P3/4 COMPOSITION: FIRE

A reason why many compositions do not score well is because the writing lacks the details that make a story realistic. And the pupils really cannot be blamed for that. Vocabulary needs to be acquired. If pupils are not exposed to the vocabulary of a fire, how can they write a vivid story about it?

This is why in many writing classes in various schools and tuition centres today, you see vocabulary lists being given out in composition classes. Some parents don't like it, thinking that the children are being spoon-fed, and leads to uniform essays devoid of creativity and originality. The charge is valid, but given the classroom conditions of current schools and most tuition centres, this is the most efficient for pupils to acquire the vocabulary they need to produce a decent essay.

Another way to do it? Read. This is a more natural way, but more time-consuming, especially at the start, and it's not favoured by many pupils who already have homework and distractions clamouring for their time. Which is a pity. Because honestly, that's the best way, and the rewards reaped as time progresses are immeasurable. Know why some kids can score A* in English even if they don't have English tuition? Yes, it's because they read. A lot. And widely.

Another thing about reading: try to read beyond storybooks. Storybooks are a must (because the main writing pupils are tested on in primary school is storywriting aka narrative writing), but it is also beneficial to read a wider genre like magazines and newspapers articles.

The latter is an especially good source for petty crime (think snatch theft, robbery, burglary) and accidents (fires, drownings, road accidents) which are common themes in primary school compositions.

Today's composition will be based on a fire. The lesson will first require the pupil to read a newspaper article adaptation and then to identify the phrases/words that are used to describe the fire. After that, in the classroom, I would then go through the vocabulary with them to see how many words/phrases they have correctly identified.

This is not a normal classroom, so I'll put up a YouTube Video instead. Problem is I've no proper Internet access to upload a huge file like a video so the video would have to go up a couple of days later. Please excuse the inconvenience. The videos are ready.

What I'll do is upload the worksheet first. So anyone who is interested can attempt the exercise and then check this blog later for the answers.

Here is the worksheet. Read the article first. Then highlight or underline any words/phrases that describe a fire. Copy them into the box given below the article. Then check Video 1 below to see if you managed to identify all the words/phrases.

Video 1 - Words/Phrases Used to Describe a Fire in a Newspaper Article




Note: In the worksheet used for Video 1, there are some typos. The paragraph in red is the original paragraph seen in the video. Amendments are in green.


Evidently, the fire had broken out shortly before at the Balestier area. Another witness who saw the fire broke break quickly raised the alarm and alerted the other residents. At 1.09am, the SCDF received a call informing them that a unit is on fire at the above-mentioned location. The SCDF responded quickly; the fire engine arrived on the scene within 6 minutes.


In an earlier post, I went through 9 techniques to begin a story. One of the techniques is describing the setting (place, time of day, weather). And the tactic to use then is the five senses. Likewise for describing a fire. To make the fire vivid and realistic, using the five senses helps. So the pupil is encouraged to go through the five senses and see how he or she will use them to describe the fire.


I omitted the sense of taste because the other four senses give enough detail. And I usually recommend giving only two-three instances of descriptions, which means you don't even use all four senses below. But if you insist, taste is also possible. Hint: If you inhale enough smoke, there will be a taste in your mouth. How to describe that?


Again, because I don't have access to a fast enough Internet connection, I can only put up the answers later when I can access the Internet. So please be patient.


See Video 2.

Video 2 - Using the Senses to Describe a Fire




Now the pupil will have the vocabulary from the newspaper article and the Senses exercise. Combine that with the PEA of Fear, he can proceed to write the story. The assignment is that the pupil should imagine himself as a resident of the block that caught fire, and he was at home watching television when the power went off. He should continue the story from here. (Hint: narrator's identity is not fixed [i.e. 'I' can be a Primary 3 or 4 pupil or a doddering old man or even a pregnant woman].)


The video for the sample story will also have to be uploaded later. has been uploaded below.

Video 3 - Sample Story





Assignment

PDF format is available by clicking on this link.