2012 HSC Exam Workbook - Student Responses

Here are a series of actual student responses from the 2012 HSC paper that we have looked at extensively in class. 

Q (e) Student A Part One / Two / Three

Q (e) Student B Text

Work in groups and access the applicable link/s. Analyse the answer and compare it to your own. What is dis/similar?

SOURCE: 2012 Higher School Certificate Exam Workbook. NSW BOS. (C) 2013. 

2012 Paper - Section One Texts

Click below to links for the texts from the paper that we're using in class. 

Text One - Book Cover

Text Two - Poem

Text Three - Non-Fiction (Part One / Part Two)

Text Four - Memoir

Appreciation to the authors for permitting use here for educational purposes. 

Section I Question 5

Here are some notes/thoughts about examples that can be used in answering the final question of Section I.

IN YOUR VIEW, WHICH TWO OF THESE TEXTS MOST EFFECTIVELY EXPLORE HOW FEELINGS OF BELONGING AND NOT BELONGING MAY SHIFT OVER TIME?

JUSTIFY YOUR VIEW WITH REFERENCE TO TWO TEXTS.

Text One

The framing of the image of the two sisters as young girls through the window is symbolic. It depicts the closeness of their relationship and how they would play with their dolls house ‘side by side, always.’

The description in ‘but inseparable bonds in life can be unexpectedly shattered’ shows though how belonging can change over time. The word ‘inseparable’ when juxtaposed with ‘always’ shows how relationships can change over time.

Text Two

The line ‘the man is hugging his child’ can be juxtaposed with the line ‘the man and the child are hugging.’ In both cases there is evidence of belonging, however the action is reciprocated in the latter example.

The description in ‘they hug each other for a long moment’ shows that feelings of belonging can occur over time. At the end of the poem, the line ‘they will go inside and eat dinner together’ shows that even in transition, belonging can exist.

Text Three

The juxtaposition of ‘having no name to call on was having no past; having no past pointed to the fissure between the past and the present’ shows the influence of time on relationships and belonging.

The metaphor ‘a place of emptied of beginnings’ shows that even from the start, belonging can be taken. Feelings of belonging may change over time, and even in some cases not even eventuate.

Text Four

The interjection ‘but there was also something else in the air … though it took me a moment or two before I heard it’ shows that time can unexpectedly influence one’s feelings of belonging or not belonging to place.

The references to ‘insomnia’ and the temperature of the day as the ‘hottest’ day known shows that over time, both internal and extrinsic factors can influence one’s sense of belonging.

The marker expects a 'mini-essay' in this section. Remember then to compose your response with an introduction, body and conclusion. 

Practice Paper HSC 2012

The Board of Studies website should be your first online resource destination when preparing for any HSC examination or assessment. 

There are a number of different resources that are helpful. Most of the following resources are available across all subjects. 

You can click here for links to the 2012 paper that we are working through in class. You can also find sample answers here. 

The marking guidelines and notes from the marking centre are also effective study tools. They give you the opportunity to see what the markers use and think about student responses. 

Quote Search (Part One)

Find the quotes/references on the following pages that you think are/could be relevant in your response writing. Think about how you could use them to answer a question. Perhaps you could even practice?

• p. 38 - Ashima on Relationships 
• p. 79 - Gogol on Place
• p. 80 - Gogol on Family
• p. 82 - Gogol & Sonia on Identity
• p. 85 - Gogol on Place
• p. 88 - Gogol on Time
• p. 106 - Gogol on Identity
• p. 107 - Gogol on Place
• p. 108 - Gogol on Place
• p. 137 - Gogol on Relationships

With thanks to Ms. Brame and her Year 12 class of 2013 for helping us with this activity. Remember that you're only as strong as those around you! Work in pairs or small groups and talk through your responses!

P.E.E.R. Example

Source: Elith & Edwards: The Namesake Excel Study Guide (p. 186).

In what ways do some texts encourage reflection about what it means to belong?

The actions of others are essential catalysts for an individual to belong. These may be small or large gestures that show that the individual is cared for, included and wanted. In The Namesake, Gogol's parents demonstrate love for their son in a variety of ways. Ashima's actions in the early years of Gogol's life mean that he continues to associate her with the fulfilment of basic needs and a deep and long lasting love. Lahiri constructs a series of sentences using the active voice to show the reliance and dependent nature of Ashima and Gogol's relationship in its early years. Phrases such as 'she takes him out' and 'she gives Gogol a bath' as well as 'she sings him the Bengali songs' reflect the way in which the primary carer for a child forges the bond between themselves and the baby in an active and long lasting way. Ashoke and Gogol also build a strong relationship through the experiences they had together and the sharing of values and culture. By naming his son Gogol, Ashoke is passing on a range of beliefs and values to his son and creating a metaphorical link between his own life experiences (the train accident in particular) and Gogol's. Both of these examples reflect the importance of small and large gestures in bringing about a bond between two people.  

Find the following quotes and use them to structure a paragraph response to the same question above:

Ashima never truly feels she belongs in America: Throughout the experience, in spite of her growing discomfort, she'd been astonished by her body's ability to make life ... That it was happening so far from home ... made it more miraculous still. (p. 6)

Ashoke's tragic accident is a catalyst to belonging to the book of short stories by Nikolai Gogol: Instead of thanking God he thanks Gogol, the Russian writer who had saved his life. (p. 21)

Your New Best Friend?

Here's a good source of background information about The Namesake that can be used to SUPPLEMENT the work that we do in class. Better still it is affordable and accessible anywhere. 

http://www.shmoop.com/namesake/

In particular, have a look at the summaries for the chapters that we have already covered in class. You may even wish to have a look at the chapters that we WILL look at in the future?