The essay prompt is as follows:

Thinking of the theories we have covered in class, why should we care about the environment? To answer this prompt, you must: (1) put forward an argument for why we ought to care about the environment; (2) consider an objection to your argument; and (3) respond to that objection.

Your paper should engage with the relevant course material. It is not necessary to read or cite any sources that we do not read for the class. Your essay will be graded according to how well you answered the question, if you engaged with the relevant material, and grammar and style. If you go over or under the 1500-word limit by more than 150 words, you will receive at most a 50 for your grade. (DOESN’T INCLUDE CITATION OR TITLE) It is just not possible to fairly grade essays that go beyond this range.

On writing a conclusion: Here’s one way in which you probably haven’t been lead astray by high school writing instruction: Your conclusion should offer a brief summary of what you’ve said in the paper. What was this paper about? What was your positive argument, what objection did you consider, and how did you respond to that objection? Your conclusion should remind your reader what you’ve been doing and sum it u

But, of course, I also need to caution against a common mistake that we’re often taught we should do. Don’t conclude by trying to make a brand new and unsupported point. You don’t need to go broad at the end any more than your paper needs to start broad