Pranshu's English Classroom (CBSE)

 Summary – The Wind and the Leaves The Wind and the Leaves is a poem about the change of the seasons from summer to autumn and then onto winter. The scenery described in the poem reflects this change of seasons. The poem talks about how the wind and the leaves seem to talk to each other. The leaves change their colour from green to red or orange. The poet feels the leaves are putting on their jackets, just like the people. The wind then blows through the trees, whistling. The force of the wind blows the leaves down from the trees and the trees slowly dance to the ground. The gentle movement of the leaves and the wind are beautifully expressed in the poem.  POEM THE WIND AND THE LEAVES Comprehension A. 1. a 2. b B. 1. Suggested answer: The field was brown because it was dry after summer and no new leaves or grass had grown. 2. Free response C. Words that rhyme with day – grey, bray, hay, may, say, bay Words that rhyme with gold – told, fold, bold, rolled, hold Words that rhyme ...

 Summary: Tale of a Stick This play has a lot of rhyming words that can of interest to children. The story begins with the very unusual character of a stick trying to look for someone who needs it. As Stick walks along the road making click, clack and clunk sounds, it meets Toad and Cat that do not have any need for him. Next, he meets Hen who starts pecking at Stick. Stick manages to escape from Hen. After some time, he meets Farmer Brown who beats his cow, hurting the poor animal. Stick dislikes being so cruel and hops out of Farmer Brown’s hand and runs away. Soon, Stick comes across an old lady who is very happy to get the stick as he helps her to walk. Stick is too is glad to stay with the old lady as he feels needed and wanted for a good purpose. UNIT 10 TALE OF A STICK Embedded Questions 1 Stick runs away from Toad and Cat because they did not need him. Hen pecks at Stick with her beak. Embedded Questions 2 Farmer Brown needs Stick to beat Cow. Embedded Questions 3 Stick doe...

 Summary: Where are the Peanuts? Where are the Peanuts? is a story about Tutu the squirrel and his love for peanuts. He stores the peanuts carefully in a box under his bed for the long winter. One day, he cannot seem to find the peanuts. He runs to his friend, the big old tree. The big old tree tries to help him out. The little bird, Chirpy, asks about Tutu but realizes that she cannot help him so she goes away. This is when the clever mice, Teeny and Weeny, come by. They see Tutu looking sad. They ask him why he is feeling upset. The big old tree tells them that he is upset someone has taken his peanuts. Teeny and Weeny ask about the whereabouts of the peanuts only to fall into a trap, when Teeny blurts out that Tutu keeps the peanuts in a box under the bed. Tutu is surprised that his friends have tried to trick him. Teeny and Weeny say sorry and promise never to steal anything again. The story teaches us many values—speaking the truth, the value of friendship and honesty.  U...

 Summary – My Big Balloon This delightful poem is written from the point of view of a little girl who is trying to blow a balloon up. The girl puffs and puffs and then wonders if it has blown up enough or if she has to blow it up a little more. She does not want to blow it too much because she is afraid the balloon will pop with a loud bang.  POEM MY BIG BALLOON Comprehension A. 1. it grows bigger 2. small 3. will pop B. Free response C. 1. flow 2. stop, mop MY BIG BALLOON POEM A. Answer in brief. 1. How does the speaker’s balloon grow?  Ans: The speaker blows into the balloon. It is small at first but grows bigger as she blows more air into it. 2. Why should she stop blowing into it?  Ans: She must stop blowing into it because if she blows too long, it will become too big and then pop. B. Read the lines and answer the questions. 1. I can make a big balloon,  Watch me while I blow.  Small at first, then bigger  Watch it grow and grow.  a. How can ...

 Summary: Dum Dum the Baby Elephant The story revolves around the adventures of a baby elephant called Dum Dum. Dum Dum loves fruits. On Monday Dum Dum visits the apple shop and takes an apple and runs away. On Tuesday, Dum Dum visits the melon shop, takes a melon with his trunk and runs away. On Wednesday, the boy at the apple shop and the girl at the melon shop go to meet Dum Dum and tell him to say “Please” when he wants a fruit from them. Dum Dum apologises for his behaviour. On Thursday, Dum Dum goes to the apple shop and asks for an apple. The boy gives him an apple happily. On Friday Dum Dum went to the melon shop and asked for a melon. The boy in the shop was very happy to see that Dum Dum had learned his lesson. The heart-warming story highlights the importance of being polite and saying “Please” and “Thank you” when someone wants something or when one gets something from someone. The lesson of the story is sweetly narrated through a week in the life of Dum Dum.  UNIT...

 Summary: The Tortoise and the Hare The tale of the race between the Tortoise and the Hare is a classic story. Here, it is placed in a childfriendly way using a comic book layout and vibrant illustrations that make the story come to life. The story begins with Hare and Tortoise meeting some distance away from a corn-field. Tortoise mentions how hungry he is and tells Hare that he has decided to eat the corn from the field. Hare also decides to go to the corn-field. The proud Hare says that he would reach the field of corn first because he was fast. Tortoise tells Hare that they should have a race to see who can get to the cornfield first. When they begin the race, Hare runs away very quickly, leaving Tortoise far behind. However, the day is hot and soon, Hare becomes very tired. He decides to rest under a tree, knowing that Tortoise was far behind him. Soon, he falls asleep. Meanwhile, Tortoise walks down the road, slow and steady, and eventually walks past Hare who is still fast a...

 Summary – Little Blue Daisies The poem, Little Blue Daisies, has a lot of rhyming words and is full of sounds and actions. The poem tells the reader a story about some daisies blooming in a flowerbed that do not let a ladybird, a grasshopper and a bee sit on them, till finally they feel happy when they see a butterfly come flapping.  POEM LITTLE BLUE DAISIES Comprehension A. 1. The little blue daisies are in the flowerbed. 2. The ladybird was red in colour. 3. The ladybird flew away because the little blue daisies were not friendly to her. 4. The grasshopper hopped away from the daisies. 5. The bumblebee was singing a song to himself. 6. The butterfly was the last to come to the blue daisies. B. 1. A grasshopper can hide without being seen because it is the same green colour as the leaves. 2. No the little blue daisies were not friendly. They did not allow the ladybird, the grasshopper or the bumblebee to sit on them. They told all of them to go away. C. 1. ladybird 2. hop aw...

 Summary: Tarun’s New Bag The first day of school is always a memorable day. The day starts off with Mother gifting Tarun a new schoolbag and packing biscuits and an orange for his tiffin. Then, Tarun goes off to school. In school, he enjoys his first day—he listens and reads stories and writes in his new notebook. When the school bell rings and it is time to go home, Tarun cannot find his new bag. He feels very sad and starts to cry. Miss Menon feels bad and helps him by looking for the bag, only to find that it is on his back! The funny but sweet story of Tarun’s first day in school reminds the reader to be careful about one’s belongings, taking care of things that are new and to be mindful of one’s surroundings. The story keeps the mystery of the missing bag till the very end! UNIT 6 TARUN’S NEW BAG Embedded Questions 1 Mother said this to Tarun. Tarun said this to Mother. Embedded Questions 2 an orange, biscuits new on his back Warm Up Free response Reading A. 1. c 2. a 3. c 4....

 Summary: Anil’s Red Cycle This story is about a surprise that Anil gets on his birthday. He finds his grandparents and parents downstairs when he gets up in the morning. His grandparents have a surprise for him. Father points to the window. The story mentions how touched, excited and happy Anil feels when he sees the red cycle. He hugs his grandparents and thanks them for the wonderful surprise. In the evening, after Anil gets back from school, he takes out his cycle and rides it down the road towards Trisha’s house. Trisha is Anil’s friend. She is excited to see him and joins him on her own cycle. They spend the rest of the evening riding their cycles up and down the road. UNIT 5 ANIL’S RED CYCLE Embedded Questions 1 gift hugs Embedded Questions 2 Trisha is Anil’s friend. Anil and Trisha cycle down the road after school every day. Comprehension A. 1. Grandfather and grandmother. 2. A red cycle 3. Loud 4. Thank you very much. B. 1. Anil’s cycle is red in colour. It also has a pink...

 Summary – A Little Seed This short poem is full of information. The poem lays out the main things needed for a process that few of us ever notice, that is, the transformation of a little seed into a flowering plant. The poem tells the reader the various conditions that a seed needs to grow into a healthy plant.  POEM A LITTLE SEED Comprehension A. 1. soil 2. hole 3. pat 4. wish 5. sun 6. shower 7. a little time B. Suggested answer: No, if any one of these things is not there, the seed will not grow into a plant and it will not grow a flower. C. 1. soil 2. seeds 3. water 4. sunlight 5. sprout 6. plant A LITTLE SEED POEM A. Answer in brief. What does the speaker want to grow and what does he need for that?  Ans: The speaker wants to grow a flower and for that he needs a seed, some soil, water and sunlight. The flower will grow after sometime on the plant. B. Read the lines and answer the questions. 1. A little seed for me to sow  A little soil to make it grow.  a...

 Summary: A Visit to Grandfather A Visit to Grandfather is a delightful story about Poonam’s trip with her mother to meet her grandfather. Poonam is very excited. She loves meeting her grandfather and looks forward to spending time with him. Grandfather lives in a house with a garden and a pond. He lives with his pet cat, Bilbo and a duck. Poonam loves to play with both Duck and Bilbo. Poonam and Grandfather walk in the garden, sit on the grass and sing songs. When it is time to go home, Poonam feels sad, but is soon delighted to know that she could come again at the end of the week. The story brings to mind happy childhood days and all the fun we have with our grandparents. UNIT 4 A VISIT TO GRANDFATHER Embedded Questions hugs Quack! Quack! Comprehension A. 1. Saturday 2. garden 3. cat, duck B. 1. Duck said “Quack! Quack!” 2. Bilbo chases Duck around the garden. 3. Poonam walks in the garden with Grandpa. She sits on the grass and sings songs with Grandpa. C. Suggested answer: Poo...

 Summary: Playing in the Park This story has a moral at the end of the lesson—to be kind to everyone and not to hurt other friends. In the story, two friends, Harry and Tina go to the park every day to play. They both love to ride of the swing and play on the see-saw. On one such day, they go to the park. A new boy, Suman, who is much bigger and stronger than them, has also come to the park. Suman wants to sit on the swing. So he pushes Harry off the swing. Harry hurts his leg. Tina defends Harry and tells Suman not to be unkind. They decide to teach Suman a lesson the next day by not playing with him. Suman feels sad and then says sorry to Harry and Tina and soon, they become very good friends.  UNIT 3 PLAYING IN THE PARK Embedded Questions 1 ● Harry and Tina go to the park. ● Harry and Tina play on the swing and the seesaw. Embedded Questions 2 No. He is not a nice person. He is not nice because he is not kind to Harry. Embedded Questions 3 Free response. Suggested answers: ...

 Summary – The Merry-go-round Dorothy Walter Baruch (1899–1962) was an American psychologist and children's book author. She studied children's language acquisition and wrote about childhood development whilst also writing fiction for children. This delightful poem is about a child’s visit to a fair where she sees a merry-go-round. She gets onto one of the wooden horses and goes round and round and up and down on it. She has a lot of fun. The rhythm of the poem is especially interesting, as it mimics the movement of the merry-go-round as well as of the horses.  POEM THE MERRY-GO-ROUND Comprehension A. Free response with actions. B. Answers will vary from student to student. Sample answer: We can find a merry-go-round like this at the fairground/park THE MERRY-GO-ROUND POEM A. Answer in brief. Where did the speaker sit on the merry-go-round? Ans: The speaker sat on a big brown horse and rode around on the merry-go-round. B. Answer in detail. Is the speaker a child or a grown up...

 Summary: Going to the Zoo Going to the Zoo is a lovely story set in a vibrant comic-book layout. It tells us a story about a little girl called Jyoti who goes to the zoo with her parents. The story begins with Jyoti being very excited as she arrives at the zoo. She buys a ticket and gets a cap from the friendly ticket collector. On entering the zoo, Mother buys her some candy floss. She is delighted. As she walks through the zoo, she sees monkeys, elephants, a baby giraffe, a baby hippopotamus and her favourite, the lion family. Mother and Father give her interesting information about these animals and make sure Jyoti has a wonderful time. When it is time to leave, Jyoti waves to the animals and all the animals seem to say goodbye to her too.  UNIT 2 GOING TO THE ZOO Embedded Questions 1 Yes No Embedded Questions 2 Yes No Comprehension A. 1. cotton candy 2. banana 3. trunk 4. leaves 5. lion B. 1. Jyoti, Mother and Father are going to the zoo. 2. The ticket collector gives Jyo...

 Summary: A Lovely Sunday Morning The story is a first-person narrative from the point of view of a little boy called Pradeep. Pradeep describes how he and his family spend a relaxing Sunday afternoon together in the garden behind their house. Pradeep has a brother, Rajesh, and a sister, Nina. Rajesh loves to play cricket with their father, while Nina lies down on the grass and draws with her box of crayons. Mother keeps a watchful eye on the children while she reads a book. Grandfather seems to be really tired because he has fallen asleep while reading the newspaper. The relaxed Sunday reminds us of what a happy family is all about. UNIT 1 A LOVELY SUNDAY MORNING Embedded Questions 1 cricket out shout Embedded Questions 2 Grandfather is reading a newspaper. Ginger is the pet cat. She is golden brown in colour and has dark brown stripes. Warm Up A girl sliding down the slide A girl on the swing A boy playing football A boy and girl running Two boys on a see-saw Comprehension A. 1. ...

 Summary: Ammu’s Kitten This play revolves around a little girl called Ammu and her desire for a pet kitten. Ammu fabricates a story about an imaginary pet kitten called Shankar. She describes Shankar in great details to her friends, right down to his food habits. She lands in trouble, however, when the friends insist on coming home to see Shankar. She requests her father to buy her a kitten but he laughs off her request. Ridden with guilt, Ammu falls ill and misses school the next day. That evening when her friends come home, she feels she should tell them the truth. However, before Ammu can confess, her friends tell her that they saw Shankar in the garden. Ammu cannot believe her ears and rushes to the garden to see that they were telling the truth. Although the story does not say how Shankar came there, students can easily guess that her parents bought the kitten for her. The story points out how we humans are not completely black and white, but a mix of grey. On the one hand, A...

 Summary: With a Friend This poem emphasises that the simple things in life can be fun if you share them with a friend—walking, talking, sharing an umbrella, playing, staying, eating, riding, learning and explaining. It also tells us that it is okay to disagree with a friend on certain points as friendship does not mean letting go of one’s individuality. Jealousy has no place in true friendship and we must feel pleased and proud of our friend’s achievements. The poem gives us the message that true friends support each other through thick and thin. POEM: WITH A FRIEND A. P L A Y H I K S R E S T U T E T Y A M V N A F A E R G I T L T Y A N W A L K A L T A X C R I D E WITH A FRIEND A. Answer in brief. 1. What can the speaker share with his friend?  Ans: The speaker can share his umbrella with his friend when it is raining. 2. What is the poem ‘With a Friend’ about? Do friends always have to agree with each other?  Ans: This poem is about friendship. Friends do not always have...

 Summary: A Gift of Crayons Betty has had an operation to remove her inflamed tonsils. Post the operation, she cannot speak for a few days because her throat hurts. So her parents gift her some paper and a box of crayons so that she can communicate with them. Soon, Betty starts drawing pictures not only to ask for things but also for fun. She colours the pictures with her crayons and sticks them on the wall behind her hospital bed. These pictures brighten up the room considerably. When Betty is discharged, she decides to leave the pictures and the crayons in the hospital so that they can cheer other children. Even after she gets home, she cannot let go of her passion for drawing. She draws on any surface she can find and with any object available. Betty’s parents gift her with a new box of crayons on her birthday and she treasures it with love. When Betty grows up, she becomes an artist and an art teacher. She also visits the hospital regularly and teaches the children there the ba...

 Summary: Kites, Kites Everywhere One night, Monu is hopping happily on the bed while his grandfather watches with a smile. Monu is excited about the next day as it is Makar Sankranti and he cannot wait to fly kites on the terrace with his friends and family. Monu is curious to know about the connection between kites and Makar Sankranti. He listens attentively as his grandfather explains the significance behind the tradition. His grandfather also tells him how kite flying is a tradition in other countries like China and Japan and that kite festivals are popular throughout the world. He also alerts Monu to the dangers of coating kite strings with powdered glass. The lesson will encourage students to talk about Indian festivals and foreign festivals and to make a comparative study of the two. B. 1. We fly kites in winter to have fun and for good health. When we go outdoors to fly kites, our bodies get sunlight. Our body needs sunlight to be healthy. 2. A dragon kite is very long and ...

 Summary: How Many Christina Rossetti (1830 – 1894) is one of the few women poets of the Victorian era whose poetry has stayed popular and relevant even in modern times—perhaps because she addressed generic themes. This poem talks about Time, something which can never become dated. It progresses from one of the smallest divisions, namely, the second and steadily progresses from minutes, to hours, days, weeks, months, and years to ages. But the speaker says that no one can answer the last question—How many ages in time? This is because time is endless—it never stops. POEM: HOW MANY? A. 2. hour 3. twenty four 4. seven 5. month 6. twelve B. This is because time is endless—it never stops. HOW MANY? POEM A. Answer in brief. 1. How many hours are there in a day? What do we do in that time?  Ans: There are twenty four hours in a day. We work, play and rest in those twenty four hours. 2. How many months are there in a year? How do we know?  Ans: There are twelve months in a year....

 Summary: The Elves and the Shoemaker In this popular fairytale, Boris the shoemaker and his wife Emma lead a life filled with poverty in spite of being honest and hardworking. One day Boris is down to his last piece of leather, just enough to make a pair of shoes. He cuts out the leather and leaves it on his workshop table, deciding to work on it the next day. The next day, he is surprised to find a pair of exquisitely-made shoes on the table. The shoes get sold in no time fetching him the money to buy some more leather. The next day, he again finds a finished pair of shoes instead of the leather. This goes on for a few days, following which he and Emma decide to investigate. They hide themselves behind the workshop door and wait. Around midnight, a pair of elves enters the workshop and gets working on the leather. Boris and Emma watch in surprise as the elves make the shoes in no time. They decide to gift the elves new clothes and shoes. The next night, the elves are delighted to...

 Summary: The Wolf and the Little Goats This well-loved fable (represented here as a comic strip) shows how a clever little goat outwits the proverbial big, bad wolf. Mother Goat has to go out in search of food. Before departing, she warns her three children about the wolf and asks them to stay indoors. Unfortunately for her, the wolf is nearby and overhears the conversation. He tries to gain entry into the house by pretending to be Mother Goat, but the youngest kid foils his plan each time. The determined wolf, however, refuses to give up. But on his way to trick them again, he slips and falls into the river. He calls for help as he doesn’t know swimming. Mother Goat hears his cries and with the help of her kids, she saves him from drowning. In return, the grateful wolf promises never to trouble them again. The story can lead to age-appropriate discussions on dealing with strangers and how to distinguish between good and evil. UNIT 6 THE WOLF AND THE LITTLE GOATS EMBEDDED QUESTION...

 Summary: The Good Seed This Chinese tale explores the theme of honesty. Heirless King Chang is growing old and is looking for a successor to the throne. He thinks of a contest to determine the ideal person. He summons the children in the kingdom to the palace and hands each of them a seed. He gives them a year’s time to transform the seed into a plant, declaring that the child with the best sapling will be crowned the next ruler of the kingdom. Among them is Ping, a boy who loves plants and hence is ecstatic to receive the seed. What the children don’t know is that the seeds are cooked and thus can never germinate. At the end of the year, every child returns to the palace with a healthy-looking plant. Ping is the only boy without a sapling to show for his efforts. This suggests that every child used deception to impress the king by substituting the cooked seed with a normal seed—all except Ping who honestly tried his best to grow a sapling out of the original seed, without knowing...

 Summary: My Garden Swapna Dutta has written many short stories and plays, and created picture books in English, Hindi and Bengali. Her stories have been published in newspapers and magazines. In this poem, the speaker demonstrates her love for her garden. Her admiration is evident in each line. In the first stanza, she says how she loves to spend endless hours in her garden surrounded by beautiful flowers. In the second stanza, she elaborates on the kinds of flowers in her garden. In the third stanza, she stresses upon the plush, velvety softness of the grass in the garden. Next, she moves on to the birds and birds mentioning the sheer variety and number that venture into the garden. In the final stanza, she admires the friskiness of the squirrel and invites us, the readers, into her garden so we can share her joy while enjoying the richness of nature. POEM: MY GARDEN A. 1. I love to be there all the time And spend just hours and hours 2. There’s a lawn of velvet grass. So soft an...