Year 11 (Preliminary) - The focus during Year 11 (Preliminary) is on honing the skills students will need for the

HSC. There are only 3 terms in Yr 11 (Preliminary). Teachers will usually cover the same range of material, irrespective of whether they are teaching a Standard or an Advanced class the main different will be the complexity of the texts chosen and the depth to which teachers will encourage students to engage with the texts. A typical Year 11 (Preliminary) year might look like this. Please bear in mind this is just a suggested timetable there is no set schedule or content requirement (although there are assessment requirements) Term 1 - Area of Study
You cant teach the HSC area of study in Yr 11, but you can teach previous years area of study focus for example, journeys. The aim is to teach students how to nail an abstract concept, how to explore it, and how to write about it. This subject can take almost a whole term because you need to examine a text (but you cant use any currently prescribed HSC text), you need to teach students how they select their own ORT (other related text), and you need to explore the process of writing creatively about the area of study topic.

Term 2 Close/Critical study of text

Okay, keep in mind that if you have a Standard class, theyll be required in Module B (Year 12) to do a Close Study of one text; if you have an Advanced class, theyll be required in Module B (Year 12) to do a Critical Study of one text. So both Standard and Advanced students have to look at one text (for Module B) in some depth. Consequently, its a good idea in Yr 11 to get them practicing those skills. So pick one text (remember it cannot be a HSC prescribed text) and examine it closely/critically as a class. Think themes, context, techniques used, form, etc., and most importantly the students own response.

Term 3 Comparative study

Okay, now its only the Advanced students that will have to study (in Year 12) a discreet Module called Comparative Study (this is Module A for Advanced students). Having said that, all students need to develop their comparative study skills (that is, the skills that help them compare and contrast texts). Thats because every time a student needs to select and ORT (remember thats an Other Related Text) they will be required to compare and contrast the prescribed text with their ORT. So Yr 11 (Preliminary) is a good place to practice those skills. Select two texts (that have something in common maybe one is an adaptation of another, or they explore similar themes). You can use text pairings from previous HSC lists (just not from the current list) or create your own pairing. Then you basically do a similar thing to what you did in term 2, only youre comparing and contrasting the way both texts explore the main themes, how the text form influences the way the story is presented, etc etc

If youre a kick-arse teacher, or you have a kick-arse class, or the stars have magically aligned, then you might have time to cover another text (just not as deeply) maybe some poetry, a film, some creative writing, etc. Or you might want to use any left-over time to hone essay writing skills or the like. Its up to you. But before you know it, Year 12 (which starts in Term 4) will be upon you

Oh, and before we go on, I just wanted to clarify something that was said on the weekend and which is not correct. Students only select (individually) their ORT texts. They do not walk into class in Year 12, have a look at the list of Prescribed Texts for Module A (for instance), and say Oh, I like the sound of that book thats what Ill study. I have never, in 12 years working with schools, walked into a Year 12 class where 26 students were all studying a different text and the teacher was only teaching the skills. The teacher selects which of the Prescribed texts the class will engage with (if its a decent teacher, he/she will take the students likes etc. into account) and they are the texts the class will work through. Students select their own ORTs and teachers should give students some guidance as to what makes a good ORT. Okay, now that weve got that cleared up, lets move onto Year 12.

Year 12 (HSC year) starts Term 4 and concludes at the end of Term 3 the following year. The HSC exams will commence early the next term. So you have terms 4, 1, 2 and 3 but sometime towards the end of term 2 or the start of term 3, the students will be sitting their HSC Trial Examinations, so theres a pretty consistent sense of pressure for them. So what needs to be covered in Year 12? That will differ between Standard and Advanced classes, so Ive drawn up two flowcharts

Year 12 Standard English Area of Study - Belonging

Students engage in depth with the Area of Study subject They practice writing creatively about the Area of Study subject They engage with whatever prescribed text their teacher has selected from the list of HSC prescribed texts for Area of Study, and they select an ORT of their own choosing.

Module A Experience through language

There are two electives in this module. Teachers select one elective from either: Elective 1 Distinctive Voices Elective 2 Distinctively Visual Having selected your elective, you then (as the teacher) select which text you will focus on. Students then select an ORT of their own choosing. This module is about examining the way texts either: create distinctive voices; or effectively paint pictures with words.

Module B Close study of text

You, as the teacher, will select one text from the HSC Prescribed list set for this module. As a class, you all examine this text in depth, considering its themes, context, form, techniques etc, and focusing especially on students being able to articulate their own responses to the text. There is no ORT for this module.

Module C Texts and society

Like Module A, this Module has two electives. Teachers select one elective from either: Elective 1 The Global Village Elective 2 Into the Wild Having selected your elective, you then (as the teacher) select which text you will focus on. Students then select an ORT of their own choosing. This module is about examining how human beings interact with their environment; how setting shapes us and how we shape our surroundings.

Year 12 Advanced English Area of Study - Belonging

Students engage in depth with the Area of Study subject They practice writing creatively about the Area of Study subject They engage with whatever prescribed text their teacher has selected from the list of HSC prescribed texts for Area of Study, and they select an ORT of their own choosing.

Module A Comparative study of texts and contexts

There are two electives in this module. Teachers select one elective from either: Elective 1 Exploring Connections Elective 2 Texts in Time Having selected your elective, you then (as the teacher) select which two texts you will focus on from the list of Prescribed HSC pairings for this Module. Students do not select any ORTs in this module. This module is essentially about exploring the way texts are shaped by context.

Module B Critical study of text

You, as the teacher, will select one text from the HSC Prescribed list set for this module. As a class, you all examine this text in considerable depth, considering its themes, context, form, techniques etc, and focusing especially on students being able to articulate their own responses to the text. There is no ORT for this module.

Module C Representation and text

Like Module A, this Module has two electives. Teachers select one elective from either: Elective 1 Conflicting Perspectives Elective 2 History and Memory Having selected your elective, you then (as the teacher) select which text you will focus on. Students then select an ORT of their own choosing. This module is about examining the relationship between the way texts are created and the meaning we then derive from them.