Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW
MODULE B: Close Study of Text
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
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Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW
Rubric from Prescriptions
MODULE B: Close Study of Text
Prescriptions Document
This module requires students to engage in detailed analysis of a text. It develops students’ understanding of how the
ideas, forms and language of a text interact within the text and may affect those responding to it.
English Stage 6 Syllabus
This module requires students to engage in detailed analysis of a text. It develops students’ understanding of how the
ideas, forms and language of a text interact within the text and may affect those responding to it. Each elective in this
module involves close study of a single text from a list of prescribed texts.
Students engage with the text to respond imaginatively, affectively and critically. They explore and analyse particular
characteristics of the text, considering how these shape meaning. They also consider the ways in which these
characteristics establish the text’s distinctive qualities. Composition focuses on meaning shaped in and through the text.
These compositions may be realised in a variety of forms and media.
Analysis of rubric for key ideas
As Module B requires you to study closely the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night Time, you need to
ensure that you have a thorough understanding of all aspects of the novel. The rubric suggests the following key ideas,
which represent Deep Learning:
 Construction: How meaning is shaped and conveyed through the interaction in the novel of:
- Ideas: The personal and intellectual connection we have with a novel through the thoughts and conceptual
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understanding that are provoked.
Form: The genre and structure of the novel.
Language: The words, images, dialogue and conventions that communicate meaning.
Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW
 Positioning: How a reader is affected by the novel’s textual details and features and positioned to respond
 Textual Integrity: How the unified characteristics of a text establish its distinctive features
Assessment
Assessment for learning in this unit includes:
1. Paper 2 Section 2 of the HSC English exam for Standard:

A formal response to a set question.
2. One HSC assessment task:

Oral Task:
3. A variety of opportunities for formal and informal classroom assessment, including writing based on the novel and a
range of tasks from detailed analysis of the novel using mind maps and group presentations to facilitate the process of
responding imaginatively, affectively and critically to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Syllabus outcomes
In Paper 1 of the HSC exam for the Standard and Advanced courses the examiners can vary the outcomes that are
assessed. In 2007 the HSC exam addressed the following outcomes:

H1, H3, H4, H6, H10, H12
The assessment task in this unit addresses the following outcomes:

Oral Task:
Outcomes to be assessed:
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1. A student demonstrates understanding of how relationships between composer, responder, text and context shape
meaning.
4. A student describes and analyses the ways that language forms and features, and structures of texts shape meaning
and influence responses.
6. A student engages with the details of text in order to respond critically and personally.
7. A student selects appropriate language forms and features, and structures of texts to explore and express ideas and
values.
10. A student analyses and synthesises information and ideas into sustained and logical argument for a range of
purposes and audiences.
Rationale for approach used in this teaching program
This module requires you to have a close, detailed knowledge and understanding of the novel and Mark Haddon’s craft.
The 2007 Notes from the Marking Centre stated that ‘Better responses demonstrated a deep understanding of an idea or
related ideas, drawing on detailed textual knowledge.’ Thus, the unit of work focuses on engaging you personally and
deeply with the prescribed text The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time through a range of activities on all
aspects of the novel such as: setting, characterisation, themes, key incidents, the main ideas, the structure and the
language of the novel.
The assessment task is an oral task that requires close personal engagement with the novel and the main character
Christopher Boone.
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Week 1: Introduction to Module B and Novel – ‘I better make the plot good. I wanted to make it grip people on
the first page and have a big turning point in the middle, as there is, and construct the whole thing like a roller coaster ride’
Mark Haddon.
Syllabu
Quality
Learning and teaching activities
s
Teaching
content
4.1
Background
Lesson 1: Roller Coaster Ride on a Good Book
knowledge:
Connecting
prior knowledge ‘I remember a picture from an encyclopedia in my junior science library. It was a medieval
to novel
woodcut of a man who had climbed a long ladder and found himself touching the sphere on
which the stars revolved. He'd removed a panel from the sphere and was staring through the
hole into the outer darkness. This is what I now want from a good book. I want to be taken to
the very edge. I want a glimpse into that outer darkness’ Mark Haddon.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2004/apr/11/booksforchildrenandteenagers.features3
Class Discussion
After viewing the slideshow of images and quotes from the novel and the short film clip from
Youtube discuss the following questions:
6.3
Narrative:
Linking the
1. Have the images and words gripped you and made you want to read the novel? Why or
why not?
2. What do the quotes from the syllabus rubric and the 2007 Notes from the Marking
Centre tell you about what you are expected to do when you study this novel and
respond to the question in Paper 2 of the HSC?
3. What genre is this novel? How do you know?
4. What is your impression of the narrator Christopher Boone?
Lesson 2: Establishing Voice and a Gripping Plot
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telling of a good Haddon has established a strong, believable voice for 15-year old Christopher. This unusual
story to the
voice with its honesty and simplicity captures our interest and adds to the intrigue and mystery
novel
in the story. Read the first page and note how his voice has been created through his simple
sentences, honest observations, emoticons (symbols used to convey emotional content),
relaying of dialogue and seemingly unrelated observations of things such as the Milky Way. He
has grabbed our attention by engaging us in the mystery of who killed Wellington the dog next
door with his matter of fact observations.
‘To take a life that seemed horribly constrained, to write about it in the kind of book that the
hero would read - a murder mystery - and hopefully show that if you viewed this life with
sufficient imagination it would seem infinite’ Mark Haddon.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2004/apr/11/booksforchildrenandteenagers.features3
Imagine that like Haddon you wanted to construct a novel like a roller coaster ride with the
main character as the narrator. Before you start consider the following:
 Think of how you would start the novel: Would you begin with an unusual event or a
mystery? Think about the length of your sentences and the choice of words such as
striking verbs.
 Select the character you will use to tell the story and the voice that you will give the
character. How old is the character, how do they see the world and how do they get on
with others? When you create his or her voice read your work aloud to check if the voice
sounds authentic and establishes their personality and view of the world.
Write the opening four to five paragraphs of the novel. When it is completed get another person
to read it and evaluate whether the story engages them and if the voice of the character is
convincing and appealing.
NB
Make sure that you are reading the novel!
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4.1
4.2
Background
knowledge:
Employing
questions on
extracts from
the novel to
ascertain
knowledge of
analysing text
Metalanguage:
Analysing the
textual features
of the novel
using the
correct terms
Lesson 3: First Impressions
Read the extracts from the novel on Activity Sheet 1, complete the questions and share your
responses with the class. Alternatively attempt the Extension activity.
Extension
Instead of completing the questions, compose a personal response to the following:
What impression do you have after reading this extract of the character/s, the setting, the
theme/s and the language of the novel?
In your response, describe how the textual details and features shaped this impression.
Assessment Task
You will have one assessment task for Module B:
 An oral task with a range of topics to select
The task requires a thorough understanding of how the novel’s textual features and details
convey meaning and impact on you as a reader.
1.1
1.2
1.4
6.2
7.1
Substantive
Lesson 4: The importance of Context
communication:
students to
 The son of an architect, Haddon excelled at maths but went on to read English at
respond to and
Oxford, and then became a carer for disabled people in Scotland before becoming a
discuss at
children’s writer and illustrator in London.
length the key
 Haddon's knowledge of aspergers comes from his work with autistic people as a young
man – ‘If you're going to write something dark and funny about disability, you have to
concept of
feel comfortable with your subject.’ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/markcontextualisatio
haddon-first-he-tackled-aspergers-now-the-writer-is-putting-downs-syndrome-in-then
spotlight-with-a-new-drama-463565.html
 ‘I am atheist in a very religious mould’
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10.1
Connectedness
: Connecting
concept of
contextualisatio
n with students’
contexts

Excelled in Mathematics
Record and then share your responses to the following questions:
How could the following factors influence the way you see the world and respond to others?
a. Personal context: Christopher is autistic and his mother is supposedly dead. How
could an individual’s family, age, life experiences, gender, ethnicity, etc shape his or her
perspectives, attitudes and values?
b. Geographical location: Christopher lives in the suburbs where most people know each
other. Does where you live have an impact on your attitudes and the way you respond
to others?
c. Social context: Christopher’s autism means that he cannot read people’s emotions;
therefore, his social interaction with others is challenging. List a range of different social
contexts and describe the possible consequences of these contexts.
d. Values: What do you value in others and in life? Christopher is angered by people who
are not truthful. Identify four values that are evident in the novel such as honesty and
integrity.
Homework Research
Visit the following two websites to read about Haddon’s context and make some brief notes:
 Author Profile,
http://www.jubileebooks.co.uk/jubilee/magazine/authors/mark_haddon/haddon_pr
ofile.asp
 Biography and critical discussion of the novel,
http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth3e38026813f8c194e5nnw1
cf3087
Activity Sheet 1:
Opening of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Simple, short
sentences
creating tension.
A crime fiction
convention.
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Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW
It was seven minutes after midnight. The dog was lying on the
grass in the middle of the lawn in front of Mrs. Shear’s house. Its
Objective
descriptions in the
past tense
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
Disjunction
‘but’ introduces
the mystery
and the
dilemma.
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
Blunt tone
conveyed
through
objective
simple
sentence
decided that the dog was probably killed with the fork because I
could not see any other wounds in the dog and I did not think
you would stick a garden fork into a dog after it had died for
First person
establishes
Christopher as the
narrator
some other reason, like cancer, for example, or a road accident.
But I could not be certain about this.
Activity Sheet 2a:
Extracts from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
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The policeman looked at me for a while without speaking. Then he said, 'I am arresting you for assaulting a police officer.'
This made me feel a lot calmer because it is what policeman say on television and in films.
Then he said, 'I strongly advise you to get into the back of the police car because if you try any of that monkey-business
again, you little shit, I will seriously lose my rag. Is that understood?'
I walked over to the police car which was parked just outside the gate. He opened the back door and I got inside. He
climbed into the driver's seat and made a call on his radio to the policewoman who was still inside the house. He said,
'The little bugger just had a pop at me, Kate. Can you hang on with Mrs S while I drop him off at the station? I'll get Tony
to swing by and pick you up.'
And she said, 'Sure. I'll catch you later.'
The policeman said, 'Okey-doke,' and we drove off.
The police car smelt of hot plastic and aftershave and take-away chips.
I watched the sky as we drove towards the town centre. It was a clear night and you could see the Milky Way.
Some people think the Milky Way is a long line of stars, but it isn't. Our galaxy is a huge disc of stars millions of light years
across and the solar system is somewhere near the outside edge of the disc.
When you look in direction A, at 90º to the disc, you don't see many stars. But when you look in direction B, you see lots
more stars because you are looking into the main body of the galaxy, and because the galaxy is a disc you see a stripe of
stars.
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And then I thought about how, for a long time scientists were puzzled by the fact that the sky is dark at night, even though
there are billions of stars in the universe and there must be stars in every direction you look, so that the sky should be full
of starlight because there is very little in the way to stop the light reaching earth.
Then they worked out that the universe was expanding, that the stars were all rushing away from one another after the
Big Bang, and the further the stars were away from us the faster they were moving, some of them nearly as fast as the
speed of light, which was why their light never reached us.
I like this fact. It is something you can work out in your own mind just by looking at the sky above your head at night and
thinking without having to ask anyone.
And when the universe has finished exploding all the stars will slow down, like a ball that has been thrown into the air, and
they will come to a halt and they will all begin to fall towards the centre of the universe again. And then there will be
nothing to stop us seeing all the stars in the world because they will all be moving towards us, gradually faster and faster,
and we will know that the world is going to end soon because when we look up into the sky at night there will be no
darkness, just the blazing light of billions and billions of stars, all falling.
Except that no one will see this because there will be no people left on the earth to see it. They will probably have become
extinct by then. And even if there are people still in existence they will not see it because the light will be so bright and hot
that everyone will be burnt to death, even if they live in tunnels.
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This is a murder mystery novel.
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Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW
Siobhan said that I should write something I would want to read myself. Mostly I read books about science and maths. I
do not like proper novels. In proper novels people say things like, 'I am veined with iron, with silver and with streaks of
common mud. I cannot contract into the firm fist which those clench who do not depend on stimulus’. What does this
mean? I do not know. Nor does Father. Nor do Siobhan or Mr Jeavons. I have asked them.
Siobhan has long blonde hair and wears glasses which are made of green plastic. And Mr Jeavons smells of soap and
wears brown shoes that have approximately 60 tiny circular holes in each of them.
But I do like murder mystery novels. So I am writing a murder mystery novel.
In a murder mystery novel someone has to work out who the murderer is and then catch them. It is a puzzle. If it is a good
puzzle you can sometimes work out the answer before the end of the book.
Siobhan said that the book should begin with something to grab people's attention. That is why I started with the dog. I
also started with the dog because it happened to me and I find it hard to imagine things which did not happen to me.
Siobhan read the first page and said that it was different. She put this word into inverted commas by making the wiggly
quotation sign with her first and second fingers. She said that it was usually people who were killed in murder mystery
novels. I said that two dogs were killed in The Hound of the Baskervilles, the hound itself and James Mortimer's spaniel,
but Siobhan said they weren't the victims of the murder, Sir Charles Baskerville was. She said that this was because
readers cared more about people than dogs, so if a person was killed in the book readers would want to carry on reading.
I said that I wanted to write about something real and I knew people who had died but I did not know any people who had
been killed, except Edward's father from school, Mr Paulson, and that was a gliding accident, not murder, and I didn't
really know him. I also said that I cared about dogs because they were faithful and honest, and some dogs were cleverer
and more interesting than some people. Steve, for example, who comes to centre on Thursdays, needs help to eat his
food and could not even fetch a stick. Siobhan asked me not to say this to Steve's mother.
Activity Sheet 2b: Questions:
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1. Describe the dialogue used in this extract. Look at the choice of words, structure of the sentences, the register and
the modality. Also consider what is left unsaid by the character/s. What does it tell you about the character/s?
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2. Describe the structure of the sentences in the extract. Do they help create the atmosphere? Why are they so
clipped and simple?
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3. What impression of the character/s and setting is created by the composer’s use language features in the extract
such as: first person, colloquial register, technical language, similes, word choice, visual iconography, etc.
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4. Rewrite one of the paragraphs from the extract changing the perspective, the tone and the mood, such as the
policeman’s perspective.
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Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW
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Week 2: ‘He just has to say, I enjoy Sherlock Holmes stories and I'll try to do something similar to that. It was that. That
was the biggest puzzle for the book. When I solved that, I began to see how I could shape the story’ Haddon.
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Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW
Syllabus
content
1.1
1.2
1.4
Quality Teaching
Deep
knowledge:
Exploration of
one of the key
features of the
novel - setting
4.1
4.2
7.1
Metalanguage:
Use of language
features to
describe and
analyse the text
10.1
Substantive
communication:
Responding at
length to the
textual details
and features of
the novel
Metalanguage:
Analysing the
textual features
of the novel
using the correct
terms
Learning and teaching activities
Lesson 1: Close Study of the Novel - Setting
For this Module you are expected in the HSC exam to demonstrate a close, detailed
understanding of the novel. To prepare you for this challenge you need to make notes as
you read the novel on the main features of the novel. During this lesson we are going to
focus on the setting and the language features that create and convey the setting.
Setting
Haddon said that ‘Every life is narrow. Our only escape is not to run away, but to learn to
love the people we are and the world in which we find ourselves.’ Christopher finds himself
in an ordinary town – Swindon, on the railway line between Bristol and the chaotic city of
London in 1998. The landscape is dominated by the chalk hills of the Wiltshire Downs to the
south and east. Christopher’s favourite detective Sherlock Holmes ate lunch in the town in
the short story ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery’.
Find one description of the setting of Swindon and one of London, and complete the
following questions: See Resource Sheet 2
1. How does Christopher respond to Swindon and London? In your response refer to
the language features and details that convey the settings. You could refer to:
a. Poetic devices: metaphors, similes, alliteration, sibilants, assonance,
onomatopoeia, personification, etc
b. Contrast
c. Word choice: lyrical, emotive, informative, etc,
d. Syntax: simple, compound, complex and fractured or truncated sentences
2. Why does Christopher feel so confused and lost in London?
3. What is the significance of the setting in the novel?
4. In week 1 you wrote the opening of a story, now create a setting for your story.
Carefully select the imagery and language features and think about how the character
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you selected to be the narrator of your story moves in this setting. Are they
comfortable or uneasy in this setting? Write two to three paragraphs.
6.4
Deep
knowledge:
Focus on key
aspects of the
novel
Metalanguage:
Analysing the
textual features
of the novel
using the correct
terms
SWINDON
Lessons 2 - 3: Close Study of the Novel – Key Incidents
The key incidents in a novel direct the story, reveal sequentially more about the characters
and spark our interest and shape our response to the novel and the characters. Your task is
to create a time-line of key incidents in the novel as you read it in a word document or
power point and then choose three key incidents that you consider to be significant and
hyperlink through to an explanation of why you selected these incidents - include key
quotes.
Your explanation could include:
 How this incident conveys a character’s personality, values, relationships with others
and/or attitude to life and people.
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4.1
4.2
Deep
knowledge:
Focus on key
aspects of the
novel
6.4
 How the incident advances the story and/or adds to the mystery.
 How you personally respond to the incident.
Lesson 4: Structure, Form and Genre
‘Prime numbers are useful for writing codes and in America they are classed as Military
Material and if you find one over 100 digits long you would have to tell the CIA and they buy
it off you for $10,000’ Christopher p. 12.
Structure
Metalanguage:
Analysing the
textual features
of the novel
using the correct
terms
The novel has an unusual structure and form such as: all of the chapters are prime numbers
– Christopher’s favourite numbers, the odd page numbers, the use of emoticons,
orthography and graphics to represent Christopher’s view of the world and his choice of an
unconventional narrator.
Genre
The crime fiction genre is evident; however, this genre has been subverted by having an
autistic, Mathematics savant 15-year old boy as the detective. Crime fiction conventions
such as: the puzzle, mystery, red herrings, suspect, clues and the isolated detective who is
flawed are all present. The references to Sherlock Holmes and the curious incident of the
dog (this occurred in the story ‘Sliver Blaze’) amplify this connection.
Activities
Complete Activity Sheet 3.
Activity Sheet 3
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1. Complete the following table providing examples from the novel:
Structure, Form and Genre
Feature
Example from the Novel
Effect
Emoticons
(Symbols used to convey
emotional content)
Orthography
(Using capitals, italics, bold,
etc for key words that express
emotions or feelings)
Mysteries
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Red Herrings
(Clues or incidents that are
used to mislead the reader and
suspect someone or something
else)
Clues
2. Why has Haddon used the crime fiction genre and created such an unusual detective?
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Week 3: ‘Use your imagination, and you'll see that even the most narrow, humdrum lives are infinite in scope if you
examine them with enough care’ Haddon.
Syllabus
content
1.4
4.1
4.2
6.3
Quality Teaching
Substantive
communication:
Classroom
discussion
focused on
characterisation
and narrative
voice
Learning and teaching activities
Lessons 1 - 2: Close Study of the Text – Characterisation & Narrative Voice
‘Here is a narrator who seems to be hugely ill-equipped for writing a book he can't
understand metaphor, he can't understand other people's emotions, he misses the
bigger picture and yet it makes him incredibly well suited to narrating a book. He never
explains too much. He never tries to persuade the reader to feel about things this way
or that way; he just kind of paints this picture and says, "Make of it what you will."
Which is a kind of writing that many writers are searching for all the time” Haddon.
6.4
7.1
10.1
Deep knowledge: Class Discussion
Focus on two key
Record your responses to the following questions and then share them with the class:
aspects of the
novel
1. Do you agree with Haddon that Christopher makes an ideal narrator? Present
three reasons to support your opinion.
Problematic
2. Christopher has a ‘quiet dignity, the nobility of someone unable to process the
knowledge:
evasive shifts and contradictory movements of human interaction in what most
Consideration of
of us deem the ‘real’ world’ Mark Haddon. Discuss how Christopher responds
different
to three people in the novel.
perspectives
3. Describe Christopher’s narrative voice and how you personally respond to it.
Refer to:
Metalanguage:
a. The attention to detail in the telling.
Analysing the
b. His use of emotive and at times angry words.
textual features
c. The imagery that is used to describe how he would rather be alone.
of the novel
d. The use of simple sentences.
using the correct
e. Repetition at the beginning of sentences such as ‘Then..’
terms
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Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW
4. How do you feel about Christopher’s parents? Account for their actions towards
their son such as the father lying to him and hitting him and the mother leaving
him.
5. Read the following quote by Christopher and then discuss what it tells you
about him and how it makes you feel about him? ‘because I'd be surrounded by
lots of the things I like, which are machines and computers and outer space.
And I would be able to look out of a little window in the spacecraft and know
that there was no one else near me for thousands and thousands of miles’.’
Activity 1
Complete the table on Characterisation on Activity Sheet 4.
Activity 2
1.4
4.1
4.2
6.3
6.4
You will be placed in team of two and your team’s task is to persuade the class that
the character you have been allocated from the novel is the most appealing and
engaging in the novel. You have 15 minutes to brainstorm some ideas and find at
least three quotes from the novel to support your argument. You then have 2 minutes
to persuade the class.
Deep knowledge: Lessons 3 - 4: Ideas
Focus on two key
aspects of the
‘It's about how little separates us from those we turn away from in the street. It's about
novel
how badly we communicate with one another. It's about accepting that every life is
narrow and that our only escape from this is not to run away (to another country,
another relationship, a slimmer, more confident self) but to learn to love the people we
Higher-order
are and the world in which we find ourselves’ Mark Haddon.
thinking:
Synthesising the http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2004/apr/11/booksforchildrenandteenagers.features3
aspects of the
novel to arrive at
an understanding Class Discussion and Mind Maps
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7.1
10.1
of its key ideas
Substantive
communication:
Deep and
extensive
discussion on the
key ideas of the
text
One of the most important aspects of your close study of a novel is that you
understand and can discuss in an extended response the key ideas. We will be
brainstorming a range of key ideas and analyzing why these ideas are important and
how we know that they are key ideas in the novel. These are just some examples of
the ideas in the novel:






The importance of honest open communication, acceptance and trust in
relationships
The difficulties of raising a child with a disability
How being different can isolate you in society
The importance of order and stability in our lives
The complexity of human emotions, motives, actions and relationships
Humanity’s fascination with mystery and puzzles
Activity 1
Complete the table provided on Activity Sheet 5 by referring to the following aspects:
a. The four key ideas
b. A description of how these ideas are conveyed in the novel by the incidents and
actions that occur
c. A description of how the character/s and their actions and/or attitudes and/or
relationships contribute to these key ideas
d. One or more quotes that reflect these ideas
e. Your personal response to the key ideas
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Activity Sheet 4
Complete the following table using details and quotes from the novel:
Character
Actions/Attitude/V
alues Relationship
with others
Characterisation
(Textual features
and details that
help to construct
and convey the
character)
Personal
Response to the
Character
Key Quotes from
the Novel
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Christopher
Boone
Ed Boone
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Judy Boone
Siobhan
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Mrs Shears
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Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW
Activity Sheet 5
Select four key ideas and complete the following table:
Key Ideas
Incidents/Actions
that reflect this
idea
Characters related
to this idea and
how they are
related
Key Quotes from
the Novel
Personal
Response to the
Ideas
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Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW
Weeks 4 - 5: Digging Deeper: ‘And I would be able to look out of a little window in the spacecraft and know that
there was no one else near me for thousands and thousands of miles’ Christopher.
Syllabus
content
1.1
1.2
1.4
Quality Teaching
Deep knowledge:
Focus on the
significant aspect
of composing an
integrated
response using a
Learning and teaching activities
Lessons 1-8: Close Study of the Text
Group Work:
To continue the close study of the novel you will be working with a team of three on
one of the following tasks:
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Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW
4.1
thesis or a line of
argument

Higher-order
thinking:
Synthesising
aspects of the
novel into a
response
The local radio station will be broadcasting a 3 minute interview with
the author of the novel you are studying. Your team can compose the
transcript for the interview or actually record the interview. The
interview must include references to the author’s context, and the
novel’s key issues and why they are relevant to today’s society.

Deep
understanding:
Demonstration of
deep
understanding of
key aspects of the
novel
After the radio interview with the author, the presenter invites listeners
to comment on the novel and present their personal perspective of the
novel. The team can compose the transcript for the responses or
record the responses. At least two of the callers must have alternative
perspective of the novel. The segment should be no longer than 3
minutes.

When you visit Amazon or any other site that sells and includes
reviews of novels, there are usually several short reviews by different
people. Your team has to provide at least three short reviews. One of
the reviewers must present a different perspective of the novel.

Research one of the key ideas or themes in the novel and present a
report or a poster or a pamphlet on this issue. Include evidence of
research and any articles the team found that are connected to this
issue. E.g. In 2004, a Ballina mother killed her son because she could
no longer cope with his autism. This is relevant to the issue of parents
coping with children with autism in the novel The Curious Incident of
the Dog in the Night-time.

Select a character and/or a key incident or idea from the novel and as
a team compose a visual representation that includes images and
quotes from the novel. You could create a poster, a diorama, a model,
a Power Point presentation, etc.
4.2
6.3
6.4
7.1
10.1
Substantive
communication:
Responding at
length to an
aspect of the
novel
Problematic
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Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW
knowledge:
Consideration of
different
perspectives

Imagine that three of the minor characters have been invited to
present their perspective of what happened in the novel or of a key
incident that occurred in the novel. Each member of the team is to
represent the characters in a written response of 250 words.

Select an extract from the novel that would interest people in reading
the novel, and record it on tape adding sound effects and appropriate
voices. The extract should be no more than 5 minutes long. In a 200
word report justify the team’s choice of sounds and voices, and
explain why this extract would invite interest in the novel.
You will have five lessons to work as a team preparing the task and three lessons
to present the task to the rest of the class.
Week 6: ‘If you enjoy math and you write novels, it's very rare that you'll get a chance to put your math into a novel. I
leapt at the chance’ Mark Haddon.
Syllabus
content
1.3
1.5
4.3
Quality Teaching
Narrative:
Composing an
imaginative
response to the
novel
Learning and teaching activities
Lessons 1-2: Responding Imaginatively to the Novel
One of the Module’s requirements is that you respond imaginatively to the novel. Select
one of the following tasks and compose an imaginative response:

A journal entry by Ed Boone that records his response to his mistreatment of
Christopher: hitting Christopher and lying to him.
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6.3

An interior monologue by Judy Boone contemplating her relationship with
Christopher and her reasons for leaving her child.

Read Christopher’s descriptions of the Milky Way and his reasons for wanting to
be an astronaut. Compose your own description of a place you would like to be
using a similar style to Haddon.

Compose a short newspaper article or a brief television news item based on a key
incident in the text.

Free choice negotiated with the teacher.
7.2
10.3
Substantive
communication:
Composing an
extended
imaginative
response to the
novel
Key Points:

6.3
7.1
10.2
10.3
Deep
understanding:
Focus on the
development of a
thesis
Higher-order
thinking:
Developing a
conceptual
approach to the
novel by creating
Focus on the craft of writing: paragraphing, sentence structure, language features
and punctuation.
 Re-read the relevant sections of the novel to ensure that your imaginative text
captures the intent and key ideas.
Lessons 3 - 4: Developing a Line of Argument or Thesis
In Paper 2 Section II of your HSC examination you are required to compose an extended
response to a set question that requires you to respond to your prescribed text – The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Your responses should be defined by your
own thesis or line of argument connected to the question and your personal
understanding of the novel.
Your extended response is integrated through your thesis or line of argument and the
way that you use the novel’s textual details to support, challenge and develop your
response to the set question.
In the next two lessons we will be exploring the theses or lines of argument that you
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Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW
a thesis
could develop in response to your novel.
Thesis or Line of Argument
Background
knowledge:
Connection to
prior knowledge of
expositions and
discussion essays
A thesis or line of argument should reflect your perspective and understanding of the
novel and its key ideas. It will be used to shape and direct your extended response and
will be supported and/or challenged by the textual details and features that you use from
the novel.
In the past you would have been required to compose an exposition – an argument that
presented your point of view on a topic. You had to employ topic sentences that
furthered your line of argument and were supported by your main points and examples.
The other type of text that you would have written would have been a discussion essay
that also presented a line of argument, but included a consideration of both sides of the
argument before arriving at a conclusion.
The integrated response can take a variety of forms such as a speech or a formal essay
but the response must still develop and sustain a thesis or line of argument like the
exposition and discussion essay. Topic sentences that introduce the main idea of a
paragraph/s are still significant features of the structure of the synthesis response. They
are a signal or a signpost to the reader that your response is cohesive, logical and that
your line of argument is sustained.
Brainstorming Lines of Arguments Together
As a class develop a range of lines of argument that could be used in response to the
following questions:

Imagine that you have been asked to justify why the prescribed text The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time should remain on the 2009-12 Prescribed
Text list despite Haddon’s use of expletives.
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
One of the main ideas of the prescribed text The Curious Incident of the Dog in
the Night-Time is that honesty is important in relationships. Do you agree?

In what ways does the author draw you into the world of the novel? (2006 HSC
Question)

Identify a key episode in your prescribed text. Analyse the ways in which this key
episode reflects both the ideas and characteristics of the text as a whole. (2005
HSC Question)
Developing and Sustaining a Thesis
Select two of the questions and create two mind maps that include a number of points or
ideas that further the lines of arguments developed. This could be done as a class with
one of the lines of argument provided and then independently with one of your own. The
mind map links to the thesis should be textual details from the novel such as: key
incidents, character’s actions, setting references, key quotes, etc.
Week 7: Deepening the Knowledge: ‘My book has a very simple surface, but there are layers of irony and paradox all
the way through it’ Haddon.
Syllabus
content
1.1
1.4
4.1
4.2
Quality Teaching
Substantive
communication:
Composing an
extended
response
focused on the
novel
Learning and teaching activities
Lessons 1 - 3: Composing an Extended Response
Now that you have worked on developing a thesis or line of argument and to further deepen
your understanding of your novel you will be responding to the following question in two
lessons. One lesson will be spent planning and developing a thesis and finding key quotes
and the novel’s textual details and features you need to respond critically and effectively to
the question. The second lesson will be spent composing the response, and the third lesson
will be spent refining and editing the response with the help of a peer.
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6.3
6.4
7.1
Higher-order
thinking:
Developing and
sustaining a
thesis
10.2
10.3
1.1
1.4
4.1
Deep
understanding:
Close study of
the novel and its
key aspects
6.3
Select a character from your novel, and discuss why you found this character interesting or
uninteresting.
In your response, refer to:
- The character’s personality, attitudes, actions and relationships with others
- What the character experienced in the novel
- Key issue/s raised by the character
- The language features used to represent this character
- What the dialogue used by the character revealed
- Your personal response to the character and how it is influenced by your context
Ensure that you include:
- Textual details such as quotes and references to the novel
(See Resource Sheet 1)
Lesson 4: Feedback from the Marking Centre
Deep
knowledge:
Focus on the key Read the feedback from the 2007 Marking Centre and apply what it tells you about the
aspects of a
qualities of good scripts to your essay. Use the key comments to make any further changes
good response
or refinements to your response.
4.2
4.3
Question
“When we read novels we encounter interesting characters who invite our empathy and
understanding.”
Background
knowledge:
Connecting
feedback from
Better responses demonstrated a deep understanding of an idea or related ideas,
drawing on detailed textual knowledge. They were thorough, fluently expressed and
well structured.
Better responses also reflected a personal perspective. This may have been expressed
explicitly in the first person or in the more academic impersonal style where the sense of
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6.4
7.1
10.2
the Marking
Centre to what
has been taught
in class and
developed by the
students
personal response may have been implicit.
Selectivity was the key to success. Candidates who were able to select appropriate textual
evidence – and explain why – were the most successful. The type of evidence chosen
varied from scene, to quote, to incident. Weaker responses tended to rely on retell and
assertion rather than argument.
Stronger responses used the metalanguage appropriate to their text type. Weaker
responses reflected an inability to move beyond retelling and were unable to move beyond
identification of terms and simple examples.
Candidates who clearly understood the purpose of their texts were able to demonstrate
conceptual understanding and respond personally.
Many responses limited themselves to the beginning of the text and consequently did not
show the development of an idea throughout the novel.
Resource Sheet 1: Suggested Approach to the Question
“When we read novels we encounter interesting characters who invite our empathy and understanding.”
Select a character from your novel, and discuss why you found this character interesting or uninteresting.
In your response, refer to:
- The character’s personality, attitudes, actions and relationships with others
- What the character experienced in the novel
- Key issue/s raised by the character
- The language features used to represent this character
- What the dialogue used by the character revealed
- Your personal response to the character.
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Suggested Scaffold: (This is just a suggestion and does not have to be used.)
Paragraph 1: Introduce the character and briefly outline why you found this character interesting or uninteresting.
Introduce your line of argument or thesis. E.g. “I could not imagine how difficult it would be to cope with a disability like
autism and the loss of my mother; yet Mark Haddon in his novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
sensitively and authentically enabled me to experience what this would be like through his interesting character
Christopher. The first person narrative transported me into Christopher’s world and enabled me to experience how he
perceived the world and the people in it. The humour and the pathos, and the crime fiction genre ensured that I was
thoroughly engaged in this moving novel and its intriguing character.”
Paragraph 2 - 3: Describe the character and how Haddon managed to create such an interesting character – continuing
your thesis: appearance, age, personality and your initial reaction to the character. (Mention the influence of your context.)
Refer to the language features used to represent the character and convey meaning such as: dialogue, first person
narrative, stream of consciousness, imagery, etc. Use quotes from the novel.
Paragraph 4 - 5: Describe the character’s relationship with other characters, and your response to these other characters
and their relationship with the character you are discussing. Further your thesis by stating how the exploration and
representation of these relationships ensured that Christopher was an interesting character. Refer to language features
used to represent these relationships and include quotes from the novel.
Paragraph 6 - 7: Discuss what happens to the character by referring to one or more key incidents in the novel. Include
how you felt about what happened and how the character acted. Further your thesis by stating how the representation of
these incidents added to your interest in the character. (Your context could be referred to here.) Include quotes from the
novel and refer to the language features.
Paragraph 8 - 9: Discuss the key ideas or themes raised by the character and your personal response to these issues or
themes. Further your thesis by discussing how the presentation of these key ideas ensured that the character had depth
and appeal.
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Paragraph 10: Conclude by giving your personal response to the character by the end of the novel. Refer to your thesis
and how you personally found the character interesting and why.
Variations:
- You may argue that the main character was not interesting and did not invite empathy. Ensure that you are able to
support this argument.
Weeks 9 -10: Refining your understanding: ‘Knew there was a story; once you find a dog with a fork through it,
you know there's a story there’ Haddon.
Syllabus
content
1.1
1.4
4.1
4.2
Quality Teaching
Learning and teaching activities
Deep
Lesson 1: Effective Delivery of an Speaking Task
understanding:
Focus on the key Remember that your assessment task is a speaking task so you need to focus on:
aspects of
effective
 Stance
speeches
 Body language: facial expressions, gestures and eye contact
 Intonation
 Pitch and pace
Background
 Enunciation
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6.3
6.4
7.1
10.2
knowledge:
Connecting prior
knowledge of
effective
speeches to
demands of
speaking task

Emphasis
Engage your audience! This does not happen when you READ your notes. If you need to
refer to notes put a few key points on palm cards.
Impromptu Speaking
10.3
To practice these aspects of effective speaking tasks you will be allocated a topic related top
the novel. You have to speak for one minute on one of the following topics.
1.1
 The mystery in the novel
 Christopher’s love of prime numbers
 Siobhan’s care and support for Christopher
 His father’s lie about his mother
 Christopher’s mother’s boyfriend
 Mrs Shears’ relationship with Christopher’s father
 How Christopher got to London without getting lost
 Why Christopher wants to be in space
 Christopher’s career choice
 Christopher’s relationship with Siobhan
 The death of Wellington
 The policeman’s reaction to Christopher at the start of the novel
 The fight between Christopher and his father
 Christopher’s disability
Lessons 2 – 4: Preparation for Assessment Task and Revision
1.4
4.1
Substantive
communication:
Composing an
extended
response to the
novel

Spend time refining your assessment task and seeking clarification and advice from
your teacher.

To revise your work and prepare for the Trial and HSC exam complete the following
tasks:
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4.2
Exercises
4.3
6.3
6.4
7.1
Higher-order
thinking:
Composing an
extended
response that is
coherently linked
by a clear thesis
1. Create a mind map and then compose the opening paragraph to the following questions
focusing on presenting a strong line of argument or thesis:
‘The opening of a novel is very important as it must capture the interest of the reader and set
the scene for what is to follow.’
Discuss the opening of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and its
importance.
10.2
10.3
Distinctive ideas are at the heart of every novel. In your view, what is a distinctive idea
explored in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time? Explain how this idea is
developed throughout the novel. (HSC 2007 question)
2. Select one of the tasks and compose the complete extended response.
1.1
1.4
4.1
Substantive
communication:
Delivery of a
speech on the
key aspects of
the novel
3. Compose an original imaginative task based on an aspect of the novel. You could refine
or develop one of the earlier tasks we did in class.
Lessons 5-8: Delivery of Speaking Tasks
Assessment tasks to be delivered this week. All written copies of notes or entire speech to
be submitted at the start of week 10.
4.2
4.3
Deep
understanding:
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6.3
6.4
7.1
10.2
10.3
Speaking at
length and indepth on the
character of
Christopher and
the textual
details and
features that
represented him
Resource 2: TEXTUAL FEATURES
The following are just some of the language features that you could consider when you are analysing a text:
Form – purpose, and features of a text influence the construction of a text and will suggest its structure
Level of Usage of Language – slang, colloquial, informal or formal
Person: 1st (I or we), 2nd (you) or 3rd (he, she or they)
Word Choice or Diction – emotive, forceful, factual, descriptive, blunt, graphic, disturbing, informative, etc eg. The
writer’s use of forceful verbs such as ‘insist’ and ‘demand’ can be very persuasive
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Tone – conveys how the attitude of a writer, how s/he feels – angry, concerned, sad, objective, emotional, etc. (Refer to
feeling words) The tone will influence the choice of words
Syntax - Sentence structure - short, simple sentences or truncated (fractured) sentences create tension, haste or
urgency; compound or complex sentences are slower and often feature in a formal text
Symbolism –adds layers of meaning can have a powerful impact
Icons- a single person, object or image that represents complex ideas and feelings
Repetition- of words or syntax (order of words) for emphasis and persuasion
Contrast – paradox, antithesis, oxymoron, juxtaposition, etc
Humour – incongruity, parody, satire, exaggeration, irony, puns, etc.
Gaps and Silences – what is not said; whose voice is not heard and whose voice dominates?
Alliteration: repetition of the consonants at the start of words in a sentence or phrase
Consonance: repetition of the consonants throughout a sentence of phrase
Disjunction: A conjunction such as ‘but’ or ‘yet’ that dramatically interrupts the rhythm of a sentence
Ellipsis: a dramatic pause (…). It can create tension or even suggest that there are some words that cannot be spoken.
Emotive Language: words that stir the reader’s emotions
Exclamation: exclamatory sentence ending in an exclamation mark to convey high emotion
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Fractured or Truncated Sentences: incomplete sentences that increase tension or urgency or reflect the way people
speak to each other
Imagery: vivid pictures are created by words. The reader can be transported to another place and time or visualise a
character clearly
Imperative Voice: forceful use of the verb at the start of a sentence or phrase
Juxtaposition: layering images/scenes to have a dramatic impact
Linear: sequential – in order
Metaphor: a comparison between two objects when one becomes the other. It adds further layers of meaning about the
object being compared.
Modality: the force the words are delivered at. High modality is forceful and low modality is gentle.
Non-Linear: non-sequential narrative
Onomatopoeia: a word that echoes the sound it represents. The reader can hear what is happening in the scene.
Personification: giving human characteristics to a non-human. Inanimate objects take on a life of their own.
Perspective: a way of looking at individuals, issues, events, texts, facts and so on.
Plosive Consonants: using harsh sounds in a sentence or phrase
Representation: how a composer conveys meaning through textual features and details
Setting: location of a story – internal and external
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Sibilants: repetition of the consonant ‘s’ – can make a line sound melodious and sweet or cold and icy
Simile: when two objects are compared using ‘like’ or ‘as’
Tense: present tense – set in the present. Past tense – set in the past. Future tense – the events are predicted.
Theme: message or moral of a story. Themes make us ponder the big issues in life.
Standard Module B: Assessment Task 1
Weighting: Speaking – 15%
Outcomes to be assessed:
1. A student demonstrates understanding of how relationships between composer, responder, text and context shape
meaning.
4. A student describes and analyses the ways that language forms and features, and structures of texts shape meaning
and influence responses.
6. A student engages with the details of text in order to respond critically and personally.
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7. A student selects appropriate language forms and features, and structures of texts to explore and express ideas and
values.
10. A student analyses and synthesises information and ideas into sustained and logical argument for a range of
purposes and audiences.
Nature of the Task
Imagine that you are Mark Haddon delivering a presentation at the Sydney Writers’ Festival about his representation of
Christopher. He discusses:




Christopher’s disability, role as a detective, behaviour, actions, relationships and values
How he used language features and form to represent Christopher
One or two key incidents in the novel and why they are significant in terms of his representation of Christopher
His one context and what he was trying to achieve.
Duration of Speech: 3 - 4 minutes
Expectations
You will be assessed on how well you:




Closely engage with the textual details of the novel using quotes and direct references to the novel
Describe and analyse the language features, form and structure of the novel
Demonstrate understanding of a text’s distinctive qualities and how these shape meaning
Organise, develop and express ideas using language appropriate to audience, purpose and form - DO NOT READ
THE SPEECH – make eye contact, and be expressive.
Purpose
The purpose of this assessment task is to:
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Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW


Further develop your understanding of the importance of closely engaging with the details of a text
Prepare you for the challenging demands of the HSC exam
Module B: Standard English Close Study of Text
MARKING GUIDELINES
Criteria








Demonstrates an insightful and well developed understanding of the textual features and ideas of
the novel supported by close textual analysis
Composes and delivers a skilful speech using language appropriate to audience, purpose and form
Describes and analyses skillfully the language features, form and structure of the novel
Demonstrates insightful understanding of a text’s distinctive qualities and how these shape meaning
Demonstrates a thoughtful understanding of the textual features and ideas of the novel supported by
close textual analysis
Composes and delivers an effective speech using language appropriate to audience, purpose and
form
Describes and analyses effectively the language features, form and structure of the novel
Demonstrates thoughtful understanding of a text’s distinctive qualities and how these shape
Marks
15 - 13
12 - 10
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Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW
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meaning
Demonstrates a sound understanding of the textual features and ideas of the novel supported by
close textual analysis
Composes and delivers a sound speech using language appropriate to audience, purpose and form
Describes and analyses soundly the language features, form and structure of the novel
Demonstrates sound understanding of a text’s distinctive qualities and how these shape meaning
Demonstrates a limited understanding of the textual features and ideas of the novel supported by
limited textual analysis
Composes and delivers a limited speech using language appropriate to audience, purpose and form
Describes in a limited fashion the language features, form and structure of the novel
Demonstrates limited understanding of a text’s distinctive qualities and how these shape meaning
Demonstrates elementary understanding of some of the textual features and ideas of the novel
supported by some or no textual analysis
Composes and delivers an elementary speech using simple language
Some or no reference to language forms and features, and structures of texts
9-7
6-4
3-0
Resources
Author Profile, http://www.jubileebooks.co.uk/jubilee/magazine/authors/mark_haddon/haddon_profile.asp
Biography and critical discussion of the novel,
http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth3e38026813f8c194e5nnw1cf3087
E Book version of the Novel, http://www.scribd.com/doc/263258/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-night-time
Interview with Haddon,
http://www.powells.com/biblio?show=HARDCOVER:USED:9780385512107:8.95&page=authorqa#page
Interview with Haddon, http://www.powells.com/authors/haddon.html
Interview with Mark Haddon, http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2004/apr/11/booksforchildrenandteenagers.features3
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Karen Yager NSR Professional Learning and Leadership Coordinator & UNSW
Mark Haddon’s Site, http://www.markhaddon.com/
Study Guide,
http://thebestnotes.com/booknotes/Curious_Incident_Dog_Night_Time_Haddon/Curious_Incident_Study_Guide01.html
Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curious_Incident_of_the_Dog_in_the_Night-time
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