hsc english (common module) head start lecture...hsc english (common module) head start lecture...

HSC English (Common

Module) Head Start Lecture

Prepared by:

Emily Tyrrell

Presented by:

Angelina Nguyen

Why is this important?

• Concepts are the basis of English

– That is, you study English to learn about how ideas are

communicated through texts

– When you are analyse a quote, you are looking for how it represents

an idea

– Your thesis is your own idea about the text

However, this is not philosophy. You’re not expected to come

up with your own idea entirely. Instead, use the rubric to guide

your concepts.

Your rubric will become your best friend!

Syllabus Work

In this common module students

deepen their understanding of how

texts represent individual and

collective human experiences

a) What is the human experience?

Hannah Arendt (The Human Condition, 1958):

As humans, we do three things:

1. Labor: things that we do to sustain life at its

most basic level (ie. eating, reproducing

etc).

2. Work: things that we to do build and

maintain a world fit for human use

3. Action: things that we do to form out

identities, to participate in community, to

recognise and exercise out capacity for

freedoma) This requires that we communicate and participate with

other people. Arendt calls this plurality

b) Narrative is essential to action. Storytelling allows us to

reflect and express on our identities

Being absorbed by their immediate ais and concerns, not aware

of the full implications of their actions, actors are often not in a

position to access the true significance of their actions, motives

and intentions. Narratives help us to reflect on, and understand

the aims, concerns, implications and significance of our actions.

Syllabus Work

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/arendt/#ActNarRem





a) What is the human experience?

Hannah Arendt (The Human Condition, 1958):

As humans, we do three things:

1. Labor: things that we do to sustain life at its

most basic level (ie. eating, reproducing

etc).

2. Work: things that we to do build and

maintain a world fit for human use

3. Action: things that we do to form out

identities, to participate in community, to

recognise and exercise out capacity for

freedom

We have a unique ability to tell stories and

these narratives provide a window for empathy.

Syllabus Work

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/arendt/#ActNarRem





b) What is narrative?

Fredrich Jameson (Postmodernism; Or the

Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism, 2001).

The individual has been alienated from

themselves, and from a clear sense of meaning

Syllabus Work

Therefore, there is no such thing as an

original text – everything is mimicry.

We parody and pastiche old forms of

narrative in our attempt to find meaning

OR to prove its absence





However, there is an increased emphasis on

personal voice in the new syllabus, which

encourages you to draw your understanding out

from the text

Syllabus Work

Narrative as a political

act; individuality

Biography, nationhood

British social realism

Empathy, narrative and prejudice

Syllabus Work

There is no clear definition of the

human experience

You must consider the relationship

between text and the human experience

Your text will provide you with

concepts

So

what??

The human experience is

tested in three ways:

1. Short Answers

2. Essay

3. Creative

Short Answers The human

experience is tested

in three ways:

1. Short Answers

2. Essay

3. Creative

Short Answers

a) Concept Statement

b) Textual Reference

c) Link

Short Answers

a) Concept Statement • What is it?

A summary of your answer

Linking the rubric to your text

An idea rather than the text itself

Q: Compare how each of the

two posters create a sense

of shared human experience

Narratives may conjure a

shared sense of belonging

amongst audiences.

• What does it include?

The question – specified to suit the text

An idea from the rubric

Short Answers

a) Concept Statement • How do I do it?

Q: Explain how different aspects of the writer’s family

experience are represented in this extract.

1. Identify the human experience in the question

Short Answers





2. Look for how that concept is specifically identified in the text

a) Quote

b) Idea represented in this quote

With a mixture of fascination and horror, I realised I was starting to look and

smell just like Dad . . .

So Dad became Thai, just like my uncles in Canada had turned Japanese

Short Answers





2. Look for how that concept is specifically identified in the text

3. Link the two together

Though experiences of family may be diverse, they nonetheless have a profound

effect on identity

Short Answers



c) Link

Short Answers


1. Quote + Technique + Meaning + Audience

2. Visual technique + Meaning + Audience

Generally, you should do one less textual

reference than the mark allocated to the question

(ie. 3 marks = 2 textual references)

Short Answers



c) Link

Short Answers

c) Link

This is where you link your analysis back to the question.

Think of it as your ‘therefore’ statement.

Usually includes your concept and the question. Short and

simple.

Q: Compare how Text 2 and Text 3 explore the paradoxes

in the human experience

Therefore, paradoxes within the human experience can be

confusing, yet, are unavoidable considering the

tempestuous nature of human emotion and relationships.

Short Answers



c) Link

Different Structure for Mini Essays (5 –

7 Markers)1. Mini Thesis

a. Expand the question through introducing ‘two paths’

b. Tell me what texts you’re using

Ie; Family experiences can have a profound impact on our

sense of self and the world around us

2. First Mini Paragraph

a. Deals with first path

b. 2 - 3 Quotes

c. Can focus on one text, or compare two

3. Second Mini Paragraph

a. Deal with second path

b. 2 - 3 Quotes

c. Can focus on one text, or compare two

4. Concluding Sentence

a. Reiterate what you said in your first concept statement

There are examples for

all types of Short

Answers provided in

the ATARNOTES

English Books.



in three ways:

1. Short Answers

2. Essay

3. Creative

Quote + Technique + Meaning + Audience

Short Answers

A line from the

text that

represents the

concept you’re

trying to prove

What is working in your

text to produce meaning.

Hint: you don’t get marks

from obscure techniques

What is the meaning of the

quote in the context of the

text?

How does this representation help

the audience to learn about the

concept provided by the question

Q: How does Text 3 explore the paradoxes in the

human experience?

The metaphor in the line ‘her stories invaded our

dreams’ suggest the pervasiveness of the

Grandmother’s tales, which continue to inform

the author’s understanding of fact and fiction in

her present life. Therefore, the audience may

also glean the importance of storytelling to

understanding paradoxes inherent in the human

experience

Technique + Meaning + Audience

Short Answers

What is working in your

text to produce meaning.

Hint: you don’t get marks

from obscure techniques

What is the meaning of the

quote in the context of the

text?

How does this representation help

the audience to learn about the

concept provided by the question

Q: How does Text 3 explore the paradoxes in the

human experience?

The use of a first person, italicized voice to

depict the protagonists grandmother

suggests the pervasiveness of the

Grandmother’s tales, which continue to inform

the author’s understanding of fact and fiction in

her present life. Therefore, the audience may

also glean the importance of storytelling to

understanding paradoxes inherent in the

human experience.

Things to be careful of:

• Assertion

• “The composer has the ultimate say on how human

experiences are understood in texts.” vs “The composer

represents a diverse array of human experiences, propelling

audiences towards formulating their own understandings.”

• Missing the question

• Leaving out a technique

• Every quote you use should have at least one technique

assigned to it.

• Spending too much time trying to ‘get’ the texts

• Refer to the module!

Short Answers



in three ways:

1. Short Answers

2. Essay

3. Creative

Jump on the forums and answer the question below:

How does the composer challenger the reader’s assumptions about the

human experience in Text One?

Short Answers

Immants Tillers, Nature Speaks

https://atarnotes.com/

forum/index.php?topic

=188016.0

https://atarnotes.com/forum/index.php?topic=188016.0



in three ways:

1. Short Answers

2. Essay

3. Creative

Short Answers



1. Short Answers

2. Essay

3. Creative

1. Introduction

a) Rubric

b) Thesis

2. Paragraphs

a) Structure

b) The audience

3. Conclusion

Essay Writing

a. Rubric

• Your essay should be guided by the relationship

between texts and the human experience

Students study one prescribed text and and a range of short texts that

provide rich opportunities to further explore representations of human

experiences illuminated in texts

• Therefore, every thesis that you write should reflect the

importance of narrative and text

Essay Writing

a. Rubric

• It should also reflect the question

Rubric + Question + Your Own Idea = Thesis

b. Thesis

• The first one or two sentences of your essay

• A conceptual statement (without texts!)

• Short and sweet

Essay Writing

b. Thesis

Texts are shared spaces that allow us to represent the plurality essential to

the human experience. Indeed, through both reading and reflecting on

stories that we learn more about ourselves, and the diversity of of people

who share in our stories.

Essay Writing

Through the telling and receiving of stories, we become more aware of ourselves and

our shared human experiences. Explore this statement with close reference to your

prescribed text.

b. Thesis

Texts are shared spaces that allow us to represent the plurality essential to

the human experience. Indeed, through both reading and reflecting on

stories that we learn more about ourselves, and the diversity of of people

who share in our stories.

Essay Writing

Through the telling and receiving of stories, we become more aware of ourselves and

our shared human experiences. Explore this statement with close reference to your

prescribed text.

Rubric

My Own Idea

b. Thesis

Text can challenge prejudices and norms that exist within a society.

Therefore, conventions such as mise-en-scene are essential to challenging

dominant representations of the human experience, which in turn,

encourages audiences to properly indulge in a shared sense of community

and belonging.

Essay Writing

How has your understanding of the challenges of the human experience been

shaped by the director’s use of mise-en-scène in your prescribed text?

Your turn!

“A word after a word after a word is power” – Margaret Atwood

To what extent does the above quote reflect your

understanding of how texts can ignite new ideas about the

human experience?

https://atarnotes.com/forum/index.php?topic=1880

16.0

Essay Writing


1. Introduction

a) Rubric

b) Thesis

2. Paragraphs

a) Structure

b) The audience

3. Conclusion

Essay Writing

a. Structure

• The structure of your essay must mimic your thesis – not

only does your analysis prove your argument, but the logical

progression of the essay itself must also work towards

proving your agreement.

• Clarity is key

• This is where maths and science brains will thrive!

Essay Writing

a. Structure

Text can challenge prejudices and norms that exist within a society. Therefore,

conventions such as mise-en-scene are essential to challenging dominant

representations of the human experience, which in turn, encourages audiences to

properly indulge in a shared sense of community and belonging.

What does this mean for structure?

• You need to analyse mise-en-scene in most references

• The effect on the audience needs to be challenging

dominant narratives

• You need to specify exact prejudices and norms

Essay Writing

a. Structure

Text can challenge prejudices and

norms that exist within a society.

Therefore, conventions such as mise-

en-scene are essential to challenging

dominant representations of the human

experience, which in turn, encourages

audiences to properly indulge in a

shared sense of community and

belonging.

1. Narratives can challenge

prejudices around race

a) Where racial prejudice is identified

in the text (through MIS)

b) Where this racial prejudice is

confronted

c) How this confrontation motivates

the audience to a greater sense of

community and belonging


prejudices around class

3. Narratives can challenge our

perception of self

Essay Writing

a. Structure

Text can challenge prejudices and

norms that exist within a society.

Therefore, conventions such as mise-

en-scene are essential to challenging

dominant representations of the human

experience, which in turn, encourages

audiences to properly indulge in a

shared sense of community and

belonging.


prejudices around race


prejudices around class

3. Narratives can challenge our

perceptions of self a) How the self is reflected through the

mise-en-scene

b) How this character is confronted, and

as a result, how their value system and

expectations of themselves change

c) How this motivates the audience to a

similar realization, and thus, asks them

to reconsider their subscription to

exclusionary narratives

Essay Writing

a. Structure

What do we learn?

• That your essay needs to

‘be on track’ the whole

time

• It has to be guided by the

question

• It must be logical and

thought through

Essay Writing

b. The audience

When you talk about the

audience in your essay, you are

really talking about yourself

What have you learnt through

the text?

Does the question accurately

reflect what you’ve learnt?

How does your text both reflect

and shape the context that it

was made in?

Essay Writing

Thus, the audience learns that

individual identity is essential to

the human experience

Therefore, whilst the audience is

somewhat exposed to differing

representations, they are more so

affirmed through the texts

representation the mainstream

Australian experience.

Consequently, one learns that the

human experience is not only

reflected in text, but is shaped by

the narratives we consume.

1. Introduction

a) Rubric

b) Thesis

2. Paragraphs

a) Structure

b) The audience

3. Conclusion

Essay Writing

The conclusion should not make or break your essay

1. One sentence that links back to your thesis

2. One sentence that retells the focuses of your paragraphs

3. One sentence that links ‘what we have learnt’.

Conclusively, it is clear that text has the capacity to challenge

prejudice and norms that exist within a society. Through

analyzing how mise-en-scene is mobilized to confront notions

of race, class and self, one may glean how such narrative

techniques contribute to the effectiveness of a text. In turn, we

also glean how text contributes to our understanding of a

shared and inclusive human experience

Essay Writing

1. Introduction

a) Rubric

b) Thesis

2. Paragraphs

a) Structure

b) The audience

3. Conclusion

Essay Writing

Get these habits out of your

writing – they don’t get you

band sixes

1. No rote learning

2. No big, unnecessary words

3. You’re not doing philosophy,

pls keep it simple



1. Short Answers

2. Essay

3. Creative

• What I had prepared before Trials

– List of quotes, accompanied by techniques and

brief analysis

– Palm cards for Discovery and Module C

– Had recorded successful assessment tasks, and

would listen to them when I could

– I was still reading papers and podcasts

– I had completed practice essays throughout the

year, but hadn’t done so in bulk for trials

– Wrote learnt a creative, and had it marked by

various teachers

How to study

• Post Trial

– This is where the real work is put in – so don’t

exhaust yourself

– I still had space to redo my study notes with

purpose and consolidate my knowledge This is

not what you should be doing for trial

How to study

Read the syllabus

Break it down into the most

important features

Read up briefly on the

context of the text

Make an A4 page of notes

Collaborate with your class

Read the text

Briefly identify quotes /

sections you think may be

useful

1. Before studying a text in class

Match up excerpts you study in class

with the syllabus

Listen for reoccurring themes

Make note of those emphasised by

your teachers

Read academic papers

Your teacher may have access to

subscription services

Your school library

These can be found most easily at the

State Library of NSW

2. Whilst studying the text in class

Record all of your quotes

and themes

Tables, palm cards, flow

charts – its totally up to you!

Make sure you have

recorded the name and title

of your papers

REMEMBER WHERE YOU

PUT THEM

3. Immediately after studying a text in class

Practice papers

Complete 2 hour papers

40 min essays

Find every question that you can and answer it!

Plans

o A good idea when you’re tired

o Not a suitable replacement for actually writing essays

Writing out your notes

Practice your quotes

o Write the number of quotes you have, and then fill the blanks

o Match up your quotes with their techniques

o Listen to your quotes

4. Before the exam

Talk to other people

Argue your point!

Compare readings and interpretations

Listen to podcasts and watch documentaries

Revise on the context of your text whilst taking a break

SLEEP

5. Before the exam

• The benefit of practice

papers

– Timing

– Where are your strengths?

– What to be aware of

• My own structure

– 20 mins short answers

– 30 mins creative

– 1hr 10 mins for essay

– 40 mins for each module

• ‘Reading’ time

In the exam?!

• Order of the paper

Essentially, do what is best

for you

1. Introduction

a) Rubric

b) Thesis

2. Paragraphs

a) Structure

b) The audience

3. Conclusion

Essay Writing

Get these habits out of your

writing – they don’t get you

band sixes

1. No wrote learning

2. No big, unnecessary words

3. You’re not doing philosophy,

pls keep it simple



1. Short Answers

2. Essay

3. Creative

1. You have to do it in every single module

2. It’s now in Paper Two, and;

a. Is worth 20 Marks

b. Includes a piece and critical analysis of such.

3. It will now be assessed at a school level

4. You can explicitly write in any form you want

5. It has specific texts that you have to study

Creative Writing

What does this mean???

• You need to be reflecting on what

you’ve learnt throughout the year

• Experiment with different forms

• The Process of Writing

• Rubric Focus:

Through a considered appraisal of, and imaginative

engagement with these texts, students reflect on the complex

and recursive processes of writing to further develop their

ability to apply their knowledge of textual forms and features

in their own sustained and cohesive compositions.

Why do you think your texts are good? Take those good parts

and put them in your own story.

Creative Writing Reflecting on

what you’ve

learnt

Why do you think your texts are good? Take those good parts

and put them in your own story.


what you’ve

learnt

Characters Ideas

Narrative

Conventions Techniques Audience effects

However, these are going to change with each module that you

study.


what you’ve

learnt

However, these are going to change with each module that you

study.

The Human Experience• Students draw from personal experience to make

connections between themselves, the world of the

text and their wider world

• They communicate ideas using figurative language

to express universal themes

• By responding to a range of texts they further

develop skills and confidence using various literary

devices, language concepts, modes and media to

formulate a considered response to texts

Module C: The Craft of Writing• Students strengthen and extend their

knowledge, skills and confidence as

writers. They write for a range of audiences

and purposes to convey ideas with power

and increasing precision

• The writing process

• Through a considered appraisal of, and

imaginative engagement with these texts,

students reflect on the complex and

recursive process of writing to further

develop their ability to apply their

knowledge of textual forms and features in

their own sustained and cohesive

compositions

A Band Six Will: • Reflect an idea about the human experience that

has been introduced in their texts

• Have a strong personal voice

• Borrow and manipulate devices to produce an

original style and meaning

Let’s Practice!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOTXQHbJK_k

• Whilst watching:

1. Brainstorm ideas about the human experience that are

represented in the piece and what works to represent

them


what you’ve

learnt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOTXQHbJK_k

Let’s Practice!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nEOFVOBNLo

• After watching

1. Where have you experienced those ideas in your own lives?

2. What key scene/memory holds those ideas?

3. What text type what you use to represent that scene/memory?

What techniques does that text type have available to it, which

could help you represent the key themes about the human

experience?

4. Write one line, as an example of how you could use a technique to

represent that idea about the human experience


what you’ve

learnt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nEOFVOBNLo

What are different forms?

Creative Writing Experiment with

different forms

Short Story

Speech

Feature Article

Discursive essay

Poetry

Diary entry

Dialogue

Creative Writing The Process of

Writing

Pre – writing

stage

Drafting and

Revising

Critical

Analysis


Writing

Pre – writing

stage

Generate and explore various concepts

Inspiration!

- Should come from your two

texts in Mod C

- Could come from extra reading

- Try these writing prompts:

- What is the first story that you

remember?

- What’s under the kitchen sink?

- Take yourself through your

childhood house


Writing

Pre – writing

stage

Through discussion and exploration

• So, you can either

o Share your ideas (argh!)

• Or, write lots yourself

o Journaling = your best friend


Writing

Drafting and

Revising

1. Write your first draft

and let it be horrible

• Start from whatever

gave you inspiration

• Write quickly

• Let yourself be cheesy

2. Let it rest, come back

to it later

• Means you’ve got to

start it now

• Be harsh once you

come back, and write

out a plan

3. Revising

• Things not to do

❌ Clichés

❌ Telling and not showing

❌ Melodrama

❌ The As

• Things that you should do

✅ Draw from every day

experience

✅ Be experimental (and

then revise)

✅ Try different styles

✅ Think about the marker


Writing

Drafting and

Revising





• Write quickly



to it later


start it now



out a plan

3. Revising


❌ Clichés


❌ Melodrama

❌ The As



experience


then revise)



Students consider purpose,

audience and context to

deliberately shape meaning

Purpose:

- What am I trying to convey

about the human experience?

- What would I write as a thesis

statement?


Writing

Drafting and

Revising





• Write quickly



to it later


start it now



out a plan

3. Revising


❌ Clichés


❌ Melodrama

❌ The As



experience


then revise)






Audience

- Am I writing for a HSC marker?

- What do I want them to learn?


Writing

Drafting and

Revising





• Write quickly



to it later


start it now



out a plan

3. Revising


❌ Clichés


❌ Melodrama

❌ The As



experience


then revise)






Context

- Am I talking about something

that has relevance right now?

- How am I playing on the

values and ideas important at

the moment?


Writing

Drafting and

Revising





• Write quickly



to it later


start it now



out a plan

3. Revising


❌ Clichés


❌ Melodrama

❌ The As



experience


then revise)






Context

- Am I talking about something

that has relevance right now?

- How am I playing on the

values and ideas important at

the moment?

Different Text Types

Discursive Essay: The Insults of

Age, Helen Garnderhttps://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2015/may/1430

402400/helen-garner/insults-age

Speech: Richard Flanagan’s Speech

to the Press Club https://www.theguardian.com/australia-

news/2018/apr/18/richard-flanagan-national-press-club-

speech-full-politics-black-comedy

https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2015/may/1430402400/helen-garner/insults-age

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/apr/18/richard-flanagan-national-press-club-speech-full-politics-black-comedy


Writing

Critical

Analysis

The exam (and perhaps assessments) will ask you to

reflect on your writing.

Choose a character, persona or speaker from ONE

prescribed text that you have studied in Module C.

Express the thought processes of this character,

persona or speaker by exploring a moment of tension

in the text from an alternative point of view (12 Marks)

Justify the creative decisions that you have made in

your writing in part (a). (8 Marks)

1. Why you have chosen this specific character?

2. How have you represented their thought

processes, and for what purpose?

3. How does the tension contribute to

characterisation, and why?


Writing

Critical

Analysis

What to have prepared for the Critical Section:

1. A clear, thoughtful understanding of representation

in your own piece

2. A thesis/multiple thesis’ that you intend to prove

3. Practice

Structure of the Critical Section

1. Break up the question into small chunks, and

allocate them to the most appropriate part of your

essay

2. Thesis – largely guided by the first question, and

how/why you’re responding to the question in the

way that you are

3. Two body paragraphs that analyse your creative as

if it were any other text

In Summary:

1. Start now

2. You will have multiple Creatives throughout the year

3. Read more

4. Construct your piece thoughtfully – this will make writing

the critical analysis on the piece easier.

Creative Writing

Head to the forums and ask here!

https://atarnotes.com/forum/index.php?topic=1880

05.0

Any questions or concerns?


hsc english (common module) head start lecture...hsc english (common module) head start lecture...

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