Monday Feb 14: 2011 NAPLAN Sample Prompt

Books or TV
Reading books is better than watching TV.
What do you think about this idea? Write to convince a reader
of your opinions.

When watching television you are watching the opinionated ideas of the presenter of the show the ideas that they have generated from their own personal experiences and ideas and this leaves no option for the viewer to place their own ideas into the storyline.

Watching a movie or television show follows the plot and ideas from a script which has been created to make the most interesting, exciting or informative plot for the viewer to watch, the director will use his own ideas of the best and most effective ways to create a more interesting, exciting show for the viewer therefore place his own ideas and opinions into the film leaving nothing for the viewer to add with their own minds because all the work, ideas and theories are right there in front of them already. Television shows are created to keep the mind fixed following along the storyline without the requirement of the user needing to think and participate with the story or description.

In books the description and information are placed on the pages for the responder to read and to create their own ideas of the character. The base plot and description of the characters give the responder the baseline of the  storyline and the characters but often leaves much to the imagination in creating the landscapes and fictional characters. Books can create fictional areas without the need for CGI or animation that television would need which destroys the atmosphere trying to be created by the fact that the scene does not look 'real enough' or 'too real'. Books create atmospheres that appeal the audience without the risk of lack of realism or over simplification.

Movies and television shows can often change otherwise 'boring' textbooks into more suitable and interesting sources of information for younger viewers. Through the use of pictures and a narrator information from a textbook can become more interesting through the use of television shows. Documentaries that contain a significant amount of information in one hour is more interesting and faster than researching and reading documents about it.

The manufacturing of movies is a multi million dollar business and are only often can only be seen at theaters or bought in stores limiting the amount of people they can reach. With books it only requires the person to be able to read and books are relatively cheaper to manufacture and produce and can be translated into any language, compared to the limited market for movies that if translated into another language would sound unusual and out of sync.

Some books require a significant grasp of language of the time period or social events to be able to understand the context of the text. This can limit the amount of people who can read certain books such as Sherlock Holmes, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and many more television does not require a extensive knowledge of any language as it often has pictures to accompany it and information links to the pictures on screen.

Books invigorates the imagination of the responder while unfolding a extensive storyline and can be easily transported and reach a larger audience, while television can simplify otherwise complicated language and information that books would not be suitable to a particular audience due to language knowledge or age. Books are useful for stories and creating story lines and characters while television can be understood easily.

Aristotle's 3 modes of persuasion: Pathos, Logos, Ethos

Pathos: "is an appeal to the authority or honesty of the speaker" 
Persuading by appealing to the readers emotions
             Subjective-using emotion
             Experience -> may happen
            
Logos: "describe facts and figures that support the speaker's topic"
(logic)    Factual information
             Academic situations, political, business, medical
             Objective-absence of emotion


Ethos: "is an appeal to the audience’s emotions"
The power of the speaker
Speaker-credibility-experience (own)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modes_of_persuasion

Illinois Senate Candidate Barack Obama Speech Transcript

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19751-2004Jul27.html


On behalf of the great state of Illinois crossroads of a nation, land of Lincoln, let me express my deep gratitude for the privilege of addressing this convention. Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let's face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely.
My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin- roof shack. His father, my grandfather, was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.
But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son. Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place, America, that's shown as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before him.


In the speech made by Barack Obama for the US senate candidate has a strong sense of Ethos by relating to his own personal life and his own emotions for the audience to convince the responders that he would be a suitable choice for senate.

Queen Elizabeth: Speech to the Troops at Tilbury

My loving people,

        We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit our selves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people (A sense of connection with the people) (they shouldn't surrender to the enemy). Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust (physical presence shows her support and commitment to cause). I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field (Physically she can't help them but she has the spirit, heart, fight, stomach of a king. Mentally strong and committed. She can honor them. Appreciates efforts of soldiers). I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you in the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. In the mean time, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valor in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.

3. How does Queen Elizabeth talk about herself in this speech? (use quotes in your answer)

4. Why do you think this is an effective way to refer to herself?

3. Queen Elizabeth talks about herself in a humble subservient way to her people "I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects" through the use of diction this instills trust in the audience. Through the use of repetition of 'my' in the quote "my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honor and my blood" this establishes a personal bond with the audience instilling trust and humanity in the speaker.

4. This is the most effective way to refer to herself as Queen Elizabeth does not talk about her accomplishments or the fact that she is Queen and has been chosen by God but that she is but a lowly servant of God; this creates a personal connection with the audience and instills trust into the speaker.

AL PACINO'S INCH BY INCH SPEECH FROM “ANY GIVEN SUNDAY”

 “ANY GIVEN SUNDAY”


1. How does Al Pacino's character talk about himself in his speech?


2. What effect does this have on the speech? (Use Quotes in your answer).


1. Al Pachino's character uses himself as an example who has "pissed away all my money" and as a man who "made every wrong choice a middle age man can make" that "chased off anyone who ever loved" him.His honesty and humility gains his team's trust.A biblical allusion of climbing out of hell to heaven.


2.The effect of the way Al Pachino's character reflects upon himself shows the responder of the mistakes and problems of his life. In the quote "pissed away all my money" Al Pachino's character uses diction to show the wasteful way he has thrown away his money


I don't know what to say really.
Three minutes to the biggest battle of our professional lives
all comes down to today.
Either
we heal
as a team
or we are going to crumble.
Inch by inch
play by play till we're finished.
We are in hell right now, gentlemen
believe me
and
we can stay here
and get the shit kicked out of us
or
we can fight our way
back into the light.
We can climb out of hell.
One inch, at a time.

Now I can't do it for you.
I'm too old.
I look around and I see these young faces
and I think
I mean
I made every wrong choice a middle age man could make.
I uh....
I pissed away all my money
believe it or not.
I chased off anyone who has ever loved me.
And lately, I can't even stand the face I see in the mirror.

You know when you get old in life things get taken from you.
That's, that's part of life.
But, you only learn that when you start losing stuff.
You find out that life is just a game of inches.
So is football.
Because in either game life or football
the margin for error is so small.
I mean, one half step too late or to early
you don't quite make it.
One half second too slow or too fast
and you don't quite catch it.
The inches we need are everywhere around us.
They are in ever break of the game
every minute, every second.

On this team, we fight for that inch.
On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us
to pieces for that inch.
We CLAW with our fingernails for that inch.
Cause we know,
when we add up all those inches
that's going to make the fucking difference
between WINNING and LOSING
between LIVING and DYING.

I'll tell you this
in any fight
it is the guy who is willing to die
who is going to win that inch.
And I know if I am going to have any life anymore
it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch
because that is what LIVING is.
The six inches in front of your face.

Now I can't make you do it.
You gotta look at the guy next to you.
Look into his eyes.
Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you.
You are going to see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team
because he knows when it comes down to it,
you are gonna do the same thing for him.

That's a team, gentlemen
and either we heal now, as a team,
or we will die as individuals.
That's football guys.
That's all it is.
Now, whattaya gonna do?

2009 Naplan Writing Prompt

It has been exactly 241 days since we have set off from port in search of new trade routes to the islands off the coast of Africa which contain the valuable and luxurious spices. The slow yawing of the large merchant vessel the Ecuadorian the prized ship of the Spanish fleet lulled me into a dreamless slumber. I awoke to the shaking of one of my 20 shipmates and groggily stammered to the small ladder at the other end of the ship, I trekked over the sleeping men lying like logs on a forest floor who where on the night shift guiding the ship through the endless waves and winds. As I climbed the ladder to the upper deck I prepared myself for the work I was about to endure ranging from swabbing to standing on the lookout for dangers which are rare and easily spotted like a blemish on a perfectly blue sheet of silk. As I reached the top I was greeted by the blindingly bright sun I shielded my eyes from the onslaught of brightness of the light reflecting of the ocean before I could adjust to the the glare of the ocean I was ordered to stand watch for pirates and hazards till nightfall.

I stood grateful for receiving the easiest of jobs a deckhand could receive on the ship looking out towards the ocean's constant movements and the constant restlessness of the clouds ever moving and ever changing to the winds power I thought back to the day we set sail as the captain put it "for a way optimize the efficiency of collecting the coveted spices from the African islands" I couldn't care less if we were in search of the ark of the covenant as long as when we return we would get paid and that I could rest. When we left  I had no-one to say goodbye to no family, no friends that could care that I was gone and no ties to my homeland so there was nothing restraining me to stay and I could not care less that I might not be able to see my homeland ever again. I was interrupted by a firm pat on the shoulder telling me that my shift was over and go get some dinner. Dinner was composed of some fish we had caught and a small amount of salted meat, there was never enough water but always enough alcohol even after all this time we have never worried about never having enough food or drink. After the short dinner and drink I staggered half drunk and tired to the belly of the ship where I have spent the last 240 nights, some nights I was lucky and could sleep in a bunk other nights I would have to sleep on the splinter filled floor for a restless, dreamless night.

Day 242 I awoke to the sound of shouts and screams I jumped to my feet with a slight headache from last night and ran for the ladder, I saw no-body sleeping as I made my way to the ladder my fears of a pirate attack may have come true and now we would all be killed by the ruthless thieves of the sea I climbed up the ladder and I was fearful of what I might have seen but to my relief everyone was crowded over to one side of the ship pointing and shouting "land, there it is", "we've finally made it" I strained my eyes to see a set of small islands in the distant looking insignificant to the vast ocean surrounding it. Now we will travel home and tell the tales of our success and now I can finally rest.