2. area of study resource portfolio

Area of Study Resource Portfolio

Task 1: Annotations of prescribed text (Life of Pi)

(Adapted from BOS Stage 6 Annotations of prescribed texts 2015-20)How the composer explores the concept of discovery, with an example analysis of an excerpt from the text.

MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE The Life of Pi is based on Yann Martel’s 2001 Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name. The film had critical and commercial success. At the 85th Academy Awards it had eleven nominations, including Best Picture, and won four (including Best Director for Ang Lee.

The story is set in the former French colony Pondicherry in Southern India and follows the moral dilemma of the protagonist Pi, his fight for survival during his remarkable 227-day ordeal with a hungry Bengal tiger.

NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF STUDENTS Students will be engaged by the intriguing allegorical storytelling of two narrators who blend fact with fiction. The central narrator Pi, who is shipwrecked and alone with four animals, demonstrates the importance of faith, hope and perseverance. Even as a young boy Pi takes on a spiritual quest for truth and meaning

Right from the beginning, Lee sets up the viewer to have a strong empathic connection with this orphaned boy, who is alone in the elements with a hungry tiger.

EXPLORATION OF THE CONCEPT OF DISCOVERYAfter loosing three members of his family in the shipwreck, the death of orangutan, and the loss of vital food supplies, Pi questions his faith in God. With time Pi discovers his inner strength and conquers his greatest fears as he experiments with training the tiger. As he begins to adjust to a new flow in his life, he writes, “I never thought a small piece of shade would bring me so much happiness”.

Greatly supporting the theme of Pi’s spiritual quest is the spectacular combination of art and visual effects. Accordingly to Lee, “Every shot was artistic exploration to make the ocean a character and make it interesting we had to strive to make it as visually stunning as possible” To reinforce the message of “letting go’, each devastating storm scene is followed by artful representations of exquisite natural beauty; whether from below the ocean, above in the sky, or a dazzling reflection of the sparkling night sky upon the sea. Aerial shots are used effectively, as if the eyes of God are viewing Pi.

Particularly striking is the underwater dream scene where using leading edge CG animation, exotic creatures of the ocean become figures from Pi’s turbulent past. Through the bubbles we see the vision of Pi’s mother and the girl he left behind. As part of his soul searching, Pi is thrown into a whirlwind of emotion from which he is able to ‘let go’.

“I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go.”

Cliona Molins—430 430 813 EDMT 5657 Semester 2 20131

This is the revelation that Pi discovers by the end of the film, after he has lived through unimaginable situations of fear.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING Through this curious coming-of-age story, students could examine the ways the film explores how discoveries can be spiritual, emotional and creative.

Students can consider how the film pulls the audience into Pi’s world through clever cinematography and imaginative film techniques to evoke empathy and understanding of his plight.

Students could explore how the film’s ending provokes curiosity and speculation about the veracity of Pi’s story and whether he created this imaginative allegory to escape his discoveries about life’s harsh realities and humanity’s shortcomings.


Other questions to consider

What is the relationship between discovery and loss in the film? What is the relationship between fear, bravery, courage and survival? Is our greatest fear the fear of being alone? What would your thoughts be if you were alone on such a boat? Pi’s father says, “When you look into an animal’s eyes, you only see your own

emotion reflected back”. Do animals have souls? We don’t know what our level of bravery is unless we were put in such a

situation

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Task 2: Annotations of 3 related texts

1 Visual Stimulus: Ferris Wheel by Mary WoodsonFrom http://news.blogs.wlu.edu/2012/04/23/wls-woodson-wins-photography-award/

MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Mary Woodson took the photograph, “Ferris Wheel,” at the carnival in June.

It captures the faces of three girls at some point on the ferris wheel. We see only the side faces of the two ‘outer’ girls, while the focus is on the girl in the middle who looks petrified.

Mary Woodson won second prize with this photograph in Washington and Lee University’s award at the Virginia Press Association contest last year.

NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF STUDENTS

The inner turmoil experienced by the girl in the middle seat, is one that HSC students can easily identify with. She has chosen to pay money to go on a ferris wheel thinking that she will enjoy it, but is unable to overcome her sense of panic and visible fear. In contrast her friends see the same experience in a completely different light.

As the central element within the composition of the text, the composer (photographer) has captured the juxtaposition of the two differing perspectives of the same event.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING Students can use this text to explore how the concept of discovery is conveyed in a very positive light through this ‘representation’ of the girl on the right and left, while the same experience can be debilitating to another.

“An individual’s discoveries and their process of discovering can vary according to personal, cultural, historical and social contexts and values.” English Stage 6 Prescriptions Rubric p9

A class discussion focus on how one person’s experience of discovery and curiosity could be another person’s worst nightmare. What role do cultural, social contexts play in someone’s perceptions? What role is played by previous experience?

Students can consider the role that internal dialogue play in interpreting the exact same experience as positive for one person and negative for another. This could be a theme to be explored further within students’ narratives, whereby students “broaden and deepen their understanding of themselves and their world.” (English Stage 6 Prescriptions Rubric p9).


2. Poem: Remember How We Forgot—Shane KoyczanSlam Performance: http://www.trueactivist.com/gab_gallery/even-if-you-dont-like-poetry-you-should-watch-this/Poem words: http://lyrics.wikia.com/Shane_Koyczan:Remember_How_We_Forgot

MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Shane Koyzcan is a Canadian poet and winner of the Individual Championship of the Canadian Poetry Slam.

His recent poem on the subject of bullying called “To this day” went viral with over 11.5 million views shortly after its release.

NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF STUDENTS This inspirational ‘spoken word poetry’ will appeal to students as it feels more like rap or hip-hop without the beats. The performance given by the poet himself is intensely uplifting and uses common musical effects such as

crescendo and decrescendo.

Like the motivational speech of Martin Luther King, the poem inspires its listeners to take chances and be courageous—a vital ingredient in the act of discovering.

“Live like a plot twist exist now and in memoryBecause we burn brightOur lights leave scars on the sun”

OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING The AOS rubric describes the concept of discovery as:

“discovering something for the first time or rediscovering something that has been lost, forgotten or concealed” English Stage 6 Prescriptions Rubric p9

The poem harkens back to nostalgia for the time in our childhood when we did not put limitations on ourselves:

“Remember how we used to bend reality Like we were circus strong menLike our imaginations were in shape then”

Koyzcan talks of the courage to go “the distance and in going there we’ve possessed the freedom to map the uncharted lands of any and everywhere”. He begs us to rediscover the courage and dreams that we had as a child and states how we ‘forgot’ about things that stopped us from taking chances.

“Remember how we forgot?Once upon a time, we were young.Our dreams hung like applesWaiting to be picked…”


Once the students are engaged with the ‘music’ of the poem, it will provide a springboard to further study Koyzcan’s specific word craft. The ‘rap’ or ‘flow of the poem comes from complex, internal rhymes and assonance which can be explored in detail.

“We are unboundSix feet above the underground where we will all one day rest?”

“…Live and rememberBurn like an ember capable of starting fires”

Practice reading parts of this poem aloud, can be followed by specific exercises in the use of these techniques within students’ own writing so they understand:

“how the composer’s choice of language modes, forms, features and structure shapes representations of discovery and discovering.” English Stage 6 Prescriptions Rubric p9


3. Radio narrative: Anagram messages between Galileo and KeplerAudio: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/475/send-a-message Transcript: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/475/transcript

MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE This text is the first 7 minutes of a This American Life radio program, which airs on the ABC radio.

This segment tells the story of two great scientists, Galileo—who used his newfound telescope to challenge the earth’s centricity; and Kepler—who discovered the laws of planetary motion.

The story is based on historical correspondence between the two astronomers. The irony of the events are relayed in conversational style by Ira Glass and Josh Bearman, who remembers hearing this story told to him by his father.

NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF STUDENTS The intriguing narrative of near-impossible proportions is set among the backdrop of the fascinating paradigm shift created by Galileo’s historic telescope.

I have chosen this form of text as the story immediately engages the listener, students and non-students alike. This text represents an alternative way that “composers may invite them (students) to experience discovery through their texts.”

The conversational style will be accessible to all levels within the class, but advanced students will be encouraged to explore the topic of challenged discoveries further through the frame-groups selected within class.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING Within a specific class discussion about challenged discoveries, there are several subthemes, which could be revealed in the interpretation this text; the way the discovery was ‘represented’, Galileo’s persecution for his discoveries, or the personal bias towards a particular topic.

Students could explore “how the process of discovering is represented using a variety of language modes, forms and features”. Josh Bearman describes the anagrammed messages as a ’patent or copyright insurance”—both of which are modern day methods of representing a discovery.

The AOS rubric describes the concept of discovery as:


http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/475/transcript

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/475/send-a-message

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/475/send-a-message

“Discoveries may be questioned or challenged when viewed from different perspectives and their worth may be reassessed over time. The ramifications of particular discoveries may differ for individuals and their worlds.” English Stage 6 Prescriptions Rubric p9

At the time, both scientists were “stamping their territories” within the astronomy world. But the context of the Catholic Church in the 1600s forced them to represent their ‘patents’ in code to avoid possible persecution. It was the necessity to coding and decoding that led to Kepler’s misunderstandings—which over time were ironically proven to be correct.

Alternatively some students may wish to focus on Kepler’s bias when it comes to moons on Mars. He “just wanted them to be there”. What role does personal bias play in so-called scientific discoveries?


Task 3: 3 Practical Teaching ideas for generating a piece of creative writing that explores the concept of discovery.

Practical teaching idea 1: Snapshot writing under time constraint

Listen to the first 1:50 minutes of creative stimulus http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/178/superpowers

“I’m going to give you a writing task. You have 5 minutes to complete the opening of a story based on the following stimulus. Be descriptive”

Stimulus 1You are a younger version of yourself. An aspect of your “superpower” has been revealed to you. What is it? Where are you? Describe the scene. Who helped you in your discovery? How did you make the discovery? How did you feel? In retrospect what did you find out about yourself?

(Give the class 10 minutes to write)

Stimulus 2There is a box of precious things at the bottom of your bed. They tell a story of someone special who is no longer with you. What’s in the box? Who does it belong to and how did it get there?

(Give the class 10 mins to write)

After you have written both writing tasks, share in pairs which one you like best and why. Discuss how you would flesh it into a 1500 word story.

1. Who is the hero? 2. What aspect of discovery is revealed to the reader within your story? 3. How could you reveal more about your hero through the use of action,

descriptive language, or dialogue? 4. Do your characters need to be refined or enhanced? 5. Is there a conflict within the story? Does it need one? If so what is it?6. What additional storytelling techniques could you use?


Practical teaching idea 2: Tangible stimulus

Teacher instruction: Bring into class a jar of foreign and old coins. Another jar contains interesting stones and shells. Place them all on a table. Ask everyone to come up to the table and pick a coin, stone or shell. Ask them to really study the object, using the senses (sight, smell, touch and hearing). Ask them to let their imagination and curiosity wander.

Tell a story of discovery, with this object playing a central role. Is it from a different country or a different time? Who found it? What were they searching for? Were they searching for something tangible or intangible or perhaps both? What was it exchanged for? What setting did the object see? Describe the scene. What dialogue did it hear?

You have 30 minutes to write about this story in class.

When the 30 minutes is up…

Discuss your story in pairs. Where is your story is going? Take notes on what the story still needs. Does the reader get a good description of the hero? How will the story’s ending impact your reader?

Complete a 1500 word story and bring it in tomorrow.


Practical teaching idea 3: Visual stimulus

Use this photograph as the central element; write a story about self-discovery and relationships. Pick one of the people in the picture and write their story. What events happened before the picture was taken? How did the two guitarists meet? What music do they play? What role does the music play in the hero’s self-discovery?

Use at least 10 minutes to plan the beginning, middle and end of the story.

You will have an additional 20 minutes to write the story.


Exam rubric

Question statement

3 stimulus texts

Task 4: Annotations of TWO previous HSC exam questions[These should be from Paper 1, Section 2 and/or Section 3. Annotate these questions with a brief description of what aspects and elements of the question you would focus on in assisting your students to prepare for this as an exam question.]

The 1st question is from Section 2 (2013) and the 2nd question is from Section 3 (2012) English Paper 1.

Before reviewing exam questions we will review the AOS rubric and our 5 discovery mind maps (frames).

Students are reminded that we are looking at exam questions when the AOS was ‘Belonging’. However from 2015 the AOS theme has changed to ‘Discovery’.

Paper 1 Section II 2013


Exam Question Analysis Students are asked to complete the table in small groups (20 minutes). Students are reminded that we are looking at exam questions when the AOS was ‘Belonging’. However the AOS theme has changed to ‘Discovery’.

Analysis Possible InterpretationExam Rubric 1Exam Rubric 2Questions statementKey word(s) in statementTrigger words in statementStimulus 1Trigger wordsStimulus 2 (photo)Trigger imagesStimulus 2Trigger words

Once each item has been discussed in class. A copy of the completed Question Analysis table can be given out to. Any additional questions can be answered.


Exam Question Analysis (completed)

Analysis Possible InterpretationExam Rubric 1

Express understanding of belonging in the context of your studies

Contexts of your studies refer to the 5 frames we developed in the class out of the AOS rubric.

Exam Rubric 2

Organise, develop and express ideas in language appropriate to context, purpose and audience

What is the main motivation behind your writing? Who is it for? Does it have a cultural, historical backdrop?

Questions statement

Compose a piece of imaginative writing that explores a decision to embrace or reject connection with others

Mostly you will be writing narratives with a story shaped around the trigger words/themes.

Key word(s) in statement

Explore To examine closely and experiment with texts

Trigger words in statement

Decision to embraceDecision to rejectConnection with others

These trigger words relate back to the 5 frames through which we have been looked at Discovery (not belonging). Your story line must include a theme of rejecting or embracing or both.

Stimulus 1Trigger words

Silent sceneAnother world

Discuss in class

Stimulus 2 (photo)Trigger images

Photograph of the woman from 1940s?Cowboy and indian biscuit box?Stool and sheet music?

Discuss in class

Stimulus 2Trigger words

Setting outRoadBelonged to anotherNot yours

Discuss in class


Exam rubric

Question statement

Exam question

Paper 1 Section III 2012

In Section III you will be asked to write a more analytical response to one question about the concept of discovery. It could be an essay or it could be a different text type such as a speech. You must refer to your prescribed text and the related texts of your choosing.

For everyone in the class our prescribed text is The Life of Pi, however all of you will have different related texts. You will need to write about how the composer (director or writer) represents the concept of discovery. You may also be asked how meaning is created in the text forms (in our case the form is film) and the language form (or in our case the film techniques).

All of the key terms you will come across are in your Glossary handout. You will need to learn the meaning of all of these words so that you can understand how to structure your answers together within the exam rubric.

Statement and questionIn 2012 (see above) the question in Section III is asked in the form of a statement and question. The statement is:

Statement


An individual’s perceptions of belonging evolve in response to the passage of time and interaction with their world.

QuestionIn what way is this view of belonging represented in your prescribed text and at least ONE other related text of your own choosing. Key words“In what way” ask you to list and describe techniques used by the composer (director, writer, photographer) to ‘represent’ a view of belonging. Often represent is used for visual media, but can also be used for to describe how a writer presents his ‘images’ or motifs.

Representing is the language mode that involves composing images by means of visual or other texts. These images and their meaning are composed using codes and conventions. The term can include activities such as graphically presenting the structure of a novel, making a film, composing a web page, or enacting a dramatic text. (English Teacher’s Handbook A-Z, p. 250)

What are the trigger words in this statement and question? Perceptions of belonging Evolve (change) Passage of time Interaction with their world

For most essay type questions, your responses will need an: Introduction Body Conclusion

Language features (review notes from your Language features class in Week 26)Refer to how you write your response

Point of view of the narrative Type of sentences your write Words you choose Combination of sentences clauses you choose Type of language you choose (formal or colloquial).

The best way to prepare you for writing analytical responses is to practice similar questions before hand.


2. area of study resource portfolio

Documents

pi questions

protagonist pi

time pi

young boy pi

central narrator pi

interests of students

pis world

theme of pis spiritual