
What is the nature of discovery?
What is the impact of discovery?
How is experience and attitudes toward discovery linked to context?
How might the text affirm or challenge assumptions and beliefs about discovery?
The Board of Studies usually runs with a theme throughout the paper, so think about the 'sub-types' of discovery - familial discovery, historical discovery, inter/cultural discovery, place, relationships.
The Board of Studies almost always opens the paper with a visual text.
What follows is a guide as to how to tackle the most common text types.
VISUAL TEXTS
Typically 2 mark questions
- What does the text say about discovery?
- Where can I provide textual evidence to support my answer?
- You can analyse anything in the visual (including the written text)
- Textual features (symbolism, colour, proxemics, vector lines, salient image, facts, figures and statistics, inclusive language, imperative / declarative statements
POETRY
Typically 2-3 mark question
· Start with the ideas first, then provide textual references
· Literal and figurative levels of meaning
· Poetic devices (imagery – simile, metaphor, personification / symbol / repetition, anaphora / rhythm / sound imagery / tone
PROSE
Typically 2-3 mark question
· Usually HOW style questions
· What does the text say about discovery and HOW is it shaped through form and features.
· Focus on ideas first
· Textual features. (form – 1st, 3rd person – limited, omniscient, setting, characterization – are the characters dynamic or static? Symbols / motifs, figurative language, point of view, imagery)
NON FICTION
Typically 3 mark questions
- What does it say about discovery? Ideas first
- Then textual references / features
- Factual recount of personal experience
· These texts are often cause and effect texts
· Contrast / comparison are often used in these texts – they are about characters, place.
Take key words and phrases for your quotes. Don't spend time rewriting whole chunks of text.
TYPES OF QUESTIONS
· There is no one way to answer the question, but generally there are two pathways (techniques-based approach or concept-based)
· Allow enough time for the 5 mark question
WHY type questions
o Why is the sense of discovery important to the character (identity the type of discovery and then support answer from the text and explain why it is important)
How type questions
o Denoted by words such us explore, explain, analyse, compare, contrast and the word ‘how’ in the question
o First: identify type of discovery
o Then: explore, explain, analyse how the text presents this meaning with textual references
Question (e)
o Typically 5 marks – 1/3 marks
o Allocate adequate time and write a reasonably lengthy response
o Choose or write on 2 texts from a-d
o Idetify key terms in the question
o Involve synthesis or comparison
o Must include textual references
o As long as it answers the question, you CAN recycle what you have used in the previous questions.