Suncoast Christian College Year 12 Literature Students are studying Literature Unit 4: Independent Explorations.
From the Literature Syllabus: In Unit 4, students demonstrate increasing independence in exploring, interpreting, analysing and appreciating the aesthetic appeal of literary texts and the insights they offer. The unit focuses on the dynamic nature of literary explorations and interpretations, and how a close examination of structure, style and subject matter of literary texts supports various responses. In analytical responses, students draw on a range of interpretations of a literary text to develop their own independent, informed and sustained exploration and interpretation that is supported by close textual analysis. [https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/senior-secondary-curriculum/english/literature/]
Unit 4 assessment is the External Exam. From the syllabus: The examination assesses the application of a range of cognitions to a provided question or task. It is an analytical response to a literary text from the prescribed text list studied in-depth in Unit 4. Chosen prescribed text: Shakespeare’s King Lear.
The lesson filmed was part of the learning sequence preparing students for the Literature External exam. Students were given a sample essay question, written in the style of the external exam questions, and in pairs, they worked to analyse and interpret the play and then develop their own interpretation. The pairs then presented their thesis and main points to the rest of the class. To add a little academic competition, the students were also competing for the strongest thesis award!
