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Year 11: English Advanced

Activity name: Area of Study – The American Dream

Description of activity

Students listen twice to a short recording narrated by Sally Field that presents a particular view about the American Dream. They are to compose an extended analytical response in 40 minutes to the question ‘What dangers does the American Dream face and why?’ In their response students are to explain how perceptions of the American Dream in the listening stimulus relate to those represented in the film American Beauty.

Context

Students have been exploring the concept of the American Dream through the Preliminary Area of Study.

Students have read, listened to and viewed a variety of texts, including the film American Beauty, and analysed the ways these texts have shaped perceptions of this concept.

Area(s) of learning

Listening, Viewing

Writing

Analysing language

Interpretive thinking

Outcomes

1. A student describes and explains the relationships between composer, responder, text and context in particular texts.
2. A student describes and explains relationships among texts.
3. A student develops language relevant to the study of English.
4. A student describes and explains the ways in which language forms and features, and structures of particular texts shape meaning and influence responses.
5. A student demonstrates an understanding of the ways various textual forms, technologies and their media of production affect meaning.
7. A student selects appropriate language forms and features, and structures to explore and express ideas and values.
8. A student articulates and represents own ideas in critical, interpretive and imaginative texts.
10. A student analyses and synthesises information and ideas from a range of texts for a variety of purposes, audiences and contexts.

Criteria for assessing learning

Students will be assessed on their ability to:

• demonstrate an understanding of the concept of the American Dream in relation to the question and through its exploration in the listening stimulus
• analyse how the perceptions of the concept have been represented in the different mediums
• organise, develop and express ideas using supporting evidence from both texts in language appropriate to essay form.