Annotations of Texts
Prescribed for the First Time
for the
Higher School Certificate
2001-2002
Annotations of Texts
Prescribed for the First Time
for the
Higher School Certificate
COMMON CONTENT
Common Content of Standard and Advanced Courses
Area of study
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
AREA OF STUDY:
Prose Fiction
EnderÕs Game
Orson Scott Card
Standard and Advanced: Common Content
Change
DESCRIPTION OF FOCUS: Changing Worlds
This focus on change explores the ways in which texts depict new worlds. Students
examine the underlying assumptions of these other worlds, considering them in
relation to the world they know. They reflect on the ways in which understanding of
the world is transformed.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
This is a complex study of character and the psychology of personality.
It challenges studentsÕ own view of world order and of other forms of life.
EnderÕs Game deals with philosophical issues of leadership, government and
control.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
Science fiction as a genre is very popular with Stage 6 students.
This text opens questions about authority, socialisation, the right of the state over
the individual, cultural presumptions and prejudices, and explores the idea of
ÔalienationÕ.
It deals with the concept of the power of technology, knowledge and its
manipulation, and the nature of reality and illusion.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
•
The depth of characterisation, as well as the exploration of how character and
personality are learned or innate, allows for close study.
EnderÕs Game offers opportunities for further study of the authorÕs works. The
plot offers complexity and enigma.
The text provides many opportunities to study the different worlds of the novel
and possible future worlds.
It enables students to challenge preconceived ideas and to examine their own
assumptions and perspectives about world order.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
AREA OF STUDY:
Poetry
Imagined Corners
Ken Watson (ed)
Standard and Advanced: Common Content
Change
DESCRIPTION OF FOCUS: Changing Worlds
This focus on change explores the ways in which texts depict new worlds. Students
examine the underlying assumptions of these other worlds, considering them in
relation to the world they know. They reflect on the ways in which understanding of
the world is transformed.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
The range of contemporary poets and poetic styles from a variety of cultures in
this single text is unique.
The cultural groups represented by the poets in the text reflect AustraliaÕs
multicultural society.
Each of the poets is a recognised voice for his/her own culture and/or cultural
heritage.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
Students will be engaged by the range of views, beliefs and emotions that are
explored in the world of each of the poems and poets.
The poetry reveals a universality of human emotion and thought through its
diversity and particularity of cultural expression.
The range of form and image provides a rich resource for the exploration of
poetry.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The poems pose interesting language challenges for the students as they are
often the result of the work of translators. How meaning may have altered from
the world of the poet to the world of the reader provides many possibilities for
study.
The range of ÔworldsÕ that may be examined is extensive: the world of the poet;
the world that is left or entered; the world that could not be forgotten; the world of
images and language.
Students are encouraged to see poetry as having voices of many kinds. The
challenge for the students will be to come to understand and appreciate the value
of each of these voices.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
AREA OF STUDY:
Film
Star Wars Ð A New Hope (Episode 4)
George Lucas
PG
Standard and Advanced: Common Content
Change
DESCRIPTION OF FOCUS: Changing Worlds
This focus on change explores the ways in which texts depict new worlds. Students
examine the underlying assumptions of these other worlds, considering them in
relation to the world they know. They reflect on the ways in which understanding of
the world is transformed.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
Star Wars is successful and remains popular because of the pleasure created by
the strong narrative. The fantasy is based on legend and fairy tale.
The standard and quality of the special effects represent a significant
development in film-making techniques. The use of computers with video to
create a Ônew realityÕ was developed by Lucas for the first time in this film.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
The film employs an archetypal plot and the science fiction/fantasy framework
has allowed the film to maintain its popularity with audiences. Its escapist
qualities create a new world Ñ a state of suspended belief as anything is
possible in the world of space.
There are many parallels that can be drawn between our world and the new
world of this film.
Students will be engaged by the learning possibilities provided by the support
materials that this film has generated.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The simple story will allow most students ready access to the text. However, the
value and challenge of this film will be realised through close analysis in relation
to the purpose of the elective.
The film creates more than an imaginary world; it has a ÔworldÕ of its own,
technologically created for the audience.
The story is on occasions revealed through the eyes of robots. The audience is
initially encouraged to see and sympathise with the robots as they possess
human qualities. They are also seen as victims, slaves and objects of derision.
The world of an alternative vision is a possible area of study.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
AREA OF STUDY:
Nonfiction
On GiantsÕ Shoulders
Bragg, Melvyn
Standard and Advanced: Common Content
Change
DESCRIPTION OF FOCUS: Changing Worlds
This focus on change explores the ways in which texts depict new worlds. Students
examine the underlying assumptions of these other worlds, considering them in
relation to the world they know. They reflect on the ways in which understanding of
the world is transformed.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
The text explores landmarks in the history of science, from Archimedes to the
present.
It captures the sense of discovery as well as the nature of the breakthrough
concerned.
The text successfully brings together the worlds of science and the arts.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
This is an accessible, interesting and varied collection.
It allows for development of understanding of the process and language of
discovery and re-evaluation.
The use of radio transcript, interviews, original letters and diaries appeals to a
broad range of students.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
•
The format allows teachers and students flexibility in dealing with the text.
The text offers opportunities for students to reflect on the nature of the process of
speculation, discovery and change.
It offers opportunities for exploration and examination of the language of
speculation, discovery and change. The blend of letters, transcripts and
interviews offers a range of texts to explore.
The text offers opportunities for student research and composition.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
AREA OF STUDY:
Film
Radiance
Rachel Perkins
M
Standard and Advanced: Common Content
Change
DESCRIPTION OF FOCUS: Changing Perspectives
This focus on change explores the ways in which perspective influences our
perceptions. It invites our reconsideration of events, people and ideas from changing
points of view. Students examine the assumptions underlying meanings and the
range of different meanings made possible with changes in perspective.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
Allows for an examination of both the short-term and long-term effects of the
Stolen Generations. It unveils issues such as grief, depression, anger, identity,
connection with the land and mental health.
The film deals powerfully with how the long-term removal from the land impacts
on the relationship with it.
It challenges some stereotypical notions of Aborigines.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
The script itself is powerful and has wide audience appeal.
The essence of the film is particularly Australian and combines effective and
realistic images of both Aboriginality and isolated rural Australia.
Captured in the film is a particularly original way of juxtaposing humour and
tragedy. The film, for all its sorrow, concludes with hope.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The film is rich in its many changing perspectives and offers opportunities for
analysis and composition.
It allows for a rich and detailed study of a quality Australian film and its qualities
as film.
Radiance creates characters with a depth worthy of study. The changes in the
interpersonal relationships are sophisticated and complex.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
AREA OF STUDY:
Nonfiction
The Stolen Children: Their Stories
Carmel Bird (ed)
Standard and Advanced: Common Content
Change
DESCRIPTION OF FOCUS: Changing Perspectives
The focus is on ways in which perspective influences our ideas and perceptions. It
allows students to consider a range of meanings made possible when there is a
change in perspective.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
The text gives a series of perspectives on the experiences of the Stolen
Generations of Aborigines.
Adults stolen as children tell their own stories of separation, an important
historical record of personal experience.
These individual accounts are supplemented by a variety of other texts including
extracts from Hansard, speeches, media commentary and relevant parts of the
official report, ÔBringing Them Home.Õ
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
The stories of the Stolen Generations make compelling reading. Although all are
about the experience of being removed from family and culture, there is no sense
of sameness.
Most stories are submissions to the national inquiry into the separation of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families and are in the
words of those who experienced what they relate. Other stories are retold by
another person or have been published previously in other contexts. The book
also contains extracts from Hansard and reactions to the report by academics
and community leaders, so students will be able to see how different
perspectives influence expression.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
This text offers a range of perspectives and types of texts relating to a single
issue. This enables the study of language with particular consideration of different
audiences and purposes.
The varying perspectives provide opportunities for discussion of issues,
construction of argument with substantial supporting evidence, and composition
of a wide variety of texts.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
AREA OF STUDY:
Film
Much Ado About Nothing
Kenneth Branagh
PG
Standard and Advanced: Common Content
Change
DESCRIPTION OF FOCUS: Changing Self
This focus on change explores the way change within an individual is communicated
in and through texts. Students consider the events and contexts of change and use
of language and form in the description of change. They may question assumptions
about development or progress.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
This is a witty and lively adaptation of ShakespeareÕs play that effectively realises
the playÕs warmth and questions the humanity in power structures.
The film succeeds in making the world of the play and its language and ideas
accessible and relevant.
The technical qualities of the film mark a significant step in the methods of filming
Shakespearean drama.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
Students respond to the development of each individual as he or she changes
and grows.
They enjoy the warmth and wit of the love story as well as the beautiful filming
techniques.
Students also respond to the variety of recognisable actors in both leading and
cameo roles.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The nature of the love story offers opportunities to explore the nature of
relationships between men and women and to explore gender relationships.
The complexity of the layering of story telling offers opportunities to explore the
nature of narrative.
Much Ado About Nothing offers opportunities to reflect upon the powerful
qualities of film in the presentation of ShakespeareÕs plays, and the nature of
contemporary entertainment.
Annotations of Texts
Prescribed for the First Time
for the
Higher School Certificate
ENGLISH (STANDARD) COURSE
English Standard Course
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Nonfiction
Tales from the Blackboard
Amanda Tattam (ed)
Standard
Experience Through Language
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Telling Stories
In this elective students explore the various ways that narrative is used to engage
audience interest in a range of modes, media and situations. They examine this text
in addition to other examples of narrative in their lives to explore the uses and
conventions of narrative and the ways in which elements of narration promote
involvement. They also consider how narrative shapes our perceptions of others and
the world.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
Stories are based on classroom experiences and are written by teachers about
student and teacher experiences of a range of educational situations in Australia.
The text examines a range of social issues such as racism and bullying, inequity
and intolerance.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
The stories are close to most studentsÕ experiences.
The students in the stories are diverse: mature aged students, isolated aboriginal
primary students and others from a variety of cultural backgrounds, wealthy and
poor, privileged and disadvantaged.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING:
•
•
•
•
The text provides opportunities for students to examine a wide range of
techniques and skills in telling stories.
It invites students to consider to what extent story telling and narrative might
ÔfictionaliseÕ life experiences.
It encourages reflection on their own educational experiences and comparison
with those of others.
It provides a stimulus for wide reading of other short stories.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
PRODUCER:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Media
Through Australian Eyes
SBS Television, Australia
Standard
Experience Through Language
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Telling Stories
In this elective students explore the various ways that narrative is used to engage
audience interest in a range of modes, media and situations. They examine this text
in addition to other examples of narrative in their lives to explore the uses and
conventions of narrative and the ways in which elements of narration promote
involvement. They also consider how narrative shapes our perceptions of others and
the world.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
This is a significant documentary television series made in Australia during the
1980s which highlights the changes to families resulting from migration.
The series records the experiences of young people born in Australia on first
seeing the homeland of their parents.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
Young adults will identify with the experiences of the young Australians
influenced by two cultures.
Older candidates as well as young people will appreciate the unbiased analysis
of the cultural differences between the old countries and the new, and between
the different generations within each of the families.
Each episode in the series looks at a different cultural background and helps
develop intercultural understanding in the classroom.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING:
•
•
•
Study of the series stimulates discussion of many issues relating to migration,
resettlement, traditions, and interpersonal relationships.
This study helps students to analyse and express different points of view both
orally and in writing.
The series provides a basis for intensive study of the language, forms and
conventions of dialogue, narrative and visual communication.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Nonfiction
Maybe Tomorrow
Boori (Monty) Pryor with Meme McDonald
Standard
Experience Through Language
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Telling Stories
In this elective students explore the various ways that narrative is used to engage
audience interest in a range of modes, media and situations. They examine this text
in addition to other examples of narrative in their lives to explore the uses and
conventions of narrative and the ways in which elements of narration promote
involvement. They also consider how narrative shapes our perceptions of others and
the world.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
Maybe Tomorrow is an account of the life and work of an Aboriginal man born
and brought up in North Queensland. Boori Pryor has lived on reserves, worked
in mainstream occupations and now brings a message of hope and reconciliation
to other Australians, particularly those still at school.
BooriÕs story goes beyond the statistics with which students become so familiar to
show how racism and cultural divisions affect the lives of people.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
Boori Pryor earns his living as a storyteller and this text allows students to
examine the art of the storyteller through experiencing forms of story.
The photographs allow readers to visualise the people about whom the stories
are told and to gain some insight into the lives led by Aboriginal people today.
The text is interesting and accessible to students in the Standard Course.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING:
•
•
•
This text allows students to go beyond the page. It challenges readers to
question, assess and re-evaluate their own assumptions and beliefs about the
lives of Aboriginal people and about their own lives.
The text encourages story telling in oral and written form.
The ideas addressed by the text allow students to consider, in a more personal
way, issues about Aboriginal experiences that are raised in the media.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Drama
Stolen
Jane Harrison
Standard
Experience Through Language
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Dialogue
In this elective students explore the nature of speech and how it is represented in a
range of texts. Students will examine one prescribed text, in addition to other
examples of spoken language in their lives, to explore the uses and conventions of
dialogue and its interpersonal nature, who controls the conversation and whether
certain voices are silenced. In their exploration of spoken language, students develop
an understanding of the differences between spoken and written language.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
The play examines a most important indigenous view of recent Australian history
with regard to the Stolen Generations.
The play has been developed with the cooperation of many Aboriginal families,
organisations and artistic associations. It is based on real events that occurred to
these families.
Performances are very achievable as a result of the simple setting of the play and
the concise nature of the script.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
The range of emotions, the fears and confusion experienced by the five young
Aboriginal characters will allow students to respond to the meaning of the
dialogue in a literal and spiritual way.
The innocence and suffering of the young characters and the effects on their lives
is dramatically conveyed to the students through this play.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING/LEARNING:
•
•
•
The playwright has employed a number of clever dramatic techniques to allow
the characters to tell the story of their lives in dialogue with each other and the
audience. These techniques offer opportunities to explore the dramatic impact of
the play.
The issues examined in the play are topical; support/resource material will be
readily available and accessed by students. Students will see that such issues
can be examined using alternative types of text.
The playÕs dramatic process will encourage students to experiment with their own
composition of dialogue in a dramatic shape.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Poetry
Komninos by the Kupful
Komninos
Standard
Experience Through Language
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Dialogue
In this elective students explore the nature of speech and how it is represented in a
range of texts. Students will examine one prescribed text, in addition to other
examples of spoken language in their lives, to explore the uses and conventions of
dialogue and its interpersonal nature, who controls the conversation and whether
certain voices are silenced. In their exploration of spoken language, students develop
an understanding of the differences between spoken and written language.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
The poet is one of AustraliaÕs leading performance poets.
The poetry explores contemporary issues in a range of styles.
The use of everyday speech demonstrates the relevance of poetry to everyday
life.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
The free verse is accessible and provides opportunities for a wide range of
compositions.
The poet explores issues and ideas that are relevant to adolescents.
The poetry provides a variety of poetic models for students.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The text encourages students to consider and research contemporary issues and
discuss ways to translate such issues into various forms of writing.
The text invites students to create and perform their own poems.
Students can invent their own dialogue poems around issues they research.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Film
The Truman Show
Peter Weir
PG
Standard
Experience Through Language
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Image
In this elective students explore the nature of images and the ways they are used in
everyday situations. Students will explore and examine the ways various kinds of
images convey meanings. They will explore and analyse:
•
how aspects of the world are represented through images
•
the relationships and attitudes established in the communication of images
•
the textual features of the medium and mode of communication.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
•
•
This film is a satire on the nature of our own lives and our understanding of
reality.
The dystopia in which Truman lives is a humorous portrayal of an artificial
existence, engineered by media manipulation. Escape takes a huge act of will
and courage.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF THE CANDIDATURE
•
•
This film has appeal through its comic elements, love interest and the
exaggeration of the effects of media on daily life.
The influence of images, technology and the consequences of commercial
ambition are themes students can readily appreciate.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING
•
•
•
The film provides an accessible vehicle for teaching satire and the ways in which
images are created and used.
It leads to questions about the ways in which contemporary life is dominated by
images and the extent to which image determines our perceptions of reality.
In its frequent glimpses of the workings of the machinery behind images, this film
invites a critical analysis of the artificiality of ÔrealÕ life.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Drama
Navigating
Thomson, Katherine
Standard
Close Study of Text
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Drama
Students explore the playÕs literary aspects, its dramatic techniques and its potential
for a range of productions.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
This is a recent play written by a successful Australian dramatist.
It is set in a small coastal community and deals with issues of corruption and
cowardice, and their effects on the individual.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
This text allows students to explore a significant contemporary issue through a
drama set in a familiar context.
It allows students to access quality commercially successful Australian drama.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
This text gives students the opportunity to analyse the portrayal of the central
characters, their relationships with each, and how their attitudes and decisions
affect themselves and others.
The play traces the efforts of the main character, Bea, to bring information about
possible corruption to those in a position to do something about it, and tracks her
gradual isolation as she learns that she cannot trust anyone, even her own sister.
Bea suffers a fate common to many whistleblowers, leading students to confront
important questions relating to truth, justice and the short-term and long-term
effects of the decisions each person makes.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Prose Fiction
We All Fall Down
Robert Cormier
Standard
Close Study of Text
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Prose Fiction
Students explore the novelÕs expression of ideas considering literary techniques.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
•
The major issues examined include the nature of justice and the importance of
trust.
A range of contemporary social issues is examined.
It is a cleverly crafted story. The structure and narrative technique are worthy of
study.
The position of the text is condemnation of antisocial behaviour.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
The novel is powerfully written and the thriller genre is popular with young adults.
The element of mystery, introduced in the first pages is maintained for much of
the story.
The issues examined are contemporary and relevant to many HSC students. The
central charactersÕ dilemmas will be understood and appreciated by many
readers.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
•
The intertwining of a range of narrative voices provides interesting alterations in
perspective as well as allowing students to develop a better understanding of the
writerÕs craft.
The relationships between the reader, writer and narrator provide a rich source of
analysis.
The structure of the novel can be explored and assessed through mapping of the
plot and subplot.
Clear possibilities for the studentsÕ own composition will be enhanced by the
nature of the issues and writing processes employed by Cormier in this text.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Film
Witness
Peter Weir
Standard
Close Study of Text
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Nonfiction, Film, Media/Multimedia
Students explore the filmÕs expression of ideas considering its medium of production.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
A multiple winner of international awards including Oscars and BAFTA awards.
The counterpointing of the life of the Amish and the violence of the inner city
crime world raises questions about the possibility of choosing a way of life
outside the mainstream.
The technical aspects of the film, particularly the cinematography, provide a rich
resource for study.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
Its effectiveness in capturing and drawing the viewer into the world created by the
film makes it highly entertaining.
The contrast between the two cultures and between inner personal life and public
duty develops tension and involvement.
The narrative is powerful and well paced.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The film is built on contrasts, readily enabling analysis.
The film offers opportunities to explore concepts of isolation and conformity,
violence and pacifism.
The highly crafted techniques of the film allow for close study and offer a range of
opportunities for a variety of compositions in different modes and media.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Nonfiction
An Australian Son
Gordon Matthews
Standard
Close Study of Text
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Nonfiction, Film, Media/Multimedia
Students explore the textÕs representation of ideas through its medium of production.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
• The text is a candid and sincere description of the journey to MatthewsÕ selfdiscovery. The text deals very effectively with a range of issues associated with
identity and growing up.
• The text deals with a range of issues associated with perceptions of self, from an
Indigenous AustralianÕs point of view.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
This autobiographical work has references to a range of issues relevant to the
lives of students.
The writing is often quite unemotional and yet the effect is both personal and
engaging.
The story is immersed in riddles and secrets, the gradual resolution of which
captures the interest of the reader.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
The text presents possibilities for the study of a range of issues associated with
autobiography and biography.
An interesting relationship is established between writer and reader as the text is
patterned on the process of discovery. The reader is able to participate and
question MatthewsÕ decisions about the paths that he takes.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
WEB ADDRESS:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Multimedia
Australian War Memorial Web Site
http://www.awm.gov.au
Standard
Close Study of Text
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Nonfiction, Film, Media/Multimedia
Students explore the textÕs representation of ideas through its medium of production.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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The Australian War Memorial is recognised internationally as an outstanding
resource of materials on World War One. This website provides students with the
possibility of accessing many of these texts.
The site has historical and cultural significance, interest and value for a wide
range of students and is readily accessible.
The range of text material and variety makes this an especially useful site.
The plans for adding extra content to the site, based on the Australian War
MemorialÕs extensive collections, make the site a good example of a fluid text.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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The site is an excellent example of what this new technology can offer students in
relation to a text study.
This site allows students to explore a diverse range of historically and culturally
significant texts as well as personal texts produced at a significant time.
Many of the types of text on the site possess an intrinsic interest Ñ often as a
result of the unique qualities of the texts (eg dance programs, menus, military
commands). The language employed in these texts is quite challenging but
remains accessible to students.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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The range of types of text presented on the site offers wide possibilities for
language exploration and different ways and purposes of reading and writing.
The capacity for students to interact directly with the types of text offered allows
them the possibility to compose texts in experimental and challenging ways using
a range of technologies.
The study of multiple texts within one site provides the opportunity for
comparison, contrast and evaluation of material.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Prose Fiction
Raw
Scott Monk
Standard
Texts and Society
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: The Institution and Personal Experience
In this elective students explore texts relating to the effects of institutional policies on
individuals. They respond to and compose a range of texts of enforcement, protest,
and compliance and consider what these texts reveal about attitudes and beliefs.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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This is a novel by an emerging Australian author written for a young adult
audience.
Its contemporary setting portrays aspects of rural Australia contrasted with the
urban vision of the central character.
Raw provides both content and characters of high interest to teenagers, in
particular to males.
Raw deals with the necessity of taking responsibility for your own actions.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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The novel offers a positive reading experience for many students because it
portrays many recognisable situations and characters.
Raw is a novel told through the voice of an angry young 16-year-old and provides
opportunities for exploration of relevant issues.
Raw assists students in examining issues of individual and social responsibility.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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The position of the main character opens the opportunity to examine a
protagonist who is not immediately liked or accepted, yet by the end of the text is
better understood.
It allows the opportunity to examine in detail the growth and mistakes of a young
adolescent male, who reaches a crucial turning point in his life in coming to terms
with himself.
The novel portrays recognisable and interesting characters that are positioned in
the text in challenging ways.
Many other texts such as teenage film, magazines or newspaper articles would
allow broadening of the context of this novel.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Drama
State of Shock
Tony Strachan
Standard
Texts and Society
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: The Institution and Personal Experience
In this elective students explore texts relating to the effects of institutional policies on
individuals. They respond to and compose a range of texts of enforcement, protest,
and compliance and consider what these texts reveal about attitudes and beliefs.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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The play is based on an actual event and has a profound and immediate impact.
It deals with issues of protectionism, paternalism, racism, mission life and the
associated short-term and long-term social effects on Aboriginal peoples.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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The study of State of Shock enables the examination of mental health and the
tragic cycle of grief, depression and violence, along with consideration of the
enormous ramifications of those violent actions.
The text is short enough to allow both the study and actual performance of the
drama, in the school setting.
The subject matter of the text is contemporary and Australian in a decade when
the issue of reconciliation is of paramount importance.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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Because State of Shock is based on a real event it opens up valuable research
activities.
It allows for the study of language, particularly of Aboriginal English.
The text allows the opportunity to examine and discuss the legal system in
Australia, both past and present.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Film
Dear America
Bill Couturie
PG
Standard
Texts and Society
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: The Institution and Personal Experience
In this elective students explore texts relating to the effects of institutional policies on
individuals. They respond to and compose a range of texts of enforcement, protest,
and compliance and consider what these texts reveal about attitudes and beliefs.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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Dear America uses music, letters, original footage and other types of text to
portray the lives, and deaths, of ordinary soldiers in Vietnam.
Simple, clear and free of bias or rhetoric, this film is powerfully moving.
It spans the period from the mid-1960s to the withdrawal of troops from Vietnam.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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The music, letters and footage offer interest and accessibility, as well as fostering
understanding.
Varying types of text present students with different ways of expressing feelings,
giving information, and re-creating the social milieu as well as the lives of the
men.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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This film offers excellent opportunities for considering the way individuals are
affected by, and respond to, social upheaval, and how this is represented in
various texts.
It offers opportunities for the study of different types of text.
There are excellent opportunities for student research and and the film offers
many opportunities to connect to other material, such as community/workplace
documents.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Media
The Bush Tucker Man: Stories of Survival
Les Hiddins
G
Standard
Texts and Society
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Exploration and Travel
In this elective students will explore a variety of texts of exploration and travel.
Students will respond to and compose a range of texts whose purpose is to
document aspects of exploration and travel and consider how personal views and
interests shape documented experience.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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The chosen episodes examine four historically significant European explorations
of Australia Ñ those undertaken by Lasseter, Leichhardt, Burke and Wills and
Kennedy. Each of these men died in the process of learning more about the
nature of the country through exploration of ÔnewÕ terrain.
Hiddins charts the journeys and describes the role of Aboriginals in the
achievements of these explorers.
As an example of the travel genre, it focuses on the notion of travel as
exploration. Hiddins examines the specific places where the explorers ventured
and hypothesises about the difficulties they faced, using his knowledge and
expert survival skills.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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Students will appreciate the beauty and harshness of the Australian landscapes
that are traversed by Hiddins. He retraces the explorersÕ travels to more clearly
highlight their achievements.
The nature and quality of the laconic language employed in the narration is
personable, entertaining and emphasises HiddinsÕ insights into the circumstances
faced by the explorers.
The images are realistic and varied, offering camera viewpoints ranging from the
panoramic to the particular.
Many of the circumstances surrounding these journeys contain elements of
mystery and tragedy that will engage studentsÕ interest and curiosity.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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Students will be able to contrast traditional historical details and texts with the
more practical knowledge that Hiddins presents.
The elements of mystery and tragedy surrounding the explorers will provide
opportunities for analytical and imaginary composition.
Hiddins makes regular reference to diary entries written by the explorers. The
language of the diaries varies considerably and offers students opportunities to
examine different ways of relating travel experiences.
This text affords opportunities for the study of documentary as representation of
fact.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
PRODUCER:
RATING:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Multimedia
Real Wild Child
Real Wild Child Consortium
PG
Standard
Texts and Society
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Consumerism
In this elective students will explore texts that deal with aspects of consumerism in
society. Students will respond to and compose a range of texts related to consumer
activity. They will examine the features of texts that document aspects of
consumerism and the particular ways these texts influence response.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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Inspired by the Powerhouse MuseumÕs exhibition of the same name, Real Wild
Child is an interactive trip through the Australian pop scene from the 1950s to the
late 1990s. The text affirms that popular culture in Australia has its own quality
and can be seen as distinct from some imported varieties.
This text has won 7 AIMIA awards including the Gold Award for Best Multimedia
Product and has been widely praised as a fine realisation of the potential of the
technology of CD-ROM. It offers a fine collection of more than 2000 images, 100
movies and 200 extracts from original recordings from which individuals, groups
and trends can be readily researched.
The representations of popular culture are contextualised by political and
economical information of the period in words, sounds and images. This provides
a rich resource for understanding the ways in which social conditions interrelate
with popular culture.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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Popular culture is generally of interest to students, many of whom have cultivated
a considerable expertise in its contemporary forms. This text introduces them to
the popular cultures of different times and invites them to consider what these
cultures have in common and the ways in which cultures change over time.
The lively, witty presentation of this text engages students and its variety of types
of texts and imaginative links and pathways is highly entertaining.
The text is accessible to a wide range of students and can be navigated quite
easily, even by novices to the medium, as it provides conventional guides as well
as allowing for individual journeys through the history.
continues
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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With its variety of modes, this text enables comparison of the merits of different
modes for different purposes. Within each mode, there are also a wide variety of
texts reflecting different contexts of history and purpose.
The diverse ways in which historical periods have been portrayed provide a richly
textured background against which students can explore and speculate about the
relationships between foregrounded social issues such as politics, economics,
social conditions, and popular culture.
The range of consumer images and texts of persuasion allows for a study of the
ways in which consumerism influences how we live and perceive ourselves.
The interactive nature of the text and the provision of both conventional indexes
and the more innovative ways of moving through the text enable a range of
reading practices to become evident to students. This invites discussion about
different kinds of reading processes and the nature of reading itself.
Annotations of Texts
Prescribed for the First Time
for the
Higher School Certificate
ENGLISH (ADVANCED) COURSE
English Advanced Course
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Film
Clueless
Amy Heckerling
M
Advanced
Comparative Study of Texts and Context
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Transformations
Transformations of texts have occurred for centuries as stories have been adapted to
contemporary situations. The inspiration of the known reflects upon the new, while
the new resonates with the known. This process provides the basis for study in this
elective.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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This film adapts themes and characters from Jane Austen's Emma and sets the
story in a very wealthy household in Beverly Hills.
It is a witty adaptation that takes the themes of Emma and gives them a modern
context.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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Students will enjoy the wit and humour of this film as well as the adolescent
characters and concerns.
A study of the film presents an opportunity to reflect on the cultural contexts of
Emma and Clueless as well as the eternal themes that lie at the centre of both
works.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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Clueless is directed in an overtly ironic way that can be directly compared to
AustenÕs narrative voice in Emma. It offers opportunities to draw such
comparisons and see how irony operates in film.
This film satirises the techniques and dialogue of teen movies as well as casting
a critical eye at such issues as extreme wealth, consumerism and social
responsibility in modern Western society. These are all areas for challenging
teaching and learning.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Film
A Simple Plan
Sam Raimi
M
Advanced
Comparative Study of Texts and Context
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Transformations
Transformations of texts have occurred for centuries as stories have been adapted to
contemporary situations. The inspiration of the known reflects upon the new, while
the new resonates upon the known. This process provides the basis for study in this
elective.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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This film is an adaptation by Scott B Smith of his own novel, published in 1993
but it is compared in this module to a much older tale by Geoffrey Chaucer. It
reflects on the issues of moral responsibility, greed and betrayal.
A Simple Plan has been widely praised for its direction and excellent screenplay.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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A Simple Plan has a plot which will engage students in its suspense and its ironic
twists and turns.
It is an excellent example of the thriller film genre and its techniques.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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A Simple Plan offers an opportunity for reflections on an ancient theme in a
modern context.
It offers opportunities to examine the elements of the moral fable.
It offers opportunities to compare the narrative techniques and characterisation of
the two texts.
It offers opportunities for creation of studentsÕ own texts.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Film
Bladerunner Ð DirectorÕs Cut
Ridley Scott
M
Advanced
Comparative Study of Texts and Context
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: In the Wild
A significant concern for humanity is its relationship with the natural world and its
rhythms. The quality and importance of this relationship can vary across different
times and cultures.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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This film is regarded as a modern classic in the futuristic film genre. It uniquely
marries elements of science fiction and the film noir detective movie.
It imaginatively reflects on future directions of technology and the effects of
technology on the earth and its people.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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Bladerunner utilises a plot and technical effects which will capture studentsÕ
interest.
It allows students to analyse their own society in the light of the issues raised
about technology and the dominance of commercial interests.
The detective framework is appealing for its suspense and mystery.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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Bladerunner offers opportunities to reflect on the techniques of an influential film.
The filmÕs vision of the future offers criticisms of the relationship between humans
and nature.
There are examples of dialogue drawn from identifiable styles such as detective
stories, and there are other fine examples of excellent dialogue that mark key
moments in the film. These speeches represent moments of intense reflection on
the key issues.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Nonfiction
The Explorers
Flannery, Tim (ed)
Advanced
Comparative Study of Texts and Context
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: In the Wild
A significant concern for humanity is its relationship with the natural world and its
rhythms. The quality and importance of this relationship can vary across different
times and cultures.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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The text documents four centuries of exploration, chronicling the moving frontier
between newly arrived Europeans and the Aborigines who had been living on this
continent for thousands of years.
The accounts include those written by men, women, Europeans and Aborigines.
A powerful sense of immediacy is captured by the original writings.
The relationship between the writers and their social, historical and imaginative
contexts is fully explored in the extracts in this anthology.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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The large variety of extracts, as well as the historical breadth of the anthology,
offer flexibility of interest.
The historical breadth also offers scope for discussion of contemporary issues
relating to Australian views of the land.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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The collection of material offers opportunities for the exploration of the language
of nonfiction.
The historical breadth offers opportunities for students to reflect on perspectives
and issues in a present day as well as historical context.
The text offers opportunities for student research and composition.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
MODULE B:
Film
Citizen Kane
Orson Welles
PG
Advanced
Critical Study of Texts
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Drama or Film
Students explore the ways in which this film represents ideas. Students explore the
distinctive qualities of the text and the ways in which values may be realised through
production.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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The influence of the film on later developments in filmmaking was profound.
ÔThe film claims an enduring place in world cinema by its sheer exuberanceÕ. (The
Oxford Companion to Film)
The film techniques that were developed or improved by Welles and his team for
Citizen Kane continue to draw considerable acclaim.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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A fascinating film in terms of its place in film history and its influence on
developments in film.
The presentation, in a non-chronological outline, of an extraordinarily powerful
manÕs life as a study of power and the souring of the American dream.
WellesÕ choice and use of imagery in the film process is particularly significant.
It is an important film study for students as it will require the close examination of
the film in the context of its original audience as well as how it continues to
impact on a contemporary audience.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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The construction of the script was unusual for its time: a series of recollections
presented out of chronological order.
WellesÕ use of wide-angle and deep focus lenses pointed to the development of
action within a single frame.
WellesÕ handling of movement and composition within the frame was essentially
formal and this technique was adopted by most major Hollywood companies until
the advent of post-war neo-realism.
Use of overlapping sound, expressionistic sets and creative montage sequences
provide further opportunities for students to study advances made by Welles in
this film.
TYPES OF TEXT
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE B:
Nonfiction
Speeches
Socrates, et al.
Advanced
Critical Study of Texts
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Nonfiction, Media or Multimedia
Students explore the ways ideas are articulated in the prescribed speeches. They
explore distinctive qualities of each of the speeches and the ways different audiences
shape meaning. Students reflect on the values implied in different responses and in
rhetoric itself.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
DESCRIPTION OF TEXT:
Socrates Ð ÔNo evil can happenÕ,
Cicero Ð ÔAmong us you can dwell no longerÕ,
Abraham Lincoln Ð ÔGovernment of the people, by the people, for the peopleÕ,
Emma Goldman Ð ÔThe political criminal of today must needs be ˆ the saint of the
new ageÕ,
Martin Luther King Ð ÔI have a dreamÕ,
Denise Levertov Ð ÔStatement for a Television ProgramÕ
Margaret Atwood Ð ÔSpotty-Handed VillainessesÕ,
Vaclev Havel Ð ÔA Contaminated Moral EnvironmentÕ,
Paul Keating Ð ÔFuneral Service of the Unknown SoldierÕ,
Noel Pearson Ð ÔAn Australian history for us allÕ
Aung San Suu Kyi Ð ÔOpening Keynote AddressÕ Ð NGO Forum on Women, Beijing,
1995 and
Mary McAleese Ð ÔDefense of Freedom SpeechÕ, 1998.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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This selection of speeches with rhetorical, social, political and/or historical value
are drawn from a range of historical periods and from a variety of sources.
They are noteworthy examples of types of speech-making that had an impact on
their intended audience at the time and in many cases the messages continue to
reverberate with audiences today.
The speeches focus on a range of issues such as the history of our nation, sense
of self, racism, revolution, justice and indigenous rights.
continues
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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The successful appeal of these speeches to a range of audiences in the past
assures their appeal to young adults.
The issues addressed in the speeches are relevant today and are expressed with
conviction and expertise.
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Most communication still relies on speaking and listening so the study of this
most formal form of speaking, and the analysis of its effects on the intended
audience, are valuable for students.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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Students will be able to examine the specific nature of rhetoric and to assess the
effective use and control of language by the speechmaker and writer.
The speeches are each noteworthy for their impact at a given time. Students will
be able to assess whether this impact remains and explore the validity and
importance of this form of traditional oral communication.
The text encourages an understanding and appreciation for the changing nature
and quality of speeches over time in various settings for a variety of purposes.
Students will be able to compose their own speeches and consider the
importance of rhetoric in a range of situations.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
WEB ADDRESS:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Multimedia
ATSIC Website
ATSIC and Grey Interactive
http://www.atsic.gov.au/main.htm
Advanced
Critical Study of Texts
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Nonfiction, Media or Multimedia
In this elective students explore the ways ideas are represented in the text. They
reflect on the significance and effect of its changing form and substance. They
identify and question the effects of devices that define the borders and paths through
texts and consider how these shape meaning.
In the year before the commencement of the HSC course, final details of the site
sections will be given. This information will be published in the July edition of the
Board Bulletin.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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The text provides a wide range of social, political and cultural material, which
clarify issues of importance to all Australians.
The site provides a unique blend of a multitude of types of text.
The site will be monitored and expanded to reflect the range of cultural, political
and social interests of importance to indigenous Australians and to include
additional types of text to increase its value to students.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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The site allows students to explore a text study within the new technology.
This text allows students to explore a wide range of issues particularly important
to indigenous Australians and of specific interest to individual students.
The range of types of text presented on the site will engage the interest of
students.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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The variety of types of text offers a range of opportunities for composition.
The range of registers employed in these texts provides a rich source of
language study.
The purpose of the site and the process of conveying information to a
reader/viewer are significantly different to traditional types of text and invite
discussion of the nature of texts and the reading process.
The site offers opportunities for evaluation and for critical exploration of the
material presented.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE B:
Multimedia
Samplers: Nine Vicious Little Hypertexts
Deena Larsen
Advanced
Critical Study of Texts
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Nonfiction, Media or Multimedia
In this elective students explore the ways ideas are represented in the text. They
reflect on the significance and effect of its changing form and substance. They
identify and question the effects of devices that define the borders and paths through
texts and consider how these shape meaning.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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This narrative tells a series of stories using the new form of hypertext, which
allows a multidimensional narrative construction and is at the cutting edge of
literary technique.
It uses the formal pattern of a quilt as a starting point and as a closure for the
narratives. The narratives can be read in sequential fashion or entered through
the graphic elements of the quilt or by keywords.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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Samplers will appeal to studentsÕ interests in the uses of new technology.
The work allows students to play with elements of stories and create their own
vision of the text.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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Samplers allows students to question and explore basic assumptions about the
nature of narrative.
It offers an opportunity to deconstruct and construct narrative frameworks and
voices.
There are opportunities to create multilayered narratives.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Poetry
Birthday Letters
Ted Hughes
Advanced
Representation and Text
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Telling the Truth
In this elective students consider representations of the truth. They explore the
processes by which statements come to be accepted as true, question who has the
authority to make those statements and examine the ways in which those statements
are explored, tested and endorsed or refuted.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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Birthday Letters is a recently published collection of poems by former Poet
Laureate, Ted Hughes.
The poems have merit as examples of HughesÕ poetic techniques.
The poems have cultural significance as reflections on the controversy
surrounding the marriage between Ted Hughes and the poet Sylvia Plath. This
controversy was (and is) hotly debated in the context of feminist literary criticism
and in the context of biographical interpretations of poetry.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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This collection of poems will interest students of modern poetry as poignant and
powerful portrayals of such themes as love, friendship, betrayal and trust.
This collection of poems will provide some examples of Ted HughesÕ ability to
express the ambiguities and complexities of the human condition.
It offers the opportunity for students to contextualise the writing of poetry, both in
personal and historical terms.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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The poems are excellent examples for close textual study.
The poems provide the opportunity to explore their contexts, as replies to and
reflections on, the poems of Sylvia Plath.
The poems will challenge young peopleÕs ideas about the nature of love.
The study of these poems opens for discussion many issues surrounding literary
debate, research, controversy and the literary ÔindustryÕ. Such a study would
allow students to see the varying interpretations of literature and to judge the
value of a biographical perspective in that interpretation.
TYPE OF TEXT
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Nonfiction
The Justice Game
Geoffrey Robertson
Advanced
Representation and Text
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Telling the Truth
In this elective students consider representations of the truth. They explore the
processes by which statements come to be accepted as true, question who has the
authority to make those statements and examine the ways in which those statements
are explored, tested and endorsed or refuted.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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Geoffrey Robertson is a well-known QC and civil rights advocate.
The text provides a substantial contribution to the debate about the law and
society.
The text explores a series of influential court cases that have had far-reaching
effects.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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•
•
The text allows for analysis of some significant twentieth century court cases.
The text provides insight into the language of the legal system and a personal
commentary on that system.
This erudite and informative text allows students to explore different
interpretations of significant events.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The text invites students to compare the way various media represent events.
The language of the courtroom as portrayed in the text provides opportunities for
close study and composition.
The adversarial nature of the legal dialogue encourages exploration in the
classroom by students and the consideration of alternative models.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Nonfiction
Two Weeks in Lilliput
Steve Vizard
Advanced
Representation and Text
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Powerplay
In this elective students consider representations of and the interplay of types of
power. They analyse portrayals of the powerful, consider how the depiction of
particular relationships provides insight into the nature of politics and consider the
extent to which power resides with the people.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
•
Two Weeks in Lilliput is an account of the 1998 Constitutional Convention, an
important historical event in AustraliaÕs history.
The text provides parallels and allusions to SwiftÕs GulliverÕs Travels.
The text allows students to share in the debate over the republic and to
experience the Constitutional Convention through a first person narrative.
The text demands a high level of analysis and general knowledge.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
The text concerns the future style of government in Australia.
Vizard has made aspects of democracy relevant and meaningful to students
through personal anecdote, descriptions of personalities and use of appropriate
humour.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
•
The episodic/diary style invites studentsÕ own compositions for a range of
purposes and in a variety of forms.
The text supplies opportunities for independent research and comparison with
other media representations of a key event in a significant process in AustraliaÕs
history.
The text encourages comparisons and contrasts with SwiftÕs GulliverÕs Travels.
The variety of registers provides a rich source for investigation of language.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Media
After Mabo
John Hughes
Advanced
Representation and Text
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Powerplay
In this elective students consider representations of and the interplay of types of
power. They analyse portrayals of the powerful, consider how the depiction of
particular relationships provides insight into the nature of politics and consider the
extent to which power resides with the people.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
After Mabo is a documentary that provides a snapshot of the land justice issue in
the couple of years following the historic Mabo decision. It captures a slice of
Australian political history and follows the political processes and events that
have marked the debate and attitudes surrounding Aboriginal land rights and
Reconciliation.
This is a superbly made documentary that uses the medium of film in imaginative
and new ways to portray the structures, processes and language of power.
It is a discussion of political power and, in a self-reflective way, of media power.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
The film gives a larger vision of the complex political events and the competing
moral and economic issues surrounding Aboriginal land rights.
This film provides many insights into political processes and structures and will
make a significant contribution to studentsÕ understanding of the important
aspects of AustraliaÕs government such as the parliamentary system, the impact
of court decisions, democratic rights to meet and protest, political pressure
groups and media representation.
This is a documentary film that demonstrates merit in its use of technique.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
This text can be studied in the historical context of the Mabo decision, the Wik
decision, the hopes for and problems of Reconciliation. It can be seen also in the
broader context of colonial power.
The use of other media material will provide a context for the events portrayed
and a resource for the critiquing of media power.
There are opportunities to study the effective use of film techniques to
communicate complex parallel and overlapping events. For example, conflicting
viewpoints are conveyed by the use of split screen, collage and editing
techniques. Subtitles are used to advance narrative or to focus on the language
of power. Recent and past news items, movie footage and graphics all contribute
to this filmÕs vision.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Film
Life is Beautiful
Roberto Benigni
M
Advanced
Representation and Text
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: History and Memory
In this elective students explore the relationships between individual memory and
documented events and consider the role of personal experience and empathy in the
growth of cultural knowledge.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
Life is Beautiful is a multiple award winning film.
It challenges notions of historical documentation in its portrayal of a personal
perspective on the holocaust.
The first half of the film establishes the pervasiveness of fantasy in life
experience and the second plays out the effects of a particular perspective on the
interpretation of events.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
Warmly engaging characters and persistent comic style appeal to studentsÕ
sense of ridiculous.
These are set against increasing horror and this invites students to consider
events from the naive and innocent perspective of a child as well as from the
more informed comprehension of an adult.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
In its refusal to represent the details of concentration camp life with any
attempted realism, this film makes a clear statement about what is representable
and what is knowable.
Annotations of Texts
Prescribed for the First Time
for the
Higher School Certificate
ENGLISH EXTENSION COURSE 1
English Extension Course 1
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Drama
Medea
Euripides
Extension 1
Genre
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Revenge Tragedy
Revenge tragedy usually concerns an individual faced with a duty of revenge in a
society where the law is unreliable and within the control of the powerful and
protected. Students explore a variety of examples of this genre in a range of
contexts, modes and media.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
This text is a classic Greek tragedy.
It explores the nature of love as well as the nature of vengeance.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
This is a powerful representation of the revenge genre.
Medea's story of love turning to hatred when betrayed is accessible, universal
and engrossing.
It offers many reference points to other texts in this elective.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
•
The characterisation of Medea offers internal conflict as well as
demonstrating the workings of revenge tragedy.
It provides the opportunity to explore and examine revenge genre within the
stylised context of classical Greek theatre. The distinctive nature of Greek
drama provides a variety of opportunities for student composition.
Development of plot, characterisation and structure offer opportunities for
reflection on revenge.
The extreme intensity of the revenge context offers excellent opportunity for
study of revenge itself as psychological construct and moral issue.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE A:
Drama
The Cid
Pierre Corneille
Extension 1
Genre
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Revenge Tragedy
Revenge tragedy usually concerns an individual faced with a duty of revenge in a
society where the law is unreliable and within the control of the powerful and
protected. Students explore a variety of examples of this genre in a range of
contexts, modes and media.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
This classic French tragedy is representative of the concerns and styles of the
period.
An intriguing tale of love, revenge, honour and duty, this play is a key text in the
French canon.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
In its notions of adherence to the unities of time, place and action the play
provides interesting comparison with the other tragedies from Ancient Greece
and England.
The interplay of various emotions is both accessible and interesting.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
•
This tale of recriminations and human strength offers opportunities for student
reflection on what motivates people, and how they act to survive.
It offers excellent opportunities for exploration of the revenge tragedy genre in
structure, characterisation and the range of human emotions developed. This is
achieved by way of comparison as well as contrast to other texts.
In its insistence on the unities of time, place and action, the play offers challenges
to readers familiar with Greek and English manifestations of the genre.
Cultural differences can also be considered in the close study of poetic features.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Film
High Noon
Fred Zinneman
G
Extension 1
Genre
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Revenge Tragedy
Revenge tragedy usually concerns an individual faced with a duty of revenge in a
society where the law is unreliable and within the control of the powerful and
protected. Students explore a variety of examples of this genre in a range of
contexts, modes and media.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
This is a classic Western which was awarded Oscars in 1952 for Best Film and
for Gary Cooper as Best Actor. It also has been the subject of substantial critical
analysis.
The film is a powerful tale of revenge and bravery and can be read as an
allegorical exploration of the apathy and political acceptance of McCarthyism.
The integration of narrative with the filming techniques ensures the dramatic
impact of the film.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
The narrative of High Noon has a strong moral impulse and also engages its
audience in the exploration of human relationships.
The genre of the Western receives excellent treatment in this film and students
respond to the exploration of right and wrong, black and white.
The techniques of this film offer clear statements about the integration of ideas
and image.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The film offers opportunities to explore ideas about revenge tragedy, a European
form adapted to the frontier experience, through the genre of the Western. The
integration of different genres allows for wider exploration of this technique.
The allegorical exploration of the passivity of response to McCarthyism allows for
discussion of film as a medium for exploration of social and political movements.
The film offers opportunities to assess the impact of the adaptation of different
forms in different times and the suitability and effectiveness of these adaptations.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Film
The Big Sleep
Howard Hawks
M
Extension 1
Genre
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Crime Fiction
The genre of crime fiction has mystery as its key element. The mystery and its
solution by rationality and the careful accretion of evidence may be the primary focus
of the text. This invites the responderÕs active involvement in the deduction of the
solution to the crime. The mystery may also be the vehicle for other focuses.
Students explore the variety of the crime fiction genre in a range of contexts, modes
and media.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
This film is an adaptation of the classic novel by Raymond Chandler.
It is regarded as a classic in detective film. It helped to establish the conventions
of the film noir detective movie.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
The Big Sleep will provide students with a historical perspective on a genre that is
very familiar to them in current film and television series.
The Big Sleep will introduce to students early film styles which they may not have
seen before and provide them with a historical perspective on these techniques.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
Students will be introduced to the classic film noir conventions such as the hardboiled detective character, conventions of dialogue, the seamy underworld setting
and its inhabitants.
This text provides the opportunity to learn about notions of genre and auteur and
other concepts relating to the production and appreciation of film.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Prose Fiction
The Skull Beneath the Skin
P D James
Extension 1
Genre
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Crime Fiction
The genre of crime fiction has mystery as its key element. The mystery and its
solution by rationality and the careful accretion of evidence may be the primary focus
of the text. This invites the responderÕs active involvement in the deduction of the
solution to the crime. The mystery may also be the vehicle for other focuses.
Students explore the variety of the crime fiction genre in a range of contexts, modes
and media.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
This novel is a good example of the form of crime fiction written since World War 1
and the use of a woman detective adds complexity to the traditional view of the
genre.
The text provides links to The Duchess of Malfi.
P D JamesÕ work is marked by fine detail and subtle characterisation.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
The unravelling of the murder mystery engages students and provides the basis
for exploration of tension in texts.
The geographical, historical and literary allusions challenge the reader and
encourage further research.
The study of this text allows teachers and students to explore a form of the genre
that remains popular.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
Study of this film leads students to consideration of other texts such as The
Duchess of Malfi.
The text enables students to consider notions of justice including revenge.
It allows for exploration of the blending of generic forms through study and
composition.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Nonfiction
The Essays: A Selection
Michel de Montaigne, translated by M A Screech
Extension 1
Genre
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: The Essay
An essay is a relatively short composition that expresses an opinion. The idea of an
essay derives from Ôto tryÕ, Ôto testÕ or Ôto attemptÕ, terms which imply exploration and
experimentation. Essays range widely over a variety of topics and can vary in tone
from the highly personal, discursive and often humorous to a formal argument
presenting a strong and persuasive thesis on a single topic.
Students explore the variety of the essay form in a range of contexts, modes and
media.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
Michel de Montaigne, the French sixteenth-century essayist and philosopher had
a profound influence in his age, and particularly on the works of writers such as
Shakespeare.
His essay style employs introspection coupled with myriad examples drawn from
his own reading of the Ancients and from Montaigne's contemporary society.
Montaigne draws upon the Renaissance art of rhetoric to examine the social
upheaval of his times and to contemplate a moral framework through which the
world can be seen.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
This will be a rigorous text for study as its language is challenging but it will
complement the study of Elizabethan texts.
Montaigne's essays ponder universal philosophical questions but they also
provide historical and cultural insight into a period of significant social change and
further insights into Renaissance interpretations of stories from the Ancient world.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
This text can be studied in its historical context of the Protestant and Catholic
struggle in France and the Massacre of St Bartholomew's Day. The opportunity is
given to understand better the fusion of Ancient, Christian and new thought and
beliefs that informed the richness of Renaissance thought.
Comparisons can be drawn with modern philosophical texts and with
Shakespeare's transformations of some of Montaigne's ideas into probing
dramatic speeches.
There are opportunities for examining the use of rhetorical technique as well as
opportunities for students to compose such texts themselves.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Nonfiction
Essays of George Orwell
George Orwell
Extension 1
Genre
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: The Essay
An essay is a relatively short composition that expresses an opinion. The idea of an
essay derives from Ôto tryÕ, Ôto testÕ or Ôto attemptÕ, terms which imply exploration and
experimentation. Essays range widely over a variety of topics and can vary in tone
from the highly personal, discursive and often humorous to a formal argument
presenting a strong and persuasive thesis on a single topic.
Students explore the variety of the essay form in a range of contexts, modes and
media.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
George Orwell's work has had profound influence on the twentieth century. His
essays reflect on issues which are significant to twentieth-century society and
which represent excellence in reflective and critical thinking.
The style of his essays is influential in modern journalism.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
Many students already know this author for his fiction and his essays will
enhance their understanding of his views of his time.
The art of the essay has largely been absorbed into journalism and its
recognisable quality engages student interest and provides the basis for
developing understanding of argument.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The essays can be studied in their historical and social context. OrwellÕs
concerns and techniques can be explored by comparisons with other
contemporary texts, such as factual texts from his age or photojournalism.
The essays can be studied as examples of persuasive and reflective language.
There are opportunities to explore Orwell's worldview by using excerpts from his
fictional work.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE A:
Media
Betty ChurcherÕs Take 5
Betty Churcher
Extension 1
Genre
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: The Essay
An essay is a relatively short composition that expresses an opinion. The idea of an
essay derives from Ôto tryÕ, Ôto testÕ or Ôto attemptÕ, terms which imply exploration and
experimentation. Essays range widely over a variety of topics and can vary in tone
from the highly personal, discursive and often humorous to a formal argument
presenting a strong and persuasive thesis on a single topic.
Students explore the variety of the essay form in a range of contexts, modes and
media.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
This is an interesting series of visual essays which looks at a variety of significant
pieces of Australian art or art in some way connected with Australia.
Each essay takes the form of an inquiry into an aspect of the painting such as its
source or composition and thereby gives insight into social, cultural and aesthetic
aspects of art.
Betty Churcher is a former Director of the National Gallery of Australia.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
These essays are accessible and give insight into art and artists.
They demonstrate the use of the essay genre in a visual form.
Through the exploration of a number of pieces of art stimulated by a particular
point of interest in origin or composition, this text provides interesting insights into
the nature of art.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The text offers many points of reference in regard to the essay form and invites
questions about where generic boundaries lie and how genres are adapted to
different times, modes and media.
It offers many opportunities for reflection on the arts and their relationship to
history and culture.
The multiplicity of forms and images offers a variety of opportunities for student
research and composition.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Media
Pride and Prejudice
Simon Langton
G
Extension 1
Texts and Ways of Thinking
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: The Individual and Society
The concept of the individual appears to suggest difference, autonomy and
independence from social institutions. Students explore the position of individuals
within social institutions, the conflict between the individualÕs sense of self and social
convention, and the individual as an agent for self-determination.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
This television series is an adaptation of Jane AustenÕs novel of the same name
and while true to the ideas of the novel, it succeeds in conveying a modern and
relevant view of the nature of society and the place of the individual in it.
This witty and lively adaptation is typical of the genre of BBC popularisation of the
English canon and uses video techniques with thought and imagination.
There is a strong body of critical material on the transformation of Jane AustenÕs
novels into film and media texts.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
The warmth, wit and insight in the presentation of the variety of relationships
allow immediate response and empathy in students.
The historical context of the video, as well as the beautiful settings and
costuming, succeed in capturing the interest.
The modernity of the presentation of relationships ensures the relevance of the
study.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The video offers many opportunities to explore a variety of individuals coming to
understand their role and position in society.
The ironic voice of the narrative undergoes an interesting transfer from the novel
to the video and this aspect of the text offers many challenges.
The technical qualities of the video are designed to support and enhance the
narrative and its concerns, and this offers opportunities for study of the
relationship between these areas.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Prose Fiction
The Portrait of a Lady
Henry James
Extension 1
Texts and Ways of Thinking
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: The Individual and Society
The concept of the individual appears to suggest difference, autonomy and
independence from social institutions. Students explore the position of individuals
within social institutions, the conflict between the individualÕs sense of self and social
convention, and the individual as an agent for self-determination.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
Henry James is recognised as a major literary figure of the late nineteenth
century and The Portrait of a Lady is critically regarded as one of his finest works.
The novel represents significant developments of the Ômodern novelÕ as well as
harking back to the conventions of the nineteenth century novel.
The novel is embedded in the culture of its age, drawing some comparisons
between American, English and European values. There are many reflections on
the role of women and on marriage.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
For the student of literature this work offers significant insights into the
development of the novel as well as its history and influences.
The novel also offers students insight into this historical period, its custom and
culture.
It offers a searching exploration of the relations between men and women in that
society and of issues surrounding marriage and love, innocence and knowledge,
delusion and truth.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
This text offers opportunities for exploring the development of the novel and
critical views of its significance. Key points of investigation would include: the
development of the narrative and the Ôcentre of consciousnessÕ; the influence of
the Gothic; the role of melodrama; ambiguity and the emerging modern
sensibility; comparisons with prior and later narratives.
Many of the issues raised will lead to reflections on studentsÕ own cultural values
and there is the opportunity to draw comparisons between James and the views
of his contemporaries as well as between James and more current viewpoints.
Textual comparisons could also include a comparison of the novelÕs techniques
to those of the film of the novel.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Prose Fiction
Possession
A. S. Byatt
Extension 1
Texts and Ways of Thinking
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Postmodernism
Postmodernism involves the playful challenge of fundamental principles and
assumptions about the nature of texts. By highlighting the conventions and clichŽs of
the forms and functions of texts, accepted notions of originality, authorship and the
nature of representation are challenged.
Students explore different aspects and notions of representation and question
accepted formal distinctions of texts.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
•
This 1990 Booker Prize winning novel presents a vivid journey through Victorian
Literature.
Possession is a literary detective story of epic proportions to contrast with more
traditional tales in this genre.
Possession could be studied as a text on Victorian poetry as well as a literary
whodunit.
This text has the excitement of a thriller but the context is a literary chase.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
Possession enables students to appreciate and be critical of the literary
biography form.
The nature of ÔpossessionÕ is explored in an ingenious and humane way.
Possession provides for an innovative approach to the appreciation of Victorian
poetry.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The novel encourages the exploration of the blending of genres in a single text.
The created Victorian poetry and letter writing of the text allows students to
explore the impact of the language forms used and invites further reading of
Victorian poetry and biography.
The novel invites composition in blending a range of textual forms.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Prose Fiction
The French Lieutenant's Woman
John Fowles
Extension 1
Texts and Ways of Thinking
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Postmodernism
Postmodernism involves the playful challenge of fundamental principles and
assumptions about the nature of texts. By highlighting the conventions and clichés of
the forms and functions of texts, accepted notions of originality, authorship and the
nature of representation are challenged. Students explore different aspects and
notions of representation and question accepted formal distinctions of texts.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
This internationally best-selling book broke new ground in narrative techniques in
the postmodern era. It is a Victorian novel overlayed with a modern
understanding of the age.
The French Lieutenant's Woman portrays Victorian social structures and
Victorian attitudes to morality and pits them against twentieth-century
sensibilities.
It plays with narrative devices to question the authority of the author and establish
a consciousness of technique and alternative narratives.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
The novel tells a love story that is compelling in its Victorian setting. At the same
time, its self-referential techniques challenge students to think beyond the
narrative. This is a frame of mind that current students are very familiar with as
they choose their own adventure or narrative in modern texts such as multimedia
texts.
This novel requires students to understand aspects of Victorian culture and to
view these aspects as the novel does, with historical hindsight.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
•
The novel can be taught in the broader context of postmodernism and brings
students to an understanding of where such modern sensibilities come from and
how they contrast to the sensibilities of other ages and cultures.
The deconstruction of the novel will involve close examination of the role of
narrator and could be compared to other narrators in other texts. Fowles' use of
the epigraph can be examined as a method of framing the narrative.
The historical setting can be explored, with its references to the changes of the
coming twentieth century.
Fowles' adoption of Victorian language is a rich source of study.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Film
Orlando
Sally Potter
PG
Extension 1
Texts and Ways of Thinking
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Postmodernism
Postmodernism involves the playful challenge of fundamental principles and
assumptions about the nature of texts. By highlighting the conventions and clichŽs of
the forms and functions of texts, accepted notions of originality, authorship and the
nature of representation are challenged.
Students explore different aspects and notions of representation and question
accepted formal distinctions of texts.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
This text is a film adaptation of the work of the same name by Virginia Woolf.
This study of social change over 400 years is presented through the eyes of
Orlando who lives through that entire period experiencing life in different social
classes and through different genders. This device allows for an exploration of
the cultures of different times, particularly in terms of the effects of gender on
power and wealth.
This exploration, while a highly stylised and detached presentation, is richly visual
and intensely aesthetic.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
This historical tour is conducted in blocks of 50-year periods, and offers a variety
of times, styles and cultural concerns.
The conscious artificiality and richly aesthetic language, sounds and images is
quite wonderful and highly pleasurable.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
•
The adaptation of a written text to the screen enables the study of different
modes of representation.
The sequential collocation of literary genres and styles in their historic context
provides a literary and historic overview as well as a rich resource for close study.
Gender change in plot and representation invites discussion of the role of gender
in society and consideration of other influences on culture.
The self-referential aspects of the text continually question the nature of
representation, composition and response.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Prose Fiction
The Shipping News
E. Annie Proulx
Extension 1
Texts and Ways of Thinking
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Retreat from the Global
In the late twentieth century the notion of universal truths may seem to be given
practical application through the erosion of traditional boundaries and the
globalisation of communications. As time and distance are collapsed into the
immediate and local, knowledge can be seen as at once global and local and
simultaneously freed from and limited by the laws of time.
Students explore the relationships between the global and the local and the
significance of these relationships to our understanding of the world.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
This novel received the Irish Times International Fiction Prize, the National Book
Award and the Pulitzer Prize.
This is a story of an emotionally devastated escapee from city life who, in his
desperation not to fail his children, undergoes psychological and spiritual growth
in a desolate part of Newfoundland.
ProulxÕs portrayal of the locality is highly evocative and the characters she draws
are subtle and complex.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
The importance of place and local community in defining individuality is
touchingly explored and given relevance in this novel.
Students will find study of the role of the eccentric very worthwhile as inspiration
for self-knowledge.
The individual style of the novel reflects its characters and concerns most
effectively.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The novel provides an opportunity to explore the place of the eccentric in a small
isolated community.
It offers opportunities to explore the use of an extended narrative to create an
intimate understanding of the process of change within an individual.
The style of the novel offers interesting opportunities for language study.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Prose Fiction
The Bone People
Keri Hulme
Extension 1
Texts and Ways of Thinking
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Retreat from the Global
In the late twentieth century the notion of universal truths may seem to be given
practical application through the erosion of traditional boundaries and the
globalisation of communications. As time and distance are collapsed into the
immediate and local, knowledge can be seen as at once global and local and
simultaneously freed from and limited by the laws of time.
Students explore the relationships between the global and the local and the
significance of these relationships to our understanding of the world.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
•
The Bone People is a powerful and challenging novel set in a marginal coastal
community on the South Island of New Zealand.
Through the complex and often painful relationship of the three main characters,
Kerewin, Joe and Joe's autistic son, Simon, the author engages the themes of
alienation and integration.
In its exploration of dispossession, the book foreshadows the work of other Maori
writers such as Alan Duff.
The Bone People won the Booker Prize in 1985.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
The text explores the nature of identity within a society where traditional values
have eroded.
The text is both poetic and confronting and will evoke thoughtful responses from
students as they engage its central themes.
It will enable students to consider similar themes in the Australian context, while
making connections with the universal.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The alternation of narrative and reflection, the use of dialogue, and the lyrical
description of the natural world will encourage student experimentation in their
own writing.
A feature of the book is the use of Maori as an integral part of the text, both
reinforcing the erosion of the traditional culture and pointing a way to the future.
The text provides a rich source for the investigation of language and ideas.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Prose Fiction
The Lost Salt Gift of Blood
Alistair Macleod
Extension 1
Texts and Ways of Thinking
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Retreat from the Global
In the late twentieth century the notion of universal truths may seem to be given
practical application through the erosion of traditional boundaries and the
globalisation of communications. As time and distance are collapsed into the
immediate and local, knowledge can be seen as at once global and local and
simultaneously freed from and limited by the laws of time.
Students explore the relationships between the global and the local and the
significance of these relationships to our understanding of the world.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
The stories in this collection are spare understated evocations of a remote place,
offering descriptions and experiences different to those of most students.
The stories focus upon the harshness of the environment and the difficulty of
earning a living.
The emotions created in the stories are intensely felt and powerfully drawn.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
These stories allow for the exploration of the isolation of the individual and
notions of personal integrity and loyalty.
They allow for the examination of the short story form, through powerfully evoked
subject matter and sense of place.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
This collection allows students to examine the ways in which the writer perceives
and portrays a sense of place.
Students will be challenged to formulate and articulate their ideas on the creation
of a narrative voice.
The qualities of prose provide opportunities for analysis and stimulus for
composition.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Film
The Castle
Rob Sitch
Extension 1
Texts and Ways of Thinking
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Retreat from the Global
In the late twentieth century the notion of universal truths may seem to be given
practical application through the erosion of traditional boundaries and the
globalisation of communications. As time and distance are collapsed into the
immediate and local, knowledge can be seen as at once global and local and
simultaneously freed from and limited by the laws of time.
Students explore the relationships between the global and the local and the
significance of these relationships to our understanding of the world.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
This box office success won the Australian Film Institute Award for the best
screenplay.
The satire celebrates the mundane, true-blue suburban family while exploring
important legal principles.
Its depiction of the triumph of the battler and his backyard over the institution and
its gateway to the world raises questions about the effects of globalisation on
humanity.
NEEDS AND INTEREST OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
The topical situation, easily recognisable characters and humour are immediately
engaging.
The text relates local interest to the issues of the elective.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The satire of both global and local institutions provide opportunities for critical
exploration of particular ways of thinking.
The low budget, televisual style of the film allows students to make direct
connections between form and subject matter.
The economic history of the film (the reported rejection of the film and its
provincialism by all major American distributors and its ultimate acquisition by
Miramax on the strength of audience response) raises questions about the nature
of text as art and text as product, particularly in the context of this elective.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Nonfiction
A History of Reading
Manguel, Alberto
Extension 1
Language and Values
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Acts of Reading and Writing
In this elective students explore the ways in which different assumptions about
reading and writing affect the language of texts. Students consider how language
shapes the relationships among readers, writers and texts.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
•
This is a scholarly yet readable exploration of the history and processes of
reading.
It explores the imaginative, emotional, learning and other experiences involved in
reading.
It explores the social context of the history and processes of reading.
From Ancient Greece to codex and beyond, the broad scope of the text offers a
fascinating survey.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
The text allows for an exploration of the relationship between language, reading
and context.
It offers the chance for students to reflect on their own reading and the contexts
of their reading.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The text allows for language and value to be pursued in a number of social,
political and historical contexts.
It provides background for posing searching questions about reading and writing,
enabling critical interrogation of these processes.
The text offers opportunities for student composition and research.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Prose Fiction
If On a WinterÕs Night A Traveller
Italo Calvino
Extension 1
Language and Values
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Acts of Reading and Writing
In this elective students explore the ways in which different assumptions about
reading and writing affect the language of texts. Students consider how language
shapes the relationships among readers, writers and texts.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
The author is a winner of the prestigious Premio Feltrinelli literary award.
In its preoccupation with story telling, the text plays with narrative forms in
inventive ways.
It is a contemporary work, yet classic in tone and theme.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
As the chief protagonists are the reader and writer, this text has immediate direct
appeal to the students reading it.
The text allows for exploration of fiction through fiction, in an ingenious series of
open-ended puzzles that invite response.
Students are drawn into a dialogue with the writer, which demands a response.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
•
The inventive manipulation of narrative invites the questioning of the role of the
narrative in texts and in our own lives.
The narrative technique of this text invites comparison with other more
conventional texts.
The text provides a sound model for experimental writing.
The establishment of levels of intimacy between writer and reader allows
students to explore this technique through their own compositions.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Prose Fiction
Letters to Alice
Fay Weldon
Extension 1
Language and Values
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Acts of Reading and Writing
In this elective students explore the ways in which different assumptions about
reading and writing affect the language of texts. Students consider how language
shapes the relationships among readers, writers and texts.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
This sequence of letters to (an imaginary) niece provides marvellous insight into
the craft of writing, both in the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries.
As a tribute to Jane Austen, the text provides insight into her personal, cultural
and historical context as well as being a witty and thoughtful piece in itself.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
•
Unique exploration of the act of fiction, as well as the process of reading.
Students gain an understanding of writing and an opportunity to reflect on their
own writing/composition.
Spans all the concerns of the elective.
For extension students contemplating the major work, this text provides an
excellent opportunity for reflection on their own work. It also offers excellent
opportunities to reflect on other electives and the core in the Advanced Course.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The form of the text offers teaching opportunities to reflect and write about
reading itself.
Discussion of a writerÕs motivations and concerns as well as social and historical
references allows for work on context.
The text offers excellent opportunities for students to reflect on themselves as
writers.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Multimedia
Patchwork Girl
Shelley Jackson
Extension 1
Language and Values
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Acts of Reading and Writing
In this elective students explore the ways in which different assumptions about
reading and writing affect the language of texts. Students consider how language
shapes the relationships among readers, writers and texts.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
This narrative tells a series of stories using the new form of hypertext, which
allows a multidimensional narrative construction and is at the cutting edge of
literary technique.
It adapts elements of Mary ShelleyÕs Frankenstein and creates a modern Gothic
tale that includes diagrammatic and graphic elements as part of its narrative.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
•
Patchwork Girl will meet studentsÕ interests in the uses of new technology.
The work allows students to create their own vision of the text.
It reconstructs the conventions of the Gothic genre.
The transformation of Mary ShelleyÕs Frankenstein reanimates clichŽd aspects of
the novel.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
Patchwork Girl offers an opportunity to deconstruct and construct narrative
frameworks and voices.
Its links with and transformations of aspects of the original text of Frankenstein
invite questions about such issues as the effects of context on meaning, the
nature of genre and creativity and the relationship between the creator and the
work.
A study of the relationship between the creator and the work provides the basis
for an exploration of the metaphor of textual creation which pervades Patchwork
Girl and so allows students to explore ideas about composing and responding.
TYPES OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Prose
The Picador Book of Sports Writing
Nick Coleman and Nick Hornby (eds)
Extension 1
Language and Values
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: The Language of Sport
In this elective students explore the linguistic features of texts about sport. They
consider the assumptions about the nature of sporting prowess, any distinctions
based on biological or sociocultural characteristics and the significance of sport and
sporting achievement within society.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
•
The text draws from traditional sportswriters and writers inspired by the sports
they love.
It covers a wide range of sports and the ways they are viewed in different
contexts.
It captures the emotions of sport as well as the nature/spirit of sport itself.
The text allows for the consideration of the role of sport in society.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
The variety of sports and types of writer provides breadth of material as well as
breadth of interest.
With recollections, descriptions, accounts and so on, the text offers a range of
material for the discussion of the language of sport.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The extremely wide variety of styles offers opportunities to explore the language
of sportswriting.
The text provides opportunities for student research and their own composition.
It provides opportunities to compare the approaches in this anthology with other
sources, such as film, television, biographies, ghost writing, magazines,
instructions and so on.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHORS:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Media
The Games
John Clarke and Ross Stevenson
Extension 1
Language and Values
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: The Language of Sport
In this elective students explore the linguistic features of texts about sport. They
consider the assumptions about the nature of sporting prowess, any distinctions
based on biological or sociocultural characteristics and the significance of sport and
sporting achievement within society.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND/OR CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
The Games was created to highlight the dangers of assuming the unquestioned
value of Australia hosting the Olympic Games. It is a critical examination of
Australian attitudes to sport.
The nature and quality of the satirical language of the script and of the production
require and deserve careful analysis.
The topical nature of the Olympic Games will remain for a number of years after
2000. This text provides an opportunity to utilise the studentsÕ knowledge and
memory of the event.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF STUDENTS:
•
•
•
Students will appreciate the satirical nature of the language employed in the
program.
The Games will take on an interesting historical perspective as a post-Games
study. Students will be able to assess the effectiveness of the satire as a
contemporary and reflective study.
Students need to recognise that the language of sport is not limited to the playing
fields or the reviews of sports played; it possesses a political voice. The Games
features this element of the use of language of sport.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING/LEARNING:
•
•
•
Students will be challenged to compare examples, drawn directly from the media,
of language created to promote the Olympic Games with the language employed
to create the satire in this program.
The administration and politics of sport has a language of its own that is
highlighted through the satire used in this program The text can be linked with
other text sources such as the Australian Sports Commission.
Language use, as it relates to sport, is subtly employed in this program and this
provides opportunities for interesting and challenging discussion and debate
about its capacity to convey meaning. It will provide interesting opportunities for a
range of different types of student composition.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
COURSE:
MODULE C:
Film
When We Were Kings
Robert Gast
Extension 1
Language and Values
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: The Language of Sport
In this elective students explore the linguistic features of texts about sport. They
consider the assumptions about the nature of sporting prowess, any distinctions
based on biological or sociocultural characteristics and the significance of sport and
sporting achievement within society.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
This is a powerful and engrossing documentary on the boxing phenomenon
Muhammed Ali, focusing on the fight against George Foreman in Zaire in 1974.
This text won Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
The text is a fascinating, engrossing and dramatic representation.
It contains interviews, music and multiple viewpoints from people such as
Norman Mailer, Don King and Spike Lee. This variety develops interest and
creates atmosphere.
The text explores the language of sport in dialogue, metaphor, film and
commentary.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
•
This film explores the language of sport through film, dialogue, interview,
metaphor, jargon and commentary.
It offers students the opportunity to reflect on the relationship of sport to society,
national issues and change.
By confirming dominant cultural beliefs in its structure and production, the film
provides opportunities to explore the relationships between gender and sport,
sport and politics, and cultural product and ideology.
It also offers excellent points of reference for student research and composition,
and to other texts in this elective.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Nonfiction
A Good Walk Spoiled: Days and Nights on the PGA Tour
John Feinstein
Extension 1
Language and Values
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: The Language of Sport
In this elective students explore the linguistic features of texts about sport. They
consider the assumptions about the nature of sporting prowess, any distinctions
based on biological or sociocultural characteristics and the significance of sport and
sporting achievement within society.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
This acclaimed behind-the-scenes account of a turbulent year on the USPGA
tour won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 1995.
It captures the pressures, the triumphs and the failures in a wonderful portrait
written with clarity, insight and flair.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
Although focused on one sport, the author is a sports journalist and offers an
accessible, exciting insight into sport and professional players.
This text interacts well with other prescribed texts and the multitude of texts
available elsewhere.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The journalistic style, which relates to all sports, offers scope for exploration of
the language and metaphor of sport.
The textÕs blend of narrative and commentary offers points of reference to other
texts, and to the particular relationship established between sports writers and
their audience.
It offers opportunity for student research into other sports and similar texts as well
as scope for students' own composition.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Nonfiction
You Just DonÕt Understand
Deborah Tannen
Extension 1
Language and Values
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Gendered Language
In this elective students explore the relationships between gender and the
conventions, proprieties and practices of expression. They consider the nature of the
influence of social roles and expectations and examine the relationships between
power, gender and language.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
The text analyses language in action in todayÕs society.
It explores and explains the differing patterns of male and female talk and
considers the influence of gender on language.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
The text models language analysis with ample original material.
It draws from everyday experience and situations.
Examples of both male and female talk/dialogue make the text useful, varied and
accessible.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
The use of transcripts of everyday conversations offers opportunities for close
study, reflection and composition.
The text offers much material to discuss, analyse and use as starting points for
student research and composition.
It provides opportunities to reflect on the relationships of gender to language use.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
DIRECTOR:
RATING:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Film
Elizabeth
Shekar Kapur
MA
Extension 1
Language and Values
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Gendered Language
In this elective students explore the relationships between gender and the
conventions, properties and practices of expression. They consider the nature of the
influence of social roles and expectations and examine the relationships among
power, gender and language.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND/OR CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
•
Cate Blanchett has received many film awards for her portrayal of the imperious
yet fragile historical figure of Elizabeth I. The film examines the more vulnerable
period of ElizabethÕs life.
The text examines the role of women in the English monarchy. Initially even her
statesmen hold the position that Ôeven Her MajestyÕs body is no longer her own
propertyÕ.
The film explores a QueenÕs view of her world in the sixteenth century, an
especially turbulent period of English history as a result of the continuing
reformation, and the issues of rule and gender.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF STUDENTS:
•
•
•
The film examines a little-known period of Elizabeth IÕs life and the manner of her
survival both from the forces of Catholicism and the patriarchal nature of rule in
England.
The visual elements and motifs of the film are outstanding. Many of these images
deal directly with aspects of gender and power.
The film explores the challenge for this young woman to both be queen and find
love; the choice between public life and personal contentment.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING/LEARNING:
•
•
•
While the film is concerned with Elizabeth I in particular, two other women are
contrasted with her Ñ Mary, her half-sister Mary of Guise, whose growing power
was a threat to Elizabeth. Each woman provides quite different representations of
a woman in a position of political power.
ElizabethÕs dialogue is shaped to highlight the gendered roles that she must
overcome to succeed against mounting attacks on her position of authority. She
states that she must Ôbecome a manÕ.
The film emphasises the special difficulties for Elizabeth that result from gender
stereotyping and her response to these challenges. She is portrayed as a woman
forced by circumstances to become ruthless and violent.
Annotations of Texts
Prescribed for the First Time
for the
Higher School Certificate
ENGLISH (ESL) COURSE
English ESL Course
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHORS:
COURSE:
AREA OF STUDY:
Prose fiction
Only the Heart
Brian Caswell and David Phu An Chiem
ESL
Perspectives
DESCRIPTION OF AREA OF STUDY:
This area of study explores the ways in which different perspectives shape
understanding of the world. Perceptions are influenced by individuality, personal
history and culture. Viewing events from different perspectives can uncover some of
these influences and the ways their effects can remain unrecognised or
misunderstood. Close language study and experimenting with different language
choices assist us to understand the ways language shapes and expresses
perceptions.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
•
•
This novel highlights the hopes, fears and tears of a family forced to flee war and
oppression, in search of freedom and a new life in Australia.
It provides insight into the social upheaval in the aftermath of the war in Vietnam,
but the theme is the universal one of the effects of war and dislocation on families
and individuals.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
The text is accessible to students of English as a Second Language as the
language is straightforward, while both teenagers and adults from all
backgrounds will relate to the themes and content.
For those students who have themselves been refugees, this novel will have a
ring of authenticity. Its study will also enable their fellow-students to understand
not only what they have been through, but how this has influenced their present
attitudes and experiences.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
•
Study of this text helps students to analyse and understand the effects of war and
dislocation on families and individuals.
Students can identify and learn to use the language and textual features involved
in writing from different points of view.
The text provides a variety of models for the study of narrative.
The issues raised through the text provide many opportunities for discussion and
the expression of a range of opinions.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHORS:
COURSE:
AREA OF STUDY:
Prose Fiction
Gracey
James Maloney
ESL
Perspectives
DESCRIPTION OF AREA OF STUDY:
This area of study explores the ways in which different perspectives shape
understanding of the world. Perceptions are influenced by individuality, personal
history and culture. Viewing events from different perspectives can uncover some of
these influences and the ways their effects can remain unrecognised or
misunderstood. Close language study and experimenting with different language
choices assist us to understand the ways language shapes and expresses
perceptions.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
• Gracey is a narrative by a non-Aboriginal author. It is the second book of a trilogy.
It is about a young Aboriginal girl who is searching for her identity and becomes
embroiled in the exhumation of an aboriginal burial site.
• Winner of the Multicultural ChildrenÕs Literature Award 1995; Honour book CBCA
Book of the Year 1995; Commended Family Award for ChildrenÕs Literature 1995
• Examines racial tension in a small town and long-buried truths about Aboriginal
history. The text raises issues about the processes of recording history.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
•
•
•
•
Offers a text that is uncomplicated in its style but complicated in its message.
Offers a lateral examination of the trilogy.
Gracey is a popular text already purchased by many schools.
Provides teachers with opportunity to examine, with their ESL students, a range
of Aboriginal issues as well as a range of Aboriginal English.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
•
•
•
Combines two narrative voices of the characters Ð Gracey and Dougie.
Provides opportunities for an examination of perspective and social position of
character.
Provides opportunities to examine important contemporary social issues such as
Reconciliation, racism, isolation, identity, the family and differences in cultural
sensitivities.
TYPE OF TEXT:
TITLE:
AUTHORS:
COURSE:
AREA OF STUDY:
Poetry
Imagined Corners
Ken Watson (ed) Poet: Miroslav Holub
ESL
Perspectives
DESCRIPTION OF AREA OF STUDY:
This area of study explores the ways in which different perspectives shape
understanding of the world. Perceptions are influenced by individuality, personal
history and culture. Viewing events from different perspectives can uncover some of
these influences and the ways their effects can remain unrecognised or
misunderstood. Close language study and experimenting with different language
choices assist us to understand the ways language shapes and expresses
perceptions.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
POEMS:
Miroslav Holub
ÔBrief Reflection on AccuracyÕ, ÔBrief Thoughts on ExactnessÕ, ÔBrief Reflection on
LaughterÕ, ÔBrief Thoughts on LaughterÕ, ÔBrief Thoughts on a Test-TubeÕ, ÔBrief
Reflection on Test-tubesÕ, ÔMinotaurÕs Thoughts on PoetryÕ, ÔThe MinotaurÕs Thoughts
on PoetryÕ.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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Miroslav Holub is one of the most highly regarded of contemporary Czech poets
and is a recognised voice of sustained cultural expression during times of
repression.
His blend of literary and scientific perspectives raises broad philosophic questions
about human experience.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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The range of views, beliefs and emotions that are explored in the poems will
engage students.
The simple language of the poetry makes accessible significant metaphysical
questions.
The comparative study of translations has direct relevance to ESL studentsÔ own
experiences of English, focusing on their distinctive strengths in relation to the
rest of the candidature and affirming the value of multilingualism.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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The poems pose interesting language challenges for students as different
translations of the same poem provide different insights. The ways in which
meaning changes from the world of the poet to the world of the reader provide
many possibilities for study.
The range of perspectives that may be examined is extensive Ñ that of the poet,
the reader and the translators.
The ideas of the poems invite response to, discussion of and speculation about
significant issues and the composition of a wider range of texts.
TYPE OF TEXT
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COURSE:
AREA OF STUDY:
Media
Through Australian Eyes
William Fitzwater
ESL
Perspectives
DESCRIPTION OF AREA OF STUDY:
This area of study explores the ways in which different perspectives shape
understanding of the world. Perceptions are influenced by individuality, personal
history and culture. Viewing events from different perspectives can uncover some of
these influences and the ways their effects can remain unrecognised or
misunderstood. Close language study and experimenting with different language
choices assist us to understand the ways language shapes and expresses
perceptions.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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This is a significant documentary television series made in Australia during the
1980s which highlights the changes to families resulting from migration.
The series records the experiences of young people born in Australia on first
seeing the homeland of their parents.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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Young adults in the ESL course will identify with the experiences of the young
Australians influenced by two cultures.
Older candidates as well as young people will appreciate the unbiased analysis of
the cultural differences between the old countries and the new, and between the
different generations within each of the families.
Each episode in the series looks at a different cultural background and helps
develop intercultural understanding in the classroom.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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Study of the series stimulates discussion of many issues relating to migration,
resettlement, traditions, and interpersonal relationships.
This study helps students to analyse and express different points of view both
orally and in writing.
The series provides a basis for intensive study of the language, forms and
conventions of dialogue, narrative and visual communication.
TYPE OF TEXT:
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AREA OF STUDY:
Nonfiction
The Stolen Children: Their Stories
Carmel Bird (ed)
ESL
Perspectives
DESCRIPTION OF AREA OF STUDY:
This area of study explores the ways in which different perspectives shape
understanding of the world. Perceptions are influenced by individuality, personal
history and culture. Viewing events from different perspectives can uncover some of
these influences and the ways their effects can remain unrecognised or
misunderstood. Close language study and experimenting with different language
choices assist us to understand the ways language shapes and expresses
perceptions.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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The text gives a series of perspectives on the experiences of the Stolen
Generations of Aborigines.
Adults stolen as children tell their own stories of separation, an important
historical record of personal experience.
These individual accounts are supplemented by a variety of other texts including
extracts from Hansard, speeches, media commentary and relevant parts of the
official report, ÔBringing Them Home.Õ
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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The stories of the Stolen Generations make compelling reading. Although all are
about the experience of being removed from family and culture, there is no sense
of sameness.
Most stories are submissions to the national inquiry into the separation of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families and are in the
words of those who experienced what they relate. Other stories are retold by
another person or have been published previously in other contexts. The book
also contains extracts from Hansard and reactions to the report by academics
and community leaders, so students will be able to see how different perspectives
influence expression.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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This text offers a range of perspectives and types of texts relating to a single
issue. This enables the study of language with particular consideration of different
audiences and purposes.
The varying perspectives provide opportunities for discussion of issues,
construction of argument with substantial supporting evidence, and composition
of a wide variety of texts.
TYPE OF TEXT:
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MODULE:
Prose Fiction
The China Coin
Allan Baillie
ESL
Experience through Language
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Telling Stories
In this elective students explore the various ways that narrative is used to engage
audience interest in a range of modes, media and situations. They examine one
prescribed text in addition to other examples of narrative in their lives to explore the
uses and conventions of narrative and the ways in which elements of narration
promote involvement. They also consider how narrative shapes our perceptions of
others and the world.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
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This is a novel written for young adults by a recognised Australian author.
The story is set in the context of real events of international significance which
have had an impact on many Australians.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE
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The main characterÕs efforts to trace her family connections in her parentsÕ
country of birth illustrate a theme common to the experience of many Australians.
The way the story recounts events leading up to the student protests in Tien an
Minh Square from the personal perspective of the main character will be of
interest to many students.
The language of the text is not difficult and should be accessible to ESL
candidates.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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The text provides a useful stimulus for discussion of significant world events, and
highlights the importance of point of view in recounting these events.
The story is a good example of a narrative told from the point of view of one
character.
Study of this text provides a range of opportunities for analysis of narrative
structure and offers many good starting points for students' own writing.
TYPE OF TEXT:
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EDITORS:
COURSE:
MODULE:
Poetry
Snapshots of Planet Earth
Richardson, Watson and Gill
ESL
Experience through Language
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Telling Stories
In this elective students explore the various ways that narrative is used to engage
audience interest in a range of modes, media and situations. They examine one
prescribed text in addition to other examples of narrative in their lives to explore the
uses and conventions of narrative and the ways in which elements of narration
promote involvement. They also consider how narrative shapes our perceptions of
others and the world.
BALLADS AND STORIES:
Anon, The Streets of Laredo; Gerda Mayer, Ballad; Robert Hayden, Unidentified
Flying Object; Henry Lawson, Faces in the Street; Charles Causley, What has
Happened to Lulu; Emily Bronte, Song.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
• The ballad is a traditional form of story telling that highlights the oral nature of the
genre.
• Its established structure and patterns enable accessible close study of poetry.
• The variety of the collection presents a range of approaches to the form and
provides indications for directions for studentsÕ wider exploration of the elective
topic.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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Students respond to the powerful rhythms of the genre and benefit from oral
performance of ballads.
The strong story-line engages interest and the traditional nature provides a sound
basis on which to develop understanding of the narrative.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITES:
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The variety of poets and approaches to a conventional form of story telling
provides a range of opportunities to explore the diverse possibilities of narrative.
Students can explore cultural differences in story telling.
The text provides clear structures and a range of opportunities for composition.
TYPE OF TEXT:
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RATING:
COURSE:
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Film
Cinema Paradiso
Giuseppe Tornatore
PG
ESL
Experience through Language
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Telling Stories
In this elective students explore the various ways that narrative is used to engage
audience interest in a range of modes, media and situations. They examine one
prescribed text in addition to other examples of narrative in their lives to explore the
uses and conventions of narrative and the ways in which elements of narration
promote involvement. They also consider how narrative shapes our perceptions of
others and the world.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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This film has won many awards, the most famous of which is the Oscar for Best
Foreign Film in 1990.
Its nostalgic treatment of childhood memories becomes a celebration of the
cinema.
Its comic and warm-hearted treatment of Italian village life is rich with eccentric
characters and poignant situations.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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The coming-of-age drama and the romantic interest are of immediate appeal.
The glimpses of movies from different times and cultures and the audiencesÔ
responses to them offer an interesting variety of texture.
The English subtitles are very accessible.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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Narrative technique is highlighted in the film through the use of flashback and the
regular truncation of stories just before the climax.
The many characters and vignettes provide sources for the composition of further
stories.
The rich filmic qualities invite study of the representation of the affective, film as
an art form and the communal experience of cinema.
TYPE OF TEXT:
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Poetry
Komninos by the Kupful
Komninos
ESL
Experience Through Language
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE: Dialogue
In this elective students explore the nature of speech and how it is represented in a
range of texts. Students examine one prescribed text, in addition to other examples
of spoken language in their lives, to explore the uses and conventions of dialogue
and its interpersonal nature, who controls the conversation and whether certain
voices are silenced. In their exploration of spoken language, students develop an
understanding of the differences between spoken and written language.
The following annotations are based on the criteria for selection of texts appropriate
for study for the Higher School Certificate.
MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
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The poet is one of AustraliaÕs leading performance poets.
The poetry explores contemporary issues in a range of styles.
The use of everyday speech demonstrates the relevance of poetry to everyday
life.
NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF COURSE CANDIDATURE:
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The free verse is accessible and provides opportunities for a wide range of
compositions.
The poet explores issues and ideas that are relevant to adolescents.
The poetry provides a variety of poetic models for students.
CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
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The text encourages students to consider and research contemporary issues and
discuss ways to translate such issues into various forms of writing.
The text invites students to create and perform their own poems.
Students can invent their own dialogue poems around issues they research.