TEA STRUCTURE, MARK ALLOCATION & TIMING
Identify the part of a TEA paragraph where you must explain how the technique constructs meaning.
Effect / Explanation.
This text type relies on imagery, metaphor, enjambment and rhythm to explore human experiences.
Poems/Poetry
What was the purpose of assimilation policies?
To force Aboriginal people to adopt European culture and abandon their own.
What human quality best defines Nan Dear?
Pragmatism, cultural loyalty, resilience, protectiveness, wisdom, strength, determinism
What does Dolly mean by “A real home is where people look out for each other”?
Belonging comes from community, not material wealth.
A 3‑mark question requires this many TEAs?
At least 2
This text type uses layout, colour, icons and statistics to communicate meaning.
Infographics
Provide one example of segregation in the play.
Dolly tells Errol that the local swimming pool is segregated OR Authorities put up hessian along the road to hide the Aboriginal humpies from the Queen OR Dolly explains to Errol that “the toffs” live on the other side of the railway line. OR Dolly is told she will only be allowed to work in the laundry, not in higher‑status hospital roles. OR Dolly warns Errol about the consequences of being seen with her at the dance OR Dolly describes being treated differently in town.
What motivates Gladys throughout the play?
Hope for a better future and opportunities for Dolly.
How do dream sequences represent hope?
They show characters imagining a better life beyond hardship.
In a high‑band TEA paragraph, this element must synthesise technique, meaning and the module rubric.
The analytical linking sentence.
This text type uses narrative voice, characterisation and setting to represent human experiences.
Prose fiction extracts
How is Nan Dear’s connection to Country shown?
Her longing for the Murray River and her refusal to abandon cultural roots.
What conflict does Dolly face?
Tradition vs modernity; cultural loyalty vs personal ambition.
How is poverty symbolised through the humpy?
Its fragility, flood damage and hessian walls reflect systemic disadvantage.
A 2‑mark question should take approximately this long to complete.
3-4 minutes
This text type uses anecdote, rhetorical devices and personal voice to persuade an audience.
Speeches
How does the play explore intergenerational trauma?
Through Nan’s past at Cummeragunja and how trauma shapes Gladys and Dolly.
Why is Errol considered an anomaly?
He crosses cultural boundaries and genuinely seeks connection. He is one of the few white men that don't care about race.
How does Dolly’s education represent opportunity?
It offers a path beyond cultural barriers and systemic racism.
This is the most sophisticated part of TEA, where students connect the composer’s choice to a broader human experience, context, or universal insight.
Conceptual interpretation.
This text type uses framing, composition, symbolism and contrast to explore ideas visually.
Visual texts
How does the hessian barrier used during the Queen’s visit reflect the cultural attitudes of 1950s Australia toward Aboriginal communities?
It symbolises segregation and the government’s attempt to hide Aboriginal poverty, revealing how white authorities sought to erase or conceal Indigenous presence rather than address inequality.
Why is Papa Dear talked about but never seen?
He symbolises absence, trauma and the unseen impact of history.
How does Gladys demonstrate agency in the petition scene?
She asserts her voice, challenges authority and demands change.