P6 Composition An Adventure

First of all, congratulations to my students on their preliminary results. Many of them have reached the goals that they have set for themselves.

This is our last month of revision at Thinking Factory. This is a time when nothing new is introduced. Everything that needed to be taught, techniques, skills, grammar structures etc were done so from October last year. I like to call this period of time as ‘automatic mode’.

This is the time when encouragement is needed to motivate the students in the final leg. Some are joyous with their preliminary results and their acceptance into their DSA choices, while others did not meet the goals they set.

As one of their many teachers, I feel that this month is especially mentally challenging and exhausting for some P6s. So, I refrain myself from nagging them and instead encourage and motivate them. I point out their mistakes gently and remember to emphasize on their strengths.

In class, we spend our time on revision work. Grammatical mistakes are immediately corrected individually and students are asked to pause and memorize the correct structure. This is the same for spelling and repeated punctuation mistakes.

In writing, we revise our method of writing and certain techniques we learnt this year. This month, I would like to focus on certain themes that may be more challenging than others. Themes such as ‘Overcoming a challenge’ or ‘An Adventure’ are handled well by now. However, themes that seem to be more generic like ‘Leadership’ or ‘Gratitude’ can cause some confusion. So, I have listed out a few and we will be working on them in class and during the September holiday intensives.

Below is one of our recent compositions. Most did exceptionally well and needed little guidance from me. I only reminded them to use the theme and make it exciting! I certainly had many exciting adventures; from climbing Mount Everest to meeting wild animals. Lol.

I chose this composition as I felt she added in suspense well by using techniques such as short sentences and sound. At the same time, she kept to the theme and the time limit.

I wish everyone happy holidays!

P6 Composition on the theme of An Adventure

I gazed up at the clear, starry Australian night sky. The moment everyone in my family was asleep, I grabbed my Canon camera, slung it around my neck , laced up my boots tightly, grabbed my walking pole and heaved into the forest for an adventure.

            I wandered through the forest, snapping pictures of fireflies and other unusual plants and nocturnal animals. I wanted to show these aesthetic photos to my friends and keep them as a memory. When I was done with my photography, I turned around to head back to camp. I was tired and wanted to end my little adventure. However, looking around, I realised that I could not see our campfire anymore. Little did I know that my adventure was just about to begin.

            I fumbled in my pocket for my compass. However, all I felt was nothing. I started to panic, realising that without my compass, I could not get back. The more thoughts that swirled in my mind, the more scared I got. I started to recall all the horror stories of people hiking alone. I clenched the pole tightly and walked in the direction I thought was  camp.

            I stopped and listened. The sound of the crickets chirping seemed louder than ever. I felt like every animal in the forest could pick up on my fear. Every time I heard a rustle, I would jump out of my skin. How long had it been since I walked into the forest? Half an hour? Or hours? Just then I heard more rustling behind me. I looked around. Nothing. I shook my head and thought that I had been in the forest for way too long and that I was just imagining things.

“Hisss…”

I froze.

What was that? I looked around and tried to convince myself that it was a figment of my imagination. However, my eyes told me otherwise. A snake slithered from under a bush and sank its sharp fangs in my boots. Luckily, I had worn hard leather hiking boots that prevented its fangs from piercing my skin. Instinctively, I held my pole up and brought it down on the creature’s head. The moment the huge snake fell limp, I dropped the pole and dashed, determined to survive.

            My pounding footsteps did not seem as loud as my pounding heartbeat sounded in my head. Finally, I came to a stop to catch my breath. I had survived this adventure, I thought as I slumped against a tree, exhausted. I believed that the adventure was over but nature did not believe likewise.

            Then, I heard footsteps in the distance. Thinking that someone was here to save me, I yelled to get their attention. However, the moment I saw its white tusks, I bolted.

It was a wild boar.

I scrambled over outstretched tree roots and ducked under overhanging tree branches, trying to lose the wild boar. Just then I remembered a piece of advice.

“Climb up a tree if you encounter a wild boar.”

I dashed to the nearest tree and started to climb it. I turned and realised that the wild boar was almost upon me and that I would not make it out alive.

“Bang!”

A gunshot reverberated around me. I turned to see the wild boar dead, blood oozing from a gunshot wound. A person dressed in hunting clothes and rifle in hand stepped out. Realising that he had saved me, I thanked him profusely.

“What is a young boy like you doing out here in the wild alone?” the hunter asked me in surprise.  I whispered hoarsely everything that had happened to me and that I was in need of water and medical care. The kind hunter gave me some water and helped me find my way back to camp.

            My worried parents were there to greet me and they chatted with the hunter, thanking him profusely for his help. After I was reprimanded, I lay in my sleeping bag, recalling the night’s events.

            I was proud of myself for surviving my adventure in the forest and at the same time vowing that I would never wander off alone in the wild again.