NORTH SYDNEY BOYS HIGH SCHOOL

ENGLISH FACULTY
Assessment Task Notification #1
Year: 11 Course: English (Extension)

Task Number: 1 Module: Texts Culture and Value: The Underclass

Mark out of: 25 Weighting: 30%

Due date: 9am Thursday 16th May to Google Classroom

Outcomes:
EE11-1 demonstrates and applies considered understanding of the dynamic relationship between text, purpose,
audience and context, across a range of modes, media and technologies
EE11-2 analyses and experiments with language forms, features and structures of complex texts, evaluating their effects
on meaning in familiar and new contexts
EE11-3 thinks deeply, broadly and flexibly in imaginative, creative, interpretive and critical ways to respond to,
compose and explore the relationships between sophisticated texts

Part A

Compose a fragment of imaginative writing which explores the complexity of the underclass
through the interiority of a character. You should incorporate either a symbolic motif or an
extended metaphor within your piece.

Your fragment must be no longer than 300 words. (10 marks)

Part B

Evaluate how Text 1 and Text 2 illustrate the power of storyworlds to enhance our understanding
of the underclass.

Your response must be no longer than 500 words. (15 marks)

Students should:

● Submit their work to the whole cohort GoogleClassroom (CODE: d3ismic) by 9 am on 16th
May. Your response should be no longer than 800 words in total.
● Address all aspects of the question to develop a sustained argument and personal response
● Apply knowledge of storyworlds and the elective of the underclass to inform their
interpretation of the texts and their imaginative writing
● Provide detailed textual evidence to support their argument
● Demonstrate a sustained and skilful control of language and ideas
Text 1: Non-Fiction - Extract by Karen Malone

To reclaim silenced voice, we must identify the source of our silence, find our voice, construct our
stories and share them with others. We need to peel back the layers of debris which has muffled
our voices, sometimes for hundreds of years. This constructed debris - social, physical, cultural and
historical - has served to reproduce and platform the power of the “other”. To alter this power
relationship - to give voice to the underclass - means supporting marginalised communities not as
mere objects of their social conditions but as narrators of their own stories.

The oppressed may not, through their experiential learning, become the agents of broad social
reconstruction, but through popular knowledge production they can become the narrators of the
stories produced and consumed by them. They will become agents of their own personal change
process. Sharing stories in the context of building alliances, community solidarity, and identity can
be an empowering process. Through practices of education and writing the capacity exists to
encourage the underclass to challenge the dominant hegemony and, instead of being pushed
further into the margins of society, develop a dialogue with decision makers, producing “new
stories”. The underclass therefore, through storytelling, aren’t scared to make their voice heard and
can instead lend their voices to the growing chorus of the dynamic harmony for social change.

Text 2 - Fiction Extract

“I’m always gonna be your black friend, aren’t I? That’s all anybody ever sees.

I’m never just an actor. I’m an Indigenous actor. I love reppin’, but I don’t hear old Joe Bloggs
being called quite white Anglo-Saxon actor.

I’m always in the black show, the black play.

I’m always the angry one, the tracker, the drinker, the thief.

Sometimes I want to be seen for my talent, not my skin colour, not my race.

I hate being a token. Some box to tick, part of some diversity angle.
“What are you whingeing for? You’re not a real one anyway. You’re only part.” What part, then?
My foot? My arm? My leg? You’re either black or you’re not.

You want to do a DNA test? Come suck my blood.

“How are we to move forward if we dwell on the past?” That’s your privilege. You get to ask that
question. Ours is we can dance and we’re good at sport. You go to weddings, we go to funerals.

I don’t want to be what you want me to be. I want to be what I want to be

Never trade your authenticity for approval.

Be crazy, take a risk, be different, offend your family. Call them out.

Silence is violence. Complacency is complicity.

I don’t want to be quiet. I don’t want to be humble. I don’t want to sit down.”

City of Gold
by Meyne Wyatt

If you fail to follow school procedure as described in your Assessment Schedule and Policy
booklet, a zero (0) mark will be awarded for the task.
 Marking Criteria: Part A Creative Fragment
● Demonstrates sophisticated ability to craft a fragment of imaginative writing that
skilfully uses interiority to explore the complexity of the underclass A
● Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the module through highly developed 9-10
and discerning narrative devices with a skilful control of language
● Demonstrates an effective ability to craft a fragment of imaginative writing that
effectively uses interiority to explore the complexity of the underclass B
● Demonstrates an effective understanding of the module through well-developed 7-8
narrative devices with a well developed control of language
● Demonstrates a sound ability to shape a fragment of imaginative writing that makes
some engagement with the concept of the underclass C
● Demonstrates an understanding of the module through a sound use of narrative devices 5-6
and some control over language
● Shows a limited ability to shape a fragment of imaginative writing that demonstrates a
D
basic understanding of the module
3-4
● Shows a limited understanding of narrative devices with a variable control of language.
● Attempts to compose a fragment of imaginative writing with some relevance to the
E
module.
1-2
● Demonstrates minimal control of language and/or structure.
● Non-attempt, non-serious attempt, failure to follow procedure, cheating, plagiarism, 0
non- submission.

Marking Criteria: Part B Critical Response Mark

• Demonstrates a sophisticated ability to evaluate how both extracts use the power of
storyworlds to enhance our understanding of the underclass
• Demonstrates sophisticated use of extracts to inform their response 17-20
• Demonstrates sophisticated control of language
• Demonstrates well-developed ability to evaluate how both extracts use the power of
storyworlds to enhance our understanding of the underclass
• Demonstrates well-developed use of extracts to inform their response 13-16
• Demonstrates well-developed control of language
• Demonstrates a sound ability to evaluate how both extracts enhance our understanding
of the underclass
• Demonstrates sound use of extracts to inform their response 9-12
• Demonstrates sound control of language
• Attempts to show how both extracts reflect aspects of the underclass
• Demonstrates some use of extracts to inform their response
• Demonstrates some control of language 4-8
• Demonstrates minimal understanding of the extracts
• Demonstrates minimal use of extracts to inform their response
• Demonstrates minimal control of language 1–3