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Literature

Year 11 - Elective

Length of Course: Full Year
Department: English
Head of Department: Mrs Catherine Newett
Year Available: 2024

The nature of this study, focusing on close attention to texts, makes it an appropriate choice for those students who enjoy language, reading and writing. The study aims to involve students in reading, writing and talking about the nature and value of a wide range of literature, to extend students’ understanding of a range of literary texts and to provide opportunities to study literature in depth.

Students may enter at Units 1, 2 or 3. It is advised, however, that students complete at least one unit of Literature prior to Unit 3.

Curriculum focus

Unit 1

This unit focuses on the ways in which the interaction between text and reader creates meaning. Students analyse the features and conventions of texts to help them develop responses to a range of literary forms and styles.  Throughout the unit, students respond critically and reflectively to the ideas and concerns of texts and gain insights into how texts function as representations of human experience. They develop familiarity with key terms, concepts and practices that equip them for further studies in Literature. They also develop an awareness of how the views and values that readers hold may influence the reading of a text. Additionally, students explore the concerns, ideas, style and conventions common to a distinctive type of literature seen in literary movements or genres such as modernism, crime or science fiction.

Unit 2

Students explore the voices, perspectives and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors and creators. They consider the interconnectedness of place, culture and identity through the experiences, texts and voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including connections to Country, the impact of colonisation and its ongoing consequences, and issues of reconciliation and reclamation. Additionally, students have the opportunity to focus on texts and their historical, social and cultural context. They learn to identify the language and representations in a text that reflect the specific time period and/or culture, its ideas and concepts.

Assessment

Formal assessment tasks in Unit 1 and 2 include: 

  • A close analysis of set passages from a text.

  • An extended essay that analyses the features of a text and justifies an individual interpretation.

  • An interpretation of a text/s which demonstrate understanding of a selected movement or genre.

  • A creative response to a text and comment on the connections between the text and your response.

  • An oral presentation

Students will also complete a two hour written examination at the end of each semester. 

Links

For more detailed information, please click on the link/s below:

Key Resource

 Students will be required to order texts from the book list.