STAGE I Essential English

Assessment Type: 2 Responding to Texts

Assignment: Short Answer Gattaca
Name: SACE ID :
Gattaca (1997) is a science fiction story about a genetically imperfect human who dreams of going into space.
He is inferior to the rest of the humans because he has not been genetically enhanced. He works hard and just
as he is beginning to see his dream come true, he becomes the prime suspect in a murder case. Gattaca asks
us to question the intrusion of science onto a natural order, and presents a glimpse of a future where genetic
engineering is given free reign.

Students study the film Gattaca and answer 8 questions based on the theme and filmic techniques

Answer the following questions:

1. Discuss two filmic techniques employed in the opening scene. What is the technique? Why does the
director, Andrew Niccol use it? What effect does it have on the audience? Choose from camera angles,
lighting, setting, music, text narration, costuming

2. Set in the not-too distant future Gattaca offers a warning to us. What is the viewer being warned
about? What could be learnt from watching the film?

3. An overarching theme in Gattaca is human potential, how does the film highlight the strength of human
spirit? Discuss how Vincent displays resilience and determination.

4. How does the society discriminate against certain people, eg in-valid and valids?

5. What discrimination have you experienced or witnessed someone experience?

6. Does the society portrayed in Gattaca at all resemble the one we live in today?

7. Where do you stand on issues of genetic engineering? If you had the opportunity to genetically
engineer your child would you? Why or why not?

8. What are the positive and negatives of genetic engineering?

You must show evidence of:

Planning i.e. a draft
Appropriate spelling, punctuation, grammar and paragraphing
Style and form of language appropriate to form of writing/context
Suitable introduction and conclusion

Word Limits:500-800 max / 6 min oral


Comprehension
The specific features are as follows:
Comprehension and interpretation of information, ideas, and perspectives in a range of texts
Application
The specific features are as follows:
Creation of texts for different purposes, using appropriate textual conventions
Performance Standards for Stage 1 Essential English Short Answer Gattaca
- Communication
A Consistently clear and coherent
writing and speaking, using an
appropriate vocabulary.
Thorough demonstration of
grammatical control.
B Mostly clear and coherent writing
and speaking, using a varied
vocabulary.
Effective and usually accurate
grammatical control.
C Generally clear writing and
speaking, using a mostly
appropriate vocabulary.
Appropriate grammatical control;
some errors, but these do not
impede meaning.
D Occasionally clear writing and
speaking, with a restricted
vocabulary.
Partial grammatical control; some
errors impede meaning.
E Limited clarity in writing and
speaking, with a limited
vocabulary.
Limited grammatical control; errors
impede meaning.
Assessment Design Criteria
Comprehension
Detailed comprehension and
interpretation of complex
information, ideas, and
perspectives in a range of texts.
Thorough understanding of the
purpose, structure, and language
features in texts.
Detailed comprehension and
interpretation of some complex
information, ideas, and
perspectives in texts.
Appropriate understanding of the
purpose, structure, and language
features in texts.
Comprehension of some
information and ideas in texts.
Recognition and understanding of
the purpose, structure, and
language features in some texts.
Identification of information and
ideas in texts.
Some recognition and awareness
of the purpose, structure, and/or
language features in some texts.
Identification of some information
or ideas in a text.
Limited recognition and awareness
of the purpose, structure, and
language features in a text.
Analysis Application
Thorough analysis of ways in Creation of complex texts for
which creators of a range of different purposes, using
texts convey information, ideas, appropriate textual conventions.
and perspectives.
Identification and clear analysis
of ways in which language
features are used to create
meaning in a range in texts.
Analysis of ways in which Creation of effective texts for
creators of a range of texts different purposes, using
convey information, ideas, and appropriate textual conventions.
perspectives.
Identification and analysis of
ways in which language features
are used to create meaning in a
range of texts.
Identification, with some basic Creation of texts for some
analysis, of ways in which purposes, using appropriate
creators of a narrow range of textual conventions.
texts convey simple information
and ideas.
Identification, with some basic
analysis, of ways in which
language features are used to
create meaning in a narrow
range of texts.
Reference to one or more ways Creation of texts for a narrow
in which creators of a narrow range of purposes, using some
range of texts convey simple textual conventions.
information and ideas.
Reference to some ways in
which language features are
used to create meaning in a
narrow range of texts.
Recognition of the way in which Creation of a partial text for a
a creator of a text conveys a purpose, attempting to use
simple piece of information or appropriate textual conventions.
idea.
Reference to a way in which
language features are used to
create meaning in a simple text.