The work samples in this section form the Level 6 part of the assessment map for the Reading dimension of the English domain. Other parts of the assessment map can be accessed by using the menu on the right side of the screen.
The standard below describes what students should know and be able to do when they achieve the Level 6 standard in the Reading dimension.
At Level 6, students read, view, analyse, critique, reflect on and discuss contemporary and classical imaginative texts that explore personal, social, cultural and political issues of significance to their own lives. They also read, view, analyse and discuss a wide range of informative and persuasive texts and identify the multiple purposes for which texts are created. They explain how texts are shaped by the time, place and cultural setting in which they are created. They compare and contrast the typical features of particular texts and synthesise information from different texts to draw conclusions.
The following work samples illustrate the kinds of responses that students typically produce:
Annotations identify for each sample on the assessment map attributes of the student response that relate to specific elements of the standard.
Context
The stimulus is an extract about the Ricketts family from Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee and Walker Evans. The extract is a challenging text that combines sophisticated vocabulary in complex sentences using an unfamiliar style representative of its period. A government report on the Ricketts family is also provided for this task.
Students were given 20 minutes to read the extract and respond to a series of questions. They worked without assistance from other students or their teacher.
The key elements of the standard addressed by this task are:
Key elements of Reading Level 6
(Students) … read, view, analyse, critique, reflect on and discuss contemporary and classical imaginative texts that explore personal, social, cultural and political issues of significance to their own lives.
They explain how texts are shaped by the time, place and cultural setting in which they are created.
They compare and contrast the typical features of particular texts and synthesise information from different texts to draw conclusions.
Stimulus
The following extract is about the Ricketts, a family of poor tenant farmers living in America in the 1930s
The Ricketts are spoken of disapprovingly, even so far away as the county courthouse, as ‘problem’ children. Their attendance record is extremely bad; their conduct is not at all good; they are always fighting and sassing back. Besides their long walk in bad weather, here is some more explanation. They are much too innocent to understand the profits of docility. They have to wear clothes and shoes which make them the obvious butts of most of the children. They come of a family which is marked and poor even among the poor whites, and are looked down on even by most levels of the tenant class. They are uncommonly sensitive, open, trusting, easily hurt, and amazed by meanness and by cruelty, and their ostracism is of a sort to inspire savage loyalty among them.
They are indeed ‘problem’; and the ‘problem’ will not be simplified as these ‘over’-sexed and anarchic children shift into adolescence. The two girls in particular seem inevitably marked out for incredibly cruel misunderstanding and mistreatment.
Source: Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee and Walker Evans
The extract is also available in the English CSF II Annotated Work Samples CD-ROM and p80 of the English CSF II Annotated Work Samples Booklet (2001). These resources are available in schools.
Sample
The following samples illustrate the kinds of responses that students typically produce when they have achieved the elements of the standard addressed by this task.
1. Rejection of the Ricketts children
creates division in the rest of the community.
strengthens kinship bonds within the Ricketts farmers. (correct answer)
leads to greater dissension within the Ricketts family.
encourages greater tolerance towards othe poor white farmers.
2. The words ‘amazed by meanness’ suggest the Ricketts?
are ignorant and dull.
have a certain decency about them. (correct answer)
have been influenced by the rest of the community.
are too preoccupied with family troubles to know about meanness.
3. The writers say that the Ricketts children are ‘indeed problems’. By this they mean that
their rebelliousness is likely to harm other students.
their behaviour is worse than that of other students in their social class.
they are not intrinsically problems, but will be regarded as such by others.
(correct answer)
they are likely to become law breakers and criminals when they leave schools.
4a. Why do you think the writers believe ‘the two girls in particular seem inevitably marked out for incredibly cruel misunderstanding and mistreatment’?
4b. ‘The two girls in particular seem inevitably marked out for incredibly cruel misunderstanding and mistreatment.’ This was written in America in the 1930s. Do you think the statement is still true? Explain your answer.
Here is an extract from a government report on the Ricketts children.
Dated this 14th day of June 1936.
Status: at risk.
Record of attendance at County School: poor. Rolls show 27 unexplained absences since March 1st. Court records: 2 recent attendances on minor charges of fighting and bad language by eldest son. Parents in attendance. Unable to pay fine. Medical records: all children presented during the month of May, with a range of injuries and complaints. Two eldest had severe colds, youngest daughter deep cuts from a fight. Mother chronic chest complaint. Unable to pay for medications.
5. Complete the table below to indicate the differences between the
original text and the government report.
The first one has been done for
you.
| Original text | Government Report | |
|---|---|---|
| approach to subject | Explains the Ricketts’ behaviour | Records the Ricketts’ behaviour |
| attitude towards subject |
|
|
| type of language used |
|
|
| purpose of text |
|
|
Annotation
Reading – Level 6
Questions 1–3: Although the text is complex and unfamiliar in style, students working at Level 6 find these questions relatively easy to answer. Selection of the correct choices in 2 and 3 require higher levels of comprehension using inference and on-balance judgment.
Key element of Reading Level 6
(Students) … read, view, analyse, critique, reflect on and discuss contemporary and classical imaginative texts that explore personal, social, cultural and political issues of significance to their own lives.
Reading – Level 6
Questions 4a–4b: The student discusses the ideas, including class and gender implications, in relation to prevailing attitudes of historical period.
Key element of Reading Level 6
They explain how texts are shaped by the time, place and cultural setting in which they are created.
Reading – Level 6
Question 5: The student is able to compare and contrast meaningfully the language used in two different types of texts written for different purposes.
Key element of Reading Level 6
They compare and contrast the typical features of particular texts and synthesise information from different texts to draw conclusions.
Context
Students wrote an analysis of a political cartoon by Mark Knight published in the Herald Sun on 12 October 2004. They were also asked to annotate the cartoon as they prepared their analysis.
Students were given 45 minutes to complete their work which was prepared under test conditions.
The key elements of the standard addressed by this task are:
Key elements of Reading Level 6
(Students) read, view, analyse, reflect on and discuss contemporary and … imaginative texts that explore personal, social, cultural and political issues …
(Students) explain how texts are shaped by the time, place and cultural setting in which they are created.
Stimulus
Copyright pending
Source: cartoon by Mark Knight which appeared in The
Herald Sun, 12 October 2004, entitled AFL approved end of season trips
Sample
The following sample illustrates the kind of response that students typically produce at 5.75 as they progress towards the Level 6 standard.
Student annotated cartoon (pending copyright for cartoon)
Annotation
Reading – 5.75
The student reads and analyses a contemporary political cartoon
Key element of Reading Level 6
(Students) read, view, analyse, critique, reflect on and discuss contemporary … texts …
Reading – 5.75
The student reflects on specific issues raised in the essay topic.
Key element of Reading Level 6
(Students) reflect on … texts that explore … social, cultural and political issues …
Reading – 5.75
The student identifies the point of view presented and relates the cartoon to the context in which it was produced.
Key element of Reading Level 6
(Students) explain how texts are shaped by the time, place and cultural setting in which they are created.
Context
Students wrote an essay on a given topic in response to a reading of the novel, Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta. Students worked over several sessions and drafted the piece prior to completing a finished piece.
The key elements of the standard addressed by this task are:
Key elements of Reading Level 6
(Students) read, view, analyse, reflect on and discuss contemporary … imaginative texts that explore personal social, cultural and political issues …
They explain how texts are shaped by the time, place and cultural setting in which they are created.
Sample
The following sample illustrates the kind of response students produce at 5.5 as they progress towards the Level 6 standard.
Topic: “Because finally I understood.” What has Josie finally understood? How has she come to these realisations?
LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI
Looking For Alibrandi’s main character Jodie Alibrandi is a 17 year old girl who finally understood her culture, herself and her Nonna Katie. Malina Marchetta’s main character Josie is a selfish girl, but grew up to be “emancipated”.
“I’d die if anyone ever found out about Tomato Day.” Initially Josie has this attitude towards her Italian background. She feels everyone is out to get her and she is embarrassed about being Italian. “I think I had it worst. My mother was born here so as far as the Italians were concerned we aren’t completely one of them. Yet because my grandparents were born in Italy we weren’t completely Australian”. Josie is confused as to what culture she belong to which might be a reason as to why she hates Tomato Day and thinks everyone is out to get her.
Josie learns through Michael, Christina and Nonna Katia that being Italian is something to be proud of. At the end of the novel Josie states, “If someone comes up and asks me what nationality I am, I’ll look at them and say I am an Australian with Italian blood rapidly flowing through my veins.” This is how Josie feels when she discovers and learns more about her Italian background and realizes that being Italian is something to be proud of.
“I’ll run one day, run for my life. To be free and think for myself. Not as an Australian and not as an Italian and not as an inbetween. I’ll fun to be emancipated”. These are Josie’s initial thoughts towards life. Josie believes that she has the worst life in the whole world and that rich people have it all. Josie does not want to admit to the fact that she is a selfish girl who only thinks of herself. She criticises everyone and then goes and gets defensive when someone says something about her. She realises that not all rich people have it all as she learnt through John’s suicide. She doesn’t have any problems and even if she does they are not as bad as John’s.
The times that Josie shared with John and Jacob she learnt that she can’t blame the world for her mistakes and problems. She has learnt to enjoy and look forward to life as it comes because life is everything.
“Telecom would go broke if it weren’t for the Italians.” This is how Josie initially feels when Nonna Katia is constantly getting people to spy on her. She thinks Nonna is to over protective of her and way to hard on Christina. Josie doesn’t like the way that Nonna treats Christina in the way that she does. Always nagging her, causing arguments and fights. Josie finally learns the truth about Nonna when she confronts her about her relationship with her daughter because that lie allowed her to be trapped. She also didn’t want Christina or Josie making the same mistake. “I’ve figured out that it doesn’t matter whether I’m Josephine Andretti who was never an Alibrandi, who should have been a Sandford.” Josie realizes it doesn’t matter who she is as long as she has her family with her and that they all love each other.
“You know a wonderful thing happened to me when I reflected back on my year. One day came because finally I understood.” Josie is now a mature 18 year old who has finally understood that being Italian is something to be proud of. To enjoy and to look forward to life as it comes, and that there is no reason to be angry with Nonna because she has dedicated her life to Christian and also Josie.
Annotation
Reading – 5.5
The student reads and considers certain aspects of an imaginative text in relation to a set topic.
Key element of Reading Level 6
(Students) … read, view, analyse, reflect on and discuss contemporary … imaginative texts …
Reading – 5.5
The student reflects on the personal and social factors influencing a key character.
Key element of Reading Level 6
(Students) … reflect on … texts that explore personal, social, cultural and political issues …
Reading – 5.5
The student is able to draw conclusions from reading about the ways in which the novel has been shaped by the Italian background of the author and narrator.
Key element of Reading Level 6
(Students) explain how texts are shaped by the time, place and cultural setting in which they are created.
Context
Students completed a book review as part of a wider reading program.
The book selected was The Green Mile by Stephen King.
The key elements of the standard addressed by this task are:
Key elements of Reading Level 6
(Students) read, view, analyse, reflect on and discuss … imaginative texts that explore personal, social, cultural and political issues of significance to their own lives.
(Students) explain how texts are shaped by the time, place and cultural setting in which they are created.
(Students) … identify the multiple purposes for which texts are created.
Sample
The following sample illustrates the kind of response that students typically produce at 5.25 as they progress towards the Level 6 standard.
Book Review: “Green Mile”
The corridor leading to the death chamber is usually called the “last mile” in prisons, because it is along this corridor that the prisoners walk to their death. The corridor at Cold Mountain was covered with linoleum the colour of tired old limes, and was therefore named the “Green Mile”.
Along a Lonely stretch of cells known as the Green Mile at Cold Mountain Penitentiary, condemned killers such as “Billy the Kid” Wharton and the possessed Eduard Delacroix await death on ‘Old Sparky’. Although good or evil, innocent or guilty, prisoner or guard, no one had ever seen the brutal likes of the new prisoner, John Coffey, condemned to death for raping and murdering the young Deterick twins. Is Coffey a devil in human form? Or is he a far, far different kind of guy?
There have been more surprises in heaven and hell than anyone from Cold Mountain can imagine and one of those surprises just might have stepped in amongst them.
I believe that the author, Stephen King is telling us that John Coffey wanted to end his life because he hated seeing people dying. He is saying the world is killing and people can’t put up with it, John wanted to end his life because of this. I also believe that Stephen King is saying that you shouldn’t believe the first thing you see even if it concerns life or death. John was condemned to death because there were people believed he killed the twins, but he didn’t, he was just trying to heal them.
The novel “The Green Mile” was an excellent book. I really enjoyed it and have read over many times. It really touches you in ways where you can cry because Stephen King really gets you involved with the story. From the point at which you first open the book, you don’t want to put it down because you are really so involved in it. There are times during the novel where you are left with a cliff hanger and you just want to skip the pages and get to the chase. If I had to give this novel a rating out of ten I would definitely give it 10 with thumbs up.
Annotation
Reading – 5.25
Whole piece: The student reads and considers certain aspects of an imaginative text.
Key element of Reading Level 6
(Students) read, view, analyse, reflect on and discuss … imaginative texts …
Reading – 5.25
Paragraph 4: The student reflects on specific issues raised in the text.
Key element of Reading Level 6
(Students) … reflect on … texts … that explore personal, social, cultural and political issues of significance to their own lives.
Reading – 5.25
Whole piece: The student draws conclusions concerning the author’s intention and a key theme of the text.
Key element of Reading Level 6
(Students) explain how texts are shaped by the time, place and cultural setting in which they are created.
Reading – 5.25
Paragraph 5: The student attempts to identify and explain the genre the writer is working within.
Key element of Reading Level 6
(Students) … identify the multiple purposes for which texts are created.
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