Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Creative Writing; English; Theme; Lisarow High
Things are starting to heat up for Prelim English Advanced! Some great discussions about writing have taken place in class, with our focus being on analytical writing this week. Whilst it is initially difficult to master the academic style necessary for literary analysis and evaluation, it is an essential skill that you must have in your repertoire as you head into the HSC and the world beyond.
Even more exciting is the connections that our class is making with Lisarow High. Tomorrow we will be connecting live with Mr Martin’s class in order to discuss our views and understandings of narrative and the role it plays in our lives.
Mr Martin has posted three key focus questions on the Lisarow High blog (see link on the left) and in class we thought of a few of our own. These are:
How does context affect style and content?
What helps trigger your imagination?
What motivates you to complete class tasks?
Have you ever entered a writing competition?
What types of characters do you write about?
Do you have a recurring theme or style in your writing?
I think these are all great questions and should really generate some excellent discussion.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow and will post a reflection on the VC on this blog afterwards.
Ms Hewes 🙂
Filed under: AOS: Encountering Conflict | Tags: AOS, Conflict. Lisarow High, creative writing, narrative
During class this week we have been focusing on the different aspects of our AOS focus – Encounters with Conflict. The aim of these discussions and tasks is to hone your ideas about the nature of conflict, it’s causes and consequences on a micro and macro scale. We started collecting potential THESIS statements that could be used later as the basis of a line of argument for an essay, as inspiration for a creative piece or as ideas to relate to unseen texts.
Whilst I’m thinking about it, I would just like to run through the requirements of the AOS paper in the Yearly examination. This is based exactly on the current layout for the AOS paper in the HSC examination.
PAPER 1
Section 1:Short answer questions responding to a series of unseen texts. All questions and texts relate to the AOS focus: Encountering Conflict.
Section 2: Imaginative response. You are required to write a text relating to the AOS focus: Encountering Conflict. This may be in any form (it is typically a narrative, but not always) and may require you to write for a specific purpose and/or audience.
Section 3: Synthesis response. This is an extended response relating to the AOS focus: Encountering Conflict. Your response will be an integrated discussion of your prescribed text(s) and related text(s). It is analytical and evaluative.
Before we begin looking at Oedipus the King or the Phaedo, we need to look at some shorter texts that relate to Encountering Conflict. These will include some songs and websites. This will take the double period on Monday.
This Friday we will connect with our ‘allies’ at Lisarow High School via a Video Conference in the JJ Room. Before this can take place, you must view the Lisarow High School blog page about ‘Journeys’ and complete ONE of the tasks outlined below.
(Inner Conflict)
Composing tasks
Students select one of the following to be handed in each Friday for three weeks. Responses should be b
1. Narrative based upon the stimuli:
Conflict is the beginning of consciousness. (M. Esther Harding)
Length: between 1000-1500 words
2. Four journal entries reflecting upon life as a nomadic warrior
Length: Approx. 300-500 words each
3. Two letters home from centre of an intense conflict, be it external or internal.
Length: Approx. 500-700 words each
Our Criteria:
~ Students show knowledge and understanding of conflict,
~ Students adapt language for a range of creative tasks,
~ Students use appropriate language forms and features to suit changes in purpose and audience.
The above writing tasks will be due over the next few Friday’s. You choose which task to hand in each Friday. I would also like excerpts or complete pieces added below as a comment. Students from both Davo and Lisarow will comment on your work.
We will discuss writing style and strategies in class this week.
Post away!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AOS, conflict, creative writing, lisarow high, narrative
Today we had our very first double period of Preliminary English Advanced.
The first lesson was spent wearing the ‘markers’ hat. Each student read and marked TWO short-short stories using a marking criteria. We spent time in class discussing the distinctions between the two top bands and the requirements of a great writer. The main point that we noted were that a great writer must:
- sustain their narrative
- engage their audience
- know who they are writing for
- show an impressive control of structure and language
- have a perceptive understanding of the focus concept that drives their narrative
It must be remembered that creative writing is a ‘playful’ activity and that words are merely the medium through which we express our understanding of the world, of events, of ourselves and of other people. You must know the rules of great writing, but then you must be prepared to break them. Over the next few weeks we will be looking at the ‘rules’ of great creative writing, and then we will spend some time ‘unlearning’ these – or as we literature geeks say, ‘subverting’ these rules.
Overall, the standard of the stories published on edmodo were very impressive – especially since this is the first thing that you have written as senior students. I’m really excited about how far your skills can develop!
We also discussed the partnership that we will be establishing with Lisarow High via their blog: http://lhsenglishadvanced.edublogs.org/
Please click on the ‘Journeys’ tab at the top to view the creative writing tasks that students from both schools will be completing.
The second period of the double was spent exploring our early impression of the Area of Study: Encounters with Conflict. We began with looking at synonyms and antonyms for the word ‘conflict’ as it is central to the AOS. We discussed the importance of using words with a similar meaning in your writing, rather than being repetitive and showing a simplistic understanding of the concept.
Following this activity we discussed the depth and breadth of this Area of Study – the notion of conflict is quite wide. We considered the idea that not all conflict is physical, in fact, the more complex, challenging and interesting aspects of this concept are the non-physical conflicts that a human being experiences in their lifetime. We considered the idea that conflict can be large or small, and that often smaller conflicts are referred to as: arguments, disagreements, tussles, struggles etc.
Over the next two weeks our understanding of what it means to ‘encounter conflict’ will begin to develop and strengthen.
I would love to see what you have to say about the AOS: Encounters with Conflict at this stage of our journey together, so if you have anything to add, please do so below.
Ms Hewes 🙂
Language Matters 