• Set targets/areas for development for your own individual response.
• Identify the aspects of your response you feel more confident with.

You will write a response to this image- under controlled conditions- and you’ll have 30 minutes in which to write.

All responses need to be handwritten unless you have an accomodation.

Use the image below as a checklist for peer/self-assessing a response to a Comprehending Section question on image analysis.

The points should be self-explanatory and are adapted from the assessment criteria on a previous blog post.

Above is an annotated version of the image from the 2016 ATAR English examination. The image is contained in the previous blog post.

Please note:

• How the visual conventions COMBINE to present POWER in a particular way.
• The main teaching and learning point here is that the generic visual conventions WORK TOGETHER to present a particular idea.

Make sure that you read the response to this image in the previous blog post to explore the structure of an effective written response in the Composing Section.

• The length of the response- It is 249 words long and this is considered an ideal length.
• The response is focused entirely on body language as the most influential visual feature.
• It is an assertive and self-confident interpretation of the text.
• There is clear control of language and there is a distinctive voice.
• Opening sentence offers a clear proposition in response to the question without simply restating it.
• Second sentence offers a clear interpretation of the image.
• Language choices offer a distinctive voice and is convincing.
• Every additional sentence builds on the central idea and refers to a further aspect of how body language is used.
• Short sentences make the point clearly and succinctly.
• Conclusion is largely unnecessary and there is no requirement to write one in the Comprehending section.

When the assessment criteria (above) is applied to a reading of this model answer, it’s clear that it meets the criteria for a highly successful response.

You will need to use the modelled example (above) to construct your own responses to the images of disability we explored in our previous lesson.

SCSA’s perspective on the criteria for a successful response in the Comprehending section:

• Concise and succinct
• Students might benefit from the advice below:
• • Think More
  • Write Less
  • Work Better
• The most successful responses demonstrated control of generic conventions.
• Short answers are not required to be written in an essay-style structure.
• Students are advised to not ‘regurgitate’ content, particularly considering that they have a limited time in which to respond. Some of the most effective responses were considerably shorter than the advised word limit because they were concise and succinct.
• First sentence should be a thesis statement.

First of all, welcome to Year 12 ATAR English. Over the course of the year, this blog will become the primary source of important resources, modelled teaching examples, assessment preparation material, examination information and a whole lot more.

I would ask you to ‘subscribe’ to this blog at the bottom of the page and to invite your parents to do so as well. What this means is you’ll receive an email notification every time the blog is updated and this will allow you to monitor the information without having to constantly check.

Please note that the blog is compatible with iPads and iPhones. You will not need a computer on which to access it.

I hope this blog becomes central to your studies in English.