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English 2a Assessment One
English 2a Assessment One
Craftsmanship techniques within Judith Wright’s ‘The Surfer’ have been utilised to great
literary effect, enabling a profound impact on the experience of the reader. The text enables
students to examine the purposefully complex nature of the language, notably to describe the
world within the poem, evoke emotion and shape the perspective of readers (NESA, 2017a, p.
74). The form in itself as poetry enables an analysis and experimentation with language
features to elicit an emotional response and connection from the reader. Wright enables
engagement with the text through interrelating stylistic features of point of view and imagery
to feed a visceral perspective within the poem, thus enabling students not only to appreciate
A particularly strong stylistic feature within poem manifests in terms of point of view, with
strong imagery filtered through third-person narration providing the audience a compelling
perspective and position from which to judge events. Point of view stands as a complex, yet
essential literary concept for the craft of writing as it enables an understanding of the vantage
point to which the reader is positioned, and understanding “the voice of the teller, the
intended listener, and the distance or closeness of both the action and the diction” (Burroway,
2011, p. 55). Within this, as the poem stands as a “closely observed portrait of a body surfer
in the ocean waves”, the readers are made privy to the emotion and attitudes within the text
through the point of view of the narrator (NESA, 2017b, p. 11). This closely observed point
of view stands beneficial in evoking emotion and shaping perspectives, as the narrator is able
to control what the reader sees, how they relate to the experience and the figure in the text.
The text is prime in enabling an understanding of perspective, as it makes the reader privy to
values that the responder and composer bring to a text, however also enables an analysis on
the narrators deliberate shaping of perspectives of the reader and manipulation of emotion.
Whilst the text enables an imaginative engagement through language devices such as third-
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person narration, it also enables an understanding of the power behind deliberate language
choice to control or manipulate readers through point of view. In taking analysis from
language device to the stylistic feature, students can understand the ability to craft writing for
a “range of authentic audiences and purposes” in which “to convey ideas with power and
text, students can then move on to developing an understanding of purpose and audience used
to carefully shape meaning (NESA, 2017, p. 74). As such, this text enables students to
understand point of view as a critical reading practice, as it is often an inferential, rather than
explicit feature within texts to achieve a certain perspective. Therefore, this standout feature
within this text is necessitated to explore and analyse meaning and craft behind the text, to
students are enabled to participate in resistant and dominant readings of a text through
experimenting with varying perspectives and thus deliberately positioning their audiences to
“clarify, magnify, distort or blur what we see” and “provide a dynamic basis for the
relationship between composer, text and responder” (NESA, 2010b). It is within this aspect
of utilising a critical lens in analysing point of view that stands crucial for student knowledge
in crafting writing. As such, as this text enables a thorough engagement, both imaginatively
and creatively with perspective, students are then able to experiment with a range of language
forms and features. This experimentation thus enables students to strengthen their own skills
Another particularly strong stylistic feature of Wright’s ‘The Surfer’ manifests in terms of
imagery and rhythm, in which both lend themselves to understanding the point of view of the
language is paramount, notably in terms of describing the world within the text, evoking
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emotion and shaping perspectives (NESA, 2017, p. 74). Wright’s extension beyond literal
everyday meanings is evidential within affective imagery techniques such as metaphor and
simile. This manifests in terms of metaphorical reference of the “Last leaf of gold vanishes
from the sea-curve”, enforcing the notion of the sun as a leaf of gold, or something precious
and sought after as disappearing from sight, being engulfed by the sea (Wright, n.d.). Thus, in
portraying the disappearance of something of great value, and potentially treasured by the
narrator, Wright evokes associated feelings of concern and unease. Furthermore, utilising
sensory imagery through metaphorical reference of the sea as a “grey-wolf […] snarling”
with “wolf-teeth”, Wright creates a vivid depiction of an aggressive and voracious sea
(Wright, n.d.). Within this sensory imagery, the imagination is ignited so the reader is
influenced to see the world created by the author. As such, Wright deliberately utilises
language creatively and imaginatively to describe the world within the poem, evoke emotion
and portraying a sentient perspective. Therefore, this text enables students to participate in a
considered appraisal of, and imaginative engagement with the poem, and examine how
language, notably imagery is used to evoke emotion and share a perspective with the reader.
Imagery as a feature within this text is potent as it enables experimentation with inferential
emotional response within the reader to suit a specific purpose. Students can strengthen and
refine their held understanding of connotation, denotation and imagery within this text to an
carefully shaping meaning (NESA, 2017, p. 74). Rhythm also lends itself to understanding
the influence of audiences and purpose in shaping meaning, through the manipulation of
rhythm to achieve the aforementioned panicked and worried mood. The last stanza
compromising itself of only two sentences quickens the pace, thus affects the readers or
audiences response to the tense situation within the text. Imagery and rhythm both enable
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students to “adopt different perspectives” to appreciate and assess “underlying values in the
text and construct meanings which may challenge, confirm or modify the original reading of
a text” (NESA, 2017b). As such, this enables students to assess the importance of imagery
and rhythm in the capacity or ability to direct or influence the reader and thus use the feature
As such, Judith Wright’s poem ‘The Surfer’ stands as an enduring, quality text for students to
appreciate, analyse and assess the importance and power of language (NESA, 2017, p. 74).
The text enables students to examine and analyse language features used by Wright to
creatively and imaginatively engage the reader, notably through point of view and imagery in
evoking emotion, enabling a visceral and sentient experience for the reader, and to shaping a
certain perspective (NESA, 2017, p. 74). However, the text also enables higher order analysis
through a consideration of the influence of purpose and audience in language choice by the
author. Therefore, in understanding the complexities in the literariness of the text, students
are enabled to “independently and collaboratively to reflect, refine and strengthen their own
skills in producing crafted, imaginative, discursive, persuasive and informative texts” (NESA,
2017, p. 74).
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The Surfer by Judith Wright Lesson 1
Class: HSC (Year 12) Stage 6 Time: 60 Minutes
Teacher: Objectives for self
To… invite students to consider imagery and descriptions as fundamental to creative and
critical thought.
To… enable students to utilise language forms such as imagery and appreciate how it has
underlying power to shape meaning and point of view within texts.
To… help students imaginatively recreate stylistic choices to enable students to develop their
knowledge of language features to shape and influence response
Outcome 4: adapts and applies knowledge, skills and understanding of language concepts and
literary devices into new and different contexts EN12-4
Students:
Engage personally with texts
● assess how their knowledge of language features, text structures and stylistic choices helps
them to engage with unfamiliar texts or textual form
Materials
Resource One: PowerPoint copy of Judith Wright’s The Surfer for projection on board
Resource Two: Visual stimuli for imagery of surfing
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Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/Learning Activities
5 Whole Class Introduce Learning Intention on the board:
Minutes To understand the effect of imagery in shaping point of view
in terms of what we see and how we relate to the situation,
characters or ideas in the text.
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shape experience and perspectives and evoke emotion within
writing.
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.
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20 Whole Teacher to project different visual depictions of
Minutes Class/Individual surfing on board for visual comprehension of imagery
[Resource Two]. Reinforce that the use of imagery
within a story provides a much more vivid, emotional
experience for the reader.
Evaluation/Extension:
The lesson is evaluated through the use of collaborative and student-centred discussion on
student knowledge and understanding. This collaboration fosters the development of
academic confidence and emotional intelligence within students from the varying viewpoints
and analysis of differing interpretations of texts (Sultan, Knwal & Khurram, 2011). It also
enables the students to utilise critical literacy in understanding inferential and connotative
language from texts, as well as valuing knowledge different from that promoted by dominant
literary and cultural establishments (Morgan, 2010). There is formative assessment permeated
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throughout the lesson through the use of a mini-lesson utilising a collaborative chart as a
communal frame of reference for students with certain writing techniques, and enabling
students to develop their own writing craft naturalistically (Atwell, 1998). There is also
formative assessment and collaboration through Think, Pair, Share activities in which allows
for a student-centred approach in understanding a variety of viewpoints, enabling students to
tangibly experience learning and course objectives (Sion, 1999). Furthermore, imaginative
recreation is utilised as formative assessment in assessing student knowledge language
features and form, and their ability to control textual form and features. Extension is included
in terms of student having the opportunity to participate in a second imaginative recreation
activity of their choice of stanza in manipulating imagery to change point of view. Students
must answer what point of view they were trying to achieve and how they did this.
In Retrospect:
The learning is beneficial in utilising Wright’s ‘The Surfer’ in analysing language forms,
features and structures through engaging with the complexity of imagery in creating a point
of view. Within this, students were given tasks such as imaginative recreation activities to
assess their engagement, and further than imaginative recreation being used simplistically “in
the initial stages of their acquaintance of a text”, it allowed students to “explore, express and
represent their responses to a text … and the issues, themes and ideas with which it was
concerned” (Adams, 2010). This also assesses students ability to control language features to
shape meaning and influence response and their knowledge of these features and stylistic
choices to experiment with form.
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The Surfer by Judith Wright Lesson 2
Class: HSC (Year 12) Stage 6 Time: 60 Minutes
Teacher: Objectives for self
To… invite students to consider the effect of point of view to determine the position from
which readers judge events.
To… enable students to use specific language and literary devices such as imagery within
point of view to communicate ideas for specific purposes.
To… help students imaginatively engage and recreate texts through point of view and
utilising imagery in deriving from differing perspectives and values.
Syllabus Outcomes for students
HSC:
Outcome 4: adapts and applies knowledge, skills and understanding of language concepts and
literary devices into new and different contexts EN12-4
Students:
Understand and apply knowledge of language forms and features
● use specific language and literary devices, for example rhetoric, to communicate broad
ideas for different purposes
Outcome 7: explains and evaluates the diverse ways texts can represent personal and public worlds
EN12-7
Students:
Respond to and compose texts
● compose imaginative, interpretive and critical texts that reflect particular values and
perspectives, including their own
● analyse, explain and evaluate the ways ideas, voices and points of view are represented for
particular purposes and effects (ACEEN029)
Materials
Resource One: Copy of Judith Wright’s The Surfer for projection on board
Resource Two: PowerPoint with modelled depiction of The Surfer, and rules for Writers
Workshop
Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/Learning Activities
5 Whole Class Introduce Learning Intention on the board:
Minutes To understand the ability of point of view to dictate the
distance between the responder and the events, values and
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ideas in the texts and manipulate the perspective and position
from which to judge events.
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Within this, students are asked to highlight any words that the
author says directly and answer:
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o Students are encouraged to explore any
differing perspective they identify and feel
comfortable with, however to focus the
stylistic feature of vivid imagery within these
differing narrative viewpoints (third/first
person) to enable imaginative engagement and
reconstruction of the text.
Differentiation:
Teacher can give character prompts for struggling
students:
- The Surfer himself
- A fellow surfer in the water
- A person strolling down the beach noticing the
narrators fear or the surfers confidence
- Someone living by the beach seeing this surfer
everyday
WRITERS WORKSHOP:
- No erasing, save record of what you’re thinking
- One side of the paper only, so you can re-
sequence
- Save everything, history is kept
- Date and label everything, such as draft 1, draft 2
(Atwell, 2010).
Teacher to circulate around room and offer help to
students who seem stuck.
o This enables time for students to compose
imaginative, interpretive and critical texts that
reflect particular values and perspectives,
including their own (NESA, 2017, p. 65).
o Focus on strong points in students writing for
positive feedback.
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10 Whole Ask students to sort their work into:
Minutes Class/Individual 1. Pieces that have been written
2. Skills that have been learnt
3. Ideas for future pieces (Atwell, 1987)
Have students share their piece with the person next to them
and revisit earlier questions on authorial hide and seek to
assess the effectiveness of their own constructed work.
Homework Students may analyse other students piece of work with other
students to develop their understanding of the construction
and effectiveness of a variety of work.
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Evaluation/Extension:
Students are evaluated through their ability to adapt and apply their understanding of
language concepts and literary devices such as point of view. This is evident within their
DART prediction activity in which enables assessment of students understanding with their
ability to continue the point of view and particular language features to match the narrators
perspective of worry and panic. Furthermore, activities such as Think, Pair, Share and the
group discussions also stand as formative and peer assessment, in students sharing techniques
that have worked, listen to alternative ways of approaching potential writing issues, hearing a
range of perspectives and how other students have utilised language features. This further
enables a student-centred approach in understanding a variety of viewpoints, enabling
students to tangibly experience learning and course objectives (Sion, 1999).
In Retrospect:
In retrospect, the learning adequately addresses the outcomes through adapting their
understanding of point of view and literary devices that shape point of view into a new
writing piece. Within this, students can apply their understanding of concepts and literary
devices during the Writers Workshop (Atwell, 1989) whereby students have the ability to
experiment and explore with different contexts and different purposes, but also revisit their
work in assessing the effectiveness of these changes. Furthermore, students are able to
participate in composing imaginative and interpretive texts through this workshop, however
further move onto critically analysing and assessing their work and values through the
Authorial Hide and Seek activity (Mitchell, 2010). However, within this workshop, it would
be beneficial if this is carried throughout the entire process, as only one lesson in utilising it
will not prove successful. This is an activity in which permeates the entire development of
students writing, rather than a singular lesson.
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Bibliography
Adams, P. (2010). Imaginative re-creation of literature. In Susanne Gannon, Mark Howie &
Wayne Sawyer (eds.), Charged With Meaning: Reviewing English (3rd ed.) (pp. 53-
Burroway, J. (2011). Imaginative writing: The elements of craft (3rd ed.). New York, NY:
Pearson Education
Mitchell, D. (2010). Fiction: Ways into novels and short stories. In Susanne Gannon, Mark
Howie & Wayne Sawyer (eds.), Charged With Meaning: Reviewing English (3rd ed.)
Morgan, W. (2010). Critical literacy. In Susanne Gannon, Mark Howie & Wayne Sawyer
(eds.), Charged With Meaning: Reviewing English (3rd ed.) (pp. 85-96). Putney,
NSW Department of Education. (2010a). English textual concepts: Point of view. Retrieved
NSW Education Standards Authority [NESA]. (2017a). English Standard Stage 6 Syllabus.
standard-stage-6-syllabus-2017.pdf
NSW Education Standards Authority. (2017b). Module C: The Craft of Writing Support
prescriptions-2019-2023-module-c-support-document.pdf
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Sion, R. T. (1999). A student-centered vs. teacher-centered approach in the secondary
proquest-com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/docview/225226157?accountid=36155
Sultan, S., Kanwal, F., & Khurram, S. (2011). Effectiveness of learning styles: A comparison
com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/docview/1115312287?accountid=36155
https://learn.stleonards.vic.edu.au/yr9eng/files/2012/09/The-Surfer-by-Judith-
Wright1.pdf
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