Sing To THe Dawn: Chapter 8 to 10-Learning Sheets

1. CHAPTER 8
Activity 1 : Senses Journal
Using our senses is crucial in making the characters, the events and the setting come
alive. Indeed, we are able to have a vivid mental picture of the characters and the
events in the story as the author has done an excellent job in describing the scenes and
the characters. Based on Chapter 8, record words and phrases that appeal to these
four senses: the sense of smell, touch, hearing and sight.
eg: eg: slashing thunderstorm ( p82)
disapproving stares (p83)
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2. eg: thinly fragrant smell of incense filtered
through the cool dome
eg: stone slabs of the courtyard…were
warm under Dawan’s feet
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3. Activity 2 : Creative Writing
Using at least 2 words and phrases from each of the senses that you have
recorded in your Sense Journal, write a short story (on anything!) describing vividly
the characters and events. Make sure that you underline the words and phrases
that you have used. Let your creativity flow fast and furious! 
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4. Activity 3: Character Analysis on Dawan and the monk
1A. Based on what you have read in Chapter 8, complete the following tasks.
Identifying Character Traits Worksheet
Chapter : 8 Character : Dawan
Actions / Speech Character traits they reveal
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5. Identifying Character Traits Worksheet
Chapter : 8 Character : Monk
Actions / Speech Character traits they reveal
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6. Activity 4: Grammar Cloze
Fill in the blanks with the most suitable word from the box. Write its letter (A to
Q) in the blank. The letters (I) and (O) have been omitted to avoid confusion
during marking.
(A) usually (D) with (G) rarely (K) when (N) over
(B) thus (E) because (H) as (L) above (P) at
(C) by (F) was (J) through (M) to (Q) out
Dawan sat down on a stone bench and started whistling softly. Like many girls she
knew, she could whistle (1) _________________ ease, but was too shy to do it
(2) ______________ others were around. A few birds fluttered (3) _____________,
chirping, and others peered (4) ______________ curiously from behind a sun-
splattered foliage.
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7. (5) _____________ she whistled, Dawan realized that there
(6)_____________ no one else around. (7) _____________, the courtyard was dotted
with quiet students, heads bent (8) _________________ worn schoolbooks. But school
was over now, (9) _________________ nobody needed to retreat (10) ____________
the sanctuary of the temple grounds to read anymore.
Activity 5: Comprehension
1. “It doesn’t have to last!” Dawan cried. ”As long as there’s some improvement
in things, even if it’s only for awhile, it’s a worthwhile effort.” (p93)
What are your views on what Dawan had said to the monk?
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2. “I don’t think you should waste any more time dreaming such futile dreams.
What can a mere schoolgirl hope to achieve anyway?” (p94) Do you agree
with the monk? Provide reasons for your answer.
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8. ___________________________________________________________
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Chapter 9
Activity 1 : Comprehension (1)
1. What is the mood at the beginning of Chapter 9 ?
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2. How do you think Dawan felt after meeting the monk ?
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9. ___________________________________________________________
Activity 1 : Comprehension (2)
Read the excerpt from Sing To The Dawn carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Please ensure that you underline or highlight key words and phrases in the passage that will
give clues to your answers.
Dawan moaned. “ Nobody can help me, or would want to.” 1
Bao snorted. “If you don’t have faith in yourself, then who will, Dawan. You’ve earned your
chance to fly to a bigger world, to pursue your own ideals. Don’t yield to your brother now.
You have to push forward and struggle if you want to be free, and equal to your brother.”
To reiterate her point, Bao, opening one of the cages, freed a bird which 5
immediately soared into the clear blue sky. Dawan watched the tiny speck in the distance.
She turned to Bao, and said breathlessly, “I understand what you mean.”
Suddenly, Bao stiffened. She was no longer listening. Instead, her attention seemed
riveted onto a figure striding towards them from behind a nearby fish stall.
“Quick ! Hide !” Bao ordered urgently, her voice low with dread. 10
“ But why ? What are you afraid of ?” Dawan whispered.
Bao pointed to the approaching figure.
“It’s my brother. The bird…you can’t pay, can you ? He’ll be furious!” She shoved
Dawan away hurriedly.
Dawan, fearing for her friend, hid behind a stall nearby. By then ,Bao’s brother 15
swaggered to the stall. Realising that her sister had yet again set a bird free without
collecting money, Vichai delivered a stinging slap across Bao’s face. Bao did not flinch.
Instead, she opened as many cage-doors as she could and watched the scattering
flight of the sparrows with a grim glee.
Losing his patience, Vichai brought his fist down again, ready to hit her sister. 20
Dawan, who could not bear just to watch anymore, rushed out from the basket stall to help
her friend.
But before she could reach Bao, Kwai dashed over from the opposite direction and
grabbed Vichai’s arms and was struggling with him. A fight ensued between them.
Moments later, Vichai, having calmed down, glared at her sister and strode away. 25
Bao turned to thank his saviour. However, upon realizing that he was none other
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10. than Dawan’s brother, she burst out, “Another brother! What false help I’ve been given!
Kwai, Kwai, why do you help other people’s sisters when you are so mean to your own ?”
Confused and bewildered, Kwai asked, “What do you mean? What are you gabbling
about?” 30
“You don’t know huh ? Ask your sister! Ask her who’s been trying to grab her
chance to finish school! Ask her who’s been working things so she doesn’t get to go! Go
on, ask her!” Bao shrieked, glaring at him, her tears of frustration a jagged streak on her
face.
Angered by Bao’s words, Kwai raised his fist and was about to strike Bao when 35
Dawan intervened. Kwai pushed her roughly aside. Dawan was knocked backward and fell
right on top of the broken bird-cages. A hot searing pain ripped through her left leg.
Stunned by what he had done, Kwai remained completely still. Remorse rocked his
entire being and all he could do was to stare at his sister.
Adapted from ‘Sing To The Dawn’ by Mingfong Ho
1. Where were Dawan and Bao ?
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2. Why did Bao release the bird ?
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3. What did “the tiny speck” refer to ?
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11. 4. Why did Bao suddenly get distracted ?
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5. What was the cause of Vichai’s anger ?
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6. Which phrase in paragraph 8 indicates that Bao was not afraid of her brother?_
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7. What can you say about Dawan’s and Bao’s friendship from the passage?
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Why did Bao watch the birds “with a grim glee” ?
8.
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12. ____________________________________________________________
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9. Why did Bao accuse Kwai of being mean to his own sister ?
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10. How do you think Kwai felt upon realizing that his sister was injured ?
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Activity 2 : Comprehension Cloze (1)
Fill in the blanks with the most suitable answer from the box.
grabbed brought set across ensued
watched swaggered burst frustration bewildered
saviour strode rushed many gabbling
Dawan, fearing for her friend, hid behind a stall nearby. By then ,Bao’s brother
(1) ______________ to the stall. Realising that her sister had yet again
(2) __________ a bird free without collecting money, Vichai delivered a stinging slap
(3) _________Bao’s face. Bao did not flinch.
Instead, she opened as (4) _________cage-doors as she could and
(5) ____________ the scattering flight of the sparrows with a grim glee.
Losing his patience, Vichai (6) ___________ his fist down again, ready to
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13. hit her sister. Dawan, who could not bear just to watch anymore, (7) ____________
out from the basket stall to help her friend.
But before she could reach Bao, Kwai dashed over from the opposite direction
and (8) __________ Vichai’s arms and was struggling with him. A fight
(9) __________ between them. Moments later, Vichai, having calmed down, glared at
her sister and (10) ___________ away.
Bao turned to thank his (11) ___________. However, upon realizing that he was
none other than Dawan’s brother, she (12) ___________ out, “Another brother! What
false help I’ve been given! Kwai, Kwai, why do you help other people’s sisters when you
are so mean to your own ?”
Confused and (13) _____________, Kwai asked, “What do you mean? What are
you (14)______________ about?”
“You don’t know huh ? Ask your sister! Ask her who’s been trying to grab her
chance to finish school! Ask her who’s been working things so she doesn’t get to go! Go
on, ask her!” Bao shrieked, glaring at him, her tears of (15) _____________ a jagged
streak on her face.
Activity 2 : Comprehension Cloze (2)
Fill in the blanks with the most suitable answer.
Stumbling past the temple gates, Dawan tried to blink back her angry tears. Once
outside, her fierce anger (1) _________________, leaving only a sense of quiet
futility in its wake. She walked (2) _________________ and each step that she took
was as (3) _______________ her heart.
What, after all, was the sense of trying so (4) __________________, of hoping
and arguing, if in the end the (5) _________________ result would be
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14. (6) ________________ frustration? If Kwai were the one going to study
(7) ________________ the City, things would never be so (8) _________________
for him.
Dawan suddenly (9) ________________ very small and tired. She leaned
(10) _______________ a nearby tree, resting her forehead on its rough bark.
From the (11) ________________ of the marketplace, Bao spotted Dawan
(12) ________________ against the old tree.
Springing up from her stool, Bao (13) ________________ her way through the
baskets of pickled mangoes and red peppers until she stood directly behind Dawan.
(14) _______________ a hand on her friend’s shoulder, she (15) ________________,
“Come, it couldn’t have been as bad as that!”
Activity 3 : Reflective Journal
In this Reflective Journal entry, you need to identify the activity that takes place
in Chapter 9, then reflect on the material learned.
Reflective Journal
What happened? How do I feel about it? What did I learn?
Eg: Dawan was upset as I pity Dawan and can -It is true what Bao had
the monk could not help imagine how she felt. to say about the monk not
her talk her father into being able to help Dawan.
letting her further her (Ch7, p80)
studies in the City. -I am thankful that I
don’t need to go through
what Dawan had to go
through just so I grow up
to be an educated woman.
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15. Reflective Journal
What happened? How do I feel about it? What did I learn?
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16. Chapter 10
Activity 1 : Found Poetry (Group work)
A found poem is shaped from a collection of words or phrases found in one text. A
found poem may be created by pupils after a text has been read, in part or in
whole. Pupils pick a descriptive passage from Chapter 10 and select words and
phrases from the passage to create a found poem. This activity enables the class
(or an individual) to return to the text to focus on its ideas or its language.
Example
Passage taken from page 110 & 111
So, at the fork of the dirt road, instead of taking the path home, she turned
right and headed for the river. Despite her ankle, she hurried along this path, feeling
a mounting urgency to sit alone next to the quiet calmness of the river.
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17. But the river was far from calm! As she approached its banks she saw the
waters were swollen with rain, and its colour had turned a sullen gray-green. Restless
waves reared up and broke over the fragile riverside reeds. She glanced over to the
old bridge to see if it would be safe for her to climb up on it and just sit awhile. But
Kwai was already there.
Found poem based on the passage above
At the fork of the dirt road,
Heading for the river,
Hurrying along,
A mounting urgency
For the quiet calmness of the river.
But the river,
Far from calm,
Swollen with rain,
A sullen gray-green,
Restless waves over fragile reeds,
On the old bridge,
Was Kwai.
Activity Sheet for Found Poem
Passage taken from p______________
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18. My Found Poem
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19. Activity 2 : Parallel Poems
Pupils to use their found poems for models of parallel poems. The goal of this
lesson is for pupils to understand descriptive writing and recast prose (written
language in its usual form, as opposed to poetry) as poetry—or, in other words, to
find poetry within descriptive prose pieces.
Parallel Poem
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20. Activity 3 : Comprehension
1. What did Kwai mean when he said,”Besides, some thoughts are worth catching a
cold for.” (p114)
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21. ___________________________________________________________
2. “Kwai suddenly knew his decision was made.” (p116) In your own words,
explain this sentence in the context of the story.
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Activity 4 : Editing for SPG
Correct each word in bold for spelling and each underlined word for grammar.
Write the correct word in the relevant box.
Without giving him time either to protest or to thank her, Dawan turned away
quickly and climbed down the bridge again. She need not have bothered to hurry,
(1) (2)
though. Sunk upon his own konfliks as he was, Kwai did not even notice the umbrella in
(3)
his hand until Dawan had already reached the bottom of the bridge but was starting
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22. down the path home.
(4) (5)
Only then did he catch a glims of his sister hobbling okwedly into the tree-lined
(6)
path, bare-headed and empty-handed. Startling, he glanced up and finally noticed the
umbrella above him.
By now, his sister was already drenched with the rain, and with painful difficulty
(7) (8)
could she hobbled along. Kwai skrembeld up, and rushed down the slippery old bridge,
(9)
nearly tripping over the umbrella in his haist.
(10)
“Wait for me!” he shouted on the sound of the wind and rain.
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