AS 91106 – L2 Workbook
Form developed personal responses to independently read texts,
supported by evidence (4 credits)
Student (full name):
What do I have to do?
1. Read or view six ‘texts’
2. Write down AND DEVELOP my opinions about each text in reading logs.
How do I know if I’ve been successful or not?
 At least four of my logs must ‘achieve’ the standard.
 To gain achievement with merit, at least four responses must be at merit [and the same
for excellence].
 I have handed in at least six logs.
What type of texts should I use?
 At least TWO extended texts.
 Film(s).
 Magazine / newspaper / internet article
 Short stories
 Poem(s)
 Song(s)
How do I develop ideas in a reading log?
 Start with an honest opinion. Note: the tone of genuine critique is usually different from
that of a commercial review. Think of academic critique as careful dissection and
analysis.
 Build on your opinion by elaborating while using details from the text as evidence.
 Identify keywords and then look up synonyms for each. Follow up on the connotations
(shades of meaning) of each synonym.
 Comment on the author/director’s intentions.
Annotated Exemplar
Title: Million Dollar Baby
Author/director: Clint Eastwood
Text type: film
Never before have I so strongly disagreed with a film’s
portrayal of a character. Million Dollar Baby, a film where the
‘hero’ commits suicide, didn’t make me feel any admiration at all for
Maggie Fitzgerald. In fact, I found myself despising her instead of
celebrating her supposed courage. At first, I was happy enough when
Eastwood presents Maggie as the poor but virtuous girl who works
hard to break out of the poverty cycle and help her dysfunctional,
welfare dependant family. But then there is a twist in script where
Frankie (Maggie’s coach) encourages Maggie to fight dirty – i.e. jab
Billie ‘the Blue Bear’ in the sciatica nerve – because Billie was
cheating and winning. This, for me, was the first alarm bell that
signalled that there is literally something wrong with the script
here. There is no way Maggie can be considered a hero if she
follows Frankie’s advice, which basically is: ‘You have to cheat to
beat a cheat’. Maggie starts to lose my admiration and her
moral high ground here.
As the film progresses, her actions become more repulsive. There
is a scene where Maggie tries to commit suicide after she is
paralysed from the neck down and to do so, she bites through her
tongue hoping to choke and drown in her own blood. I guess this is
meant to be a shocking and dramatic way to show that Maggie is
really stubborn/brave but it fills me with a sense of revulsion and
pity. This girl is obviously deranged and needs counselling. It is
disturbing that the climax of the film involves Frankie ‘helping’
Maggie by killing her, which sends out the absurd message that
it’s better to be dead than to live with a disability. This must
be a gross insult to thousands of paraplegics around the world
who go about their daily business leading fulfilling lives.
All in all, Clint Eastwood must be going senile putting out a film like
this, but I wouldn’t euthanize him for it.
I am ultimately
disappointed that he sends out this coward’s approach to handling
major difficulties in life.
352 words – low excellence
Personal opinion
clearly stated.
Keywords identified.
Ideas developed
through elaboration,
use of antonyms &
synonyms.
Personal opinion
developed, although
argument is a little
circular (sounds as if
student is repeating
material).
Ideas of ‘cowardice’
& ‘disgust’ are clearly
developed.
Shows some insight
into the director’s /
film’s intentions.
Develops ideas
further by relating
theme to real life.
Concluding point
made through
humour.
Succinct summary,
but a little too abrupt.
Answering some of these question in depth should help you write strong reading logs:
 What do you think about a particular character?
o What do you think of their personality?
o What do you think of their personal situation/background?
o What do you think of their interaction with others? What do you
think about the relationship between XXXXX and YYYYYY?
o What do you think this says about human nature?
o How is this related to real life?
 What do you think about a significant event?
o Why do you think it is significant?
o What do you think is at stake?
o What do you think it proves?
o What do you think it represents?
o What do you think this says about human nature?
o How in this related to real life?
 What do you think about the writer’s/director’s intention(s)?
o What is the writer’s /director’s intention? What is he/she trying to do?
o What do you think this says about human nature?
o How in this related to real life?
o How effective is the writer / director in getting across his/her intentions?
o Why does the writer / director fail?
o Why does the writer / director succeed?
Here are some writing ‘tricks’:
 Focus on your strongest ideas. Do not waste time and effort worrying about things
you are unsure about.
 Turn your idea into a statement (first sentence) in a SEXC paragraph. Follow the
basic rule that there is only one main idea in a paragraph, which is outlined in the first
sentence. For example, answer a question from above by making a statement: “I
strongly disagree with the director’s portrayal of Maggie as a heroic character”.
Then DEVELOP your main idea by answering any other questions. [See exemplar
and notice that the SEXC paragraphs answer many of the questions above]
#
Completed Reading Logs – record your best 6 logs here.
1
Title:_______________________________________________________
Grade
Author/director: ______________________________________________
Text type: ___________________________________________________
2
Title:_______________________________________________________
Author/director: ______________________________________________
Text type: ___________________________________________________
3
Title:_______________________________________________________
Author/director: ______________________________________________
Text type: ___________________________________________________
4
Title:_______________________________________________________
Author/director: ______________________________________________
Text type: ___________________________________________________
5
Title:_______________________________________________________
Author/director: ______________________________________________
Text type: ___________________________________________________
6
Title:_______________________________________________________
Author/director: ______________________________________________
Text type: ___________________________________________________
MARKING CRITERIA – for teacher’s use only
Achieved
 Form developed personal
responses to independently read
texts, supported by evidence.
Merit
 Form developed and
convincing personal
responses to independently
read texts, supported by
evidence.
Excellence
 Form developed and
perceptive personal
responses to independently
read texts, supported by
evidence.