getting a bit of a feel for the subject now – please let us know Reminder next Thursday 1-2pm extra curricula opportunity – Pregnant Women & Alcohol Registration: There is no cost to attend the Connect & Learn webinar series but registrations are essential. Items of interest from this weeks news media From The Guardian Quitting alcohol ABC News online The Darwin Social Sober Club China Global TV Network From the Mandurah Mail Synthetic Cannabis American Medical Association Opioid prescriptions down, illicit drug use up Cannabis crackdown in France From NewsGP Pharmacists to add warning labels on opioids UNSW report on behavioural trends in viral hepatitis Viral