english sourcebook - it@school sourcebook standard iv prepared by: state council of educational...

ENGLISH SOURCEBOOK

STANDARD IV

GOVERNMENT OF KERALA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION2009

English SourcebookStandard IV

Prepared by:State Council of EducationalResearch & Training (SCERT)Poojappura,Thiruvananthapuram -12, Kerala.E-mail:[email protected] setting by:SCERT Computer Lab.

Printed at:

©Government of KeralaDepartment of Education2009

Members participated in theSourcebook workshop

Dr. K N AnandanSri. Jose D’ SujeevSri. Prem Kumar.K.V.Sri. Radhakrishnan Nair.C.Prof.V.K.SaraswathyDr. K.M.SheriefProf. Sasikumaran Unnithan

Sri. Sukhadan K.N.

Smt. Sujatha.P.V.

Academic Co-ordinators

Smt. K.K. ChandiniSri. K.T. Dinesh

FOREWORD

Dear friends,

The Teacher's Sourcebook for Std VI has been developed

with a view to giving a set of guidelines for teachers handling

English at primary level. The Sourcebook introduces the

teacher to the main principles and techniques that underlie

activity based learning. It is a guide for any practising

teachers. It is also a professional resource for those

working with children.

Through this Sourcebook and the Coursebook, we hope that

you could lead the children to new heights of language

competence. The Sourcebook provides a variety of

activities, a different approach to teaching a second

language, a series of innovative techniques of teaching, an

interesting way of editing and a meaningful system of

evaluation.

We will be happy if you find the suggestions in this

Sourcebook helpful for developing yourself as better

facilitators of second language.

Wish you all the best in your endeavours.

A.P.M Mohammed HaneeshDirectorSCERT, Kerala.

CONTENTS

1. Highlights of the Coursebook and Sourcebook

2. Why We Change the Curriculum

3. Objectives of Education

4. KCF- 2007 (On Language)

5. Issue Based Learning

6. On Approach and Methodology

7. Specific Areas of Second Language Pedagogy for Beginners

8. On Assessment

9. Syllabus Grid

10. Unit 1 - Bolu, My Friend

11. Unit 2 - Happy Days

12. Unit 3 - The Gifted Child

13. Unit 4 - The Man with a Monkey

14. Unit 5 - The Hen's Bread

5

7

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15

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5SOURCEBOOKSOURCEBOOKSOURCEBOOKSOURCEBOOKSOURCEBOOK ENGLISH STD IVENGLISH STD IVENGLISH STD IVENGLISH STD IVENGLISH STD IV

• This course of instruction in English is based on the objectives and principlesof education envisioned in NCF 2005 and KCF 2007.

• Issue based curriculum is its core and the various problems faced by oursociety are discussed and sensitised in the learning material.

• It is developed on the basis of the principles of constructivism and criticalpedagogy.

• Critical pedagogy explores the social dimension of a constructivist, childcentered and process oriented classroom.

• The approach to language followed here is the cognitive interactionistapproach, which conceives language both as a social construct as well as anindividual construct.

• Narratives are used as a pedagogic tool as they play a crucial role inlanguage acquisition.

• Narratives are not meant to be explained or translated. Present them assuch with proper feel and voice modulation.

• Various skills of language are integrated and the scope for constructingdifferent discourses is inbuilt in the classroom process of the material.

• The possibility of teacher local text is explored in almost all units.

• Performance based activities like choreography, enactment of skit androle-playing have to be given chance for presentation either in the class itselfor on the stage.

Chapter IHIGHLIGHTS OF THE

COURSEBOOK AND SOURCEBOOK


• The transactional process of this learning material explores the possibilityof IT as a tool for language learning.

• This Sourcebook which details the approach, methodology, techniques oftransaction, planning and evaluation is developed along with the Coursebookas a comprehensive package of learning.

• The activities suggested in the Sourcebook are suggestive and notprescriptive. Teachers are free to adopt and modify the suggested activitiesto suit to the level of the learners of their classroom within the constructivistparadigm.


Chapter 2WHY WE CHANGE THE CURRICULUM

1.1. IntroductionWe will begin with a simple question.How does a child learn a language?The popular answer to this questiontoo is very simple. The child learns thelanguage by imitating and repeatingwhat the adults say. That’s fine. Nowwe have another question to ask. Doesthe new-born human child haveknowledge of language? The age-oldbelief is that the child does not haveknowledge of anything let alone thatof language.

In our own times language isconceived not as a baggage of facts buta phenomenon that needs to beexplained. When language as aphenomenon becomes the object ofinquiry we have to choose betweenone of the two belief systems:

i. The new born human child does notknow anything about language;everything related to language comesfrom outside.

ii. The child has innate knowledge oflanguage. That means she is born withlanguage.

The first belief system was created byBehavioural Psychology andStructural Linguistics. Cognitivetheories are the proponents of the

second belief system. Our currentunderstanding of what language isand how it is acquired force us toabandon the first belief system. Thesecond belief system generates aquestion:

What do we mean by innateknowledge of language?

Does it mean the knowledge of aparticular language (say, the mothertongue)?

A child living is Kerala speaksMalayalam and the one living inEngland speaks English. These areknown facts. Does it mean that theinnate language of a child living inKerala is Malayalam?

All what we mean by ‘innateness’ issimply this:

The human child is biologicallyequipped with language system.

This gets unfolded as the languagesystem of the speech community inwhich she lives.

This is a natural process, a process thattakes place without any consciousattempt from the part of the learner.

Nor is there any special effort madeby the mother or others to teach herthe mother tongue.


1.2 Conventional methods ofteaching English - the problemsOur society has much concern aboutthe poor quality of English educationprevailing in our country.Educationists, teachers and parentsare aware of its importance in thepresent day context of globalisation.At the same time they are worried thattheir children are not able to speakEnglish even after completing generaleducation. Why is it so?

A number of factors are supposedlycontributing to the present daysituation:

• The learner does not get sufficientexposure to the language.

• There is no English speechcommunity to live in.

• Teachers are not confident to speakEnglish.

The lack of exposure to Englishcertainly is a hindrance. Nevertheless,there is a point which we should notleave unnoticed: it is not the quantityof exposure which matters but thekind of exposure that the child gets,which facilitates language acquisition.

By virtue of the insights we derivefrom theoretical linguistics, cognitivepsychology and experientialpedagogy, we are today in a positionto detect a problem inherent to theexisting English Language Teachingpackage: It grossly ignores the innatesystem of the child which enables heracquire a language. A successful

learner may be able to reproducelinguistic information as demandedby the examination and may scorehigh grades too. But what she haslearned in the language classroomdoes not help her in the spontaneousproduction of language.

Another flaw in the conventionalmodel of language teaching is that itgrossly ignores discourse leveltransactions narrowing itself to thetransmission of isolated languageitems. We know that words or evensentences, in isolation do not have anyindependent existence; thesecomponents function only indiscourses. Language acquisition isaccomplished through acquiring‘structure- consciousnesses. This canbe brought about only throughmeaningful and need based linguisticdiscourses ensuring the recurrence oflanguage items at the phonological,morphological and syntactic level,thus providing a continuum oflanguage experience.

1.3. Critical analysis of theexisting assumptions andmethodology of teaching readingLet us examine the pedagogic issuesposed by the conventional materialsand methods of teaching English.

1. 3.1. Beginning with ABC

There are several teachers whobelieve that the first step in teachingEnglish is to teach the alphabet. Is thisa justifiable belief?


Let us raise a few questions ofpedagogic importance.

• What will the children learnthrough learning the alphabet?

• Will learning the alphabetmechanically facilitate better reading?

• When we are reading something,are we reading the letters or the sense?

• Are there any alternative strategiesfor helping children learn thealphabet?

Why do teachers start teachingEnglish with the teaching of alphabet?They are sharing some of the popularbeliefs in the context of teachingEnglish.

• The alphabet makes the simplestunit of language.

• Learning ‘ABC’ is relatively easierfor any child when compared tolearning sentences and passages.

They have learnt English in the samemanner.

• One of the fundamental principlesof Educational Psychology is toproceed from “simple to complex.”

To what extent can we hold thesebeliefs?

The alphabet constitutes the simplestunits of language, we know it. But arethey simple enough for the child tolearn? What makes something simpleor complex for the child is herexperience. She makes sense of theworld around her through herexperience. The alphabet does not

make any sense to her. The sign “A”or “B” is something that does notcome within her experiential orbit. Toher, these letters are very abstract. Shemay be able to learn them andreproduce them from her memory.When she enters the real world ofreading, she will naturally face aproblem. The letters of the alphabetin isolation are articulated in one way;when they appear in words, eachletter is pronounced in a differentway. Reading thus becomeshazardous and slow.

Just think about the way wepicked up our mother tongue. Wedidn’t begin with the alphabet, didwe? Mothers across cultures do notinteract with their children usingalphabets in isolation.

1.3.2. Beginning with Words orSentences

A couple of questions are in order:

• Will children understand the wordor sentence that is taught?

• What do you mean byunderstanding some thing?

In order to answer these questions wehave to address ourselves to a fewfundamental questions:

1. What is the relationship betweenlanguage and thought?

2. Can there be language withoutthought?

3. When the teacher shows an objectand says ‘This is a pen’, what is the


thought generated in the minds ofchildren?

We use language as a tool for theexpression of our thoughts. Implicitly,there cannot be language withoutthought. If so, what do we mean whenwe say that we understand thesentence ‘This is a pen?’ uttered bysomeone? Surely, it is not the same asgetting the information contained inthe sentence. Had this been the case,translation would have sufficed. Ifsomeone says ‘This is a pen’, and acorresponding thinking process getstriggered in our minds then we cansay that we understand the sentence.Understanding or making sense at theinstance of listening to something isan instantaneous mental process thatinvolves thinking. This being the case,what will be the thoughts of ourlearners when the teacher says thesentence, ‘This is a pen’ or ‘This is achair?’ Isn’t it possible that thefollowing thoughts are generated intheir minds?

‘That’s a nice pen.’

‘I like that pen.’

‘My sister has a similar pen.’

‘It’s a ball pen,’ etc.

The sentence that the learners hear is‘This is a pen’ and the thoughts thatare generated in their minds whilewatching the pen are different. Howcan we say that they understand thetarget sentence? At the best theymight get the information contained

in the sentence. If the teacher says‘This is a pen’ everyone in the classshould think that ‘This is a pen.’ Noother thoughts must be appearing intheir minds except the one that isexpressed by the sentence ‘This is apen.’

There are at least three problems:

Problem-1

There is a mismatch between thelinguistic expression supplied by theteacher and the thought generated inthe minds of the learners.

• What is the functional value of thesentence ‘This is a pen’?

• Will the communicative function getregistered in the minds of childrenthrough this activity?

We use sentences like this when weidentify objects. Note that the pen is afamiliar object. There is nothing to beidentified about it. The teacher says,‘This is a pen’. So what? What will thestudents understand from it? Thechild knows that it is a pen. Then whattype of thinking is developed here?This means that the functional valueof the sentence will not be registered.Understanding a particular structurein English also means realizing itscommunicative function. Otherwisethe learner will be left with arepertoire of different structures thathe may have stored in her memorythrough constant practice but will behandicapped while using them in reallife. A sentence devoid of its


communicative function is useless inthe world of interpersonalcommunications. This situation leadsus to a second problem:

Problem 2

The communicative function of thestructure/sentence under considerationdoes not get registered in the mindsof learners.

Does a sentence like ‘This is a pen’exist in isolation in real life situations?In order to answer this question wewill have to examine how languagesurvives around us.

• We find language in the print media(Newspapers, journals, books, etc.) inthe form of news reports, letters,articles, poems, etc.

• It appears in the visual media in theform of songs, films, news bulletins,interviews, etc.

• It is there in our day-to-day life inthe form of conversations,announcements, songs, stories, etc.

In all these do not find words orsentences in isolation. People do notmove around speaking disconnectedsounds, words or even sentences. Ifthey do so they will be easily detectedas lunatics. Therefore, isolatedexpressions cannot be entertained inlanguage class in the pretext ofteaching language.

Here we confront with a thirdproblem:

Problem 3

Language does not exist in the worldin the form of isolated sounds, wordsor sentence. The sentence, ‘This is apen’ in isolation does not provideauthentic linguistic experience for thelearners.

1.3.3. Role-Playing

The learners role-play a piece ofconversation given in the textbook.

Problem

• When a piece of conversation is role-played, it ceases to be a conversation.

• There is no scope for constructinglanguage discourse; the learnersimply reproduces a given text.

1.3.4. Teaching Rhymes

• How long can we depend on thememory of learners?

• Can learning a few English rhymescontribute to learning English?

• Won’t the learners derive moreenjoyment from the rhyme if it makessense to them?

• How can we put the rhyme withinthe experiential orbit of the learners?

• How can we create a space for thelearner so that she can contribute herown lines to the rhyme?

• Can’t we use these rhymes to teachadjectives, prepositions

1.3.5. Teaching FormulaicExpressions


The teacher gives practice in severalformulaic expressions (e.g. ‘May Icome in?’)

Problem

This leads to creating language fossils.

Fossilized language is deprived of itscreativity

1.3.6. Eliciting Fixed Responses

The teacher asks comprehensionquestions and elicits fixed responses

Problem

• This does not promotecommunication skills. In fact real

communication does not take place.The learner reproduces a certain pieceof information given in the textbook

• The question and response togetherdo not make a discourse.

It is in this context that our State hasinitiated a massive curriculumrenewal process. The syllabi, textbooks and source books have beendeveloped based on KCF 2007 whichin turn takes cue fro NCF 2005. In thenext chapter we will have a glance atthe salient features of KCF 2007.


Chapter 3OBJECTIVES OF EDUCATION

When we decide on the objectives ofeducation in Kerala, we shouldenvision a society that would be strongenough to preserve the independence,sovereignty, secularism anddemocracy of India. Our educationshould promote aesthetic sense andhuman values. It should create afeeling of security and a sense ofresponsibility in all walks of life. Everyindividual has to realize that hispersonal growth is a part of the growthof his family and society.

The broad aims of our education areas follows:

Social justice

Education should enable the learnersto shape a social order based onequality and justice. It should be basedon democracy, secularism and genderequality. Our constitution envisionssecularism. It has to be preserved soas to resist atrocities or hatred in thename of religion, caste etc. Educationshould become the means of liberationand social change. It should lead toenlightenment.

Sustainable development

A comprehensive awareness ofenvironmental protection has to bepromoted. An attitude to synchronizeall developmental activities with theenvironment has to be promoted withthe broad aim of sustainabledevelopment. Students should acquirethe ability to protect and use resourceswith discretion.

Moulding up good citizens

Education should enable a student tofunction as a responsible citizen in thesociety. His civic sense should includesecular thoughts, historic consciousness, political outlook and a sense ofjustice in all walks of life.

Promotion of nationalism

The nationalism that we aim at shouldinclude an international outlook also.It should uphold human progress andlove for the entire world. Thisnationalism should grow to recognizeand integrate the diversity of India.

Develop awareness about rights

Education should ensure theimplementation of the rightsguaranteed by our constitution and theUN Statutes. It should ensure theprotection of human rights and therights of women and children.Education should promote theconsciousness of rights.

Promote an awareness of science andtechnology

The developments in science andtechnology have to be imbibed andutilized in day-to-day life througheducation. Students should attain theability to transform their knowledgeand skills according to thedevelopments in science andtechnology.


Acquire a scientific attitude

Students should becomeequipped to approach problems on thebasis of cause-effect relationships andsuggest solutions for them. Educationshould promote logical thinking.Students should be able to distinguishbetween science and pseudo-science.They should work for the liberation ofthe society from superstitions, rituals,sectarianism and prejudices. Theyshould build a scientific outlook in lifeand resist unscientific practices.

Promote indigenous culture

The traditional and localised body ofknowledge and the localunderstanding (about farming, water,land utilization, arts, crafts etc.) haveto be collected, preserved and utilized.The ability for doing this should beacquired through education.

Promote vocational skills

Education should be able to assess themutualism of knowledge and physicallabour. Education should aim at thedevelopment of various vocationalskills like farming, especially eco-friendly farming practices.

Acquire social and democratic values

Education should help to acquirehumanistic values like sympathy, love,compassion and fraternity through thecollaboration of individuals, familyand society. Education shouldpromote a healthy awareness aboutsex.

Promote self reliance

Education should promote self-reliance in the socio-political, economicand cultural fields.

Strengthen resistance

Education should prompt the learnersto resist the evils of globalization andall forms of hegemony. Studentsshould be equipped to distinguishbetween needs and excesses and tocontrol consumerism. They should beable to recognize the threats tofreedom and dangers of culturalimperialism.

Construct and use knowledge

Education should enable the learnersto construct knowledge and use it inthe society. Education should also aimat the acquisition of language skills forthe exchange of knowledge, ideas andneeds at local, national andinternational levels.

Promote critical approach

Learners should develop the ability toassess the achievements of humanitycomprehensively. They should be ableto resist all types of exploitation. Theyshould be able to critically evaluate theexperiences and opportunities of lifeand take decisions with discretion.They should practise self criticism anddevelop the ability to resist prejudices,adamant attitudes and temptations.They should also be able to accept andintegrate different ideas withequanimity.


The knowledge of language has animportant role in empowering aperson. English language should begiven special importance in thecurriculum as a language of globalimportance. In Kerala, learning ofEnglish as a second language startsfrom class I onwards. In the highersecondary classes, English is taught asthe first language (Part I).

The current learning materials andteaching learning strategies,unfortunately don’t take into accountthe biologically endowed linguisticcomponents and thoughts of the child.Contemporary academicians andeducationists have understood theinherent limitations of languagelearning packages based onbehaviourism. Yet this fact is seldomconsidered in the discussions at thelower levels of linguistic competenceacquired by our students. Suchdiscussions often go waywardconsidering only the external factorsresponsible for the under performanceof language learners.

We should examine the real problemsfaced by the English curriculum andthe classrooms instead of simplyadvocating a switch over to Englishmedium. We have to accept qualityEnglish learning as our basic principle.

The curriculum revision of 1997 wasbased on the principles of modernpsychology, linguistics andexperiential pedagogy. However in thelearning of English, certain principlesof behaviourism like imitation andrepetition were still followed. As aresult, text books and teachingmethodology which presented isolatedletters, words and sentences,structured in a linear fashion persisted.Our new approach recognizes theinnateness of language.

The basic principles of learning a languageare the following:

1. A child has an innate languagesystem. Language learning is a naturalgrowth of this innate language system.

2. Language learning is a non-conscious process. This is radicallydifferent from the conscious learningof linguistic facts.

3. Language learning doesn’t takeplace through imitation or mechanicalrepetition. Instead, there should be aninsightful formulation of hypothesis.

4. Language is not a totality oflinguistic skills. There should be aninternal linguistic competence for theexpression of these skills.

5. Language learning is not a lineardevelopment. It is a cyclical process.

Chapter 4KCF- 2007 (ON LANGUAGE)


6. Language learning takes place fromwhole to parts and not from parts towhole.

7. Static texts, which are filled up withlinguistic facts and which do notcommunicate with children, do nothave a role in language learning.

8. The child should get meaningful andneed-based language experienceswhich influence their emotional orbit.

9. The quality of language experiencereceived is more important than itsquantity.

10. Language doesn’t exist as isolatedsentences or words. It exists asmeaningful discourses. Hence itshould be ensured that the linguisticexperiences and expression of childrenshould be at the discourse level.

11. The discourse models to be focusedupon in each class should beascertained. The variety as well as thelinguistic and stylistic spiriting ofdiscourses at the higher levels shouldbe ensured.

12. It is not desirable to correct learnererrors as and when they are made.Suitable editing processes have to beadopted to correct the stylistic,syntactic, morphological and thematicerrors made by the learners.

13. Opportunities should be providedfor expressing and sharing the freethough to of the learners.

Primary Level

1. An integrated approach should beadopted.

2. Learners should construct simplediscourses like dialogue, poems,rhymes, description and narrations.

3. Writing should start only in class IIIand IV.

4. English Language learning can bestarted from Class I onwards.However there should not be anyconscious efforts to teach Englishletters, words or sentences.

5. The method of code switching canbe used to provide the experiences ofvarious discourses to our learners

6. Exams at the lower primary levelshould be avoided,.

7. At the upper primary level, oral andwritten forms of narratives poems,descriptions, conversations, riddles,short stories, notices, letters, reports,posters and diary may be attempted.

Secondary level

1. Along with the discourses attemptedat the upper primary level, playsautobiographies, travelogues,biographies, choreography etc. may beincluded at the secondary level. Thediscourses at this level should havelinguistic and stylistic spiralling anddevelopment from its lowers lauds.

2. The discourse construction at thislevel should include learnerinterventions in social issues.


Higher secondary level

1. Besides the discourses included atthe high school level novel, essay,screenplay, debate, scripts,symposium and seminar should beincluded at this level.

2. The learners should criticallyexamine the effectiveness of the mediarepresentations (both in visual andprint media)

3. The possibility of semeiotics inmanufacturing consent has to beexplored and they should beeffectively utilized.

4. Today communicative English andEnglish literature are taught asoptional subjects in certain highersecondary schools. Sincecommunication is an importantcomponent of any language learning,communicative English need not standalone as an optional subject.

Recently there has been muchdiscussion on the deplorable state ofthe English Language Teaching (ELT)and Learning scenario prevailing inour country. A variety of learningmaterials and teaching techniqueshave been suggested and tried out inorder to resolve the problems faced inthis domain of the curriculum. Anumber of research programmes andteacher-training programmes havebeen going on at state, regional andnational level institutions with a viewto improving the ELT situation. A largenumber of institutions have come outwith short term as well as long-term

English courses. Book publishers havebeen vying with one another in theproduction of English guides for alllevels of learners. More over, a numberof English tuition centres havemushroomed across the country.Above all, commercial ELT packagessuch as ‘Communicative English,Functional English’ are developed andpromoted by the State as well asprivate agencies. These labels areaccepted unquestioningly and nobodyasks the question: ‘Is there any Englishthat does not communicate?’ Similarly,nobody worries whether there are twovarieties of mother tongue namely, the‘functional’ and the ‘nonfunctional.’

A host of problems have beenidentified in the context of secondlanguage teaching. These includepsychological, emotional, method-ological and linguistic problems alongwith problems posed by the materialand environment.

The lack of a speech communityaround has often been pointed out asthe biggest hindrance for the child inthe acquisition process. The lack ofexposure to English certainly is ahindrance. Nevertheless, it is to beborne in mind that it is not the quantityof exposure which matters but the kindof exposure that the child gets whichfacilitates language acquisition.

The existing English LanguageTeaching package has a probleminherent in it. It grossly ignores theinnate system of the child whichenables him to acquire a language.


Materials and methods are based onthe behaviourist assumption namelythat the mind of a child is an emptyvessel and everything concerninglanguage comes from outside. The ELTpackage reflects the contention thatlanguage is learned through imitationand reinforcement through repetition.

Another conspicuous flaw in thepresent model of language teaching isthat it grossly ignores discourse leveltransactions narrowing itself to thetransmission of isolated languageitems. It is to be borne in mind thosewords, or even sentences in isolation,do not have any independent existenceas these components function only indiscourses. Language acquisition isaccomplished through acquiring“structure- consciousness”. This canbe brought about only throughmeaningful and need-based linguisticdiscourses ensuring the recurrence oflanguage items at the phonological,morphological and syntactic level, thusproviding a continuum of languageexperience.

General Objectives of TeachingEnglish

Here is an excerpt from NCF 2000, and2005:

Language education must aim atencouraging independent thinking,free and effective expression ofopinions and logical interpretation ofthe present and the past events. It mustmotivate learners to say things theirway, nurture their natural creativity

and imagination and thus make themrealize their identity. There are reasonswhy learning of language ought to finda central place in the total educationalprocess.

In this context the following pointsmerit serious consideration:

• Despite general acceptance of thecentral importance of languageeducation in principle, practical effortfor improving it has yet to be made atall levels in the country.

• The oral aspect of the language hasto be duly emphasized in languageeducation and oral examination inlanguage must be made an integralpart of the evaluation process.Emphasis will have to shift from theteaching of textbooks to extensivegeneral reading and creative writing.This would need continuous guidanceand monitoring.

• Due stress is to be laid in all languageeducation programme on the ability touse the language in speech and inwriting for academic purpose at workplace and in community in general.

The term ‘Language’ referred to in theabove excerpt is to be interpreted asmother tongue. Nevertheless what hasbeen said above holds good equally forthe second language. The Nation hasaccepted the “three language formula”in order to meet the challenge posedby the multilingual situationprevailing in the country. We wouldlike to add the following points to whathas been quoted above:


Language is a powerful tool for theempowerment of the individual. Thistool becomes still more powerful andeffective in the hands of a person whohas mastery of an internationallanguage like English other than hismother tongue.

At the primary level, we expect ourchildren to produce various discourses(such as conversation, description,letter, diary, report, narrative, poemand so on), both orally and in thewritten form. They should also be ableto take part in discussions, debates andseminars on topics that are sociallyimportant and are within theirexperiential orbit. For this they mustbe well-versed with the craft ofdeveloping these discourses.

At the secondary and highersecondary level the learners should beable to use discourses as tools forcreatively intervening in various socialphenomena. This alone will help themrealize their identity as a secondlanguage user.

THE CHANGED PERSPECTIVE

This perspective is decided by thefollowing:

1. National Curriculum Frame work2005

2. The baseline study conducted by theFocus Group on English for therevision of State curriculum find that:

i. The study on materials reveals thatmajority of the materials used in thefield belong to the behaviourist

paradigm. The insights derived fromcurrent understandings on languageand language acquisitions are notreflected in them. They do not treatlanguage as discourses but focus onfragments of language. Though avariety of discourses are introduced,the treatment is seen invariably at thesentence level or word level.

ii. The study on prevailing classroomprocesses reveals that most teachersstill take recourse to mother tonguetranslation. The classrooms continue tobe teacher-dominated. The focus ismostly on giving fixed information asinput and taking out this as output.The concept of language teaching andlearning has more or less narroweddown to asking comprehensionquestions and eliciting fixed responses.Discourse input and discourse outputare by and large neglected.

iii. Learners at all levels seem to enjoylearning English. The constructivistturn in evaluation tools in classes 8, 9and 10 has made the learning ofEnglish more enjoyable though thematerials used in these classescontinue to be of the behaviouristparadigm.

iv. The majority of parents in Kerala(72%) are in favour of introducingEnglish in class I itself. Parentswelcome learner-friendly materialsand evaluation in English. There is ademand for supplementary readingmaterials too.


Assumptions about methodology

Discourse oriented pedagogy isproposed at all levels of learningEnglish.

A discourse is a mode ofcommunicating certain ideasmeaningfully in a particular situation.

At the primary level development ofbasic skills in language learning i.e.,listening, speaking, reading andwriting should be continued. But theemphasis at this level is to be on theuse of varied modes of discoursesthrough the basic skills. Learningexperiences should be targeted toprovide the leaner sufficient scope forthe integration of the basic skills in thelanguage acquisition process.Moreover, one language function canbe served through different forms oflanguage and one form of languagecan have different functions. Thesepossibilities should be addressed in thelanguage acquisition process. Toensure this, we have to make use ofdifferent modes of discourses. At thislevel there should not be any writtenexamination. Simple discourses likeconversations, rhymes, descriptions,stories can be worked out at this level.

We expect the student at the upperprimary level to construct morevarieties of discourses, both orally andin the written form. The discoursesconstructed at this level should belinguistically at a higher level for whichindicators are to be clearly defined:

For example at the upper primary level thefollowing discourses may be targeted:

Stories

1. Find out the difference in styles andmessages by listening to a variety ofsimple stories.

2. Write simple stories on the basis ofpictures and clues and narrate themwith proper expressions.

Descriptions

1. Speak about things, places andpersons by reading and listening to avariety of short descriptions.

2. Write about things, places andpersons in simple sentences usingappropriate language items.

Dialogues (Conversations)

1. Identify the contents of dialogues/conversations by listening to andreading a variety of them.

2. Identify the form and functions oflanguage used in dialogues/conversations and interact effectivelywith others.

3. Write dialogues/conversationssuitable for different contexts/situations and engage in performingrole-plays.

Poems

1. Listen to and read simple poems andrecite them with proper expressions.

2. Read simple poems and appreciatethe art in them.

3. Identify the images, thoughts,feelings and messages in simplepoems.


4. Write a few lines following thepattern.

Riddles, puzzles, jokes and languagegames

1. Engage in riddles, puzzles, jokes andlanguage games.

2. Make riddles, puzzles and languagegames.

Narratives

1. Identify the features of narratives bylistening to, and reading, a variety ofnarratives.

2. Develop a variety of language formsto express what the characters aresaying or thinking.

3. Prepare narratives in writing, byfixing and blowing up a sequence ofevents.

4. Present them with appropriate voicemodulation, gestures and facialexpressions.

Notices, posters and advertisements

1. Identify the features of notices,posters and advertisements by readingand listening to a variety of them.

2. Make notices, posters andadvertisements related to schoolevents.

Letters

1. Read different types of letters andidentify their features.

2. Write letters for various occasions.

Reports

1. Read and identify the features ofvarious kinds of reports.

2. Write reports on school activities andcelebrations.

Diaries

1. Draw ideas by comparing differentsamples of diaries.

2. Write diaries on incidents andprojects on their own.

In addition to the above mentioneddiscourses, the learners are expectedto carry out the following activitiesalso.

Projects

1. Identify issues.

2. Decide appropriate methods forinvestigation.

3. Develop appropriate tools forcollecting data.

4. Analyze data and reach conclusions.

5. Prepare project report.

6. Present the findings before anaudience.

Creative Collection

1. Maintain a collection of variousdiscourses constructed as part oflearning experience.

2. Collect specimens of stories, poems,pictures, etc.

3. Keep a record of one’s ownimpression on the collections.

Assignment

1. Construct various discourses ashome assignment as an extension ofthe classroom experience.

2. Undertake editing task (structural,morphological, and spelling errors)

Since curricular objectives are definedin terms of discourses and not in termsof structures and their relevant


communication functions, the level ofeach discourse is to be identifiedclearly. Take for instance, a discourselike conversation. We expect learnersat all levels (lower primary, upperprimary and high school classes) toproduce conversations. How will wedifferentiate the conversationsconstructed by a learner at the UpperPrimary level from that constructed bya High school student? We can do thisby identifying various linguistic levelsof the discourse.

A mere initiation and response will beenough for the beginner but as shegoes up to higher levels, we expectconversations refined structurally andstylistically. The conversationconstructed at the primary level maynot have discourse markers or tags init. But a conversation constructed by ahigh school student will necessarilycontain these linguistic elements. Sucha differentiation will be necessary forthe other discourses also. Apart fromdeciding the level of each discourse wewill have to decide on the variety ofdiscourses that are to be targeted ateach level. What has been given aboveis the list of discourses chosen for classVI. As we go to higher classes, we canselect higher order of discourses suchas debates, journalistic writing, essays,skits, screenplays, e-mailing and so on.

THE CHANGED ROLE OF COURSE BOOK

AND SOURCEBOOK

The Coursebook and Sourcebook havebeen prepared based on the followingguidelines:

Knowledge is a construct emergingfrom the learner’s mental processbased on the needs of the social,physical and cultural environment inwhich he lives. This is a product ofactivity and counter activity. It reflectsthe features of the locality and givesscope for linking through and action.Such constructed knowledge cantransform the society. Learning, for us,means the process of transformation.

Knowledge is a construct, whichinvolves information and at the sametime knowledge stands aboveinformation. In this context thetextbook should be a powerful toolwhich leads the learning activitiesforward. It has a prominent roleamong the different materials whichhelp the child to construct knowledge.It should be arranged in such a way inthe classroom that it becomes a chiefresource for the construction ofknowledge within the classroom. Thetextbook should contain all the basicinformation needed for knowledgeconstruction as well as hints forvarious activities in the classroom.


Education that aims merely at thedevelopment of skills needed forproductive activities is possible onlyin a simple society. The society todayhas become complex and sophisticatedthrough millenniums of socialevolution. Here, learning oftenpromotes the existing social hierarchyand structures. It assumes that the aimof education should be the welfare anddevelopment of all. At the same time,it neglects and ignores the needs andissues of the downtrodden in thesociety. The learning system often doesnot promote realizations of these issuesand prepares the learner mentally toaccept things as they are. We canunderstand this if we look at howlearners change after they come toschools with an inquisitive mind-set.When we boast of our literates andwell educated people, we do notrealise the role of our learning systemin enslaving us as members of aconsumerist society. Our presentapproach to learning doesn’t questionthe inequalities and injusticesprevalent in our society even thoughit professes and pretends to uplift anddevelop all. Needn’t this approach bechanged?

Learning and Social Reformation

Social reformation can also be achievedthrough education. The slogan of the

Renaissance period, ‘Get enlightenedthrough knowledge’ points out the roleof education in social liberation. Basedon this aim, the educational system ofKerala could develop beyond thedivisions of the society based on classand caste.

We have the responsibility to developeducation to suit the times. Everyoneshould get opportunities to grow anddevelop. Hadn’t there been socialinequalities, we could have providedsuch opportunities to all. The socialinequalities still exist. The society livesin a social, economic and culturalenvironment developed throughmillenniums. Our greatest challenge isto implement a learning system thatcould ensure opportunities for all.

This should not be a dream that nevercomes true. The privileged classes caneasily achieve their ends whereas theunder privileged will continue toremain in their original state. As aresult the aim of social developmentwill remain as a mirage. Thereforecertain planned prioritizations andchanges are necessary to ensure socialdevelopment of all classes.

What should the new system oflearning provide?

A learning system that aims at socialreformation should provideopportunities:

Chapter 5ISSUE BASED LEARNING


• to work for social justice

• for balanced and judicious development

• to generate better citizens

• to promote a nationalistic spirit

• to promote consciousness of rights

• to promote an understanding of science and technology

• to promote logical thinking

• to realise and develop one’s own culture

• to develop vocational skills

• to assimilate social and democratic values

• to promote self-reliance

• to resist injustice

• to take up leadership in the construction and exchange of knowledge

• to promote critical thinking

The learning materials and principlesof education that could be used forsocial reformation have to be selectedcarefully. There are two schools ofthought in this regard. Some argue thatwe should develop the knowledge andskills needed for social change throughthe present system of education. Thelearners would then naturally work forsocial change. The second school ofthought argues that we shouldsensetise the learners about thenumerous issues faced by our society

as the learning material itself. Then thelearners could intervene directly insocial changes along with theireducation.

The first school of thought has somereservations. It dissociates between theaims and processes of learning.Therefore a learner might fail to linkthe means and ends of his/hereducation together. For example aperson who has learned the principlesof swimming from books can’t swim.The book on swimming becomesuseless not because it doesn’t deal withswimming, but because it doesn’tcontain the real spirit of that humanactivity called swimming. Hence theapproach of the first school whichdissociates means from ends is noteffective. We cannot achieve anyserious aim by following this method.

The process of education that aims atsocial change should be through socialinterventions themselves. We do nothave any precedents or priorexperiences of this approach. We aretreading a new path that couldqualitatively improve the educationalscenario of Kerala.

We have included social issues as thecontent of the new curriculum. It is achallenging task to bring in varioussocial issues into the framework offormal education. In order to take upthis challenge in its true sense, we willhave to design a locallymanoeuverable curriculum. Also wehave to consider the affinity of our


contemporary society for informativelearning while we try to implement anissue based approach.

Our social life consists of physical,social and cultural spheres. Each ofthese spheres has numerous problems.When we examine these problems, wecan identify certain common sourcesthat generate a set of problems. Thegenetic issues that could commonly beidentified throughout Kerala could besubjected to detailed analysis andstudy through the curriculum. Thesegenetic issues dealt with should havea bearing on all the spheres of sociallife. For example, we experience floodsand land bursts throughout Keraladuring the rainy season. But ourexperience of the summer season isoften water scarcity and drought.When we analyse this commonexperience of Keralites we can see thatit is due to lack of scientificmanagement of land water . We canlist down such issue domains thataffect all spheres of our lives.

Issue domains that are feltthroughout the state

• Lack of scientific land – water management

• Issues related to agriculture

• Lack of cohesive universal vision

• Lack of human resource development

• Lack of cultural consciousness

• The issues of the marginalized

• Lack of eco-friendly industrialization and urbanization• Issues related to health and public health

We can trace the roots of many socialproblems that we encounter in theseissue domains. Each of these geneticissues has many locally specificvariants. We cannot address all ofthem through our curriculum.However we can help the learnersdevelop a method for approachingeach of these issues. These issues aredeveloped and sensitized usingvarious discourses which provide alinguistically rich environment in theclassrooms. The learners are todevelop a linguistic competence tointervene in the social issues. Theyhave to deal with the problems andformulate their ideas, opinions andattitudes about them. The issue basedcurriculum should ignite thoughts andactivities among learners. Moreoverthey should be able to intervene in thethoughts, activities and perspectives ofthe people around him. Learning ofthis kind becomes a linking ofexperiences with a social aim. Thuseducation can become more fruitfulthan ever before.


The New Coursebook

•It is a learning material, whichpresents the learning issues beforethe learner. These issues areconceived in the light of the socialrealities of the learner and aresupported by various facts andfigures.

•It is divided into various units andmodules.

•One module leads to the other.

•The text contains the informationneeded to analyse the learningissue.

•The presentation should createinterest in investigation and shouldlead to investigation.

•The contents are arranged withinterlinks and they have acontinuum.

•The text contains information anddirections to enable the learner takeup activities without feeling anykind of inhibitions particularly his/her socio-economic limitations.

•The text ensures the constructionof knowledge and gives scope forinvestigation.

• It helps the learners to developdesirable attitudes/ values.

• It gives scope and opportunities forevaluation.

Chapter 6ON APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

The need of Teacher’s Sourcebook

A variety of classroom processes arerequired to make the students comingfrom different backgrounds toparticipate in the process ofconstructing knowledge. TheSourcebook provides these variedclassroom processes. It helps theteachers to raise and lead the learningissues in the right manner. Thesourcebook also contains relevantsubsidiary information, essentialfactual charts and proofs. The teachershould acquire certain local/practicalideas or concepts to make the learningactivities meaningful. The Sourcebookcontains directions about the sourcesof such knowledge as well as therequired information/ practicalknowledge needed. Only then theTeacher Local Text would becomecomplete as a planning guide.

The teacher’s Sourcebook enables thefullest realization of the possibilities ofthe text in the classroom process.

•It helps in the preparation ofsupplementary learning materialsbased on the limitations/possibilities of each classroom.

•It contains hints about secondarymaterials/ additional materials,sources of information forinterpreting/ linking the issuesgiven in the text.


•It contains the various alternativeclassroom possibilities to beexplored, which can lead the childto take-up the learning issue.

•It is designed and written alongwith the Coursebook. But it has tobe enriched through training.

•It contains directions forevaluation.

The learner’s Coursebooks are acompendium of the knowledgeconstructed as a result of his/ herobservation about life. The realCoursebook is one, which is built bythe learner. Evaluation plays animportant role in this Coursebook. Theprocess of acquiring knowledgebecomes complete only whenknowledge is expressed in socialsituations. The following diagramspresent the learning processesgraphically.

The desirable features of thecomponents of this processes are givenbelow:

Teacher Local Text

Teacher Local Text (TLT) is theplanning document of a teacher whois preparing to conduct learningactivities in the class. This documenthelps the teacher to present thelearning issues and to lead the learningactivities in the classroom. It would bean expanded version of the teachingmanuals used now a days.

TLT contains-

• The locally available andsecondary data for conductingvarious classroom activities, CDs,newspapers, cuttings, otherdocuments, instruments, charts etc.

• The indicators for evaluation ateach stage of the classroom process.

•The teacher’s own responses/evaluation.

Local Text

•It helps the learner to makeobservations about the life aroundhim and intervene meaningfully inhis environment. This local textenables the learner to link a learningissue with the social context.

•The learner collects information,experiences, descriptions from hisenvironment and locality and usesthem as primary information inconstructing knowledge in theclassroom.

•It links learning with theenvironment.

•It encourages observations/investigations and uses the findingsin learning.


•It is a book of collections, whichgives freedom, facility and createsinterest in learners (e.g. ‘My tree’Diary).

•The activities are designed givingprominence to the guesses andpredictions of the learners andgiving scope for them to prove theirpredictions/ formulate hypothesisand compelling them to putforward practical suggestions/solutions.

•The methodology here shouldenable the learners to approachlearning issues from diverseperspectives, assimilate andexamine the inherent explanationoffered by the issue, and formulateindependent attitudes/ standpoints of their own and explainthem on the basis of proofs andlogic.

Presentation of the Textbook and theactivities

• The presentation of learningmaterials of each unit is veryimportant. The presentation shouldgenerate interest and a feeling thatit is essential. The level of the issueshould not be neglected. At thesame time it shouldn’t becomemechanical.

• Diverse methods of presentationlike cartoon, stories, experiences ofchildren, case study etc. is used inthe primary level.

• Maximum variety is maintained inthe presentation of all units.

Modules

• One unit is divided into variousmodules. One module contains thevarious activities undertaken by alearner to solve a learning issue.

• The classroom activity packageincludes

- investigations

- predictions

- data collection

- sharing of findings

- interpretation/ analysis

- findings/ conclusion

•Each module includes necessaryinformation, supplementarymaterials, activity, and extension ofactivities and possibilities ofevaluation.

•One module is linked to anothermodule logically. The final productemerges from its naturaldevelopment.

•The products emerging from theclass need not be a written material.It can be oral products and othercreative expressions. After this, theleading questions/ crucialquestions that take the learner to thenext module may be listed.

•While arranging units and modulesin this manner, the spiraling of theissues, concepts are also considered.

•The most suitable activities aloneare included.


• The module also enables thelearners to formulate principlesbased on practical situations and toapply these principles in real socialcontexts.

Critical consciousness

Certain hints or questions which helpthe learners to critically analyze thematerials on their own are included.These hints are in the form ofarguments, criticisms, cartoons andstatements that may come up againstan opinion of the learner.

The Role of the Teacher

In spite of the centrally preparedcurriculum, the teacher enjoys fullacademic freedom to design, conduct,evaluate and provide appropriatemeasures to achieve the COs.

The emerging paradigm demands twolevels of competence from the part ofteachers: on the one hand they musthave the skills for sensitizing learnerson the craft of constructing variousdiscourses. On the other, they musthave the pedagogy of helping learnersuse discourses as tools for creativelyintervening in social issues.

The following roles are to beperformed by a teacher:

- A diagnostician

- A researcher

- A democratic leader

- A co-learner

- A facilitator

- A social engineer

The English Classroom

We envisage the English classroomwhere the learners can interact withone another, with the materials, withthe facilitator and with the societyoutside the classroom, whenevernecessary. The profile of the classroommust be collaborative rather thancompetitive. Knowledge is conceivednot as the monopoly of an individualor an agency but as the collective assetof a society. Hence the classroomshould encourage sharing ofknowledge among the learners. Ateacher is to rise to the level of aresearcher who continuously works fortackling academic issues.Collaborative learning among learnerscan bring about positive changes ineducation. The teacher should exploitall possibilities of generating languageby shifting the role of the learner froma recipient to that of a producer.


Chapter 7SPECIFIC AREAS OF SECOND LANGUAGE PEDAGOGY

FOR THE BEGINNERS

Teaching vocabulary

We know very well that we need newvocabulary for the enrichment of ourthought or language. The problem ishow and how much vocabularyshould be introduced. As practicingteachers we are all well aware that thevocabulary is selected and graded too.Who will decide whether a fewvocabulary items are active orpassive? Is it to be decided by thetextbook writers or the learners? Arewe not imposing the vocabulary onthe learners ignoring theirpsychological or emotional needs? Itis high time we thought of devisingcertain new strategies to expandvocabulary among the learners basingon their needs with an element ofemotional empathy.

Suppose we want to introduce thevocabulary items related with kinship(family relationship). The usualstrategy is to introduce all the kinshipterms given in the textbook Will allchildren have all these relationshipsat home? Suppose a child doesn’thave grandfather at home, is there animmediate need for her to learn thatparticular vocabulary item? If she has

an uncle at home her immediate needwill be to learn the word “uncle”.Another child may have a grandfatherbut not an uncle. Let us think overthese issues. Suppose a child wantsto catch the vocabulary to indicate herrelationship with her uncle, how shallwe cater to the individual needs of thechildren?

We can think about two strategies:

1. Activate the English words thatthey already have in their repertoireof vocabulary though they may notbe aware that these are English words.(These items are conventionallylabelled as ‘loan words’.)

2. Devise experiential programmeswithin the new paradigm for need-based expansion of vocabulary in asystematic way.

Activating the stock words

Years of colonial regime havecontributed a number of Englishwords to our languages. Today mostpeople in India use a number ofEnglish words in their day-to-day lifeeven without knowing that they areEnglish words. More over, all suchwords are used as nouns (book, bag,


bat, ball, school, class, teacher etc.). Inorder to activate these words we mustidentify such words and find out astrategy for activating them. Let us seehow this is done.

Concept mapping

Concept mapping is an activity thatwill help us to have an idea of thestock words of the child, which canbe fruitfully made use of in classroominteraction. Children are asked tomake exhaustive lists of words relatedto themes such as bus, cricket, school,hospital and so on. The steps forconducting this activity are givenbelow:

• Children sit in small groups andwrite down in mother tongue as manywords as possible related to the themeassigned to each group (say forexample, cricket). Each group will beworking on a single theme.

• Each group will present its conceptmap before the whole class. When aconcept map is presented others cancontribute more words to it.

• All the concept maps are displayedin Our Reading Corner (ORC), a spaceprovided in the classroom for thedisplay of products emerging fromthe groups.

• At a later point the facilitator cancheck whether learners can write atleast some of the words in English.

• The facilitator can write some of thewords in English as and when it isneeded as part of transacting thecurriculum.

• The words that have appeared in theconcept map can be used forclassroom interaction

Concept mapping is an on-goingprocess. At various points ofinteraction new concept maps onvarious themes (animals, colours,kinship …) will be emerging.

Task 2

We are dealing with class I children.There may be children who cannotwrite the words even in their mothertongue. How can we improvise on theactivity suggested above?

Using ‘loan words’ for classroominteraction

Once we have identified the stockwords of children we can work out astrategy for activating these words sothat they can be used forcommunication. What do we mean byactivating ‘loan words’?

Note that all these are common wordsand are used as nouns. The nucleusof a sentence is the verb. Can we usethese words as verbs?

Task 3

Here are a few words. Shall weclassify them as nouns and verbs?

A: bat, bag, chart, pen, lock, paint,brush, door, table, chair, fan, bell,plate, spoon, mug, bucket, brake,button, (We may add a few morewords to the list)

B: sleep, dream, stand, wash, run,walk, read, drive, ride, cough, pinch,


kick, jump (We may add a few morewords to the list)

(Note that the words in set A belongto the group of so-called loan words.)

Task 4

We have learnt that there are eightparts of speech in English. This meansEnglish words can be categorized intoeight groups. Where will weaccommodate words like ‘yes’ and‘no’?

Suppose we tell a child in class Isomething like the following:

‘Gopal, button your shirt.’ Will thechild understand the instruction?

Most of us do not know that a strictcategorization of words as nouns andverbs will not work. There are severalhundreds of nouns that can be usedas verbs. Similarly, there are hundredsof verbs that can serve as nouns.Suppose we use an English word likefan and use it as a verb as in ‘Fan me,please!’ our learners will be able tomake sense of the expression. Whenwe start expressing our ideas usingfamiliar words we can minimize theresistance of English on account of itsvocabulary. More over, children willalso start using them. This is what wemean by activating stock words.

Task 5

A few sentences are given below:

Who will bell the cat?

Plate biscuits, please!

Lock the door.

Press the lock

Key the lock.

Shall we chart this?

Radha, colour the car.

Shall we construct more examples ofthis kind?

If we use English like this will it be‘Standard English’ or ‘Sub standardEnglish’?

Reading

What is reading? If this question isposed, we may get answers like:

• Reading is decoding the text

• Reading is giving meaning tosymbols, pictures and letters.

• Reading is meaning making.

• Reading is a process of getting themessage of the written text.

• Reading means comprehending thetext involving the cognitive domain.

• Reading is something that leads toinsightful learning and thinking.

Now the question is, how are wegoing to help our children read,taking the above answers intoconsideration.

Let us first book at the strategies thatare adopted for the beginners inreading and writing.

• Taking the ‘letter’ as the minimalunit for reading, we, introduce lettersof the English alphabet i.e. A to Z oneafter the other in an alphabeticalorder.


• We ask (or make) the children, torepeat after us, pointing out the lettersseveral times.

• After the alphabet (A to Z) isintroduced we go for the word, thatbegins with each letter of the alphabetand simultaneously we try toassociate the word with a picture oran object (e.g. A - an apple)

• We then make the children drill thewords with the main focus on thespelling. After this we go for writing,where the child is made to write theletters (capital letters first and then thesmall letters), copy the letters, writeimposition and then go for the words,once again with our focus on spelling.

What is the result of these existingpractices?

We may say that whenever the childis asked to read he will read and write.But the question here is, “how?” Howdoes the child read? The child readsthe word like ‘apple’ asa.....p......p.....l.....e ® taking the letteras a unit. This means, she tries toidentify the phonemic sequence andthe result is that the child always hasconfusion with the spelling whilereading as well as writing.

What are we aiming at?

Are we really making our childrenread and write or is it just the“pseudo- reading” and “pseudo-writing” that we are promoting?

Now a question may arouse in ourminds: If we are promoting pseudo-

reading and pseudo-writing, what isreal reading and writing? How andwhat should the children read andwrite in discourse oriented pedagogythat we have conceived?

To have more light on this topic, letus consider a 10-month old child whocan successfully identify the labels like‘Thumps up’, ‘Coco-cola’, ‘Lux’, ‘FiveStar’, ‘Tiger Biscuits’, and so on . Howdoes the child do this? How does shesuccessfully read without anyknowledge of the alphabet or theletters?

This kind of reading is sometimesreferred to as “Organic Reading”. Thechild identifies the labels of thingswith which she has an organic affinity.She identifies the labels such as ‘Coca-cola’, ‘Tiger Biscuit’ as whole unit. Thewhole word is a something like apicture, a graph for her.

Can’t we capitalize on this wonderfulability of the child and induce her toreading and writing?

Graphic Reading and Writing

Instead of the unscientific andillogical way of introducing alphabetwe can make them read and writegraphically. Graphic reading meansreading a word and sensing itsmeaning without even knowing thealphabet. Graphic writing meanswriting something without knowingthe letters in isolation but knowing itsmeaning in totality as a word.Graphic reading and writing help thelearner pickup the vocabulary


without any process conflict i.e.without any problems of spelling andpronunciation. The learners pick upthe vocabulary non-consciously.

Let us work out a strategy for leadingour class I learners to graphic readand graphic writing.

My soap

• Let pupils collect wrappers of soapcakes, tooth paste, chocolates and soon.

• They can sit in small groups talkabout their collection:

Do you like this?

Yes I do/I don’t.

Which soap do you like?

• Let them prepare a concept map bypasting the wrappers of soap cakes.

Organic Reading

We have already come across thisconcept. From what we havediscussed above it is clear that thealphabet is not taught independently.Children develop phonemicconsciousness trough systematicspiralling of discourses which theyexperience through classroominteraction. After a few days ofexperience, learners will be at variouslevels with regard to skills of readingand writing:

• They can identify a number of wordsas units.

• Some of them can identify variousEnglish letters.

• Some of them can write a few lettersof the alphabet.

• They have noticed that Englishletters sound differently when theyappear in different words.

We can make use of several activitiesbefore children actually enter readingpassage. These activities have beendesigned for facilitating meaningfulreading/ writing.

• Since children are anxious to writetheir names in English the teacher canwrite their names on slips and askthem to pin the name slips on theirclothes. The teacher herself can pinher name slip on her clothing.

• In the evening they are asked to keepthe name slips in a box. Next daymorning, they have to take their slipsback and pin them on their clothes.

• Later each child can take her friend’sslip and hand it over to her.

• Children can mark their attendanceagainst the names displayed on achart.

Organic Writing

Everyone would like to posses a goodhandwriting. Nut how to achieve thisis the issue.

The conventionalist solution to this isquite straight forward. Children areexpected to improve theirhandwriting through constantpractice. Conventional teachertraining programmes have alwaysinsisted on the need to teach


handwriting for which a supposedlyeffective methodology has beendevised.

Why does the conventionalist insist oncopy writing?

• Writing is a skill and as such it canbe developed and refined throughconstant practice.

• The ascenders and descenders ofEnglish letters demand a four linecopy book.

• There are four types of letters for theEnglish alphabet.

• Children need practice in writingthese various types of letters.

• Notice that none of these argumentscan hold water for various reasons.

• There is no guarantee that the so-called good hand writing that isachieved through laborious practicewill last for ever.

• There are ascenders and descendersin the writing system of mostlanguages.

• It is against the basic principles ofchild psychology that all childrenshould imitate a certain model ofhandwriting. A person’s handwritingis a personal possession just as his orher voice is. It is a futile attempt toimitate a standard norm ofhandwriting.

• We know that copy writing is

- mechanical

-done out of compulsion

-not helpful for catering to languageskills-is not creative-is time-consuming-not monitored closely-boring.

Suppose the child undertakes writingtasks on her own because she has anurge to do so. Certainly she will try toimprove her handwriting since she isdoing this for herself and not for theteacher. How can we instil this urgein her? The only way to do this is toinvolve the child in need-basedwriting tasks, which are meaningfulto her.

All what we have to do is to give thosewriting tasks that will psychologicallyappear to her since she knows that bydoing them she is addressing her ownneeds.

For this she must have opportunitiesto see good handwriting. What are thesources for these?

• The teacher’s writings• Captions on wrappers and packetsof commercial products• Sign boards on the road-side

As facilitators we have to helpchildren familiarize themselves withthese things.

A number of meaningful writing taskscan be thought of.

• Labelling things in the classroom• Making picture cards with labels onthem• Preparing ‘Happy Birthday” cards


Chapter 8ON ASSESSMENT

The New Coursebook

• It is a learning material, whichpresents the learning issues before thelearner. These issues are conceived inthe light of the social realities of thelearner and are supported by variousfacts and figures.

• It is divided into various units andmodules.

• One module leads to the other.

• The text contains the informationneeded to analyse the learning issue.

• The presentation should createinterest in investigation and shouldlead to investigation.

• The contents are arranged withinterlinks and they have a continuum.

• The text contains information anddirections to enable the learner takeup activities without feeling any kindof inhibitions particularly his/hersocio-economic limitations.

• The text ensures the construction ofknowledge and gives scope forinvestigation.

• It helps the learners to developdesirable attitudes/ values.

• It gives scope and opportunities forevaluation.

The need of Teacher’s Sourcebook

A variety of classroom processes arerequired to make the students comingfrom different backgrounds toparticipate in the process ofconstructing knowledge. TheSourcebook provides these variedclassroom processes. It helps theteachers to raise and lead the learningissues in the right manner. Thesourcebook also contains relevantsubsidiary information, essentialfactual charts and proofs. The teachershould acquire certain local/practical ideas or concepts to makethe learning activities meaningful.The Sourcebook contains directionsabout the sources of such knowledgeas well as the required information/practical knowledge needed. Onlythen the Teacher Local Text wouldbecome complete as a planning guide.

The teacher’s Sourcebook enables thefullest realization of the possibilitiesof the text in the classroom process.

• It helps in the preparation ofsupplementary learning materialsbased on the limitations/ possibilitiesof each classroom.

• It contains hints about secondarymaterials/ additional materials,sources of information for


interpreting/ linking the issues givenin the text.

• It contains the various alternativeclassroom possibilities to be explored,which can lead the child to take-upthe learning issue.

• It is designed and written alongwith the Coursebook. But it has to beenriched through training.

• It contains directions for evaluation.

The learner’s Coursebooks are acompendium of the knowledgeconstructed as a result of his/ herobservation about life. The realCoursebook is one, which is built bythe learner. Evaluation plays animportant role in this Coursebook.The process of acquiring knowledgebecomes complete only whenknowledge is expressed in socialsituations. The following diagramspresent the learning processesgraphically.

The desirable features of thecomponents of this processes aregiven below:

Teacher Local Text

Teacher Local Text (TLT) is theplanning document of a teacher whois preparing to conduct learningactivities in the class. This documenthelps the teacher to present thelearning issues and to lead thelearning activities in the classroom. Itwould be an expanded version of theteaching manuals used now a days.

TLT contains-

• The locally available and secondarydata for conducting variousclassroom activities, CDs,newspapers, cuttings, otherdocuments, instruments, charts etc.

• The indicators for evaluation at eachstage of the classroom process.

•The teacher’s own responses/evaluation.

Local Text

• It helps the learner to makeobservations about the life aroundhim and intervene meaningfully inhis environment. This local textenables the learner to link a learningissue with the social context.

• The learner collects information,experiences, descriptions from hisenvironment and locality and usesthem as primary information inconstructing knowledge in theclassroom.

• It links learning with theenvironment.

• It encourages observations/investigations and uses the findingsin learning.

• It is a book of collections, whichgives freedom, facility and createsinterest in learners (e.g. My TreeDiary).

• The activities are designed givingprominence to the guesses andpredictions of the learners and givingscope for them to prove their


predictions/ formulate hypothesisand compelling them to put forwardpractical suggestions/ solutions.

• The methodology here shouldenable the learners to approachlearning issues from diverseperspectives, assimilate and examinethe inherent explanation offered bythe issue, and formulate independentattitudes/ stand points of their ownand explain them on the basis ofproofs and logic.

Presentation of the Textbook and theactivities

• The presentation of learningmaterials of each unit is veryimportant. The presentation shouldgenerate interest and a feeling that itis essential. The level of the issueshould not be neglected. At the sametime it shouldn’t become mechanical.

• Diverse methods of presentationlike cartoon, stories, experiences ofchildren, case study etc. is used in theprimary level.

• Maximum variety is maintained inthe presentation of all units.

Modules

• One unit is divided into variousmodules. One module contains thevarious activities undertaken by alearner to solve a learning issue.

• The classroom activity packageincludes

- investigations- predictions

- data collection- sharing of findings- interpretation/ analysis

- findings/ conclusion

•Each module includes necessaryinformation, supplementarymaterials, activity, and extension ofactivities and possibilities ofevaluation.

• One module is linked to anothermodule logically. The final productemerges from its naturaldevelopment.

• The products emerging from theclass need not be a written material.It can be oral products and othercreative expressions. After this, theleading questions/ crucial questionsthat take the learner to the nextmodule may be listed.

• While arranging units and modulesin this manner, the spiraling of theissues, concepts are also considered.

• The most suitable activities aloneare included.

• The module also enables thelearners to formulate principles basedon practical situations and to applythese principles in real social contexts.

Critical consciousness

Certain hints or questions which helpthe learners to critically analyze thematerials on their own are included.These hints are in the form ofarguments, criticisms, cartoons andstatements that may come up againstan opinion of the learner.


The Role of the Teacher

In spite of the centrally preparedcurriculum, the teacher enjoys fullacademic freedom to design, conduct,evaluate and provide appropriatemeasures to achieve the COs.

The emerging paradigm demandstwo levels of competence from thepart of teachers: on the one hand theymust have the skills for sensitizinglearners on the craft of constructingvarious discourses. On the other, theymust have the pedagogy of helpinglearners use discourses as tools forcreatively intervening in social issues.

The following roles are to beperformed by a teacher:

- A diagnostician- A researcher- A democratic leader- A co-learner- A facilitator

- A social engineer

The English Classroom

We envisage the English class roomwhere the learners can interact withone another, with the materials, withthe facilitator and with the societyoutside the classroom, whenevernecessary. The profile of theclassroom must be collaborativerather than competitive. Knowledgeis conceived not as the monopoly ofan individual or an agency but as thecollective asset of a society. Hence theclassroom should encourage sharing

of knowledge among the learners. Ateacher is to rise to the level of aresearcher who continuously worksfor tackling academic issues.Collaborative learning amonglearners can bring about positivechanges in education. The teachershould exploit all possibilities ofgenerating language by shifting therole of the learner from a recipientto that of a producer.

Language learning is a continuousprocess and the assessment should bedone periodically. Learning takesplace through group discussions, pairdiscussions and individual attempts.Therefore, assessment also should bemade individually, mutual and ingroups. This will help the learners tocompare their strengths andweaknesses and make modificationsin their learning.

We propose Continuous andComprehensive Evaluation (CCE) atall levels of language learning. Thisshift of focus from testing memory toreal language acquisition shall be themajor concern of all tests at the lowerprimary and upper primary levels.The ability of the student to constructdiscourses at various levels will haveto be assessed.

Student assessment

The shift from a skill-based approachto a knowledge-based approach callsfor a different perspective onevaluation. If we equate languagelearning with a ‘bricklaying’ process,


we can easily test whether the learnerhas learnt the targeted linguisticcomponents such as vocabulary,structures, idioms and so on afterteaching each component. Naturally,after administering a learning activityin the whole class, one can assesswhat the learners have learnt.Multilevel teaching programmes canbe designed to locate the needs of aheterogeneous group with regard tovarious concepts, skills and processes.In this case it is always observable foran external evaluator to understandwhere the learner stands at any givenpoint of time.

Since language acquisition is anorganic process, just like the growingof a child, it will be impossible toassess what the child has acquired ata given point of time. Thus we areconfronting with a different situationwhen working with an acquisitionparadigm. By virtue of the fact thatwe are facilitating a non-consciousprocess, it is not easily observablewhat the learner has acquired afterexperiencing a particular module ofclassroom transaction. What thelearner performs does not directlyreveal his inner competence. Theerrors which occur on the part of thelearners in a learning situation,whether they be at the phonological,morphological or syntactic level,cannot be addressed by designingremedial learning activities whichtarget particular linguistic facts.Moreover, we cannot design and

execute multilevel learning activitiescatering to the needs of the differentlevels of the learners because this kindof selective linguistic input will leadto learning but not to acquisition. Itmay be noted that this kind ofintentional input is not available forthe learners in a natural languagelearning situation. All what we can dois to give the learners furtherdiscourse inputs, which will retain theholistic nature of language andinvolve them psychologically. At thesame time we have to ensure that thelearners get ample opportunities toreflect on what they have performedin comparison with what others havedone.

The thrust here is on a process of self-evaluation. In a sense an experimentalprogramme meant for facilitatinglanguage acquisition dependscrucially on the autonomy of thelearner, where autonomy isinterpreted as being self-regulatory.Every instance of the learning processimplicitly triggers the self-regulatoryprocess. Hence a learning processinherently becomes a self evaluationprocess too.

At the same time it is to be born inmind that the self evaluation processis a subconscious or non-consciousprocess within the individual whichcannot be observed and assessed bya facilitator or a teacher with the helpof a set of tools. As alreadymentioned, language acquisition is abiological process, a process more or


less similar to the growth of a child.Everyone knows that the child isgrowing. Nevertheless, we do nothave clear indicators which willreveal to us the quantum of growththat has taken place between any twoconsecutive days. Similarly in alanguage class there are no indicatorswhich will tell us about the amountof knowledge the learner hasacquired after a few minutes ofteaching.

Since we are focusing on theproduction of discourses such asnarratives, conversations, dialogues,poems etc. we must have a clear ideaas to how the various languageproducts and linguistic skills of thelearners are to be assessed.

Self-Assessment

Self-assessment sheets are included inall units of the Coursebook. Afterundertaking various linguistic tasks,the learners are given an opportunityto introspect on their achievement.Discourse specific indicators havebeen given each of which demandsthe learner to assess his/her ownperformance and fill in the spacesgiven in the assessment sheet. He/shecan clearly compare any two stagesof his/her own growth with regardto language performance. A lot oflearner autonomy can be promotedthrough self-assessment. The filled inassessment sheets can also be madeuse of by the teacher in his/heroverall assessment of the achieve-ment of the learner.

THE CLASSROOM PROCESSES

•The teacher interacts with thelearners based on their previous day’sexperience.

•The teacher presents the narrative/generates a discussion on the socialissue relevant to the unit with the helpof TLT (including IT supportedmaterial)

•The reading material is introducedallowing the learners to interact withthe content in such a way that theycan make intelligent predictions onwhat they arte going to read.

•Learners read the textual materialeither individually or in groups andwith the support of the teacher.

•They undertake the task ofconstructing a specific discourse

•Individual work

•Random presentation by a fewlearners (Local Texts constructed bythe learners)

•Sharing in groups•Presentation by groups•The teacher’s presentation (TLT)•Editing the work done by thelearnersThematic editingSyntactic editingMorphological editingEditing of punctuations and spelling

•Self assessment by the learners

You have to evaluate the learnersduring all the stages of classroomprocess.


Issu

e D

omai

n:

Lack

of c

ohes

ive

univ

ersa

l vis

ion

Sub

Issu

e:

Inab

ility

to e

mpa

this

e w

ith a

nim

als a

nd o

ther

fello

w c

reat

ures

Lear

ning

Obj

ectiv

es:

•Id

entif

y th

e fe

atur

es o

f na

rrat

ives

by

liste

ning

to

and

read

ing

a va

riet

y of

nar

rativ

es r

elat

ed t

o th

ein

timac

y of

chi

ldre

n w

ith a

nim

als.

•Re

ad si

mpl

e st

orie

s and

wri

te co

nver

satio

ns, d

escr

iptio

ns, d

iari

es e

tc o

n th

e ba

sis o

f pic

ture

s and

clue

s•

Wri

te d

ialo

gues

/con

vers

atio

n su

itabl

e for

diff

eren

t con

text

s/si

tuat

ions

and

enga

ge in

per

form

ing

role

-pl

ays a

nd sk

it•

Wri

te a

few

line

s of

poe

m fo

llow

ing

the

patte

rn•

Wri

te th

ough

ts in

diff

eren

t per

spec

tives

Uni

t 1 -

Bolu

, My

Frie

ndSy

llabu

s Gri

d

Them

eC

once

pts

& Id

eas

Res

ourc

esA

ttitu

des/

Val

ues

Eva

luat

ion/

Proc

ess/

Dis

cour

ses

Inti

mac

y of

chi

l-dr

en w

ith a

nim

als

•A

ll cr

eatu

res h

ave t

he sa

me

righ

t to

exis

t on

the e

arth

as

hum

an b

eing

s•

All

fello

w c

reat

ures

nee

dlo

ve, e

mpa

thy

and

care

of

hum

anity

•D

efor

esta

tion

may

lead

to

ecol

ogic

al i

mba

lanc

e an

dje

opar

adis

e ani

mal

's ha

bita

t•

Enga

ge in

diff

eren

t lin

guis

-ti

c ta

sks

rela

ted

to

the

them

e

•In

tera

ctio

n qu

estio

ns•

Nar

rativ

e (H

B)•

Read

ing

pass

age

(CB)

•Te

ache

r's v

ersi

on•

CD

's ca

sset

tes

rela

ted

toth

e th

eme

•Lo

ve fe

llow

cre

atur

es•

One

has

to re

spon

d ag

ains

tal

l kin

ds o

f cr

uelty

to a

ni-

mal

s and

oth

er c

reat

ures

•Po

sitiv

e at

titud

e to

live

inha

rmon

y w

ith o

ther

livi

ngbe

ings

.

•C

onve

rsat

ion

•So

ng/A

ddin

g lin

es•

Des

crip

tion

•Th

ough

ts•

Role

pla

y•

Skit

Gen

eral

Pro

cess

•In

tera

ctio

n•

Pres

enta

tion

of n

ar-

rativ

e (H

B)•

Rea

din

g pa

ssag

e(C

B)•

Dis

cour

se p

roce

ss•

Voc

abul

lary

exp

an-

sion

(ver

b, p

repo

si-

tiona

l phr

ase)

•Se

lf ev

alua

tion

•Pe

er a

sses

smen

t•

Port

folio

ass

ess-

men

t•

Cla

ss te

st


Issu

e D

omai

n:

Lack

of s

cien

tific

land

-wat

er m

anag

emen

tSu

b Is

sue

:Po

nds/

field

s/hi

lls a

re fa

st d

isap

pear

ing

Lear

ning

Obj

ectiv

es:

•Pr

epar

e na

rrat

ives

by

fixin

g an

d bl

owin

g up

a se

quen

ce o

f eve

nts

•Id

entif

y th

e fo

rms

and

func

tions

of l

angu

age

used

in d

ialo

gues

/con

vers

atio

n an

d in

tera

ct e

ffect

ivel

yw

ith o

ther

s.•

Spea

k ab

out t

hing

s, p

lace

s by

read

ing

and

liste

ning

to sh

ort d

escr

iptio

n•

Wri

te th

ough

ts/d

iari

es o

n in

cide

nts

•Re

ad le

tters

and

wri

te le

tters

bas

ed o

n ce

rtai

n th

emes

Uni

t 2 -

Hap

py D

ays

Sylla

bus G

rid

Pond

s are

to b

e pro

-te

cted

•N

atur

e ha

s its

ow

n be

auty

•Po

nds/

rive

rs/f

ield

s/va

l-le

ys a

re th

e gi

ft of

nat

ure

•H

uman

inte

rven

tion

is th

eca

use

of d

estr

uctio

n of

na-

ture

•D

estr

uctio

n of

thes

e nat

ural

gifts

affe

ct th

e lif

e of

all

liv-

ing

thin

gs•

List

en t

o na

rrat

ives

/sto

-ri

es/p

oem

s ab

out

the

them

e

•H

B (n

arra

tives

)•

TB (r

eadi

ng p

assa

ges)

•Te

ache

r's v

ersi

on

•Po

sitiv

e at

titud

e to

war

dsna

ture

and

its b

elon

ging

s•

Pond

s/fie

lds e

tc sh

ould

be

prot

ecte

d•

Love

nat

ure

•C

onve

rsat

ion

•So

ng•

Des

crip

tion

•Le

tter

•V

ocab

ulla

ry e

xpan

-si

on

•Pe

er a

sses

smen

t•

Port

folio

ass

ess-

men

t•

Cla

ss te

st

Them

eC

once

pts

& Id

eas

Res

ourc

esA

ttitu

des/

Val

ues

Eva

luat

ion/

Proc

ess/

Dis

cour

ses


Issu

e D

omai

n:

Mar

gina

lisat

ion

Sub

Issu

e:

Una

ble

to re

alis

e on

e's

own

tale

nt a

nd a

reas

to e

xcel

Lear

ning

Obj

ectiv

es:

•Id

entif

y th

e fo

rm a

nd fu

nctio

ns o

f lan

guag

e us

ed in

dia

logu

es/c

onve

rsat

ion

and

inte

ract

effe

ctiv

ely

with

oth

ers

•W

rite

abo

ut th

ings

, pla

ces

and

pers

ons

by re

adin

g an

d lis

teni

ng to

a v

arie

ty o

f sho

rt d

escr

iptio

n•

Read

and

iden

tify

the

feat

ures

of v

ario

us k

inds

of r

epor

ts•

Prep

arin

g sp

eech

rela

ted

to a

con

text

•Re

ad si

mpl

e po

ems a

nd a

ppre

ciat

e th

e ar

t in

them

Uni

t 3 -

The

Gif

ted

Chi

ldSy

llabu

s Gri

d

Them

eC

once

pts

& Id

eas

Res

ourc

esA

ttitu

des/

Val

ues

Eva

luat

ion/

Proc

ess/

Dis

cour

ses

Phys

ical

ly

chal

-le

nged

are

dif

fer-

ently

abl

ed

•Ev

eryb

ody

can

exce

l in

cer-

tain

dom

ains

•O

ne h

as t

o id

entif

y on

e's

own

real

pot

entia

l•

List

en to

nar

rativ

e/st

ory

onth

e to

pic

•W

rite

and

rea

d th

ough

ts/

diar

ies

of s

uscc

essf

ul p

er-

sona

litie

s

•A

dmir

es t

he p

oten

tial

ofot

hers

•Tr

y to

exc

el i

n on

e's

own

field

•D

evel

ops

an e

mpa

thy

to-

war

ds

phys

ical

ly c

hal-

leng

ed

•C

onve

rsat

ion

•Sp

eech

•D

escr

iptio

n•

Repo

rt•

Read

ing

poem

•Pe

er a

sses

smen

t•

Port

folio

ass

ess-

men

t•

Cla

ss te

st

•St

ory

book

s re

late

d to

the

them

e•

Nar

rativ

es (H

B)•

Film

s bas

ed o

n th

e th

eme


Issu

e D

omai

n:

Lack

of c

ultu

ral c

onsc

ious

ness

Sub

Issu

e:

Inab

ility

to

iden

tify

the

love

, fri

ends

hip

and

help

ing

men

tabi

lity

of p

eopl

e ha

ving

diff

eren

t cu

ltura

lba

ckgr

ound

Lear

ning

Obj

ectiv

es:

•Re

ad a

nd w

rite

sim

ple

stor

ies/

desc

ript

ions

on

the

basi

s of p

ictu

res a

nd c

lues

•W

rite

thou

ghts

of d

iffer

ent p

ersp

ectiv

es•

Enjo

y th

e be

auty

of n

arra

tives

rela

ted

to th

e fr

iend

ship

of m

en h

avin

g di

ffere

nt c

ultu

ral b

ackg

roun

d.•

Iden

tify

diffe

rent

form

s of f

unct

ions

by

liste

ning

to n

arra

tives

Uni

t 4 -

The

Man

with

a M

onke

ySy

llabu

s Gri

d

Them

eC

once

pts

& Id

eas

Res

ourc

esA

ttitu

des/

Val

ues

Eva

luat

ion/

Proc

ess/

Dis

cour

ses

Frie

ndsh

ip o

f m

anha

ving

dif

fere

ntcu

ltur

al

back

-gr

ound

•W

e hav

e to

resp

ect t

he p

eo-

ple

belo

ngin

g to

diff

eren

tso

cial

bac

kgro

unds

•D

iffer

ent

type

s of

peo

ple

are

ther

e in

our

soc

iety

i.e.

hom

eles

s, p

oor,

etc.

•A

s hu

man

be

ing

men

shou

ld h

ave t

he m

enta

bilit

yof

mut

ual h

elp,

mut

ual u

n-de

rsta

ndin

g an

d m

utua

l re-

spec

t

•St

ory

book

s re

late

d to

the

them

e•

Inte

ract

ion/

anal

ytic

alqu

estio

ns•

Nar

rativ

es (H

B)•

Read

ing

pass

ages

(CB)

•Te

ache

r's v

ersi

on•

Gro

up p

rodu

cts

•Po

sitiv

e at

titud

e to

war

dsth

e pe

ople

ble

ssin

gs to

the

diffe

rent

cul

ture

•D

escr

iptio

ns•

Thou

ghts

/Dia

ry•

Not

ice

•N

arra

tive/

Stor

y•

Lette

r (Pe

titio

n)•

Con

vers

atio

n•

Poem

s

•Se

lf as

sess

men

t•

Peer

ass

essm

ent

•Po

rtfo

lio a

sses

-m

ent

•C

lass

test


Issu

e D

omai

n:

Lack

of d

igni

ty o

f lab

our

Sub

Issu

e:

Una

ble

to id

entif

y th

e im

port

ance

of h

ard

wor

kLe

arni

ng O

bjec

tives

:•

Read

ing

sim

ple

stor

ies

abou

t suc

cess

thro

ugh

hard

wor

k•

Con

stru

ctin

g si

mpl

e pa

ssag

es b

ased

on

the

stor

ies

•D

evel

opin

g si

mpl

e st

orie

s bas

ed o

n th

e th

eme/

conc

epts

Uni

t 5 -

The

Hen

’s B

read

Sylla

bus G

rid

Them

eC

once

pts

& Id

eas

Res

ourc

esA

ttitu

des/

Val

ues

Eva

luat

ion/

Proc

ess/

Dis

cour

ses

Har

dwor

k is

the

key

to su

cces

s•

Each

indi

vidu

al h

as h

is/h

erw

ork

for

the

pros

peri

ty o

fth

e so

ciet

y•

Enga

ge in

diff

eren

t lin

guis

-tic

act

iviti

es b

ased

on

the

them

e

•Si

mpl

e sh

ort s

tori

es in

the

CB

•Te

ache

rs v

ersi

on•

Oth

er sh

ort s

tori

es re

late

dto

the

them

e

•D

igni

ty t

o al

l ki

nds

ofla

bour

•Po

sitiv

e at

titud

e to

war

dsth

e ha

rd w

orki

ng p

eopl

e

•Re

adin

g st

orie

s•

Add

ing

para

grap

h•

Dis

cour

se p

roce

sses

•V

ocab

ulla

ry e

xpan

-si

on•

Read

ing

poem

s

•Se

lf as

sess

men

t•

Port

folio

ass

es-

men

t

47Sourcebook Std IVSourcebook Std IVSourcebook Std IVSourcebook Std IVSourcebook Std IV ENGLISH STD IV ENGLISH STD IV ENGLISH STD IV ENGLISH STD IV ENGLISH STD IV

This unit focuses on the issues related to the lack of cohesive universal vision.It highlights:The lack of opportunities for children to experience the sensuousnessof environment and its beauty.The learners are expected to develop the following values/ conceptsduring the transaction of this unit.

• All fellow creatures need love, empathy and care of humanity.• Nature is an integral part of life and animals are as important ashuman beings.• Love and empathy towards animals make human beings betterindividuals.

To get across these values, the discourses included in this unit areconversations, songs and descriptions.


• Do you like mangoes?

• Where do you get mangoes from?

• You heard the story of ‘The MangoTree’ in class III, didn’t you?

• The mango is a very tasty fruit, isn’tit?

• What are mangoes used for?

Elicit responses.

Give them enough time to respond.

Let’s listen to another story about amango tree.

To the Forest

‘Hi! Look, that is the mango tree.’Nithin pointed to a mango tree in thewoods. ‘There are a lot of mangoes init, I’m sure,’ he added.

The mango tree stood high above theother trees in the woods. Bunches ofmangoes were dangling from thebranches.

‘How high the tree is!’ Greeshmaexclaimed.

‘Come, quick. The mangoes are ripe, Ithink,’ Nithin said, walking towardsthe woods.

‘Be careful! There will be harmfulanimals in the woods,’ Greeshmawarned him.

‘Don’t go there, let’s go back. It willbe dark soon,’ Sainaba remainedwhere she was.

‘You needn’t come, but don’t ask formangoes later,’ said Nithin walkingahead.

‘Chetta, we will join you,’ Greeshmasaid.

Making their way through the densebushes, they entered the woods. Thechirping of the birds and the ‘chil-chil’of the squirrels were clear now.Nithin, Greeshma and Sainabareached near the mango tree. Themango tree looked like a huge greenumbrella. There were ripe bigmangoes on all its branches. They wereswinging in the gentle wind. The birdsand squirrels were feasting on them.

Nithin’s mouth watered.

‘But how can I get one?’ he thought.

Nithin jumped up to reach a branch.

He couldn’t reach it.

‘Chetta…. I have an idea,’ Greeshmasaid.

• What would Greeshma’s idea be?

Elicit responses.

Let’s see.

Interaction

Narrative

Interaction


Up the Tree

‘Chetta… try to climb up. We’ll lift youup,’ Greeshma said.

‘That’s a good idea,’ Nithin said.

They lifted Nithin up.

He caught hold of a small branch andtried to climb on the tree.

‘Hi… got it.’ Nithin stood on thebranch, holding on another big branchover his head.

‘Chetta, look over there,’ Greeshmapointed towards the big branch overhis head.

‘There are a bunches of ripe mangoesover there.’

Nithin looked up.

‘Ah,yes. They are all ripe.’

He stretched out his arms to pluckthem.

‘Cr..r...r....ack!’ There heard a sound.

‘Aiyyo… chetta!’ Greeshma criedaloud.

• Why did Greeshma cry aloud?

• What happened to Nithin?

Elicit responses.

Introduce The Broken Branch given inthe Coursebook.

Process reading

Ask the learners to read the textindividually.

Give them enough time to read.

Divide them into groups of four or five.

Let them read the text in groups.

Let them share what they understood andwhat they did not.

Clear their doubts.

Ensure that the learners take turn forsharing their ideas.

Read the text aloud with proper voicemodulation.

Thoughts of Nithin

Nithin is now clinging to a branch ofthe mango tree.

• What would he think now?

Ask appropriate questions to facilitatewriting.

• Will he think about jumping down?

• Can he hang on the branch for a long time?

• Will he expect somebody there to help him?

Ask the learners to write individually.

Random presentation.

Refinement in groups.

Narrative

Interaction

Process

Interaction


Presentation by groups

Presentation of the teacher’s version.

Editing.

Teacher’s versionNobody is here to help me.If I jump, my leg will break.My hands are aching.I can’t hang like this for long.Oh, God! What can I do now?If only somebody came…!

The Baby Elephant

Nithin is still hanging on the branch.

He looked around. Nobody was nearhim. Soon the branch swayed a little.

It was coming down slowly.

Finally, Nithin’s feet touched theground.

‘Ah!’ he felt relieved.

‘What happened? How did I comedown?’ Nithin wondered.

He looked around.

‘Aiyyo… an elephant!’ Nithin movedback in fright.

It was a baby elephant; not very big.

It had grey hair all over its body. Therewas a white patch on its forehead.

The elephant was still holding thebranch.

The elephant shook its head gently.

It was also fanning its broad ears.

The baby elephant shook the branchwith its trunk.

Ripe mangoes showered down.

Enough ripe mangoes….

The elephant then released thebranch.

It went up back to its position.

It took a mango with its trunk andstretched it towards Nithin.

Nithin moved back again. The babyelephant raised its trunk. He threw themango towards Nithin. Nithin caughtthe mango. The baby elephant tookanother mango with its trunk andstretched it to him. This time Nithintook the mango from him. Theelephant touched Nithin’s neck withits trunk. Nithin felt tickled.

‘Chetta….. Are you Ok?’ Greeshmacalled out from behind a tree nearby.

‘Greeshma, Sainaba…. Look, Theelephant is quite friendly. He likes us.’

The girls came near Nithin.

•

What will the elephant do now?

Elicit responses.

Let’s see.

Narrative

Interaction


Narrative

The Play

The baby elephant tried to touchNithin’s head with its trunk. Nithinjumped back.

‘Touch me, if you can,’ he said runningaround the mango tree.

Then the elephant turned to the girls.The girls started to run. The babyelephant ran after the children totouch them. ’Run….run…,’theystarted running.

The elephant followed them raising itstrunk. Thus they played for a longtime.

The children and the baby elephanthave become friends.

• Do you have animals as friends?

• How do you play with them?

Let the pupils speak out.

• Will Nithin,Greeshma and Sainabago to the forest again?

Let’s see.

The next day Nithin was watching acartoon serial on TV. Greeshma cameto the room.

‘Chetta …. Sainaba has come. Shall wego to the woods again?’

Nithin got up and turned off the TV.‘Amma… we are going out to play.’They went outside. Sainaba waswaiting for them at the gate.

’Will the elephant be there?’ Sainabaasked.

‘I’m not sure … let’s see,’ said Nithin.

‘Chetta …what shall we call him?’Greeshma asked.

‘Shall we call him Bera?’ asked Nithin.

‘Let’s call him Bolu,’ suggestedSainaba.

‘That’s nice,’ all of them agreed.

They reached near the mango tree.Bolu was not there. They lookedaround. There was no sign of Bolu.

‘Bolu…, Bolu…,’ Greeshma calledout.

They heard a strange sound at somedistance.

The thick tall bushes were swayinginthe wind. The children looked at thebushes. They were shocked. Theycouldn’t even breathe.

• What did they see there?

• Why were they afraid?

Introduce A Big Surprise given in theCoursebook.

Interaction

Interaction

Narrative


Process reading.

Individual reading.

Reading in groups.

Teacher’s scaffolding.

Reading by the teacher.

• Will the children play with Bolu?

• Will Bolu expect the children to comeeveryday?

One morning, Bolu was eating tenderleaves of bamboo.

‘What is that noise?’ Bolu wondered.

‘Oh! It’s somebody talking. Who couldbe it,’ Bolu thought.

Somebody is laughing loudly.

‘Could it be some children. No doubt.‘Bolu ran towards the mango tree.

The children were not there. Bolustopped running and stood behind abush.

’Something is wrong.’ He lookedthrough the bushes. He saw some mennear the mango tree.

‘Not my friends,’ Bolu thought.

Squirrels were climbing down themango tree and hiding among thebushes.

The crows were flying over the tree.They were cawing loudly.

A man was climbing up the mangotree. There was an axe in his hand.Others were clearing the bushesnearby. They were talking loudly.Suddenly someone pulled Bolu back.

• Who pulled Bolu back?

Elicit responses.

A Run

Bolu lost his balance. He fell down.‘Who’s that?’

He got up angrily and looked back. Itwas his mother.

‘Mother ,why did you pull me sohard?’ Bolu asked.

‘Shh…’ the mother elephant warnedBolu.

’Come with me... quick,’ she saidrunning back. Bolu also startedrunning holding his mother’s tail.

They ran back to the thick woods.

‘Why is she so frightened? Who is sheafraid of?’ Bolu thought. The motherelephant stopped running and stoodamong the thick bushes.

‘Mother,’ Bolu called out.

Interaction

Narrative

Interaction

Narrative


Conversation between Bolu and hismother.

You can ask a few questions like:

• Why was the mother elephant frightened?

• What is she afraid of?

• Why did they run?

• Who did they see in the woods?

Process writing –Conversation.

• Ensure the participation of all pupilsin group work.

• Ask the groups to write theconversation on a chart.

• Ensure opportunity for all pupils forpresentation.

• Edit the group products.

Let the pupils write the conversationindividually.Check whether one or two of them havecompleted writing at least one exchange.Ask two or three of them to present whatthey have written,Elicit the initiations and responses inmother tongue from the pupils, who werenot able to complete writing even the firstexchange.Say aloud the elicited sentences inEnglish.Divide the pupils into small groups.Let each of them take turn and read outthe initiation. (Those who have not

written anything can present their ideasin mother tongue; others can help themwith the English version of the idea.)Let the groups select the best initiation.Let the members take turn in reading outor presenting their responses to theinitiation.Let the pupils select the best response.Let them write one or two exchanges morein this manner.Let the groups write their work on a chartpaper.Let the groups role-play what they havewritten.Display all the group products at thereading corner.Present the teacher’s version and displayit on a chart.Go for editing.Teachers version:

Bolu: Mother, what is happening?Who are they?

Mother: Don’t know, dear... not ourfriends anyway.

Bolu: Then, who are they?

Mother: They are the woodcutters.

Bolu: What will they do to harmus?

Mother: They will cut down thetrees. We are in danger.

• Will Nithin, Greeshma and Sainabameet Bolu again?

Process

Interaction


The school reopened after the Poojaholidays. Nithin, Greeshma andSainaba wanted to visit Bolu. But theydidn’t get time. One evening Nithinand Greeshma were watching acartoon serial on TV.

‘Children, how lazy you are! Go andhave your bath,’ said mother.

‘Just a minute, Amma…. Thisprogramme will soon be over,’pleaded Greeshma.

‘Programme! Look at the clock. It’sseven now. You haven’t had your bathyet. Do as you like. Let your fathercome,’ mother’s tone turned serious.

‘Oh! He is not like you. He allows usto watch the TV programmes. Hewon’t scold us as you do,’ said Nithin.

‘Hmm….’ The mother looked atNithin sharply.

‘Your father is the one who makes youso lazy and naughty,’ murmured themother.

‘How sad! Poor Jerry!’ Greeshma saidwatching the cartoon on the TV. Theyfelt pity towards the rat. The big cathas caught him.

Suddenly the front door was opened.‘Greeshma.…’ Somebody called fromoutside.

• Who has opened the door?

• Why did the person call Greeshma?

Introduce the text ‘The Shocking News’from the Coursebook.

Process reading.

• Where did they take the babyelephant to? Why?

The Confusion

Greeshma and Nithin looked at eachother. Nithin’s face turned pale.

‘Will it be Bolu?’ Greeshma asked.Nithin felt shocked.

The big cat in the cartoon was pullingthe small rat along the road. The poorrat was crying aloud for help. Nithingot up. He switched off the TV. Fathercame in opening the door.

‘Hi Sainaba , how are you?”

’Fine uncle,‘ Sainaba said.

’Greeshma, I’m going home.’ Sainabawent outside.

‘Shall we ask our father about theelephant?’ asked Nithin. They went totheir father’s room.

‘Father,’ Nithin called.

• What will Nithin ask his father?

Narrative

Interaction

Interaction

Narrative

Interaction


• Does his father know about theelephant?

• What will the conversation bebetween Nithin and his father?

Process conversation.

Teacher’s version

Nithin: Father.

Father: Yes, what’s the matter?

Nithin: Did you see the elephant?

Father: Which elephant are youtalking about?

Nithin: The one that people caughttoday.

Father: No. I didn’t see. I heardabout it.

• What did Nithin’s father say aboutthe elephant?

• Have the children got any newsabout Bolu?

The Tension

‘Father, is there a white patch on itsforehead?’ asked Nithin.

’I don’t know, my boy. I didn’t see theelephant. But I heard it was a babyelephant,’ father said.

Nithin looked at Greeshma. She wasalmost in tears. The children walkedout of the room with a heavy heart.

‘Oh my God! I wish it was some otherelephant. May Bolu be safe.’

Greeshma prayed to God, folding herhands.

• What will Nithin and Greeshma do?

• How can they know more about theelephant?

The next morning, Nithin andGreeshma started for school early.They walked straight to the woods tosee the mango tree. They reached theborder of the forest, and then stoppedsuddenly.

‘Chetta, look,’ Greeshma pointed to theforest.

‘Oh,my God!’ Nithin cried out.

• What made the children feel shocked?

• What did they see there?

Introduce the ‘The Fallen Tree’ from theCoursebook.

Process reading.

• Why did people cut down the mangotree?

• Why do people cut down trees?

Interaction

Narrative

Interaction

Narrative

Interaction

Interaction


Elicit responses.

Greeshma and Nithin were lookingfor Bolu.

• Will they see Bolu?

Bolu, Where are You?

‘Bolu... Bolu… where are you?’Greeshma called out. Her voiceechoed in the jungle.

‘Bolu…Bolu….’ Nithin too calledaloud.

There was no reply.

‘Nithin chetta… No… he will notcome. They have caught our Bolu. Ourdear Bolu….’ Greeshma began to cry.

Nithin and Greeshma sat on the fallenmango tree.

They didn’t talk anything. They heardthe blowing of the wind. Birds wereflying around.

‘Bolu, Bolu, where are you?’ Theirminds were filled with the thoughtsof Bolu.

The wind that blows among the trees

Calls you my friend,where are you?

With tears in eyes we wait for you

Come quick my friend and play with us.

Processing the poem.

Recite the poem two or three times.

Write the lines on a chart.

Recite again.

Let the pupils sing after you.

Let the rhythm and pattern be sensitised.

Ask the following questions to help themadd a few lines to the poem.

• The wind calls Bolu. What are otherthings that call Bolu?

The birds/ clouds……

Can you replace the word ‘wind’ with‘birds’?

How will the line be then?

The birds that fly around the trees .

What do they call?

Where are you?

Can you complete the stanza?

• Individual attempt

• Random presentation

• Group-level refinement

• Presentation by group

• Teacher version

• Editing

Teacher version:

The clouds that move up in the sky,

Calls you my friend,where are you?

With tears in eyes we wait for you

Come quick my friend and play with us.

‘Come quick my friend, play with us,’the children called out.

But Bolu didn’t come.

Narrative

Process


What will Nithin and Greeshma donow?

Nithin and Greeshma sat on the trunkof the mango tree. They were stilllooking at the fallen trees.

‘Chetta ... what shall we do now? I’msure, the woodcutters have takenaway our Bolu,’ said Greesma.

‘I too think so. Poor Bolu. What willthey do with him?’ Nithin said.

‘Sometimes they will put him in thezoo,’ said Greeshma.

‘Where will be the mother elephantnow? She will be very sad now,’Nithin said.

‘Hi…. Who is there?‘ That was therough voice of a man. The childrenlooked at him in surprise.

• Who could be that man?

• Why should he go there?

Introduce ‘The Warning’ from theCoursebook.

Process-reading.

• Why did the forest guard warnthem?

• Will they meet Bolu again?

• If so, where?

Days passed. There was no newsabout Bolu.

‘Have you heard any news aboutBolu?’ Nithin and Greeshma wouldask their father everyday.

There was no news about Bolu.

‘They have taken Bolu to some otherplace far away, I am sure,’ father saidone day.

The school closed for Christmasholidays. The children were busy withtheir games. They stopped talkingabout Bolu. They played new games.They had now almost forgotten Bolu.

The Christmas holidays passedquickly. Nithin and Greeshma startedgoing to school as usual. One evening,they were walking home from theschool.

‘Chetta… look at that,’ Greeshmasuddenly stopped in front of a hotel.

‘Look at that big notice,’ Greeshmasaid loudly.

There was a big colourful posterpasted on the side of a hotel.

• What would be the poster about?

Introduce the passage ‘Grand Circus’from the Coursebook.

Interaction

Interaction

Narrative

Interaction

Narrative

Interaction


Process reading.

• What is the poster about?

• Have you ever been to the circus?

• What are the items performed in acircus?

Elicit answers.

• What will Nithin and Greeshma donow?

• Will they like to see the circus?

• Who will they ask to take them to thecircus show?

Well, Greeshma told her father aboutthe circus.

• What will be the conversationbetween them?


Teacher’s version:

Greeshma: Father, a circus team isthere in the town.

Father: Good. Where is it?

Greeshma: At the municipalstadium.

Father: You want to see thecircus, don’t you?

Greeshma: Yes Father. Would youmind taking us to thecircus?

Father: Okay, We’ll go nextSunday.

Greeshma: Thank you, father.You’re so loving.

• Will they go to the circus?

Nithin, Greeshma, mother and fathergot in a car. The car moved along theroad.

’How far is the town from here?’Nithin asked his father .

‘It’s twenty kilometers from here.We’ll be in the town in half an hour,’father replied. Greeshma was lookingout through the window. The carturned to the main road leading to thetown.

‘Oh! How big are the houses,’wondered Greeshma.

‘Chetta, look at those houses. They arepainted beautifully,’ she said toNithin. ‘How nice are those houses!Can’t we build a house like that?’Greeshma said pointing to a threestoried building painted violet andpink.

‘Hmm, you may build one when yougrow up,’ father said.

Sign boards of different sizes withbeautiful pictures, posters of films andfilm actors - all were quite interestingto her.

They reached the Muncipal Stadium.Nithin, Greeshma, and their parentsgot out of the car.

Interaction

Interaction

Narrative


They entered the circus tent.

All of them took their seats in thegallery. The inside of the tent waswell-lit with bright lights. It was roundin shape.

Exciting music was flowing out,through the loudspeakers.

‘Chetta…. Look at them, so manyswings.’ Greeshma pointed towardsthe swings hanging down from theroof of the tent.

‘They are very high. How will theyclimb onto them?’ Nithin asked hisfather.

‘Let’s wait and see,’ his father said.

The music came to a sudden stop. Thelights suddenly went off.

• Why did the light go off?

• What would happen next?

Introduce ‘The Announcement’ from theCoursebook.

Process reading.

The circus is about to start.

• What would the first item be?

The lights were turned on. Thereheard a new music. Drums sounded

aloud. Suddenly a big drum rolleddown to the circus ring from inside. Itstopped at the centre of the ground.

A long hat came out through themouth of the drum.

Nithin looked at the hat in surprise.

It has two tails. The tails were bent alittle with a red ball at their tip.

‘It’s a man, not a hat!’ thought Nithin.A man came out of the drum. He wasvery short. He took an umbrella outfrom the drum. It was an old one witha bent handle. Nithin looked at theman’s dress.

(Introduce Coursebook: Page no:21)

• What did the clown look like?

• What was he going to do?

• Can you describe the clown?

Process description.

Let the pupils write individually.Check whether a few of them havewritten two or three sentences.Ask one of them to read out the firstsentence one has written.Check whether there are others who haveexpressed the same idea.Elicit a different idea from someone else.Give chances to three or four to presenttheir ideas.

Interaction

Interaction

Narrative

Interaction

Process


Those who have not written anything canexpress their ideas in mother tongue.Let them sit in small groups and shareideas. (Make sure that each member inthe group contributes at least one idea.)Present the teacher’s version.Go for editing.Ask them to fill in the self-assessment.

• What is the clown going to do?

The clown with a long hat stood up.He looked around. A horse came outand stopped in front of him. He hunghis umbrella onto his collar and triedto mount on the horse. The horsebegan to run. The clown fell down.Everybody laughed. He ran after thehorse trying to climb on it again. Buteach time he fell down. The clowncried aloud. People laughed again.‘Our next item is a special one,’ therecame the announcement.

• What would be the next item?

‘It’s a wonderful show. You wouldnever see one like this in any of thecircus,’ the announcement came.

The music was played aloud.

‘Here comes our lovely baby!’ Theannouncer declared.

A baby elephant entered the circusring with a man walking on its left.There was a long stick in his hand.They walked around the circus ring.The man put a wooden stool andshowed a gesture. The elephantclimbed on it and turned round.

‘Greeshma…, look at the babyelephant. It looks like our Bolu,’ saidNithin.

‘Chetta, it’s our Bolu. I’m sure,’ saidGreeshma.

‘My God! Greeshma, look at the whitepatch on its forehead! It is… Bolu…’

Nithin stood up in excitement.

‘Chetta… our Bolu.’ Greeshma too gotup in joy. ‘Bolu…,’ she called aloud.‘Bolu…,’ she called again. The peoplegathered there looked at the children.

• What happened then?

Introduce ‘Bolu’s Show’ from theCoursebook.

Process reading.

• What will happen now?

• Is that Bolu?

Interaction

Narrative

Interaction

Narrative

Interaction

Interaction


‘

The elephant! Aiyyo… the elephant…run… run for your lives….’ People gotup and started to run. Some werescreaming aloud. Women wererunning with their children. Therewas a loud uproar.

Nithin and Greeshma ran towardsBolu. The elephant stopped in front ofthem.

‘Bolu…,’ Greeshma called again. Thechildren came down into the ringpushing the chairs away. Bolu wentclose to them. He raised his trunk andfore legs in joy.

• What will Nithin’s parents do now?

• Will they allow their children to staythere?

Introduce ‘Bolu, Our Friend’ from theCoursebook.

• Do you know any instances of truefriendship like this?

• Narrate them in the class.

• Can you enact the last scene of Bolu’sstory?

• Who are the characters?

• What are the events?

• What are they saying?

• Write the dialogue.

Process writing.

Enact the scene.(All groups)

• Have you enacted the scene?

• How was it?

• Can you draw a scene of it in yournotebook?

Now look at activity 1.

Aswin is going to draw the scene.

But his colour box is missing. He issearching for that. Can you completethe missing part?

Bolu, the baby elephant, is Nithin’sclose friend.

• Have you seen elephants walking onebehind the other?

• How do they move about?

Read the poem ‘Holding Hands.’

Process the poem.

Activity 2

‘Elephants play

Elephants walk’

• What other actions can an elephantdo?

Let them complete the word web.

Let them list out the activities that a childcan do but an elephant can’t.

Put them in a table.

Things I can do.Things an elephant can’t do.

• I can ride a bicycle.• Elephant can’t ride a bicycle.

Narrative

Interaction

Process


This unit focuses on the issues related to the lack of scientific land-watermanagement .It highlights:—• The lack of opportunities for children to experience the natural beautyand the beauty and serenity of villages.The learners are expected to develop in them the following values/concepts during the transaction of this unit.• Ponds, fields, hills etc. play an important role in day to day life.• Destruction of nature gifts adversely affects the life of all living things.The discourses included in this unit are conversations, songs, descriptionsand letter.

Unit - IIHappy Days


• Where do you like to live? - In a city/ in a village?

• Why do you prefer to live in a .........?

• What are the things that attract youthere?

• Why do you like them?

Initiate a discussion on this. You mayconclude the discussion like this:

Well let’s listen to the story of a boy.

He liked to live in a village.

Listen.

The bus was dashing along the busyroad. Arun looked out through thewindow of the bus.

Trees, buildings, shops, electricposts…..

All were moving back.

The morning sun was peepingthrough the trees.

At times, the sunlight fell on his face.

‘Will we reach there in an hour?’ Arunasked his mother who was sitting nearhim.

‘Sure, we will reach there soon,’ saidSheeja, Arun’s mother.

The bus turned to a village road.Coconut trees, green farms and smallhouses were there on both the sides ofthe road.

‘Amma, look, at the banana plants!’Arun pointed at the countless plants.A man was watering the plants.

The road was dusty and rough.

The bus was groaning and pantingwhile moving.

The bus took a sudden halt.

‘Shanthipuram,’ the conductor calledout.

‘Arun, get up…. We’ve reached theplace,’ Sheeja said.

They got out of the bus.

‘Amma, will Hiba and Kuttammamanbe there?’ Arun asked.

‘Yes, of course,’ she replied.

He started to run.

‘Arun, don’t run. There are sharpstones all along the path,’ warned hismother.

‘Hiba….!’ Arun ran into thecourtyard, pushing the small gateopen. Hearing the noise, Sunitha,Arun’s aunt, came out.

‘Hi, Arun. What a surprise! Are youalone? Where’s your mother?’ Sunithaasked.

‘She is coming. I ran ahead of her.Look, there she is.’ He pointed to thegate.

‘Hello, Arun chetta.’ Hiba called. Shewas watering the plants near herhouse.

She came near Arun.

‘Hiba, I shall be back soon. Let me seethe pond first.’ Arun ran towards thepond.

Interaction

Narrative


• Why did he run to the pond?

• What is so special about it?

Arun came near the pond.

It was a big pond. On one side of it,there was a paddy field. There werebanana plants on the other side.

The pond was surrounded by a stonewall. New steps were built. Arunwalked down the stone steps.

A big green frog was sitting on a step.It looked at him with its big eyes.

‘Blum….’ It jumped into the pond andswam away.

Arun stepped into the water.

The clear cold water kissed his feet.

‘How cold it is!’ He sat on a step. Hisfeet were now in water.

He felt something touching his feet.

‘Vow!’ he jumped up.

• What was that?

Introduce ‘The Fish in the Pond’ givenin the Coursebook.

Ask the pupils to read the passage.

Process reading.

• What will Arun do now?

• Will he catch the fish?

Arun moved one more step down thepond. He called the fish, ‘Hi, littlefriends’. One fish came up. It peckedon his toes and went down. Arun felttickled.

Arun sang, calling the fish:

Swimming in the pondSwimming in the pondSwimming in the pondSwimming in the pondSwimming in the pond

Dancing in the waterDancing in the waterDancing in the waterDancing in the waterDancing in the water

Pecking on my feetPecking on my feetPecking on my feetPecking on my feetPecking on my feet

Little fish, little fishLittle fish, little fishLittle fish, little fishLittle fish, little fishLittle fish, little fish

Swim around me,Swim around me,Swim around me,Swim around me,Swim around me,

And dance around me.And dance around me.And dance around me.And dance around me.And dance around me.

Processing the song

Sing the song two or three times.

Ask the pupils to sing after you.

Write the lines on a chart.

Sing the lines along with the pupils.

Let them enjoy the rhythm and pattern.

Interaction

Narrative

Interaction

Process

Interaction

Narrative

Process


Narrative

Ask the pupils to add a few more lines tothe song.

What other things will Arun ask the fishto do?

Elicit responses and write them on achart.

Eg: Playing in the pond

Diving in the water

Swimming in the pond

Jumping into water.

Let them complete the stanzaindividually.

Random presentation

Refinement in groups

Group presentation

Presentation of teacher’s version

Editing

Compiling into a Big Book

Teacher’s versionJumping into pond

Diving in the water

Kissing on my feet

Little fish little fish

Jump around me

Dive around me.

Playing in the pond

Moving in the water

Kissing on my feet

Little fish little fish

Play around me

Move around me.

• Where is Arun now?

• What is he doing?

• Does Arun’s mother know that Arunis in the pond?

‘Hiba, where is Arun? ‘Arun’s motherasked.

‘He has gone to the pond,’ she said.

‘Call him back. The pond is very deep,’Sunitha, Hiba’s mother said.

Hiba went to the pond.

But Arun was not there.

‘Arun chetta… ‘She called aloud.

There was no answer.

‘Aunty , he is not there,‘ said Hiba.

Hiba came back running.

‘Not there? My God!’ Sheeja wasshocked to hear this.

She rushed to the pond. Hiba and hermother followed her.

‘Arun… Arun…where are you, dear?‘Sheeja cried out.

• Where is Arun now?

• What happened to him?

Interaction

Interaction


Introduce ‘Playing in the Pond’ givenin the Coursebook.

Process reading.

Write the conversation between Arunand Sheeja.

Processing conversation

Individual writing

Random presentation



Teacher’s version

Editing

Compiling into a Big Book

Arun likes to swim in the pond.

• Will he go to the pond again?

Elicit responses.

Let’s see.

‘Craw… craw….’ The crows cawedoutside.

‘Oh! It’s almost day-break now.’

Arun opened his eyes.

His mother had already woke up.

Arun got up from the bed and cameout.

The sun was not yet up.

The sky was clear. There were somereddish clouds here and there.

‘The sun will come up soon,’ hethought.

Arun saw Kuttammaman walking tothe cowshed with a milk can in hishand.

‘Kuttammama…’

Arun ran to Kuttammaman.

‘Kuttammama…. Are you going todraw milk from the cow?’

‘Yes.’ Kuttammaman smiled at him.

‘Do you want to come with me?’Kuttammaman asked him.

‘Ah,yes.’

’Then come with me,’ Kuttammamansaid.

They entered the shed.Kuttammaman gave the cow somegrass to eat.

He stroked its head gently.

He sat down to wash its udder. Arunsat near him.

‘Kuttammama…. Shall I wash itsudder?’ Arun asked.

‘Oh, yes!’ Kuttammaman handed thevessel to Arun.

Arun took some water in his palm andsplashed it over the cow’s udder.

Then he wiped the udder with hishand.

Process

Interaction

Narrative


‘Arun, Let me milk the cow. Shedoesn’t like strangers milking her,’Kuttammaman said.

‘Please Kuttammama…..let me tryonce,’Arun pleaded.

‘Okay,’ agreed Kuttammaman.

The cow turned its head and lookedat the new milkman.

The cow shook its head.

‘Ayyoo…,’ Arun fell down.

• What happened to Arun?

• How did he fall down?

Introduce ‘The New Milkman’ given inthe Coursebook.


Process reading.

Children, Arun fell over the cow dung.There is dung on his clothes and body.

• What will he do now?

‘It’s all right,’ said Arun’s mother.

‘Go and wash your body. But don’tswim in the pond.

Hiba, you may go with him.’

They walked to the pond.

Arun stepped into the water to washhis hands.

Hiba sat on the step.

Arun looked in the clear water.

‘Ah! Hiba, look! What a beautifulsight! Hundreds of small fish areswimming around.’

‘Oh, hundreds of them!’ said Hiba.

‘See, their mother,’ Hiba pointed to abig fish, swimming in front of the babyfish.

‘They are your kids, aren’t you?’ Arunasked, looking at the mother fish.

The fish rubbed its body against hislegs.

It turned and swam to the other endof the pond. The baby fish followedher.

‘Blum!’ Something fell heavily intothe water. Arun and Hiba wereshocked.

‘What’s it?’ Hiba asked in surprise.

• What made them surprised?

Arun looked around. Arun looked intothe water. He saw nothing. Heclimbed up the steps. There was a shirthung on the side wall.

‘Hello….’They heard somebodycalling. They turned back.

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‘Ha…ha…ha. Were you frightened?’

That was Sajan, Hiba’s neighbour.Sajan is Arun’s friend too.

He was swimming towards the steps.

‘You’ve really frightened us,’ saidArun.

‘Arun, come, let’s swim,’ said Sajan.

Arun took off his trousers and shirtand placed them on the steps. Then hejumped into the water.

‘Arun chetta, I will tell about this toyour mother,’ Hiba said.

‘Please, don’t tell her. I shall comesoon. You stay there.’

Arun splashed water on Hiba.

The water fell on her face. Arun thenswam to the other end of the pond.Sajan followed him.

Arun splashed water on her.

• What will Hiba do then?

• Will she go back home?

Introduce ‘Tit for Tat’ given in theCoursebook.


Process reading.

What will be the conversationbetween Hiba and Sheeja?

Process the conversation.

• Where are Arun and Sajan now?

• Does Arun know that his trousershave been taken away?

Arun and Sajan enjoyed swimming inthe pond for a long time.

Arun was almost tired.

‘Sajan, let’s stop swimming,’ he said.

‘Mother will be angry by now,’

They came out of the water.

‘Sajan, where are my trousers andshirt?’ Arun searched for them.

‘I’ve put them here,’ he said.

‘It is Hiba’s trick. She is naughty,’Arun said to himself.

‘Arun, why are you so worried?’ Sajanasked.

‘Sajan, how shall I go home? That sillygirl has taken my clothes away.’

• What will Arun do now?

Hiba has told everything to Arun’smother.

• What will his mother do?

Interaction

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Narrative

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Prepare a narrative.

Processing the Narrative

a. Fix the events of the narrative.

The first event is this:

Hiba took Arun’s clothes away.

• What are the other events?

You can make use of the followingquestions for eliciting the events.

• How will Arun go home?

• Will his mother come to the pond?

• Will they get back the trousers andshirt?

• Will Sajan help him? How?

• Will they get the help of Kuttammaman?

Write the events on the blackboard.b. Blowing up the first event as a wholeclass activity.

The following questions can be asked:

• Where does it happen?

• Who are the characters involved?

• What are they saying/thinking/doing?

Elicit responses from the class and writethem on the blackboard.

c. Ask the learners to work on the otherevents in groups.

Let each group work on a particularevent.

d. Presentation of the group work.

f. Link the narratives developed by thegroups in order.

g. Presentation of the teacher’s version.

i. Editing of the group products.

j. Compiling them into a Big Book.

Teacher Version‘Sajan, do something quickly. Mymother will come soon. Hiba musthave informed my mother, I’m sure,’Arun said.’Let us tell Kuttammaman about this.He will help us,’ said Sajan.Kuttammaman was watering theplantains. Sajan told Kuttammamaneverything.’Ha..Ha…. Where is he?’askedKuttammaman, walking to the pond.Sheeja and Hiba also went to thepond with Kuttammaman.‘You always talk in his favour? Whydo you support his mischiefs?’ Sheejaasked Kuttammaman.‘It’s okay. Let him enjoy his vacation.’said Kuttammaman.‘Hi, Arun chettan has got a pair of newtrousers. Chetta, where have you gotthose from?’ Hiba asked himmockingly. Arun jumped back intothe water.All laughed. Arun was angry withher.‘Go away, you cheat.’Sheeja gave him a towel.‘Put on this towel and come withme,’ she told Arun.

Process


Next morning, Arun got up a littleearly.

Hiba was still asleep.

Sheeja and Sunitha were busy workingin the kitchen.

‘What will the baby fish be doing now?They all will be swimming with theirmother,’ he thought.

Arun took some biscuits and walkedto the pond.

‘Fish like biscuits.’ He walked downthe steps of the pond.

A green frog was there on one of thesteps, but this time it didn’t move.

‘Why don’t you jump in?’ Arun askedthe frog.

It was sitting there still. It was lookinginto the pond.

The water was still.

‘Where are the fish? Where are thebaby fish?’

He slowly stepped into the water. Butthere was no sign of fish.

• What happened to the fish?

• Why did the frog stay there withoutmoving away?

Introduce ‘The Villain’ given in theCoursebook.

Process reading.

What will the conversation betweenArun and Kuttammaman be?

Processing conversation.

Kuttammaman made a loop withsplinter (eerkil). Slowly he pushed theloop towards the water snake. Thesnake lifted its head. Now, the snake’shead was caught in the loop.Kuttammaman pulled up the loopquickly.

‘Got it,’ he said.

‘Kuttammama… don’t kill it. Let itlive somewhere away from here,’suggested Arun.

They left the snake in a stream nearby.

‘Go away. Don’t come back to thepond again,’ said Arun.

The snake crawled away in greathaste.

Days passed.

Arun came back to his house in thecity. His mind was filled with thethoughts of his own experiencesin thevillage.

‘The baby fish might have grown bignow.

Narrative

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Next time when I go there, they willbe big like the mother fish,’ thoughtArun.

He arranged his books neatly on thetable. He put his pen and pencil in asmall box.

Soon he heard the phone ring.

‘Amma….. Phone,’ he called out.

Sheeja came out and lifted thereceiver.

• Who is calling Sheeja?

• Why did he/she call her?

Introduce ‘Over the Phone’ given in theCoursebook.

Process reading.

• What happened to Kuttammaman?

• Will Arun go to see him?

It was a Sunday morning.

Arun was reading a story book.

‘Post….’ It was the postman’s voice.

Arun opened the door.

‘Are you Arun? Here’s a letter for you.’The postman gave him a brownenvelope.

‘Oh…! It is from Hiba.’

He sat on the sofa and tore open theenvelope.

• What will the message in the letterbe?

Introduce ‘A Letter’ given in theCoursebook.

Process reading.

Hiba’s mother plans to fill the pondwith sand.

• Are there ponds in your place for youto swim and play?

• Or are they all filled up as you heardin the story?

• What will be Arun’s thoughts now?

Arun placed the letter down on thesofa. He remembered the happy dayswith Kuttammaman.

The pond, the plantains and thefish…all flashed through his mind.

‘What will be Kuttammaman doingnow?

Poor Kuttammaman.’

Thoughts of Kuttammaman flashedthrough his mind.

Interaction

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Narrative

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• What will Arun’s thoughts be?

Now, write the thoughts Arun had.

Process the thoughts.

The following questions will help thepupils to write the task.

• What will Arun think aboutKuttammaman?

• Won’t he remember the pond and thefish in it?

• What will be his thoughts about Hibaand Sajan now?

Will Kuttammaman get well?

Will Hiba’s mother keep the pond asit was?

‘Amma…,’ Arun called Sheeja.

‘May I ring up Hiba?’

‘Why do you want to ring her now?’she asked.

‘To know about Kuttammaman.’

‘Okay.’

He dialled the number.

Sunitha Aunty was connected at theother end.

‘Aunty, it’s me, Arun. Can I speak toHiba?’

Sunitha handed the cradle over toHiba.

Hiba began to talk.

‘Hello Arun chetta. I was just about tocall you.

I have some happy news to conveyyou. Kuttammaman is getting better.He has improved a lot.

He’s able to walk now. Today he couldwalk a few steps. I helped him to walk.He will be okay soon. I told him aboutthe pond. Kuttammaman askedmother not to fill it.’

‘Convey my best regards to him. I ameager to see him. Tell him we willcome and see him soon,’ said Arun.

He put the receiver back and ran tohis mother.

She was reading a magazine.

‘Amma …,’ he hugged her in joy.

‘Kuttammaman is better and canwalk. They won’t fill the pond. Hibatold me just now. Kuttammaman willclean the pond. I’m quite sure. He willbring new fish to the pond,’ Arun said.

‘Oh! So you can swim there again. Iknow why you are happy.’ Sheejacontinued her reading.

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Arun loves the fish in the pond.

He wants to keep them as pets.

Do you have fish as pets?

Can you keep all types of fish as pets?

We eat some of them, don’t we?

Read the poem ‘Fishy-Fishy in theBrook’ given in the Coursebook.

Process the reading of the poem.

Activity-1

Introduce the text given in page No.47

• We catch fish with a hook.

• What do you use the following toolsfor?

Let the pupils read the first examplegiven.

Ask them to fill in the other tagsindividually.

Random presentation



Editing.

Activity-2

Mummy fries fish in a pan.

• What are the other things used in akitchen?

• What are they used for?

Introduce page No.50 in the Coursebook.

Ask the pupils to read the example givenand fill up the table individually.

Random presentation


Presentation by groups.

Editing.

Interaction

Process

Process


This unit focuses on the issues related to marginalization.It highlights:The lack of opportunities for the talented to get identified.The learners are expected to develop the following values/ conceptsduring the transaction of this unit.

• Everybody can excel in one field or other.• Reading and understanding stories and songs about successful personalities.

To get across these values, the discourses included in this unit are conversations,speech, songs and descriptions.


Interaction

• Do you like music?

• Do you know any singer?

• Do you know any singer of your age?

• Are there any singers in this class/ school?

Here is the story of a singer.

Listen to me.

Leena got dressed up. She was in hernew frock - a pink frock with violetborder. Flowers were printed on it inblue. Leena came to the table and saton the chair.

Her eyes got stuck on the head line ofthe notice lying on the floor. It wasprinted in red, bold letters.

‘CONGRATULATIONS!

Leena read the notice. Then, sheplaced it on the table.

‘Leena you must come on time,’ Sheremembered her Headmaster’swords.

‘All my friends will be there,’ shethought.

Will there be a lot of people?

How are they going to congratulateme?’ Leena asked herself.

She went thorugh the notice onceagain.

Narrative

• Who are congratulating Leena?

• Why do they congratulate her?

Introduce ‘An Invitation’ given in theCoursebook.

Process reading.

• Have you read the notice?

• How did Leena become a singer?

‘I’m a singer now. It’s only because ofSusan teacher, my favourite teacher.

It was she who taught me music.

She made me a singer… put me toschool….

Where would she be now?

My dear teacher….’

The smiling face of Susan teacherflashed through her mind.

• How did Susan teacher find out thatLeena could sing?

• How did she make Leena a singer?

Let’s listen to the story.

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The narrow village lane was wet afterthe rains. It was raining all throughthe previous night. Rain drops on theblade of grass sparkled like jewels inthe morning rays. Susan teacher wasgoing to school. The mainas by thewayside saw her and flew away witha lovely chirp. The morning breezewas gently swaying the branches ofthe trees. The cool drops of water fromthe leaves dripped on Susan’s headand face. She wiped off them from herface with the end of her sari. She waswalking past a small house. Shestopped suddenly.

• What made her stop at the smallhouse?

Introduce A Singer given in theCoursebook.

Process of reading.

Susan heard someone singing.

• Who could the singer be?

Nobody was there on the veranda.

The front door was kept half open.

The sweet music was flowing out fromthe house.

Susan stood still at the steps on theveranda.

The girl was still singing.

‘How could a child sing like this?’

Susan was eager to meet the singer.

‘Leena, don’t go out. I’ll come back inan hour or so.’ A woman’s voice camefrom inside. ‘That must be her mother’thought Susan. The girl stoppedsinging and said, ’ Yes, mom.’

Leena’s mother came to the frontdoor. She was surprised to see Susanon the veranda.

• What will be the likely conversationbetween Susan and Leena’s mother?

Process Conversation.

• Will Susan teacher meet the singer?

Narrative

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‘I was listening to the beautiful song.Can I see the singer, please?’ Susanteacher asked her.

‘Yes, of course, come in teacher.’

The lady welcomed the teacher ingreat delight.

‘Who is that, Amma…?’ Leena askedfrom her room.

Susan entered the room. She sawLeena sitting on a chair, a girl, abouteight years of age. Susan couldn’tbelieve her eyes.

‘Was that you who sang the song?’ sheasked.

The girl smiled at Susan.

‘She loves music. She always singssongs. She likes listening to songs,’Leena’s mother said.

‘Everyday she asks me to buy a radioset for her,’ she added.

‘Why don’t you buy one for her?’Susan asked.‘But how can I? Have I enoughmoney? Her father died when she wastwo years old. And we are....’ Thewoman stopped and tried to smile atSusan.Susan looked at Leena’s lovely face.She was smiling at Susan.One of her teeth at the front row wasmissing.Still her face had a special charm.

Her curly hair was parted in themiddle. The plaited hair was tiedbeautifully with red ribbons.Yellowrings were hanging from her ears.

‘She will become a wonderful singerif somebody teaches her music,’ saidSusan.

‘I’ll bring a radio set for you. Okay.’Susan said passing her fingers throughher curly hair.

‘Really! Thank you teacher.’ Leena wasoverwhelmed with joy.

‘Dear, what class are you in?’ theteacher asked.

The smile on Leena’s face soon fadedaway. Her head drooped.

• Why did Leena become sad?

• Does she go to school? Why?

Introduce The Mother’s Sorrow givenin the Coursebook.

Process reading.

• How was Miss Susan helpful toLeena?

Leena’s mother brought an old chairfor Susan to sit on.‘My daughter likes to go to school verymuch,’ Leena’s mother said.

Narrative

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‘But how can I send her to school? Ihave to go to work early in themorning. If her father was alive...’ asob choked her words. She wiped hertears away.

‘Can she read and write?’ Susanasked.

‘Yes, I manage to teach her in theevenings. She learns things easily.’

‘Don’t worry, Leena. I’ll put you toschool.’ Susan patted her.

‘I must talk about her to the HeadMaster’, Susan decided. ‘He is so kindand good. He will find out a way toadmit her,’ she thought.

• Will Susan teacher talk to the HeadMaster?

• What will be the conversationbetween them?

Process Conversation

• How will Susan bring Leena to school?

One morning, Susan teacher came toher class. She was the class teacher ofIV A.

After roll call, Susan teacheraddressed the pupils.

‘Dear children….I am going to tell youan important matter. A new studentis joining our class. She is a goodsinger. She draws pictures, too. Butthere’s a problem with her.’ Teacherstopped for a while.

Children grew anxious.

‘She can’t walk. The school PTA hasarranged an autorickshaw to bring herto school. Her mother goes to workeveryday. Some of us should go in thevehicle to bring her to school. Who cando that?’

Susan looked at the children’s face.

‘I will… I will…me... me....’ All thechildren stood up with raised hands.Susan couldn’t believe her eyes.

‘How nice my children are! Howhelpful they are! They are all waitingfor Leena’s arrival’ Susan thought.

• How will be Leena’s first day in theschool?.

• Who will get her to school?

That was a great day in Leena’s life.In the morning Susan teacher came toLeena’s house.

Some of the children were alreadywaiting near Leena’s house. Theytook her to school.

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All the children in the class welcomedher in great joy.

All were happy. They offered her aplace in the front row.

That day the class started with Leena’ssong.

Leena looked at the notice once again.‘Susan teacher did every thing…’ shethought.

Soon Susan teacher was transferred toanother school. She joined a distantschool. ‘Why doesn’t she write to menow? What happened to her? I wroteher a letter. But there was no reply.’

‘Leena are you dreaming?’ asked hermother touching her shoulder.

Leena woke up from her thoughts.

‘Come, let’s go to the school.’ Mothersaid. Leena’s mother helped her getinto the auto. They started to theschool. The auto turned to the mainroad.

• Where is Leena now?

• Where are they going?

• How will the school and its surroundings look like?

• Will Susan teacher be there?

Introduce The Happy School given in theCoursebook.

Process reading

• How would the meeting begin?

The Headmaster came on to the stage.

He called Mr Moosa , the Arabicteacher and said.

‘Sir, the President of the Panchayatand Leena have come. Now announcethe starting of the meeting. Ask thechildren to enter the hall.’ Headmasterwent to the office. Moosa master tookthe mike to make the announcement.

• What will Moosa Master announce?

Announcement.

Process writing.

• How will the meeting begin?

• Who will chair the meeting?

Introduce The Meeting given in theCoursebook:

Process reading.

• What will the Headmaster say?

Interaction

Interaction

Narrative

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‘Dear parents, my dear children,’ theHeadmaster began his speech.

‘We’ve assembled here tocongratulate Leena, the most talentedstudent of this school. She is the prideof our school. She has brought thename of our school to the news. Now,the whole State knows her. She got thetop grade as a singer. May God blessher!

This is an occasion to honour Susanteacher too. It was she who broughtLeena to our school. Mrs. Susan hasthe full credit for bringing Leena, tothis school.

Leena had been kept away fromschool due to her ill-luck. There wasnobody to bring her to school. Susanteacher came to know about hertalents. One day she came to my office.She spoke to me about Leena. Sherequested me to admit Leena inStandard IV. The PTA committee wasalso ready to help her? TheHeadmaster paused for a moment.

• Why did the Headmaster pause?

• What will he say next?

Introduce The Blessing given in theCoursebook.

Process reading

• What will the next programme be?

• Who will speak next?

• Will they give Leena a present?

• What will the present be?

‘

The next item is the presentation of themedal,’ Moosa master announced.

‘We are presenting the gold medal toLeena. I welcome Smt. Leelamma, thePresident of the Panchayat, to presentLeena the Gold medal.’ TheHeadmaster handed over the presentto the President. She opened the greenpacket and took out a gold medal witha blue ribbon tied to it. She put themedal round Leena’s neck and heldher close. Everyone stood up and gaveher a big hand.

• Will the President speak after thepresentation?

• What will the President speak about?

Narrative

Interaction

Interaction

Narrative

Interaction


Narrative

Process Speech

You may ask the following questions.

• How would the president start herspeech?

• Would she congratulate Leena?

• How would she end her speech?

Process writing.

• Who will speak next?

• Will Leena speak?

• What will Leena say?

Moosa master placed the mike beforeLeena.

‘Respected President, Headmaster,teachers and my dear friends,’ Shestarted to speak.

‘I thank you all for congratulating me.My special thanks to all my friends inthe class. They’ve always been kind tome. They are behind my success. Icome to school only because of them.They take me to school and backhome, they take me to the playground,the bus stand, the riverside andeverywhere. How can I forget themall? I’ve got all of you as friendsbecause of one person. I cannot forgether.’

Leena paused for a moment.

• Who will that person be?

• Why did she pause for a moment?

Introduce My Teacher given in theCoursebook.

Process reading.

• Can she continue her speech?

Let’s see what happens next.

All were silent. Nobody moved. A fewmoments passed. Leena took a deepbreath. Somebody among theaudience clapped their hands. Someothers followed. Soon all the peoplestarted clapping. Loud claps echoed inthe hall. The Headmaster came toLeena. He blessed her and patted onher shoulder. His eyes were wet.

• What will happen then?

• Will Leena continue her speech?

The meeting came to an end.

Leena’s mother brought her down thestage.

Process Interaction

Interaction

Narrative

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Interaction


All her friends waved their hands ather.

‘Bye, Leena…, bye.

Leena and her mother reached nearthe autorickshaw.

‘Amma….’ Leena looked at hermother’s face and said, ‘I want to meetSusan teacher.’

‘Meet Susan teacher! How can wemeet her now itself?’ Her motherasked.

‘ Susan teacher is away,’ she said.

‘I must meet her now. I must see her.’Leena began to weep.

Her mother thought for a while.

‘All right. Don’t cry. We’ll go andmeet her. We will go tomorrow,’ shesaid.

• Can they meet Susan teacher?

• Leena is crying. What will hermother do?

• Can you develop this part of thestory?

Process Narrative

Ask the following questions to help themfix the events.

• What will her mother do now?

• Will she take Leena to Susan’s house?

• Do they know where Susan teacher is?

• When will they go?

• How can they meet her?

Fix the events and process the narrative.

Let‘s see what happens next?

The next morning Leena and hermother got ready to visit Susan.

Leena took the gold medal along withher.

’I must show her the medal,’ shedecided.

The autorickshaw came to pick them.

Leena and her mother got into theauto. She walked towards the autowith the help of the crutches.

‘Where are we going?’ the driverasked.

‘To the railway station,’ repliedLeena’s mother.

The auto moved. They reached therailway station. They bought two

Interaction

Process

Interaction

Narrative


tickets. They got into the train. Thetrain moved fast.

Leena leaned against her mother’sshoulder. Mother patted her fondly.Leena slowly closed her eyes.

Thoughts of Susan teacher flashedthrough her mind. She rememberedthe happy days she was with her. Herlips whispered a few lines.

• Can you guess her thoughts?

Read the poem.

Introduce My Teacher (Poem) given inthe Coursebook.

Process the poem.• What are the qualities that you seein your teacher?• Soft in talk?• Kind at heart?• Beautiful to look at?……………?…………….?Here the teacher is said to be- A lovely rose.- A shining star.What do you want to say about yourteacher?That she is:- A twinkling star?- A pretty Jasmine?

- A smiling moon?- A charming flower?

- ……………………..- ……………………..Here, the teacher is sent from heaven.Your teacher may be :- sent by God.- gifted by Lord.- presented by heaven.

Now, how will the next stanza be?

Teacher’s Version:

Oh my teacher, my dear teacher !

Soft in talk, a smiling moon

Oh my teacher, my dear teacher !

Gift of God, a charming flower.

Can you add a few more lines to thepoem?

• Children, where are Leena and hermother going to?

• Will Susan be there at her home?

They reached the station.

‘We must get an auto from here,’Mother said.

Soon they reached Susan teacher’shouse.

Her aged mother came out.

She came near the auto.

‘Visitors to me?’ she thought.

‘Where is Susan teacher? Leena asked.

The old woman looked at Leena.

Interaction

Interaction

Narrative

Process


Then she looked at Leena’s mother.

After a while she said, ‘Come in, mydear!’

She led her to the drawing room of thehouse.

A big photograph of Susan teacherwas there on the table.

There was a garland on thephotograph.

‘Look, this is your teacher…’ the oldlady said pointing to the photograph.

‘She must be very happy to see you.’

Tears rolled down her pale cheeks.

Leena started weeping.

• What happened to Susan teacher?

• How will Leena respond to thesituation?

Introduce An Offering given in theCoursebook.

Process reading.

• Did you like Leena’s story?• Do you have friends like Leena.• Do you know anyone who is talentedlike Leena.

Encourage the discussion.

Let them talk about talented children.

You may also share your experienceswith them.

Leena is a good singer. Don’t you liketo sing songs?

Here’s is a poem for you to sing andenjoy.

Let them read ‘The Clouds.’

This poem is about clouds; whiteclouds.

The white clouds look like sheep.

But the clouds are not always white.

At times they are dark.

There are red clouds too.

Here the girl addresses the whiteclouds, ‘White sheep, white sheep.’

• What will you call the dark clouds?

• What do the red clouds look like?

• Can you write a few lines about thedark and red clouds?

Lead them to Activity 1.

You have seen buses on the road.

There are red buses, blue buses and soon.

Write a few lines on the bus you seeon the road.

• What is its colour?

• When does the bus stop?

• When does it start moving?

• How does it move, fast or slow?

Lead them to Activity 2.

Interaction

Process

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Process


This unit focuses on the issues related to ‘lack of cultural consciousness’.• The lack of opportunities to identify the love, friendship and helping

mentality of people having different cultural background.• The learners are expected to develop the following values andconcepts while transacting this unit:• There are people from different social, cultural and economicbackground in our society.• Traits like love, compassion, empathy etc. are not affected by theabove differences.• A positive attitude towards the marginalized is expected to bedeveloped in learners through the stories and songs given in the unit.The discourses included in this unit to get through these values areconversation, speech, song, notice, letter, and, description.


What are your hobbies?

Do you like drawing pictures?

Here’s Nevin, a boy, who likespainting pictures.

Let’s listen to his story.

It was a Saturday morning. Nevinwas painting a picture in his notebook.That was the second picture. The firstpicture was on the left page- thepicture of a monkey sitting on a tree;a monkey with a long tail. Its tail hadalmost touched the ground. In thesecond picture the monkey was drawnplucking a mango. The picture wasalmost complete.

‘Nevin… where are you...?’ somebodycalled.

• Who is that?

Introduce ‘On A Holiday’ given in theCoursebook.

Process reading.

• Will Nevin stay there till his fathercomes?

• Will he go out to play?•

Nevin went in. He heard somebodysinging. ‘It must be Kavitha chechi.’He thought. Kavitha chechi lives nextto his house.

She has a little child, a small baby.

Nevin looked out through thewindow.

Kavitha was simply walking to andfro in the front courtyard of the house,with the baby on her shoulder. She wastrying to put the baby to sleep. Shewas singing a beautiful song.

Nevin knew all the lines of the song.

His mother used to sing that song tohim at bed time. He looked at thephotograph of his mother hanging onthe wall. His mother is no more. Shedied when Nevin was only five. Herlong curly hair and shining teeth arestill green in his mind.

• What would be Nevin’s thoughtsabout his mother?

Nevin thought of the evenings he hadat the small stream very near to hishouse.

‘She would take me to the stream fora dip. She taught me how to swim…

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sang for me, told me a lot of storiesabout frogs, fish, and small birdsaround. How nice those days were! Istill feel the sweet scent of her hair….I still remember the songs she used tosing to me…. All my friends havemothers. Alas! My mother is no more.’

‘Ding dong.’

Some body rang the door bell.

Nevin woke up from his thoughts.

• Who would it be?

• Why did that person come here?

Nevin woke up from his thoughts.‘Who is that?’ Nevin asked, coming tothe front room.

‘Anybody here?’ It was a man’s roughvoice. He opened the front windowand looked out.

‘Oh, the man with the monkey!’ Theman was standing on the doorstep inshabby clothes. A cloth bag washanging down from his shoulder.

The monkey swayed its tail and lookedat Nevin through the window.

Nevin’s face grew brightened.

• What will he do?

• Can you draw the picture of the manwith the monkey?

Write a few sentences about thepicture.

Process - writing description.

• Did Nevin see the monkey tamer?

• Had he ever seen him before?

• What are the tricks the monkey can play?

Elicit responses.

Let’s see.

That was an evening.

Nevin and his Pappa were walkingalong the road to the market. Theywere planning to buy vegetables.

There he saw a crowd under a bigbadam tree by the way-side.

‘Pappa, what is going on there?’ Heasked, pointing towards the crowd.

His pappa could see a man with amonkey on his shoulder.

‘That is a monkey tamer. Do you wantto see how the monkey plays?’

‘Yes, pappa.’ They walked towards thecrowd. Papa took him on his shoulderso that Nevin could watch the tricksplayed by the monkey better.

The monkey was climbing on abamboo pole now.

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The monkey tamer was balancing thebamboo pole on his shoulder.

The monkey climbed up the pole andsat at the tip of it.

People clapped their hands in joy.

‘How clever the monkey is!’ All theway Nevin was thinking about themonkey.

• What will his thoughts be?

• Would he ask anything about themonkey?

Introduce the passage ’The MonkeyShow’ given in the Coursebook.

Process reading.

• When did Nevin think of thisincident?

• Where is the monkey tamer now?

• Why did the monkey tamer come toNevin’s house?

• Will Nevin be happy to see themonkey at his home?

‘Hi, dear, are you alone here?’ the oldman asked.

‘Yes,’ replied Nevin. The monkey onthe man’s shoulder grinned at Nevin.All its teeth were yellow. It scratchedits head and then its back.

‘Would you mind giving me somewater to drink?’ the monkey tamerasked.

Nevin came to the door. He was aboutto open the door. Then heremembered his father’s words: ‘Don’topen the door. Don’t go anywhere.’

• What will Nevin’s thought be now?

Write the thoughts of Nevin.

Process writing

Ask the following questions to facilitatewriting.• Does Nevin know anything about themonkey tamer?• Is Nevin afraid of the monkey?• Will he obey his father?

• Where is Nevin now?• What would he say to the monkeytamer?• Will he open the door?

‘My boy…, won’t you give me somewater to drink,’the monkey tamerasked again.Nevin could not but open the door.‘Just a minute,’ he said and went in.

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The monkey tamer sat on the doorstep. The monkey jumped down on theground from his shoulder.

In a minute Nevin came back with aglass of water.

‘Uncle, will you ask the monkey toplay a trick for me?’

‘All right.’ The old man took the smalldrum and began to beat.

‘Now, Kesu, dive,’ he ordered themonkey.

The monkey rolled twice on theground and looked at its master.

‘Dive, Kesu.’ The monkey dived againand stood on its fore legs. Then themonkey tamer stopped drumming.

‘Uncle, where did you get this monkeyfrom?’

‘From the forest. It was a small babythen.’

Nevin looked at the monkey. It waslooking at the small ants moving onthe ground.

Soon Nevin went in and came backwith a banana. ‘Kesu, have it,’ heoffered the banana to the monkey.

The monkey grabbed it from his handand began to eat. Nevin sat on thedoorstep near the old man.

‘Do you have other monkeys athome?’

‘Home? For me, ha…ha, I’ve no home’

‘Then where do you sleep at night?’

‘Wherever I go…. I sleep by the sideof roads or shops….’

The monkey finished eating thebanana. It dived again and looked atNevin hopefully.

It was expecting another banana fromNevin.

‘Uncle, can monkeys stretch their taillong?’ Nevin asked.

‘No, no. They can’t.’

But the monkey in my story book cando that.’

‘Monkeys in stories can. But realmonkeys can’t.’

The monkey walked a little forwardin the front yard.

Suddenly, it ran back and hid behindthe old man.

• Why did the monkey run back?

Introduce the passage ’No Show Here’given in the Coursebook.

Process reading.

• Is Kavitha happy with the old man?

• What would she ask Nevin?

Write the conversation betweenKavitha and Nevin.


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• Will Kavitha tell Nevin’s fatherabout the monkey tamer?

• Will the monkey tamer come again?

The next day, in the afternoon, Nevinwas reading a story book. He heard thebeating of a drum. The monkey tamerwas walking along the road. Themonkey was sitting on his shoulder.Nevin stood up and called out.

‘Uncle….’ He raised and waved hishand. The monkey on the man’sshoulder also raised its hand.

‘Uncle, please come in.’

The monkey tamer walked towardshim.

‘Show me a trick please.’

‘Hi! Are you alone here?’ the old manasked, putting his bag and drumdown.

The monkey jumped down from hisshoulder and looked up at Nevin.

• What trick did the monkey tamershow?

Introduce passage ’The Magic Show’given in the Coursebook.

Process reading.

• How would that magic be?

• Could the monkey tamer change apiece of paper into a five rupee note?

Can you describe the magic in yourown words?

Look at the pictures in the Coursebookand describe the magic.

Process Description

In the evening, hot ‘kanji’ was servedin two plates.

‘Nevin, come, let’s have supper,’ thefather called his son.

‘Pappa, look at this,’ Nevin came therewith a notebook wide open.

‘How is it?’ Nevin showed him thepicture.

‘How nice! But do monkeys have sucha long tail?’ Dasan asked pointing tothe tail.

‘This monkey has a magic tail, Pappa.He can stretch it longer. Don’t youknow that?’ asked Nevin.

Putting aside the book, Nevin sat onthe chair.

‘It is too hot, Pappa.’ Nevin took aspoon and started stirring the ‘kanji’gently.

‘Switch on the fan, dear. You can haveit in a minute,’ said his father.

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‘Pappa, a monkey tamer came heretoday; the old man we saw the otherday in the street.’

Pappa looked at Nevin.

‘And he showed me a magic. What awonderful magic! He knows manytricks.’

‘So what?’ his father’s face turnedserious.

‘Why did you open the door?’

His voice became sharp.

Nevin’s face turned pale.

• Why did Nevin’s father becomeangry?

• Will he scold him for hisdisobedience?

Introduce the passage ’A Promise’ givenin the Coursebook.

• How would that notice be?

• What details will be there in it?

Elicit responses.

Prepare a notice showing the detailsof the magic show.

Processing Notice

Ask questions like the following to elicitdetails to be included in the notice.

What is the programme?

What title would you give to thenotice?

Would you write the name of themagician?

We have to attract people to the show.

What other things will you mentionabout the magician?

When will be the function?

Where is the magic performance held?

What time will it begin?

Individual writing

Random presentation



Presentation of teacher’s version

Editing

Compilation of Big Book

Teacher’s version

MAGIC SHOW

BY

THE FAMOUS MAGICIAN

Mr. SAMSON

Date: 25th February 2009

Time: 5 PM

Venue: S R Auditorium

Tickets: @ 100, 50, 25

All are welcome.

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What might have happened next?

Elicit responses.

Let’s see.

It was 6 o’ clock in the evening.

‘It’s getting late. Nevin is alone athome.’ Dasan thought. He started theauto-rickshaw and drove home fast.A man stretched his hand to stop theautorickshaw. Dasan didn’t stop.Within minutes, he reached home. Heparked the auto in the shed. As usual,he called out.

’ Nevin…. Nevin, open the door.’

But there was no reply.

Where is Nevin now?

Elicit responses.

Let’s see.

Dasan came to the door. The door waslocked.

‘Hasn’t Nevin come home yet?’

He went to Kavitha’s house.

‘Kavitha…’

Kavitha came out.

‘What’s the matter?’

‘Is Nevin here?’ Dasan asked.

‘He hasn’t come here. I thought he waswith you.’ She looked worried.

‘Here is the key.’

Kavitha handed over the key toDasan.

‘Does he go out to play with friends?’

‘No. He never goes out in theevenings,’ said Kavitha.

‘Then, where has he gone?’ Dasanasked himself. He walked hurriedlyto his home.

‘Where has he gone? Every day hecomes by 4.30. He would be at homebefore I reach. He never goes outwithout telling me,’ Dasan thought.

Dasan opened the door of his houseand put the lights on.

The monkey’s picture was still on thetable. He was shocked.

‘The man with the monkey!’ Thetamer’s figure flashed through hismind.

‘No, it can’t be. I had warned himabout such people. He won’t go withthat man. What shall I do now?’Dasan’s thoughts went on....

Where has Nevin gone?What will Dasan think about themonkey tamer?

What will he do now?

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Dasan stood thinking for a while. Hethought, ‘Nevin is not at Kavitha’shouse! He never goes to any otherhouse. . What shall I do now?

It must be the monkey tamer…

He is a fraud. I have already toldNevin about that. It must be themonkey tamer.’

Dasan phoned his friend Rajan, anauto-rickshaw driver.

‘Hello! Rajan, I’m Dasan. See, my sonNevin hasn’t reached home yet.

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‘No, he won’t go anywhere …. Heusually comes by 4.30. Also tell ourfriends about this. Can you look forthat monkey tamer in the street?’

‘Yes, I doubt him…. He often comeshere. I think he has taken my sonaway…. Do something… quick,please….’ He put the phone back intohis pocket.

Dasan locked the door and got in theautorickshaw.

Where is Dasan going?

What will Dasan do now?

Introduce ‘At the Police Station’ givenin the Coursebook.

Process reading as earlier.

What will the policeman do now?

Elicit responses.

Let’s see.

Dasan told Salim everything in ahurry.

‘Hum… it must be that monkey tamer.Such men are real frauds. Come, let’sinform the Inspector about it. Salimand Dasan went to the Inspector’sroom. The Inspector listened toDasan’s words.

‘How old is your son, Dasan?’enquired the Inspector.

‘He is eight, sir.’

‘Was he in his school uniform?’

‘Yes sir. He was in white shirt andgreen trousers.’

‘Well, Mr. Salim, send a message to allnearby police stations. Give the detailsof the monkey tamer also.’

‘Yes,sir.’ Salim went out.

‘Dasan, you may lodge a complaintabout it.’

‘Yes sir. Thank you sir.’

Dasan came out of the room to writethe complaint.

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What would he write?

Letter of complaint.

Ask the children to draft a letter to theInspector complaining about themissing of Nevin.

Processing letter.

You may ask the following questions.

How do we begin writing a letter?

Who is writing the letter?

Where do we write the address of thepetitioner?

Who are we writing to?

Where do we write the address?

How will you address the Inspector?

Now, how will Dasan begin the letter?

What would he write in the complaintletter?

How will he end up his writing?

Is it necessary to write in the letterabout the appearance of Nevin indetail?

What are the points to be included?

Time, place etc.

Will he write anything about thesuspected monkey tamer?

Teacher’s versionNevin House,

…………………Date……………

The Sub Inspector,…………………………………………

Sir,My son named Nevin Dasan, isfound missing from this evening. Heis a 4th standard student in GUPSPanavil. He was in white shirt andgreen trousers. Usually he reacheshome before 4.30. We have no ideaabout where he has gone. He nevergoes anywhere without informingme. My neighbour told me that amonkey tamer had visited my housethe previous day and showed himsome tricks. I request you to takeaction to trace my missing son.

Yours faithfully

Dasan.K.V.

Dasan sat on the veranda of the policestation, thinking of what he should donext?

‘Oh my child, where are you now? Hedoesn’t know how bad the people are.He has no mother. Why did the oldman take away my child?’

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Rajan hasn’t called me back. Dasanrang to Rajan again. ‘There is no newsabout the monkey tamer. Some of ourfriends saw him at noon. But he is nothere now.’

‘Don’t be sad, Dasan, we are searchingeverywhere for your son,’ Rajanconsoled him.

‘Dasan,’ That was from Salim, thehead constable.

‘Sir’ Dasan got up.

‘The monkey tamer has been arrestedin the city by the city police. We havegot the message just now,’ Salim said.

Dasan’s face brightened up.

‘But… your son is not with him. I thinkhe has hidden the boy somewhere.The police are questioning him. Youmust go to the city police station now,’the head constable added.

Dasan drove fast to the city.

The auto-rickshaw reached a junctionand turned to the city road.

Soon his mobile phone began ringing.

He stopped the auto and took out thephone.

Who will that be?

What would the news be?

Introduce ‘The Relief’ given in theCoursebook.

What happened to Nevin?

How did he reach the hospital?

Can you complete the story?

Narrative.

What are the main events?

Nevin was on his way back fromschool.

What happened then?

Elicit responses.

Write the events on the BB.

Ask them to complete the story.

Refer to the process of writing narrative.

Dasan ran up the stairs to the secondfloor of the hospital. He ran to thenurse’s table. ‘Sister…’ Dasan wasgasping for breath.

‘Sister, where is my son Nevin?’

‘You’re Nevin’s father, aren’t you?’Nevin is all right now.

‘He’s there, in bed number ten.’ Thenurse pointed to the bed. Dasanrushed to see his son.

‘Nevin, my dear…, what happened toyou, my son?’

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He passed his hands over his head andkissed his forehead.

‘Pappa….’ Nevin began to cry…..

‘I’m scared; pappa…. Where is theman with the monkey?’ he asked.

‘What did he do to you? The policehave nabbed him. They will teach hima lesson,’ said Dasan.

‘No Pappa. Don’t say so.In fact hesaved my life. He brought me here.Why should the police arrest him?’Nevin asked.

‘Is it so? I thought that the monkeytamer had kidnapped you,’ Dasanregretted.

‘Will they beat him…. Pappa? Pleassetell them not to. He has been nice tome,’ pleaded Nevin.

Dasan was about to go out.

But he stopped quickly.

Why did he stop?

Didn’t he like to go to the police?

Introduce ‘The Truth’ given in theCoursebook.

Process reading.

What might have happened to Nevin?

Why did the monkey tamer take himto the hospital?

Nevin was returning home afterschool. His friends Niyas, Priya,Aslam and Tintu were also with him.

‘Father will buy the tickets today’Nevin was talking about the magicshow.

‘Is he a famous magician?’ Priyaasked.

‘A great magician! Father said so.’Nevin stopped for a while. Then hepressed the back of his head.

All others stopped. ‘What’s wrongNevin?’ Aslam asked.

‘I feel pain here. Yesterday also I hada pain in the same place.

Father will take me to hospital today.Let’s go,’ Nevin started walking.

He took three or four steps. Suddenlyhe stopped.

‘Aiyyo… my head…. Amma…’

Nevin fell down.

All his friends rushed to him. Niyascalled him.

‘Nevin…. Nevin… get up…’

Nevin’s eyes were closed. ‘Nevin,’Aslam also called him. Nevin couldn’tanswer.

Tintu looked around. ‘If onlysomebody came….’ She saw themonkey tamer at some distance.

She ran to the man and called,‘Uncle…’

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What will Tintu say?What will the old man do?Write the conversation between Tintuand the monkey tamer.Where will he take him?Conversation between Tintu and the oldman.Process writing

The monkey tamer rushed towardsNevin.‘Nevin! I know this boy….‘ He putdown his bag and monkey ‘Kesu’ yoube here’ he said to the monkey.’Don’t worry. I will take him tohospital. Go and inform his parents.’The monkey tamer told them.The monkey tamer took Nevin in hishands and rushed to the hospital. Thatwas a local private hospital. Thedoctor examined the boy.He gave him an injection.Then he said to the old man.‘I think the boy has to be examined bya specialist. So you may take him tothe District Hospital. Don’t be late.’The city hospital was about tenkilometers away from there.The monkey tamer took the boy andran out to the road.

How will he take Nevin to the cityhospital?Will he have money with him?

What will he do now?Introduce ‘The Help’ given in theCoursebook.Process Reading.

What happened to the monkey?How can we end the story?Encourage their discussion.Give chances to express their ideas.(Not necessary to write theirassumptions.)

Extended Activity.Nevin’s mother is no more. All he hasare the fond memories about hismother.Here is a poem about a mother. Read andenjoy it.Process reading.Activity 1‘God made a wonderful mother,A mother who never grows old;’We know that everyone grows old.Why does the poet say that mothernever grows old?Process writing.Ask them to collect such poems from thelibrary.Activity 2Ask the children to read the followinglines.‘He made her smile of the sunshine,And He moulded her heart of puregold’The poet relates mother’s smile to sunshine and her heart to pure gold.Introduce the table on page no. 91 andask them to complete it.

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This unit focuses on the issues related to ‘lack of dignity of labour’.The sub issue highlighted here is:• The lack of opportunities to identify the importance of hard work.• The learners are expected to develop the following values/ concepts through the transaction of this unit:• People working hard are very important in our society.• A positive attitude towards hard work through the stories and songs ishighlighted.The discourses included in this unit to get across these values are story, anddescriptions.


You may display the following picturesto begin interaction.Picture 1: site of a quarry.Picture 2: Lifiting load on the head byheadload workers.Picture 3: A lady washing clothes ona river bank.Picture 4: Harvesting by a group ofpeople.

Look at these pictures.What are the people doing?Are those works easy?Are they not working hard?Can you do this sort of works?Look at the fourth picture.Will it be easy if only one person doesthis?What do you like to - to workalone or work together?Work collective makes thingseasy and enjoyable.Here is a story on this.

Ask the pupils to read ‘TheLittle Red Hen’ given in theCoursebook.You can ask the followingquestions.Do you help your parents inhousehold works?When do you help them?What kinds of works would you liketo do?

Let them write indivdualy.

Share it with a friend.Random presentation.Refinement with the help of friends.You can interact and help.Ask them to write it on a sheet of paperand paste it on a chart giving their name.

Who are the others living with thehen?Let’s see what the others are doing.Let them read the story upto the task‘Making Chappathi’.You can ask them the following questions.The hen made bread with the wheatflour.What can you make with wheat flour?Chappathis, Poori, . . . . . . .Do you like chappathi?What are the item you need formaking chappathis?Elicit responses using the concept map.

What is the first step for makingChappathi?What is done next?Let the children write the stepsindividually.Process writing.Let’s see, what the hen do with thebread?

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Chappathi Water

oil

Wheat flour

Salt

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Read and enjoy.Can the children write the rest of thestory?What help can you offer them?The following questions may help you.Will the hen give bread to others?(Answers are to be accepted).What will be the hen’s advice tothem?Pupils are free to express their own ideas.Not necessary to stick on the sameanswers.

Individual writing and randompresentation.Teacher can make groups according to theideas presented by them.Group refinement.Presentation.EditingEnacting the scene.Let them select and read such stories andsongs that they have brought from theschool/ other library.Ask them to prepare a ‘story tree’ basedon the story they have read.

english sourcebook - it@school sourcebook standard iv prepared by: state council of educational...

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