NOTE CAREFULLY Centre for Learning Innovation, DET.

Transcription

NOTE CAREFULLY
The following document was developed by
Centre for Learning Innovation, DET.
This material does not contain any 3rd party copyright items. Consequently, you may use this
material in any way you like providing you observe moral rights obligations regarding
attributions to source and author. For example:
This material was adapted from ‘(Title of CLI material)’ produced by Centre for Learning Innovation, DET.
Gill
English
Stage 4
Year 8
S
Families in fiction
ES4(8)-43703
Acknowledgments
The Centre for Learning Innovation gratefully acknowledges the following owners of copyright material
for permission to reproduce their work.
Bronwyn Haddock for family photographs
Deborah Ellis for extracts from Parvana, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 2002 (first published Canada:
Grandswood Books, 2000)
Deborah Thompson for family photographs
Esta Tserpes for family photograph
Jackie French and HarperCollins for the extract from Hitler’s Daughter
Jackie French and HarperCollins for the extract from The Soldier on the Hill
Linde Macpherson for photograph of horse and rider
Madeleine Coorey for photograph of Kabul cemetery
Simon French and HarperCollins for the extracts from Cannily, Cannily
Susana Nguyen for family photograph
Tim Winton and Pan Macmillan for extracts from Lockie Leonard Legend
All reasonable efforts have been made to obtain copyright permissions. All claims will be settled in
good faith.
Enclosures
To complete this module you will need Families in fiction
CD and access to a computer
Writer
Bronwyn Haddock
Content reviewer
Bill Twyman
Editors
Wendy de Vries, Sue Stevens
Illustrator
Tim Hutchinson
Desktop publisher
Dina Harsudas
Voice performers
Greg Parke, Bronwyn Haddock, David Kearney and Ilian Yang
Version date
August, 2004
Produced by the Centre for Learning Innovation, 51 Wentworth Rd, Strathfield NSW 2135.
Telephone: 61 2 9715 8000; Fax: 61 2 9715 8111
Copyright of this material is reserved to the Crown in the right of the State of New South Wales.
Reproduction or transmittal in whole, or in part, other than in accordance with provisions of the
Copyright Act 1968 is prohibited without the written authority of the Centre for Learning Innovation.
© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Training (Centre for Learning
Innovation) 2004.
Unit contents
Unit overview ....................................................................................... iii
Outcomes ................................................................................. iii
Indicative time........................................................................... iv
Resources................................................................................. iv
CD contents...............................................................................v
Icons ......................................................................................... vi
Suggested texts....................................................................... vii
Glossary.................................................................................... xi
Unit bibliography..................................................................... xiii
Part 1 Television families ....................................................... 1–35
Part 2 Your family, my family ................................................ 1–39
Part 3 Walking in different shoes ........................................ 1–35
Part 4 Families and the community .................................... 1–33
Part 5 Publishing your work .................................................. 1–22
Unit overview
i
ii
Families in fiction
Unit overview
In this unit, you examine how families and family life are
represented in imaginary visual and written texts. In particular,
you focus on how family life is represented in the set novel your
teacher has sent you.
You also represent your own experiences of family life by
composing a range of different texts for a publication that you
prepare individually or as part of a group.
You have the opportunity to learn about:
•
the perspectives offered on families by different composers
•
the use of dialogue and description in novels
•
what is meant by conflict and how it is used in novels
•
the relationship between your experiences of family life and
the way families are represented in fiction.
You have the opportunity to learn to:
•
recognise and explain the connection between your own
world and the world the composer creates in your set novel
and the other texts you study
•
analyse written and visual texts
•
use the processes of planning, drafting, editing and
responding to feedback to complete a major assignment
•
experiment with forms, media, language features and
structures to shape meaning in your own texts.
Outcomes
By completing the activities and exercises in this unit, you are
working towards achieving the following outcomes.
Unit overview
1
respond to and compose texts for understanding,
interpretation, critical analysis and pleasure
2
use a range of processes for responding to and composing
texts
iii
3
respond to and compose texts in different technologies
4
use and describe language forms and features, and structures
of texts appropriate to different purposes, audiences and
contexts
5
make informed language choices to shape meaning with
accuracy, clarity and coherence
6
draw on experience, information and ideas to imaginatively
and interpretively respond to and compose texts
7
think critically and interpretively about information, ideas and
arguments to respond to and compose texts
8
make connections between and among texts
9
demonstrate understanding that texts express views of your
broadening world and your relationships within it
10 identify, consider and appreciate cultural expression in texts
11 use, reflect on and assess individual and collaborative skills
for learning.
Source:
Adapted from the English Years 7–10 Syllabus
<http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_sc/index.html#English>
© Board of Studies, NSW, 2003.
The original and most up-to-date version of the syllabus may be found at the Board
of Studies website: <http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au>
Indicative time
This unit has been written to take approximately twenty hours.
Each part should take approximately four hours.
Resources
To complete this unit, you need to have:
•
the CD, Families in fiction
•
a CD player (or computer with CD playing facility)
•
equipment for recording
•
a computer.
You may also need:
iv
•
desktop publishing software, for example, Indesign
•
a scanner
•
one or more novels for wider reading (see list under
‘Suggested texts’ on page vii).
Families in fiction
Contact your teacher if you are having difficulty accessing any of
these resources.
Equipment for recording
In this unit, you make sound recordings to send to your teacher.
There are several ways to do this.
•
You may have a computer that allows you to record directly
onto your computer. If so, send your recording by:
–
attaching a sound file to an email
–
burning the recording onto a CD and sending it by post.
•
Another option is to make your recording using a digital
camera. Many of the still digital cameras have a 30-second or
more moving picture facility with sound. The file can be
downloaded onto your computer and emailed to your teacher.
•
A third option is using an audio cassette recorder. You can
make your recording onto an audiotape and post it to your
teacher.
If you have difficulty accessing recording facilities, contact your
teacher.
CD contents
The following is a list of the tracks on the CD, ‘Families in fiction’.
Audiotapes are available if you do not have a CD player. As you
work through the unit, you will be advised when to listen to the
various tracks.
Unit overview
Track 1
Voiceover for 1960s TV advertisement
Track 2
Voiceover for modern-day TV advertisement
Track 3
Sales pitch for a new television show about a family
Track 4
Reading of an extract from Parvana by Deborah Ellis
Track 5
Reading of an extract from Cannily, Cannily by Simon
French
Track 6
Commentary on a collage depicting the speaker’s
relationship to her community.
v
Icons
Here is an explanation of the icons used in this unit.
Write a response or responses as part of an activity.
An answer is provided so that you can check your
progress.
Compare your response for an activity with the one
in the suggested answers section.
Complete an exercise in the exercises section that will
be returned to your teacher.
Think about information or ideas. You need to pause
and reflect. You may need to make notes.
Read text for a particular purpose.
Record as an electronic sound file (for email or CD)
or onto an audiotape.
Listen to a CD or audiotape.
Access the Internet to complete a task or to look at
suggested websites. If you do not have access to the
Internet, contact your teacher for advice.
Complete a task on your computer.
Contact someone. This person is often your teacher.
vi
Families in fiction
Suggested texts
The following is a list of novels that tell about family life. Your
teacher may choose which book you read or may allow you to
choose a book from a book box.
You may choose to read extra books from the list during this unit.
Read about these books and see which ones interest you.
Refuge by Libby
Gleeson
Puffin Books,
Australia, 1998
ISBN: 0 14 138985 7
Parvana by
Deborah Ellis
Allen and Unwin,
Sydney, 2002 (first
pub 2000 in Canada
by Grandswood
Books)
ISBN: 1 86508 694 0
The Giver by Lois
Lowry
Houghton Mifflin,
Boston, 1993
ISBN 0-395-64566-2
Unit overview
Refuge opens on an archaeological dig. Andrew, who is
about to start Year 9, feels adult and accepted. Life
seems straightforward.
When he returns home, everything changes. His sister
Anna is fighting with her parents. They disapprove of
her boyfriend and believe she lacks the ideals they had
when they were young. Anna challenges their beliefs
when she decides to support East Timorese refugees by
sheltering one of them in the family home.
Andrew is soon caught up in Anna’s schemes against his
will. As he tries to balance the competing aspects of his
life, he learns more about what it means to be a migrant.
Parvana tells the story of 11 year-old Parvana and her
family. They live in war-torn Kabul in Afghanistan
under the Taliban. All Afghani girls and women have to
stay hidden from public view.
Near the beginning of the story, Parvana’s father is taken
to prison by the Taliban. It is left to Parvana, who is
young enough to be disguised as a boy, to provide for
the family. The story traces how she helps the family to
survive.
If you enjoy this novel, you may read its sequels,
Parvana’s Journey and Shauzia.
The Giver describes family life in the future, where
individual difference is sacrificed to the stability of the
state.
The main character, Jonas, has turned twelve and has
been assigned his future role in the community. He is to
become the Receiver of Memories. As he learns about
the hidden side of life in his society, he realises the price
the community pays for the sameness that allows them
to live without conflict or pain.
When he realises that his younger brother is to be
sacrificed for the good of society, he flees his home to
save him.
vii
Bridge to
Terabithia by
Katherine
Paterson
Puffin Books,
London, 1980 (first
published Crowell,
New York, 1977)
ISBN: 0140312609
Walk Two Moons
by Sharon Creech
Pan Macmillan
Children’s Books,
London, 1994
ISBN:0-330-33000-4
Hitler’s Daughter
by Jackie French
Angus and
Robertson, Sydney,
1999
ISBN: 0207198012
Lockie Leonard
Legend by Tim
Winton
Pan Macmillan,
Sydney, 1997
ISBN:0 330 36002 7
viii
Bridge to Terabithia tells the story of how Jess reluctantly
becomes friends with Leslie, the city girl who comes to
live next-door to his family’s farm.
Both are outsiders but Jess at first rejects Leslie’s offer of
friendship. After all, she has dashed his dream of being
the fastest runner in the school and humiliated him.
Gradually, however, the two become best friends and
find refuge together in the imagined world of Terabithia.
That is until tragedy strikes.
This novel has long been a favourite with Stage 4
students.
Walk Two Moons tells the story of 13-year-old Salamanca
(Sal for short). Sal has to learn to cope with the loss of
her mother. To help her, her grandparents drive her to
visit her mother in Coeur d’Alene. During the long
journey, Sal tells her grandparents the story of her friend
Phoebe whom she has met at her new school in Euclid,
Ohio. As she tells the story, Sal comes to understand her
mother better. The novel has a twist near the end.
Hitler’s Daughter is set at Wallaby Creek. The novel
starts on a wet morning as the children wait for the
school bus. To pass the time, Anna begins to tell the
others a story about a young girl, Heidi. Heidi is Hitler’s
daughter.
Mark realises Anna’s story is true and, as he hears how
the war gradually intrudes into Heidi’s isolated world
and changes her life, he begins to question how
responsible we are for what happens around us.
Lockie Leonard Legend tells about 13-year-old Lockie who
grows up in a hurry when he has to help care for his 11year-old brother, Philip, and baby Blob after his mother
is admitted to hospital with a nervous breakdown.
Before his mother’s illness, Lockie’s world centres on
surfing, skateboarding, girlfriends and mates. Soon,
however, he has even learned to wash the baby’s
nappies.
There are many humorous moments in the novel,
especially when the grandparents come to stay. And if
you like surfing, you will enjoy the surfing scene that
opens the story.
Families in fiction
Buddy by
VM Jones
HarperCollins
Publishers,
Auckland, 2002
ISBN: 1 86950 431 3
The Dons by
Archimede
Fusillo
Puffin Books,
Australia, 2001
ISBN: 0 14 131334 X
Cannily, Cannily
by Simon French
Puffin Books, Sydney,
1981
ISBN: 0 14 130524 X
Unit overview
Buddy tells the story of Josh and his relationship to his
disabled twin brother Jake.
When the book opens, Josh is in senior Primary. His
father’s girlfriend has moved in and he doesn’t like it.
Home just isn’t the same. School is different. He loves
sport and is one of the school’s best runners.
Josh’s life moves in a new direction when his teacher
leaves to have a baby and the sporting Mr Mitch takes
over the class. Mr Mitch enters the students in the
ENERGEX breakfast cereal triathlon event for young
people. Josh wants to compete in the individual event.
The trouble is he can’t swim and is scared of the water,
because of Jake’s accident.
Josh and Mr Mitch race against time to prepare him for
the event but Josh learns winning is not always about
coming first.
The Dons is set in Melbourne and deals with Paul’s
attempts to balance his desire for freedom and his love
for his grandfather who shares his room and, because of
increasing memory loss, keeps acting in unpredictable
ways. His difficulties increase as he tries to impress
Tracey, the new girl at school.
Paul learns the answer to his dilemma when his
grandfather tells him about his life in Italy during the
war.
Cannily, Cannily tells Trevor’s story. Trevor’s parents
move around the countryside picking up work in
different outback Australian towns. Usually they work
with workers like them, picking fruit or doing other
seasonal jobs. This time, however, Buckley has taken a
bricklaying job and Trevor has to face school on Monday
alone.
His teacher, Mr Fuller, instinctively dislikes him and
picks on him constantly. The other boys also see him as
an outsider. Trevor can see only one solution. He joins
Mr Fuller’s champion rugby team as a reserve. The
trouble is he has never played rugby before and it is not
long before Mr Fuller finds out.
ix
My Girragundjii
by Meme
Mc Donald &
Boori Pryor
Allen and Unwin,
Sydney, 1998
ISBN: 1 86448 818 2
The Binna Binna
Man by Meme
Mc Donald &
Boori Monty
Pryor
Allen and Unwin,
Sydney, 1998
ISBN: 1 86508 071 3
Njunjul, the Sun
by Meme
Mc Donald &
Boori Monty
Pryor
Allen and Unwin,
Sydney, 2002
ISBN: 1 86508641X
x
My Girragundjii tells about a young Aboriginal boy’s
attempts to deal with his fears and worries. He worries
about the school bully, talking to the girl he likes and his
family’s excessive drinking. Most of all, he worries
about the Hairyman, who is haunting the family home.
When a green tree frog (a girragundjii) befriends him, he
learns to use the strength inside him to face his
problems.
The story is based on the author Boori Pryor’s own
boyhood experiences.
The Binna Binna Man continues the story of Boori Pryor’s
adolescence. In this book, the family faces a tragedy –
the loss of yet another of their young people.
McDonald and Pryor describe the family’s trip to their
home country near Cairns for the funeral. Humour
mixes with sadness as the family deals with its grief.
The journey proves a turning point for the narrator and
his cousin Shandell when they come face-to-face with an
Aboriginal spirit, the Binna Binna man, who challenges
them to acknowledge and learn from their heritage.
Njunjul, the Sun continues the story begun in My
Girragundjii and The Binna Binna Man. The narrator has
left school and has begun to get into trouble. His family
saves the fare to send him to his uncle and aunt in
Sydney.
The young man dreams of being a basketball star when
he first reaches the city but he gradually loses ambition
and hope. He lazes his days away until one day he finds
himself staring at the tracks as the train thunders into the
station. He knows he has to ask for help. It is not until
he learns to reconnect to his people and look within
himself that he is ready to take on his real name, Njunjul,
which means the Sun.
Families in fiction
Glossary
The following words, listed here with their meanings, are found in
the learning material in this unit. They appear in bold the first
time they occur.
Unit overview
Afro-American
a North American whose family originally came to
the USA from Africa; an American Negro
alliteration
a series of words with the same beginning consonant,
for example, the ‘s’ in the ‘snake slithered stealthily’
is alliterated
attorney
the American term for a solicitor
between the
lines
information that is not directly stated by a speaker or
writer but has to be deduced from the information
given in a text
blurb
a written advertisement for a book, usually included
on the cover
burqua
a long tent-like garment that covers the body
completely; women have to look out through a
narrow mesh screen, which prevents them seeing
anything on either side of them
chador
a long scarf that is worn over the hair and shoulders;
you may have seen Muslim women wearing them in
Australia
complication
a problem in the plot of a story which influences
what happens next and how the characters react
conflict
a struggle between two points of view, for example a
fight or a debate within a person to do the right thing
contemporary
belonging to the same period or time; the present
time
context
your personal, cultural, social and historical setting or
background, for example, you may live in Australia
in the twenty-first century in a farming community
dilemma
a choice between two difficult alternatives
empathise
to enter the feelings of someone else
evaluate
to estimate the value of a text by judging, for
example, how well it fulfils its purpose
genre
a group of texts that are recognised as similar because
of their subject matter, form or language features
such as reports, situation comedies, thrillers
graphics
texts such as drawings, photographs and diagrams
xi
xii
idiom
a common saying such as ‘walking in someone else’s
shoes’
image
a picture that is created in words, through the use of
descriptive language, or as a graphic
imagery
language devices like metaphors, similes, alliteration
and onomatopoeia, which are used to create pictures
in the responders’ minds
implied
suggested something without saying it directly, so
that the responder has to read between the lines and
draw conclusions from the information given
layout
the way the elements of a text, for example, a
magazine, a book cover or a poster are arranged
materialistic
placing a high value on possessions and money
metaphor
a comparison where what is being described is
compared to something else, for example, ‘the wind
was whipping the trees’ where the force of the wind
is compared to a whip
notorious
famous for evil or criminal acts
onomatopoeia
the use of descriptive words that capture the sound of
the object they are describing, for example,
‘whispering’ in ‘the whispering leaves’ captures the
sound of the wind passing through the leaves of a
tree
orientation
the introduction to a story when the reader, viewer or
listener learns the answers to questions like: who,
where, when, what and why
personification
the description of an animal as if it is human or an
inanimate or non-living object as if it were alive, for
example, the wind is personified in ‘the wind sang in
the branches of the tree’
proof
to check a text for errors such as spelling, punctuation
and paragraphing
satirical
a text that comments, in a humorous way, on the
weaknesses of individuals or society, such as the
obsession with shopping
siblings
brothers and sisters
simile
a comparison where what is being described is
compared to something else and the comparison is
introduced with the prepositions ‘like’ or ‘as’, for
example: ‘the boy crawled through the grass on his
stomach like a slithering snake’
situation
comedy
a comedy based on the events that occur in everyday
life, for example in the family
Families in fiction
subjective
a text that reflects the personal perspective of the
composer rather than an objective point of view
synthesise
to combine the parts of something to make a whole
text – for example, analysing your observation notes
to draw conclusions and present them in a
commentary on the episode you watched
themes
the messages in a text, also referred to as ideas,
concerns and issues
urban
living in a city, to do with city life
Unit bibliography
Ellis, Deborah, 2002, Parvana, Allen and Unwin, (first published
Canada: Grandswood Books, 2000), Sydney
French, Simon, 1981, Cannily, Cannily, Angus and Robertson,
Sydney
French, Jackie, 1999, Hitler’s Daughter, Angus and Robertson,
Sydney
French, Jackie, 1997, Soldier on the Hill, HarperCollins, Sydney
Winton, Tim, 1997, Lockie Leonard Legend, Pan Macmillan Australia
Pty Ltd, Sydney
Unit overview
xiii
xiv
Families in fiction
Families in fiction
Part 1
Television families
Contents – Part 1
Introduction – Part 1...........................................................................3
Outcomes ..................................................................................4
Reading your set novel .....................................................................5
Getting orientated......................................................................5
Television and real families.............................................................9
Television families.....................................................................9
Real families ............................................................................13
Researching television families ...................................................17
Viewing an episode .................................................................17
Reflecting on your viewing......................................................19
A new television show.............................................................21
Preparing to publish .........................................................................27
The collection of texts .............................................................27
Planning...................................................................................28
Suggested answers – Part 1 ........................................................29
Exercises – Part 1.............................................................................31
Exercise cover page – Part 1 .......................................................37
Part 1
Television families
1
2
Families in fiction
Introduction – Part 1
When you read a novel or watch a story on television, you enter
an imaginary world. In this part, you begin thinking about the
connections between the imaginary world of the story and the real
world you live in. In particular, you reflect on the way families
are represented in stories on television and compare this with
your own experiences of families.
During Part 1, you read the set novel your teacher sent you in
preparation for studying it in Part 2. You also begin thinking of
ideas for a publication of your own about family life.
•
•
the changing representations of families on television
the relationship between real families and the imaginary
families shown on television.
•
•
•
•
•
Part 1
use the cover, blurb and orientation of a novel to make
predictions, formulate questions about the novel and form a
personal response
research how families are represented in television stories
compare the imaginary families on television with real
families
develop the idea for a family-based television show of your
own
present a sales pitch to sell your idea.
Television families
3
Outcomes
By completing the activities and exercises in this part, you are
You have the opportunity to:
1
2
texts
3
6
9
10 identify, consider and appreciate cultural expression in texts.
Source:
4
Families in fiction
Reading your set novel
During this part you read your set novel in preparation for
beginning your study of it in Part 2. Before you read it, however,
you need to orientate yourself.
Getting orientated
You orientate yourself before you start reading a novel by looking
at its front cover, and reading the blurb and first chapter. Revise
the purpose of these parts of the novel by completing Activity 1.
Activity 1
Answer the following questions.
1
What is the purpose of the front cover of a novel?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2
What is the purpose of the blurb?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3
What information do you find in the first chapter of a novel?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Check your responses by going to the suggested answers section.
Part 1
Television families
5
Turn to your set novel and orientate yourself by reading its front
cover, blurb and opening chapter.
Think about your impressions or expectations of the novel.
Find the answers to the following questions.
1
Where and when does the story take place?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2
Who is the main character? What do you learn about him or
her?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3
What is happening at the beginning of the story?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
4
What else do you learn about the story? For example, do you
think the story is going to be sad or funny? Will it have a
happy ending? Is the main character facing a problem?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
You can use the information you have learned from the cover,
blurb and opening chapter to make predictions and ask questions.
For example, if you have learned what problem the main character
is facing, how do you think the problem will be resolved?
What does the title tell you about the story? What issues does the
author raise in the orientation? For example, it is clear that
Parvana is given its title because the main character is Parvana but
why does Simon French call his story about Trevor Cannily,
6
Families in fiction
Cannily? How does the title relate to the story? Why does the
story of Lockie Leonard Legend begin with Lockie’s encounter with a
dolphin and shark?
How have you responded to the story so far? Does the main
character remind you of yourself or someone you know? Is this
story like other stories that you have enjoyed?
For example, if you are reading Lockie Leonard Legend, you might
identify with Lockie’s love of surfing or wish that you could see
dolphins swimming up close. If you are reading Parvana, you
might try to imagine what it would be like to live in one small
room with your whole family and not be able to go outside.
Preparing for Exercise 1.1
In this exercise you write questions about your set novel from the
information on the cover, blurb and Chapter 1. You then make a
prediction about the story, for example, how might the main
character change? Finally, you write your personal response to
the story, for example, do you like the main character?
Go to the exercises section and complete Exercise 1.1.
Continue reading your novel. You will need to finish reading it
for the start of Part 2. As you read, think about how the novel
represents families and family life.
Part 1
Television families
7
8
Families in fiction
Television and real families
Many television shows and advertisements tell stories about families.
In this section, you look at how they represent family life. You also
compare the imaginary families you see on television with your own
experiences of family life.
Television families
The way that families are represented on television has changed over
time.
Families in advertisements
Look at the following graphic which represents a ‘still’ from a television
advertisement that might have screened in the 1960s. The words spoken
in the advertisement voiceover are printed below the graphic.
Listen to the voiceover on Track 1 of the audio recording.
Part 1
Television families
9
Now look at a graphic that represents a scene from a modern
advertisement.
Listen to the voiceover on Track 2 of the audio recording.
What differences do you notice between the families in the first and
second advertisement, for example, the role of the mother and father?
Activity 1
List the similarities and differences you notice between the two
advertisements.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Check your response by going to the suggested answers section.
10
Families in fiction
Families in sitcoms
The changing view of family life is also reflected in American
television shows, especially situation comedies (sitcoms), which
are the most widely viewed situation comedies in Australia.
In the 1950s, most American situation comedies portrayed white
middle-class families who lived in the suburbs of large cities.
They consisted of a father, who was usually the head of the house,
a mother and children. The children were central to the plot.
Examples are Leave it to Beaver, 1957, and Father Knows Best, 1954.
In the 1960s, the families in situation comedy became more varied.
My Three Sons, 1960, was based on a single father household while
The Brady Bunch, 1969, was based on a blended family where a
woman with three daughters married a widower with three sons.
In most shows, however, the mother continued to stay home to
look after her husband and children. This is the pattern in The
Flintstones, 1960, even though it is set in an imaginary pre-historic
period, and in Bewitched, 1964, even though the wife, Samantha, is
a witch.
From the 1970s, the variety of families featured in situation
comedies increased. Maude, in Maude, 1972, was married for the
fourth time. Kate and Allie, in Kate and Allie, 1984, were two
divorced women raising their three children together. The
Huxtable family, in The Cosby Show, 1984, was a professional AfroAmerican family. The father is a medical specialist and the
mother, an attorney.
In 1965, a satirical British situation comedy went to air called Till
Death Us Do Part. The father, Alf, is loud-mouthed, aggressive
and prejudiced. Families like this became common in situation
comedy, such as the family in Roseanne, 1988.
Satirical situation comedies are still popular. The Simpsons, an
animated situation comedy, went to air in 1989 and is still running
new episodes today. Kath and Kim, an Australian situation
comedy about a mother and adult daughter, also had high ratings
when it screened recently.
Part 1
Television families
11
Look at the following graphic and see if you can identify the
different types of families shown across the decades.
Although the way families are represented in advertisements and
situation comedy has changed across the decades, critics believe
they do not adequately represent the variety of families found in
modern society.
Is this criticism fair? Look at the collage again and try to identify
any missing family types. Jot down your ideas on the following
lines.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
12
Families in fiction
Does it matter if television does not include all types of families in
the stories it tells?
Write down your thoughts on the following lines.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
You explore these questions further in the next section.
Find out more about the way families are represented on
television by visiting the following website:
<http://www.lmpc.edu.au/English>
Select Stage 4 and follow the links to resources for this unit,
Families in fiction.
You now ask yourself what the word ‘family’ means to you in the
Australian context. Do you view families in the same way as
television scriptwriters or is your experience different?
Real families
If you were asked to define what is meant by the word ‘family’ in
Australia today, how would you answer?
Before you write, think about your own family and the families of
people you know well. What makes them a family? For example,
do you have to be related to each other to be a family?
Write your ideas on the following lines.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Part 1
Television families
13
The following montage of photographs shows some typical
Australian families. Look closely at it and reflect on what the
photographs tell you about families in Australia today.
Write your observations in response to the questions below.
1
In what ways are the families similar to your family?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2
In what ways are the families different from your family?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
14
Families in fiction
3
What do they add to your understanding of what is meant by
the word ‘family’ in Australia today?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
4
If you were asked to include a photograph of your own
family, how would you choose to represent it? Why?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
5
Are any family types shown in the montage not commonly
seen in television advertising or stories? Why do you think
this is?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
In the following exercise, you tell your teacher about your own
family and explain what makes it special.
In this exercise you introduce your own family. You send your
teacher:
•
•
a photograph or drawing of your family
a text of your own choice, for example a letter in which you
talk about your family.
You include the graphic and text when you publish your
compositions at the end of the unit.
Part 1
Television families
15
Choose a photograph or drawing that you feel captures the sort of
family you belong to. For example, do you belong to a family that
loves to go bushwalking and camping? If so, choose an image
that illustrates this.
When you write about your family, tell your teacher:
•
•
•
•
about the people in your family
what makes you a family
in what ways your family is similar to or different from the
families you see on television
what makes your family special.
Before you write about your family, jot down the main points you
wish to make on the following lines.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Go to the exercises section and complete Exercise!1.2.
In the next part of your work, you research how families are
represented on television and consider how well television reflects
the diversity of families in Australia today.
16
Families in fiction
Researching television families
In this section, you research how families are represented in a
television show of your own choice. You then explore how your
own family could be represented in a television series.
Viewing an episode
You are going to view and make notes about a single episode from
a television story about family life. To help you choose which
episode to watch, think about which shows feature families and
choose three that you like to watch.
The shows you describe may belong to any genre (type of story),
for example, situation comedy (e.g. The Simpsons), soap opera (e.g.
Home and Away) or drama (e.g. Fireflies).
If you cannot think of three shows that you are watching
currently, you may include up to two shows that you have liked
in the past.
You will record the details of these shows in a table on the next
page. An example is provided for you below.
Part 1
Title of program
Description of the family
Family Ties
The show features a middle-class, white
American family that lives in the city. It consists
of a father and mother, who both work, and
three children, one boy and two girls. The
parents are ex-hippies and clash with their elder
son who is eager to become rich.
Television families
17
Write the titles of the three shows in the first column of the
following table and describe the families in the second column.
Title of program
You now choose one of these shows and begin your research.
In this exercise you make observation notes as you view an
episode from a television show that depicts family life.
Choose an episode from one of the shows you listed. Note that it
must be currently showing on television.
When you watch your episode, make observation notes on:
•
•
•
what the family is like, for example, who belongs to the
family, where they live, what their personalities are like
the problem the family or family member is facing in the
episode
how the problem is resolved.
If you are watching a soap opera, you may notice that the episode
deals with more than one family. Make notes on all the families
that are important in the episode.
You may also notice that the problem is not resolved until a later
episode. In that case, make notes about the way the characters
approach resolving the problem.
Write up your notes on the form provided in the Exercise pages.
18
Families in fiction
You now look closely at your observation notes to draw
conclusions about how your chosen show represents families and
whether the family or families it represents are like the real
families you know.
Reflecting on your viewing
Now you have viewed your chosen episode, you will reflect on
the way it represented families and family life.
You use the information you gathered in your observation notes
to draw your conclusions. If the episode focused on life in more
than one family, think about how each of the main families was
represented.
In this exercise you answer questions about how the show you
watched represented family life. The questions are listed below.
Space is provided under each question so you may make notes to
help you when you complete the exercise. Use your observation
notes to help you develop your answers.
•
Describe how the family is similar to or different from your
own family or families that you know well.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Part 1
Television families
19
•
Are the problems the family faces typical of the problems your
family faces? Explain how they are similar or different.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
•
In what ways are the methods the family uses to resolve the
problem similar to or different from the methods you use to
solve problems in your family?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
•
How realistically does the episode represent family life? Explain.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
•
Is the family typical of the families that you usually see in
other television shows and advertisements or did it represent
a family type that is not often seen on television? Explain.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
20
Families in fiction
You are now going to imagine that the people in your own family
are the stars in a television situation comedy, a soap opera or a
drama. You may include members of your extended family if you
like, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
A new television show
Imagine that you have been asked to plan a new television show
featuring your family as the stars. Decide:
• whether your show is a situation comedy, soap opera or a
drama
• which audience you are targeting, for example, teenagers
• where the series is set, for example, in the country, on another
planet or in another period of time – choose a setting that is
different from the one you are used to.
The members of your family are the main characters in the series.
How are you going to represent them? For example:
• what aspect of their personality will you emphasise to allow
for interesting storylines
• what interests will they have in the story that are appropriate
for the setting but still reflect their real interests?
For example, if you have two brothers or sisters, is one of them
very practical while the other is a dreamer? You could focus on
this difference to create storylines where they come into conflict.
What do they like to do? Do you have a brother or sister who
loves to shop? How will you adapt this interest to suit a story set
on a spaceship or a stone-age cave?
Think about the main idea behind the series. The idea will come
out of the setting and the type of characters your family
represents.
For example, Family Ties is a situation comedy based around the
conflict between the parents’ hippy generation and their children’s
more materialistic (loving possessions and money) generation. It
focuses in particular on the parents’ clashes with Alex who
believes greed is good.
The main idea behind Bewitched is the conflict between Samantha
and Darrin’s wish to live like an ordinary human family and
Samantha’s use of magic when she is facing a problem.
Part 1
Television families
21
Look at the notes a student has started to prepare for her proposed
show At Sea with the Bensons.
Title of television show At Sea with the Bensons
Genre Situation comedy
The idea behind the show To explore the highs and lows of teenage
life on a yacht
Description of setting On a yacht that is sailing around the Pacific
Islands. The yacht is quite small and there is not much space for
personal belongings. It is the present time.
Names of characters
(members of your family)
Description of characters
Sara
A fifteen-year-old girl who lives with her
grandparents and an aunt.
She loves her family’s way of life but wants to mix
more with other teenagers, have a boyfriend and
play her music loudly.
22
Families in fiction
Complete the following table so you can organise your thoughts
about your own TV show. If you need extra space, draw up a
table on your own paper.
Title of television show
Genre
The idea behind the show
Description of setting
Names of characters
(members of your family)
Part 1
Television families
Description of characters
23
You now sell your idea for the show to a producer by delivering a
one-to-two minute sales talk called a sales pitch. The sales pitch
tells the producer:
•
•
the main facts about the proposed show
the reasons it would be successful with television audiences.
You choose persuasive language that will make your idea sound
interesting to the producer.
Listen to a sample sales pitch on Track 3 of the recording. As you
listen, evaluate the student’s ideas. For example, do you think her
characters would appeal to a teenage audience? How effectively
does she sell her idea?
Write your evaluation on the following lines.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
It is your turn to compose and deliver your own sales pitch. Use
your observations about the sample sales pitch to help you sell
your idea successfully.
In this exercise you sell your idea for a new show to a television
producer. You have one to two minutes to make your pitch. The
sales pitch is included in the collection of texts you prepare during
the unit.
The producer will want to know what sort of show you are
devising (situation comedy, drama or soap opera), the audience
you are targeting, the setting of the show (where and when it
takes place), its central idea and what is special about your show
that will attract viewers.
24
Families in fiction
You record your answer to send to your teacher. There are several
ways to do this as ‘Equipment for recording’ outlines in the unit
overview.
You may wish to make notes about what you want to say or write
a script. Use the following lines or your own paper.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Make a test recording first and play it back to see how it sounds.
Make any changes before doing your final recording. Remember
to state your name and your teacher’s name before you begin.
Part 1
Television families
25
26
Families in fiction
Preparing to publish
At the end of Part 5, you publish your collection of texts about
your own experiences of families and family life and send the
collection to your teacher. You may work on the collection on
your own or, if it is possible, in a group of two to four students.
Your collection of texts
The collection (publication) will include the texts you prepare as
part of the unit, as well as texts you choose yourself. You can
publish your collection of texts in hard copy as a magazine or
booklet with an insert for recorded material, or, if you have the
appropriate computer software and skills, you can produce a CDROM. The following graphic shows some different ways to
present your collection. You may have more imaginative ideas.
The example shows a very simple design for the front cover. You
may, however, choose a magazine-type cover and format. You
will learn about features of magazine covers in Part 3.
Part 1
Television families
27
You have already written about your family and prepared a sales
pitch for a television show. You also include at least one text that
you compose from an idea of your own. For example, you may
use your observation notes as the basis for a feature article or a
letter to the editor of a newspaper calling on television producers
to represent a wider range of Australian families in television
stories and advertising.
Planning
To prepare for your publication:
• decide whether you are going to work on your own or in a
group
• begin thinking about the texts of your own choosing you
would like to include in your collection, for example, stories,
advertisements, cartoons, photographs
• begin thinking about how you would like to present your
publication, for example, as a booklet or magazine in hard
copy with an insert for recorded material, or in an electronic
format such as a CD-ROM
• decide whether to use a word-processing package (e.g. Word)
or a desktop publishing program to present your work.
Contact your teacher:
•
•
if you do not have access to a computer
for advice if you wish to work in a group , for example ideas
about how to set up the group and the best way to
communicate with the group members (e.g. via email).
You have now completed Part 1. In the next part, you begin your
study of your set novel.
28
Families in fiction
Suggested answers – Part 1
Check your responses against these suggested answers. They may be
more detailed than yours. Also some answers will vary because often
there is not one correct answer, but rather different opinions that you
can support.
Activity 1
1
The purpose of the front cover is to attract readers by hinting at the
sort of story the novel tells, for example, a mystery, adventure or
love story. It also gives information, such as the title of the novel
and its author.
2
The blurb is a written advertisement for the novel, usually found on
the back cover or inside the book jacket. It attempts to arouse the
reader’s curiosity and interest by giving hints about what happens
in the story. For example, the blurb on the novel Hitler’s Daughter
describes the chaos of World War II, suggesting the story tells about
the war. It then asks a series of questions. If you are reading this
novel, you will probably want to find the answers to these questions
such as whether Hitler had a daughter.
3
The first chapter contains the story’s orientation and, in some
novels, the complication.
The orientation introduces you to the setting of the novel (where
and when the story takes place), one or more of the main characters,
and what is happening at the beginning of the story. It also often
answers the question why, for example, why the main characters
have moved to a new town as in the novel, Cannily, Cannily, which
some of you are reading.
The complication is the problem that underlies the story of the
novel, for example, the father has been arrested as in Parvana, a
novel that others of you are reading. As the reader, you know the
plot will explore how the characters respond to the problem and
how the problem is resolved by the end of the novel.
Activity 2
Similarities
Both advertisements show families, consisting of a mother, father and
two children, at mealtime.
Differences
In the first advertisement the mother is the meal-maker and the father is
the breadwinner. The children sit at the table and wait for the food to be
Part 1
Television families
29
served to them. The clothes the family members wear are formal, for
example the mother wears a dress, necklace and high heels whilst
serving the food.
The consumer (husband) is encouraged to buy a household item as a gift
for the mother, whose role is clearly defined as a housewife.
By contrast, in the second advertisement the father is prepared to share
the responsibility for cooking and the daughter has helped. The mother,
dressed in casual clothes, is sitting down to eat rather than serving the
food to her family.
The meal in the first advertisement is a gourmet casserole, which would
have required considerable preparation and cooking, whereas in the
second advertisement fast food is served. Although the meal is fast food
the words in the voiceover text emphasise natural products.
30
Families in fiction
Exercises – Part 1
Exercise 1.1
1
Compose two questions about your set novel from the
information you learned from the cover, the blurb and
Chapter One.
a
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
b
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2
Make a prediction about the story in your novel. Give reasons
for your prediction, based on the information you learned
from the cover, blurb or Chapter One.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3
Explain your personal response to the story so far. Give
reasons for your opinions and feelings.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Part 1
Television families
31
Exercise 1.2
Send your teacher:
•
•
a photograph or drawing of your family
a text, for example, a letter in which you write about your
family.
When you write about your family, talk about:
•
•
•
•
the people in your family
what makes you a family
in what ways your family is similar to or different from the
families you see on television
what makes your family special.
Write at least 200 words.
32
Families in fiction
Exercise 1.3
Complete observation notes in the table below on the episode you
watched from a television show about one or more families.
Title of program
Title of episode (if relevant)
Date of viewing
Problem faced by the family or a member of the family
How the family resolves or tries to resolve the problem
Part 1
Television families
33
Exercise 1.4
Report on how family life was represented in the episode you
watched by answering the following questions. If your show
featured more than one family, refer to the families that were
important in the story.
1
Describe how the family is similar to or different from your
own family or families that you know well.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2
Are the problems the family faces typical of the problems your
family faces? Explain how they are similar or different.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
34
Families in fiction
3
In what ways are the methods the family uses to resolve the
problem similar to the methods you use to solve problems in
your family?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
4
How realistically does the episode represent family life?
Explain.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Part 1
Television families
35
5
Is the family in the episode you watched typical of the families
you see in television advertising or stories or did it represent a
family type that is not often shown on television? Explain.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Exercise 1.5
Prepare a one-to-two-minute sales pitch to sell your idea for a new
television show featuring your family as the main characters to a
producer.
In your sales pitch:
• identify the show’s genre, for example, situation comedy
• identify the audience you are targeting
• describe where the show is set
• describe the main idea behind the show, based on the
personalities of your family and the setting of the story
•
explain what is special about your show that will attract a
large audience.
When you record your sales pitch, state your name and your
teacher’s name first. Listen to your recording to check for
audibility.
36
Families in fiction
Exercise cover page – Part 1
Exercises 1.1 to 1.5
Name
___________________________
Teacher
___________________________
Tick the boxes to show that you have completed all exercises
and collected all your answers to return to your teacher. Attach
this cover page to your exercise pages.
Part 1
Exercise 1.1
Beginning the set novel
Exercise 1.2
Introducing the family
Exercise 1.3
Observation notes
Exercise 1.4
Drawing conclusions
Exercise 1.5
Making a sales pitch
Television families
r
r
r
r
r
37
38
Families in fiction
Families in fiction
Part 2
Your family, my family
Contents – Part 2
Outcomes ..................................................................................4
Families in novels ...............................................................................5
Meeting Lockie ..........................................................................5
Meeting Parvana .......................................................................8
Meeting Trevor ..........................................................................9
Family disagreements .....................................................................13
Conflict .....................................................................................13
Dialogue...................................................................................16
A family argument ...................................................................24
Further planning ................................................................................27
Making decisions.....................................................................27
Exercises – Part 2.............................................................................35
Part 2
My family, your family
1
2
Families in fiction
In Part 2 you begin your close study of your set novel. As part of
your study, you continue to examine the relationship between the
way families are represented in fiction and your experience of
families in real life.
You continue working on your collection of texts, which you will
collate and publish in Part 5.
• conflict in novels
• rules for speech punctuation.
•
•
•
•
Part 2
identify similarities and differences between fictional families
and real-life families
synthesise information to develop an understanding of what
is meant by a family
analyse how Tim Winton uses descriptive language to
represent family life in Lockie Leonard Legend
write a scene in an imaginary novel that depicts a family
conflict.
3
Outcomes
1
2
texts
3
4
contexts
6
8
9
for learning.
Source:
4
Families in fiction
Families in novels
In Part 1 you reflected on the extent to which television stories
and advertisements represent the families that you know in real
life. In this section you examine how novelists represent family
life and compare their representations with your experiences.
You meet three characters from three very different families –
Lockie, a teenager who loves to surf and skateboard; Parvana,
who lives in war-torn Afghanistan; and Trevor, whose parents
wander from town to town in outback Australia to find work.
Meeting Lockie
Lockie, who is the main character in Lockie Leonard Legend, lives in
Angelus, a small seaside country town in Western Australia.
In the following extract, Lockie finds that his baby sister, Blob, is
chewing on a letter that he has just received in the mail. It is from
his best friend.
Read the extract from Lockie Leonard Legend. Notice what it tells
you about Lockie’s family.
By the time Lockie got to the kitchen his baby sister had gnawed one end
of the envelope right off and was trying to digest the stamp. Lockie
tugged at it gently but Blob wasn’t letting go. She didn’t exactly growl
but she was a bit like a dog with a bone; she wasn’t going to give it up
easily.
Lockie looked around for a moment and saw the phone bill stuck to the
fridge with dinky little magnets. ‘What about that, Blob? A nice bit of
FINAL NOTICE.’
Blob looked back at him with her cheeks bulging. It was hard to tell if
those cheeks were full of spit and lino and real food or if they were just
naturally fat and bulging.
Lockie wasn’t about to volunteer to find out, that was for sure. Blob
didn’t mind a chunk of index finger now and then. He wasn’t putting his
hands inside that teething maw. After all, he’d survived one shark attack
today, and one was plenty.
Part 2
5
Quite abruptly, Blob let go of the soggy mauled envelope and went crosseyed with concentration. Her cheeks bulged out even further and the
veins in her temples stood up like speed bumps. Lockie knew exactly
what that meant. He grabbed the letter from its drooly puddle on the
floor and bolted before the fireworks really got going.
Source:
Winton, Tim, Lockie Leonard Legend, Sydney: Pan Macmillan
Australia Pty Ltd, 1997, pp 15-16.
Check your understanding of the extract by completing Activity 1.
Activity 1
1
What problem is Lockie facing?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2
How does Lockie try to solve his problem? Does his plan
work?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3
How does the struggle end between Lockie and Blob?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Tim Winton uses imagery to make his description vivid.
For instance, he uses comparisons, such as similes and
metaphors, to describe Blob. He also uses the sound device of
onomatopoeia to describe the baby’s response to Lockie, when he
tries to take the letter.
Winton also uses the scene to give the reader added information
about the family. You have to read between the lines to find this
information. When you read between the lines, you find
information in the text that is implied rather than stated directly.
6
Families in fiction
For example, when Winton mentions the final notice on the fridge,
what is he implying about the Leonard family? You answer this
question when you analyse Winton’s use of language in Activity 2.
Activity 2
1
What simile does Winton use in the first paragraph to show
Blob’s determination to keep the letter?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2
What do you learn about Lockie’s family when Winton
describes Lockie using a ‘final notice’ attached to the fridge to
distract Blob?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3
In the fourth paragraph, Winton uses a metaphor to describe
Blob. What is the metaphor? Why does Winton use it?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
4
How does Winton tell the reader that Blob is about to start
screaming?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
5
Give an example of onomatopoeia in the final paragraph and
explain what the word means. Note it is a made-up word.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Part 2
7
Does Lockie’s family resemble your family?
For example, are you an older sister or brother? How are you
expected to behave towards your younger siblings? What
frustrates you about them?
If you are a younger sibling, what frustrates you about your older
brothers or sisters?
Write your ideas and words to describe your feelings on the
following lines.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Meeting Parvana
Parvana is the main character in the novel Parvana by Deborah
Ellis. Although she lives in Afghanistan, Parvana and her siblings
behave in many ways just like children in Australian families.
In other ways, family life is very different for Parvana. Her
country has been at war for years. Her family has lost its home
and is crowded into a single, small room in a partially destroyed
building. Her father has been imprisoned by the Taliban, the
rulers of the country, who govern through fear and rigid rules that
control every aspect of daily life.
The family faces a difficult dilemma because women and girls
under the Taliban can only go outside if a male from the family
goes with them or gives them written permission to be out alone.
Even then, they have to cover themselves with a chador, in the
case of the girls, and a burqua, in the case of adolescents and adult
women. The only male left in Parvana’s family is a baby.
8
Families in fiction
Listen to the extract from Parvana on Track 4 of the audio
recording. As you listen, notice the ways in which Parvana’s
family is similar to yours. Think also of how it is different.
Explore the similarities and differences in Activity 3.
Activity 3
1
How is Parvana’s family life similar to your family life?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2
How is Parvana’s family life different from your family life?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Meeting Trevor
Trevor, who is the main character in Cannily, Cannily by Simon
French, is an only child who lives in a caravan. His parents are
seasonal workers who move from town to town in the outback to
find work.
At the beginning of the novel, the family has moved again.
Buckley, Trevor’s father, has taken a bricklaying job.
In the extract that follows, Simon French describes an evening
scene in the caravan.
Listen to the extract from Cannily, Cannily on Track 5 of the
recording. As you listen, think about how the family scene
resembles family scenes in your home.
Part 2
9
Did you notice any similarities? For example, do you share the
cooking at your place? What moments do you find special in your
family? How do you avoid answering difficult questions?
Write your comments on the following lines.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
In the following exercise, you introduce the family in your set
novel.
In this exercise you introduce the family in your set novel by
recording:
•
•
a reading of a short scene of about half a page that is typical of
family life in the main character’s home
a one-to-two minute talk about the family and the ways in
which it is similar to or different from your family.
Prepare for the exercise by:
• practising reading the extract you have chosen aloud
• planning what to say about the family.
When you practise reading:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
10
check that you know the meaning and pronunciation of any
difficult words
think about how to use expression, for example, to capture the
characters’ emotions when they talk
think about where to pause for meaning or dramatic effect
think about when to read softly or loudly
think about when to vary the pace (speed) of your reading
read the extract aloud two or three times so you can read it
fluently
ask someone to listen to you.
Families in fiction
If the passage includes dialogue, you may use other people to help
you read some of the parts.
When you plan what to say about the family:
•
•
write down in point form what the extract tells you about the
family in the novel
write down in point form how the family is similar to or
different from your own family.
Use the following lines to write down your ideas.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Use these points to structure what you want to say when you
introduce the family to your listeners.
When you have finished your preparation, record your reading
and commentary. Begin by stating your name, the teacher’s name,
the title of your set novel, the page numbers of your chosen extract
and the first and last lines.
When you record, there are several methods you may use. Read
‘Equipment for recording’ in the unit overview for suggestions.
Part 2
11
You have now reflected on family life in four novels and
compared it with your own. Have you changed any of your ideas
about what we mean when we talk about families and family life?
For example, have you learned anything new about the ways in
which the members of the family relate in different families?
Write any new ideas on the following lines.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
In the next section, you look at family conflicts.
12
Families in fiction
Family disagreements
Disagreements occur in every family. This is why novelists who
write about families include scenes of conflict between family
members in their novels.
In this section you explore how Tim Winton describes a typical
moment of family conflict in Lockie Leonard Legend – a fight
between Lockie and his younger brother.
You then explore the conflicts in your set novel and typical
moments of conflict in your own family.
Conflict
Conflict occurs when there is a clash between two points of view.
It is this clash that gives rise to drama.
Sometimes the main character in the story is in conflict with
someone else. This is an external conflict. In the extract you read
from Lockie Leonard Legend, Lockie was in conflict with his baby
sister over who should have his letter. Because this clash does not
affect the way the plot develops, it is a minor conflict. Winton
includes the scene to show the reader what family life was like in
Lockie’s family before his mother went to hospital.
At other times, the character is in conflict with him or herself. This
is called an internal conflict. For example, in the novel Parvana,
Parvana knows she is the only one who can go out to work after
her father is arrested. She is young enough to disguise herself as a
boy. She fears, however, that she might be caught by the Taliban
and imprisoned. She finally agrees to take her father’s place in the
marketplace.
Later in the novel, Parvana struggles with her fears again when
she learns she can earn more money by digging up human bones
in the cemetery and selling them.
Part 2
13
© Madeleine Coorey
Look at the following photograph of the cemetery where Parvana
gathers the bones. The photograph was taken in 2004. The girl in
the photograph is not wearing a veil or burqua because she is still
a child.
Cemetery in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, 2004
The conflicts Parvana faces are important to the story as her
decisions about work change the direction of the plot.
Learn more about conflict, if you wish, by visiting the following
website.
14
Families in fiction
What are some of the conflicts in the novel you read? List them on
the following lines.
After each conflict, identify if the conflict is external, in other
words with someone else (E), or internal (I), in other words within
him or herself. Note also if it is a minor conflict (M) or central to
the plot (C).
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Choose one of the conflicts to talk or write about in Exercise 2.2.
In this exercise you write a paragraph about one of the conflicts
that you listed in your set novel. If you prefer, you may record
your comments instead.
When you talk about the conflict you have chosen:
•
identify the conflict, for example:
The conflict is between Lockie and his baby sister Blob about a letter
Lockie’s friend has sent him
•
describe it briefly, for example:
Lockie finds Blob chewing on his letter and tries to find a way to get it back
without making her cry. The baby finally drops it and Lockie grabs it and
runs before she starts yelling
• identify whether it is an external or internal conflict and
whether it is central to the plot or a minor conflict. Give
reasons for the points you make and support them with
quotations from the novel or examples, for example:
The conflict is an external conflict because it is between Lockie and his
sister. It is only a minor conflict that Winton includes to show the reader
what family life was like before Lockie’s mother goes to hospital. Before
their mother becomes ill, the children fight constantly but after she collapses,
the two boys try to cooperate, as Winton describes on pages forty-seven to
forty-eight: ‘The boys worked without complaining, taking turns with Blob
and the endless housework, helping the Sarge with washing and cooking and
keeping things calm.’
Part 2
15
Tim Winton makes the conflicts he describes in Lockie Leonard
Legend realistic because of the way he uses dialogue (or direct
speech, as dialogue is often called in a novel or short story).
Dialogue
The scene that you are about to read illustrates Winton’s effective
use of dialogue. It describes an argument between Lockie and his
younger brother Phillip. Lockie is furious because he catches
Phillip playing his tape of the silverchair pop group. (Note that
the group uses a lower case ‘s’ for its name.)
Read the following extract from Lockie Leonard Legend that
describes the argument. As you read, notice how Tim Winton
uses dialogue in the scene.
When he got to his room, Lockie saw Phillip on the floor, his eyes
clamped shut, pounding on a pile of Tupperware bowls with a pair of
plastic chopsticks. He stormed in, jabbed the tape player and retrieved
his property. Phillip opened his eyes.
‘Lockie!’
Before Lockie could say anything, he caught sight of his ransacked tape
box. Right in the midst of Cruel Sea, Pearl Jam, Bjork and Soundgarden
was a crumpled photo. He went absolutely rigid.
‘Phillip,’ he said in a dangerously quiet voice, ‘where’d you get that?’
‘The photo? It was in that Lemonheads tape, folded into the cover.
Lemonheads, urk. I can’t believe you’re into them.’
‘It was a present,’ said Lockie.
‘From her, I bet.’
Lockie picked up the photo and smoothed out the creases. There she
was, Vicki Streeton, in a plain white tee-shirt, her green eyes half closed
beneath her kinky brown fringe.
‘What’s it like, kissing someone with braces?’
‘Phillip, haven’t you got an explosion to be at?’
‘Don’t get cranky, Lock,’ said Phillip in his most irritating, wheedling,
skincrawling way.
‘If you touch my stuff again I’ll pound your head in. It’s bad enough
sharing the room with you, but my stuff is mine. Get it?’
Source:
16
Australia, 1997, pp 21-22
Families in fiction
Did the scene remind you of fights you have in your family? For
example, do you have a brother or sister who is always touching
your things? Do you get teased about your boyfriend or
girlfriend?
Did you recognise lines that you use in your family? For example,
does Lockie’s line: ‘If you touch my stuff again I’ll pound your
head in’ seem familiar? Write down a line you hear a lot in your
house during family arguments or fights.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
You can probably guess what happens next, particularly if you
have brothers or sisters.
Write your prediction on the following lines.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Winton knows that it is also important to recreate for his readers
the tone of voice the brothers use when they speak to each other.
For example, think of how Lockie says the line:
If you touch my stuff again I’ll pound your head in.
Read it aloud a few times and think which version sounds most
convincing. Did you emphasise the verb ‘pound’?
Now look at the line:
‘Don’t get cranky, Lock,’ said Phillip in his most irritating, wheedling,
skincrawling way.
Imagine how Phillip says these words. Notice how Winton says
he speaks in a ‘irritating, wheedling, skincrawling way.’ Read the
line aloud a few different ways and see which version seems to
you to be the most ‘irritating, wheedling, skincrawling’.
When Winton describes Phillip’s expression, he is describing it in
a subjective way. He is communicating Lockie’s negative attitude
to Phillip at that moment. Lockie believes Phillip is trying to get
around him by the way he is speaking.
Winton emphasises how much Lockie dislikes his brother’s tone
of voice by the words he chooses. Say the line again and hear the
Part 2
17
effect of the repeated ‘ing’ sound and the onomatopoeic effect of
the word ‘wheedling’.
You are now going to revise direct speech punctuation rules so
that you can write your own dialogue.
Revising speech punctuation
To revise speech punctuation rules, look at how Winton
punctuates the dialogue in the extract you have been studying.
Rule 1
Begin a new paragraph for a new speaker.
Look at the following cartoon then examine the dialogue after it to
see how Winton represents the words spoken by the characters.
‘From her, I bet.’
When Phillip answers Lockie, Winton begins a new paragraph to
show a new person is speaking. Because Lockie Leonard Legend is
typed, Winton indicates the new paragraph by leaving a line space
between what is said and the previous line. When you write the
passage out by hand, you indicate the new paragraph by
indenting it by about two centimetres.
Did you notice that Winton italicises the ‘her’? This is to indicate
that Phillip emphasises this word.
18
Families in fiction
Rule 2
Indicate the words each person or character speaks by enclosing
those words in inverted commas, for example: ‘It was a present.’
Look at how Winton punctuates the words spoken in each frame of
the following cartoon. Notice that he varies the sentence
punctuation, depending on whether the sentence is a statement,
question or exclamation.
‘It was a present.’
‘Was it a present?’
‘Lockie!’
Rule 3
When you add the name of the speaker at the end of the spoken
words, show the speaker has stopped speaking by:
•
•
first, placing a comma after the last word the speaker says
secondly, closing the inverted commas to show the speaker
has stopped speaking.
Place the full stop at the end of the complete sentence, which
includes the name of the speaker.
For example, look at how Winton represents what Lockie says in
the following cartoon. Look carefully at where he places the
comma, the inverted commas and the full stop.
Part 2
19
If Lockie were asking a question, Winton would place a question
mark inside the closing inverted comma, instead of a comma. For
example:
‘Was it a present?’ Lockie asked.
If Lockie were exclaiming, Winton would place an exclamation
mark inside the closing inverted comma, instead of a comma. For
example:
‘Drop my tape this minute!’ yelled Lockie.
Check that you have understood these rules by completing the
following activity.
Activity 4
Punctuate the following three lines of dialogue.
1
Carly, can you do the washing-up before you watch television
_______________________________________________________
2
But, Mum, it’s Craig’s turn Carly replied
_______________________________________________________
3
No, it’s not Craig yelled
_______________________________________________________
Sometimes Winton interrupts what the character is saying to tell
the reader who is speaking. He either interrupts the speaker at the
end of a sentence (Rule 4) or in the middle of a sentence (Rule 5).
See if you can work out Rule 4 by looking carefully at the cartoon
below and noticing how Winton represents Lockie’s actual words
in the quotation that follows.
20
Families in fiction
‘If you touch my stuff again I’ll pound your head in!’ shouted Lockie.
‘It’s bad enough sharing the room with you, but my stuff is mine.
Get it?’
Write your observations on the following lines.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
How is Rule 5 different? Look at what Lockie says in the
following cartoon and at the way Winton represents those words
in the quotation below the cartoon. Notice how the punctuation is
different from the example given for Rule 4.
‘Phillip,’ he said in a dangerously quiet voice, ‘where’d you get
that?’
Part 2
21
Write the differences you noticed on the following lines.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Use your observations to help you formulate the rules for
punctuating interrupted speech in the following activity.
Activity 5
Write the rules for punctuating interrupted direct speech.
1
Rule 4 for punctuating interrupted speech when the
interruption occurs after the character has finished a sentence
is:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2
Rule 5 for punctuating interrupted speech when the
interruption occurs in the middle of a sentence is:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Check if you understand how to punctuate interrupted speech by
completing Activity 6.
22
Families in fiction
Activity 6
Punctuate the following lines of dialogue.
1
you’re always on the phone yelled Mario it’s not fair
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2
that’s not true. Anyway, I had to ring Maggie said Angela to
find out what time we are going to meet tomorrow
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Now prepare for Exercise 2.3.
In this exercise you demonstrate to your teacher that you
understand speech punctuation rules by punctuating the
following sentences correctly.
1
mum, come quickly Phillip yelled Lockie’s bashing me up
2
Lockie, why can’t you behave their mother asked in
exasperation
Check the rules if you are not sure what to do.
You now recreate a typical argument in your own family by
writing a scene in an imaginary novel that features your family.
Before you write your scene, you can learn more about writing
good dialogue by visiting the following website:
Part 2
23
A family argument
Imagine that your family are the characters in a novel and you
have decided to write a scene where they argue. You base the
argument around a famous family line.
Every family has its own famous family lines that you hear all the
time. Phillip probably hears Lockie yell: ‘If you touch my stuff
again I’ll pound your head in’ over and over again. Yet, he
continues to use Lockie’s things without asking him.
What lines do you hear in your family? For example, does anyone
always say: ‘It’s not fair. I did it last time?’
Activity 6
Write down five family lines that are used a lot in your home then
compare them with the examples in the answer section.
1
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
4
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
5
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
You are now ready to prepare for Exercise 2.4
24
Families in fiction
In this exercise you compose a scene in an imaginary novel about
your family. In the scene, two or more of the family have an
argument. You base the argument around a famous family line
used in your home. You may exaggerate a little, of course.
Include dialogue in the scene. Punctuate it correctly, using the
rules you have just learned.
Write about 200–300 words. This is half to one page of normal
sized handwriting.
Your scene is one of the items that you include in your published
collection of texts.
Part 2
25
26
Families in fiction
Further planning
In Part 1 you began thinking about your collection of texts. You
decided whether to work in a group or on your own. You also
began thinking about how to present your publication and what
additional texts you wanted to include.
In this section, you continue planning.
Making decisions
You first need to make some important decisions.
When you are making your decisions, remember that your
collection includes the texts set by your teacher in each part. You
have the opportunity to improve these texts in response to your
teacher’s comments when he or she first marks them. The
collection also includes a minimum of one text of your own
choosing.
If you are working in a group:
• finalise how and when you will communicate with each other
• discuss what texts of your own choosing you want to include,
for example, extra stories, articles, advertisements or poems
(include at least one extra text per student)
• decide how you wish to present your collection, for example,
in hard copy as a booklet or magazine, or on CD-ROM
(discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each medium
first)
• decide which program to use to present your work, for
example, a word-processing package, such as Word, or a
desktop publishing program
• make a list of the tasks your group needs to complete for each
part, such as planning, preparing drafts, editing and proofing
texts, making final copies, checking final copies for accuracy
• allocate roles and tasks for each part, making sure that you are
sharing the responsibilities fairly
• set up a timeline, using the proforma given in this part or a
similar one that you have drawn up yourselves. Examples are
given to guide you.
Part 2
27
If you are working alone:
•
brainstorm what texts of your own choosing you want to
include, for example, extra stories, articles, advertisements or
poems (include at least one extra text)
•
decide how you wish to present your collection, for example,
in hard copy as a booklet or magazine or on CD-ROM
(remember to list the advantages and disadvantages of each
medium first)
•
decide which program you will use to present your work, for
example, a word-processing package such as Word or a
desktop publishing program you are familiar with
make a list of the tasks you need to complete for each Part,
such as planning, preparing drafts, editing and proofing texts,
making final copies, checking final copies for accuracy
set up a timeline, using the proforma on the next page or a
similar one that you have drawn up yourself. Examples are
given to guide you.
•
•
28
Families in fiction
Part 2
Part
Planned tasks
Tasks completed
One
Organise group
Organised group of two
Two
Begin composing a new text;
take photos for article
Three
Polish first set piece using
teacher’s comments
Four
Edit a group member’s text;
finalise the layout design; make
the covers
Five
Final revision and editing of
texts
29
It is now time to begin the tasks you set for Part 2. When you
have finished working on the tasks you set yourself for the week,
complete the final exercise for Part 2.
In this exercise you report to your teacher about the progress you
have made in planning and writing for your publication by
completing the questionnaire in the Exercise pages.
If you wish your teacher to check any work that you have
completed during Part 2 for your publication, attach it to your
questionnaire.
You have now completed Part 2 of Families in fiction.
30
Families in fiction
Check your responses against these suggested answers. They may be
there is not one correct answer, but rather different opinions that you
can support.
Activity 1
1
Lockie finds that his baby sister Blob is chewing on the letter that
has arrived for him in the mail.
2
Lockie tries to give his sister a bill he finds on the fridge door in
exchange for the letter. No, she just looks at him.
3
Blob suddenly lets go of the letter so she can start screaming.
Lockie grabs the letter and runs off so he won’t get into trouble for
upsetting the baby.
Activity 2
Part 2
1
Winton uses the simile ‘like a dog with a bone’ to describe Blob’s
determination to keep the letter.
2
Lockie’s family is either quite poor or very disorganised as the
parents have not paid the bill on time. They are being given one
more chance to pay.
3
Winton uses the metaphor of the shark attack to describe the
sharpness of Blob’s teeth and her readiness to use them against
Lockie if he tries to put his fingers in her mouth to get back his
letter.
4
Winton describes the physical changes to Blob’s face – the way her
cheeks begin to bulge out and the veins on her forehead enlarge.
He compares the largeness of the veins to speed bumps on a road.
He also uses the metaphor of fireworks to suggest that she will
begin to scream loudly and create a fuss that will make the parents
come running.
5
The onomatopoeic word is the adjective ‘drooly’ that Winton has
created from the verb ‘to drool’. It describes the pool of dribble
from Blob’s mouth that has collected on the floor.
31
Activity 3
1
There is no correct answer to this question as every family is
different.
You might have written that Parvana’s mother makes her do her
chores before she will let her play, just like your parents.
You might also have said that you fight with your brothers and
sisters like Nooria and Parvana. If you are a younger sibling, you
might think that your older sister (or brother) always acts as if she is
superior to you.
2
There is no correct answer to this question.
If you live in a city, you are probably connected to the city water
supply and do not have to fetch water for the family tank.
If you live a very isolated area, you might still have to use an
outside pump to fetch water for the house. If you came to Australia
as a refugee, you also might know what it is like to fetch water from
outside.
Activity 4
1
‘Carly, can you do the washing-up before you watch television?’
2
‘But, Mum, it’s Craig’s turn,’ Carly replied.
3
‘No, it’s not!’ Craig yelled.
Activity 5
The rules for interrupted speech are as follows.
1
Rule 4: When you interrupt what a character is saying after he or
she has completed a sentence, you follow Rule 3 until you start
quoting the character’s words again. This includes placing a full
stop at the end of the interruption.
You indicate the character has started speaking again by:
2
•
reopening the inverted commas on the same line
•
starting the new sentence with a capital letter
•
ending the final sentence the character says with either a full
stop, question mark or exclamation mark
•
closing the inverted commas.
Rule 5: When you interrupt a character’s direct words in the middle
of a sentence, you place a comma after the last word the character
says then close the inverted commas.
When you continue the direct speech:
32
•
you place a comma at the end of the interruption
•
reopen the inverted commas
Families in fiction
•
continue the interrupted sentence, using lower case for the first
word the character says
•
end the final sentence the character says with either a full stop,
question mark or exclamation mark
•
close the inverted commas.
Activity 6
1
‘You’re always on the phone!’ yelled Mario. ‘It’s not fair.’
2
‘That’s not true. Anyway, I had to ring Maggie,’ said Angela, ‘to
find out what time we are going to meet tomorrow.’
Activity 7
Some examples of common family lines are:
Part 2
•
‘I did it last time.’
•
‘Why don’t you ever make her/him do it?’
•
‘Yes, dear.’
•
‘Why do we always have (name of food) for dinner. You know I
hate it.’
•
‘Honestly, I really did do my teeth (or homework, cleaning).’
•
‘You’re always on the phone.’
•
‘I promise that I’ll be home on time, honest.’
33
34
Families in fiction
Exercise 2.1
Choose an extract about half a page long from your set novel that
shows a typical moment in the family of the main character.
1
2
Prepare a taped reading of the scene.
Describe the family and comment on the similarities and
differences between it and your own family. Speak for one to
two minutes.
Before you start taping, tell your teacher:
• your name
• the title of your novel
• the page reference of the chosen scene
• the first line of the extract
• the last line of the extract.
Check your recording for audibility before you send it to your
teacher.
Exercise 2.2
Write a paragraph about one of the conflicts in your set novel,
using the lines on the next page or, if you prefer, record your
comments.
When you talk about the conflict in your set novel:
• identify the conflict you have chosen
• describe it briefly
• identify whether it is an external or internal conflict and
whether it is central to the plot or a minor conflict. Give
reasons for the points you make and support them with
quotations or examples from the novel.
Part 2
35
Exercise 2.3
Punctuate the following sentences correctly by using direct speech
punctuation rules.
1
mum, come quickly Phillip yelled Lockie’s bashing me up
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2
Lockie, why can’t you behave their mother asked in
exasperation
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Exercise 2.4
Imagine that your family are the main characters in a novel.
Write a scene that describes an argument between two or more
family members. Base the argument around a famous family line
used in your home. You may exaggerate a little, of course.
Include dialogue in the scene. Punctuate it correctly, using the
rules you have just learned.
Write about 200–300 words. This is half to one page of normal
sized handwriting. Use your own paper.
36
Families in fiction
Exercise 2.5
Complete the following questionnaire about your progress with
your publication (collection of texts.)
Student’s name: ____________________________________________
Name of teacher: ___________________________________________
1
Are you working individually or with a group?
_______________________________________________________
2
(Groups only) List the names of your group members.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3
What decisions have you made about your collection of texts,
for example, in what medium are you presenting it?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
4
(Groups only) What are your responsibilities, for example,
proofreading the extra texts of two other students in your
group, making the final version of the front cover?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Part 2
37
5
What tasks did you complete in Part 2, for example, revised a
text that your teacher marked, held a conference with your
group, planned a text of your own?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
6
List any questions you need to ask.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Contact your teacher if you need an immediate answer to any of
your questions.
You may also send in any work for your publication that you
want your teacher to comment on. Remember to include your
name on all material that you submit.
38
Families in fiction
Name
___________________________
Teacher
___________________________
Tick the boxes to show that you have completed all exercises and
collected all your answers to return to your teacher. Attach this
cover page to your exercise pages.
Part 2
Exercise 2.1
Reading and commenting
Exercise 2.2
Conflict
Exercise 2.3
Punctuating speech
Exercise 2.4
Scene in a novel
Exercise 2.5
Progress report on publication
r
r
r
r
r
39
Families in fiction
Part 3
Walking in different shoes
Contents – Part 3
Introduction – Part 3 ..........................................................3
Outcomes ..................................................................................4
New perspectives ..............................................................5
How Lockie changes .................................................................5
How Parvana and Nooria change ............................................9
Themes....................................................................................11
Reflecting on change.......................................................14
Changing your perspective .....................................................14
Designing the covers.......................................................19
Planning a cover......................................................................19
Further preparation .................................................................24
Appendix 1 ......................................................................25
Appendix 2 ......................................................................27
Suggested answers – Part 3 ...........................................29
Exercises – Part 3 ...........................................................31
Exercise cover page – Part 3 ..........................................35
Part 3
1
2
Families in fiction
In Part 2 you met Lockie, the main character in Lockie Leonard
Legend by Tim Winton, and Parvana, the main character in Parvana
by Deborah Ellis.
In this part you explore how these two characters learn to
empathise with other family members and change their
perspective on family life as a result of their experiences. You
then explore how the main character in your set novel matures.
You also reflect on your own experiences and how they have
changed your perspective. You use your experiences to plan a
text for your publication.
•
changing perspectives in novels about families
•
themes
•
the features of a magazine cover.
Part 3
•
identify and describe changing perspectives in your set novel
•
describe and explain a theme in your set novel
•
plan a story about your own experience of learning to walk in
someone else’s shoes
•
evaluate two magazine covers
•
design the covers for your publication
•
compose texts for your publication
•
edit texts you have composed
•
revise texts in response to comments by others.
3
Outcomes
1
2
texts
3
4
contexts
5
6
8
9
for learning.
Source:
4
Families in fiction
New perspectives
In most novels about families, the main character matures during
the story. This is because he or she sees their family from a new
perspective.
In this section, you explore how Lockie and Parvana, two
characters you met in Part 2, change their perspectives on family
life because of the crises their families face.
You then explore how the main character in your set novel learns
to view his or her family from a different perspective.
How Lockie changes
When Lockie Leonard Legend opens, it is the summer holidays.
Lockie goes surfing and skateboarding each day and argues with
his baby sister Blob and younger brother Phillip. His mother
looks after the home. His life is about to change however. His
mother becomes severely depressed and is hospitalised. Lockie’s
perspective on family life changes as a result of the crisis.
Read the following extract from Lockie Leonard Legend. As you
read, notice how Lockie, Phillip and their father, known
affectionately as the Sarge because of his job as a policeman,
respond to the new situation in their family.
Lockie and Phillip and the Sarge tiptoed around the sagging house doing
their absolute best to keep things running smoothly that week while the
rain roared on the tin roof and the swamp swelled and gurgled around
them. The boys worked without complaining, taking turns with Blob and
the endless house-work, helping the Sarge with washing and cooking and
keeping things calm.
Blob’s cot was moved into the boys’ room. She shook its bars at dawn to
get them up and she didn’t stop being Blob all day. She made spaghetti
out of Lockie’s tapes and gnawed Phillip’s baseball cards into compost,
but neither lost his temper. Lockie’s back ached from carrying her on his
hip and Phillip’s face hurt from smiling …
Source:
Part 3
Australia, 1997, pp.47–48
5
Winton makes life at the Leonard place seem miserable, doesn’t
he? In Activity 1, you look at how he describes the family’s
response when Mrs Leonard goes to hospital.
Activity 1
1
What jobs do the Sarge and his two sons have to take over?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2
How does Blob respond to the situation?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3
Identify the two metaphors Winton uses to describe how Blob
destroys her brothers’ possessions and explain why he uses
them.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
4
How do the boys’ attitudes change?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
5
Winton’s description of the rain adds to the miserable
atmosphere in the Leonard home. How does Winton use
onomatopoeia, personification and alliteration to describe
how the wet weather makes life more difficult?
Onomatopoeia ___________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
6
Families in fiction
Personification ___________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Alliteration ______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
6
Who usually does the chores in your family? How would you
respond if you faced a crisis similar to the one faced by the
Leonard family?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Lockie is forced to change his perspective on his mother and this
gives him insights into himself.
Read the following extract from Lockie Leonard Legend. Notice
what Lockie realises about himself. Think about how this leads
him to change his perspective.
It was a shock, suddenly not knowing as much about your mother as you
thought. Had he ever thought about her at all? Really thought about her?
She was always so … together. His mum was an absolute brick. Man,
she was rock solid. She was the kind of parent some kids must dream
about. All that energy and optimism. Sometimes she drove him mad the
way she cared so much. Oh, he remembered those sex talks last year
when she kept talking about pubic hair until he wanted to just die.
Whew, did she love a Deep and Meaningful or what! She was so
conscientious she embarrassed him. Other kids’ parents were so offhand,
as though kids were just a pain they had to endure. He felt like a
scumbag for taking all that love for granted.
Source:
Australia, 1997, p. 55
Write your observations in Activity 2.
Part 3
7
Activity 2
Describe what Lockie realises about his relationship with his
mother and explain how this changes his perspective on her.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
You could represent your ideas on how Lockie has changed by
using a graphic like the one below. The adjective on the left-hand
side of the image shows what a reader thought Lockie was like at
the beginning of the story. On the right-hand side is an adjective
which shows how Lockie changes. What other adjectives could
you add?
8
Families in fiction
How Parvana and Nooria change
Parvana and Nooria also learn to view each other differently after
Parvana works in the graveyard.
Read the following extract from Parvana. As you read, notice how
the two sisters change towards each other.
Her graveyard stint over, she was back to going outside with Nooria and
the little ones in the middle of the day. A change had come over Nooria.
She hadn’t said anything nasty to Parvana in ages.
Or maybe it’s me who’s changed, Parvana thought. Arguing with Nooria
simply didn’t make sense any more.
Source:
Ellis, Deborah, Parvana, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 2002 (first
published Canada: Grandswood Books, 2000) p.120
Did you notice that Parvana and Nooria do not argue like they
used to?
Activity 3
Why have Parvana and Nooria’s attitudes changed towards each
other? Think about what you learned about the story in Part 2.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
You now examine how the main character in your set novel
changes his or her perspective.
In this exercise you show how the main character in your set novel
changes during the story. You draw a picture of the character and
list adjectives on the left-hand side of the picture to describe what
he/she is like at the beginning of the story, and on the right-hand
side of the picture what he/she is like by the end. You write a
Part 3
9
paragraph below your picture in which you explain why the
character changes his or her perspective.
If you are presenting your work using a computer, you may use a
software drawing program to draw the likeness of your character
or scan a picture that you have found and insert it in your
document.
•
Skim your set novel to find descriptions or clues about the
appearance of your main character, for example, Winton says
Lockie is a ‘scrawny thirteen-year-old’ on page nine of Lockie
Leonard Legend and tells us the family is quite poor. Write
notes about what you learn on the following lines.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
•
Write the adjectives you would use to describe the character at
the beginning of the novel on the following lines.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
•
Write the adjectives you would use to describe the character
by the end of the novel on the following lines.
_______________________________________________________
•
_______________________________________________________
Write the events that make your character change his or her
perspective on the following lines. For example, Lockie first
changes his perspective when his mother becomes ill.
Parvana learns to view her sister differently when she collects
the bones of the dead to sell for food.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
10
Families in fiction
The authors of novels use the events and characters in their novels
to communicate one or more messages to their readers.
Themes
The messages authors communicate through their stories are
called themes. They may also be referred to as: ideas, concerns or
issues.
One theme in Lockie Leonard Legend and Parvana is the importance
of learning to see the world from other people’s perspectives. In
other words, Lockie and Parvana learn to empathise with others
and become more mature. For example, Lockie learns to see
family life from his mother’s perspective while Parvana learns to
empathise with Nooria’s position under the Taliban.
If you are studying one of these novels, write down the name of a
second character Lockie or Parvana learns to empathise with.
___________________________________________________________
Two common idioms (sayings) we use to describe empathising
with others are ‘to walk in someone else’s shoes’ and ‘to see the
world through someone else’s eyes’. Do you notice how these
idioms use a metaphor to describe the idea of empathy? This
helps you imagine what it is like to see the world as someone else
or to be in their situation.
Is the importance of learning to walk in other people’s shoes
a theme in your set novel?
If so, write down how the author uses the characters and events in
the novel to explore the theme.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Part 3
11
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
What other themes does the novel explore? For example, Parvana
explores what it means to be a female under the Taliban, who
restricted women’s freedom because of their religious and cultural
beliefs. The novel also explores courage. All the women in the
story show courage as they resist the restrictions imposed on
them.
Write the themes you think are important in your novel.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
You explore one of these themes further in Exercise 3.2.
In this exercise, you choose a theme that is important in your set
novel and explain how the author uses the events and characters
in the story to communicate the theme. Write about half a page.
If you prefer, record your answer. Speak for about one to two
minutes.
You might start your answer the following way.
An important theme in Parvana is the theme of courage. All the
main characters demonstrate how important it is to show courage
when you face difficult times.
Parvana shows courage early in the novel when the family wants
her to dress up as a boy to take her father’s place in the
marketplace.
12
Families in fiction
List the points you want to include in your answer on the
following lines.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
In the next section, you reflect on times when you have changed
your own perspective and learned to walk in someone else’s
shoes.
Part 3
13
Reflecting on change
In this section, you look at moments in your own life that have
altered your perspective. You choose one of those moments to
plan a story that you can include in your publication.
Changing your perspective
In real life, people change their perspective on others and learn to
walk in their shoes for a variety of reasons. The change may occur
because they have experienced a crisis like the characters in
novels, such as a serious sickness, death or divorce. At other
times, they change their perspective simply because they are
growing older or have changed their lifestyle, for example, by
moving house or going travelling.
Think of times when you have learned to walk in the shoes of
another person in your family or have changed your perspective
in some other way on family life. List your memories on the
following lines.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Which memory do you think could be best used as the basis of an
interesting story? For example, is one of the incidents you
remember suspenseful or humorous or is it the sort of incident
that others could relate to from their own experiences?
Stories can be told in many forms, such as:
14
•
short stories
•
plays
•
talks
•
comic strips.
Families in fiction
In the following illustration you can see how a narrator has
experimented with these forms to tell her story about a horse
accident. Can you identify which form is which? Think about
which one would suit your story best.
In the following exercise, you plan the story you selected. You
may, if you wish, complete it for your publication.
Part 3
15
Regardless of the form you choose, you use the narrative structure
to organise your story telling. If you cannot remember this
structure, turn to Appendix 1 and revise it.
If you write the story for your collection of texts as a short story,
play, or talk, use the techniques you learned about in Lockie
Leonard Legend to make it interesting and vivid.
You may wish to learn more about writing stories and scripts by
visiting the following website:
In this exercise, you plan a story that tells about a time when you
learned to walk in someone else’s shoes in your family or changed
your perspective on family life.
Write down on the following lines:
•
the incident you wish to use
•
the form you have chosen to tell your story.
Incident ___________________________________________________
Form _____________________________________________________
Even though you are basing the story on a real incident, you may
change the details of the story when you write about it. Published
authors often do this. They might, for example, change the setting
or have fewer people than in real life to make the story more
interesting or easier to follow.
To help you write your plan, organise the events of the story you
are going to tell using the scaffold on the following page.
16
Families in fiction
Orientation
Complication
Response to the complication
Climax
Resolution
If you are composing a short story or play, present your plan
using this scaffold.
If you are composing a comic strip, prepare a storyboard. Use
stick figures to represent the characters and label what you want
to include in each frame. Write directions under each frame, such
as the:
Part 3
•
dialogue you wish to include
•
colours you plan to use
•
viewpoint of the drawing, such as a close-up.
17
If you are composing a talk, choose a specific audience and
purpose for your talk. For example, if you were telling the story
of the horse accident, you could choose to talk to:
•
a group of horse riders about how the accident taught you the
importance of safety precautions
•
a group of Year 8 students about how you learned what your
brother meant to you as a result of the accident.
Introduce your topic before you tell the story and conclude by
returning to the theme behind your talk.
You may use the following lines to write down any notes you
need to help you in your planning.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
In the next section you continue your published collection of texts.
18
Families in fiction
Designing the covers
It is time to continue working on your published collection of
texts. In this section, your main task is to design the covers and
decide on a name for your publication.
You may also continue composing any additional texts that you
want to include and edit or revise the texts you have finished.
Planning a cover
You need to design an interesting and eye-catching cover for your
publication so you will attract lots of readers.
The following graphic shows an example of a simple cover design.
You may, however, prefer to design a magazine-style look for
your cover. You need to consider information such as the name of
the collection (publication).
Part 3
19
When you design the covers consider the following features:
•
the main graphic for the front cover
•
any additional graphics, for example, for the back cover
•
the colours you plan to use
•
the layout (placement of the graphics, title and other text)
•
the size, colour and style of the font for the title and other text.
If you are publishing your collection of texts in CD-ROM format,
you will need to design a cover for the insert of the plastic case.
You might like to look at some commercial CD-ROMs for further
ideas on how to design your cover. A simple design is shown in
the graphic on page 19.
The following is an example of a more complex magazine front
cover.
Front cover
Notice the different graphics and the use of text to attract
attention.
20
Families in fiction
Examine the front cover and:
•
identify the features that you need to include on your own
cover, such as the title
•
identify the features that you like, for example, the placement
of the main graphic
•
identify the features that you think could be improved, for
example, the font used for the title
•
imagine the colours you would use for this cover.
Write notes on your observations on the following lines.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Look at the back cover of the same magazine.
Back cover
Part 3
21
Examine the back cover and:
•
identify the thematic link between the front cover and the
advertisement on the back cover
•
think about why the graphic artist has focused on an image
rather than words
•
reflect on the impact of the slogans ‘Skate Grollet’ and ‘Use
only ‘Grollet Wheels’
•
identify the information given in the advertisement
•
reflect on how you could adapt these features on your own
back cover.
Write notes on your observations on the following lines.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Below is a second example of a front cover. Compare it with the
first front cover and decide which cover you prefer and why.
22
Families in fiction
Write your notes on the following lines.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
When you have examined the two covers, complete the following
exercise.
In this exercise, you evaluate (judge the qualities of) the two
sample front covers you examined. You identify which cover you
prefer and explain the reasons for your choice.
Your answer might begin:
I like the (identify cover) best because…
Refer specifically to the covers and give reasons for your opinion
such as: ‘I like the way the graphic artist uses block letters for the
heading because…’
You may write your response to the covers on the lines provided
in the Exercise pages or record your answer. If you record your
answer, begin by stating your name, your teacher’s name and the
number of the exercise.
Now that you have thought about the features of a good cover,
design the covers for your own publication. Use your own paper
or work on your computer.
If you are working in a group, discuss your ideas with the other group
members.
Part 3
23
Further preparation
Before you continue your preparation for your publication, check
your timeline to see what tasks you listed for Part 3. Also read the
following list for further ideas.
•
Brainstorm ideas for a text of your own choice.
•
Compose the draft of a text you planned in Part 3 or another
text of your own choice.
•
Edit any texts of your own choice that you have composed.
•
Edit texts other members of your group have sent you.
•
Revise any set texts your teacher has returned, using his or her
suggestions to improve what you have composed.
When you are editing your work, use the editing checklist in
Appendix 2.
When you have finished working on your collection of texts for Part
3, update your timeline then report to your teacher on what you
have done for your publication in this part.
In this exercise, you report to your teacher on the tasks you
completed during Part 3 for your collection of texts.
To complete the report you tick the appropriate boxes in the
report form that you are given in the exercise pages.
You are now ready to begin Part 4. In this part, you continue your
study of novels about families by considering the relationship of
the family to the community.
24
Families in fiction
Appendix 1
The parts of a narrative
Function
Orientation
The introduction to the narrative that
tells the reader who the story is
about, where and when it is set and
what is happening at the beginning
of the story. It may also explain why.
Complication
The problem that gives rise to the
plot or storyline of the story. The
complication has to be resolved by
the end of the story. The
complication may give rise to other
complications.
Response to the complication
The characters in the story respond
to the complication. They think, feel
and act. For example, if the
characters are lost in the bush, they
might talk about what to do. They
might be frightened and worry about
what their families are thinking.
Climax
The flow of the story leads upwards
to the climax which is the high point
of the plot.
In an adventure, this is when the
characters are in most danger.
In a family story, it may be the
moment when the main character
changes or finally confronts the
problem he or she is facing.
Resolution
Part 3
The ending to the story that draws
the main strands of the plot together
and resolves the complication. In a
fairy tale, the prince usually marries
a princess at this point in the story.
25
26
Families in fiction
Appendix 2
Use the following editing checklist when you are editing or
proofreading.
Editing checklist
Meaning
Does my text make sense?
Do I need to include any extra
information for my audience?
Have I said what I want to say?
Structure
Have I used the layout and structure
that is appropriate for the form and
medium I have used?
If I have written a story:
Effective use of words
•
is the opening interesting?
•
are my characters well
introduced?
•
are my settings well developed?
•
does my story have a climax?
•
does my resolution link with the
rest of the story?
Have I used descriptive language to
establish mood, characters and
settings?
Have I used the same pronouns or
have I switched, for example, from
‘I’, ‘me’, ‘my, to ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘they’?
Part 3
27
Sentences
Do all my sentences make sense?
Have I used tenses consistently
throughout the text, for example,
using the past narrative tense or the
present tense?
Have I used a variety of sentences –
some short, some longer?
Have I started my sentences in
different ways?
Paragraphs
Have I remembered to use
paragraphs/scenes?
Have I changed paragraphs/scenes
when I have:
Spelling and punctuation
•
changed the place of the action,
for example, from the house to
the local park
•
changed the time of the action,
for example, to an hour later
•
started a new action, for example,
from preparing for a journey to
boarding the plane
•
used direct speech?
Is my spelling correct? Have I used
spell check for computer documents
to identify possible problems? Have
I used a dictionary to check
unfamiliar and difficult words?
Is my punctuation correct? For
instance, have I punctuated the end
of all my sentences? Have I
punctuated direct speech using the
rules I learned in Part 2?
28
Families in fiction
Check your responses against these suggested answers. These may be
there is not one correct answer, but rather different supportable
opinions.
Activity 1
1
The Sarge and his two sons have to do the washing and dry it, even
though it is raining heavily. They also have to do the housework,
cook and look after the baby.
2
Blob is unaffected by the situation. She continues to get up early
and make lots of noise. She still tries her brothers’ patience by
destroying Lockie’s tapes and Phillip’s baseball cards.
3
Winton uses two metaphors to describe the destruction Blob causes.
He uses the metaphor of spaghetti to describe how she tangles up
Lockie’s tapes. He use the metaphor of compost to describe how
she turns Phillip’s cards into a pulpy mess.
4
Instead of fighting and complaining, the boys help their father to do
the extra work and look after Blob. They do not lose their temper
with their sister even when she destroys their belongings. Instead,
Lockie carries her around constantly and Phillip smiles at her all the
time.
5
Onomatopoeia: Winton uses the onomatopoeic verbs ‘roared’ and
‘gurgled’. He uses ‘roared’ to emphasise the noise the rain makes as
it pelts down on the tin roof. He uses ‘gurgled’ to describe the
sound of the swamp as it fills up with water.
Personification: Winton describes the house as if it were a miserable
person by describing it as ‘sagging’ under the force of the rain.
Alliteration: Winton describes the swamp as ‘swelling’. Both words
start with ‘sw’. He alliterates ‘swelling’ with ‘swamp’, to emphasise
how the rain is filling up the swamp.
6
Part 3
Your response will depend on how the chores are divided in your
home. The Leonards find it particularly difficult to take over Mrs
Leonard’s chores because she appears to have done most of the
work around the house. If your family shares chores and the care of
younger members of the family, you might find it easier to adapt to
taking over extra work if someone in the family became ill.
29
Activity 2
Lockie realises that he has always taken his mother for granted. He has
not thought about her as an individual and does not know how she
thinks and feels. He has also taken her love for granted, not recognising
how many children would like a mother who involves herself so
caringly in their lives.
In fact, he has often felt embarrassed by her, for example, when she
talked to him about sex and when she wanted to engage in deep,
meaningful discussions with him. He now recognises how lucky he is.
Activity 3
The extract does not tell you directly why the two girls have changed
but you can read between the lines to find an answer.
While Parvana was working at the cemetery, she did not have time to
take Nooria and the little ones outside each day. Nooria is probably
more appreciative of the chance to get out of the small room now
Parvana is free again. Nooria probably also gains a new respect for her
sister when Paravana forces herself to collect human bones to feed the
family.
Parvana faces the fact of death as she digs up the bones. She also has to
deal with her horror of the job. She probably finds arguments with her
sister silly as she learns how many Afghanis have died during the years
of war and realises how many families are so desperate that they will
dig up graves to afford food.
30
Families in fiction
Exercise 3.1
Explain how the main character in your set novel changes during
the story by:
•
drawing a half-page picture of the character or finding a
picture that you feel represents the way the author presents
him or her in the novel
•
listing the adjectives that describe what your main character is
like at the beginning of the story on the left-hand side of the
picture, for example, ‘thoughtless’
•
listing the adjectives that describe what he or she is like by the
end of the story on the right-hand side of the picture, for
example, ‘caring’
•
writing a paragraph below your picture in which you explain
why the character changes his or her perspective.
If you prefer, use a drawing program to create the picture of the
main character or scan a picture that you have found.
Use a full sheet of A4 or A3 paper to complete the exercise.
Exercise 3.2
Choose a theme that is important in your set novel.
•
Describe the theme that you are writing about.
•
Explain how the author uses the events and characters in the
story to communicate your chosen theme.
•
Use examples and/or quotations to support your points.
Write about half a page, using your own paper.
If you prefer to record your answer, speak for about one to two
minutes. Remember to give your name, your teacher’s name and
the title of your set novel first.
Part 3
31
Exercise 3.3
Plan a story about a time when you learned to walk in someone
else’s shoes in your family or changed your perspective on family
life.
You may plan:
•
a short story
•
a short play
•
a talk for an audience and purpose of your own choosing
•
a comic strip
•
another form or medium that you have discussed with your
teacher.
Use your own paper. Write your name and your teacher’s name
on the top of the paper.
Exercise 3.4
Write or record an evaluation of the two covers shown on the next
page. In your evaluation, compare the two covers and identify the
one you prefer. Give reasons for your opinions, for example, ‘I
like the way the graphic artist uses block letters for the heading
because …’.
If you write your answer, use the lines provided.
If you record your answer, begin by stating your name, your
teacher’s name and the number of the exercise. Speak for about a
minute.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
32
Families in fiction
Part 3
33
Exercise 3.5
Tick the tasks that you have completed during Part 3 for your
collection of texts. Add extra rows for any other tasks that you
have completed.
Task
I have chosen a name for my collection of texts.
I have composed a text of my own choosing.
I edited the texts that I composed for my collection of texts.
I used my teacher’s comments to revise the texts that I sent him/her.
I designed a front cover for the collection of texts.
I designed a back cover for the collection of texts.
I consulted with the other members of my group (groups only).
34
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Families in fiction
Name
___________________________
Teacher
___________________________
Part 3
Exercise 3.1
Changing perspectives
r
Exercise 3.2
Describing a theme
r
Exercise 3.3
The structure of the set novel
r
Exercise 3.4
Telling a story
r
Exercise 3.5
Evaluating covers
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Exercise 3.6
Report on collection of texts
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35
36
Families in fiction
Families in fiction
Part 4
Families and the community
Contents – Part 4
Outcomes ..................................................................................4
Families in context ..............................................................................5
Different communities ...............................................................5
The novelist’s perspective ...............................................................9
Not belonging ............................................................................9
Times of crisis..........................................................................12
Individual responsibility...................................................................15
One character's response.......................................................15
Your point of view....................................................................19
Continuing the collection ................................................................23
Making your covers .................................................................23
Deciding on the layout ............................................................23
Further preparation .................................................................25
Exercises – Part 4.............................................................................31
Part 4
1
2
Families in fiction
In Part 4 you examine the relationship of the family to the
community. As part of your study, you explore how different
novelists treat this theme. You compare their perspective with
your own.
You also continue working on your collection of texts.
•
•
the novelist’s perspective on communities and the individual
the relationship between your own views about the
relationship of individuals, families and communities and the
views expressed by novelists.
•
•
•
•
communicate your own experiences of living in a community
adopt the perspective of a character in your set novel
discuss with others an issue that interests you
summarise the main points of the discussion and the
conclusions you reached.
Outcomes
Part 4
1
2
texts
4
contexts
3
Members of my family go shopping at the local shops or a nearby
town.
Members of my family belong to a group that works for the
community, for example, Farmers’ Federation, Land Care or Meals
on Wheels.
r
r
Members of my family work for/donate to a group like Amnesty
International, Oxfam, Guide Dogs, The Smith Family or the
Australian Conservation Foundation.
r
Members of my family are involved with groups like Pony Club, the
Scouts or the local yacht club.
r
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r
Members of my family take part in local or school dramatic
productions, such as musicals or plays.
Members of my family like to meet up with their friends in the local
town or suburb to do things such as hang around chatting, go to the
movies, go surfing.
Members of my family receive support from local groups like Meals
on Wheels, the Smith Family or the local church.
Members of my family have had arguments with local authorities
such as the local council, Australian Taxation Office or the police.
Members of my family have gone to hospital.
r
r
r
What other activities could you add to the list?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Did you notice that the members of your family belong to more
than one type of community? You belong to the local community,
the Australian community and the world community. You may
also belong to special communities that share common goals and
interests such as the school community, clubs and organisations.
6
Families in fiction
Families in context
Novelists set the families they write about within the context of
their community. This is because novelists explore issues that
come from real experience and real families live within the context
of the community.
In this section, you explore the relationship of your own family to
the community.
Different communities
What does the word ‘community’ mean to you?
Write your definition on the following lines.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Test your definition by answering the following questions. Tick
all the activities one or more of your family is involved in.
Participating in the community
Members of my family go to work, for example, working for a local
business or school, delivering newspapers or sales brochures.
Members of my family attend a church, mosque, temple or other
place of worship.
Members of my family play in a sports competition, for example, a
rugby or tennis team.
Members of my family watch the news on television or read a
newspaper regularly.
Members of my family attend classes such as dance, Pilates,
gymnastics, swimming or music.
Part 4
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5
Members of my family go shopping at the local shops or a nearby
town.
Members of my family belong to a group that works for the
community, for example, Farmers’ Federation, Land Care or Meals
on Wheels.
r
r
Members of my family work for/donate to a group like Amnesty
International, Oxfam, Guide Dogs, The Smith Family or the
Australian Conservation Foundation.
r
Members of my family are involved with groups like Pony Club, the
Scouts or the local yacht club.
r
r
r
Members of my family take part in local or school dramatic
productions, such as musicals or plays.
Members of my family like to meet up with their friends in the local
town or suburb to do things such as hang around chatting, go to the
movies, go surfing.
Members of my family receive support from local groups like Meals
on Wheels, the Smith Family or the local church.
Members of my family have had arguments with local authorities
such as the local council, Australian Taxation Office or the police.
Members of my family have gone to hospital.
r
r
r
What other activities could you add to the list?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Did you notice that the members of your family belong to more
than one type of community? You belong to the local community,
the Australian community and the world community. You may
also belong to special communities that share common goals and
interests such as the school community, clubs and organisations.
6
Families in fiction
The following collage represents how one person sees her family’s
relationship to the community. Look carefully at the items she has
included.
What does the collage tell you about her family’s place in the
community?
Listen to the ideas the composer was trying to convey in her
collage on Track 7 of the recording.
It is now your turn to create a collage.
Part 4
7
In this exercise, you create a collage that shows how you see the
relationship between your family and the community.
To prepare for the exercise, think about the message you wish to
communicate. To do this, review the different ways your family is
involved in the wider community and decide which ones are most
important. List these on the following lines.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
What do the items you listed have in common? This is the
message or theme your collage will communicate. Write the
message on the following line.
__________________________________________________________
Now decide how you will represent your message. You can use a
mixture of graphics and words. For example, you can use
photographs, drawings and cartoons as well as newspaper
headlines, single words and quotations from songs or poems.
Write your ideas on the following lines.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
When you have collected your materials, begin your collage. You
include the collage in your collection of texts.
You now look at how novelists depict the family’s relationship to
the community.
8
Families in fiction
The novelist’s perspective
In this section you examine the novelist’s perspective on families
and the community. Through your study, you learn more about
what is meant by a theme.
Not belonging
One theme that novelists often explore is the theme of not
belonging, for example, in Lockie Leonard Legend and Cannily,
Cannily.
Lockie’s family has recently moved to Angelus, a beachside town
on the coast of Western Australia. The richer citizens live up on
the hill while the poorer families, like the Leonards, live on the
flat. Lockie’s home is situated in a wet, boggy marshland. Winton
suggests that Angelus is not a friendly town. When Mrs Leonard
becomes depressed after the birth of her daughter she has no one
outside the family to turn to.
Trevor does not belong in the local community in Cannily, Cannily
either. He tries to fit in by joining the school Rugby team but his
efforts are only partly successful. You see why when Trevor
overhears two mothers discussing his family at a school match.
Read the following extract from Cannily, Cannily. As you read,
think about why the mothers disapprove of the family.
‘Were you here yesterday, when the father turned up and started causing
trouble?’
‘Yes, wasn’t it terrible? As for the hair and beard on him …’
‘Looked like something out of the stone age.’
‘And the child doesn’t look much better either. Hard to tell whether he
was a boy or girl at first. And the things he wears at school!’
With rising indignation, Trevor kept listening.
‘… no school uniform apparently. The parents probably can’t afford it.’
‘Yes, from what I’ve heard they’re seasonal workers, you know, no fixed
address …’
‘Terrible.’
Part 4
9
‘The husband’s bricklaying on the extensions down at the club.’
‘Have you seen the mother, though?’
‘No.’
‘Oh, she’s in town a fair bit. Dresses like a gypsy. Couldn’t begin to
imagine when she’s washed her hair last.’
Source:
French, Simon, Cannily, Cannily, Australia: Angus and Robertson,
1981, pp 80–81
Write down your ideas in Activity 1.
Activity 1
Write answers to the following questions.
1
Why do the mothers disapprove of Trevor’s family?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
2
What do the mothers’ comments tell you about their attitudes?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
In the following exercise, you tell your teacher what you learn
about the community in your set novel. Is it like the communities
Lockie and Trevor live in or is it different?
10
Families in fiction
In this exercise, you briefly describe the community the main
character in your set novel lives in.
In your answer, speak as if you are the main character and
describe the town from his or her perspective. For example, if you
are reading Lockie Leonard Legend, you might begin your answer in
the following way.
Our family has only lived in Angelus for a year. It’s a pretty
snobbish town. My Mum took part in a campaign to save the
harbour but the minute it was over she wasn’t good enough for
the other ladies in the group. And do you think the church people
would help anyone? No!
To prepare for the exercise, skim your novel for information about
the community. For example, Winton, in Lockie Leonard Legend,
describes the geography of Angelus on pages seven to ten in the
paperback version of the novel. He talks about Mrs Leonard’s
sense of isolation on pages 103 and 106.
Write your notes on the following lines with page references so
you can reread the passages if necessary.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Record your answer. Speak for one to two minutes. Begin with
your name, your teacher’s name and the name of the character
that is speaking.
Some novels tell about communities in times of crisis. You look at
two novels that do this next.
Part 4
11
Times of crisis
In times of crisis, the outside world intrudes directly into the lives
of families. This is especially true in wartime. The novel Parvana
by Deborah Ellis illustrates this.
Read the following extract from Parvana. As you read, notice how
war changed Parvana’s life.
With their education, they had earned high salaries. They had had a big
house with a courtyard, a couple of servants, a television set, a
refrigerator, a car. Nooria had had her own room. Parvana had shared a
room with her little sister, Maryam. Maryam chattered a lot, but she
thought Parvana was wonderful. It had certainly been wonderful to get
away from Nooria sometimes.
That house had been destroyed by a bomb. The family had moved
several times since then. Each time, they moved to a smaller place.
Every time their house was bombed, they lost more of their things. With
each bomb, they got poorer. Now they lived together in one small room.
Source:
Ellis, Deborah, Parvana, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 2002, pp 14-15
Imagine if your life changed like Parvana’s.
Activity 2
Summarise the main changes in her family’s life in one to two
sentences.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
By contrast, Jackie French describes how disasters can unite the
families in a community in her novel Soldier on the Hill. The novel
is set in the outback-Australian town of Biscuit Creek during
World War II.
12
Families in fiction
Read the following extract from Soldier on the Hill. As you read,
notice what the families are doing to support the war effort.
From the Biscuit Creek Gazette, 1942
VEGETABLES FOR VICTORY
The new Biscuit Creek Fruit and Vegetable Committee has announced
the production of a leaflet which aims to make the town independent of
commercial growers of vegetable supplies, thus freeing more manpower
for the war effort. Competitions will be held for the best produce, the
first being confined to schoolchildren and Boy Scouts and householders,
who are all asked to cultivate small plots.
The demand of the Allied and Australian Armies for fruit and vegetables
is enormous. You too can do your bit! Contact Mrs Donald Dennison …
Cakes, jams and preserves at a street stall, Friday, outside Mutton’s
Drapers. All proceeds to the Comfort for Prisoners Fund. Donations
gladly received.
Source:
French, Jackie, Soldier on the Hill, Australia: HarperCollins, 1997, p 60.
See how observantly you read by completing Activity 3.
Activity 3
List the ways in which the community is contributing to the war
effort.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Did you observe that Parvana’s family is more affected by the war
because they live in the war zone.
What is your experience of living in a community? Have you
experienced what it is like:
Part 4
•
•
to be an outsider
to have your life changed dramatically because of outside
events
•
to experience the sense of togetherness as the community
battles an outside disaster?
13
If you were sharing your experience with someone else, what
message would you like to communicate about belonging to your
community?
In this exercise, you talk about your experience of living in a
community. You may choose to talk about the community where
you live now or a community that you lived in previously.
When you plan what you want to say, decide:
•
•
what message you want to communicate
what examples you can use to illustrate your theme.
You may choose to talk about a single event, such as the
community response to a bushfire, or a series of events, for
example, your experiences when you first moved into the
community.
Write down the main points you wish to make on the following
lines.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
You may write or record your comments. Your answer should be
about one to two pages if you write your answer or one to two
minutes if you record it. If you record your answer, begin with
your name and your teacher’s name.
You will include this text in your publication.
You next learn about novelists who look at the responsibility of
the individual.
14
Families in fiction
Individual responsibility
In this section, you explore the novelist’s perspective on the
responsibility of the individuals in families to the community and
each other.
One character’s response
Jackie French, in her novel, Hitler’s Daughter, is particularly
interested in the responsibility of the individual to the community.
Mark, the main character in the novel, comes from Wallaby Creek.
He is just an ordinary country kid who lives on a property with
his mother and father. Like his parents, he gets on with living and
doesn’t ask too many questions. Then one wet morning, as they
wait in the shelter for the school bus, Mark and his friends decide
to play The Game to pass the time.
The Game is a storytelling game invented by one of the children,
Anna. On this particular day, Anna starts a story about Heidi,
who grew up in Germany during World War II. Heidi is not like
other children. She lives alone with her governess, Fraulein
Gerber. She has no mother and she only sees her father
occasionally. She calls him Duffi but most people know him
better as Hitler.
Hitler led the German people into World War II. He is notorious
because he caused the deaths of millions of people, including
Jews, Gypsies and many Eastern Europeans, such as the Poles and
Czechs. You may recognise him from the photograph on the next
page.
Part 4
15
Image of Hitler and Nazi symbol, the swastika
As Mark thinks about what it would be like to have a father like
Hitler, he begins to ask himself questions about individual
responsibility for the first time. Some of these questions are:
•
•
•
Are we responsible for what happens to people in other parts
of the world?
Are we responsible for the sins and crimes committed by
other members of our family?
Are children necessarily like their parents?
In the following extract, Mark asks his mother what she thinks.
Read the following extract from Hitler’s Children by Jackie French.
As you read, notice how Mark’s mother point of view changes as
Mark moves from talking about the German people’s response to
Hitler to asking her what she would have done.
‘But Mum, what if everyone thought the really bad person was right!
Like all the German people thought Hitler was right?’
Mum took the bowl from the microwave and stirred it, then put it back
again. ‘I don’t think all the German people thought Hitler was right, she
said. ‘Don’t forget it was a totalitarian country.’
‘What’s that mean?’
‘It means Hitler controlled the radio and the newspapers, so no one was
allowed to say anything he didn’t agree with. And if you tried to speak
out you were sent to a concentration camp.’
‘Did people protest?’ asked Mark.
16
Families in fiction
‘No idea,’ said Mum. ‘I suppose so … Here you are.’ She passed him
the milk and brown sugar.
‘Mum … if Hitler had been in power … would you have protested?’
‘Of course,’ said Mum absently.
‘Even if it meant going to prison?’
‘What? No, I don’t suppose so… Mark, I’m just not interested in stuff
like that. Alright? Just eat your breakfast.’
Source: French, Jackie, Hitler’s Daughter, Sydney, NSW: Angus and
Robertson, 1999, p. 89.
Explore Mark’s mother’s response to Mark’s questions by
completing Activity 4.
Activity 4
1
Why does Mark’s mother believe the German people did not
speak out against Hitler?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2
Mark asks his mother if she would have been one of the
people who did protest against Hitler. How does she answer
him at first?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3
What makes her change her answer? What does that tell you
about her attitude to political protest?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Part 4
17
4
How can you tell Mark’s mother is not very interested in
issues like the one that Mark is asking about?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Many Australians disagree with Mark’s mother. They protest
about many issues.
List some of the issues that concern Australians today on the
following lines.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Which of these issues concern you? What do you think you could
do as an individual to make a difference?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Jonas, the main character in The Giver, finds himself facing one of
the dilemmas that Mark poses in his questions. He has to decide
whether to save the baby his family is caring for from death even
though it will mean breaking the laws of his society and being an
outcast forever.
18
Families in fiction
Luckily, most of us never have to make decisions as hard as the
one Jonas faced. We do, however, face other difficult decisions.
Write down a difficult decision you or a member of your family
has had to make.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
What sort of decisions did the main character and his or her
family face in your set novel? Write them on the following lines.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
You now explore issues concerning individuals, families and their
communities further by talking with other people.
Your point of view
You have looked at a range of issues about the relationship of the
individual, the family and the community. They include:
• isolation in the community
• rejection by the community
• the impact of outside events on family life, such as war and
other crises
• individual responsibility to the family
• individual responsibility to the community.
Which of these issues interests you? Select an aspect of the issue
that particularly interests you to explore further.
You may choose an aspect that is fairly general, for example, the
question posed by Mark: whether individuals and their families
are responsible for the actions of Australians in the past.
Part 4
19
If you prefer, you may select a more specific aspect. For example,
you may choose to explore:
• how your local community can make newcomers welcome
• how Australians should deal with the country’s increasing
water problems
•
how the local community can save its koalas.
When you have picked your issue, prepare for Exercise 4.4.
In this exercise, you present a talk or record a discussion on the
issue you have chosen. Choose the option that best suits your
circumstances.
Write the topic you have chosen on the following line.
__________________________________________________________
1
To prepare a talk:
• brainstorm the topic you have chosen. You might find it
useful to talk to one or more other people about it, such as
members of your family, friends, neighbours or classmates
• write down the point of view you are going to present on
the topic, for example, Australians must all take
individual responsibility for saving water
•
•
•
organise the points you wish to make so they link to each
other
select the examples, information and arguments you are
going to use to support your points
write out a forceful opening and closing. In your opening,
introduce the topic and the point of view you are going to
present. In your conclusion, bring your points together to
make a closing statement that will convince your audience
your point of view is correct.
Write down your speech in point form and speak to your points.
You speak for three minutes.
Practise the speech before you record it. When you practise, think
about:
•
•
20
your voice expression
pace (speed of your speaking).
Families in fiction
Remember that you want to be convincing when you speak.
2
To prepare for a discussion:
• ask one or more people to join you in discussing the issue.
For example, you may talk with one or more members of
your family, friends, neighbours or class members. Let
them know that you will be taping the discussion.
• list, in note form, the points you wish to make in the
discussion and the examples, information and arguments
you are going to use to support your opinions. Use your
own paper and have your notes in front of you to refer to
during the discussion.
When you record your discussion, begin by stating your name
and the name of your teacher. When you have done this,
introduce the members of your group and the issue you are
discussing.
Your discussion should last about ten to fifteen minutes but it
may be longer if the discussion develops into a lively debate.
When you have taped the discussion, summarise the main
points your group made and any conclusion you reached.
Send your teacher a copy of the recording and the summary of
your discussion.
If you are interested in finding out more about the novels you
have read about in this unit, complete Optional exercise 4.5.
Preparing for Optional exercise 4.5
In this exercise, you read a second novel about a family.
There are a number of novels about families listed in the
introduction to the unit. To find out which ones you might enjoy,
read the commentaries that accompany them. You may also
choose a title that your teacher, a librarian, a member of your
family or one of your friends recommends.
You may obtain a copy of the novel you wish to read:
•
•
•
Part 4
at the local library
through an interlibrary loan
from your teacher.
21
When you have read the book, tell your teacher what it added to
your understanding of family life and the issues life in a family
raises. Write about one to two pages or speak for up to three
minutes.
Contact your teacher about when he or she would like you to
complete this optional exercise.
Go to the exercises section and complete Optional exercise!4.5.
22
Families in fiction
Continuing the collection
It is time to continue working on your collection of texts. You
make the covers you designed in Part 3, decide on the layout of
your publication and continue working on its contents.
Making your covers
Before you make your covers, check your plans to make sure that
you have included all the necessary information, such as the name
of your publication. Also review your design to see if it is
interesting and eye-catching enough. You may find it useful to
talk to others about what you plan to see how they respond.
If you are making the covers for your group, make sure that you
have consulted with the group members.
Deciding on the layout
Just as you designed the layout of the covers of your publication,
you need to decide on the layout of its contents. This means you
decide:
•
•
•
the order of the texts you are including
the placement of graphics and advertisements
the fonts you will use, for example, for the headings.
When you are making your decision, you consider factors such as:
• readability, for example, which fonts are easy to read
• the visual appeal of the publication, for example, the use of
colour, the consistency of heading fonts
•
•
Part 4
the balance of texts, for example, spacing longer stories and
articles throughout the publication
the use of space, for example, avoiding overcrowding.
23
Although you may not have finished writing all the texts you plan
to include, you should know by now what texts will be in the final
version of the publication and their approximate length. You can
always alter the final layout if you need to when you assemble all
the texts and graphics.
If you are working in a group, discuss your ideas with the other
group members.
Make notes on the following lines or use your own paper.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
24
Families in fiction
Further preparation
Check your timeline to see what tasks you are completing in Part
4. See if you need to include any of the tasks listed below.
• Compose the draft of a text of your own choice.
• Edit the texts you have composed.
• Revise any texts that your teacher or members of your group
have returned, using their suggestions to improve the texts.
• Proof (look for errors such as spelling, punctuation and
paragraphing mistakes) in the texts you have edited.
•
•
Collect, scan and/or create the graphics you wish to include,
for example, photographs, drawings, and advertisements.
Type the final version of texts that are ready for publication,
where you wrote out the drafts by hand.
When you are editing or proofing your work, use the editing
checklist in the appendix of Part 3.
When you have finished working on your publication for Part 4,
update your timeline then report to your teacher on what you have
done in this part.
In this exercise, you report to your teacher on the tasks you
completed during Part 4 for your collection of texts.
To complete the report you tick the appropriate boxes in the
report form that you are given in the exercise pages.
You are now ready to begin Part 5. In this part, you complete
your collection of texts and send it to your teacher.
Part 4
25
26
Families in fiction
Check your responses against these suggested answers. These may be
there is not one correct answer, but rather different supportable
opinions.
Activity 1
1
2
The mothers do not like:
•
the father’s long hair and beard
•
Trevor’s long hair and his lack of a school uniform
•
the fact that Trevor’s parents are seasonal workers
•
the mother’s clothes, which they compare to traditional gypsy
clothes.
The mothers’ comments show how prejudiced they are. They
assume that seasonal workers must be poor because Trevor does not
wear a uniform to school. They make it clear that they believe
Trevor’s family is inferior to people who live in one place, for
example, one mother says ‘Terrible’ when she learns they do not
have a fixed address. They dislike Trevor’s long hair and the
clothes the family wears. One of the mothers assumes that Trevor’s
mother does not wash her hair often because of the sort of clothes
she wears. The mother says she dresses like a gypsy.
Activity 2
Parvana’s family becomes increasingly poorer and finally lives in a
single room. Each time the family moves, they lose more of their
possessions, such as the television, car and refrigerator.
Activity 3
The community has set up groups to help the war effort. For instance,
one group has developed a leaflet to tell locals how to grow their own
vegetables. They are holding competitions to encourage townspeople to
start vegetable gardens. Another group is holding a street stall to raise
money for prisoners-of-war. The locals donate the goods that are sold.
Activity 4
1
Part 4
Mark’s mother believes the German people lacked the freedom to
speak out because Hitler and his party controlled everything in the
country including the media. If people disagreed with Hitler’s
policies, he sent them to concentration camps.
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2
Mark’s mother says that she would have protested.
3
Mark’s mother changes her mind when Mark asks if she would be
prepared to go to prison for her beliefs. She does not feel strongly
enough about any political issue to feel that this sort of sacrifice is
worth it.
4
Mark’s mother tells him that she is not interested in politics. She
also reveals that she does not know a lot about Hitler when she tells
him she does not know if any Germans protested. She is more
concerned with getting breakfast than thinking about Mark’s
questions.
Families in fiction
Exercise 4.1
Create a full-page collage that shows how you see the relationship
between your family and the community.
Include a mixture of graphics and words, for example:
• photographs
• drawings
• cartoons
• icons
• single words
• quotations from songs or poems
• newspaper headlines.
If you wish, you may use your computer to create the collage.
Use your own paper. You may use A4 or A3.
Tell your teacher on the following lines the message you wanted
to convey and why you chose the items in the collage.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Part 4
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Exercise 4.2
Take on the role of the main character in your set novel. Speaking
as the character, describe the community he or she lives in.
Give examples to support his or her views about the town.
Record your answer. Speak for one to two minutes. Begin with
your name, your teacher’s name and the name of the character
that is speaking.
Exercise 4.3
Talk about your experience of living in a community. You may
talk about either the community where you live now or a
community that you lived in previously.
You may choose to talk about:
• a single event such as the community response to a bushfire
• a series of events, for example, your experiences when you
first moved into the community.
You may write or record your comments.
If you prepare a written response, write one to two pages.
If you record your answer, begin with your name and your
teacher’s name. Speak for one to two minutes.
You include this in your collection of texts.
Exercise 4.4
Choose one of the following two tasks. Indicate clearly at the
beginning of your recording which option you have chosen.
1 Present a talk on an issue about the relationship between the
individual, the family and the community. Before you start
your talk, give your name, your teacher’s name, the option
you have chosen and the topic you are talking about.
Speak for three minutes.
2 Record a discussion with one or more people on an issue
about the relationship between the individual, the family and
the community.
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Families in fiction
Before you begin your discussion:
• state your name
• the teacher’s name
• the option you have chosen
• the names of those participating in the discussion
• the topic of the discussion.
Discuss your topic for about ten to fifteen minutes. If the
discussion develops into a lively debate, you may continue for
longer.
When you have taped the discussion, summarise the main
points your group made and any conclusion you reached on
the following lines.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Optional exercise 4.5
Read a second novel about a family. Select a title from the list
given in the introduction to the unit or a title that is recommended
to you by your teacher, a librarian, a member of your family or
one of friends.
Tell your teacher what the novel added to your understanding of
family life and the issues life in a family raises.
Write about one to two pages or speak for up to three minutes.
Part 4
31
Contact your teacher to arrange when to send in the exercise.
Exercise 4.6
Tick the tasks that you have completed during Part 4 for your
collection of texts. Add extra rows for any other tasks that you
have completed.
Task
I have made the covers for the collection of texts.
I have/my group has designed the layout for the collection of texts.
I edited texts that I/group members composed for the collection of
texts.
I used my teacher’s/my group’s comments to revise the texts that
I sent him/her/them.
I proofread my texts/texts from my group for errors in spelling,
punctuation and paragraphing.
I prepared the final copy of texts that are ready for publication.
I read my final copies to make sure there were no errors.
I collected/scanned graphics for the collection of texts.
I drew graphics for the collection of texts.
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Families in fiction
Name
___________________________
Teacher
___________________________
Part 4
Exercise 4.1
A collage
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Exercise 4.2
A character’s perspective
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Exercise 4.3
About your community
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Exercise 4.4
A discussion on a community issue
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Optional
exercise 4.5
Wider reading
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Exercise 4.6
The collection of texts
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Families in fiction
Families in fiction
Part 5
Publishing your work
Contents – Part 5
Outcomes ..................................................................................3
Completing your collection ..............................................................5
Finishing your preparation ........................................................5
Publishing the collection ...........................................................7
Evaluation of your organisation .....................................................9
Planning.....................................................................................9
Appendix 1 Building a hybrid CD-ROM...................................13
Exercises – Part 5.............................................................................15
Unit evaluation – Families in fiction............................................21
Part 5
1
2
Families in fiction
In Part 5 you complete your collection of texts. After you finish
publishing your work, you evaluate the processes you used
during the project.
•
•
•
editing and proofing texts
layout of a published work
managing a project.
• respond to feedback to improve the texts you composed for
the publication
•
•
•
edit your own work and other students’ work using the
editing checklist in the appendix in Part 3
use the appropriate technology to publish your collection of
texts
evaluate the processes you used for organising your work on
the publication.
Outcomes
Part 5
1
2
texts
3
5
3
6
9
for learning.
Source:
4
Families in fiction
Completing your collection
You have completed many tasks for your publication during the
unit. It is now time to finalise and publish your texts.
Finishing your preparation
Review what you have done before you plan your work for Part 5.
Firstly, check that you have completed all the set texts for the
publication. These are:
•
text about your family (Part 1)
•
sales pitch for a television series based on your family (Part 1)
•
a family argument (Part 2)
•
collage about your family and the community (Part 4)
•
text about your experiences of living in a community (Part 4).
You should also have completed at least one text based on a topic
about family life that you chose yourself. This text may be about
learning to walk in someone else’s shoes from the plan you
prepared in Part 3.
Secondly, read the following list and tick the tasks you have
completed. Add any that are not listed.
If you are working in a group, check that you have completed the
tasks you were allocated.
Completed tasks
I have made the covers
I have composed the text/s of my own choice.
I have edited the texts that I have written.
I have edited the texts I have been sent by other group members.
Part 5
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I have proofread my texts/texts from my group for errors in spelling,
punctuation and paragraphing.
I have prepared the final copy of the texts that I am including in the
published work, using an appropriate software program, such as
Word or a desktop publishing program.
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I have read my final copies to make sure there are no errors.
I have completed the graphics I wish to include
I have designed the layout
I have returned all the materials for which I was responsible to the
group member who is collating (putting together) the publication.
List the tasks you still have to finish on the following lines.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
You are now ready to work on the collection. Remember to use
the editing checklist in the Appendix in Part 3 when you are
editing or proofreading.
When you have completed the tasks you listed, publish your
collection of texts.
6
Families in fiction
Publishing the collection
If you are publishing your collection of texts in hard copy form
you need to:
• organise the items, using your layout design
• create a table of contents
• collate your texts in their final published form, e.g. a booklet.
If you are planning to submit your work in digital form (CDROM) refer to the instructions in Appendix 1.
You complete these tasks in the following exercise.
In this exercise you publish your collection in your chosen
medium.
Complete the following tasks.
1 Collate all the materials that you are including.
2 Arrange them according to your layout design.
3 Check the layout for:
• visual consistency, for example, heading fonts
• variety of texts, for example, try to separate stories that
treat similar subject matter and alternate longer texts such
as stories with shorter forms such as comic strips and
poems
• effective use of page space, for example, avoid crowding
your texts together or leaving large, empty spaces.
4 Prepare your table of contents.
5 Check audio texts for audibility and clarity.
6 Check the publication for final corrections and changes.
7 If you are publishing your publication in hard copy, bind the
pages. If you are putting your collection on CD-ROM, copy
the texts to the disc.
8 If you are making a hard-copy publication, make an envelope
for inserts such as audio and video recordings.
You are now going to evaluate the processes you used in
publishing your work.
Part 5
7
8
Families in fiction
Evaluation of your organisation
You used a number of different processes to produce your
publication. In this section, you evaluate the effectiveness of these
processes.
Planning
You began planning your publication in Part 2. As part of your
planning, you:
• decided whether to work on your own or in a group
• made decisions such as whether to present the publication in
hard copy or on CD-ROM
• drew up a list of tasks to complete
• drew up a timeline for completing each task.
If you worked in a group, you:
•
•
organised how you would communicate with each other
allocated tasks to the members of the group.
In the last exercise of the unit, you reflect on the effectiveness of
the processes you used.
In this exercise, you evaluate the processes you used to publish
your collection.
What were the difficulties you faced? For example, was your
timeline realistic? Were you able to complete the tasks you set
yourself each week? Did you complete your final tasks easily in
Part 5?
If you worked in a group, think about how well the individual
members of the group collaborated. Did all group members
complete their set tasks on time? Were the tasks fairly allocated?
How well did your communication system work?
Part 5
9
Write down the difficulties you faced in note form on the
following lines.
__________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
How could you overcome these difficulties in future projects?
Try and be specific. Do not say things like: ‘Communicate better
next time.’ Think of possible solutions. For example, if
communication was a problem, did you need to set a time and day
for phone calls? Did you need to return texts as attachments to
emails rather than through the post?
Write down your solutions in note form on the following lines.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________
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Families in fiction
___________________________________________________________
You will also have had successes. What did you do well? For
example, did you improve your editing skills? Did you support a
group member who was having difficulties? Are you pleased
with the magazine you produced? What do you especially like
about it? Write down your thoughts in note form on the following
lines.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Use your notes to answer the questionnaire in the exercises
section. If you are working in a group, note that there are specific
questions on how well your group collaborated.
You have now completed the unit Families in fiction.
Part 5
11
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Families in fiction
Appendix 1
Building a hybrid CD-ROM/audio CD
If you are planning to submit your work in digital form, and you
have a Macintosh computer and the right software, you might
consider making a hybrid CD-ROM/audio CD.
A hybrid disc can contain normal audio files as well as data.
When you put it into a CD player it performs like a normal audio
CD. When you put it into a computer, you can access both the
audio files and the data files.
You have received hybrid discs like this already – a good example
is the CD-ROM which comes with the Nonfiction texts module.
You will need:
•
•
•
•
•
a Macintosh computer with CD burning capability
disc burning software like Roxio Toast Titanium
your audio files – they must be aiff format
your data files
a blank disc.
Step 1
Open Roxio Toast Titanium and choose the ‘Audio’ tab. Drag your
audio files into the window. Make sure they are in the correct
order.
Step 2
Burn your audio files to the disc. Click the ‘Burn’ button and
choose ‘Burn session’. It is important that you do NOT choose
‘Burn disc’. This will close the disc and make it impossible for you
to add your data files later. In later versions of the software,
version 6.0.3 for instance, choose ‘Advanced’ and make sure the
‘Close disc’ checkbox is unchecked.
Part 5
13
Step 3
Choose the ‘Data’ tab and drag your data files into the window.
Make sure they are in the correct order.
Step 4
Burn your data files to the disc. This time choose ‘Burn disc’, or,
in version 6.0.3, make sure the ‘Close disc’ checkbox is checked.
Step 5
Test your hybrid CD-ROM in a CD player and on your computer.
14
Families in fiction
Exercise 5.1
Publish your collection in your chosen media.
Remember to complete the following tasks.
1 Collate all your materials, checking that you have included all
set texts.
2
3
4
5
6
Arrange the texts and graphics according to your layout
design.
Check the layout for:
• visual consistency
• variety of texts
• effective use of page space.
Check audio texts for audibility and clarity.
Check the publication for final corrections and changes.
Collate your texts in their final published form.
Exercise 5.2
Evaluate the processes you used during your preparation of the
publication by completing the following questionnaire. Note that
there are specific questions on how well your group worked
together.
1
What were the main difficulties you faced preparing your
collection?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Part 5
15
2
How can you solve these difficulties next time you do a
long-term project?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3
(Groups only) Did you communicate well with your group? If
not, how could you improve communication?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
4
(Groups only) How well did the group work together? If your
group experienced difficulties, how could you improve
collaboration?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
16
Families in fiction
5
How did you succeed? For example, did you follow your
timeline successfully? Are you pleased with your publication?
Why?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Part 5
17
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Families in fiction
Name
___________________________
Teacher
___________________________
Part 5
Exercise 5.1
Publishing the collection of texts
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Exercise 5.2
Evaluation
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Families in fiction
Unit evaluation – Families in fiction
Name
___________________________
Teacher
___________________________
What did you do and learn? Put a tick in the box beside each
thing you did or achieved.
Part 5
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I extended my understanding of family life by my viewing
and reading.
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I learned about the choices composers make when they
represent real-life families in works of fiction.
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I learned how the composer’s historical, social and cultural
context affects how he or she represents families.
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My own context affected how I responded to the novels I
read and the television episode I viewed.
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I represented my own experiences of family life in a variety
of forms and media.
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I chose the language carefully that I used in my texts to
communicate my meaning accurately and clearly.
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I improved the texts I composed by responding to
suggestions from my teacher/members of my group.
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I/my group organised well to make the collection of texts
within the given deadline.
21
What did you enjoy most about this unit?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Were there any parts that you had difficulty with?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
If you’d like to send a message about this part to your teacher,
write!it here. (If you’d prefer, telephone or email your teacher.)
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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22
Families in fiction
Centre for Learning Innovation
NSW Department of Education and Training
51 Wentworth Road
Strathfield NSW 2135

NOTE CAREFULLY Centre for Learning Innovation, DET.

Transcription

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