1. Unit of Work Assignment

Stage 6Area of Study

Discovery Unit of Work

for Standard HSC English Classcomprising 24 students

(18 male and 6 female of mixed ability)

By Cliona Molins430 430 813

1. Selection of prescribed text is: Life of Pi

2. Justification for the selection of this text and its appropriateness based on your choice of Standard or Advanced class.

Life of Pi: A voyage of self-discovery

The film Life of Pi satisfies the course requirement for non-fiction, or film, or media or multimedia. (BOS Stage 6 Annotations of prescribed texts 2015-20)

As three quarters of this Standard English class are males and there is an unequal spread of abilities within the class, it was decided to choose Life of Pi for the prescribed text as the spectacular cinematography and mystic realism will produce a range of emotive responses in viewers. Students at all levels will identify with the central character Pi, who is shipwrecked and alone with four animals.

Once engaged, students can explore Pi’s moral dilemmas, his fight for survival and quest for truth. Students can delve into the symbolism within the text and the allegorical significance of the animal characters.

Special needsWhile there are several students in the class who could move into the Advanced class, there are also five students requiring extra assistance; two who have ADHD and three with learning difficulties, making them reluctant readers.

As the AOS Unit will be studied at the beginning of year 12, it will offer an opportunity to motivate all students right from the beginning of term. The Visual Discovery Poster assessment (Week 6) will give students of all abilities the opportunities to express and represent their understanding of the connection between their related texts and Life of Pi while also sharing ideas with their peers.

(for more detail, see Annotations of the text in my Area of Study Resource Portfolio)

Cliona Molins—430 430 813 EDMT 5657 Semester 2 2013

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3. Stage 6 Outcomes - English Standard within AOS Unit of Work

Outcome

Details Assessment Examples

1 A student demonstrates understanding of how relationships between composer, responder, text and context shape meaning

“Trailer Pitch” Presentation

7 A student adapts and synthesises a range of textual features to explore and communicate information, ideas and values for a variety of purposes, audiences and contexts.

1 A student demonstrates understanding of how relationships between composer, responder, text and context shape meaning. For

Portfolio Discuss and practice of examples using the Everest visual text.

2 A student demonstrates understanding of the relationships among texts.

Essay assessment, which compares Life of Pi with one or more related textsVisual Discovery Poster (Week 6)

4 A student describes and analyses the ways that language forms and features and structure of text shape meaning and influences responses.

Portfolio tasks in Week 2-3

11 A student draws upon the imagination to transform experiences and ideas into text, demonstrating control of language.

Creative writing tasks (Week 4)

6 A student engages with the details of text in order to respond critically and personally.

Viewing and representing

Visual Discovery Poster (Week 6)Essay (week 10)


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7. An overview of Assessments for the Area of Study: Discovery

Task Outcome Type of assessment

External Exam Paper 1Section 1 Reading and viewing – responding

to texts that reflect the concept of ‘discovery’

Summative Assessment

Section 2 Writing based on stimulusSection 3 Writing integrated response to your

prescriptive text and texts of your choice

InternalPresentation “Trailer Pitch” presentation for class

in 4-6 minutes1, 7, 9 Formative

AssessmentViewing and representing

Poster sized mindmap representing key ideas and notions of ‘Discovery’ in Life of Pi and at least 2 other texts

6,7,11 Assessment of learning

Portfolio - A folder of tasks that were completed and analysed in class

1, 2, 4, 11

Assessment for learning

- Personal and critical reflections of student’s own processes of responding and writing

Assessment as learning

Trial HSC paper

NOT IN THIS UNIT Summative Assessment

Informal and formal classroom assessments

Class discussions Assessment for learning

Group mind maps Assessment for learning

Note-taking task Assessment of learning

Essay based on (Section 3 style question)

2,10 Summative Assessment


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8. Details of one assessment task for this Unit (with Marking guidelines)

“Trailer pitch”assessmentThe “Trailer pitch” assessment task will be given to students before watching the film. Presentations will be due two weeks after seeing the film. It is designed to be an engaging task where students choose aspects of the film that they like, evaluate effective film techniques and consider how they are used to represent key themes within the film.

Students can use Powerpoint or any other presentation software for their pitch and are encourage to master the technology a week before the presentation.

Each student will be given 4-6 minutes within class to present their proposal. An important part of this assessment is that students consider the relationship between their audience, their purpose and the context in order to satisfy syllabus outcomes 1 and 7. If necessary, the first two or three class presenters could be given extra tips on how to ‘tailor the presentation’ for their specific audience (ie a film company).

During these classes the teacher will assess each student’s presentation and provide private feedback, which will help them in their summative essay assessment due at the end of the Unit of Work.

As this class is made up of mixed abilities, the presentations will give more advanced students in the class an opportunity to extend themselves while also giving the weaker students opportunities to listen and get inspired.

Trailer Pitch-Marking CriteriaCriteria Marks

Drawing on themes in Life of Pi to skillfully present a persuasive proposal

Skillfully presents film techniques in Life of Pi that capture one of the subthemes of self-discovery

Demonstrates skillful control of oral and ICT skills appropriate to audience, purpose and context

13-15

Drawing on themes in Life of Pi to effectively present a persuasive proposal

Effectively presents film techniques in Life of Pi that capture one of the subthemes of self-discovery

Demonstrates effective control of oral and ICT skills appropriate to audience, purpose and context

10-12

Drawing on themes in Life of Pi to present a proposal Presents film techniques in Life of Pi that capture one of the

subthemes of self-discovery Demonstrates some control of oral and ICT skills appropriate to

audience, purpose and context

7-9

Drawing on aspects in Life of Pi to present a proposal Attempts to capture the theme of self-discovery in Life of Pi Demonstrates some control of oral or ICT skills appropriate to

audience, purpose and context

4-6

Attempts to create a presentation Demonstrates elementary control of language

1-2


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Link with “Note-taking” and “Writing” tasksDuring presentations, the rest of the class will be given a “Note-taking” task based on their listening to peer presentations.

When all the presentations are complete, students will be given a 30-minute time-constrained “Writing” task, which will be added to their portfolio. Students can use their notes from all the presentations to sum up what they learned from their peers. The teacher will gather the “Writing” tasks at the end of class, but will not provide feedback, as main purpose of the writing task is to practice the craft of writing under pressure and synthesise information from peer presentations.


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Trailer Pitch Presentation

WARNER LEE and Associates

2 April 2014

Dear Sir/Madam

I would like to invite your organisation to bid to produce the trailer for Life of Pi.

Please can you give a 4 -6 minute presentation on what aspects of the film you think highlight the film’s theme of self-discovery.

In the presentation please identify scenes and film techniques that you think capture ONE of the following subthemes:

Pi’s quest for truth His struggle with fear The relationship between discovery and loss.

We are particularly interested to find out why you believe these scenes should be included and how they relate to the film’s theme of self-discovery.

Please present the proposal to us on the 20th April at our Sydney office. If your bid is successful, we will commission your organisation to undertake this prestigious job of producing our trailer for Asia-Pacific distribution.

We wish you all the best with your proposal and look forward to seeing you on the 20th April.

Kind regards

The Artistic DirectorWarner Lee and AssociatesSydney


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9. A clear demonstration of how the lesson plans and assessments cohere and how the assessment will address the selected outcomes of the unit. (Learning tasks and assessments should be explicitly linked to the selected outcomes.)

According to the BOS document, Assessments and Reporting in English Stage 6, for HSC internal marks are weighted as follows

Type of assessment/task for internal mark

Outcomes Language mode Weighting

Listening/writing task as part of peer presentation(assessed in portfolio)

Listening 15

Trailer pitch presentation Speaking 15Interpretation of in class reading tasks (assessed in portfolio)eg-Responses to Paper 1 Section 1 example tasks in interpreting 3 related texts (week 2)- Responses to language forms tasks (week 2)-additional Comprehension and Cloze tasks (week 3)

Reading 25

Summative essay (final assignment)Creative writing tasks (assessed in portfolio)

Writing 30

Group mind maps and individual Visual Poster

Viewing/Representing 15

100

No more than 30% weighting may be allocated to tests and examinations.Five to six tasks are considered sufficient to assess the components of the course.


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10. An annotated list of three ‘related texts’ that you would use as resources/stimuli in your unit.

1 Visual Stimulus: Everest climbers, guides and Sherpas by Rob SobeckiFrom http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/mountaineering/everest-2012/Take-a-Number.html

MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE The photograph is taken by Rob Sobecki in May 2012, when he and his team witnessed four deaths close to Base Camp of Everest. “Since there was nothing we could do” he blogged, “we carried on climbing upwards.”

NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF STUDENTS

The photograph deserves merit for its interesting composition.

The viewer sees only the backs of the faceless climbers as they trudge in the snow. While the focus is on details such as bottles and accessories attached to the backpack of climbers, the eye moves along the linear perspective of climbers, guides and sherpas toward the ‘vanishing point’ in the distance.

The spectacular backdrop of jagged Nepalese horizon sits behind the dazzling rays of the early morning sun.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING This visual will provide a thought-provoking stimulus for students exploring the concepts of Discovery. On the one level there is the adrenalin rush of the climbers in their dogged—and almost silent—quest to climb in the mountain. The stark contrast of the white snow against the deep blue sky is heightened with the feel-good rays from the sun.

But there is also a darker side to this photograph. Students curious to find out more, can read the accompanying article and it’s exploration of the associated fatalities.

There is an opportunity to have a class debate about the relationship between discovery and loss (a theme that is also prominent in Life of Pi). The seemingly impossible goal of reaching the world’s highest summit can now be supported by teams of experts. This daring opportunity can now be ‘bought’ by fit individuals who have adequate financial backing.

Students can consider the moral dilemma; What if they were a climber who had spent months preparing and outlaid thousands of dollars for the opportunity, would they stop to help a distressed climber along the way?


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http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/mountaineering/everest-2012/Take-a-Number.html

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/mountaineering/everest-2012/Take-a-Number.html

2. Picture book: Where the Wild things Are—Maurice Sendakhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cOEFnppm_A

MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE This well-loved children’s book has sold over 19 million copies worldwide and has won several awards such as the Caldecott medal. It was voted the number one picture book in a 2012 survey of School Library Journal readers.

It tells the story of Max, who wreaks havoc throughout his house and is sent to bed without supper. His room undergoes transformation as the walls become a new world and he winds up sailing to an island inhabited by malicious beasts known as the "Wild Things."

After successfully staring down the creatures, Max is hailed as the king of the Wild Things and enjoys a playful romp with his new-found friends; but is called back to his room where his hot supper is waiting for him.

NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF STUDENTS Many students may fondly remember the impact of this book on them at an earlier age.


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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cOEFnppm_A

The vivid and energetic pictures in this book will enthrall even the most basic student in the class to follow the explorations of this “likeable curl” through more enlightened adult eyes.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING Students will appreciate the many areas of overlap between the theme of self-discovery in this book and the film Life of Pi. Both Pi and Max go through a process of self-development by journeying on a boat. Both heros travel great nautical distances, experience novel and exotic worlds and have standoffs with threatening animals.

Both allegorical stories explore strong emotions. Posed at a younger age of development, Max arguably ‘conquers’ his anger by escaping into a world where he is king. As a coming-of-age film—with greater self-awareness—Pi’s journey is one of the soul, where his search for truth forces him to conquer his fear.

Students can also explore the contrasting narratives in these stories where the visual and the exotic dominate. For example, a strong third person narrative is appropriate for audiences of Sendak’s book, while the first person narrative of Pi’s story is more intimate when revealing aspects of self-discovery and the blurred the lines between truth and allegory.


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3. Excerpt from Bill Bryson’s At Home (p66)

MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Best-selling author Bill Bryson lives in a Victorian parsonage in a part of England where nothing of any great significance has happened since the Romans decamped.

He begins to consider how little he knows about the ordinary things of life in this comfortable home. To remedy this, he journeys about his house from room to room to “write a history of the world without leaving home.”

NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF STUDENTS This prolific non-fiction writer has an infectious charm and an expansive sense of curiosity about seemingly mundane things. This stimulus will provoke ‘wonder’ for students who wish to explore the concrete.

Bryson’s accessible but quirky take on everyday processes such as “making grass edible” will engender curiosity in these predominantly male HSC students with mixed abilities.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING Rich visual text of geographical exploration (such as Life of Pi) and be contrasted with this excerpt, to highlight the mysterious processes discovered right “under our noses”.

Bryson’s language is practical and simple, almost to the point of sounding conversational. With examples such as “Somebody must first separate out the grain and grind it into meal, ” it doesn’t pretend to be anything other than colloquial, which is appropriate for Bryson’s audience and context.

This excerpt can also be used to show students how to vary their sentence length. The opening short sentence contrasts well with the second sentence, which further expands upon the topic, providing variety and rhythmic flow.


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11. Evidence of:

Specific Pedagogy Evidenceintegration of ICT See lesson plans in greena range of approaches (eg small group learning, individual, whole class and pairs)

See the Learning Configuration within each lesson plan

student-centred pedagogy See the Reflection/Evaluation within each lesson plan

addressing special needs of diverse students

See justification for choice of Life of Pi

integration of language modes (reading, writing, talking, listening and viewing)

See the Learning Modes within each lesson plan


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1. Unit of Work Assignment

Documents

Transcript of 1. Unit of Work Assignment