Lesson Starters - KS2 Fire

Support materials for teachers: Fire - Creative Writing

Fire has always fascinated people. It can provide comfort, light and warmth - even entertainment but it also represents danger. As these Lesson Starters show, fire is a crucial component in daily life but it is also a force that, out of control, can harm and destroy.

Each of the Literacy Lesson Starters featured in KS2 Fire is intended as a prompt for creative writing for Years 3 – 6.

Lesson Starters KS2 Fire – interactive whiteboard opportunities

These clips can all be used on an interactive whiteboard with the whole class or adapted using the whiteboard tools to capture video screen shots straight into the notebook. You can then annotate over the screen using the pen tools and make interactive resources within notebook such as spelling and vocabulary. Having captured a still image from the clip, the spotlight or reveal facility can be used to focus on one particular aspect.

Download the Lesson Starter clips and save them on the desktop or a memory stick. The clips can be edited using Windows Movie Maker and/or put into a PowerPoint presentation. This also allows pupils to write or rewrite a news report or make a multi-media presentation.

1. Glass Blowing 00:34 – 03:40

A glass blower demonstrates the skills involved in producing a beautiful dinner plate.

·  Talk about the clip: Recap on how the glass blower made the plate, where he was, who helped him and what tools he used. Ask the children questions such as: What is fascinating about making glass? What would it be like to be in this workshop? Where does he get ideas about what to make and what happens to all the beautiful objects once they are made? What do the children think might happen once the objects are finished?

·  Vocabulary: Listed below is some specialist vocabulary used in the clip on glass blowing. What do these words mean? With a partner the children could look them up and complete the grid.

Glass Blowing / What I think it means / What the dictionary says
molten glass
blowing iron
forming
jacks
chamber
Centrifugal force
furnace

·  Step-by-step guide: Watch the clip again and encourage the class to make notes about how the glass plate is made. Ask the children to write a step by step description of the process. What is the fewest number of sentences the children can complete the description in?

·  Interview: Ask the children to work in pairs and think of two questions they would like to ask the glass blower to find out more about what he does and his feelings about it. Then, as teacher, ‘hot seat’ the role of the glass blower in an interview in which the children ask their questions.

·  Adventure story: Use the clip as a starter for a story about a criminal ring intent on committing an international theft. Give the children the brief that:

A precious object has been sealed within the glass of a beautiful bowl. The bowl itself is of great historical importance and dates from 15th-century Venice. This bowl is worth a fortune and kept in a secure room in a museum. However, it has come to the attention of an international ring of thieves who are planning to steal this important masterpiece.

Remind the children of the elements of adventure writing such as

building tension with structured chronological narrative, exciting action,

dialogue and description. Children could write their story adding details of

their own to the story brief above.

2. Fire Poi 03:42 – 05:48

The artistic use of fire is shown through Fire Poi, a form of juggling where fiery balls are swung around the body in choreographed moves.

'Poi' is the Maori word for 'ball' on a cord. In New Zealand, the Maoris
invented ‘poi’ to improve the flexibility and strength in their hands and
arms as well as developing co-ordination. As a form of juggling it can
take many shapes and forms using anything from paper, foam, plastic,
wool and string to LED lights and fire.

·  Talk about the fire poi clip: Before viewing, explain what ‘poi’ is and, whilst they watch the clip, encourage the children make notes about what they see. What is the children’s response to the clip? (Talk about fire safety).

·  Mind mapping: Encourage the children, in pairs, to write a list of what they think might have happened next in the film. This list could then be developed into a story, poem or piece of factual writing.

·  Write a traditional tale: What would happen if something went wrong and the poi juggler let go of one of the fire poi when it was swinging round and round? Imagine it flew high into the night sky and completely disappeared. The next night a brilliant new star appeared in the sky – much to the amazement of astronomers. Can the children explain this in the form of a legend about how the fire poi became a new star?

·  Fire safety poster: Ask the children in groups to think about fire safety procedures associated with fire poi. With one child as a note-taker, the group make a list of ‘Things to Think About’ in terms of health and safety. These could include the following information: dangers to the juggler, dangers to others, dangers of the equipment used, safe clothing to wear, the best and safest place to do this, fire safety, first aid, safety equipment. They then design a safety poster as a warning for anyone considering fire poi.

3. Fire out of control 05:50 – 06:28

A fire on the Olympic stadium site belches out thick, dark smoke.

·  Story mapping: The children work in pairs using a large piece of paper to map out how the story of the fire might have continued. They draw pictures of the sequence of actions/events that took place, joining these together with arrows and then annotating each with a caption.

·  Marking the moment: In groups, the children highlight key moments that were connected to the scene of the fire. For example, closing roads, calling ambulances, evacuating or rescuing people………. Ask the children to choose one of these and represent it as a frozen picture or tableau. This can be used as preparation for writing about what happens next

·  Poetry: Practise singing with the class the well-known nursery rhyme ‘London’s Burning’. Talk about the way the poem is constructed and ask children to write a second verse.

Verse 1
London’s burning, London’s burning,
Fetch the engines, fetch the engines,
Fire, fire, fire, fire,
Pour on water, pour on water
Verse 2

·  Report: Encourage the children to record their own commentary to go with the ‘Fire out of control’ clip. Watch the clip with the class again. Children then work in groups to answer the questions below. When they have written their answers, children use these to describe what’s happening at the scene. They can also record their commentary on a voice recorder or a digital video camera.

Fire out of control / Write your answers here
Where is the fire?
How was it started?
How long has it been ablaze?
How many people are affected?
What is burning?
Why is there so much smoke?
What damage has it caused?

·  Newspaper report: Look at the news report about The Great Fire of London as it was written in The London Gazette. What do the children notice about the language? Ask them to re-write it as a newspaper article today.

Use this link for the London Gazette article: http://www.exmsft.com/~davidco/History/fire1.htm

4. Volcano 06:30 – 06:54

Molten lava flows from an erupting volcano.

·  Before watching: Tell the children what they will see in this clip then ask them to close their eyes and imagine what the lava will look like as it erupts from the mouth of the volcano and flows down the mountain. What sound would it make? How would it smell? Write these descriptions on the interactive whiteboard then play the clip and discuss how their imaginings were met. If the clip had been longer what do they think would have happened next?

·  After watching - poetry: In groups, using a large piece of paper, the children list all the words they can think of that describe the volcanic eruption. When they have written as many words as they can, they then cut the list of words in half by getting rid of ordinary or boring words, deciding between them which ones these will be. Using the words that are left, each member of the group then writes a shape poem. Suggest they include the word ‘molten’ somewhere in the title.

·  Story: People in all parts of the world tell myths and legends about fire.

Many stories explain how people first acquired fire, either because of

something they did or because it was a gift from an animal, god, or hero.

Two books - How the Rabbit Stole the Fire and The Tiger Child both by

Joanna Troughton, tell such stories. Talk to the class about one of these

stories and revise any previous work on writing a traditional tale, then set

the following brief:

A dangerous fire dragon has its lair inside an imposing mountain. Something the villagers have done has made the fire dragon angry and it vents its fire (lava) which spills down the side of the mountain. The children write a story in the form of a myth about why the fire dragon is angry and how the people make peace with it.

The children could use this opening sentence as a starter for their story.

‘Long, long ago, in the days when the earth was peaceful, inside the

mountain that towered protectively over the village, there lived a fire-

breathing dragon who was VERY, VERY angry….’

·  Eye witness account: Divide the class into groups, give each a piece of paper with these words on and ask them to read them.

‘Pompeii was originally a thriving town in southern Italy situated near the sea and the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. On the 24th August AD 79 Vesuvius erupted leaving the town of Pompeii and its inhabitants buried under ash, lava and pumice. Most who managed to escape were overcome by the asphyxiating sulphur fumes and gases.’

Show the volcano clip once more and ask them to imagine that this is

Mount Vesuvius erupting in AD 79 and they are there at the scene. Ask

them to write an eye witness account of the actual eruption, together with

a description of the smells, sounds and heat from the volcano. They could

then go on to write about what happened to the people.

·  Information: Encourage the children to research additional information about volcanoes then, with a partner, use this information to make up 5 different true or false statements about them. The statements are then swopped with another pair to answer. For information about volcanoes follow this link:

http://www.universetoday.com/guide-to-space/earth/10-interesting-facts-about-volcanoes/

ABOUT VOLCANOES / TRUE / FALSE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5

5. Forest Fire 06:56 – 07:18

An out-of-control fire rages in the Australian outback.

·  Discuss the clip: Encourage the children to talk about what they have just seen. Find out what they know about forest fires and the damage they can do. Who or what would be affected by these kinds of fires? Make a list of their responses. What emotions would anyone living there be feeling?

·  Forest fire incident: In pairs, ask the children to answer the following questions.

Forest Fire
1. What is happening in the clip?
2. Where does the event take place?
3. What is the main incident in the news report?
4.  What headline would you give it?

·  News report 1: Play the clip again. Children act out what they see in the clip then talk, in groups, about what they think might have happened next.

·  News report 2: The reporter and news crew are at the scene of the fire and the last thing anyone hears the reporter say is - “Every year, hundreds of lives are lost and homes destroyed when ferocious fires spread through the Australian bush….”. Suddenly the news crew seems to have lost contact. Inform the children that their help is needed to complete this news report. Ask them to role-play interviews with them, writing their responses in the grid below and then linking these points to complete the news report. They can then dramatise the whole scenario.

What do the following people say about the forest fire?
The chief fire fighter at the scene
The worried animal welfare representative
The 11 year-old boy who is lost
The weather forecaster
The 89 year-old lady whose home has been burnt

·  Poetry: Read the poem ‘The Tyger’ by William Blake to the class. Look at this link to listen to the poem being read: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTMPJVDOoag&feature=related].

Ask the children why they think the poet links the tiger with the idea of

fire? What do the children think the line ‘Tyger, tyger burning bright in the

forest of the night’ means? Using this line from the poem, can the children

add some lines of their own?

6. Wood-fired oven 07:22 – 10:06

A chef makes and bakes pizzas in a traditional wood-fired oven

·  Talk about the clip: Encourage the children in pairs to talk about what they saw. Can they imagine what it was like in that restaurant kitchen? How did the restaurant owner show his enthusiasm? What else would they like to have seen?

·  Information: After watching the clip, the children write down eight facts about the wood-fired oven. Children can work in pairs and try to include something they didn’t know before watching the clip.