VCE English Unit 3

1. VCE English Unit 3 Week Three

2. Lesson objective • To closely examine conflicting realities in The Shark Net

3. Factors affecting reality in The Shark Net • Fear • Environment (location) • Memory • Era – (time and location) • Childhood/parents • Isolation (physical and emotional) • Self perception • Guilt • Acceptance • Gender

4. Supplementary texts • Sam de Brito on regret

5. Class presentations (to present on Monday, period 1) • Context: Brian, Kate, Geordan • Experiences: Madeleine, Chris, Nessa • Outcomes: Keana, Jordan, Jack, Josephine • Character: Bridget, Daniel, Stephanie, Alexander • Turning points: Fiona, Bethany, Dean, Nick • Insights: Sarah, Rhys, Tom

6. Class presentations (Monday) • Use the information on the Shark Net flow chart as your starting point • Read two pertinent passages to the class • Identify the sections of the book that include the information in your topic (at least two) • Each student needs to have at least a paragraph of thoughts to deliver to the class, and at least two good supporting quotes • Take five minutes to organise who is doing what, when you’re meeting up, etc, exchange emails (no class time allowed

7. Your job • Communicate an idea clearly, using the Shark Net as a starting point

8. Your written explanation • Take 300-350 words to discuss and analyse your decisions about form, purpose, language, audience and context. • Include comments on: • What you are trying to convey • Your reasons for choosing a particular form • Your reasons for choosing particular language structures and features • The relationship between purpose, form and audience in your writing • Factors that have influenced your writing • How your writing has been inspired by The Shark Net and other texts

9. Expected qualities (score out of 10) • To score 1-2 • Present a piece of writing with minimal reference to the selected text(s). • Shows little language control. • Demonstrates little or no awareness of the prompts/stimulus material.

10. Expected qualities (score out of 10) • To score a 3: • Presents a piece of writing with little organisation or reference to the selected text(s). • Shows some language control. • Demonstrates a limited awareness of the prompt/stimulus material.

11. Expected qualities (score out of 10) • To score a 4: • Demonstrates some understanding of the prompt/stimulus material, and the ability to respond to it. • Presents a piece of writing with limited organisation and limited reference to the selected text(s). • Shows adequate language control.

12. Expected qualities (score out of 10) • To score a 5: • Demonstrates an understanding of the prompt/stimulus material, and the ability to respond to some of its ideas. • Presents a piece of writing with some organisation, demonstrating some understanding of ideas suggested by the selected text(s). • Uses language adequately and appropriately.

13. Expected qualities (score out of 10) • To score a 6: • Demonstrates an understanding of the prompt/stimulus material and is able to work with some of its ideas, using an appropriate strategy. • Presents a generally organised piece of writing, in an appropriate form, drawing on ideas suggested by the selected text(s). • Uses language adequately and appropriately.

14. Expected qualities (score out of 10) • To score a 7: • Demonstrates a clear understanding of the prompt/stimulus material, and the ability to explore some of its ideas, using an appropriate strategy for dealing with it. Achieves a coherent piece of writing in an appropriate form, making some use of ideas suggested by the selected text(s). • Uses language accurately and appropriately.

15. Expected qualities (score out of 10) • To score an 8: • Demonstrates an insight into the implications of the prompt/stimulus material and explores its complexity using an appropriate strategy for dealing with it. Achieves a controlled, cohesively structured piece of writing in an appropriate form, effectively using ideas suggested by the selected text(s). • Makes fluent and confident use of language.

16. Expected qualities (score out of 10) • To score a 9 or 10: • Demonstrates an insightful grasp of the implications of the prompt/stimulus material, and perceptively explores its conceptual complexity using an appropriate strategy for dealing with it. • Achieves an assured, cohesively structured piece of writing in an appropriate form, successfully integrating, in a sophisticated way, ideas suggested by the selected text(s). • Makes fluent and effective use of language.

17. Tips • Read the prompt ten times and return to it several times during your writing • Re-write the entire prompt in your own words • Brainstorm first • Then plan your essay’s structure • Then revise all of the above • Edit as you write and read EVERYTHING before you submit it

18. Reading and focus questions • Start reading from ‘Key text 4: The Shark Net’, a chapter on conflicting realities • Answer focus questions with a minimum of one paragraph – you will need to refer closely to the text • Submit by email or in class by Monday 28th February

19. Homework summary • Find something that illustrates the ‘Whose Reality?’ context and post it on the wiki, with an explanation (see email) • Start putting together an electronic study guide for the ‘Whose reality?’ context – due Wednesday • Group tasks – to be presented on Monday • Focus questions – due Monday • Homework sessions Thursdays after school

20. Yr 12 English Wednesday 23rd February

21. Lesson objective • To examine the idea of isolation in Shark Net

22. Themes/factors affecting reality in Shark Net • Fear • Environment (location) • Memory • Era – (time and location) • Childhood/parents • Isolation (physical and emotional) • Self perception • Guilt • Acceptance • Gender • Tip: take notes on each of these factors/themes

23. Reality in The Shark Net • Eric • Dorothy • Royce • Robert • Child • Adult • Reporter

24. Robert, as an adult: • Constructs a memoir around his experience of a notable historical event and his perceived relationship with Eric Cooke, but story is about his family and the guilt he feels about his mother. • ‘Maybe it could help me make sense of events in my own life’ (p.295).

25. Robert as a child… • Reality is influenced by the 1950s attitude of his parents. They shield him from images of sexuality and death, which he counters by looking through his friend’s case files and develops ‘a taste for the macabre’ (p.238) • His imagination is wild: his imaginary friend, John Gordon (p.25), his fondness for Tarzan and role playing. • His reality reflects this - he thinks it is a good idea to present a dead shark to the girl he likes.

26. Robert’s isolation • In what ways is Robert isolated from the real world as a child? • Moves to the most isolated city in the world, ‘it might as well be Africa’ • Dislocated from home, family etc • Has moments when he feels like an outsider • Isolated from the ‘real world’: • When Robert leaves school and becomes a cadet reporter on The West Australian he joins ‘the real world’ (p.213). What do people mean when they use this phrase? Why might the world Robert was previously living in be described as ‘unreal’?

27. Reading • Saturday Night Boy (pp.45-52) • Quotes that illustrate Eric’s sense of isolation • Stylish use of adjectives

28. Eric’s isolation: Saturday Night Boy • Why does Drewe take the time to write the fiction sections about Eric Cooke? • Can one person ever fully understand the reality of another? • Can one person ever really tell another person’s story? • Why does Drewe try to understand a murderer? • They are both murderers

29. Lessons before SAC (as at 22nd Feb)