How to Write an Area of Study Essay

[jamonwindeyer]

Ughhhh I'm so annoyed right now hahaha, thank you for clearing that up for me though! At least I know now and I can just focus my attention to one of my related texts Thank you!

Not a problem! So wait, what did your teacher say? That they can ask for 2 ORT's in AoS?

I mean look, they could, but they've never done it before and they would be screwing everyone over. Hell, even if they did, use one of the unseen texts from Section 1!! I highly recommend knowing one ORT for Module C, and another for AoS, and that's heaps

[sudodds]

Not a problem! So wait, what did your teacher say? That they can ask for 2 ORT's in AoS?

I mean look, they could, but they've never done it before and they would be screwing everyone over. Hell, even if they did, use one of the unseen texts from Section 1!! I highly recommend knowing one ORT for Module C, and another for AoS, and that's heaps

They said they could ask for three! Though they did say that was rare.

[jamonwindeyer]

They said they could ask for three! Though they did say that was rare.

That's intense! Three is impossible, I'll happily eat the shirt I'm wearing right now if doing 3 is mandatory any time soon 

At the end of the day, they have to enable Standard and Advanced student to access the essay. Doing 1 is probable, doing "at least one" is possible, but then just do one really really well! 

[jamonwindeyer]

Hi ive attached my creative! i just need help with thinking of a way to enhance my discovery to make it more meaningful because i feel like it is abrupt as Ive put it at the end.

Hey there! Thanks for posting your creative, welcome to the forums!! Be sure to let me know if you need anything

Unfortunately you have not met the posting requirements to receive feedback on your creative from one of the markers. We have a post exchange policy in place to make sure the service doesn't get too clogged (essay marking rules available here). It is 15 posts per creative piece,  so if you hang around the forums for a bit, ask a few questions and have a chat (make your first post here if you like), then you'll get there really quick! Then when you are there you can post your Creative in our Creative Marking Thread to get some formal feedback 

That said, feel free to chat to us a bit about your story in the mean time and we might have some general suggestions to help you out! what sort of discovery concept are you pushing, what is your premise? 

[MarkThor]

they won't ask for more than one ORT, so just one for AoS is great! 

My teacher told me to have 2 Related Texts prepared for discovery in the Trials. Is it true that they can only ask for 1 ORT?

[elysepopplewell]

My teacher told me to have 2 Related Texts prepared for discovery in the Trials. Is it true that they can only ask for 1 ORT?

Sorry I'm coming in with a correction here. They CAN ask for two related texts and they HAVE done it before, but it happened before you or I entered High School. There's no document that says that they won't ask for two related texts. If we look at trends of past papers, they only ask for one all of the past years (except 2008 or 2009...I forget which year it was off the top of my head). There's nothing wrong with having two related texts prepared incase they ask for two. And especially if you're doing a school-made trial paper and your teacher is telling you to use two related texts, then I'd take that as a good hint. As I've said before, I didn't thoroughly prepare a second related text. I always thought, if I get to the HSC preparation and I have time, I'll do another text. But, who has time in their cramming? So I decided that I would use one of the unseen texts from the start of paper one as my second related text if that's the case. Jake and I both recommend that you spend at least ten minutes of your study time before exams considering how you would structure an essay with two related texts, because there are a few ways.

[katherine123]

are there any sample answers and tips on how to answer the unseen texts for area of study?

[elysepopplewell]

are there any sample answers and tips on how to answer the unseen texts for area of study?

My top suggestions are:
1. Try finish reading all of the unseen texts in the reading time
2. Remember to relate each and every response to discovery. If this means you need to make your own mini thesis statement for each one, that's cool!
3. Using an obvious technique isn't a bad thing, especially if you're pairing it with an awesome analysis.
4. In your preparation, think about what the techniques of visual and literary texts are that gel with you the most. I have friends who could spot a metaphor from a mile away, but they hadn't refreshed visual techniques in a long time and couldn't spot the most obvious vector line. So give yourself a refresher on them

[jamonwindeyer]

are there any sample answers and tips on how to answer the unseen texts for area of study?

5. Be smart with how much time you give to each! Don't write half a page for a 2 marker, don't write an essay for a 3 marker, don't get stuck and write 2 sentences for a 5 marker, etc etc  a few sentences for 1-2 marks, a body paragraph for 3-4, extended response (don't go too far above 2 pages) for 5-6

[amandali]

can u give a sample answer for the ques : comment how the poet uses the metaphor of hand to represent an aspect of discovery  3 marks 
thanks

[elysepopplewell]

(Image removed from quote.)


can u give a sample answer for the ques : comment how the poet uses the metaphor of hand to represent an aspect of discovery  3 marks 
thanks

I'm 100% honest when I say I'm really unsure about this text, it would definitely throw me in an exam. Poems are always my weakest point in the unseen texts, I just really feel like you need more than a few minutes to understand a poem! After reading it twice (I'm not letting myself google for the purpose of trying to simulate an exam) I'd run with the idea that the hand is a metaphor for herself. I'm focusing this on the last stanza more than the hand in the first stanza.

I can't give you an exact sample response as such, but I can suggest this approach:
Sentence one: Thesis
Sentence Two: Identify what the hand is a metaphor for
Sentence three: explain how and why
Sentence four: link to thesis.

I always start my unseen texts with a bit of a mini thesis. Something like "Individuals may have to experience hardship to discover the respect they have for themselves." Then my second sentence will say that the hand is a metaphor for the narrator. Explain how, by saying that she is "saluting" "each other" and treats the hand as a third person, because mind and body are connecting because of the hardship (the hardship is reduced to her cutting herself on a knife when she was younger, but the second last stanza kinds of draws it out to life in general) and then my last sentence would kind of just round that off, seal the deal, reiterate what I'm trying to express, and that's all!

How have you interpreted the hand? My interpretation isn't the only one

[Sssssrr]

hi, I'm studying the tempest as my prescribed text for discovery. If i were to explore the idea of colonisation, how could i link that to the rubric and to discovery.
thanks so much

[elysepopplewell]

hi, I'm studying the tempest as my prescribed text for discovery. If i were to explore the idea of colonisation, how could i link that to the rubric and to discovery.
thanks so much

Hey! I don't know the Tempest well enough to know much about the colonisation aspect of it. Do you mind giving me some more details about how colonisation is part of the Tempest? Who does it influence? Does it change opinions?
Immediately, I think this is a planned action...that potentially lead to a planned or unplanned discovery? Which do you think? The planned/unplanned nature comes from the rubric!

[Sssssrr]

well basically Prospero, who symbolises the coloniser, takes caliban as his slave. Caliban is the native of the land, however he is perceived as a savage and thus is displaced of his rightful land. so i was trying to explore the implications of colonisation on indigenous, and the moral ambiguity of colonising 'new' lands, however i was struggling to link this idea back to the rubric. thanks for your help

[elysepopplewell]

well basically Prospero, who symbolises the coloniser, takes caliban as his slave. Caliban is the native of the land, however he is perceived as a savage and thus is displaced of his rightful land. so i was trying to explore the implications of colonisation on indigenous, and the moral ambiguity of colonising 'new' lands, however i was struggling to link this idea back to the rubric. thanks for your help

Mmm, tricky. Ok, I tend to think that the best way of approaching this is copying and pasting the rubric into here, with all creds to BOSTES of course.


Discovery can encompass the experience of discovering something for the first time or rediscovering
something that has been lost, forgotten or concealed. From what I know, I don't think this describes the situation because the colonisation didn't come with a lost, forgotten or concealed nature. Discoveries can be sudden and unexpected,
or they can emerge from a process of deliberate and careful planning Which one applies to Propsero's actions, do you think?evoked by curiosity, necessity or wonder. Discoveries can be fresh and intensely meaningful in ways that may be emotional, creative, intellectual, physical and spiritual. They can also be confronting and provocative By the sounds of it, this applies. The confronting or provocative nature seems to fit because usually colonisations aren't taken lightly.. They can lead us to new
worlds and values Does the moral ambiguity fit here?, stimulate new ideas, and enable us to speculate about future possibilities. Discoveries and discovering can offer new understandings and renewed perceptions of ourselves and others Does anyone learn something about themselves or someone else through the colonisation?.
An individual’s discoveries and their process of discovering can vary according to personal, cultural,
historical and social contexts and values. The impact of these discoveries can be far-reaching and
transformative for the individual and for broader society. Discoveries may be questioned or challenged
when viewed from different perspectives and their worth may be reassessed over time This seems to be the most relevant to me, based on what I know. I'm sure the perspective on the colonisation would be different when looking at it through Propero's lens, as opposed to Caliban's lens.. The ramifications of particular discoveries may differ for individuals and their worlds.Again, this one seems relevant. The ramifications may be: loss of home, loss of identity, renewed perceptions, moral doubt, etc.
By exploring the concept of discovery, students can understand how texts have the potential to
affirm or challenge individuals’ or more widely-held assumptions and beliefs about aspects of human
experience and the world. Through composing and responding to a wide range of texts, students may
make discoveries about people, relationships, societies, places and events and generate new ideas.
By synthesising perspectives, students may deepen their understanding of the concept of discovery.
Students consider the ways composers may invite them to experience discovery through their texts
and explore how the process of discovering is represented using a variety of language modes, forms
and features.

What do you think? I tend to think there are at least three strong areas for development there. Let me know your thoughts!