Religion, Culture and Arts
Senior 3 · English
Religion, Culture and Arts
Lesson 4 of 5
25 min
Let's begin
A good description lets a reader who has never seen an object picture it, understand how it was made, and see why it matters. That needs exact measurements, precise words for shape and material, the passive for processes, and connectors of time to put the steps in order: everything you have practised in this unit. Here is a model, describing an object you can see in the photo.
Agaseke: the Basket That Keeps Its Secrets
The agaseke is a traditional Rwandan basket with a tall, pointed lid. For generations it has been used to keep small, precious things, and today it is one of the best-known examples of Rwandan craft.
A typical agaseke is about thirty centimetres high. Its small round base widens into a body shaped like a bowl, and a cone-shaped lid fits tightly over the top. It is made of thin bundles of grass wrapped in sisal fibre. The natural fibre is pale cream, and patterns of black triangles and zigzags are woven into it.
My aunt, who weaves baskets in a cooperative in Muhanga, showed me how one is made. First, the sisal is dried and split into fine threads. Then a bundle of grass is coiled into a tight spiral, and each new round is stitched to the one below. As the coil grows, dyed threads are added to form the pattern. Finally, the lid is woven in the same way and shaped to fit the base. A small basket takes her about a week.
In the past an agaseke was used for keeping jewellery, money or a little food, and it was often given as a gift at weddings. Today many baskets are sold to visitors, and the money helps weavers to support their families.
An agaseke is more than a container. It joins the patient work of a weaver's hands to the happiest days of a family's life.
The five paragraphs are 240 words long, not counting the title. The aunt and her cooperative are imagined; the way the basket is made and used is real.
Definition
description (writing): a text that shows what a person, place or object is like, using details that the reader can see, hear, touch or picture. A description of a tool also explains how it is made and used.
coil (v and n): to wind something into a ring or spiral; one ring of the spiral. Coiled baskets are built from the base upwards, one round at a time.
sisal (n): a strong, pale fibre from the leaves of the sisal plant, used for rope, mats and baskets.
| Paragraph | What it does | Language it uses |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Introduction | names the object, says what kind of thing it is and why it matters | present simple; is used to keep |
| 2. Appearance | size, shape, parts, material and colour, from the bottom up or the outside in | measurements (about thirty centimetres high); comparisons (shaped like a bowl); made of |
| 3. How it is made | the steps in order | the passive (is dried, is coiled, is stitched) with connectors of time (first, then, as, finally) |
| 4. How it is used | its use in the past and today | was used for + -ing; past and present contrasted |
| 5. Conclusion | a final thought about its meaning | a short, memorable sentence, not a repeat of paragraph 1 |
| To describe | Useful patterns |
|---|---|
| Size | It is about 30 cm high / long / wide. It measures about … across. It is the size of a football. |
| Shape | It is round / oval / cone-shaped. It is shaped like a bowl. It narrows / widens towards the top. |
| Parts | It has a long wooden handle and a flat iron blade. The handle is fixed to the blade with … |
| Feel and sound | The surface is smooth / rough. It feels heavy for its size. When it is beaten, it gives a deep sound. |
| Purpose | It is used for …ing. It is used to … It allows a farmer to …, so that … |
Worked example
From a weak sentence to an exact description
Weak: "Ingoma is a big thing that people beat. It is nice."
Worked example
Writing a process paragraph: how a clay pot is made
Notes: potter digs clay near the river; mixes with water; shapes by hand, coil by coil; smooths with a stone; dries in shade for days; fires in open fire.
Tip
Describe in a fixed direction. Move from the bottom to the top, from the outside to the inside, or from the whole to its parts, and keep to it. A reader builds the picture in the same order as you write it.
Warning
Write a description of a traditional Rwandan tool or object in 200 to 250 words, in four or five paragraphs. Choose one: igisabo, isekuru and umwichi, urutaro, ingoma, ikibindi, or a traditional object used in your own family. If you can, look at a real one first, or ask an older person how it was made and used.
Checklist before you hand it in
Weaving Baskets: the steps that go into making baskets, filmed with Rwandan weavers for the Rwanda Path to Peace project (channel: My Cherry Pie). Write down each step you see, in order, then turn your notes into a process paragraph in the passive.
Practice
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa, except the photo credited above. This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
