COMPULSORY TASK:

Preparation for writing the course work:

You have already chosen a topic that reflects your personal interests and studied a non-fiction text that relates to your chosen topic. For the Summer Task, you must study a fiction text that relates to your chosen topic too, before producing your own piece of creative fiction writing in September. Remember that your texts must be complete texts and may be selected from genres of fiction such as prose fiction, poetry, drama and short stories. 

Later in Year 13, you will also be required to write an analytical commentary, explaining your decisions, the influence of your studied texts, the links and connections between your studied texts and your written pieces, and how your writing has been influenced by your wider reading and research:

• the ways in which writers use and adapt language, form and structure in texts; 
• the interpretation of texts by different readers, including over time; 
• how texts relate to literary traditions, movements and genres; 
• the cultural and contextual influences on readers and writers. 

Take notes on:

• themes: how a theme is treated across periods and genres;
• a literary tradition;
• an aspect of form, structure and language, e.g. use of imagery/ dialogue/narration, across periods and genres;
• how meanings and effects are created and conveyed in each text;
• the ways in which each text relates to the contexts in which they are produced and received;
• the effectiveness of each text for different audiences and purposes, (informed by wide reading).

You will submit and discuss your notes with your English teachers in September.

If you have any questions, please email m.morris@springwoodhighschool.co.uk

 

OPTIONAL EXTENSION:

Commentary:

Students will produce an analytical commentary to accompany their original writing. In their commentary, students will reflect on the writing process for both pieces.

They should evaluate:

• the findings of their initial research into the topic and texts
• the influence of their studied texts and how they are reflected in their written pieces
• the linguistic and literary features used in the style models that they have adopted in their own writing
• the language choices they made, through the drafting process, to achieve effects appropriate to the chosen function and target audience.

Students should ensure that any texts and other sources used are accurately referenced.

Advisory word counts:

Total for assessment: 2500–3250 words.

• Assignment 1 total: 1500–2000 words (Fiction and non-fiction writing)
• Assignment 2 total: 1000–1250 words (Commentary)

The assessment consists of 60 marks – 36 marks for the original writing pieces and 24 marks for the commentary.

Advice:

The commentary is an important part of the coursework process and is worth 24 of the 60 marks for the coursework component. It provides students with the opportunity to reflect and comment on their own work. 

The key areas to be covered are: 

• an introduction referencing the topic and stimulus texts, providing a clear rationale for the choice of tasks. 
• an analysis of key characteristics of the text(s) which influenced the student’s own writing. 
• an analysis of the significant linguistic and literary techniques used by the student in the crafting of the two creative tasks. 

Ideally, comparison of the two creative tasks should be integrated throughout the commentary. 

There is no specific formula for writing the commentary as each one should be different depending on the core text(s), the theme, chosen genres and the intentions of the writer. However, the main areas that all commentaries need to cover are: 

• genre, audience and purpose 
• form, structure and language 
• the relationship between the student’s creative tasks and the stimulus texts. 

Although there is no formula, there are some pitfalls which students should try to avoid: 

• lengthy explanations of the research undertaken 
• anecdotal accounts of what was done in preparation 
• long quotations from stimulus texts
• too much focus on minor secondary stimulus material
• identifying literary and linguistic techniques but failing to effectively link them to the specific use in the creative tasks
• self-evaluation by the student – e.g. ‘I think I have been successful’.

Your Commentary: See the examples of good practice in the task document (click here) and the Component 3 coursework folder, which achieved full marks, in Google Classroom.

1. Introduction - should say what your theme was and the relationship to your writing of the texts you read. How your reading influenced your writing. You need to say something about genre, audience and purpose either here or later.
2. Write a paragraph on one of your writing tasks (fiction or non-fiction)– ensure you write about form, structure and language choices you made influenced by your stimulus text. Use similarly or in contrast to link paragraphs
3. Write a paragraph on your other writing task (Fiction or non-fiction) again discuss the form, structure and language choices you made influenced by your stimulus text
4. Continue to integrate your two pieces of writing – if you have chosen to do something in both write about them both in that (or those) paragraphs.
5. Avoid the pitfalls detailed above.

What to look for in the text document