Skellig - David Almond

How is the reader positioned in relation to the author of this text?
Assuming Michael, the protagonist, is the author, we see everything he sees. The story is written in a first-person perspective, so we know exactly what Michael sees and feels, but not so much everyone else.

Who is real in the text?
Michael, Mina, Leakey, Coots, Michael's parents, his little sister (the sick baby), and even Skellig are all real.

How do contextual factors influence how the text is interpreted?
David Almond often writes the story based on 'show don't tell', where we have to assume from hints in the text what something means. Without these factors, it would be difficult to tell what's going on.

Tama Tu

How does the crow help the mood of the film?

The crow amplifies the themes of death.

What does the ammo exchange help show?

The ammo exchange shows how close they are.

What does the handheld camera shot help show?

The handheld camera shot helps depict what the soldiers are going through and makes us sympathize with them.

What does the black cat symbolize?

The black cat symbolizes the bad luck for the soldier being shot and his death.

Wow do the filters help show meaning?

The filters help to represent the tones of the film, and also set the time frame.

What and how do the film aspects help with the suspense with the shooting of the German soldier?

The filter changed to black and white after the soldier died to symbolise the sadness of the soldier’s death.

What does the use of the shadow help show?

The shadow helps to literally show the time of day and symbolically show the tones of death.

What film shots are used to 'bookend' the film?

It uses closeups and bird's eye views at both the start and the end, as well as panning shots

Jikoshokai

This is my Jikoshokai/Japanese self introduction. It says my name, my age, where I live, and my (fake) phone number.

Critical Literacy - Adverts

We were asked to answer three questions for two adverts - six in total.

Coca-Cola advert

What is the text about? How do we know?
It is about people coming together over a coke. We can tell due to the implications of the text, and the image of two people clinking their bottles together.

Why is the text written in the way it is?
It's written to attract people to buy their product.

What knowledge does the reader need to bring to this text in order to understand it?
Probably knowing what a 'coke' refers to would help.

Kingdom Hearts III - Final Battle Trailer

Which positions, voices and interests are at play in this text?
The interest falls on people who enjoy fantasy RPG games. The voices and positions of the characters play a core role in the second half of the trailer.

What view of the world and values does the author assume the reader holds? How do we know?
The creator of the trailer assumes that we know about the Kingdom Hearts world. We can tell because the trailer doesn't show any scenes from the previous games.

What is the text about? How do we know?
The text is about an upcoming video game. We can tell from the cutscenes and the clips of gameplay.

Essay Writing in English

1. What have I been learning?
   I've learned how to use enabling words and phrases in an essay. (E.g. This is demonstrated by...)
   I've learned different ways to use em-dashes. (E.g. determination - for power - is...)
   I've learned how to use descriptive words. (E.g. strong and formidable female characters...)
2. How have I been learning it?
   We wrote an essay using all three of these methods.
3. Why have I been learning it?
   To improve our essay writing and answer a question using an essay.