This document provides instructions and assessment criteria for a student assignment to explain significant connections across four texts relating to the theme of "On the Outside." Students will analyze each text in a written log, noting a character who feels alienated and how their situation arises and is resolved. They will then write a report connecting all four texts thematically. The assignment is assessed based on a student's ability to explain, convincingly explain, or perceptively explain the connections across texts using supporting evidence from each.

1. Achievement Standard 90852 v1 Explain significant
connection(s) across texts, using supporting evidence
„On the Outside’
Level: One Credits: 4 Assessment: internal
This achievement standard involves explaining significant
connection(s) across texts, using supporting evidence.
Achievement Criteria
Achievement Achievement with Merit Achievement with
Excellence
Explain significant Convincingly explain Perceptively explain
connection(s) across significant connection(s) significant connection(s)
texts, using supporting across texts, using across texts, using
evidence. supporting evidence. supporting evidence.
The texts selected for study may be any combination of written, visual and/or
oral. At least four texts (written, oral and/or visual; short and/or extended)
must be included. At least one text must be student-selected.
Connection(s) may include links, commonalities and/or relationships between:
• knowledge, experience and ideas
• purposes and audiences
• language features
• structures.
Explain involves expressing ideas about the connection(s) between texts.
Convincingly explain involves making clear points that develop
understandings about the connection(s) being addressed.
Perceptively explain involves making clear points that develop understandings
that show some insight or originality in thought or interpretation about the
connection(s) being addressed.
Supporting evidence refers to the use of specific and relevant details from
each text(s) to support ideas.

2. The theme for this year is “On the Outside” which focuses on the idea of
alienation. This describes people who for some reason are (or feel)
different to, or separate from,people around them.
You will need to write about four texts in total. Three of these may be
texts studied in class but one must be a text you have chosen yourself.
Ask your teacher if your chosen text is at the appropriate level and
relates to the theme.
You will keep your logs for each text in a clearfile and will be given the
deadline for each one by your teacher.
In term three, you will write a report which shows how all four texts are
connected thematically.

3. Read the exemplar carefully before beginning.
Head up each response this way:
Text Number: __________ Date: ____________________
Title:___________________________________________________
Author:________________________________________________
In your first paragraph, explain in a sentence or two what the text is
about, then describe the character in this text who feels(or is)
different from other people. Give at least one piece of supporting
detail from the text.
In your second paragraph, explain how this situation has arisen, i.e.
what has happened in the text to make this person feel isolated, or
different from other people around him or her? Give at least one
piece of supporting detail from the text.
In your third paragraph, explain whether or not this situation is
resolved by the end of the text. If it has, explain how the resolution
happened. If not, explain why not. Give at least one piece of
supporting evidence from the text.
In your fourth paragraph, identify TWO techniques the author has
used to effectively „craft‟ the text. Identify each technique clearly,
give an example and explain its effect.

4. Exemplar
Text Number:One Date:25th March, 2011
Title: Once in a House on FireAuthor: Andrea Ashworth
The character in this memoir who feels alienated from people around her is the
author, Andrea. In this book she recalls growing up in Manchester in the early
1970s and 80s with her widowed mother and sisters, all of whom are physically
abused by the mother‟s two husbands.
Andrea is an attractive girl with big eyes and dark skin, as her real father was a
quarter Italian and a quarter Maltese. She is very intelligent and is in a class
with children two years older. She talks about, „gathering my gold stars and
winning the spelling bee each week,‟ as a small child, and when she is at
secondary school she is a top student. „My marks shot up in every subject,
soaring through the seventies and eighties to tickle the nineties.‟ She loves
her mother and sisters very dearly, and has learnt to be very obedient because
if she is not, she gets beaten by her step-father.
Andrea feels different from other children because her mother is always
suffering from depression and blinding headaches because of the injuries and
beatings she gets at the hands of various abusive men. „When our mother
came round, she had to call the ambulance herself, with a handful of broken
fingers.‟ Andrea is embarrassed at her mother‟s bruised face and the poverty
they live in. She knows her friends „would be shocked at how dusty and messy
everything was.‟ She doesn‟t want anyone to know what her life is really like. „ I
didn‟t want anyone to see my mother, now that she was looking so exhausted
again, carrying all her worries on her face.‟
By the end of the text, the situation is resolved for Andrea because she is
leaving for her first term at Oxford University. The years of abuse have had a
serious impact on her youngest sister Sarah however, who has been
„damaging herself in secret: she took safety pins, razors and burning
cigarettes to her arms.‟ Sarah is removed from her mother‟s custody and
placed in a foster home. Even though at the end of the book, their mother and
her new husband have separated, we know that she will inevitably allow him
back and the beatings and violence will begin again.
One technique that is very effective is the author‟s use of metaphors like,
„poetry is a boxfor the soul‟ which is effective because she is explaining that in
poetry she could keep all her feelings and longings and pleasures. Another
effective technique is the use of dialect. She also writes down how people
spoke at the time, for example, „someone‟s definitely gawn to break they‟s
neck‟ which is effective because it lets us „hear‟ the Manchester accent.
ACHIEVEMENT STANDARD 1.8

5. Explain significant connections across texts, using supporting
evidence 4 credits
This cover sheet must be placed at the front of your clearfile. Each time you
complete a written log for a text, record it on this sheet before you hand it in
for marking. Your teacher will stamp the completed column when the log is
marked.
Title of Text, including name of author or Date Completed
director
1.( Written / visual /oral)
2. (Written / visual /oral)
3. (Written / visual /oral)
4. (Written / visual /oral)
Written Report:
4 credits gained Yes / No
Teacher‟s signature:
Moderator‟s signature: