READING AND CREATING

English Unit 1 AOS 1

NAME:
HOMEROOM:

SHGC
 SACRED HEART GIRLS’ COLLEGE

VCE SCHOOL ASSESSED COURSEWORK 2020

English – Unit 1
Area of Study 1 – Outcome 1 – Creative Response

NAME: _________________________

HOMEROOM:____________________

Title and Purpose of SAC:

SAC 1 – OUTCOME 1 – CREATIVE RESPONSE

Students are required to produce a creative response to a Brooklyn prompt.

SAC Details:
Date: Weeks 3 and 4 – SAC to be completed in final lesson of Week 4. First lesson of Week 5 – write Statement of
Explanation (30 minutes)

Venue: Timetabled English classroom

Writing Time: 65 minutes for final write up of SAC

Mark Allocation: 30 marks

Description of Task: Students are required to present a creative interpretation of the text to demonstrate
understanding of character, theme, and authorial intent.

Assessment Criteria:

Students should be able to:

 Demonstrate an understanding of the original text through characters, settings, events and themes.
 Develop a sustained voice and style, transforming and adapting language and literary devices from the original
text.
 Demonstrate expressive, fluent and coherent language that utilises the conventions for stylistic effect.
 Present a justification of the selected content and creative process, demonstrating meaningful connections to the
original text and understanding of purpose, audience and content.

Materials Permitted:
Student attendance is compulsory at all scheduled SACs. Any student absent on the specified date must have a medical
certificate to justify their absence. These students will be required to sit a Make-Up SAC out of school hours. In order to
maintain SAC integrity and justice, these students may sit an alternative task.

English – Unit 1
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Students are permitted to bring this planning booklet and an English dictionary.
 Area of Study 1 – Outcome 1 – Creative Response

Students are to write a response that demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the original text,
including the themes, characterisation, key events, and social context. Students should use stylistic
features of the original text, for example, symbols, voice of the character, settings, etc. in their adaptation
of the original. The language used in the response should be fluent and expressive. Students must also
provide an insightful justification of their decisions in relation to the original text.

The written response will be developed over a series of lessons. See the outline below:

Week 3 and 4: Planning and Conferencing

The booklet will be emailed to all students on Wednesday in Week 3.

 Choose a prompt.
 Find textual evidence that provides information about the character/s that will inform your creative
response.
 Outline the character’s voice: personality, language use, style of speaking, values, dreams, fears,
relationships, internal conflicts (values v desires), and external conflicts (with others, the
environment, etc.)
 Choose a textually and historical accurate setting – time, place, sights, sounds, etc.
 Outline key events to occur within your story to promote a response from your character – this
could be a small event, e.g. seeing a letter.
 Conference with teacher/peers.
 Make adjustments based on feedback.

Week 4, final lesson: Write Creative Response

 You can take your SAC preparation booklet into the SAC.

Week 5, first lesson: Statement of Explanation

 Write your Statement of Explanation in 30 minutes on lined paper.

 You can bring in your SAC preparation booklet.

This will involve:

 Explaining and justifying your choices in terms of your content – reflect on character, literary
devices, the historical and sociocultural context, and your connections to the original text.
 Discussing your creative and decision-making process.
 Explaining the message/theme you are presenting to your chosen audience.

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Creative Response Topics:

Students should read through the following prompts and choose ONE. Once the prompt is chosen,
students should begin the planning process using the instructions provided.

Prompt 1:

Mrs. Lacey’s perspective after Rose’s death.

Prompt 2:

Tony’s perspective while Eilis has returned to Ireland.

Prompt 3:

Nancy’s perspective on Eilis’ return to Ireland.

Prompt 4:

Jim’s perspective after Eilis has returned to Brooklyn.

Identify your chosen prompt:

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Very low
Limited understanding of
the original text through
reference to moments,
characters and themes
from the text.
Limited development of
style by using language
and literary devices, with
Unit 1 little consideration of the
Outcome 1 original text.
Produce a creative
response
to a selected text.
Written language that
shows limited control of
conventions.
Limited justification of
decisions related to
content and approach
made during the creative
process with some
reference to the original
text and purpose,
audience and context.
KEY to marking scale based on the Outcome contributing 30 marks
Very low 1–6 Low 7–12
VCE ENGLISH
SCHOOL-ASSESSED COURSEWORK
Performance Descriptors
DESCRIPTOR: typical performance in each range
Low
Some understanding of
the original text through
reference to moments,
characters and themes
from the text.
Some development of
style by using language
and literary devices to
generate responses, with
some consideration of the
original text.
Mostly clear written
language that employs
some conventions to
attempt stylistic effect.
Some justification of
decisions related to
selected content and
approach made during the
creative process,
demonstrating tenuous
connections to the original
text and some
understanding of purpose,
audience and context.
Medium 13–18
Medium
Satisfactory
understanding of the
original text through
considered selection of
key moments, characters
and themes worthy of
exploration.
Clear development of
voice and style by
transforming and adapting
language and literary
devices to generate
responses, with
appropriate consideration
of the original text.
Generally fluent and
coherent written language
that employs the
appropriate use of
conventions for stylistic
effect.
Sound justification of
decisions related to
selected content and
approach made during the
creative process,
demonstrating solid
connections to the original
text and understanding of
purpose, audience and
context.
High 19–24
High
Thorough understanding
of the original text through
thoughtful selection of key
moments, characters and
themes worthy of
exploration.
Considered development
of voice and style by
competently transforming
and adapting language
and literary devices to
generate particular
responses, with strong
consideration of the
original text.
Expressive, fluent and
coherent written language
that employs the
appropriate and accurate
use of conventions for
stylistic effect.
Thorough justification of
decisions related to
selected content and
approach made during the
creative process,
demonstrating relevant
connections to the original
text and clear
understanding of purpose,
audience and context.
Very high 25–30
Very high
Sophisticated and
complex understanding of
the original text through
insightful selection of key
moments, characters and
themes worthy of
exploration.
Sustained development of
voice and style by skilfully
transforming and adapting
language and literary
devices to generate
particular responses, with
insightful consideration of
the original text.
Highly expressive, fluent
and coherent written
language that employs the
skilful and accurate use of
appropriate conventions
for stylistic effect.
Insightful justification of
decisions related to
selected content and
approach made during the
creative process,
demonstrating meaningful
connections to the original
text and complex
understanding of purpose,
audience and context.
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Preparation Space:
Character Knowledge

In the space below, identify key events that involved your chosen character. These can be minor or major
events that influenced your character in some way. They could be implicit or explicit events.

Key Events in Text Possible/Known Influence on the Character

Character Voice

Add evidence from the text to ‘Character Features’ so you can emulate this in your own writing.

Feature of Voice Character Features

Language
What kind of word choices does your
character use? Do they repeat any
words or phrases?

Sentence Structure and Style

Does your character speak in long,
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winding sentences, or are they short
and terse? Do they use a lot of
questions? Are they indirect or direct?
Do they start their sentences with the
subject or a prepositional
phrase/dependent clause? Do they
speak in full sentences? Do they
use/not use contractions? Do they
use figurative language or are they
very literal? (maybe they only use
figurative language when
experiencing great hardship)

Character Behaviours

Features Character Features

How does your character interact
and communicate with others?
Submissive/dominant?
Introverted/extroverted?
Sociable/taciturn?
Informal/solemn?
Judgemental/openminded?
Puritanical/permissive? Face-to-
face or via letter/another person?

How does your character respond

to conflict?
Confrontational? Uncomfortable?
Conciliatory? Fearful? Withdraws?

How does your character respond

to new opportunities/risks?
Cautious? Impulsive? Reckless?
Fearful? Excited? Calculating?
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 Optimistic? Pessimistic?

What influences your character’s

behaviour/choices?
Religious values, community
values, family values, personal
morality, individual desires,
economic pressure?

Key Relationships

In the space below, identify key relationships your chosen character has and describe the nature of these
relationships e.g. cordial, hostile, honest, deceptive, manipulative, reciprocal, etc. This information might
be implicitly or explicitly referenced in the text.

Key Character Nature of Relationship

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Key Conflicts

Identify the different conflicts experienced by your character – these can be explicitly referenced in the text
or implied – and explain the effects on your character (emotional or behavioural response). Include both
internal and external conflicts. External conflicts are ones between your character and other people, the
environment, or society. Internal conflicts are ones between character’s desires, values, hopes and fears.
In another colour pen, draft possible conflicts that are not included in the text but are possible, based on
what you know about the character and the historical period.

Conflict Effect of Conflict

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Draft of Response

Orientation: Outline how you will begin your response so that the ‘world of the text’ is clear. Sights,
sounds, smells, textures, appearances, weather etc.

Key Events: Identify the key events you will include. These events can be very minor, e.g. the sight of a
letter, and they can be explicitly referenced in the text or imagined. How will your character respond?
What ADDED insight will this provide about your character?

Event Response from Character

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Literary Devices: Identify any symbols, metaphors, etc. that you will include that show understanding of
the original text.

Conclusion: Identify how you will conclude your response. How will the ending demonstrate a key
theme/message about human nature and society (key institutions, values, beliefs, expectations,
limitations)? Will you warn the audience about some aspect of human nature or society? Will your
message be hopeful?

VCE English Unit 1, Creative Writing

SAC Notes Sheet- 2020
Note: this sheet is to contain only the specified number of dot points. Dot points are to be
limited to no more than TWELVE WORDS per point. The sheet must be handwritten and sighted by your
English Teacher prior to the SAC.
Name_________________________________________ English Teacher__________________________

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