Assessment task Instructions: Analyse high-quality printed, written and multimodal factual texts and create a multimodal text to explain how authors use language and visual design to achieve the intended communicative purpose.
Part A -Analyse high-quality multimodal factual texts 15 marks (rubric criterion 1)
The texts below are excerpts from an Informative text on Japan from the National Geographic for Kids website Source: https://www.natgeokids.com/au/discover/geography/countries/facts-about-japan. Read the whole text to build your knowledge of the field
A. ‘Whole text’ purpose and structure:
1. identify the structure of the genre(s) identified in the text (Label stages/phases in column 1 of the table)
STRUCTURE Japan Facts
Geography and landscape
Japan is an archipelago, or string of islands, on the eastern edge of Asia. There are four main islands – Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. There are also nearly 4,000 smaller islands, too! Japan’s nearest mainland neighbors are the Siberian region of Russia in the north, and Korea and China farther south.
Almost four-fifths of Japan is covered with mountains. The Japanese Alps run down the centre of the largest island, Honshu. The highest peak and Japan’s most famous mountain is Mount Fuji, a cone-shaped volcano considered sacred by many Japanese.
Japan can be a dangerous place. Three of the tectonic plates that form the Earth’s crust meet nearby and often move against each other, causing earthquakes. More than a thousand earthquakes hit Japan every year. Japan also has about 200 volcanoes, 60 of which are still active. IMAGE A
Text 2 History
People first came to Japan about 30,000 years ago. At the time, the main islands were connected to Siberia and Korea by bridges of dry land, allowing people to cross on foot. The first society, called the Jomon culture, arose about 12,000 years ago. Around the same time, the Ainu people arrived by boat from Siberia. The Jomon and Ainu survived for thousands of years, hunting, fishing and gathering plants.
In 300 B.C., the Yayoi people came to Honshu Island from Korea and China. The Yayoi were skilled weavers, tool makers and farmers, and they were the first people in Japan to cultivate rice in flooded paddy fields.
In 660 B.C., Japan’s first emperor, Jimmu Tenno, came to power. For many years following, Japan was governed by a string of emperors, until the 12th century A.D. when military rulers, called shoguns, took control by force.
Europeans first arrived in Japan in 1543, bringing with them a range of new technologies and cultural practices, including the Christian religion. But in 1635, the ruling shogun closed Japan to foreigners and forbade Japanese to travel abroad, beginning a state of isolation that would last more than 200 years. In 1868, the shoguns were overthrown and emperors returned. This was a time of great change and modernisation for Japan.
During World War I (1914-1917), Japan fought on the side of the Allies (Britain, France, Belgium, Russia and the USA). But in World War II, Japan’s military leaders sided with the Axis powers, joining forces with Germany and Italy. IMAGE B
2. Is the text titled ‘Japan facts’ a genre or a macrogenre? ___________________Macro genre______________________________
3. Name the genre(s) used by the writer to give information about Japan. _______________________Expository___________________________
B. Grammatical functions
1. Using probe questions: Use probe questions and the colour coding scheme shown in the table to identify the types of participants, processes and circumstances in the sentences from the text on Japan. Clause boundaries ‘//’ have been provided to you.
Processes (Verb Groups) Participants – Noun Groups & Adjectives Circumstances – Adverbials Conjunctions
a. Japan is an archipelago, or string of islands, on the eastern edge of Asia.
b. Three of the tectonic plates that form the Earth’s crust meet nearby // and often move against each other, // causing earthquakes.
c. People first came to Japan about 30,000 years ago.
d. The Jomon and Ainu survived for thousands of years, // hunting, // fishing // and gathering plants.
2. Identifying and interpreting patterns of grammatical functions.
a. In the ‘Geography and landscape’ section, the main process type is ___________Presence of Mountains and Volcanoes______________ (2x examples ________ Almost four-fifths of Japan is covered with mountains, _ Japan’s most famous mountain is Mount Fuji, a cone-shaped volcano _________ ________________)
b. In the ‘History’ section, the main process type is ________Evolution and Modernisation of Japan___________________ (2x examples ______ People first came to Japan about 30,000 years ago, ____ During World War I (1914-1917), Japan fought on the side of the Allies __________ _________________________).
c. In the ‘Geography and landscape’ section, which process type is realised by the verb ‘run’? ______________Japanese Alps____________
d. Can the verb ‘run’ express any other type of process? If yes, which one? _______Peaked____________________
e. In the clause, Three of the tectonic plates that form the Earth’s crust meet nearby highlight the embedded clause within the participant
f. In the ‘History’ section, which grammatical function does the writer often use as sentence starter to indicate a shift in time? ___years ago_______________________
g. Are the participants in the ‘History’ section specific/particular or generalised? _________________specific/particular_______________________________
C. Grammatical forms
1. Identify the group and word forms: noun groups, verb groups, adverbials and words (word classes such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions etc.)
a. Japan’s nearest mainland neighbors are the Siberian region of Russia in the north, and Korea and China farther south. (Geography and landscape’ section)
Clause Japan’s nearest mainland neighbours are the Siberian region of Russia In the north, and Korea and China farther south
Form of group
Subject
predicator
Subject
determiner
subject
Adverbial
Form of word
Noun
verb
Noun
noun
verb Determiner
noun
noun
preposition
noun
preposition
determiner
Noun
conjunction
Noun
conjunction
Noun
adjective
noun
b. Japan can be a dangerous place. (Geography and landscape’ section)
Clause Japan can be a dangerous place
Form of group
Subject
Predicator
adverbial
Form of word
Noun
verb
verb
Determiner
adjective
noun
a. Around the same time, the Ainu people arrived by boat from Siberia (‘History’ section)
Clause Around the same time the Ainu people, arrived by boat from Siberia
Form of group
Adverbial
subject
predicator
object
subject
Form of word
adverb
determiner
adjective
noun
determiner
noun
noun
verb
preposition
noun
preposition
noun
2. Questions about grammatical forms
a. In the ‘Geography and landscape’ section, the main tense of the verb groups is ________Present perfect______ (2x examples _____ Japan can be a dangerous place, Almost four-fifths of Japan is covered with mountains. _____________ ________________)
b. In the ‘History’ section, the main tense of the verb groups is _____Past progressive____________ (2x examples ________ People first came to Japan about 30,000 years ago, ______ The Yayoi were skilled weavers, tool makers and farmers, and they were the first people in Japan to cultivate rice in flooded paddy fields.____ ________________)
c. Identify the passive verb group in the sentence, In 1868, the shoguns were overthrown and emperors returned, _____________were overthrown________________________
d. In the ‘Geography and landscape’ section, give three examples of nouns functioning as classifiers within a noun group e.g. 1__________________ The Japanese Alps run down the centre of the largest island, Honshu. _____________
e.g. 2_____________ Japan can be a dangerous place __________________; 3______________ Three of the tectonic plates that form the Earth’s crust meet nearby and often move against each other, causing earthquakes. _________________
e. In the ‘Geography and landscape’ section, give an example of a simple sentence _____________________ Almost four-fifths of Japan is covered with mountains. ____________________________________
f. In the ‘History’ section, most Circumstances are realised by ___________period of time______________ (2x examples: 1 ___________________ In 300 B.C., the Yayoi people came to Honshu Island from Korea and China. ________________ ___________________________________________)
D. The contribution of language/image meanings to the purpose and register
Choose the correct response:
1. An instance of a predominantly static field being built can be seen in:
a. Image A
b. both images (i.e., Images A and B)
c. Image B
d. neither of the images (i.e., neither Image A nor B)
2. In Image A, the lines on the map of Asia construe:
a. classification (type-subtype relations)
b. activity series
c. composition (part-whole relations)
d. properties
3. In Image B, visual resources are used to express:
a. Participants
b. Processes
c. Circumstances
d. All of the above
Part B Create a multimodal text (800-1,000 words equivalent) (25 marks: rubric criterion 2 and 3)
Create a multimodal text that demonstrates your knowledge and understanding of how language and visual design have been used to achieve the intended purpose of the multimodal text. The resource must include examples from your analysis in Part A and be designed to ensure that the relevant meanings are clear and coherent for your peers.
The description and explanation must include:
• the function of each feature in the text
• the structure or form of each feature
• examples in the text/s
• the link between grammatical choices and the context of the text (i.e. register and genre/s)
• the link to the language sub- strand in the Australian Curriculum for English
You may write directly into the suggested structure template on the next page, using paragraphing, spacing and other academic writing conventions advised by your lecturers.
Suggested structure:
CONTEXT:
Geographical brief of Japan
Japan comprises of islands on the Pacific Rim east of China and the Korean Peninsula across the Sea of Japan. The archipelago is mainly north of 30o latitude with more than 3,000 islands. Most of the country comprises four islands: Shikoku, Hokkaido, Honshu and Kyushu. There are high mountains of volcanic activity throughout the islands. Many volcanoes, including Mount Fuji, are active. All Japanese islands are physically equal to the size of the United States of Montana. In two climatic zones are the mountainous islands of Japan. The climate of type C is common to all but the northern part of Japan. The northern Japanese island of Hokkaido has a D-type climate and sufficient downhill snow is available. Winter Olympics 1998 were hosted in Japan. The Fuji Mountain located west of Tokyo is a mountain which is commonly pictured because its volcanic cone is symmetrical.
Over 4,000 islands make up Japan’s archipelago, which stretches along East Asia’s Pacific coast, with four main islands (sometimes referred to as the -Home Islands-): Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. On the physical map of the country above, these four islands can be seen.
Honshu is Japan’s main island and its largest, measuring 810 miles (1,300 kilometres) in length. Honshu was displaced 7.9 feet by a huge earthquake in March 2011 that was dominated by mountains and volcanoes (2.4 m).
Hokkaido, Japan’s second largest island, is also the country’s northernmost, while Kyushu is the country’s most southwesterly. Shikoku, the smallest and least populous of the four major islands, is the smallest and least populated. A long ridge of rugged mountains runs through the centre of Japan, punctuated on the Pacific Ocean side by steep tree-lined slopes and deep valleys, and on the Sea of Japan side by lower hills and mountains.
The Akaishi, Hido, and Kiso are the largest interior mountain ranges, with elevations usually exceeding 9,800 feet (3,000 m). Mt. Fuji, the country’s highest point, is a dormant volcano that rises 12,388 feet southwest of Tokyo (3,776 m). On the globe, its location has been marked.
As a result of their location on the Ring of Fire, Japan’s islands are subjected to regular, violent earthquakes as well as some significant volcanic activity. Within Japan’s archipelago, there are 108 active volcanoes, the majority of which cause catastrophic earthquakes and tsunamis many times a century.
Along the coast, a small series of plains can be found. A significant number of (very short) rivers flow swiftly down the mountains to the coast. The Shinano is Japan’s largest river.
ANALYSIS:
The use of verbal language to express and develop ideas (where possible/appropriate, include a multimodal resource for teaching the identified patterns)
Point 1…
The hilly nature of the nation is the outcome of orogenic (mountain-building) processes, mainly in the quaternary era as is shown by the occurrence of violent earthquakes, volcanism and changes in sea levels along the coast (roughly the past 2.6 million years). In more stable sections of the World there are no huge structural plains or plains (vast expanses flattened by erosion).
Point 2…
Mostly only in the beginning phases of dissection are the mountains, with steep hills incised by thick networks of river valleys. Typically, rivers are torrential and their valleys accompany a number of river terraces which shape the Earth’s crust as well as climate change and marine movements over the Holocene (i.e., the past 11,700 years). The current eruption of volcanoes is compounded by the older and dissecting ones. The shorelines are distinguished by high and low characteristics, including headlands and bays, still in construction at the early phases.
The use of images to express and develop ideas
Point 1…
The Sea of Japan separates Japan from Asia’s east coast, creating a Pacific archipelago. It has a similar size to Montana. Japan’s four main islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. The US controlled the Ryukyu chain to the southwest from 1945 to 1972, when it was returned to Japanese control, and Russia controls the Kurils to the northeast. There are incredibly beautiful and diverse islands of Japan, yet they may be perilous. Earthquakes are prevalent, triggering earthquakes throughout North and South America on the Western Coast of the Pacific Ocean. They happen more frequently than they are felt in Japan. Yet every three days in Tï¿1/2kyï¿1/2, one is big enough to be recognised by the scientists. They do major damage from time to time. The Japanese mountains include 10% of the most active volcanoes in the world. Mt. Fuji, one of the most beautiful and respected mountains in Japan, is a sleeping volcano, which erupted last in 1707.
Point 2…
To the west, the Sea of Japan (East Sea) separates it from the eastern shores of South and North Korea, as well as southeastern Siberia (Russia); to the north, the La Perouse (Sya) Strait separates it from Russian-held Sakhalin Island, and the Sea of Okhotsk; and to the south, the Sea of Japan (East Sea); The southern Kuril Islands (under Soviet and then Russian administration after World War II); the Pacific to the east and south; and the East China Sea to the southwest, which divides it from China. Tsushima is a Japanese island that lies between north-western Kyushu and south-eastern South Korea, defining the Korea Strait on one side and the Tsushima Strait on the other.
EVALUATION:
Traditional Japanese maps varied greatly in design, depiction, and intent, and were often geared toward practical usage. Maps were not as often used for literary or artistic purposes as they were in the West. Traditional Japanese maps have this compression and expansion of space as needed to highlight certain qualities of the depicted region, as well as the frequent inclusion of text, since text and image were not separated nearly as much in Japan as they were in the West.
Relationship to Australian Curriculum English
• Understand that verbs represent different processes, for example doing, thinking, saying, and relating and that these processes are anchored in time through tense (ACELA1482) Year 3 (ACARA, 2020)
• Identify the parts of a simple sentence that represent ‘What’s happening?’, ‘What state is being described?’, ‘Who or what is involved?’ and the surrounding circumstances (ACELA1451) Year 1- (Scootle, 2020)
• Compare different kinds of images in narrative and informative texts and discuss how they contribute to meaning (ACELA1453) Year 1- (Scootle, 2020)
• Understand that nouns represent people, places, concrete objects and abstract concepts; that there are three types of nouns: common, proper and pronouns; and that noun groups/phrases can be expanded using articles and adjectives (ACELA1468) Year 2- (Scootle, 2020)
REFERENCES
• McClain, J. L. (2002). Japan, a modern history. WW Norton & Company.
• Japan – History. Encyclopedia Britannica. (2021). Retrieved 9 May 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Japan/History.
• Japan History and Timeline Overview. Ducksters.com. (2021). Retrieved 9 May 2021, from https://www.ducksters.com/geography/country/japan_history_timeline.php
