Contents
About this series ________________________________________________________________________________ 4
Key elements for Context writing ________________________________________________________________ 5
Assessors’ examination advice __________________________________________________________________ 6
Sample 1
Prompt: ‘It is important to take a side in any conflict.’ ___________________________________________ 7
Sample 2
Prompt: ‘“Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” The violent
encounters of the past contain valuable lessons about resolving conflict.’ _____________________ 9
Sample 3
Prompt: ‘“Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” The violent
encounters of the past contain valuable lessons about resolving conflict.’ ____________________ 12
Sample 4
Prompt: ‘“Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” The violent
encounters of the past contain valuable lessons about resolving conflict.’ ____________________ 14
Sample 5
Prompt: ‘Conflict tests character.’ ______________________________________________________________ 17
Sample 6
Prompt: ‘It is important to take a side in any conflict.’ __________________________________________ 19
Sample 7
Prompt: ‘When encountering conflict, individuals must think carefully about how they
choose to act.’ ________________________________________________________________________________ 22
Sample 8
Prompt: ‘Conflict can have lasting effects on relationships and society.’ ________________________ 25
Sample 9
Prompt: ‘If the beliefs of the majority cause persecution of the minority, then we can never
justify it.’ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 28
Sample 10
Prompt: ‘Conflict brings out the best and worst in people.’ ______________________________________ 30
Sample 11
Prompt: ‘The most significant divisions in any community are not ethical or moral, but
personal animosities, insecurities and greed.’ _________________________________________________ 32
Sample 12
Prompt: ‘Conflict can have an enormous impact on those both directly and indirectly involved.’__ 34
Sample prompts for practice pieces ____________________________________________________________ 36
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Writing on Contexts © Insight Publications 2009
© Insight Publications 2010
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About this series
The aim of this series is to present a range of written Context responses on a variety of prompts,
so that you can see different ways in which other students have approached writing on a Context.
The pieces here will also provide you with a range of ideas you can draw on for your own writing.
Responses of varying quality have been included, along with assessor comments, to give you the
opportunity to see what distinguishes an excellent piece of work.
This book contains sample Context responses from students writing on the Context
Encountering Conflict and drawing on Arthur Miller’s The Crucible as a source of ideas.
Each piece has been assessed by an English teacher and assigned a grade according to the
following marking scale:
1–2
Very Low
3
Low
4 –7
Medium
8
High
9 –10
Very High
The grade and the assessor’s comments appear below each piece of writing.
Note:
The pieces have been reproduced here exactly as they were submitted by students.
Spelling and grammatical errors have been underlined.
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Writing on Contexts © Insight Publications 2009
© Insight Publications 2010
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Key elements for Context vvriting
➞➞ ➞➞
PROMPT/STIMULUS
provides
A FOCUS FOR YOUR WRITING
You draw on
CONTEXT IDEAS
You include
RELEVANT IDEAS FROM SELECTED TEXT/S
You develop your
➞
➞
WRITTEN RESPONSE
➞
➞
This is assessed on
QUALITY
OF
IDEAS
closely
interrelated
QUALITY
OF
WRITING
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Writing on Contexts © Insight Publications 2009
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Assessors examination advice
General notes
•
•
Good ideas and quality writing are the keys to success.
The guidelines for the 2009 exam state that “Students will be required to base their writing on
unseen stimulus material or prompts associated with the ideas and/ or arguments suggested
by the four texts set for each Context.”
•
Your written piece should clearly use the prompt/ stimulus material but does not have to
provide a definite ‘answer’ or stick rigidly to the prompt/ stimulus material. You can use the
prompt/ stimulus material as a starting point for a wider discussion on the Context.
•
Very high to outstanding written pieces can be achieved in ALL forms – imaginative pieces
have the same chance of getting very high marks as expository, persuasive and hybrid forms.
The quality of your writing and ideas will determine your score.
Use of selected texts
•
•
From 2009 onwards, you must name your primary text on your exam booklet as directed.
Engagement with the ideas of the text relevant to the Context and the prompt/ stimulus
material is essential. A common fault is a fairly descriptive account of the selected text; these
responses tend not to score very highly (typically mid-range, i.e. 4 to 7 marks).
•
Use a range of ideas from the Context as well as ideas from other texts, events, sources of
•
Do not focus exclusively on your selected text (or the other text studied for Area of Study 2,
information and so on.
if applicable). These essays tend to look like Text Response essays, sticking closely to textual
detail; again, this can result in a mid-range mark (4 to 7) depending on the complexity and
sophistication of the writing.
•
It is essential to refer to the selected text in some way but this need not be explicit or detailed,
•
Using the text as a resource for Context ideas is essential. Demonstrating a close, detailed
as long as the ideas are recognisably drawn from the text.
knowledge of the text is not important or necessary; however, the accuracy of any textual
detail you provide is very important.
•
If it is impossible to see how the response draws on your selected text, you risk getting a lowrange mark (1 to 3).
Written explanation
•
•
No written explanation is required on the exam.
On last year’s exam, some students provided a brief explanation of their response – this is not
required and will be ignored.
Exam task
•
Check the exam task material very closely for details about the requirements for your writing.
Other references
•
•
VCE Examiners’ Reports on the VCAA website at www.vcaa.vic.edu.au
‘Reading between the Lines’ by Bob Hillman, The Age,
Age, Education, 16 February 2009
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Writing on Contexts © Insight Publications 2009
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Sample 1
Prompt:
‘It is important to take a side in any conflict.’
Conflict has plagued mankind and continues to do so. Ongoing adversity is only assured as
long as there are willing participants in disputes. While conflict ensures progression it is also a
destructive force that has given rise to some of the most inhumane confrontations in history.
Sometimes becoming involved in a clash is unavoidable but in the interest of self-preservation
keeping one’s distance from conflict can be the best solution. The witch-hunts near the turn of
the 17th century is an example of the chaos caused by taking sides in a conflict. Similarly the
deception caused by the communist-trials caused condemnation of innocent individuals as the
state took a single side in a conflict. In modern history blindly taking sides is a common cause of
anarchy as displayed by the chaotic war on terror. Taking a side in conflict is often necessary but if
avoidable it can be the more pragmatic option.
When the sides to a conflict become uneven, ‘the balance between order and freedom’ can be
undone. The witch-hunts in Salem, Massachusetts illustrated how conflict can give the deceitful
and dishonest access to power. For Abigail Williams, the more lying girls the more she had the
ability to manipulate the establishment and achieve her sinister alterior motives. For some in the
Puriton society to take a side in the conflict was to continue living. When death is used as a threat
to take a side in a conflict most would play along in a similar fashion to the accused in Salem.
However there are those like Giles Corey who are so intent on maintaining their moral integrity
that they ask for ‘more weight’ or death as an alternative to taking sides. Arthur Miller’s play The
Crucible demonstrated how taking sides in a conflict was to fall into a ‘dark pit’ of selfishness and
greed. Like Giles Corey it is sometimes more honorable to be removed from a dispute, no matter
the consequences.
The Communist Trials in the 1950s forced many people to take a side or be condemned.
Arthur Miller himself was accused by the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
of communist sympathies. However Miller chose to oppose the US regime and write a play that
undermined the actions of Senator McArthy and HUAC. Miller believed that taking a side was the
best way to awaken the public’s conscience and re-establish the rights of the people. He highlighted
the problems caused when ‘a political policy is equated with moral right’ and the violations of civil
liberties that follow. Although the decision to take a side in conflict may result in inner conflict it
may be better to take a Hamlet approach and ‘suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
than to take up arms against a sea of troubles’ so that peace may prevail. Just like Switzerland in
the World Wars, it is sometimes better to remain neutral than to take part in brutality.
The War on Terror is yet another example of the issues that come with the hasty decision to
enter a conflict. George W. Bush infamously stated ‘you are either with us or against us’ which
signified the rash decision to seek out revenge for 9/11 at any cost. This caused division at all
levels of politics and created a cultural rift that cannot be repaired. The USA’s pursuit of revenge
caused mass deception as they used the facade of democracy to invade Iraq. Initially they cried
WMDs which proved to be a fabrication so that the public would take the USA’s side. However
the notion of ‘wheels within wheels, fires within fires’ or ‘all is not what it seems’ created more
animosity towards the US instead of generating sympathy. Bush’s attempts to persuade the
global community in many ways undermined his ability to achieve it. He invaded Iraq under
false pretenses as he believed he had the support and sympathy to do so. However the global
consensus is that the US made a huge political blunder and chose to re-evaluate their side.
Instead of choosing a side from the outset based on fear we should have negotiated peace terms
based on diplomacy. If the American’s were seen to be pacifists then the religious divide may have
been avoided.
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Writing on Contexts © Insight Publications 2009
© Insight Publications 2010