Making Connections

Explain significant connections across texts, with

evidence from each text.

AS 90853 / Version 1
Overview
 One of the key skills that the English
Department would like you to develop over
this year is the ability to read a range of texts
(visual, oral and written) and see the
connections that exist between them.

 This is an important skill, not just for English,

but for your other subject areas and life in
general. It allows us to make meaning and to
understand the complexities of our world.
Task:
You will:
 Explore four different texts. These texts can

be any mixture of written, visual and oral.

 Make connections between the texts that you

have explored (your teacher will give you

more specific information about the types of
connections that you will be looking at).
 Present your connections. You will be able to

do this in a range of ways – more information

about this soon.
The Standard
Achievement Achievement with Achievement with
Merit Excellence
Explain significant Convincingly explain Perceptively explain
connection(s) across significant significant
texts, using connection(s) across connection(s) across
supporting evidence. texts, using texts, using
supporting evidence. supporting evidence.

 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. Some unevenness in the response may be acceptable.
 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. Some unevenness in the response may be acceptable.
 Supporting evidence refers to the use of specific and relevant details from each text(s) to

support ideas.
Keeping a record
 Today you will be given a record sheet that
you will need to submit when you present
your information.
 This outline ensures that you have chosen

enough texts and that these texts meet the

requirements of the standard. An example is
below:
Text title Text Type Author/Director Connection
Film / Novel / Language Features / Knowledge, Experience, Ideas /
Short Story etc. Purpose and Audience / Structure
Night Memoir Elie Wiesel Relationship between father and son. Focused on
survival like the other texts. Set during WW2 like
Life is Beautiful. Child’s perspective is similar to Boy
in the Striped Pyjamas.
Life is Beautiful Film Roberto Benigni Reversal of Night – father must save son, not son
saving father. Shows hope in darkness – the child
survives…must survive for future generations (like
Night)?? Child centre of second half of text.
Text Type
 For this standard texts must be at Level 6 of the curriculum. Texts that are created for
children (aimed at primary aged children) do not meet the requirements of this standard.

 Some particular texts that would not meet the standard include: Harry Potter (all), Twilight
(all), Dispicable Me, Hannah Montana, and The Princess’ Diaries, to name a few.

 If you would like to achieve an Excellence or Merit for this standard, you will find that
selecting texts of a higher level will make this easier. Often high achieving students
select at least two or more texts that have a critical reputation.

 Classroom texts: you will be allowed to use a maximum of TWO classroom texts (this
includes texts that you have studied in previous years). You are free to use all self-
selected texts if you wish. Discussing your choices with your teacher will be important
and will help to ensure that you are successful in achieving this standard.
Presentation
 One of the great opportunities this standard
presents is the possibility of you choosing how you
would like to present your connections.

 Some possible presentation ideas include:

◦ Create a prezi
◦ Write a 350 word report
◦ Present a mind map
◦ Deliver a presentation to the class

 Your teacher will discuss your choice of presentation

later in the year.
Key Notes
 The focus on the standard is on the level of connections
that you can make between the texts and the depth to
which you can explore these.

 Whatever shape your final presentation takes, it is

important that you have clear evidence that supports the
points that you are making.

 Feel free to follow what you are interested in. The more
you are engaged with your connections study, the better
the result will be.

 This is a great opportunity to challenge yourself.

What connections look like...
 Although the final product does not need to
be a report, what follows are some examples
of what making connections looks like.

 As you read through these keep thinking

about what you will need to show in your
final presentation.
 An example of Excellence (extract)
An overall thesis
statement is created  It was interesting to see how the same ideas came through in
here – the student different texts. The three texts, “Eight Dozen beer and nothing to
is looking at all of
the texts and
do”, “Fast and Furious” and “Out walked Mel” all explored the idea
drawing conclusions that teenagers, at times, can be pretty irresponsible and make
that show they some decisions which have negative consequences.
understand the
connections
between these.  The poem, “Teenage Sky”, though, in using teenagers’ moods and
behaviours as a metaphor for the changing moods of the sky, also
makes the point that teenagers still have a lot to learn, that they
will “glow..in fulfilment” later. However, it made me think that
The use of words
such as ‘though’ parents sometimes need to be able to offer teenagers the chance to
and ‘also’ show assert their indepenence without compromising their safety, that is
that the student is all part of growing up.
making links
between the points
that they are  A similar idea was expressed…….
raising.

 The text ……..dealt with this idea a little differently in that……..

An example of Merit (extract)
 The main connection between my texts is that they all use an innocent narrator who does
not seem to fully understand what is happening. This has an effect on how the reader
experiences the story. In both instances the reader is aware that something terrible is likely
to happen but the narrator is not.

 In “the Boy in striped Pyjamas” the narrator, Bruno, is a nine year old German boy who sees
things through a child’s eyes. He has no understanding that the event he is caught up in is
the Holocaust of World War II. Bruno gets friendly with another boy, Shmuel, who lives “on
the other side of the fence”. We realise that Shmuel is a prisoner of war, but Bruno doesn’t
realise that. Bruno’s lack of awareness of the real situation made me feel really worried
about what was going to happen to him. Unfortunately, I was right as his innocence led to
his death.

 It’s really interesting that there is such a similar situation in “Once” by Morris Gleitzman.
This novel also has a World war II setting and an innocent boy narrator who does not fully
understand what is happening. This boy is living in an orphanage in Poland and is waiting
for his Jewish parents to come back and collect him. He has no idea that he is caught up in
the war, and we know that his parents are probably never going to come back.
So...
1. What are the connections made here?
2. How are these connections not as
strong as the previous Excellence
example?
An example of Achieved (extract)
 In “Eight Dozen Beer and Nothing to do” three teenage boys, Warwick,
Jonesy and the narrator, go on a road trip to Tauranga. They take eight
dozen beer with them in the car. Even though during the drive, Jonesy,
doesn’t drink and drive, the boys cause a bad accident which kills the
mother of a young baby.

 In the poem “Trash” the poet is a girl who is pretending to be a parent. She
is giving advice to teenagers about what they shouldn’t do. For example,
she says “You’re just a teenager, too rebellious and wild to think..”

 The connection between these two texts is that the short story is about
three teenage boys who are acting in a “wild” way which is what the pretend
parent is seeing as typical teenage behaviour.

Notice how each text is dealt with separately and

then only connected in a paragraph at the end.
Also, the connection is not developed in any
depth.
Timeline

Weeks 9 and 10 – Monday

Week 7 Term 1 – Week 1 Term 2 – Week 6 Term 2 – Bring all
Week 3 Term 1 – Select second Select third text Select fourth text completed logs to 6 July –
Select first text to
explore and
text and
conference with
and conference
with teacher over
and conference
with teacher over
class and work on
making Final
overall topic teacher over first
completed log
second
completed log
third completed
log
connections and
final presentation product
of product. due