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What do I have to do again?

These tasks are designed to develop both your creative and critical thinking skills as you work your way through your textual studies in class :

TEXTUAL THINKING...
FOR USE WITH YOUR NOVEL, SHORT TEXT and FILM STUDIES

NAME:

CONTENT PROCESS ANALYSIS

PLOT
How successfully does the writer or director tie the plot together? Are all loose-ends tied? Any weaknesses? All books are divisible into two classes, the books of the hour and the books of all time (Ruskin 1865) Which is yours?
(use other text types as well)

SETTING
Describe the significance of the writer or directors choice of setting. Consider the implications of the setting being Dunedin 2014.

CHARACTER
Construct a Venn diagram that compares and contrasts three characters. Prepare a series of accusations for your character and write their defence.

CONFLICT
Explain the lessons learned by a major character in your text.

THEME
Develop a mind map highlighting the important themes in your text.

STYLE
Identify three different stylistic techniques and explain which is the most successful.

Novel Film Short Stories Poems

EVALUATION

Try to select tasks that you will enjoy and hopefully get passionate about (or at least not too bored with). Remember, these are only possibilitiesif you have a better idea, for any particular task then see your teacher for the green light. For each text that you study you must complete ONE exercise from each CONTENT column. (six activities for each text). Do not double up on PROCESS choices either. Your work should NOT be completed in your book. It is to be completed on A4 paper or refill pad. It can be typed if you wish. All tasks should be treated as BEST WORK, and be neat, colourful and completed with care. When writing an extended explanation, be sure to EXPLAIN your ideas in full, using methods that you learn about in class. NO SHORTCUTS! TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR WORK!

Argue that one of the minor conflicts should in fact have been the focus of the text.

Debate the relevance of an issue Re-write an important episode in raised for todays society / teenag- your text as if was written in a ers. different genre.

CREATIVE

Write the plot as a recipe/song/ poem/opera/news bulletin/ documentary/etc.

Construct a representation of the actual setting of your text. (map/ model etc.)

Re-write an episode whereby the villain or a minor character is the focus or add a new character to the text and write the ending. Select a concrete noun and provide a list of 10 similarities between the object and a character. Justify your choices.

Produce a mind map of the way in which the four conflict types are developed. (do you know the four conflict types?) Select an opinion raised by a character that conflicts with the hero. What if he or she is actually right?

Produce a static image that is representative of a major issue in your text.

Re-arrange the plot events using a different order. Explain the benefits of this decision.

ANALOGY / PROVOCATIVE QUESTION TOLERANCE FOR AMBIGUITY INTUITIVE EXPRESSION

Argue that the plot is unbelievable because...

Defend the statement that of the six elements of text being explored that setting is the least important. (do you know the six elements?) Select a different timeframe (location/time/atmosphere) and explain what changes would need to occur to the text to make it work. Imagine you a minor character in the world of your text. What fundamental beliefs/values must you have?

Write about an analogy from your What is the single biggest stylislife which reveals the theme of your tic error that the writer or directext. tor commits?

Select an important symbol or object of the plot. Now remove it or add a different symbol and discuss the merits of this. Prepare a list of the ten values that underpin the moral code of your text.

Place a character in 5 extended Design five what if? questions day dream scenarios and justify his about conflict in your text and anor her actions. swer.

Select five laws that exist in your text. Now remove them. What themes exist in the text now?

There is no such thing as a moral or immoral book. Books are well written or badly written (Wilde 1891) Which is yours?
(use other text types as well)

Imagine that you are a character facing a crisis, share your feelings or, select a character and show the implications of his/her actions on others. Create a meaning grid to highlight character development or change.

without conflict there is no story How true is this statement for your text?

What would the consequences be if an important issue was magnified to the global level (or alternatively the local level.)

What do you believe the writer or directors attitude is to the key issues raised in your text. As always support with evidence.

EXAMPLE OF CHANGE DISCOVERY / SKILLS OF SEARCH PROOF AND REASONING


S.C.A.M.P.E.R
(change)

Choose a symbol or significant object in your text and SCAMPER it. What outcomes do you get?

Complete a thinking hats mind map of either the actual setting of the text or an imagined setting of your choice for the sequel, should it ever get written or made.

Choose an important conflict in your text and complete a fishbone diagram that highlights the pros and cons. Research an historical event that stemmed from a conflict raised in your text. Using a cause and effect graph show the progression of one conflict.

ASTEEP an issue to which you responded positively.

Do a PMI on the stylistic devices used by the writer.

Select an important event in your Complete a timeframe for the settext and complete an internet inves- ting of your text indicating the tigation of it. major events that were happening at the time. By using a time/tension graph show how the writer or director has carefully structured the plot. Research the cultural, historical and social contexts of the text explain why the story could only occur in this setting and not in New Zealand.

Research the writers life and identify any similarities with a character from the text. Choose a problem a character faced and using the POOCH model show the consequences of his/her actions or behaviour.

Find information on an issue raised in your text that is currently in the media. Identify three themes and prove which is most important.

Research how other writers have used a similar stylistic feature or compare this style with other texts by your writer. By exploring different examples of dialogue show how the writer creates three very different characters.
My books and instruments shall be my company The Taming of the Shrew (1, i) William Shakespeare

A.S.T.E.E.P
(research implications)

PMI Positive - benefits Minus - negatives Interesting - other ideas

THINKING HATS White facts, information Black problems, negatives Yellow good points, positives Red emotions, feelings Blue where are we at? Green how else? Orange minorities? others?

FISHBONE DIAGRAM

Substitute Combine Adapt Modify Put to another use Eliminate Reverse


With many thanks to Gavin Morgan at Auckland Girls Grammar ideas of Pohl

Artistic/cultural Sociological, personal, educational, psychology cal, religious, family Technological Environmental Economic Political, governmental, legal

+
Problem/ Effect

FORECASTING AND SELECTING USING P.O.O.CH

CH

cultural, environmental, historical, social, personal issues


reading assignment based on hierarchies of Maker, Williams, Bloom and

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