Task developed by Karen Yager, Knox 2013
National da Vinci
Decathlon
Celebrating the Academic Gifts
of AustraliaYouth – Years 9/10
English Challenge
Session 4
‘All our knowledge has its origin in our perceptions’
Leonard da Vinci.
Team Number
_____________
Task developed Karen Yager, Knox Grammar, 2013
'Respect for cultural diversity is a core element of 21st century humanism. It is a vital
constituent during these times of globalization. No single culture has a universal monopoly.
Each and every one can contribute to the consolidation of our shared values' Irina Bokova EditorialUNESCO Courier, December 2011.
Activity One: Spelling (10 marks)
Ten words will be read out to you. Please write your answers on the spelling sheet provided.
Activity Two: Famous film match-up (10 marks)
Match the film title with the main character whose voice is privileged or whose perspective
conflicts with others. The characters are listed below.
Films
Characters
To Kill a Mocking Bird
Slum Dog Millionaire
Vantage Point
Brave
The Lovely Bones
The Help
Castaway
The Croods
The Sapphires
Hookwinked
Film and Actor Match-Up:
1. Agent Thomas Barnes
2. Little Red Riding Hood
3. Susie Salmon
4. Scout
5. Chuck Noland
6. Jamal Malik
7. Princess Merida
8. Gail McCrae
9. Eep
10. Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan
2
Task developed Karen Yager, Knox Grammar, 2013
Activity Three: Analysing an extract from The Curious Incident of the Dog
in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (10 marks)
Every now and then we encounter a literary text that features a distinctive voice that invites
us to enter the world of the character and reduces the narrative distance. It could be the
memorable voice of young Huckleberry Finn, the cynical and honest voice of Holden
Caulfield in The Cather in the Rye or the sad, poignant voice of Alice Sebold in Lovely Bones.
The following passage captures the voice of from Mark Haddon’s novel The Curious Incident
of the Dog in the Night-Time. Respond to the questions that follow.
It was 7 minutes after midnight. The dog was lying on the grass in the middle of the
lawn in front of Mrs Shears' house. Its eyes were closed. It
looked as if it was running on its side, the way dogs run when
they think they are chasing a cat in a dream. But the dog was
not running or asleep. The dog was dead. There was a garden
fork sticking out of the dog. The points of the fork must have
gone all the way through the dog and into the ground because
the fork had not fallen over. I decided that the dog was
probably killed with the fork because I could not see any other
wounds in the dog and I do not think you would stick a garden
fork into a dog after it had died for some other reason, like
cancer for example, or a road accident. But I could not be
certain about this.
I went through Mrs Shears' gate, closing it behind me. I walked onto her lawn and
knelt beside the dog. I put my hand on the muzzle of the dog. It was still warm.
The dog was called Wellington. It belonged to Mrs Shears who was our friend. She
lived on the opposite side of the road, two houses to the left.
Wellington was a poodle. Not one of the small poodles that have hairstyles but a big
poodle. It had curly black fur, but when you got close you could see that the skin
underneath the fur was a very pale yellow, like chicken.
I stroked Wellington and wondered who had killed him, and why.
My name is Christopher John Francis Boone. I know all the countries of the world and
their capital cities and every prime number up to 7,057.
Eight years ago, when I first met Siobhan, she showed me this picture
and I knew that it meant 'sad,' which is what I felt when I found the dead dog.
Then she showed me this picture
3
Task developed Karen Yager, Knox Grammar, 2013
and I knew that it meant 'happy', like when I'm reading about the Apollo space
missions, or when I am still awake at 3 am or 4 am in the morning and I can walk up
and down the street and pretend that I am the only person in the whole world.
Then she drew some other pictures
but I was unable to say what these meant.
I got Siobhan to draw lots of these faces and then write down next to them exactly
what they meant. I kept the piece the piece of paper in my pocket and took it out when
I didn't understand what someone was saying. But it was very difficult to decide which
of the diagrams was most like the face they were making because people's faces move
very quickly.
When I told Siobhan that I was doing this, she got out a pencil and another piece of
paper and said it probably made people feel very
and then she laughed. So I tore the original piece of paper up and threw it away. And
Siobhan apologised. And now if I don't know what someone is saying I ask them what
they mean or I walk away.
I pulled the fork out of the dog and lifted him into my arms and hugged him. He was
leaking blood from the fork-holes.
I like dogs. You always know what a dog is thinking. It has four moods. Happy, sad,
cross and concentrating. Also, dogs are faithful and they do not tell lies because they
cannot talk.
I had been hugging the dog for 4 minutes when I heard screaming. I looked up and
saw Mrs Shears running towards me from the patio. She was wearing pyjamas and a
housecoat. Her toenails were painted bright pink and she had no shoes on.
4
Task developed Karen Yager, Knox Grammar, 2013
Questions
1. How does Christopher feel about what he has witnessed? (1 mark)
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. How does Haddon use language to convey Christopher’s unique voice? Refer to three
language techniques and how they create his voice. (6 marks)
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Find examples of the following techniques:
(3 marks)
a. Declarative sentence: …………………………………………………………………..
b. Disjunction: …………………………………………………………………………….
c. Simile: …………………………………………………………………………………..
Activity Four: Analysing the poem Telephone Conversation by Wole
Soyinka (20 marks)
Nigerian poet Wole Soyinka not only captures the two voices in his dialogue poem, but he
also conveys two very diverse perspectives of humanity.
The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. "Madam," I warned,
"I hate a wasted journey—I am African."
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was foully.
"HOW DARK?" . . . I had not misheard . . . "ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?" Button B, Button A.* Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered
5
Task developed Karen Yager, Knox Grammar, 2013
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis-"ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?" Revelation came.
"You mean--like plain or milk chocolate?"
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,
I chose. "West African sepia"--and as afterthought,
"Down in my passport." Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. "WHAT'S THAT?" conceding
"DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS." "Like brunette."
"THAT'S DARK, ISN'T IT?" "Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blond. Friction, caused-Foolishly, madam--by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black--One moment, madam!"--sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears--"Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn't you rather
See for yourself?"
Questions:
1. Describe the diverse tones of the persona and the landlady. (1 mark)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Identify three ways that Soyinka conveys the diverse perspectives of the persona and
the landlady. Refer to actual language techniques. (3 marks)
a. …………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
b. …………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
c. …………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
3. What is the message being conveyed by the final two lines? (1 mark)
6
Task developed Karen Yager, Knox Grammar, 2013
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Compose a dialogue poem that captures the telephone or chat conversation between
two people who have very different perspectives. Try to make their voices authentic as
Soyinka does in his poem. You must follow the following guidelines and include the
ingredients listed:
a. 10 lines long.
b. Dialogue and convey authentic voices.
c. Two different perspectives.
d. An important message about life or humanity.
e. Must include :
i.
Alliteration: …………………………………………………………….
ii.
Repetition: ……………………………………………………………...
iii.
Onomatopoeia: …………………………………………………………
Marking Grid
Ingredients
10 lines
Dialogue and authentic voices
Two different perspectives
Alliteration
Repetition
Onomatopoeia
Important message
TOTAL
Marks
0 1
1 2 3 4 5
0 1
0 1
0 1
0 1
1 2 3 4 5
/15
Title:……………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7
Task developed Karen Yager, Knox Grammar, 2013
Activity 5: Analysing an Image – Vantage Point Film Poster (6 marks)
Identify four visual techniques that convey the diverse perspectives in the film Vantage Point
and explain why and how they do this.
Visual Techniques
Why and how they convey the diverse perspectives
8