Two sisters flee ferocious Amityville blaze

Ben Amato | Educational consultant

Creative Writing--All four ELA Standards

"Remember in elementary school you were told that in case of fire you have to line up quietly in a single file from smallest to tallest? What is the logic in that? What, do tall people burn slower?"
--Warren Hutcherson

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, over 400,000 homes catch fire each year. In today's lesson the ordeal of one family is examined to uncover the lessons that can be learned about fire safety and survival.

TV Component
Newsday TV had a story about a house fire in Amityville and the rescue of two young girls. Watch the video twice and then answer the Listening Assessment multiple choice quiz.

Newspaper Component
Today's Newsday has an article titled "Two sisters flee ferocious Amityville blaze." Read the article and then using the facts and details within, complete the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle.

Language Arts Component / Critical Lens
"Which painting in the National Gallery would I save if there was a fire? The one nearest the door of course."
--George Bernard Shaw, playwright

Besides the obvious danger of smoke and flames, panic and hysteria may overcome victims and lead to injury and death. It seems that maintaining your composure and clear thinking may be the best tool needed for survival.

Situation
Write a FACTION. This is a creative short story that uses the FACTS presented in a FICTIONALIZED way. Have the topic of this story be about a fire in your home and your escape and rescue. Examine the story of the Duarte family and use some of the specifics from their ordeal to construct your tale.

The Nature and Structure of a FACTION
The goal of a FACTION is to create a fictionalized short story, using facts and details from the real world presented in a unique and useful way. Stories present lessons about life, THEMES about some topic or issue. A FACTION does the same, with the THEME being how you, the writer, feels about the topic you are writing about.

INTRODUCTION
This paragraph begins the story and starts off with the SETTING. In the first few sentences establish where and when this story is taking place and include the CAST, the major people involved in the story. The easiest FACTION is a FIRST PERSON NARRATIVE; where the writer is the main character describing the action. End this introduction with a FORESHADOWING HINT about the TOPIC of the story and your FEELINGS about it.

BODY
This section concerns PLOT of the story. These are the major events and can be easily reduced to THREE MAJOR PLOT STEPS arranged in CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

First what happens?
Then what happens?
Finally, how does the story end?

Use the answers from the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle and Listening Assessment multiple choice quiz as a RUBRIC. Make sure these details find their way into your story. By including these "real" facts your FACTION will be believable and detailed.

CONCLUSION
This section of FACTION is where the writer presents the lesson or THEME. This is the writer's feelings and opinions about not only the horror and panic that comes with the smoke and flames, but also the ways one can survive. Examine the details from the Duarte's escape to offer tips and suggestions on what needs to be done to escape the flames.