How to Write an Area of Study Essay

[ssarahj]

Hi!
Do we have to put equal amounts of analysis into both the related and prescribed text?
And also - what would be a good way to structure the essay?
Thanks

Just to add onto what Jamon has said, for my AOS Essay I had 4 paragraphs in total; 3 integrated (Prescribed and Related) plus 1 that was Prescribed only. That was just how the structure of my ideas turned out after drafting throughout the whole year, so start off trying an integrated response and then see how you go

[kb123]

Just to add onto what Jamon has said, for my AOS Essay I had 4 paragraphs in total; 3 integrated (Prescribed and Related) plus 1 that was Prescribed only. That was just how the structure of my ideas turned out after drafting throughout the whole year, so start off trying an integrated response and then see how you go

oooh interesting... Thanks for that!

[kb123]

In my experience, integrated essays make it harder to fall into textual retell. You are more likely to be conceptually driven, which is important, especially for the AoS for this reason, although they are tougher, I do suggest everyone at least give them a go

Yeah that's 100% right! So say your main focus for the essay (Thesis) was on the beneficial nature of Discoveries. Then you might have one paragraph on the benefits of long journeys that culminate in a discovery, one paragraph on unexpected sudden discoveries, etc etc. You take your big idea and break it into chunks!

A parallel would be, say I'm talking about burgers. My Thesis might be, Burgers are Awesome. My paragraphs could be: Beef Burgers are Awesome, Chicken Burgers are Awesome, Veggie Burgers are Awesome. All still about how burgers are awesome! But on specific parts of that

Your best bet to start the essay would be to do some brainstorming, think about what ideas you could use and how you'd break them up. Getting your ideas for each paragraph done/finalised first will save you a lot of hassle

oh that makes so much sense thank you!

[olr1999]

Hi! Something I generally have problems with is the length of my body paragraphs in essays; they end up being a whole page of writing in exams or assessments tasks. Is there any suggested amount of paragraphs we should have in our AoS essay? Also, how can I make my body paragraphs concise? Another thing, in terms of linking the text back to the thesis at the end of the paragraph,  how can l go about pulling everything together that was in the body paragraph like textual evidence and the smaller idea? Hope that makes sense  Thanks 

[elysepopplewell]

Hi! Something I generally have problems with is the length of my body paragraphs in essays; they end up being a whole page of writing in exams or assessments tasks. Is there any suggested amount of paragraphs we should have in our AoS essay? Also, how can I make my body paragraphs concise? Another thing, in terms of linking the text back to the thesis at the end of the paragraph,  how can l go about pulling everything together that was in the body paragraph like textual evidence and the smaller idea? Hope that makes sense  Thanks 

Hey there! I know that when I type essays, they all look nice and tight in paragraphs. But then when I write them, especially in exam conditions, a single paragraph can take up the entire page. For this reasons, it is my suggestion that when you're writing in an exam, you actually break up the paragraphs a little further - so if you're discussing two texts in the one paragraph, then be sure to start the next line and indent when the new text comes in. Alternatively, when you're actually ready to start an entirely new paragraph, you skip a line and then proceed. By no means is this a requirement of high marks, it's just something that I find impacts the way that your work is digested. Nonetheless, this is for a later experience. For an AOS essay, you could have 3-6 paragraphs I suppose! Some people go with just two, but I always think it's more easily digested if those two are broken down, even if just a little. It really depends on your structure, how many paragraphs you have!

Making body paragraphs concise really comes down to questioning every single sentence with scrutiny. "Does this sentence directly answer the question with evidence or judicious concepts?" If the answer is no, you've got a wasted sentence, and that is usually where plot retell is highlighted. You may not be at the stage in your analysis yet to do this, it may come after you get feedback for your first assessment, or it may come after reading the text more intensely, but you'll be able to tighten your analysis by pulling out several meanings from a single quote, or piggy backing techniques and quotes in a really dense way. For me, this didn't come until the end of the year, as I developed my analytical skills and writing style. But, it happened

Be sure that you're not just linking back to the thesis at the end of the paragraph, and that you're doing it throughout. Without doubt, topping and tailing your paragraphs with the thesis is a great starting point, but then it needs to become more woven and seamless. That's when each point you make directly answers the question or proves your thesis If you're doing it in little ways throughout the paragraph, it means you won't have to make a big stretch at the end to bring it back to the central argument.

[olr1999]

Hey there! I know that when I type essays, they all look nice and tight in paragraphs. But then when I write them, especially in exam conditions, a single paragraph can take up the entire page. For this reasons, it is my suggestion that when you're writing in an exam, you actually break up the paragraphs a little further - so if you're discussing two texts in the one paragraph, then be sure to start the next line and indent when the new text comes in.

Thanks a tonne!

[elysepopplewell]

Thanks a tonne!

No worries! If you ever need help finding anything around the site, just let us know! Welcome to ATAR Notes

[kb123]

How would you tackle this sort of question in an essay?

"Texts have the potential to challenge assumptions and beliefs about aspects of human experience and the world."
-Discuss this statement in relation to your prescribed text and ONE related text of your own choosing.

[jamonwindeyer]

How would you tackle this sort of question in an essay?

"Texts have the potential to challenge assumptions and beliefs about aspects of human experience and the world."
-Discuss this statement in relation to your prescribed text and ONE related text of your own choosing.

This is a heavy question for the AoS! Seems like it would be better suited to a module, since it relates to texts specifically! If you did get it though, I'd be linking the statement to Discovery, with a train of thought that goes something like this:

- Texts portray Discoveries and this shapes how the audience views their own discoveries
- It is through seeing discovery in texts that audience views of the world around them are challenged, and this enables them to make their own discoveries.

It's a little shaky, but the basic idea is that the Discoveries made by the audience, and the way they respond to them, are shaped by the texts they read. Something like that, and then you could direct the conceptual side of things however you choose.

Is this an actual AoS question? I've not seen one like this before!

[kb123]

This is a heavy question for the AoS! Seems like it would be better suited to a module, since it relates to texts specifically! If you did get it though, I'd be linking the statement to Discovery, with a train of thought that goes something like this:

- Texts portray Discoveries and this shapes how the audience views their own discoveries
- It is through seeing discovery in texts that audience views of the world around them are challenged, and this enables them to make their own discoveries.

It's a little shaky, but the basic idea is that the Discoveries made by the audience, and the way they respond to them, are shaped by the texts they read. Something like that, and then you could direct the conceptual side of things however you choose.

Is this an actual AoS question? I've not seen one like this before!

its not an actual question, but its in the syllabus and i just wanted to know how to answer a question based on the concept

[jamonwindeyer]

its not an actual question, but its in the syllabus and i just wanted to know how to answer a question based on the concept

Ahh okay cool! Good on you for being prepared! I don't know the AoS syllabus like I should, since I did the old one (Belonging, woo) yeah, I doubt they'd throw exactly that in that way, it's a little heavy, but they could definitely give you something about the human experiences and the world part! It's just the bit referencing the texts that feels out of place; working with the latter half of the sentence could definitely prep you well for a heap of AoS essay questions

[RuiAce]

don't know the AoS syllabus like I should, since I did the old one (Belonging, woo)

To what extent do you belong to our daily discoveries

[shreya_ajoshi]

Hi!
I was wondering, how would you write a generic essay for AOS and keep that essay, then continuously manipulating your essay to suit any question that is thrown at you?

Thanks

[jamonwindeyer]

Hi!
I was wondering, how would you write a generic essay for AOS and keep that essay, then continuously manipulating your essay to suit any question that is thrown at you?

Thanks

Hey! I replied to this in the separate post you made, but especially for the AoS, when there is a fairly broad conceptual spectrum of questions they can ask, you need to be practicing responding to AoS questions. It's only by doing this that you'll start to notice the sorts of buzzwords and themes that occur a lot, and this will indicate the best themes to use for body paragraphs

Disclaimer: I'm not a fan of memorising and adapting generic essays, and I chat about why here

[epherbertson]

Hi,
I am seriously struggling to come up with some strong ideas for this essay question:
“As well as enlightening, discoveries can be confronting.”

I seem to be circling around the same idea in which an unexpected discovery has the ability to alter and craft a reviewed psychological and spiritual revelation of self purpose.
My prescribed is Life of Pi and related is Ozymandias by PBS.
Any help is appreciated
Emily