Boy, 11, drowns in Brentwood pool

Ben Amato | Educational consultant

Cautionary Essay-- ELA Standards 1, 3 and 4

"The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children." Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 - 1945) pastor / writer / Nazi resistance fighter

There is only sadness at the death of a child. It has become way-too-common that during the summer months there are stories of pool accidents and drowning. Today's lesson looks at death in the backyard of a Brentwood home.

TV Component The CW 11 News at Ten had the story of the drowning of an 11-year-old boy. View the video clip twice and then take the Multiple-Choice Quiz.

Newspaper Component The article in today's Newsday titled "Boy, 11, drowns in Brentwood pool" provides details on the death of Dashaunte Baskerville. Read the article and using the facts and details within, complete the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle.

Language Arts Component Critical Lens

"So long as little children are allowed to suffer, there is no true love in this world." Isodore Duncan-- actress / dancer

Six children died in backyard pool accidents last year in Suffolk County. Nationwide, summer brings dozens of these stories that share a common tragic detail. The children were unsupervised.

Situation Write a CAUTIONARY ESSAY about the death of Dashaunte, the dangers of backyard pools and the responsibilities adults have in protecting their children.

The Nature and Structure of a CAUTIONARY ESSAY

A CAUTIONARY ESSAY seeks to warn readers of some threat or situation that may affect them. It uses facts and details to present the situation and advises the precautions to take to lessen the risk and danger. A CAUTIONARY ESSAY is usually written in three sections.

INTRODUCTION This paragraph begins the essay with a STATEMENT OF TOPIC. In the opening sentence, DESCRIBE the dangers associated with the misuse of prescription drugs. Present details about the SETTING, where this all happened, and the CAST - the people or officials involved in the story. End this section with your OPINION about the TOPIC, in a short, concise manner.

BODY This section of the essay offers SPECIFIC DETAILS about the story presented in the article and video clip. Organize this section in ORDER OF IMPORTANCE, with the most pressing details coming first and the less important ones later in the paragraph. The point of this style of essay is to WARN and INFORM people about a situation, so be very clear on what people can and should do.

This section may be longer than just one paragraph, depending on how many facts and details you gather from the article and television news story. Use the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle and the answers to the Multiple-Choice Quiz as a RUBRIC so you can see if all the important facts have been included and described.

CONCLUSION The final section of the CAUTIONARY ESSAY is where you TELL your readers how you feel about the TOPIC and the SPECIFIC EVENT covered. End this section with a look to the future. What can be done to reduce the risk of swimming pool accidents?