Western Genre

This week, we will begin exploring the Western genre. We will be looking at a series of images and revising our image analysis conventions, as well as conducting an initial viewing of ‘High Noon’. Please note the ClickView link to this text in a previous blog post.

 

 

Please download the resource below, which gives you some contextual information which will prove useful to your investigation into the Western genre.

Year 12 Westerns Booklet-trwsuy

2017 ATAR English Examination

The link below will take you to the 2017 ATAR English paper:

https://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/461475/English_exam_2017.PDF

 

This examination gives you an opportunity to:

  • Familiarise yourself with the structure of the examination.
  • Explore the examinable content of the course.
  • Practice question deconstruction-  this is a vital skills which needs attention.
  • Prepare formative responses which address areas for development from previous responses.
  • Familiarise yourselves with the format and language of questions.
  • Practice planning responses to questions (particularly in Section 2) and arriving at focused propositions/thesis statements.

I am more than happy to mark formative (practice) responses and to arrange a tutorial to go through areas for development.

 

Please also familiarise yourselves with the two documents below:

The assessment table below contains information about the different assessments in Year 12 ATAR English.

 


The examination brief below gives you information about the structure of the Year 12 ATAR examination:

 

 

Your attention is drawn to the syllabus document (also available on the course cover page on SEQTA), particularly the glossary which can be found at the back of this document:

https://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/5754/English-Y12-Syllabus-AC-ATAR-GD.pdf

 

Finally, a range of resources relevant to ATAR English can be found at:

https://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/english/english2

 

Close Reading- Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Below is an annotated extract from The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Please read the extract through carefully and explore the annotations in as much detail as possible.


 

The learning objective here is to demonstrate the construction of the text for a specific purpose. The writer (Bauby) has used a range of generic conventions to position a specific response from the reader- namely his determination conflicting with his vulnerability. It’s a confronting chapter but we’re engaged by the distinctive and authentic voice which emerges from the limitations of his existence. He is very aware of his situation, but he creates a narrative which is infused with humour, irony and admiration for his desire to be validated as a fellow human being.

As you read it, look at the parts I’ve highlighted and read my annotations. The purpose here is for you to recognise what effective writers do and to use this as a stimulus for your own Composing responses next week.

Composing Section- Assessment Criteria and Modelled Example

Please explore the modelled example below, the audio text which accompanies it, the text itself and the assessment criteria.


 

The text of the modelled example (above) is as follows:

On reflection, it wasn’t the ‘end of the world’ moment I’d made it out to be. At the time, however, it was genuinely traumatic. The immaculate rows of desks and chairs, bookcases crammed with texts I’d most probably never get to read dominated my immediate landscape… as did my nemesis who was propped patiently against a cupboard waiting for me. It wasn’t meant to be like this. I’d imagined sailing through the choppy waters of my ‘A’ Levels and leaving school in a manner which made my parents proud of me. However, here I was, with my copy of Dr Faustus in my hand, about to be informed I was no longer a student in the school I’d known since I was eleven years old. Being told you’re not good enough hurts at any age and her words were daggers. Chucked on the academic scrapheap at seventeen, I trudged to the local job centre and threw myself at their mercy. And yes, it still hurts. But not as much.

Please note that the text of the my modelled response is written in black, my annotations are in blue and references made to the assessment criteria are written in red.

Movie List and ClickView

Please use the links to access the moving image texts we will study this year as well as ones previously studied.

HIGH NOON 
https://online.clickview.com.au/libraries/videos/fac3365f-ce0a-065f-43e3-f96bcbcd4971/high-noon-movie-

MURDERBALL DOCUMENTARY 
https://online.clickview.com.au/libraries/videos/0d02e7a2-8088-806d-3782-e0f269392cbc/murderball-doco-

THE DRESSMAKER 
https://online.clickview.com.au/libraries/videos/25ce63be-600b-1c8a-8a81-3230cb8c5dfa/the-dressmaker-movie-

THE ROAD
https://online.clickview.com.au/libraries/videos/bf7db4df-65e0-6d6b-1fa4-3ebd51383aee/the-road-movie-

THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
https://online.clickview.com.au/libraries/videos/7a4da788-8ee9-f97f-8936-be087e557afc/the-diving-bell-and-the-butterfly-movie-

Planning and Writing an Effective Response to Murderball

Please download the screenshots of the whiteboard from this morning’s lesson. Below each screenshot is a sound file which explores the main teaching and learning points from our lesson.

Your assessment on Murderball will take place on the 22nd November. You will be expected to demonstrate a clear and consistent structure to your response, insight into the text (particularly how the text has been constructed to position a specific response) and an attempt made to add sophistication to your written expression.

On Monday, we will be using formative assessment approaches (peer assessment, self assessment, target setting, applying the assessment criteria) to your responses to the sample questions. The aim here is to give you time to apply the frameworks outlined below. Please see your class teacher if anything here is unclear.

Stage One- Deconstructing the Question

Please refer to the previous blog post which explores how the deconstruct a question.

 

Stage Two- Planning Checklist 


 

Stage Two- Planning Towards a Proposition


 

Stage Three- Writing an Effective Introduction and Body Paragraph

 

 

Please note that the sound files above make explicit reference to the assessment criteria/marking key below:

Year 12 ATAR English- Carramar Blog

Please note that there is also a Year 12 ATAR English blog which has been created by the teachers up at our Carramar campus.

The blog can be found at:

https://blogs.ststephens.wa.edu.au/12englishatarcarramar18/page/2/

While their course has been constructed quite differently to the course your enrolled on here at Duncraig, the course concepts and skills are exactly the same. It’s worth subscribing to the Carramar blog which will give you a different perspective on the course.

Section 2- Responding- Deconstructing a Question

Please download the attached image as a model for deconstructing a Section 2- Responding question. Note that I’ve used Question 4 from the 2017 Semester 2 Year 12 ATAR examination. All the questions from this section are contained in the previous blog post.

The deconstruction of this question also uses:

  1. The ‘Glossary of Key Terms used in Questions’- Found on the SCSA website but also attached to the previous blog post.
  2. Appendix Tw0- Contained in the Year 12 ATAR English syllabus which is also attached to the previous blog post.

The question assumes an understanding of these SCSA-related key terms.

 

 

Things to note:

  • The SCSA-related information is written in red
  • The chosen text is written in blue
  • The text-specific information is written in green

Also note:

  • The information in the top right-hand corner which refers to defining what is meant by ‘controversial’.
  • The text-specific information which would need to be expanded on: you would need to refer to how the text was constructed (through specific generic conventions, visual conventions etc.) in your response.

This is an effective model for deconstructing a question. The next stage is to use this question deconstruction as a basis for producing a detailed plan.

 

Section 2- Responding- Sample Questions

Below is a copy of the Section 2- Responding section from the 2017 Year 12 ATAR Semester 2 examination. It is in this section that you will write about  Murderball.

This section is worth 40% of the total marks for your Year 12 ATAR examination and requires you to write a long-form essay response to a text studied in class.

 

In class, we will explore these questions together, deconstruct them and explore ways in which Murderball could be written about in a clear and effective manner.

We will need to reference the documents below in deconstructing our questions:

Year 12 ATAR Syllabus-2cc5l2s

SCSA Glossary of Key Words Used in the Formulation of Questions-11uc2bt