1. Area of Study
Belonging

2. Paper 1: Area of Study
Paper 1 comprises 40% of your Higher School Certificate Examination mark
Section I (15 marks)
Responding to unseen texts
Section II (15 marks)
Writing – composing
Section III (15 marks)
Writing – integrated response

3. What is an Area of Study? From the Prescriptions document:
“Students explore and examine relationships between language and text, and the interrelationships among texts.”
“They examine closely the individual qualities of texts while considering the texts’ relationships to the wider context of the Area of Study.”
“They take into account whether aspects such as context, purpose and register, text structures, stylistic features, grammatical features and vocabulary are appropriate to the particular text.”

4. This Area of Study requires students to explore the ways in which the concept of belonging is represented in and through texts.
What is a concept?
An abstract notion or idea
Wider and broader than a simple theme- a concept allows you to analyse many themes under the umbrella term of ‘belonging’.
What is meant by “represented in and through texts”?
Notions about belonging are dealt with in texts, as part of the subject/ theme/message of the text.

5. What are perceptions? What is the difference between perceptions and ideas?
--≥Perception refers to the interplay of recognition and interpretation and is influenced by our preconceived ideas, memories, experiences and senses. It can alter and even distort how we view the notion of belonging.

6. So… Perceptions are… -our recognition and interpretation of an idea.
-influenced by our context and personal experiences.
Ideas are…
-concepts/ our understanding of an abstract concept.
-influenced by our perceptions and context.

7. FOUR IMPORTANT TERMS
IDENTITY
The state or fact of being the same one as described
The sense of self, providing sameness and continuity in personality over time
An instance or point of sameness or likeness
RELATIONSHIPS
A connection, association or involvement
An emotional or other connection between people
A romantic or sensual involvement
ACCEPTANCE
Favourable reception
The act of assenting or believing
Belief in something, agreement
UNDERSTANDING
A state of cooperative or mutually tolerant relations between people
Mutual agreement
Knowledge or familiarity with a particular thing

8. Also remember…
It may be possible for an individual to both ‘belong’ and ‘not belong’ to a place, group, community, and the larger world?
Think about the consequences associated with having an ambivalent ‘sense of belonging’ to some person, thing, place, idea. How does this link to Peter Skrzynecki’s poetry?

9. What is meant by enriching a community or group?
-Making their experience of belonging positive, or contributing to their sense of belonging rather than alienation.
-For example, in regards to the immigrants experience of a new country, the individual can choose to enrich an immigrants sense of belonging through their understanding or acceptance of the community the migrant comes from.
What is meant by challenging a group or community?
-If an individual only sees flaws, or resists a community that can challenge their notion of belonging.
-A sense of belonging can also be challenged through undermining, questioning values, opposition, division, defiance. For example, in Immigrant Chronicle young Peter often challenges the beliefs of the father by questioning his values., he is the child who rejects his cultural heritage

10. Why is ‘time’ an important notion when discussing belonging and attitudes to belonging?
Birth- childhood
Adolescence
Young Adult
Adult
Senior/ death
The way attitudes to belonging are modified over time: Skrzynecki by the end of anthology has come to accept the call of his cultural heritage 
The prophetic last four lines of ‘Postcards’ signify that although Skryznecki denies emphatically the call of his birthplace and his cultural heritage, he will always be connected to Europe; communicating his reconciliation with his Polish/ Ukrainian identity and legacy, and his acceptance that he does belong.

11. Barriers which prevent belonging
 Leaving your birthplace at the age of five: too young to have identified with the place and its culture
 Being the child of migrants who talk of a place you have no memory of
Prejudice and detention
Denial and rejection
Perceptions

12. Developing a Belonging Vocabulary
Acceptance
Affiliation
Affinity
Alienation
Antipathy
Association
Attachment
Disaffection
Disenfranchisement
Fellowship
Identity
Inclusion
Insecurity
Kinship
Loyalty
Relationship
Understanding

13. Not Belonging
You cannot consider the concept of belonging without considering what it means not to belong.

14. Considering Belonging Further
What does it mean to belong to a gender, group, place or community?
What does it mean to belong within a relationship?
What is cultural belonging?
What is historical belonging?
How does our concept of belonging change throughout our lives?
Does the concept of belonging mean the same thing to everyone?
What are the links between belonging and identity?
Why do people want to belong?
Why do groups want people to belong?
Does everyone want to belong?
Is belonging always a positive thing?
How do we show that we belong?
What are the consequences of belonging or not belonging?

15. Section III
You are required to respond to a question that will require an extended response.
You will need to refer to the prescribed text and a variety of supplementary texts.

16. Requirements This section assesses how well you can:
respond to a question and compose an extended piece of text for a particular purpose, audience and context
articulate your interpretation of how the concept of belonging is communicated and shaped in and amongst texts
communicate your knowledge and understanding of the relationships between language, texts and context
demonstrate and explain how the concept of belonging is conveyed in your prescribed text and a variety of other texts of your own choosing

17. Supplementary Texts
Also ‘Related Texts’ or ‘Texts of your own choosing’
You should strive to prepare three supplementary texts for the Higher School Certificate Examination.
‘Stronger responses made discerning choices in their related material by using texts which enabled them to comprehensively engage with the demands of the question. These responses discussed the features of these texts in a skilful manner by concentrating on the qualities unique to their selected medium and integrating these into their discussion of the core text and question requirements.’ (NSW BOS, 2007, p.7)

18. Template for Analysing Supplementary Texts
Title:
Author:
Publishing Details:
Textual Form:
Summary of Text:
Link to Belonging:
Quotes and Specific References:
Links to Prescribed Text:
Techniques Used to Convey Ideas about belonging:
Composer’s Attitude Towards Belonging:

19. Developing a Thesis
A thesis or line of argument should reflect your perspective and understanding of what you have been studying in relation to belonging.
To develop a thesis, begin by brainstorming your ideas about belonging.
Bring together the key ideas and express them in one or two concise sentences.
Your thesis should link closely with your prescribed text and supplementary material.

20. Examples of Theses
When your cultural identity is marginalised you can feel dislocated and displaced, and believe that you do not belong to your culture or the dominant culture.
Our search for who we are is fuelled by a need to find a place in the world where we belong.
The need to belong to a group or a community shapes our behaviour, attitudes and actions.
The basic human need to be accepted and belong can cloud our judgments and direct our actions.
We search for a place to belong, not realising that it is our perceptions and attitudes and not the place that allow us to belong.

21. Using Your Thesis
The question must drive and shape your response. It should influence your thesis.
Use your thesis or line of argument to drive and shape the response rather than the texts. This will improve the level of synthesis in your response.
You should use the prescribed text and texts of your own choosing to develop, support and even challenge your thesis.
Don’t resort to using simple, brief links at the beginning or end of a paragraph. Integrate your connections throughout your response.

22. Tips for Section III
Be prepared to write in a variety of text types, such as:
a formal essay
an interview transcript
a speech
a personal reflection
a feature article
Know your texts well. You should have a good working knowledge of your prescribed text and your supplementary texts so that you can respond to a variety of questions on belonging.
Underline text titles when you use them.

23. Sample Questions
Claude Levi Strauss once said, “Being human signifies, for each one of us, belonging to a class, a society, a country, a continent and a civilisation.” Explain this statement with close reference to your prescribed text and a variety of supplementary texts of your own choosing.
Belonging is not always a good thing. What disadvantages are there for individuals and society in belonging? In your answer refer to your prescribed text and at least two texts of your own choosing.
‘The need to belong marks us as human and it is such connections that lead to fulfilment.’ To what extent do you agree with this statement? In your answer refer to your prescribed text and at least two texts of your own choosing.
‘The groups to which we belong define who we are.’ To what extent do you agree with this statement? In your answer refer to your prescribed text and at least two texts of your own choosing.
‘Belonging doesn’t just happen; it involves many factors and experiences in order to feel that you truly belong.’ To what extent do you agree with this statement? In your answer refer to your prescribed text and at least two texts of your own choosing.

24. Section I
You are required to closely explore, deconstruct and identify how the concept of belonging is communicated in each text.

25. Text Types Web Page Graphic Comic Recount Photograph Advertisement
Family Tree
Speech
Short Story
Poem
Song Lyrics
Drama Text
Interview
News Report
Feature Article
Picture Book Extract
Diary Entry

26. Textual Analysis Framework
Purpose
Target Audience
Word Choice
Structure
Poetic Techniques/Figurative Language
Style and Tone
Visual Literacy

27. Analysing Prose Texts
Language: Abstract or concrete? Loaded with emotion or reason?
Do any words have other connotations?
Modality: Is the language forceful (high modality) or tentative (low modality)?
Punctuation
The use of imagery to evoke meaning
Sound: Have particular vowel or consonant sounds been used to create a particular effect?
Figurative language
Emotive Language
Tone
Structure
Person: first person (‘I’, ‘we’), second person (‘you’) or third person (‘he’, ‘she’, ‘they’)?
Register
Repetition
Idioms
Irony

28. Analysing Visual Texts
What objects are used and how are they presented?
Size
Setting
Colour: Does it suggest a particular meaning?
Lighting
Positioning of objects
Vectors: Are there any directional lines (vectors) in the picture? These lines help our eyes to establish a reading path.
Body language
Camera angle
Is the character’s gaze (direction of the eyes) of any significance?
Symbolism

29. Understanding Context
Context is the way a text is composed and responded to within the following frameworks:
Historical
Social
Personal
Cultural
Workplace
A text’s context may influence the ways in which it represents the concept of belonging.

30. Analysing Texts – Types of Questions
How does the text represent the concept of belonging?
What type of belonging is represented in the text?
What language features, structures and techniques has the composer used to communicate the concept of belonging?
Which two texts communicate the concept of belonging most effectively and why? (When answering questions like this you should also mention any other texts and assess why they are less effective.)
How do the language modes and features presented in the text further shape your understanding of the concept of belonging?
Identify connections between the texts.
Remember that ‘how’ implies that you should refer to techniques!

31. Sample Texts Poem: First lesson Cartoon: Acceptance Image: Belonging
The thing to be remembered about parents is, they’re people.
A child has to keep this in mind.
They are dragon-slayers, bent on improbable rescues.
Scratch any parent, you find
Someone chalk full of hope and promises,
Believing change is a threat –
Like your first date, like your first bicycle
It took months to get.
Walk in a strange woods, they warn you about snakes there,
Climb, and they fear you’ll fall.
Books, friends, or swimming in deep water –
Parents mistrust them all.
Elders and the worriers. It is difficult for them
To learn what they must learn;
How you have a future to belong to and very likely,
For a while, will not live in their past.
Phyllis McGinley
Cartoon: Acceptance
Mark Stivers
Image: Belonging
Sarah Jack

32. Tips for Section I Be aware of time Consider the allocated marks
Read the texts carefully
Look for key words in the questions
Address the questions in your responses (and be careful when there are multiple parts to a question)
Structure your answers clearly
Take care with your written expression and strive to use sophisticated language
You should review literary terms and techniques in preparation for this section

33. Time Allocation
Marks
Suggested Answer Length 1
One or two sentences
One main point supported by a short quote 2
A paragraph
Two main points supported by short quotes 3
Two to three structured paragraphs
Three main points supported by short quotes 4
About a page (or approximately four structured paragraphs)
Four solid points supported by short quotes 5
One and a half to two pages
A well-supported, structured response
All responses should link back to the question and utilise fluent written expression.

34. Effective Responses
Closely address the question in a clear opening sentence
Expand and develop your response (consider the mark value and assume that you will need to provide one key point or argument for each mark)
For each point or argument, provide a short quote
Link back to the question

35. Section II
You are required to demonstrate your understanding of the concept of belonging by composing a piece of text for a particular audience, purpose and context.

36. Criteria You will be assessed on your ability to:
communicate ideas which sustain a focus on belonging
use stylistic devices appropriate to audience, purpose and context
use a range of language features to influence meaning and response
demonstrate control of expression and conventions of form or text type
link directly to the question
produce a personal response

37. Text Types You may be asked to compose:
a narrative, feature article, speech, letter, interview, journal entry, script, review, monologue or report
a text based on one of the concepts presented in Section I of the exam
e.g. you might be asked to use an image or graphic as a stimulus on which to base a composition

38. Band 6 Compositions
To receive a mark in the top band, you will need to:
demonstrate an insightful understanding of the concept of belonging
develop ideas in a sophisticated manner
demonstrate a highly developed ability to use language features and stylistic devices appropriate to purpose, audience and context which influence meaning and response
skilfully describe an image or graphic if used as a stimulus

39. Tips for Section II Plan Reject the obvious and avoid clichés
Write in the specified form and be sure of the purpose and audience
Use sophisticated language – you should strive to use a rich vocabulary
Show off – you want to show your expertise
Avoid the offensive
Avoid swearing – it is unsophisticated
Use a variety of language features and structures
Never ‘write down’ to your audience
Make sure an aspect of belonging is clearly delineated in your composition
Avoid writing about violence, abuse or teenage angst – you run the risk of trivialising them
Write what you know
Write something you would like to read

40. Preparing Go into the examination with some scenarios in mind
Think about possible characters or concepts relating to belonging
Practise writing under exam conditions

41. Remember…
Do not try to write too much. You have 40 minutes and the key is quality, not quantity.
Keep plots simple. You do not have time to weave plots involving three or four complex characters and multiple complications.
To communicate effectively, grammar counts!

42. Sample Writing Tasks
Write a piece that reflects the concept of belonging for their local community magazine.
Use one of the following quotations as the focal point for a piece of creative writing:
‘Why do I feel so alienated? I want to conform, but…’
‘Despite where I have been, it is my future that I look forward to, now that I have found this new land of prosperity.’
‘As she looked back at the video, she wondered how she had ever been that person, ever actually done that.’
‘Every moment we hope to belong but are never sure if we do.’
You have been asked to speak to the 2010 Year 12 class about the following topic: ‘Belonging is crucial to surviving and thriving in life.’ Write the transcript of your presentation.

43. Final Advice Use your teacher as a resource.
Familiarise yourself with the syllabus.
Complete as many practice papers and questions as possible.
Practise writing in 40 minute intervals.
Keep an eye on the clock in your final examination.
Make use of helpful websites (such as the NSW HSC Online website, which can be found at:

44. Any questions?