HSC English PAPER 1

How Meaning Is Made  Meaning is made when the responder comes to an understanding of texts.  There are two important areas to consider:  1. What the text means 2. How meaning is made

How Meaning is Made  It is a good idea to think of a ‘how meaning is made’ question as having 3 parts:  1) What is happening  2) What techniques are used by the author to influence the reader’s thinking/understanding/response?  3) What do the first two questions do to my understanding of journey?

How Meaning Is Made  Prose: paragraph structure, sentence construction, punctuation, language level, imagery, word choice etc.  Poetry: stanza construction and length, imagery, sound techniques etc. Visual: framing, use of colour, positioning of people and objects etc.  Lyrics: textual and musical features

Paper 1  Use your reading time very carefully; it is a reading examination.  Read question very carefully, underline key ideas in the question  Don’t use highlighters, pencil or red pen  Use the letters of each question; don’t make up your own  Take note of the allocated marks for each section, leave enough time for the later question with the higher paying marks  Avoid giving large chunks of quotations, select your quotes carefully  Treat each question separately, don’t assume because you have answered it in a previous question, marks will be carried over…they won’t

Question1 – a, b, c and d  Be concise with questions worth 1 or 2 marks  Answer the questions very specifically; don’t ‘rave on’ about the different types of journey if it isn’t relevant to the question  Support your answers with textual references  Use the wording of the question in your answer

Question 1 - f  Leave enough time for this question  Don’t waste time with an introduction or conclusion for this question  Answer the question; stay away from prepared answers with generic insights  Support your answer with well-chosen textual references. Show the link between ideas and concepts  Quality of expression must be there to gain full marks

DESCRIBE, EXPLAIN AND ANALYSE  Make sure you understand these terms and use them appropriately.  DESCRIBE: Provide characteristics and features  EXPLAIN: Relate cause and effect; make the relationship between things evident; provide why and/or how  ANALYSE: Identify components and the relationship between them; draw out and relate implications

Question 3 Essay Question  In your answer you will be assessed on how well you:  Demonstrate understanding of the concept of belonging in the context of your study  Analyse, explain and assess the ways belonging is represented in a variety of texts  Organise, develop and express ideas using language appropriate to audience, purpose and context

2006 HSC  Focus- Physical journeys  More than anything else, physical journeys are about the interpretation of the new  Do you agree?  Argue your point of view  In your answer, refer to your prescribed text, ONE text from the prescribed stimulus booklet and at least ONE other related text of your own choosing

2006 HSC  Focus - Imaginative journeys  More than anything else, imaginative journeys are about the process of speculation.  Do you agree?  Argue your point of view  In your answer refer to your prescribed text, One text from the prescribed stimulus booklet, and at least ONE other related text of your own choosing

2006 Paper 1  Question 1 (a)  According to McBride how are photographers like nomads?  Either by direct quoting or paraphrasing name one way photographers are like nomads: e.g. they wander the earth, go in search of inspiration, travel in pursuit of material, have no fixed home

Question 1 (b)  Choose one photo and explain the way it supports an idea expressed in the quotation  2 marks for explaining, 1 mark for describing  Possible answers: appears to be selecting photos to construct a photo, the photographer is working outdoors with light and the camera to compose a story, the Great Wall suggests an imaginative narrative

Question 1 (c)  Comment on the significance of landscape created by the writer  3 marks for effectively discussing with aptly chosen textual reference. One example could be done very well or a few good examples explored effectively. 2 marks for discussing with some textual reference. 1 mark for describing with limited textual reference. 0 marks = no significance

Question 1 ( c)  Answers could include:  The landscape is significant because it provides an evocative setting for ht ejourney to the cave  Several significant landscapes, natural, domestic, metaphorical  The cave is a place of self discovery as well as a symbol of solitude and retreat

Question 1 (d)  Provide one reason for the girl’s desire to travel  1 mark for providing one reason for the girl’s desire for different experiences  Answers may include: she wishes to escape the farm, she would like to have adventures, reading travel stories has triggered her imagination, she dreams of freedom and independence

Question 1 (e)  How does the final stanza shape your understanding of the poem as a whole?  3 marks for analysing effectively with aptly chosen textual reference (link is needed). 2 marks for explaining with textual reference and 1 mark for describing with limited textual reference some understanding of the poem

Question 1 (e)  Answers could include:  There are powerful contrasts between the exuberance and vitality of the first stanzas and the sombre disappointment of the final stanza  In the final stanza the girl returns to a reality which contrasts with the world of her imaginative journey  There are cold, dark images in the final stanza compared to the light, active imagery established earlier in the poem

Question 1 (f)  Analyse how any TWO of the texts emphasise the personal nature of the journey.  3 marks for analysing effectively with support through well chosen references  2 marks for explaining with appropriate reference to two texts  1 mark for describing aspects of the journey with some textual reference

Question 1 (f)  Markers’ Comments  Through analysis, stronger responses focused on the personal aspects of the journey in both texts and were supported with well-chosen textual references. Many candidates chose to respond conceptually while others analysed the personal nature of the journeys through a close consideration of language features

Question 1 (f)  Mid- range responses explained rather than analysed the personal nature of the journey and supported their ideas with appropriate textual reference  Weaker responses tended to describe generalised aspects of journeys with limited textual references. Some weaker responses listed the focus terms: physical, inner or imaginative, without effectively engaging with the personal nature of the journey