Mock Writing Assessment #2
This is a full simulation of the Academies of Loudoun Writing Assessment. Set a timer for exactly 45 minutes. Before you begin writing, take 3--5 minutes to plan your response using the 5-dimension rubric we discussed. Remember: your logic, organization, and depth of thought matter far more than having perfect grammar!
Directions:
Read the passage carefully. Plan and write a response according to the guidance below.
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Your response will be evaluated on the strength of your argument(s) and the ideas presented.
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Your response may be structured in any way as long as it is thorough and comprehensive. For example, you may opt to utilize detailed bulleted phrases, outlines, paragraphs, etc.
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Grammar, spelling, and syntax will not count against you.
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You will have 45 minutes to submit your response.
A public health department plans to release millions of genetically modified mosquitoes to eradicate the local mosquito population and stop a deadly virus outbreak. While this bioengineered solution would save human lives, ecologists warn that eliminating the mosquitoes could collapse the local food web, starving the birds and fish that rely on them. Additionally, citizens are protesting the release due to fears about the unknown long-term environmental consequences of introducing lab-engineered insects into the wild.
A. Imagine you are a senior scientific advisor hired to investigate the situation and make recommendations to the public health department. What questions do you need to ask to assess whether releasing the genetically modified mosquitoes is the right decision?
B. What types of information might you use to support your findings? What criteria would you use to judge the accuracy and authenticity of the evidence you gather?
C. How would you present your arguments to the public health department and the worried citizens? How would you acknowledge the differing points of view?
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