do not break your back with your backpack
Adapted from “Back to School Safety: Avoiding
Backpack Injury”
School days are back! You are now ready to pack
your backpack with your books, notebooks, and
pencil cases. As you prepare for school, here are
some directions to avoid hurting your back and
shoulder with your heavy backpack.

1. First, you must select the proper backpack. When
you are choosing, it is good to pick a backpack with
multiple compartments so that weight is distributed
well. It is also good to choose a backpack with
padded straps to be easy on your shoulders.
2. Next, when packing your things in your chosen
backpack, distribute the weight of your backpack
evenly. To organize your things, put heavier items
close to the center, and then put lighter things
toward the sides. Although all things can fit in the

3. Third, pick up your backpack properly. To pick it
up, bend your knees and then grasp the pack with
both hands before putting it on. Wear both straps of
the backpack every time you carry it. It will feel
lighter. It will also promote good posture.
4. Know when your backpack is too heavy. It is too
heavy if you slouch when you carry it. Another sign
that your backpack is too heavy is when you feel

5. Finally, always check the contents of your backpack every night.
Remove things that you do not need to bring the following day. You
do not need everything every day. However, there are things that you
need every day so keep a checklist of items that are for daily use.
— “Back to School Safety: Avoiding Backpack Injury,” Medical News Today (August 2006),
under “Bones/Orthopedics News,” http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/50356.php

Directions serve as guide for people to know the
right thing to do, the right path to go, and the
right information to write.
Here are some tips in giving directions.
• Use simple language.
• Be precise or exact.
• Be logical and sensible.
• Use transitional words like first, next, then or finally to show order.

Let's practice
Pretend that you are one of the following people. Then, give five-step oral
directions.
• nurse - How to dress a simple wound.
• librarian - How to borrow a book for overnight use.
• assistant principal - How to conduct a morning assembly.
• canteen personnel - How to prepare food.