Conflicting perspectives

Hi there Yr12!
Some ideas to get you started on your holiday homework. Follow the links, and record your thoughts.

Here is the text of George W Bush's speech to the people at Fort Bragg in 2005. It thanks them for their efforts in the War on Terrorism. Consider the connotative words he uses to describe their enemy, and his emotive appeals. How does the composer convey their perspective? Consider also his motives, and position of power. How does this affect your understanding of his viewpoint?

The speech was received in many ways. Consider the many different perspectives available for this situation. What reasons can you give for so many differing viewpoints? Why does the composer of this news article offer so many?

This is Bush's speech on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Again, consider the language used to convey his perspective.

Finally, here and here are conflicting viewpoints. What has influenced their viewpoints? How do the composers make you aware of their viewpoints?

Remember, this is not an exercise in historical source analysis, or a study to figure out 'who is right'. You must consider the composer's effect on the portrayal of a perspective - that is, what techniques have been used to get you to see the point of view they want you to see?

This practice essay question, borrowed from HSC Online, is a great way to focus your ideas into a usable form. Put together your research for the texts you have just read, and see if you can write an extended response for it:

Perspectives of an event, personality or situation may be manipulated by the ways in which a composer represents them.
Evaluate the ways in which the composer manipulates perspectives in your prescribed text and in at least TWO other related texts of your own choosing.

Obviously, you will not talk about your prescribed text, just the articles and speeches you have read today.

Have fun!

OMG!

Just saw your mark, guys!

You TOTALLY rock!

I'm so proud of you!

Advanced English Rap

This is our rap...
wish we were black.
Bringing Advanced English back
Break it down.

Frontline's the name
They need more dames
Brooke uses the guys
She's really in a date
Marty said to her "add sex and stir"
as usual
Mike is in a blur.

Flicking her blonde hair back
Cher's strutting he stuff like that.
Wishing Josh would come back
That's whack.
But what if Emma
And her dilemma
Wonder where she's at
Oh Knightly, give me some of that!

But what of that "sunny pleasure dome"
What the heck does Coleridge mean?
Bro get rid of that cone.
All doped up on opium
Ha! He's really smokin' um.

Widyan, Renee and Sam

Best of luck tomorrow, guys! Get lots of sleep!

Article

Here's that article I was talking about in class today, about truth in advertising. Consider the elements of omission that we see in Frontline as you read it. Feel free to use it as a related text - but consider the handout I gave you today, with the broken-down essay questions. How can you USE this article?

The truth hurts?

Chaser DVD adverts will not be displayed on buses. What is influencing this censoring of the truth?
I think it's mad. Isn't advertising all about money? Who said advertisers could get morals, principles? What's the world coming to!

Satire is...

Poking fun at institutions.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/karlg/sets/72157605541055002/

Shaun Tan Rocks

A short interview with Shaun Tan, composer of the picture book Tales From Outer Suburbia.

The HSC cometh

Year 12!
Don't forget that SMH runs a special on the HSC - tips for study, reminders to keep healthy, and brief reviews of each course. There only a bit on English so far, and the study tips look good.

I know I said this to some parents the other night, but you need to know too - if the good study habits haven't happened yet, they need to start now! Don't cram the day before - be kinder to your brain and body than that!

Images of Sydney Harbour

To supplement Yr9's work on Late Ferry by Robert Gray - photos from the web of the Bridge and harbour at night.

Shape poems

This is too cute for words. Sadly, you can't save gifs of your poems, and the lines you write don't really fill the shape you pick...but it's a bit of fun for Yr8 one afternoon, I reckcon!

It's times like these...

I wish I owned a TV.
This sounds like an excellent program. Yr 12, your homework is: watch TV!

Wednesdays, 9m, The Gruen Transfer.
Can someone tape it for me? Publish Post

Australian "history"

The Founding of Australia, Jan. 26th 1788, by Capt. Arthur Phillip R.N. Sydney Cove
Original oil sketch [1937] by Algernon Talmadge R.A.

Nap tests

Link to Yr9 sample paper - reading section.

Sorry guys

I seem to have the plague. Or at least, the flu followed by a throat infection. I'd like to be there so that you had some meaningful work to do, but I can't talk above a whisper.

So Yr 12 - keep reading your Lear, and if you've read it all, read the intro.

Yr 10 - do the Shakespeare activities I've been sending in! And stay out of trouble!

Yr 9, Yr 8 - I'm sorry, we should be preparing for your media work. We'll do heaps when I get back, so in the meantime, be nice to your casuals. It's not their fault.

Rebranding Shakespeare

It's nothing new. Tate did it, and they loved it. "Kiss Me Kate" is still one of my fave movies. But the way this guy is doing it sounds interesting.
And why feel guilty for laughing? The best comedians use knowledge you already have.

Multi media

Curse of Were-Rabbit soundtrack cover:

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2844628480/tt0312004

I. Feel. Dirty.

I felt so unclean after writing that piece of drivel, that I had to partake in Yr 11's activity - we rewrote part of my original story, and made it better. Just the phone conversation.

Here's what 10 minutes got me. First drafts are always so rough, whatwhat?

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She sat in her room, fingers worrying the torn edge of her jeans. Had she done something wrong, embarrassing, that she didn't remember? Did she smell? She had thought he'd liked her...and she'd tried so hard to get his attention this week. Maybe too hard...
"Mary!" her mum yelled from downstairs. "Phone for you. It's some boy...says it's urgent!" She'd been so caught up in her depressed thoughts that she hadn't even heard the phone ring. She thudded down the stairs, and picked up the still-warm receiver.
"Hi, this is Mary," she said questioningly.
"Mary! Oh! Um, hi!" said a familiar voice hesitantly at the other end of the line.
"Max?"
"Um. Yeah. Um. Look, sorry about the short notice and stuff, but...um..."
"Yes...?" she offered, hoping he would go on.
"Well, the Prom's tonight, and, well, I was hoping you might still be going, and um, be free and...maybe I could come and pick you up...um..." he stammered.
"Wow! Really?"
"Yeah."
"Of course I'd love to go!" She tried to sound calm and confident, but knew that her excitement was shining through her voice.
"You would? I mean, that would be great! Um, cool! I'll be there at 6?"
She put down the phone with a smile. He'd sounded so nervous - maybe that's why he hadn't asked her till now!
Mary bounced up the stairs to her room, two at a time, calling out to her Mum. "I'm off to the Prom! Can I borrow your diamante purse?"

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I think the most obvious thing learned here is that once you expand out the simple story, you end up with real, live characters, not the black and white, cardboard things from my original piece of poo. Here, the audience are invited into Mary's life a little more, not kept at arm's length. By inviting them into the intricacies of the phone conversation, you're making the reader feel important. Readers want to be involved, to stand beside the characters and live their lives too.

Don't just TELL the reader what's happening. SHOW them, involve them, make them feel like they are there. That's one of the secrets of good writing, and it's easy to do.

OMG, I was bored!

So, writing creatively and engagingly is hard. But it doesn't have to be. The best thing to remember is NOT TO BORE YOUR READER TO DEATH! Give them lots of descriptions to make them feel like they are there too. A catchy opening, so that they want to keep on reading. Dialogue will make it feel realistic. And don't just recount events - BORING!

Here's a really poor short story for you to edit and make more exciting. Don't copy it out, just adapt it into your books.

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Mary was 17 and had never been kissed. It was the week of the school prom and she was hoping that her dreams would come true. That Max, the hottest guy in the school, would ask her out. Every day for a week she want to school, smiled and was friendly, wore lots of make up and paid careful attention to her hair. But he never asked her.
On Friday, she went home from school, very sad.
It was the night of the prom and Mary was thinking of not going but then the phone rang. It was Max and he asked her to go with him to the prom! Of course she said yes. She put on her best dress and her favorite shoes. She was ready for the night of her life!
She ran downstairs and he said she looked gorgeous. She'd never been so happy. It was the best night of her life.

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Urgh...it hurts to write something this bad!

Creative Writing - Change

Some past HSC paper questions. This section is always worth 15 marks.

HSC 2001
The school magazine committee has asked students to submit stories on the concept
of change.
Write a story for the magazine.
Use ONE of the following as the basis of your story.
(a) ‘Dancing to a different beat.’
Or
(b) ‘Now it’s their turn to choose.’
Or
(c)












HSC 2003
You are entering a writing competition for young writers. The competition is called ‘Pictures of Change’.
Write a story about a picture of change.
Use ONE of the images as the basis for the beginning or ending of your story. You may write from any point of view you choose.