SACE Stage 1 ENGLISH STUDIES
TASK SHEET
Name:
Teacher:
Assessment Type 1: Text Analysis (written task)
Text: GATTACA by Andrew Niccol (feature film)
Context: After learning the cultural context of eugenics through episodes of the TV documentaries
Darwin’s Dangerous Idea (Born Equal?) and How to Build a Human (Predictor), the
class studied Niccol’s feature film through multiple viewings and discussion.
Task description: Choose one of the following topics to write an analytical essay in response to the film
(maximum of 800 words):
1.
Eugene tells Vincent: “I got the better end of the deal. I only lent you my body;
you lent me your dream”. What part do dreams and determination play in the film
GATTACA?
2.
‘Able / disabled’ and ‘valid / invalid’ are contrasts that the film uses throughout its
narrative. How does Niccol explore the limitations of GATTACA’s dystopian
society with these ideas?
3.
Colours, symbols and imagery are carefully woven into the fabric of this film. To
what extent do they enhance the tension between science / technology and
nature in the film?
4.
‘This story is about the fight of the underdog’. How are the themes of prejudice
and courage developed in the film GATTACA?
5.
Show how Niccol offers us a warning about ‘tampering with nature’ through his
film GATTACA.
NB: your essay needs to make explicit references in its analysis to the ways in which the language of
film is used by Niccol to make meaning and influence opinions, even if your chosen topic does not
refer to them.
Learning Requirements
Assessment Design Criteria
1. demonstrate clear and accurate
communication skills through reading
and viewing, writing and composing,
and listening and speaking
Knowledge and Understanding
2. clarify, extend, and develop their
ideas and opinions through critical
engagement with texts and language
3. critically analyse a variety of texts to
determine their social, cultural, or
workplace purpose and effectiveness
4. identify and analyse ideas, values,
and beliefs, and recognise how these
are shaped
5. examine cultural, social, and
technical dimensions of language
and texts
6. compose texts that use language for
critical, personal, or imaginative
purposes
 ideas, values, and beliefs explored in texts
 ways in which the creators and readers of texts use language
techniques and conventions to make meaning
 ways in which texts are composed for a range of purposes and
audiences.
Analysis
 connections between personal experiences, ideas, values, and
beliefs, and those explored in the text
 ways in which language techniques are used to influence opinions
and decisions in a range of personal, social, or vocational contexts.
Capabilities
Learning
Personal
Development
Work
Application
 use of a range of language skills to analyse and solve problems
and to demonstrate creativity
 appropriate use of evidence from texts to support conclusions
 ability to locate, record, analyse, use, and synthesise knowledge.
Citizenship
Communication
 accuracy, clarity, and fluency of expression
 the use of an appropriate style and structure for the audience and
purpose when composing texts.
Communication
Students can refer to the rubric provided over the page to identify the performance standards that they need to
demonstrate to reach their highest possible level of achievement in this task.
Knowledge and Understanding
A
15
14
13
Detailed knowledge and understanding
of the ideas, values, and beliefs in
familiar and unfamiliar texts
Knowledge and understanding of the
ways in which the readers and creators
of familiar and unfamiliar texts use a
range of language techniques to make
meaning
Comprehensive knowledge and
understanding of the ways in which
familiar and unfamiliar texts are
composed for a range of purposes and
audiences
B
12
11
10
Knowledge and understanding of some
complex ideas, values, and beliefs in
familiar, and some unfamiliar, texts
Knowledge and understanding of the
ways in which the readers and creators
of mainly familiar texts use some
language techniques to make meaning
Knowledge and understanding of the
ways in which mainly familiar texts are
composed for some purposes and
audiences
C
9
8
7
Knowledge and understanding of some
simple ideas, values, or beliefs in
familiar texts (e.g. identifies relevant
information from a range of written texts
(R3))
Knowledge and understanding of a
restricted number of ways in which the
readers and creators of a narrow range
of familiar texts use some language
techniques to make meaning (e.g.
reads a range of texts, noting key
differences of presentation and layout
(R3))
Knowledge and understanding of the
ways in which familiar texts are
composed for familiar purposes and
audiences (e.g. identifies purpose and
audience of texts (R3))
D
6
5
4
Identification of some simple ideas in
familiar texts
Knowledge and understanding of some
of the ways in which the readers and
creators of a narrow range of familiar
texts use language techniques to make
simple or factual meaning
Knowledge of the ways in which familiar
texts are composed for personally
relevant purposes and familiar
audiences
E
3
2
1
Identification of a simple idea in a highly
familiar text.
Knowledge and understanding of the
way in which a reader or creator of a
highly familiar text uses a language
technique to make factual meaning.
Knowledge of the ways in which highly
familiar texts are composed for
personally relevant purposes and highly
familiar audiences
Analysis
Application
Communication
Analysis of complex
connections between personal
experiences, ideas, values,
and beliefs, and those
explored in familiar and
unfamiliar texts
Use of a range of sophisticated
language skills to analyse and
solve simple and complex
problems, and to demonstrate
creativity
Detailed and appropriate use of
evidence from texts to support
arguments, with textual
references incorporated fluently
in responses
Location, recording, analysis,
use, and synthesis of knowledge
relevant to familiar and
unfamiliar contexts
Fluent and precise
writing and speaking
Use of a range of language skills
to solve simple and complex
problems, and to demonstrate
creativity
Use of evidence from texts to
support arguments, with textual
references incorporated in
responses
Location, recording, analysis,
use, and occasional synthesis of
knowledge relevant to mostly
familiar contexts
Mostly fluent and
precise writing and
speaking
Use of language skills to solve
routine problems in familiar
contexts or to demonstrate
creativity (e.g. writes a short
formal letter, outlining
instructions for a particular
purpose such as closing a bank
account (W3))
Competent use of evidence from
texts to support arguments (e.g.
reads short simple narrative of
choice and discusses how text
reflects author’s opinion (R3))
Location, recording, and
occasional analysis and use of
knowledge relevant to a familiar
context (e.g. reads and
interprets diagrammatic/graphic
texts that are unambiguously
presented (R3))
Occasionally fluent
and precise writing
and speaking
Use of a restricted range of
language skills to solve simple
problems in familiar contexts or
to demonstrate some creativity
Some use of evidence from
familiar texts to support
arguments
Location, recording, and use of
factual knowledge relevant to a
familiar context
A level of fluency in
writing and speaking
in personally relevant
situations
Use of a restricted range of
language skills to solve simple
problems in highly familiar
contexts or to demonstrate
creativity
Some use of evidence from
highly familiar texts to support a
simple argument
Location, recording, or use of
factual knowledge relevant to a
highly familiar context
Beginning of
development of
accurate and fluent
writing and speaking
in personally relevant
situations
Perceptive analysis of a range
of ways in which authors use
language techniques to
influence opinions and
decisions in familiar and
unfamiliar texts
Analysis of some complex
connections between personal
experiences, ideas, values,
and beliefs, and those
explored in familiar, and some
unfamiliar, texts
Analysis of a range of ways in
which authors use language
techniques to influence
opinions and decisions in
familiar, and some unfamiliar,
texts
Analysis of simple connections
between personal
experiences, ideas, values,
and beliefs, and those
explored in familiar texts (e.g.
explicitly connects new
ideas/information with own
knowledge, using techniques
such as anecdotes and
analogies (L3))
Descriptive analysis of a
number of ways in which
authors use language
techniques to influence
opinions and decisions in
familiar texts (e.g. recognises
that the author selects the
structure of a text to serve a
particular purpose (R3))
Reference to simple
connections between
uncomplicated personal
experiences, ideas, values,
and beliefs, and those
explored in familiar texts
Reference to some ways in
which authors of familiar texts
use a narrow range of
language techniques to
influence opinions and
decisions
Recognition of a simple
connection between a
straightforward personal
experience, idea, value, or
belief, and that explored in a
highly familiar text.
Reference to the way in which
an author of a highly familiar
text uses language techniques
to influence opinions and
decisions
Use of appropriate
style and structure for
a range of mainly
unfamiliar audiences
and for varied
purposes
Use of appropriate
style and structure for
a range of mostly
familiar audiences and
purposes
Use of an appropriate
style and structure for
familiar audiences and
purposes (e.g.
produces a range of
familiar text types, with
appropriate structures
(W3); uses vocabulary
with increasing
precision to show how
words carry particular
shades of meaning
(W3))
Use of appropriate
style and structure for
a narrow range of
familiar audiences and
purposes
Use of appropriate
style and structure for
a narrow range of
highly familiar
audiences and
purposes