Nature's Plenty - Keralascert.kerala.gov.in/images/2014/Teacher_Text-2014/08_English-07.pdf ·...

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Nature's Plenty

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English VII

Fiction

• How Far is the River?

(by Ruskin Bond)

• A Snake in the Grass

(by R. K. Narayan)

Discourses• Paragraph

• Descriptions

• Letter

• Script

• Slogans

• Conversation

Unit 1

Nature's Plenty

Language elements• Adjectives

• Prepositions

• I wish...

• Relative pronouns

• Editing

Vocabularyactivities

• Synonyms

• Tongue twisters

• Crossword puzzle

• Idioms

• Collocations

Poetry

• The Echoing Green

(by William Blake)

Poetic elements

• Rhyme

• Alliteration

• Visual images

Non-fiction

• Nature'sDaughter(News paperclipping)

Extendedactivities

• Poster making

• Class

magazine

Periods allotted - 40

Unit at a Glance

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Unit Overview

Teaching Children to Love Nature

Children should discover the beauty of nature and learn to explore it,

instead of becoming addicts of TV, computers, and electronic gadgets.

The dwindling patches of greenery around them deprive them of the

opportunity to connect with nature. Being with Nature helps children

to develop an awareness and curiosity about things around them, while

at the same time it increases their attention span and ability to learn.

Children must be told about the need to love and conserve nature as it

helps them to become responsible citizens and better custodians of

the Earth.

The Unit is intended to instil in learners a love for nature and develop

in them a mindset to explore and conserve it. The learners will get

acquainted with different words related to nature. They will also learn

how to describe people and places.

The unit opens with a titular picture and a quotation by Albert Einstein.

The newspaper clipping ‘Nature’s Daughter’ is an entry text to the unit.

It introduces the learners to Suryamani- a nature activist, and also

sensitizes the learners about the need to live in harmony with nature.

The short story ‘How Far is the River?’ by Ruskin Bond describes the

adventurous journey of a young boy, who goes in search of a river.

The poem ‘The Echoing Green’ by William Blake describes the

expression of happiness and mirth experienced by the young and the

old on the arrival of spring. The story ‘A snake in the grass’ by

R. K. Narayan tells us about an interesting incident in a typical Indian

village.

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Unit Titular Picture

The learners will be able to interpret and explain the picturegiven.

What do you see in the picture?

What do you feel about it?

Let the learners read the quotation byAlbert Einstein. The teacher may askthem questions like:

• Do you agree with these words?

• Can you find any other meaningfor the quotation?

Share your ideas with the learners,generate a discussion and try to elicit freeresponses from them.

Meet the author

Ruskin Bond

Born in Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh) in1934, Ruskin Bond grew up in Jamnagar(Gujarat), Dehradun and Simla. His firstnovel The Room on the Roof, written whenhe was seventeen, received the JohnLlewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957.Since then, he has written over fivehundred short stories, essays and novels(some included in the collections Dust onthe Mountains and Classic Ruskin Bond), andmore than forty books for children. Hereceived the Sahitya Akademi Award forEnglish Writing in India in 1993, thePadma Shri in 1999, and the DelhiGovernment’s Lifetime AchievementAward in 2012.

Let’s listen to Ruskin Bond“I love to write on nature and animals,though I have been bitten sometimes andattacked by monkeys.” He agrees thatthere has been a loss in forest cover, butsays: “There’s still much of it left that canbe written about and needs to bepreserved for future generations.”

An excerpt from an Interview• How do you create the characters for

your stories? Are they based on realpeople or are they mostly fictional?

RB: My characters are always based onreal people I know and I draw upon theirpersonalities. They are not exact replicas,but there are similarities. Charles Dickenswas known to have created a lot of hischaracters from the people around him,his family and relatives. I find a lot ofchildren write stories with foreign namesand localities, but I would advise you tolook around you and create from yourvery surroundings.

Dreams make very good stories. Ofcourse, you tend to forget most. Exceptfor the ones you have early in themorning just before you wake up.

• Who are your favourite authors?

RB: I have always liked the classics.Charles Dickens is a favourite. I even ranaway from home like David Copperfielddid, only to be back the next day as I hadrun out of pocket money! AgathaChristie is one of my favourites, especiallythe Hercule Poirot series. Do you knowthat she is one of the most successfulauthors of all times? Her play ‘MouseTrap’ which was first staged in 1952, isstill running in London!

-The Hindu, January 22, 2014

Warm up activity

The learners will be able to feelcomfortable with each other,confident and become morefocused on the language.

Getting to know each other• The learners may sit in a circle.

• The teacher can make a shortintroductory statement. e.g. I’mPooja and I like music.

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Nature's Plenty

• Ask the first learner to repeat whatthe teacher has said and add somemore information about himself/herself.

e.g.

• Teacher : I’m Pooja and I like music.

• Learner 1 : You’re Pooja and you likemusic. I’m Gayathri andI love reading.

• Learner 2 : You're Gayathri and youlove reading. I'm George.I love cricket.

This activity can be repeated by all thestudents.

Examples of other types of

information to add:

family, hobby, food, likes, dislikes

Lead-in

Read the newspaper clipping and elicitresponses from the learners. Thequestions given in the text can be madeuse of during the discussion.

Ask the learners to comment on the title‘Nature’s Daughter.’

You can ask the learners to discuss ingroups and prepare one or twoadditional questions.

Suryamani was a part of the 'Save theForest Movement.' You can ask thelearners to talk about any other similarenvironmental movements such as the'Chipko Movement' and the 'NarmadaBachao Andolan.'Ask the learners the following questions:

• Who led the movement?

• What was it for?

The teacher may show one or two videoson the theme of nature. You may searchfor them in YouTube.

If possible, you may take the learners fora nature walk to a nearby eco spot. Askthe learners to suggest what they wouldbe most interested in viewing. After thenature walk, you may ask them to do theactivity given in the text book.

Possible answers to the activity onpage 8

I could see I could hear I could sense

big trees the chirping of birds the fragrance of flowers

many types of plants the rustling of leaves the silence

different kinds of flowers the babbling of a brook the tenderness of leaves

many birds and insects the roaring sound of a the cool breezewaterfall

a waterfall the trumpeting of an elephant

Now, ask the learners to write a small paragraph abouttheir experiences during the nature walk. The teacher mayconsider the activity as a pre-test to assess the learners’ability to write a description. The teacher may collect thesheets from them, read through it and assess themaccordingly.

The same activity shall be repeated after teaching the lessonand can be used to assess the student’s progress towardsthe end of the session.

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The teacher may make use of the link talkand the questions. The learners areexpected to answer the question inkeeping with the experiences they hadduring the nature walk.

Other suggested questions:

• What can you guess from the title‘How Far is the River?’

• What do you understand from thepicture?

Ask the learners to have a look at thecomprehension questions and say whatthey feel about the story.

The reading text may be divided into4 different segments. The teacher maytry other variations.

Segment 1

During reading

The learners will be able to readthe story quickly and get themain ideas and a generaloverview of the contents.

The teacher may ask the learners toread the first three paragraphs of thestory ‘How Far is the River?’ silently.The reading process given at thebeginning may be followed.

Reading activity 1

The learners will be able toimprove upon their reading andit will help them find specificinformation.

Ask the learners to find out the line inwhich the following words appear:

“of the fish in its waters”

“the feel of warm stones”

Now, ask the learners to write down thelines in their notebooks.

The teacher may try other variations ofthe activity.

Reading activity 2Read a short section of the story 'How

Far is the River?' which focuses on aplace/person to the learners. Give thelearners some time to reflect on it andask them to sketch their impression ofthe place/person on a piece of paper.They can take up to two minutes. Letthem compare their impressions/pictures and discuss in pairs. The teachermay use the sample text given below.

Sample text for reading‘He stood in front of his house on thehill opposite the mountain, and gazedacross the valley, dreaming of the river.He was about twelve years old, a sturdyboy, with untidy black hair and shiningblack eyes; he had fine features and a clearbrown skin, but his hands and feet wererough and scratched.’

Vocabulary activity

The learners will be able toguess and understand themeaning of the words bymaking good use of the context.

Select some of the words in the text.Give the meanings of these words in ajumbled order on the black board. Askthe learners to go through the text andfind out the correct meaning of thewords.You may ask the learners to discussthe textual questions individually, thencheck the answers in pairs.

Possible answers to textualquestions on page 91. The mountain prevented the boy from

seeing the river.

2. The boy had heard about the fish inthe waters of the river and about therocks.

3. The boy walked barefooted as he likedthe feel of warm stones and cool grass.

Additional questions1. How did the boy hear about the river?

2. What was the boy’s wish?

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3. How old was the boy?

4. How did the boy look like?

5. Find out the words that describe theboy, the river and the mountain fromthe first paragraph.

Now, you may lead the learners toActivity 8 on page 16.

Segment 2During reading

The teacher may ask the learners toread paragraphs 4-9 of the story‘How Far is the River?’ ('It was eleveno’ clock...the mile from his house tohis school.') Let the learners read itsilently.

Reading activity

The learners will be able torecord a dictated text in writing.

Running dictationDisplay a short section of the text on theclassroom wall or table. Divide thelearners into pairs. In each pair, thereshould be a Learner A and a Learner B.

Procedure: Learner A must run to thetext, read it and try to grasp it as muchas possible.

Learner A should dictate what he/sheremembers of the text to learner B whoshould write it down.

Learner A can refer to the text asrequired to finish dictating the whole text.The pair which finishes first without anymistake is the winner.

The teacher may try out the activity usingthe following sample text.

'The path to the river dropped steeplyinto the valley, then rose and went roundthe big mountain. It was frequently usedby the villagers, the woodcutters,milkmen, mule-drivers; but there wereno villages beyond the mountain or nearthe river.

The boy passed a woodcutter and askedhim how far it was to the river. Thewoodcutter was a short but powerfulman, with a creased and weathered face,and muscles that stood out in hard, uglylumps.'

Ask the learners to analyse the textualquestions individually, then discuss inpairs, share and collaborate.

Possible answers to textual questionson page 10

4. The boy’s father and mother had goneto visit their relatives and left him onhis own. His parents wouldn’t returnhome till evening. By this time, hecould go and see the river.

5. No, the woodcutter did not encouragethe boy to go to the river.

6. No, the boy is not a good walker. 'Hehad never walked further than the milefrom his house to his school.'

Additional questions1. What food did he take with him?

2. Sketch the description of the path tothe mountain after reading thesentence below.

‘The path to the river dropped steeplyinto the valley, then rose and wentround the big mountain.’

3. Who used the path frequently?

4. Were there any villages beyond themountain or river?

5. Identify four words that are used todescribe the woodcutter.

The teacher may ask the learners to writea brief summary of the paragraphs theyhave read. Select the best of the productsfrom the groups for editing.

Now, you may lead the learners toActivity 14 (a) on page 19.

Segment 3During reading

The teacher may ask the learners toread paragraphs 10 -14 of the story

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‘How Far is the River?’ ('The path wassteep... over an hour'). Let the learnersread it silently.

Reading activityStand in order

Ask the learners to close the textbook.The teacher may take a part of the textand divide it into smaller sections. Youcan select a group of learners for theactivity and let the others watch it. Givea section of the text to each learner. Askthem to stand in a line according to thesequence in which the sections appear inthe text and read it aloud.

e.g. Divide the text they have read intosix sections as shown below.

• The path was steep, and the boy hadto run most of the time.

• It was a dizzy, winding path, and heslipped once or twice.

• The hill was covered with lush greenferns, the trees were wound increepers, and a great wild dahlia wouldsuddenly rear its golden head from theleaves and ferns.

• He met a girl who was coming fromthe opposite direction.

• She held a long curved knife withwhich she had been cutting grass.

• The bangles she wore made musicwhen she moved her hands, and it wasas though the hands spoke a languageof their own.

Now, ask the learners to write down theanswers to the textual questionsindividually. Then, check in pairs andrefine the answers.

Possible answers to textual ques-tions on page 117. When the girl moved her hands, the

bangles she wore made music, asthough they were speaking to eachother.

8. Sound words/Onomatopoeia is the

use of words that echo the soundswhich are referred to. The teacher maygive more examples of sound words.

e.g. A lion roars.

A snake hisses.

9. No, the boy was not really thirsty. Butthe cold and refreshing water thatcame from the hillside made him feelmore thirsty.

10. The boy was sure that he had coveredhalf the way because he had walkedfor over an hour.

Additional questions

1. Why did the boy have to run most ofthe time?

2. Why did he slip once or twice?

3. Draw a picture of the hill after readingthe following description: ‘The hill wascovered with lush green ferns, thetrees were wound in creepers, and agreat wild dahlia would suddenly rearits golden head from the leaves andferns.’

4. How was the path when the boyreached the valley?

5. Describe the girl he met in the valley.

6. What did he ask the girl? What washer reply?

7. The sound of a bird is described here.Identify the bird and the sound.

8. Find out two words used to describewater.

Now, you may direct the learners todo Activity 13 (a) on page 18, and thenActivity 4 on page 14.

Segment 4

During reading

The teacher may ask the learners toread paragraphs 15-21 ('Presentlyhe..... white, and wonderful'). Theteacher may follow the process ofreading discussed in the previousactivities.

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Possible answers to textual ques-tions on pages 11 and 1211. a) He is very kind and sympathetic.

He has the good quality of sharingthings with others.

b) The teacher may generate adiscussion on the quality ofsharing things. The learners maybe given a chance to share theirexperiences and then the teachermay ask them to write them intheir notebooks.

12. When the village boy left him, he wasvery sad. He was far away from hishome and the river was not in sighteither. So he felt very lonely anddiscouraged.

13. The silence was impressive, but therewas no one around or any sign ofman’s influence. So he was a littlefrightened.

14. The roaring sound of the river brokethe silence.

15. He was very happy to see the riverwhich he had only heard of. When hesaw it for the first time, his happinessknew no bounds. In his excitement,though he slipped and stumbled, hestill ran.

16. (a) blue, white, wonderful, cold, etc. (b) You may elicit free responses.Additional questions1. How did the village boy reply to the

boy's question?2. When did the village boy part from

him?3. Identify a few words that describe the

path.4. What did the boy see around him as

he walked along the path?

Suggested Process and Solution

to Textual Activities

Activity 1 on page 13The teacher may ask the learners to readthe story once or twice. Ask each learnerto complete the graphic organiser given

in the textbook. You may let the learnerssit in groups and refine it. Let them writean appreciation of the story in a smallparagraph, using the ideas.

Activity 2 on page 13Possible answera) I wondered whether I was in heaven.

Activity 3 on Page 14Ask the learners to write down theirthoughts ( fears, hopes, excitement, etc.)on a piece of paper. Let them formgroups, discuss and make modifications,if necessary. You may select one of thedescriptions for editing.

Possible answer to Activity 3I do not know how far I have to go. Theinformation I received from the boy maynot be true. Why did he give me falseinformation? But the woodcutter said athree hour walk will take me to the river!My father and mother might havereturned... What will I tell them? I’m sureto be beaten up tonight. It’s getting darkand I think it is better to return. How? Idon’t know the way back home.

There are no shops or even housesnearby. What sort of a place is this? I’mfeeling hungry. .... Oh ... No one is to beseen, why isn’t someone coming alongthis path? I feel tired and worn out.

Activity 4 on page 14Ask the learners to read the descriptionsand answer the questions given.

What makes Description A differentfrom Description B?

The learner may like the first description.

Help the learners identify the describingwords.

KeyThe words that describe the place:

• steep, dizzy, winding.

• While water trickles, it producesa sound.

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Activity 5 on page 14

The learners will be able to writea small description of a place.

Writing descriptions of places

Lead-in: It is important to stimulate thelearners’ interest by beginning with a fewquestions.

e.g. What are the things that the boymight see after a few years?

List them as in the table below:

Things seen several Things at presentyears before

• a steep path • well-tarred roads

• •

The teacher may elicit from the studentshow, by using the five senses, adescriptive composition can be mademore vivid and impressive.

Know more

Sensory details

Sight: colours, shapes, sizes, patterns

Sound: loud or soft, harmonious orharsh, pleasant or unpleasant

Smell: sweet, pungent, pleasant orunpleasant, aromatic or stinky

Taste: sweet, sour, bitter, burning,spicy, bland

Touch (feel): hard, soft, rough,smooth, hot, cold, dry, oily, sticky

Qualities of a good description

1. The details should be specific,enabling the readers to feel orexperience what the writer describeswhile appealing to the five senses ofsight, hearing, smell, taste, andtouch.

2. The details are well-organized, andrelated to the main point.

The teacher may use Worksheet 7 tohelp the learners write a smalldescription of a place.

• Refine it in groups.• Edit one of the products.


The learners will be able to writeslogans.

Possible answers for 6 (a)• Plant a tree, get air for free.• Plant more trees, get more rain.• Take care of trees and they will

take care of you.Ask the learners to study the poster andfill in the boxes given.

Possible answers for 6 (b)Title : Lend a Helping

Hand.Illustration : Suitable picturesSlogan : No trees, No Man.Instruction : Do not cut trees.Message : Stop deforestation,

save nature.Features

SLOGANS

• clear and appropriate to the topic• concise, creative, catchy, effective• well-organized information• accurate spelling and punctuation• rhythmic; hence, short and sweet.

Use something that has the sameletter. e.g. reduce, reuse, recycle.

If the same letter can’t be used, tryto make it rhythmic.

Activity 7 on page 16The teacher may help the learners toprepare a poster. The learners may bedivided into groups and each group maydesign a poster. The topics of the postermay be related to nature.

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The learners will be able to writea small description of a person.

Ask the learners to read the paragraphand find out the words that describe theboy.8 a) Key

physique : sturdyhair : blackeyes : blackskin : brownhands and feet : rough and

scratchedPossible answer to Activity 8 (b)The brown-eyed girl I met in the valleyexuded confidence. She held a curvedknife with an air of self-reliance. She wasalone but her fearless and perfectly-poised manners instilled in me thedetermination to continue my journey tothe river. Her bangles made music whenshe moved her hands and it was as thoughthe hands spoke a language of their own.

Know more

Describing peopleElements of a good description:IntroductionParagraph 1: the name of the person;when, where and how you first methim/her.Main bodyParagraph 2: the physicalappearance (facial features andclothes worn)Paragraph 3: personal qualitiesParagraph 4: hobbies/interestsConclusionParagraph 5: Comments andfeelings about the person.The teacher may use theinformation for discussion.When you describe someone’sphysical appearance, start with thegeneral features (i.e. height, build,

age, etc.) and move on to the morespecific ones (i.e. hair, eyes, nose, etc.)You can also add a description of theclothes the person likes to wear.• e.g. Kalyani is a tall, slim girl in

her early twenties. She has gotblack hair and brown eyes. Sheusually wears churidhar.

The teacher may use Worksheet 8(page 34) to help the learners writedescriptions of people.

• Refine it in groups.• Edit one of the products.


The learners will be able toorganize the basic elements of aletter and write a letter on theirown.

The learners may be asked a fewquestions.

• Do you write letters to your friends?

• How is such a letter different from aletter you would write to the HeadMaster of your school?

Before entering into the activity, theteacher can have a discussion in the classabout writing letters. The teacher mayinform them of the importance ofwriting letters, the different types ofletters, the relevance of writing letters,etc.

The teacher may lead the learners to theactivity. Ask them to study the sampleletter and understand the organization ofa letter.

Questions for discussion• What do you understand about the

first and last sentences of the bodyof the letter?

• Can you suggest a different closing ofthe letter?

• Ask the learners to find out the keyinformation from the body of theletter.

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• Can you suggest any other dateformats than the one mentioned in theletter?

Have a short discussion in the classroom,highlighting the different aspects of aletter. Ask the learners to write down theaddress, date, salutation and closing. Helpthem to write the body of the letter. Thelearners may prepare the letter.

Refine it in groups and select one forediting.


The learners will be able toprepare a magazine

The teacher may help the learners toprepare a class magazine.


The learners will be able torealise the importance of usingsynonyms or different words todescribe the same idea.

Possible answerswalk : march, stride, stroll, step, treadstop : pause, block, close, finishask : inquire, demand, request, quizdecide : agree, conclude, determine,

choose

Activity 13 (a) on page 18

The learners will be able torealise the use of adjectives.

The teacher may write the sentence (a)on the board and ask the learners to readit.

(a) The boy walked along the path.Now, write sentence (b) on the board.(b) The sturdy boy walked along the stony

path.What does the word ‘sturdy’ tell usabout the boy?

It tells us that the boy is physically strong.The word ‘sturdy’ describes the boy, andthe word ‘stony’ describes the path.Now, write sentence (c) on the board andask the learners to circle the words thatdescribe the path.

(c) The young barefooted sturdy boywalked along the stony path.

Consolidation: The words ‘young’,‘barefooted’ and ‘sturdy’ describe thenaming word ‘boy’, and the word ‘stony’describes the ‘path’. These describingwords are known as adjectives.

Activity 13 (b) on page 19

Let the learners read the text, identify thedescribing and naming words, and listthem as directed.

Key

Describing words Naming wordscold watersharp boyrefreshing path

Activity 14 (a) on page 19

The learners will be able torealise the use of prepositionswhich show the relationshipbetween words.

Know more

Note on Preposition

• A preposition is a word/phrasewhich is used before a noun, anoun phrase or a pronoun,connecting it to another word. e.g.In the sentences, ‘We jumped intothe lake’, and ‘She drove slowlydown the track’, ‘into’ and ‘down’are prepositions.

• Prepositions are used to state anumber of relationships,including time, location, manner,means, quantity, purpose, andstate or condition.

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Activity 14 (b) on page 20Key

on inon, on fromwith of

Activity 14 (c) on page 20

Possible answer

An old man is sitting on a bench. He haskept his walking stick beside him. Wecan see a boy lying on the grass who iswriting something with his pen and a girlflying a kite. The kite is flying above theman. There is a tree just behind the manwith a placard on it. To the right of theman, there is another tree surrounded bya fence. Two birds are sitting on the tree.

Additional language activityImaginary classroom

Tell the learners to imagine that the smartclassroom is completely empty, withoutfurniture or people. They have to furnishthe classroom. The teacher may begin thenarration like this:

There is an LCD projector suspendedfrom the ceiling. There is a computer kepton a table in the corner...

Now, lead the learners to the poemThe Echoing Green by William Blake.You may make use of the link talk asan initiation into the poem.

You may help the learners to appreciatethe idea that everyone feels happy in thelap of Nature.

William Blake

English poet, painter-engraver, andvisionary mystic, Blake’s hand-illustratedseries of lyrical and epic poems beginwith Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs ofExperience (1794). They form one of themost strikingly original and independentbodies of work in the Western culturaltradition. Blake is now regarded as one

of the earliest and greatest figures ofRomanticism.

Born on November 28, 1757, in the Sohodistrict of London, England, he attendedschool only for a brief period, beingchiefly educated at home by his mother.The Bible, which had an early andprofound influence on Blake, colouredhis life and works with intense spirituality.He lived on the edge of poverty and diedin 1827.

Songs of Innocence and Experience

• Songs of Innocence is Blake’s firstmasterpiece of ‘illuminated printing.’

• In it, the fragile and flower-like beautyof the lyrics blends with therhythmical subtlety of the designs.

• Blake took as his models the popularstreet ballads and rhymes for childrenof his own time.

• Songs of Experience provides a kind ofironic answer to Songs of Innocence. Theearlier collection’s celebration of abeneficent God is countered inExperience as a tyrannical andrepressive God.

• The key symbol of Innocence is theLamb; the corresponding image inExperience is the Tyger, the subject ofthe famous poem that stands at thepeak of Blake’s lyrical achievement:

Tyger! Tyger! burning brightIn the forests of the night;What immortal hand or eyeCould frame thy fearful symmetry?

The Echoing Green

‘The Echoing Green’ is a narrative poem,taken from the collection Songs of Innocenceby William Blake. It paints a beautifulpicture of nature and its pervadingmood is that of happiness. The poet hasskilfully divided the poem into three

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ten-line stanzas representing morning,afternoon and evening.

In the first stanza, the poet draws ourattention to a few visual images, i.e. itpresents the picture of a beautifulcountryside which welcomes the adventof spring. The poem has elements offestive delight accompanied by theechoing shouts of sportive children atthe beginning of the day.

The second stanza symbolizes the primeof youth. The people happily reminisceabout the peaceful days of their youthand joyfully recall the moments when theywere young and energetic.

The last stanza suggests the end of theday; even the children are tired ofplaying. The picture becomes grave aseverything appears weary. The old speakof their old age as needing more careand is symbolized as being 'round thelaps of their mothers' and as 'ready forrest.' The descending sun is symbolic ofdeath.

Each stanza represents a concrete partin the human cycle of birth, life anddeath.

ProcessThe teacher may read the poem aloudor play the audio three or four times withspecial emphasis and attention topunctuations, pauses, and rhyming words.

Ask the learners to read the poem

silently.

Know more

The word ‘stanza’ means ‘room’ inItalian. The stanzas are meant forthe meaningful organization of apoem.

The teacher may ask a few questions.(Questions are intended to generate ideasas to what the poem is actually about;you may add more questions to the list.)

• What time of the day do you like themost? Morning or evening?

• Have you listened to the singing ofthe birds? What time of the day dobirds usually sing?

Elicit responses and lead the learners toimagine a beautiful morning. Now, youmay ask them to comment on the titleof the poem and its theme. The followingquestions may help them.

• What do you think is the theme of thepoem?

• Comment on the title.• What idea does the picture convey?• The first stanza begins with the line,

'The sun does rise.' Compare andcontrast it with the line in the laststanza, 'The sun does descend.'

• Comment on the expressions ‘echoinggreen’ and ‘darkening green’.

• Do you think that nature provides thesame joy both to the young and theold? Why?

Now, ask the learners to read the firststanza of the poem silently. Afterreading the poem, allow the learnersto think about the poem for a while.The teacher may ask the followingquestions.

• How does the sun make the skyhappy? (Possible hint: The sun risesand makes the sky bright and happy.)

• Find out the word which describes‘bell’. Guess the meaning of it.(Possible hint: 'merry' which meanshappy.)

• What do the birds do to welcome thespring? Name the two birds of song.(Hint: They sing aloud. The skylarkand the thrush)

• Which time is referred to in the firststanza? Which phrase tells us aboutthat? (Hint: Morning. 'The Sun doesrise.')

• Which line tells us that a game is goingon? ('While our sports shall be seen')

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• Who is the ‘our’ in the stanza? (Hint:Children)

Consolidation: The teacher may elicitanswers from the learners and write themon the board. After that, the learners maybe asked to write a small description ofthe first stanza focusing on the mood ofthe poem, the time referred to, birds,children, etc.

Let them take some time to write it. Afterthat, the teacher may ask a few learnersto read their description and suggestchanges, if necessary. You may select onedescription for editing.

Now, ask the learners to read the poemsilently concentrating on the last word ofeach line. They may be asked to writedown the words in their notebooks.

arise skies ring

spring thrush bush

around sound seen

green

The teacher may pronounce the word‘arise’ and tell the learners to listen to theend sound. Once they have identified thesound, ask them to give the code ‘a’ toit.

Arise - a

Ask the learners to find out words endingwith the same sound and give the code'a'.

Skies - a

Now, underline the last words in line 3and 4. Do they sound the same as thefirst pair of words? What letter can wegive to these words?

Ring - b

Sing - b

Let the learners continue the activity tofind the rhyming words and code themaccordingly and write them down in their

notebooks. They may have writtensomething like this:

Arise aSkies aRing bSpring bThrush cBush cAround dSound dSeen e

Green e

Rhyme scheme: aabbccddee

Know more

Why rhyming words?

Poets often use rhyme to bring rhythmor a ‘musical’ quality to a poem inwhich the words seem to flow like asong. This may lead to an emotionalconnection with the ideas presented.Sometimes, poets may selectimportant words to be emphasizedthrough rhyme.

Ask the learners to read the secondstanza of the poem silently. After thelearners have finished reading, allowthem to think about the poem for awhile. The teacher may ask thefollowing questions.

• Who, according to you, is old John?(Hint: an old gentleman living in town)

• Where does he sit? (Hint: He sits underan oak tree.)

• What does the old folk usually watch?(Hint: They sit and watch the childrenlaughing and playing.)

• What do they say to themselves?Quote the lines. (Hint: ‘Such, suchwere the joys/ When we all, girls andboys,/ In our youth-time were seen/On the echoing green.’)

• What picture do you get from thequoted lines? (Elicit free responses.)

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Activity : Ask the learners to draw asketch of what they see in the secondstanza.

Now, ask the learners to read the thirdstanza of the poem silently. After reading,allow the learners to think about thepoem for a while. The teacher may askthe following questions.

• The little ones are no longer merry.Why? (Hint: They are weary and tiredby their sport.)

• When do the sports end? (Hint: Whenthe sun sets)

• What time of the day is referred to inthe last stanza? (Hint: evening)

• Ask the learners to identify therhyming words in the stanza.

Hint: weary-merry, descend-end, nest-rest, seen-green

The teacher may have a discussion on thetotal structure of the poem.

Discussion point: In the first stanza,morning is described; morning here mayrefer to the beginning of life, the springseason, happiness, the mirth of children,etc.

The second stanza draws our attentionto the old folk who think about theiryouthful days.

The last stanza highlights rest, and 'thedarkening green' perhaps signifies death.

The three stanzas refer to three timecycles : that of birth, life and death.

The teacher may ask the learners toanswer the questions given at the end ofthe poem.

Possible answers to textual questionson page 22

1. ‘Echo’ refers to something that isrepeated; everything in this world goesand comes back again; days, seasons,

etc., repeat their cycles. Here, ‘echo’may also have a reference to thechanging seasons.

2. Old John is happy. ‘Does laugh awaycare.’

3. They are tired.

4. The sports come to an end.

5. Around the laps of their mother.

6. ‘The darkening green’ refers to the endof the day.

Additional activityAfter the learning session, the teachermay divide the learners into three groups.The three groups may be namedmorning, afternoon and evening. Thelearners of each group may read aloud/ recite the respective stanza. Let thelearners change their roles after eachrecitation.The teacher may also help the learnerschoreograph each stanza or present it inthe form of a tableau.The process of choreography is detailedin Unit IV.

Now, lead the learners to Activity 1on page 22.

The learners will be able toidentify the use of alliterationand its function in poems.

Possible answersSwimmers swam and searchedSpecial sea shellsCatch small creaturesScreaming splashing and skipping

Know more

Definition of AlliterationAlliteration is a stylistic device inwhich a number of words, having thesame first consonant sound, occurclose together in a series.

Ask the learners to go through thefollowing examples:

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1. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickledpeppers.

2. A big bully beats a baby boy.

3. The pleasant prince pleaded for peace.

The teacher can tell the learners that thesentences are alliterative because the samefirst consonant sound occurs closetogether in words.Alliteration does not depend on lettersbut on sounds.

Examples of Alliteration‘The fair breeze blew, the whitefoam flew,The furrow followed free;We were the first that ever burstInto that silent sea.’

-- Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s ‘The Rimeof the Ancient Mariner.’

In the above lines, there is alliteration (thesounds of the letters ‘b’, ‘f ’ and ‘s’) inthe phrases ‘breeze blew’, ‘foam flew’,‘furrow followed’, and ‘silent sea.’

Know more

Why Alliteration?Alliteration has a very important rolein poetry and prose. It creates amusical effect in the text and enhancesthe pleasure of reading a literary piece.It makes the reading and recitation ofpoems attractive and appealing.

Now, lead the learners to Activity 2on page 23.Let the learners find out the rhymingwords from the stanza and write themdown in their notebooks. Encouragethem to write down the rhyme schemeof the second stanza and compare it withthat of the first or the last stanza.

Lead the learners to Activity 3 onpage 23.

The Learners will be able toidentify the images in a poem.

The teacher may initiate a discussion onthe use of imagery in poems and theeffect it creates.

Possible answers

• the rising sun, the children at play

Know more

Image, Imagery• Images are words used to describe

what often is appreciated throughexperience rather than throughreading.

• The aim of imagery is to recreate thesensory experience for the reader.

• Many images, such as the ‘rising sun,’appeal primarily to the sense ofsight.

• But an image can invoke the othersenses too, as in a sniff of perfumeor a scratchy blanket.

Different types of imagery used inpoems

o Sight- visual imageryo Sound- auditory imageryo Touch- tactile imageryo Smell- olfactory imageryo Taste - gustatory imagery

The poem, ‘Hyperion’ by John Keatshelps us understand the different typesof imagery used in a poem.Hyperion, leaving twilight in the rear,Came slope upon the threshold of thewest;Then, as was wont, his palace-doorflew openIn smoothest silence, save whatsolemn tubes,Blown by the serious Zephyrs, gave ofsweetAnd wandering sounds, slow-breathedmelodies;And like a rose in vermeil tint and shape,In fragrance soft, and coolness to the eye,That inlet to severe magnificenceStood full blown, for the God to enter in.Here, Keats blends sensations in themost beautiful way. When he describes

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how Hyperion’s palace doors open (avisual image), he creates an image ofsound - ‘smoothest silence’ - a tactiledescription of an auditory ‘silence’.When the Zephyrs blow, Keats firstdescribes their noise as ‘wanderingsounds’ - a visual image - and then as‘slow-breathed melodies’ (a visualdescription of the auditory ‘melody’).

Now the teacher may lead the learnersto the story 'A Snake in the Grass' byR. K. Narayan.Meet the authorR. K. Narayan

• One of the most highly regarded ofall Indian novelists writing in English.Beginning with Swami and Friends(1935), he wrote more than a dozennovels and several collections of shortstories set in the fictional city ofMalgudi, in South India.

• Explores themes touching on theeveryday lives of Malgudi’sinhabitants; Narayan invoked animagined world that drew comparisonwith Thomas Hardy’s Wessex. ForGraham Greene, Narayan was ‘thenovelist I most admire in the Englishlanguage.’

• Son of a headmaster, he was born inMadras on October 10, 1906. Hismother was frail, and at the age of twohe was sent to live with hisgrandmother. His best friends were apeacock and a monkey.

• Graduated in 1930. He took a teachingpost in a country school but after a fewdays, he returned home and announcedthat he was going to be a writer.

‘As I sat in a room nibbling my pen andwondering what to write,’ Narayanrecalled, ‘Malgudi with its little railwaystation swam into view, all ready-made.’

• He was a Fellow of the Royal Societyof Literature, and an honorarymember of the American Academy of

Arts and Letters. For his novel TheGuide, he won the Kendra SahityaAkademi Award. He published amemoir My Days, in 1975. He passedaway in 2001.

R. K. Narayan writes about realexperiences found in native India. Hisstories are filled with humorousanecdotes and irony. The story 'ASnake in the Grass' is a typicalexample of this type of writing.

A Snake in the GrassAbout the storyA snake enters the compound of ahouse. Upon getting the informationfrom a cyclist, the family members andneighbours go in search of it. Dasa, theclever servant, tricks his employers -- amother and her four sons -- into thinkingthat he has caught a cobra for which thefamily has been searching in the gardenall day. Earlier in the day, the family accusethe servant of being lazy and not cuttingthe grass. They spend the entire afternoonsearching for the snake.What happens next?The teacher may ask the learners to guessthe rest of the story.

Let’s readThe learners may have already enjoyedand appreciated the beauty of nature inthe story 'How Far is the River?' and thepoem 'The Echoing Green.'

The teacher may ask a few questions tothe learners.

1. What are the things that you find innature?

2. Do you know that the number ofbirds and animals in our world isdecreasing?

3. Can you name an animal or a bird thatis facing extinction?

4. Who is responsible for all this?5. Is Nature an abode of human beings

alone?

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Here, the teacher may refer to VaikkomMohammed Basheer’s BhoomiyudeAvakasikal.

The learners may be allowed to discussthe answers in the class. The teacher maylead the class to a debate if they raisedifferent opinions to some of thequestions.

Pre-reading activityPredict and go

The teacher may write the title of thestory on the blackboard and then mayask the learners to form pair groups.They may be asked to frame questionsbased on the title.

For example, the learners may askquestions like:

a. Is the story about a snake?

b. Does it hide inside a bush?

The teacher answers only ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.The learners then compile all the ‘yes’questions and form an inference aboutthe story. They may write down theirinferences in their notebooks.

During readingThe reading text may be divided into3 different segments. The teacher maytry other variations.Segment 1 (para 1-3) (It was a sunny...care for the garden.)

The teacher may ask the learners to readthe first part silently.

The teacher may now ask the textualquestions to check if they have

understood the passage.

Possible answers to textual questionson page 241) afternoon, road, a cyclist2) He saw a snake cross his wheel and

enter the compound of the house.The teacher may also frame morequestions to check the comprehension ofthe learners.

Additional questions1. How many members were there in the

family?2. They were agitated to hear the news.

What was the news?3. What did they do to their sleeping

servant Dasa?4. What did the family want the servant

to do?The teacher may direct the learners to dothe following activity.

Reading activity 1Small shades of meaning

The teacher may ask the learners to findout a word which means ‘a short sleep,’after reading paragraphs 1-3.The word is ‘siesta.’There are other words similar to theword ‘siesta.’ Sometimes, the meaningmay be slightly different, or it is moreformal, or more general.For example, ‘nap’ is a short period ofsleep, typically during the daytime.The teacher may direct the students tofill the template given below.

Definition (use a dictionary) Sentence

SIESTA

Synonyms (use a thesaurus)1 2 3

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The teacher may make use of thetemplate to help the learners improvetheir vocabulary.

Reading activity 2

The teacher may now ask the learnersto summarize paragraphs 1-3. Youmay also provide the learners with aworksheet.

Who did What in the story Why

1. A cyclist rang his cycle bell ______

2. ____ ____________ ______

3. ____ ____________ ______

After completing the worksheet, thelearners may be asked to use the detailsthey have noted down in the worksheetto write a paragraph.

Segment 2 (para 4-6) (Someneighbours…..name and departed.)

Predict and go

The teacher asks the learners to read thesummary of the paragraphs 1 to 3.

• Divide the class into 4 groups anddistribute one question for each groupon a sheet of paper.

• The learners may make use of thefollowing questions to predict whatmight happen next in the story.

Questions

1. What might Dasa have doneafterwards?

2. Where might the snake have gone?

3. Will the snake be found?

4. Will they seek somebody’s help? Whodo you think may help them to catchthe snake?

The learners may be asked to write theanswers on a sheet of paper. Five minutesmay be allotted for this activity. They maythen be asked to read out their answersaloud. The teacher may note the differentpredictions of the learners.

Now, the teacher may ask the learners toread paragraphs 4-6 and check whetherthey have guessed correctly.

The learners may have written differentanswers to the questions. The teachermay ask the learners to make use of theirpredictions to give a different ending tothe story.

The teacher may make use of thequestions given in the text to checkwhether the learners have understood theparagraphs they have read.

Possible answers to textual ques-tions on page 25

3. The family accused Dasa of being lazy.

4. The harm caused by snakes is snakemenace. (Elicit free responses.)

5. The beggar woman said that themother was fortunate since God hadcome to visit her. She requested themother not to kill the snake. Ingratitude, the mother gave her a coin.

6. The old man declared that he was asnake charmer.

The teacher may also ask additionalquestions other than those given in thetext.


1. What did the neighbours discuss?

2. Did the family help the neighbours?How?

3. Dasa asked one question triumphantly.What was the question?

4. What did they tell the old beggar atthe gate?

5. How did she respond to their answer?

6. What did the old snake charmer showthem?

7. What did the snake charmer ask themto do?

Segment 3

Now, the teacher may ask the learnersto read the last part (para 7-8) (At

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five...... what it contained) silently andthen ask questions to check theircomprehension. The teacher may useone of the reading activities.

Possible answers to textual ques-tions on page 267 The snake charmer said he could

catch the snake only if it was shownto him.

8 Dasa claimed that he had caught thesnake. He also dwelt at length on thestrategies he had employed to catchthe snake.

9 (Let the learners give free responses.)

The teacher may also ask additionalquestions.


1. When did they retire to the verandato take rest?

2. What did Dasa carry in his hands?

3. What, according to Dasa, was in thepot?

4. What did he explain to the family andneighbours?

5. What did he say with ‘the glow of achampion on his face’?

6. What did the youngest child cry out?

7. What did the college boy murmur?

8. List the implements/tools that theneighbours carried with them to driveaway the snake.

Now, lead the learners to the Activities.

Suggested Process and Solution

to Textual Activities

Activity 1 on page 27.

The teacher may refer to the ‘stand inorder’ activity mentioned in segment 3of the story ‘How Far is the River?’

Key• A big cobra entered the compound.

• The family was greatly agitated tohear the news.

• Dasa’s negligence of the garden andthe lawns was responsible for all thedreadful things coming in.

• Neighbours assembled and startedsearching for the snake.

• An old beggar promised to send asnake charmer.

• He gave his name and departed.• Dasa appeared before them carrying

a water-pot and declared that he hadcaught the snake.

• They watched him in admiration anddecided to reward him.

• The youngest son saw the snakecoming out of the hole, and criedaloud.

• When they recovered from the shock,they asked, ‘Does it mean there aretwo snakes here?’


The learners will be able toanalyse the communicativeaspects of language and usethem in practical situations.

Possible answer to Activity 2 onpage 28

Snake Charmer : Hello, this is Sankar.My wife asked me tocall you. What's thematter, madam?

Mother : We urgently need yourservice. A snake hasentered ourcompound.

Snake Charmer : Are you sure it's stillthere?

Mother : Yes, it's still there. Mysons and neighboursare searching for it.

Snake Charmer : Okay. Can you pleasetell me your address?

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Mother : Sure. Please notedown. Sudha, HouseNo. 28, MalgudiNorth.

Snake Charmer : Fine. Don't worry. I'llreach there soon.

Know more

Elements of conversationalEnglish.

3. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickledpeppers, how many pickled pepperswould Peter Piper pick?

The teacher may help the learners tovisit http://learn englishkids.brit ishcouncil .org/en/tongue-twisters where they can see, listen andrepeat the tongue twisters.


The learners will be able todevelop good articulation andpronunciation skills.

The teacher may ask the learners tocollect other tongue twisters and readthem aloud in the class. You may carryout this activity in the form of a game.

1. She sells seashells by the seashore.

2. Six slippery snails, slid slowly seaward.

NOTE: The teacher may help the learners make use of the conversational inputsand construct conversations on their own.

Know more

Why tongue twisters?Listening to and repeating tonguetwisters is one way to improveEnglish pronunciation. It will helplearners to acquire the lexicalelements in a non-conscious manner.


The learners will be able toprepare a script and enact it.

Introducing

Good morning, I'm Johnfrom London.Excuse me, I'm Ganga.This is Mr. Abdulla.Meet my friend...May I introduce...?

PermissionMay I ...?Could I ...?Is it all right if...?If you don't mind, I'd like to...Agreement

O.K.That's O.K.All right.Quite right.Fine, agreed.

Requesting

Can/ Could you please...?Would you please...?Do you mind...?Will you please...?May I know who's calling?Can you do me a favour?If you don't mind, please...Asking to repeatPardon.I beg your pardon.I'm sorry, what did you say?Could you please repeat...?Expressing Gratitude

Thanks.Thank you.Thank you very much.I'm really grateful to you.I would like to express mygratitude...

Greeting

Hi, Anoushka. How are you?Hello Rahul, nice to see you.Good morning/afternoon/evening.Hello everybody.How are you getting on?How's life?ApologisingSorry.Excuse me/pardon me for...I'm extremely sorry for...Please accept my apology.Asking for information

Could you tell me...?Can you help me...?Excuse me. I'd like to know...Do you have any idea ...?Would you mind telling me ...?

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Writing a scriptThe teacher may ask the learners to prepare a sample script based on the story.The teacher can divide the learners into groups. Let them read the story once ortwice. The teacher may help the learners prepare a small script based on a portionof the story.

Steps for preparing a scriptStep one

Make a table of the characters and the plot.

Step two

Mind map the plot.

Scene 1

The family membersand neighboursfrantically search forthe snake.

Scene 2

The servant Dasa isblissfully ignorant of thedevelopment. He issleeping peacefully.

Detailslazy servant

superstitious

How they fit in with the plotHis oversight results in theentering of a snake in thecompound.Her words instil superstitiousbeliefs in the mind of the mother

CharacterDasa

Old beggar woman

Snake

Scene 3An old beggar woman considers theincident as a blessing.

A snake entersthe compound

Step threeLay out the plot step by step:'A Snake in the Grass'Act OneScene 1:The family members come to know of the snake and they frantically search forit.Scene 2 : Dasa, the servant is seen sleeping inside his room. The neighboursand family members wake him up and blame him for being idle.Scene 3: An old beggar woman appears at the gate. On hearing about theincident, she says that the family is blessed by God.Scene 4: An old man introduces himself as a snake charmer. He says he cancatch the snake only if it is shown to him.

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Possible answer to Activity 4 on page 29

Scene:1

(The courtyard of a house. An old beggar woman is seen at the gate.)

Old beggar : Mother, give me some alms.

Mother : Not now, we are searching for a snake in ourcompound.

Old beggar (smiling) : You are fortunate. God has come to visit you. Pleasedon’t kill the snake.

Mother : You are right. I almost forgot about the abhishekam,you reminded me of it. Thank you.

Scene: 2

(The courtyard of a house. An old man at the gate.)

Old man : It is difficult to find a snake among the bushes.

The eldest son : Who are you?

Old man : I’m a snake charmer.

(The people gather around him)

The eldest son : How do you catch snakes?

Old Man : Like this..

(He pounces upon an imaginary snake on the groundand lifts something which was on the ground andcheerfully looks at every one.)

The eldest son : Can you catch the snake for us?

Old man : If you show me the snake, I will help you.

(He points to the direction the snake has gone toand slowly walks away.)

After the learners have prepared the script, the teacher may help them to enact it.Videotape the performance and upload it in your school blog.

Before enactment, it may be better if you conduct a discussion on the essentialelements of dramatization.

DramatizationEssential elements of a play

• Characters • Plot • Theme

• Dialogue • Devices • Genre

Characters : Characters are the people (sometimes animals or ideas)portrayed by the actors in the play.

Plot : This is what happens in the play. Plot refers to the action, thebasic storyline of the play.

Theme : Theme is the main idea or lesson to be learned from the play.

Dialogue : This refers to the words spoken by the characters in the play.The dialogue helps to keep the action of the play moving.

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Devices : These are the techniques and methods used by the playwrightand the director to create the desired stylistic effect.

Genre : Genre refers to the type of play (comedy, tragedy, mystery play, etc.)

Know more

There are six stages in the structure of a plot.

1. Initial incident: The event that ‘gets the story going.’

2. Preliminary event: Whatever takes place before the action of the play and whichhas a direct relation to the play.

3. Rising action: A series of events following the initial incident and leading up tothe dramatic climax.

4. Climax: The turning point or high point of a story, when events can go eitherway.

5. Falling action: The series of events following the climax.6. Denouement: Another term for the conclusion from the French word for

‘unravelling.’

Preliminary eventA cyclist informs thefamily about it.

Falling actionThe mother complimentsDasa.Everyone admires him.

Rising actionThe neighbours and thefamily members search forthe snake. Everyone blamesthe servant, Dasa.An old beggar woman and asnake charmer appear.Denouement(unravelling)The younger son spots thecobra which was supposedlycaught by Dasa.

Initial incidentA snake enters thecompound.

ClimaxThe snake is sealed inthe pot by Dasa.

Six stages in a plot structure

Scenery (set)The theatrical equipment, such as curtains,backdrops, or platforms, used in a dramaticproduction to communicate the environment.

Costume

Clothing and accessories worn by actors toportray characters.

LightsThe placement, intensity, and colour of lightsto help communicate the environment, mood,or feeling .

Props(short for properties): any article used onthe stage except the costumes.

SoundThe effects that an audience hears duringthe performance to communicate character,context, or environment.

Make-upCostumes, wigs, and body paint which areused to transform an actor into a character.

Note: While enacting the drama in the classroom/auditorium, ensure theavailability of the following elements to add to the dramatic effect.

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Dialogue presentation

The teacher may also brief the learnerson dialogue presentation, voicemodulation, breath control and vocalexpressions. If possible, give them amodel and ask the learners to havesuitable modes of expression to conveythe character.

There are three main techniques indramatizing stories.

• Using movement withoutspeaking, which is called a mime

• Using a script devised from a story

• Role play and improvisationMime• involves the learners imagining

themselves as a character in the story,and using movement without wordsto depict the story as the teacher readsit aloud or describes a scene.

Story dialogues and scripts• uses written dialogues, either from a

story or from a script based on a story,and combining movement withcontrolled speaking.

It is important to choose dialogues thatthe learners can learn easily, such as thosewith repetition or rhythm.Many children’s stories can be turned intoscripts for plays. If the script includessome choral speaking, narration andsimple lines, then all the learners canparticipate.Role play and improvisation• Learners enact a story or scene by

creating the dialogue themselves asthey go along, without memorizing ascript or reading from a story.


The learners will be able toacquire new words andmeanings, develop their mentalability and organisation skills.

CrosswordA crossword is a word puzzle thatnormally takes the form of a square/rectangular grid. The goal is to fill theblank squares forming words/phrases bysolving the clues which lead to theanswers.

Key1. Grass cutter 2. Spade

3. Scythe 4. Crowbar

5. Mower 6. Rake

7. Knife

The teacher may ask the learners to referto a dictionary and find the meanings ofthe words in the grid.

Down2. a tool used for digging soil

4. a heavy iron bar with a bent used tolift heavy objects off the ground

5. a machine for cutting, especially grass

6. a garden tool with a long handle andlong pointed metal parts sticking outin a row at the bottom, used forlevelling the earth

Across1. an equipment for cutting grass7. a tool with a metal blade and a handle

used for cuttingUp

3. a tool with a long sharp curved bladeand a long handle used especially tocut long grass

The teacher may devise more crosswordpuzzles or ask the learners to preparethem as an activity.

Activity 6 on page 30The teacher may use the conversationto introduce idioms.


The learners will be able torealise the use of idioms insentences.

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Cry over spilt milkMeaning: When you complain abouta loss in the pastCuriosity killed the catMeaning: Being inquisitive can lead youinto an unpleasant situationCut cornersMeaning: Something done badly tosave money


The learners will be able to usethe structure 'I wish.'

To introduce the structure ‘I wish’ theteacher may say:

Ram wanted to be a guitarist when hewas young. But he didn’t get anyopportunity to learn it in his childhood,so he doesn’t know how to play the guitar.

Ram says, ‘I wish I could play the guitar.’

The teacher may ask the learners to guessthe meaning of the structure ‘I wish’.

The teacher may ask the followingquestions.

• What did Ram wish for?

• Did he fulfil his wish?

Now, ask the learners to prepare a list ofthings that they wanted to do but wereunable to do. Then, ask them to rewriteit using 'I wish'.

• 'I wanted to learn acting but I couldnot'- can be rewritten as 'I wish I learntacting.'

The teacher can tell the learners that toexpress regret about our unfulfilledwishes, we may use 'I wish.'

e.g. I did not get full marks inMathematics.

I wish I got full marks in Mathematics.

Consolidation: The teacher may explainto the learners that 'I wish' is used toexpress regret. It also refers to situations

Possible answers• Stop beating about the bush.

• Hit the nail on the head.

A B

the pros and cons the arguments forand against

a feather in one’s an achievement ofcap which one can be

proud ofkeep one’s word do as one

promiseslet the cat out of the secret is nothe bag longer a secret

1. When the thief was questioned, helet the cat out of the bag.

2. Our school has won the first prize inthe State level Hockey competition.It is a feather in our cap.

3. Before we take a decision on an issue,we must examine its pros and cons.

4. Give promises only if one can keepone’s word.

Know more

Here is a list of idioms that theteachers may use to prepareworksheets on their own.A hot potatoMeaning: Speak of an issue (mostlycurrent) which many people aretalking about and which is usuallydisputedA penny for your thoughtsMeaning: A way of asking whatsomeone is thinkingActions speak louder than words.Meaning: People’s intentions can bejudged better by what they do thanwhat they say.Add insult to injury.Meaning: To worsen an unfavourablesituationAt the drop of a hatMeaning: without any hesitation;instantly

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English VII

LO

that are unreal, impossible or unlikely.After 'I wish,' the past tense is used witha present or future meaning.

Possible answers

1. I wish I had a bicycle.

2. I wish I were a butterfly.

3. I wish I could fly to the moon.

4. I wish I were a millionaire.

5. I wish I were a robot.

6. I wish I were a spider man.

Additional activity

Lead the learners to a role-play.

Let them imagine they are in a fairy world.A genie appears in front of them andgrants them three wishes. Ask the learnersto write down three wishes they wouldlike to fulfil in life.

• I wish I could .

• I wish I had .

• I wish I were .


The learners will be able torealise the use of relativepronouns.

Possible answers

1. This is the house which I purchasedfrom Peter.

2. He said something that surprisedme.

3. I saw a girl who was carrying a basketon her head.

Additional activity 1Sing the following rhyme along with thelearners.

This is the house that Jack built.This is the malt that lay in the housethat Jack built.This is the rat that ate the malt that layin the house that Jack built.This is the cat that killed the rat thatate the malt that lay in the house that

Jack built.This is the dog that worried the catthat killed the rat that ate the malt thatlay in the house that Jack built.

Variation: The teacher may omit theword “that” from the rhyme and ask thelearners to recite it. Now elicit responsesto the following questions.

What difference do they find?

What do they think is the function of ‘that.’

Additional activity 2Introduce the learners to the topic ofusing relative clauses by asking a fewquestions such as:

How would you describe a joker?

Who is a doctor?

What is a calculator?

Ask the learners to study the followingand match the sentences.

A joker is someone who treats people.

A doctor is a person which is used fordoing calculations.

A calculator is a who makessmall electronic people laugh.device

NOTE: A relative pronoun describesthe word that comes before it.

Write the following sentences on theboard.

• I have finished the book which Ibought yesterday.

• The woman who lives next door is ateacher.

• The house that Jack built collapsedyesterday.

Ask the learners to write down the wordsthat come before the relative pronoun.

book, woman, house

NOTE: ‘That’ and ‘which’ are used todescribe objects.

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Nature's Plenty

‘Who’ is used to describe people.

The relative pronoun ‘that’ can also beused to describe people.

e.g. The person that phoned me yesterdaywas my friend.

Know more

The relative pronoun can also be usedto introduce a relative clause.

A relative clause is a part of a sentencewhich cannot exist independently andwhich describes a noun which comesbefore it in the main part of thesentence.

e.g. The book which I read is amazing.

‘Which I read’ is a relative clause.

Additional activity 3

The teacher may write the followingsentences on the board. Ask the learnersto complete the sentences according totheir preference. The teacher may usedifferent variations.

I like people who ..........................

I dislike people who ..........................

I like days when ..........................

I dislike places where ..........................

I like films which ..........................


Keyto, the, lovely, was, that

Activity 11 on page 32Key

A B

deeply ashamedtiring journeyhasty decisionsstrong opinion

READING STRATEGY

Literature circleHow do I do it?

1. Select members for the LiteratureCircles (discussion groups).

2. Assign roles to the members of eachcircle.

3. Assign reading to be completed by thecircles inside or outside the class.

4. Select meeting dates of the Literaturecircle.

5. Help the learners prepare for theirroles in their circle.

6. Act as a facilitator for the circles.

Some roles may be:

• Discussion director - developsquestions for the group to discuss.

• Vocabulary developer- chooseswords that are difficult or used in anunfamiliar way.

• Connector - finds a connectionbetween the story and another book,or events in their personal life or theoutside world.

• Illustrator - draws a picture relatedto the reading.

• Summarizer - prepares a briefsummary of the passage read that day.

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English VII

Worksheets

Read the story 'How Far is the River?' and find out five complete sentences inwhich 'and' occurs.

e.g.

• The boy was young and the river was small.

Now split the sentences into two meaningful units.

• The boy was young. • The river was small.

• •

• •

• •

Read the following sentences from the story 'How Far is the River?' and saywhether they are true or false.

1. The boy had seen the river before.

2. He wished to touch the water in the river and feel it.

3. The boy could not afford shoes.

4. He didn't want his parents to know about his journey.

5. The path to the river was smooth.

6. He met a woodcutter on the way.

7. He was surprised to see a bare hill in front of him.

8. The boy met a girl who cut grass, on the way.

9. He met another boy who was driving a car.

10. The boy was very tired and could not bear the heat of the sun.

11. The boy began to feel discouraged.

12. He stopped on the way and rested for a while.

13. The boy found the silence frightening.

14. The boy was very tired, yet he ran to see the river.

" "

Nature's Plenty Worksheet 1


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31

Nature's Plenty

Read the story "How Far is the River?' and write down the sentences in which thefollowing words appear .

young boy, small, untidy, hair, black, sturdy, skin, brown, clear, powerful, short,weathered, ugly, steep, path, dizzy, golden, opposite, long, knife, dusty

• The woodcutter was a short but powerful man.•••

Now, categorise the words in two headings as below.

Describing words Naming words

• powerful • man• •• •• •• •


" "


Read the story 'How Far is the River?' and fill in the blanks.

'He stood ____________ his house ____________ the hill opposite the mountain,

and gazed ____________ the valley, dreaming ____________ the river.

He went __________ the house and wrapped the loaf ____________ bread

____________ a newspaper.'

Now, complete the following paragraph from 'The Kite Maker' by Ruskin

Bond, selecting the prepositional phrases from the box.

The old man remained dreaming ____________. His kite shop was gone, the

premises long since sold ____________; but he still made kites, for his own

amusement and for the benefit ____________, Ali. Not many people bought kites

these days. Adults disdained them, and children preferred to spend their money

____________. Moreover, there were not many open spaces left for the flying of

kites. The city had swallowed up the open grassland that had stretched from the old

fort's walls ____________.

in the sun to the river bank to a junk dealer

of his grandson at the cinema

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English VII

Use the words in the box as synonyms of the italicized words:

easy sick chair throwbig like late

Is this seat free?

(1) 'Chair' is another word for 'seat.'

All the questions in the exams were very simple.(2)

They live in a huge house.(3)

The tardy arrival of John delayed the function.(4)

Toss me the ball.(5)

I enjoy meeting new people.(6)

Guess the meaning of the following idioms from the meanings given in brackets.

• under the weather • down to earth

• eat your words • on top of the world • bolt from the blue

(to admit that one was wrong, feel sick, sudden unexpected event,

feel extremely happy, practical and sensible)

Now, fill in the blanks using the selected idioms.

• Rahul does not feel like going to school. He feels a bit .

• Thomas will give you good advice. He is a very sort of person.

• Sameer and his friends have won the cricket match. They are .

• My sister said I would never win the competition, but she had to .

• When John came home from England, it was a for the neighbours.



" "

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33

Nature's Plenty

A description of Four sentences

A person you have seen 1234

Vocabulary Reference

Words used to describe people.

Height Body type Hair Featuresmedium athletic blonde beardshort heavy brown dimpletall muscular curly glasses

plump dark moleskinny light moustachestocky long wrinklesthin red

shortstraightwavy

" "


A description of Four sentences

A place you visited 1

2

3

4

Vocabulary reference

Words used to describe places.

clean hilly old

cold hot quiet

colourful humid rural

cool industrial sandy

crowded modern spectacular

dirty mountainous urban

flat narrow windy


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