AT1 –

Responding to
texts

Short answer
questions
 Analysing Texts in English:
1. Initial Reading We will do this x4 for The Turning:

2. First Responses • Teacher-led (I do) –

What atmosphere, mood, or feeling does the text have? Big World
What ideas/perspectives can we identify or infer?
• As a Group (We do) –
3. Close Reading Family
What techniques does the author use? What impact do
TECHNIQUE they have?
IMPACT
• Independently (You do) –
The Turning
4. Write Analytical Sentences • Summative Assessment –
Technique – Evidence – Impact
(Vary the order) On Her Knees OR Aquifer OR Boner
Macpharlane’s Moll.
5. Write a Paragraph
Topic Sentence, Expand, Analysis 1, Analysis 2, Analysis 3, Clinching
Sentence.
Teacher-led analysis: Big World
1. Initial Reading – Big World
• Read Big World as a class. Take turns reading aloud.
2. First Responses – Big World
• Think – Discuss – Write - Share:
1. What is the tone/mood, atmosphere of this story? What feelings are
evoked?
2. What ideas/perspectives does the author share?
• Hint: What does the text say about coming-of-age, Australian identity, friendship, class,
home, etc.

• Remember: Ideas/perspectives…
• Must apply to the world outside the text, not just the characters
• Are phrased as a contention (you must be able to agree or disagree)
• Are not explicit, they must be inferred.

• Where possible, support your ideas with evidence from the text.
• 20 minutes to discuss in pairs
• 30 minutes to share as a class and copy class brainstorm into notes.
3. Close Reading
• What techniques does the author use? What impact do they have?
• Draw up a table like this in your notebooks and complete it as we read.
TECHNIQUE IMPACT (idea or feeling)
•
•
•
•
•
•

• Support your close-analysis by underlining or highlighting evidence from

the text as we read.
• Follow-along and copy down ideas on the board (30 minutes)
 3. Close Reading – Big World
After five years of high school the final November arrives and leaves as suddenly as a spring storm. Exams. Graduation. Huge
beach parties. Biggie and me, we're feverish with anticipation; we steel ourselves for a season of pandemonium. But after
the initial celebrations, nothing really happens, not even summer itself. Week after week an endless misting drizzle wafts in
from the sea. It beads in our hair and hangs from the tips of our noses while we trudge around town in the vain hope of
scaring up some action. The southern sky presses down and the beaches and bays turn the colour of dirty tin. Somehow our
crappy Saturday job at the meatworks becomes full-time and then Christmas comes and so do the dreaded exam results.
The news is not good. A few of our classmates pack their bags for university and shoot through. Cheryl Button gets into
Medicine. Vic Lang, the copper's kid, is dux of the school and doesn't even stay for graduation. And suddenly there we are,
Biggie and me, heading to work every morning in a frigid wind in the January of our new lives, still in jeans and boots and
flannel shirts, with beanies on our heads and the horizon around our ears. The job mostly consists of hosing blood off the
floors. Plumes of the stuff go into the harbour and old men sit in dinghies offshore to catch herring in the slick. Some days I
can see me and Biggie out there as old codgers, anchored to the friggin place, stuck forever. Our time at the meatworks is
supposed to be temporary. We're saving for a car, the V-8 Sandman we've been promising ourselves since we were fourteen.
Mag wheels, a lurid spray job like something off a Yes album and a filthy great mattress in the back. A chick magnet, that's
what we want. Until now we've had a biscuit tin full of twos and fivers but now we're making real money. Trouble is, I can't
stand it. I just know I won't last long enough to get that car. There's something I've never told Biggie in all our years of being
mates. That I dream of escaping, of pissing off north to find some blue sky. Unlike him I’m not really from here. It's not
hosing blood that shits me off it’s Angelus itself; I'm going nuts here. Until now, out of loyalty, I've kept it to myself, but by
the beginning of February I'm chipping away at our old fantasy, talking instead about sitting under a mango tree with a cold
beer, walking in a shady banana plantation with a girl in a cheesecloth dress. On our long walks home I bang on about cutting
our own pineapples and climbing for coconuts. Mate, I say, can't you see yourself rubbing baby oil into a girl's strapless back
on Cable Beach? Up north, mate, think north! I know Biggie loves this town and he's committed to the shared vision of the
panel van, but I white-ant him day after day until it starts to pay off.
3. Close Reading
TECHNIQUE IMPACT (idea or feeling)

• Short, one-word sentences. • Signifies the passing of time. Creates a sense of

regret for the passing of time.
• Vivid, descriptive language/ imagery. “beaches • Brings the landscape to life and creates a sense
the colour of dirty tin”. of awe for the natural world.
• Colloquialisms, slang, Aussie vernacular. • Develop this as a quintessentially Australian
“white-anting”, “shits me off”. story.
• Symbolism – Kombi van • A symbol of adventure, carefree attitudes, and
rejection of social norms.
• Characterisation – Biggie as stupid and ugly, but • Encourages the reader to reflect on their own
easygoing, loyal, and a fundamentally good friendships, relationships, and values.
person.
• Mostly chronological structure, broken up with • Captures the nostalgia and excitement of post
flashbacks. high-school years and suggests that life’s
precious moments are fleeting.
• First-person perspective – “I” • Gives an insight into the protagonist’s mind, and
encourages the reader to make their own
reflections.
• Humour – “Meg, this mouth-breathing moron, • Lightens the reflective mood.
looks at Biggie like he’s a guru”.
4. Write Analytical Sentences
• Concise analytical sentences should include:

TECHNIQUE – EVIDENCE – IMPACT

• E.g –

The imagery of “boxy little brick veneer bungalows” with “buffalo grass and
roses” give the streets a quaint feel, while the wild bush adjoining the street
is given almost mystical qualities.
4. Write Analytical Sentences
• We can vary the order of these elements to improve fluency.
• For each sentence, underline each element in a different colour.
TECHNIQUE – EVIDENCE – IMPACT

• E.g 1 – Winton uses juxtaposition to contrast feelings of wonder in the bush with the
sense of loss stemming from urbanisation. He describes “pedalling through the bush” to
“driving ‘Corollas across hectares of empty, shimmering tarmac,” to elicit feelings of
sadness and anger from the reader.
• E.g 2 – Winton remembers the “Jarrah forests turning into “boxy housing estates”,
recounting his early childhood in Karrinyup during the 1960s using a chronological
structure, which encourages readers to feel nostalgic about the loss of habitat caused
by expanding cities.
• E.g 3 – Winton positions audiences, particularly older audiences, to feel sentimental
about their childhood days playing in the bush, by using a nostalgic tone and diction to
give the wild bush an almost mystical quality, a “gravitational allure.”
4. Write Analytical Sentences
• Use your notes from the close reading of Big World to write three - four analytical
sentences.
• Make sure each sentence includes TECHNIQUE – EVIDENCE – IMPACT and aim to
vary the order of these elements for fluency.
• E.g –

Tim Winton uses…

Winton creates a ________ mood by…
Winton positions readers to feel ________ about …
Etc.

Be ready to share with the class. Copy down the exemplar sentences produced by the
teacher.
4. Analytical Sentences – Class Examples
5. Combine your sentences into a paragraph
• Topic Sentence (a broad comment on techniques and ideas)
• Expand/explain (develop your analysis of the main idea/perspective)
• Analysis 1 (use a sentence from step 4)
• Analysis 2 (use a sentence from step 4)
• Analysis 3 (use a sentence from step 4)
• Analysis 4 (optional: use a sentence from step 4)
• Linking/clinching sentence (connect ideas back to the question)

Help the teacher write a strong analytical paragraph. Copy down the exemplar.
 Example Paragraph – Big World
• In Big World, Tim Winton uses a range of literary techniques to create a nostalgic and reflective tone. He highlights the
rapid passing of time by starting the short story with a series of short, single-word sentences of significant moments in
life, “Exams. Graduation. Huge beach parties.” His writing is characteristically full of Australian vernacular, “white-anting”,
“shits me off”, “mate”, which helps Australian reader connect the experiences to their own youth. Similarly, the structure,
which incorporates a first-person, chronological narrative alongside reflective flashbacks, encourages readers to think
about significant moments in their own past. The fictional town of Angelus is brought to life with vivid descriptive
language, “dirty-tin beaches”, “endless misting drizzle”, but not located in a specific place to allow readers to connect it to
their own hometown. Despite the overall sentimental tone, Winton also lightens the mood with the use of humour,
describing Biggie as “thick as a box of hammers” and Meg as “on the nose”. Overall, readers are positioned to experience
Big World as a heartfelt story about life’s precious moments.
Class/group analysis: Family
1. Class/group analysis: Family
• Read Abbreviation in small groups. Take turns reading aloud.
2. First Responses – Family
• In groups of 4-5
Group 1 - Ideas/perspectives about Turning Points
Group 2 - Ideas/perspectives about Success and Ambition
Group 3 - Ideas/perspectives about Australian Identity
Group 4 - Ideas/perspectives about Family or Brotherhood
Group 5 – Ideas/perspectives about Gender and Masculinity
Group 6 – Ideas/perspectives about Shame or Regret
Group 7 - Ideas/perspectives about Grief and Trauma

• Remember: Ideas/perspectives…
• Must apply to the world outside the text, not just the characters
• Are phrased as a contention (you must be able to agree or disagree)
• Are not explicit, they must be inferred.
• Where possible, support your ideas with evidence from the text.
• 20 minutes to work as a group, then prepare to share your ideas with the class.
• 20 minutes to take notes based on other people’s work.
3. Close Reading - Family
• What techniques does the author use? What impact do they have?
• Draw up a table like this on the butchers paper and complete it as a group
while you read.
TECHNIQUE IMPACT (idea or feeling)
•
•
•
•
•
•

• Support your close-analysis by underlining or highlighting evidence from the

text as you read.
• The list of literary techniques can support your ideas.
4. Write Analytical Sentences - Family
• Individually complete the worksheet – Analytical Sentence Construction
• Make sure each sentence includes TECHNIQUE – EVIDENCE – IMPACT and aim to
vary the order of these elements for fluency.

• E.g –
Winton uses juxtaposition to contrast feelings of wonder in the bush with the sense of loss stemming from
urbanisation. He describes “pedalling through the bush” to “driving ‘Corollas across hectares of empty, shimmering
tarmac,” to elicit feelings of sadness and anger from the reader.

Winton positions audiences, particularly older audiences, to feel sentimental about their childhood days playing in
the bush, by using a nostalgic tone and diction to give the wild bush an almost mystical quality, a “gravitational
allure.”
4. Write Analytical Sentences - Family
• As a group, use notes from your close reading of Family to write three - four analytical
sentences.
• Make sure each sentence includes TECHNIQUE – EVIDENCE – IMPACT and aim to
vary the order of these elements for fluency.
• When you are happy with these sentences (triple-check them), write them up neatly on
the poster-paper to hang on the wall.

• E.g –
Winton uses juxtaposition to contrast feelings of wonder in the bush with the sense of loss stemming from
urbanisation. He describes “pedalling through the bush” to “driving ‘Corollas across hectares of empty, shimmering
tarmac,” to elicit feelings of sadness and anger from the reader.

Winton positions audiences, particularly older audiences, to feel sentimental about their childhood days playing in
the bush, by using a nostalgic tone and diction to give the wild bush an almost mystical quality, a “gravitational
allure.”
5. Combine your sentences into a paragraph
• Topic Sentence (a broad comment on techniques and ideas)
• Expand/explain (develop your analysis of the main idea/perspective)
• Analysis 1 (use a sentence from step 4)
• Analysis 2 (use a sentence from step 4)
• Analysis 3 (use a sentence from step 4)
• Analysis 4 (optional: use a sentence from step 4)
• Linking/clinching sentence (connect ideas back to the question)

Work as a group, but make sure that every individual writes the paragraph in their book. Be ready to
share at the end.
Independent analysis: The Turning
Individual Analysis – The Turning
Follow the process we learned in class to respond to the following question.

How does Tim Winton use literary techniques to position readers to think about different ideas/perspectives?

Answer with reference to any three of the following themes:

• Domestic violence • Turning Points
• Gender roles • Addiction
• Class • Friendship
• Religious conversion • Australian Identity

3 hours of class time + time at home.

Prioritize conferencing with Mr C during the double-lesson
I will help you with step 2 (first-responses) then you’re on your own
Use the resources on Compass as a guide. (especially writing advice doc)
Aim for three paragraphs, focusing on a different theme for each one.
 Individual Analysis:
Complete the following steps for The Turning by Tim Winton
3 hours of class time – submit final paragraph on Compass

1. Initial Reading

2. First Responses
What atmosphere, mood, or feeling does the text have?
What ideas/perspectives can we identify or infer?

3. Close Reading
What techniques does the author use? What impact do they have?
TECHNIQUE IMPACT

4. Write Analytical Sentences

Technique – Evidence – Impact
(Vary the order)

5. Write a Paragraph
Topic Sentence, Expand, Analysis 1, Analysis 2, Analysis 3, Clinching Sentence.
Independent analysis: The Turning
Ideas/perspectives about Addiction
Ideas/perspectives about Domestic Violence
Ideas/perspectives about Religious Conversion
Ideas/perspectives about Gender Roles
Ideas/perspectives about Class
Ideas/perspectives about Australian Identity

• Remember: Ideas/perspectives…
• Must apply to the world outside the text, not just the characters
• Are phrased as a contention (you must be able to agree or disagree)
• Are not explicit, they must be inferred.
• Where possible, support your ideas with evidence from the text.
• 20 minutes to work as a group, then prepare to share your ideas with the class.
• 20 minutes to take notes based on other people’s work.
Plagiarism
According to SACE, plagiarism is "the copying, paraphrasing or summarising of work, in
any form, without acknowledgment of sources, and presenting this as a student’s own
work."
With the increasing use of the internet for research, and information gathering and sharing,
what actually constitutes plagiarism can be problematic for some students.

Examples of plagiarism
- Copying sections of text from online sources without attribution
- Copying from a book without attribution
- Using AI writing tools like Chat GPT or Grammarly to form ideas, plan, write, or edit.
- Copying or sharing work with a classmate
- Passing off work done by a tutor, neighbour, or family-member as your own.
SACE feedback guidelines
Levels of Intervention

According to the Supervision and Verification of Students’ Work Policy:

“Work that is unacceptable because of undue levels of assistance includes that which
incorporates corrections or changes that the teacher or another person made.”
(SACE Board of SA, p. 4).

Editing has its place in the writing process, but when a teacher assumes this role, it is difficult to
ascertain what the student’s work is and what the teacher’s work is. The level of editing in the next
example transforms the student’s work to a point where it can be argued it is no longer the student’s
own work. An example of teacher editing rather than providing feedback about a student’s work, in a
Biology practical report, follows.
Different forms of Feedback
•Planning sheets
•Compass resources (esp. ‘Writing Advice’ document and exemplars)
•Self-evaluation against performance standards.
•Individual written feedback
•General feedback
•Peer evaluation
•Teacher conferencing
•Pre-submission checklists.
Summative assessment: On Her Knees

Q. How does Tim Winton use literary techniques in On Her Knees to position readers to think about
ideas/perspectives?

• Present your answer as an essay, as three short answers, OR in multimodal format.

• 1000 words or multimodal equivalent

Assessment Conditions
1. Hand-written drafts
• Completed in the double-lesson, under timed conditions.
• Prepare for the draft by planning thoroughly
• You will receive hand-written feedback, with three lessons to apply feedback and type final responses.

2. AI tools are not permitted, unless explicitly stated.

• It is against SACE plagiarism rules – claiming work that is not your own without acknowledgement.
• It’s a waste of my time (approx. 1 hour per student)
• It is a missed learning opportunity – what would society look like if we used AI for every task from Years 7-12?

3. Extensions
• Cannot be requested on the day. Requires a form w/ parent signature and a valid reason. This is at the teacher’s discretion.

4. Engage in all steps of the feedback & drafting process.

• Feedback =/= Editing.
• Be aware of other forms of feedback: exemplars, detailed planning, teacher conferencing, peer feedback, general feedback,
careful editing.
• The feedback process may look different for each assessment.
Choose any three of the following questions:

1. How does Tim Winton use literary techniques in On Her Knees to explore ideas and perspectives and position readers to think about Class
Struggle?

2. How does Tim Winton use literary techniques in On Her Knees to explore ideas and perspectives and position readers to think about
coming of age?

3. How does Tim Winton use literary techniques in On Her Knees to explore ideas and perspectives and position readers to think about
gender roles?

4. How does Tim Winton use literary techniques in On Her Knees to explore ideas and perspectives and position readers to think about
honour and pride?

5. How does Tim Winton use literary techniques in On Her Knees to explore ideas and perspectives and position readers to think about
parenthood?

6. How does Tim Winton use literary techniques in On Her Knees to explore ideas and perspectives and position readers to think about
relationships?

7. How does Tim Winton use literary techniques in On Her Knees to explore ideas and perspectives and position readers to think about
suburban life?

8. How does Tim Winton use literary techniques in On Her Knees to explore ideas and perspectives and position readers to think about
Australian identity?
Example Response:

How are language features and text structure employed in the memoir “Settlers at the Edge” by Tim Winton used to elicit a response in the reader to
certain issues?

In Settlers at the Edge, Tim Winton uses tone, diction and chronological structure to elicit a response of
sadness and horror at the loss of habitat created by the expansion of the city. Winton structures his memoir
by recounting his early childhood growing up in Karrinyup during the 1960’s. The imagery of “boxy little
brick veneer bungalows” with “buffalo grass and roses” give the streets a quaint feel, while the wild bush
adjoining the street is given almost mystical qualities, describing it as having a “gravitational allure”. The use
of nostalgic tone and diction positions readers, particularly older ones, to feel a sentimental attachment to
the past and their childhood days playing in the bush. Then as Winton describes the changes to Karrinyup,
the tone changes to one of sadness and anger at the loss of wonder and beauty that the bush provided. He
uses juxtaposition to contrast the differences, describing “pedalling through the bush” to “driving ‘Corollas
across hectares of empty, shimmering tarmac.” The use of contrast elicits an angry and sad response from
the reader at seeing how the fertile ground has been turned to an unimaginative desert. Through the use of
text structure, tone and diction, Tim Winton’s memoir of the sprawl of urban growth positions readers to
lament the loss of the natural landscape in the name of progress and respond with devastation to a future
devoid of beauty.
Writing Advice
• Find ‘Writing Advice for Year 12 (inc. Magic Sentence)’ on
Compass.
 General draft feedback -
• Orange highlighter = reconsider this word/phrase
• Complete planning sheet.
• Analyse “ideas and perspectives”, not “themes”.
• Ideas/ perspectives are what the author says about a theme. It’s what readers can learn about the real world from reading the story.
• E.g –
“Tim Winton uses a range of techniques to convey the theme of honour and pride.” (not good)
“Tim Winton uses a range of literary techniques to explore the idea that being honorable is a source of pride for working class people, who are systematically undervalued by society. (good)
• Topic sentences should already begin developing analysis of ideas/perspective. This format might help:
• [Author] presents the idea that [topic] is [opinion] because [analysis].
• Use present tense and the active voice.
• E.g – “Winton implements symbolism…” (good)
“symbolism is implemented by Winton.” (not good)
• The author should be the subject of the sentence.
• E.g “Winton uses dialogue to show…” (good)
• “Carol uses dialogue to show…”
• “dialogue is shown for readers to…”
• Write concisely by following the structure (technique – evidence – impact) for as many sentences as possible.
• “Working class”, not “lower class”
• Introduction
• Briefly address the question
• Short summary of what happens in the story. Be brief.
• Signpost your paragraphs.
• Conclusion
• Briefly restate the main ideas explored in the text.
• Use linking words between sentences – furthermore, similarly, in contrast, etc. See advice in writing document.
• Integrating quotes – shorten quotes and avoid ‘dropping them in’ – see advice on Compass.
• Check syntax by playing around with structure. Use simple words where possible. Reading aloud is a good tool.