‘Circular Breathing’ by the Australian poet Jaya Savige, is a set text for HSC Standard English study. This set of notes gives a full analysis of the poem with a relevant image and a handy grab-box explaining the poem’s significance and poetic techniques. A simple, one-stop analysis of this complex poem which students can work through in class or take home for private study.

Memorized essays betray a lack of confidence and an unwillingness to commit to authentic answers. Examiners have always advised students to prepare ‘talking points’ instead - a selection of ideas that they can draw on and which convey solid analysis and interpretation of the text. These talking points can be used by teachers, to focus discussion on higher-level or less-noticed features of the text and context. They also form effective student revision materials for formal assessment. Each point is supported by a piece of evidence from the text, and there are sufficient points to generate solid responses to almost any essay question. The Talking Points also model how students can articulate more complex thoughts about the text, and adduce evidence in natural and well-integrated writing.

This comprehensive set of study notes includes a solid, step-by-step commentary on the text, relevant contextual detail, and pull-boxes giving examples of criticism in ‘Essay Language’ (allowing teachers to show differentiation of tone, register and modality). There’s also a sample essay to this question: Self-discovery often involves uncovering things hidden and reconsidering things known. How is this perspective explored in The Awakening and ONE other related text? The sample essay uses The Awakening and Jane Campion’s film The Piano. Remember- if you’re going to print copies, please buy a licence for each copy. Items are priced to make this possible for all schools. Thanks for supporting our work.

This comprehensive set of study notes includes a solid, step-by-step commentary on the text, relevant contextual detail, and pull-boxes giving examples of criticism in ‘Essay Language’ (allowing teachers to show differentiation of tone, register and modality). There’s also a sample essay to this question:** How do the texts you have studied depict the emotional and intellectual responses provoked by a discovery? In your response, refer to your prescribed text and ONE other related text. ** The sample essay uses Michael Gow’s Away and Robert Cormier’s short story ‘The Moustache’.

Memorized essays betray a lack of confidence and an unwillingness to commit to authentic answers. Examiners have always advised students to prepare ‘talking points’ instead - a selection of ideas that they can draw on and which convey solid analysis and interpretation of the text. These talking points can be used by teachers, to focus discussion on higher-level or less-noticed features of the text and context. They also form effective student revision materials for formal assessment. Each point is supported by a piece of evidence from the text, and there are sufficient points to generate solid responses to almost any essay question. The Talking Points also model how students can articulate more complex thoughts about the text, and adduce evidence in natural and well-integrated writing.

TALKING POINTS: Memorized essays betray a lack of confidence and an unwillingness to commit to authentic answers. Examiners have always advised students to prepare ‘talking points’ instead - a selection of ideas that they can draw on and which convey solid analysis and interpretation of the text. These talking points can be used by teachers, to focus discussion on higher-level or less-noticed features of the text and context. They also form effective student revision materials for formal assessment. Each point is supported by a piece of evidence from the text, and there are sufficient points to generate solid responses to almost any essay question. The Talking Points also model how students can articulate more complex thoughts about the text, and adduce evidence in natural and well-integrated writing. SAMPLE ESSAY: This is a three-part resource for students undertaking the NSW HSC Common Module: Texts and Human Experiences A generic essay plan shows students how to compose an essay suitable for Stage 6, progressing them from the simpler PEEL/TEAL models of Stage 4 and 5. A sample essay for the prescribed text, Past the Shallows, answers a sample question for this module. There is also a second copy of the essay, marked up to show how it follows the plan, and with five short questions which require students to engage critically with the essay and its form.

Memorized essays betray a lack of confidence and an unwillingness to commit to authentic answers. Examiners have always advised students to prepare ‘talking points’ instead - a selection of ideas that they can draw on and which convey solid analysis and interpretation of the text. These talking points can be used by teachers, to focus discussion on higher-level or less-noticed features of the text and context. They also form effective student revision materials for formal assessment. Each point is supported by a piece of evidence from the text, and there are sufficient points to generate solid responses to almost any essay question. The Talking Points also model how students can articulate more complex thoughts about the text, and adduce evidence in natural and well-integrated writing.

‘Painter of Antwerp’, by the Australian poet Rosemary Dobson, is a poem suitable for senior study. This set of notes gives a full analysis of the poem with a relevant image and a handy grab-box explaining the key themes, poetic techniques, and related texts which complement the poem for students who may study it in concert with one other text. Important points are in red. A simple, one-stop analysis of this complex poem which students can work through in class or take home for private study.

‘Late Ferry’, by the Australian poet Robert Gray, is a familiar poem for senior study. This set of notes gives a full analysis of the poem with a relevant image and a handy grab-box explaining poetic techniques, and related texts which complement the poem for students who must study it in concert with one other text. Important points are in red. A simple, one-stop analysis of this complex poem which students can work through in class or take home for private study.

‘Diptych’, by the Australian poet Robert Gray, is a familiar poem for senior study. This set of notes gives a full analysis of the poem with a relevant image and a handy grab-box explaining poetic techniques, and related texts which complement the poem for students who must study it in concert with one other text. Important points are in red. A simple, one-stop analysis of this complex poem which students can work through in class or take home for private study.

The What Even Is… series of worksheets explains some of the key concepts in literary analysis, with examples from familiar and popular books and films. There is a single page explanation, with appropriate images and graphics, followed by a question which exercises students’ knowledge and understanding of the concept. Two short texts aimed at different abilities and levels are given for the question. This handout, explaining the concept of values as distinct from themes, asks students to exercise their understanding of the term on an movie poster of Thor and a Shakespearean soliloquy.

The What Even Is… series of worksheets explains some of the key concepts in literary analysis, with examples from familiar and popular books and films. There is a single page explanation, with appropriate images and graphics, followed by a question which exercises students’ knowledge and understanding of the concept. Two short texts aimed at different abilities and levels are given for the question. This handout, explaining the concept of textual integrity, asks students to exercise their understanding of the term on a meme about Batman and Ironman, and a soliloquy from Othello.

The What Even Is… series of worksheets explains some of the key concepts in literary analysis, with examples from familiar and popular books and films. There is a single page explanation, with appropriate images and graphics, followed by a question which exercises students’ knowledge and understanding of the concept. Two short texts aimed at different abilities and levels are given for the question. This handout, explaining the concept of literary representation, asks students to exercise their understanding of the term on an image-sequence from Bridget Jones’s Diary and a Shakespearean sonnet.

The What Even Is… series of worksheets explains some of the key concepts in literary analysis, with examples from familiar and popular books and films. There is a single page explanation, with appropriate images and graphics, followed by a question which exercises students’ knowledge and understanding of the concept. Two short texts aimed at different abilities and levels are given for the question. This handout, explaining the process of analysis, asks students to exercise their understanding of the term on Edvard Munch’s The Scream and Donne’s Holy Sonnet V.

The What Even Is… series of worksheets explains some of the key concepts in literary analysis, with examples from familiar and popular books and films. There is a single page explanation, with appropriate images and graphics, followed by a question which exercises students’ knowledge and understanding of the concept. Two short texts aimed at different abilities and levels are given for the question. This handout explains the process of analysis and asks students to consider what a text really is, using examples from Rene Magritte’s La Trahison des Images and a speech from The Tempest.

The What Even Is… series of worksheets explains some of the key concepts in literary analysis, with examples from familiar and popular books and films. There is a single page explanation, with appropriate images and graphics, followed by a question which exercises students’ knowledge and understanding of the concept. Short texts aimed at different abilities and levels are given for the question. This handout, explaining the discursive mode of writing, describes three different ways to identify and implement discursiveness. The activity uses very brief examples from six discursive works.

This unit of work brings John Wyndham’s vivid novel to life for students of all abilities, aimed at Year 9-10/Stage 5 students. The program provides clear differentiation for three levels of student: higher ability, lower ability, and Gifted and Talented, and clearly indicates core and differentiated tasks. Activities accompany each chapter, and relevant secondary texts such as Edwin Muir’s ‘The Horses’ are included. There are a selection of news articles on genetic mutation and ‘post-human’ or far-future people which will engage students of different levels and persuasions. Brief and cogent discussions of how societies have treated difference develop students’ general and historical knowledge and sharpen their critical thinking.

This short unit of work for students in the final year of primary or first years of middle school accompanies Guus Kuijer’s short novel ‘The Book of Everything’. Chapter by chapter questions provide activities which will allow students to read, research, and discuss issues such as childhood fear, WWII and its aftermath, religious intolerance, and parental anger. A great modern short novel to accompany works like The Diary of Anne Frank, and with a male protagonist, provides a reading experience which will draw in boys too. The unit of work concludes with a short assessment task and accompanying criteria for easy marking.

Study guide with questions and activities for every scene in the play, with plenty of room for written responses. The guide contains activities which can be differentiated for strong and weak students and allows teachers to make use of technology through video-diary activities which students can complete using an iPad or mobile phone (this can, of course, be changed to a handwritten diary task). You can also purchase an images-only powerpoint on the representation of Jews in Medieval and Renaissance Europe which can be used to show how the issue of anti-Semitism began and continues today. Suitable for a broad range of students from middle school.