Deb McPherson, Jane Sherlock

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Deb McPherson, Jane Sherlock Karen Yager

• Re-navigating
• HSC English

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About the presenters

• Deb McPherson has taught English in NSW secondary
  schools for twenty-eight years. She was the
  Senior Curriculum Officer, English, at the Board
  of Studies from 2001-2002, and was the Manager of
  English for the NSW Department of Education and
  Training from 2003-2006. She is the author of
  other Oxford University Press titles Attitudes
  and Experiences and Passion and Persuasion.
• Jane Sherlock has been teaching English in NSW
  for over thirty years and is currently Head
  Teacher of English at Kiama High on the south
  coast of NSW. Jane has been senior HSC marker for
  over 20 years, and has presented at numerous HSC
  study days across the state.
• Karen Yager is currently the Professional
  Learning and Leadership Coordinator (SEO2) for
  the Northern Sydney Region DET. An experienced
  teacher of English, Karen was most recently the
  head teacher of English at Richmond River High
  School. Karen is a prominent member of the ETA,
  has presented papers and workshops at numerous
  conferences, and has been a senior HSC marker for
  nine years.

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Oxford HSC English

• In this session, the authors will introduce
  participants to a unique textbook that
• provides a pathways approach that meets
  requirements for both the HSC Standard and
  Advanced English courses
• frames students into how to approach the Area of
  Study, modules and the carefully selected texts
• contains a comprehensive introduction for
  students to HSC English
• aims to engage students with a investment in
  premium production and design values,
  illustrations and film stills.
• All session participants will receive a
  complimentary copy of
• Oxford HSC English upon release.

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Using pathways to navigate the HSC English jigsaw

• A pathway is the connection established between
  the texts selected from the Prescriptions Area
  of Study, Electives and Texts list and the BOS
  types of text requirements.

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Text requirements for Standard English

• You are required to engage in the close study of
  at least four types of prescribed text, one drawn
  from each of the following categories
• prose fiction
• drama
• poetry
• nonfiction or film or media or multimedia texts
• You are also expected to engage with a wide range
  of additional related texts and textual forms

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Text requirements for Advanced English

• You are required to engage in the close study of
  at least five types of prescribed text, one drawn
  from each of the following categories
• Shakespearean drama
• prose fiction
• drama or film
• poetry
• nonfiction or media or multimedia texts
• You are also expected to engage with a wide range
  of additional related texts and textual forms.

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Juggling the pieces of the puzzle

• As you sit down to plot your path through these
  two components you juggle the texts you want to
  select with the textual requirements of the
  course and with the nature and interest of your
  students
• Our pathways
• focus on popular and exciting texts
• Contain at least one Australian composer

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Our pathways approach meets requirements for
the HSC Standard English course
Standard Pathway 1 Standard Pathway 2
Area of Study The Crucible Arthur Miller (d) Rainbows End Jane Harrison (d)
Module A The Penguin Banjo Paterson Collected Verse A B Paterson (p) Speeches (nf)
Module B Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Mark Haddon (pf) War Poems and Others Wilfred Owen (p)
Module C Billy Elliot (f) directed by Stephen Daldry The story of Tom Brenan J.C. Burke (pf)
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Our pathways approach meets requirements for
the HSC Advanced English course
Advanced Pathway 1 Advanced Pathway 2
Area of Study Romulus my Father Raimond Gaita (nf) Immigrant Chronicle Peter Skrzynecki (p)
Module A Frankenstein Mary Shelley (pf) and Bladerunner directed by Ridley Scott (f) King Richard III William Shakespeare (S) and Looking for Richard directed by Al Pacino (f)
Module B Hamlet William Shakespeare (S) In the Skin of a Lion Michael Ondaatje (pf)
Module C Birthday Letters Ted Hughes (p) The Fiftieth Gate Mark Raphael Baker (nf)
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Engaging students and optimising their chances of
success

• The text talks directly to the students and
  provides a balance of advice, information and
  activity
• HSC English explained in detail - both in-school
  and external examination
• There is a focus on visual literacy with full
  colour design, film stills and illustrations

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Asking students What ICT do you access every
day? Do you

• check your emails
• text a message
• download a television episode
• listen to a podcast
• read/view the news online
• watch video clips on YouTube
• update your Facebook entry
• write a blog
• contribute or edit a Wikipedia entry
• Twitter
• create your own avatar in Second Life
• contribute a thread to a discussion on the
  Boredofstudies website
• play a game?

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Framing students into how to approach the Area
of Study, modules and the texts

• Each section contains an unpacking the rubric
  explanation
• the key concepts are highlighted
• Scaffolds are provided for possible responses

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Part 1 contains a comprehensive introduction to
the HSC

• Understanding HSC English
• Understanding language, forms, features and
  structures of texts
• Understanding context, purpose and audience
• Understanding characters, settings, themes and
  values
• Responding to and composing texts

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For example Note-taking scaffold for analysis of a text For example Note-taking scaffold for analysis of a text
Questions Considerations
Purpose why has this text been constructed? to tell a story, to entertain, to inform, to record history, to persuade or argue, to describe, to teach, to express an emotion or feeling or idea, to respond to a person, situation or event ,to reflect. (refer to Ch1.3)
Audience who has this text been constructed for? age group, gender, education level, cultural and religious background, personality and interests, biases and prejudices (refer to Ch1.3)
Context when and where was this text constructed? What do I bring to this text? personal, social, historical, cultural and workplace considerations (refer to Ch1.3)
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The scaffold continues to consider areas below

• Language form and features/ cinematography
• Structure/plot of text
• Form
• Characterisation
• Narrative
• Themes
• Values/valuing What cultural or social
  assumptions (values and beliefs responders are
  expected to share) are made in this text? Is this
  text culturally and socially neutral? Has the way
  this text is read changed over time?

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In-depth coverage of the Area of Study
Belonging

• The concepts
• Representation
• Perceptions
• Context
• Interrelationships
• Imaginative and extended response
• Suggestions and a scaffold

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Context Perspectives personal, cultural,
historical, social
Context Perspectives personal, cultural,
historical, social
Assumptions about belonging
Meaning
Meaning
Meaning
Meaning
Meaning
Composer
Text
Responder
Meaning
Meaning
Meaning
Perceptions interplay of recognition and
interpretation and is influenced by our
preconceived ideas, memories, experiences and
senses
Perceptions interplay of recognition and
interpretation and is influenced by our
preconceived ideas, memories, experiences and
senses
Representation of belonging through language
features and ideas
Meaning
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In-depth coverage of the Area of Study
Belonging

• Writing exercises such as
• A young child has just landed in Australia for
  the first time at Sydneys busy International
  Airport. She moves closer to her mother, reaching
  for her hand feeling confused by the loud foreign
  voices. Describe what she sees, hears, smells and
  feels in one to two paragraphs.
• A backpacker has been on the same flight as the
  young child. He has been travelling around Europe
  for over a year. He quickens his pace and
  lengthens his stride. The cacophony of familiar
  Aussie voices makes him smile. Describe what he
  sees, hears, smells and feels in one to two
  paragraphs.
• Extended responses and tips such as
• The importance of developing and integrating a
  thesis or line of argument
• Texts for a variety of reasons can invite us to
  be part of their world or make us feel disengaged
  and disconnected.

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HSC English (Standard)The Crucible

• I am not sure what The Crucible is telling
  people now, but I know that its paranoid center
  is still pumping out the same darkly attractive
  warning that it did in the fifties.

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What we cover in The Crucible

• The concepts
• Background and context
• The textual form
• The ideas
• Language features
• Characterisation
• Practice tasks and a possible response

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Textual form

• The Crucible is a modern tragedy of the common
  person who chooses, after acknowledging his or
  her flaws, to take a stand for what he or she
  believes in rather than conform and belong.
• The essence of drama is conflict reflecting not
  belonging. Each act builds frenetically to a
  crescendo
• Act I Abigail I saw Goody Booth with the
  devil!
• Act II Aye, naked! And the wind, Gods icy
  wind, will blow!
• Act III God is dead! burn together!
• Act IV The final drumroll crashes, then
  heightens violently

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The language

• Millers stage directions provide detailed
  historical background information, social
  commentary and an analysis of the characters and
  their motives, delivered in an informative and
  authoritative tone that establishes Miller as a
  trusted and reliable narrator.
• Emotive word choice, high modality and repeated
  exclamations to convey the conflict and represent
  the increasing disunity and paranoia in the
  community.
• Forceful and confronting use of imagery such as
  his eyes were like coals and his fingers claw
  my neck stress the growing absence of any sense
  of communal belonging.

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Characterisation Abigail

• An independent, free thinker who has become
  self-reliant, hardened and opportunistic.
• She has suffered the insecurity of being an
  orphan, belonging to no family I saw Indians
  smash my dear parents heads on the pillow next
  to mine
• Without the greed, ignorance and righteousness of
  others could never have divided the community.

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The ideas

• Communal belonging can be restored by individuals
  with a strong sense of integrity, loyalty and
  compassion.
• Rebecca Nurse, more than any other character,
  exemplifies the attitude and values that are
  essential for a strong, supportive community.
  From the beginning, she questions the presence of
  evil and witchcraft, and begs for common sense to
  prevail. She identifies the real cause of the
  hysteria and echoes Millers sentiments that it
  is our flaws that divide a community Let us
  rather blame ourselves (Act I, p. 33). Her
  death shocks other members of the Salem
  community, such as Proctor and Giles, to
  challenge the actions of the girls and the court.

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HSC English (Advanced)

• Area of Study Romulus, My Father by Raimond
  Gaita (nf)
• Features of the chapter
• Unpacking the Rubric the key concepts
• Background and context of Gaita
• Social and Historical Context of Romulus, My
  Father
• Textual Form and Structure
• Ideas of Belonging.

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What we cover on Romulus, My Father

• The Idea of Belonging to a new world
• A newfound sense of family
• Setting
• Characters
• Language
• Selecting and Integrating Related Texts
• Practice Assessment Tasks

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Romulus,My Father as a memoir
Romulus, My Father is a memoir written by Raimond
Gaita in 1998. Gaita tells the story of his
father, Romulus Gaita, who migrated from Germany
to Melbourne in April 1950 with his wife,
Christina and young son Raimond. The memoir
explores the difficulties his father encountered
in trying to establish himself amidst the
conservative and narrow attitudes of 1950s
Australian society. These attitudes were
particularly prevalent in rural communities like
those in north-eastern Victoria where the Gaita
family were relocated as part of the assisted
migrant scheme. The memoir examines many of the
difficulties confronting Gaitas father as a
newcomer to Australia. Romulus, My Father is a
moving portrayal of a family in crisis and a raw
exposure of the fragility and vulnerability of
the human psyche. Also, in this memoir the
Australian landscape is evoked with detail and
insight so that it becomes a powerful metaphor
for many of the elements of belonging, identity
and alienation.
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Gaitas Use of language is characterised by

• Concrete description
• Respect and reverence for the landscape
• His tone is understated style direct and simple
• Humour to underlay pathos and tragedy
• Extract from the novel analysed and annotated
  with language features and links made with the
  concept of belonging

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Linking landscape to concept

• Gaita uses the landscape to reflect the feelings
  and attitudes of the characters. It is as if
  their isolation and alienation are reinforced by
  the stark, barren landscape. This is evident in
  chapter three when Gaita recounts a time when his
  mother was brought by taxi from Maldon to
  Frogmore.

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He first sees her when she was two hundred
metres or so from the house, alone, small, frail,
walking with an uncertain gait and distracted
air. In that vast landscape with only crude wire
fences and a rough track to mark a human
impression on it she appeared forsaken. p.32.
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Using the landscape as a stimulus for
imaginative writing Section II

Select one of the following quotations from the
text. Use this quote as a central idea in your
own piece of imaginative writing that explores
how landscape shapes our sense of belonging or of
not belonging. Recall how Gaita uses language in
his descriptions of the landscape and try to use
some of his techniques in your own writing. He
longed for the generous and soft European
foliage (p.14) We walked in the hills and often
swam in the river (p.19) The landscape seemed
to have a special beauty (p.61) The hills
looked as old as the earth (p123)
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Advanced Module A Comparative Study of Texts
Contexts Elective 2 Texts in Time

• Connections framed through
• Context 1816 England - societal transformation
  with an industrial revolution and a working class
  society demanding to be heard 1982 US - threat
  of acid rain and global warming, economic
  rationalism and unemployment
• Creators Victor Frankenstein and Eldon Tyrell
• Creations The monster and the replicants
• Values compassion, love, courage and integrity

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The creators

• Victor Frankenstein and Eldon Tyrell lack
  insight, humility and empathy. They are
  egocentric and indifferent to the needs and
  feelings of their creations.
• Tyrell is not horrified by his creations like
  Frankenstein rather he delights in his own
  handiwork. Yet, his treatment of them is as cruel
  as Frankensteins rejection of his monster.

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The creations

• In Frankenstein and Blade Runner, humanity
  desires to test the limits of technology and
  imagination to create life without considering
  the consequences.
• In Frankenstein, the monster is represented
  sympathetically as being intelligent and
  sensitive, but his experiences with humanity
  transform him into a dark creature.
• In Blade Runner, the opposite occurs as when we
  first meet the replicants they are cast in the
  role of villain, yet as the narrative unfolds we
  develop empathy for their plight.
• Batty, in Blade Runner, begins as a fallen angel
  and rises symbolically on his death as a dove to
  heaven, but Frankensteins monster, who emerges
  as Adam, becomes the fallen angel hell-bent on
  revenge and retribution.

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The assessment tasks and a possible approach

• You are in a bar in China Town in Los Angeles,
  2019. You overhear a conversation between
  Frankensteins monster and Roy Batty. You hear
  them exchange their stories, discuss their
  attitudes towards their creators, and compare
  their values and experiences.
• Scotch without the rocks, Sam. Outside the rain
  belted out its all too familiar dissonant rhythm
  on the city of fallen angels. Inside, a cold blue
  light chilled me to the core despite the fleeting
  warmth of the scotch, and cast thin eerie shadows
  on the faces of the regulars in the bar. A giant
  of a man sat heavily down on the bar stool
  between me and the guy whose blue eyes shone
  strangely. A patchwork of red scars perverted his
  face into a repulsive visage. My instinct was to
  get the hell out of there, but nothing much
  happened in this place, so I stayed.

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Standard Module C Into the WorldThe Story of
Tom Brennan

• This novel is an excellent choice for
  Standard students in what it says and the
  accessible and engaging way the story is told.

• The novel allows for some valuable class
  discussion on this stage of their lives
• How do you cope with change?
• Are you excited about what you are going to be
  doing after the HSC?
• Are you daunted by the next six months?
• What path will your life take after the HSC?
• What stresses you most about this year?
• What risks do you take?
• How resilient are you?

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Relevance of the novel to adolescents

• The Story of Tom Brennan is the prescribed text
  for Module C. It is a great choice for this
  Module it is an engaging, pacey story which
  contains many issues of relevance and interest to
  what is happening in their own lives drinking,
  driving, car accidents, speeding, risk taking,
  families, schools, mates, grandparents, falling
  in love, sex, football and trying to cope with
  too much pressure. The novel is ideal for
  exploring the key elements of this Module and
  will give students ideas for selecting their own
  related texts to supplement their knowledge and
  understanding of the Module.

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What our chapter covers on The Story of Tom
Brennan

• Unpacking the Rubric the key concept s of Module
  C and the importance of context in this study
  as well as the textual features of the novel and
  related texts.
• Background and Context of Jane Burke
• Textual Form and Structure use of flashback,
  narrative voice, language and style
• Setting
• Ideas and Issues
• Selecting and integrating related texts including
  focus on RTA anti-speeding campaign
• Practice assessment tasks

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The character of Tom as a vehicle for the novels
issues

• Part of the recovery process for Tom is that he
  regains some balance in his life and he becomes
  part of a wider social group as he ventures back
  into the world which not only gives him support
  but also gives him a different focus.
• Tom discovers more about himself, his attitudes
  and values as he works towards recovery, and
  makes important realisations about his needs to
  take responsibility for himself and be
  pro-active.
• Tom takes on new activities and challenges which
  give his life some purpose and it allows him to
  move into the world and into the future.

• Some examples of the challenges Tom takes on
  include
• Creating a scrapbook for Daniel
• Running
• Realisation that some people need to share their
  problems like Kylie did in her speech and that
  sometimes when it is public it is easier.
• Training for the Everest trek
• Training for football
• Routine and rigour of the football camp
• Playing Rugby Union for Bennies
• Mateship in the football team
• The values of winning vs. enjoying playing the
  game

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Related texts for this novel

• In your letter you should focus on the specific
  form of the campaign which has most impacted in
  you. e.g. the television commercials or the
  billboard or the website and what specific
  textual features have most shaped your response
  to this issue.

• Visit the RTA website www.rta.nsw.gov and view
  the sections related to the anti-speeding
  campaigns including the statistics on adolescent
  accident rates.
• Writing task write a letter to the editor of
  your local newspaper. The letter is in response
  to a community debate about the increasing number
  of young male victims of motor vehicle accidents.
  Explain how the RTA anti-speeding campaign as
  influenced your ideas and understanding about
  speeding.

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Responding to Related Texts

• Student task
• 1. a) Working with a partner, access the RTA
  website and click on the link for their
  anti-speeding campaign. What insights does this
  website give you to the world of adolescent risk
  taking and the dangers associated with speeding
  and drink driving?
• b) List the techniques used by the designers of
  the site which are used to inform and persuade
  their audience about the issues explored.

• Join with two other pairs and share your
  findings.
• d) Write a response of one page in length on the
  following question
• What aspects of the Module Into the World are
  dealt with in this website? What techniques are
  used to represent these issues?
  

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Responding to related texts

• Choose three different texts aimed at your
  demographic which explore some of the challenges
  associated with growing up. For example, a
  business card distributed by NSW Health and the
  State Library of NSW as part of their drug info
  campaign.
• List the textual form of your three texts, for
  example, a brochure or billboard or fridge
  magnet.
• Beside each textual form list five textual
  features used by the composer to inform or
  persuade its target audience.
• Select one of the texts and discuss how the
  composer has used the textual features to shape
  your response to the text. You will need to
  consider the purpose and intention of the
  composer and analyse the different textual
  features which shape your response. This is the
  type of analysis that you will be expected to
  apply to your novel and a variety of texts of
  your own choice in this elective.
• In your world, which texts have influenced you
  and shaped your attitudes and ideas?

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Oxford HSC English

• Oxford HSC English
• ISBN 9780195568202
• Price 49.95
• Available October 1 2009