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The Rats and the Elephants

Chapter 3 : Let's Learn English Class V

Learning Module

Abstract

This learning module introduces scholars to the story 'The Rats and the Elephants'. They learn new words and making sentences using them. The module consists of deep thinking and engaging activities for the scholars to help them relate to real life examples and have a better understanding.

Keywords

Rats and Elephants, Writing sentences, Dialogue forming.

1. Learning English Words

For the Student

Learning Focus: To learn more English words to help you understand the story.

Success Criteria:

  • Write three words on the placemat.
  • Share your words.
  • Add words to comment box.
  • Add 3-5 other words.
  • Coment on other groups' words.

Vocabulary

English Hindi

rat

elephant

herd

animal

bigger

smaller

help

promise

चूहा

हाथी

झुंड

जानवर

बड़ा

छोटे

मदद

पक्का वादा

Placemat Activity

Each student writes the 3 words from the Vocabulary list that they think are most important in the story. Write them in your section of the placemat. These are the words which help you understand what the story is about.

Next, share your 3 words, taking turns so each student speaks.

After sharing, decide on the 3 most popular words and record them in the centre of the circle. These are the words you will add to the comment box.

Fig 1a: Placemat.

Comment: Add your group's three words here. Add 3-5 other English words that your group knows from the story. Add them to the comment box.

Now read other group's comments and comment on 1-2 comments by other groups. You could use these sentences.

We like your words.

We have chosen some of the same words as your group.

Your words are interesting.

Fig. 1b: Please, can you take another way so that the rats are safe.

For the Teacher

Learning English Words

Learning Focus Group Work Tools Grammar Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Interacting

Comprehension

Inner-Outer Circle

Think-Pair-Share

Placemat

n/a

Note the grammar in Activity III (page 23) will be covered in the next learning module, Chapter 4.

rat(चूहा)

elephant(हाथी)

herd(झुंड)

animal(जानवर)

bigger(बड़ा)

smaller(छोटे)

help(मदद)

promise(पक्का वादा)

Teaching Tips:

The following activities may take 3-4 lessons. 

1. Inner-Outer Circle

Ask questions in Hindi about the story. Here are some possible questions to draw on students' prior knowledge (see textbook page 16):

  • Which is stronger, a rat or an elephant?
  • How can a smaller animal help a bigger animal?
  • How could a rat help an elephant?
  • How can you help your younger brothers and sisters? 
  • How can your younger brothers and sisters help you?

2. Watch story of the The Rats and the Elephants in Hindi.

### add video

Ask the following questions in Hindi. Use a Think-Pair-Share so all students discuss what happened in the story. This will help their comprehension.

  • Why did the elephants pass through the area where the rats lived?
  • Why did the king of rats request the elephant chief to guide his herd through another route?
  • Why did the king of rats promise to help the elephants when needed?
  • Why were the elephants shouting one day?
  • How did the rats help the elephants?

3. Now watch an English version of the video.

### add video

Using an Inner-Outer Circle, repeat the above questions in English. Add Hindi where necessary. Ask students to respond in English. They can move around the circle to repeat their answers until they become confident in speaking. 

4. Placemat Activity

Students draw the placemat. If there are more that 4 students in the group, add more sections so each student has a section to write the 3 English words that they think are most important. This activity helps students to talk about some of the vocabulary. By ranking what words are most important, they are increasing their comprehension of the story.

2. Writing Sentences

For the Student

Learning Focus: To write sentences that show your understanding of the story.

Success Criteria:

  • Sequence the images.
  • Write 4 sentences.
  • Comment.

Vocabulary

English Hindi

sequence

correct

understandin

destroy

danger

happy

caught

trap

set free

अनुक्रम

सही

समझ

नष्ट

खतरा

खुश

पकड़े गए

जाल

आजाद करना

Look at the following images and arrange them in the correct order by numbering them.

 

Comment: Write a sentence about each picture. You will have 4 sentences. Try to use conjunctions with compound sentences.

Comment on other groups' sentences. You could use these sentence starters.

You have put the pictures in the right order.

Your sentences are very good.

I like some of the words in your sentences.

For the Teacher

Writing Sentences

Learning Focus Group Work Tools Grammar Vocabulary

Sequencing ideas

Writing

n/a

Simple sentences

Compound sentences

Conjunctions

sequence(अनुक्रम)

correct(सही)

understanding(समझ)

destroy(नष्ट)

danger(खतरा)

happy(खुश)

caught(पकड़े गए)

trap(जाल)

set free(आजाद करना)

Teaching Tips:

This activity is based on an activity in the textbook, Let's Learn English, Class-V, page 20.

Help students as they write their sentences in Scholar. They can refer to the story but they should try to write their own sentences. Also encourage them to include conjunctions so they write compound sentences as well as simple sentences.

3. Applying Learning to Your Own Life

For the Student

Learning Focus: To create sentences about helping others.

Success Criteria:

  • Practise speaking sentences in English.
  • Write 4-6 sentences in the comment box.
  • Comment.

Vocabulary

English Hindi

help

can

sister

brother

mother

father

teacher

prepare

food

clean

clothes

मदद

कर सकते हैं

बहन

भाई

मां

पिता

अध्यापक

तैयार करना

भोजन

साफ़

कपड़ा

Comment: Write 4-6 sentences in the comment box (for each member of your group). Try to use conjunctions (or, and, but,).

Then read other group's sentences and comment on 1-2. You can use these sentence starters if you like. They use another conjunction (because).

I like your sentences because .....

Your sentences are very good because ........

Fig. 3: Helping Hands: I can help my sister to do her homework.

 

For the Teacher

Applying Learning to Own Life

Focus Group Work Tools Grammar Vocabulary

Applying learning to own life

Speaking

Writing

 

Inner-Outer Circle

Simple sentences

Compound Sentences

Conjunctions

help(मदद)

can(कर सकते हैं)

sister(बहन)

brother(भाई)

mother(मां)

father(पिता)

teacher(अध्यापक)

prepare(तैयार करना)

food(भोजन)

clean(साफ़)

clothes(कपड़ा)

Teaching Tips:

Use an Inner-Outer Circle to practise sentences  based on real life experiences of helping someone. Do as many repetitions as possible so students are confident to write their own sentence. They can also use conjunctions.

When you think they are ready, they can log into Scholar and write their sentences. Each student in the group should add a sentence to the comment box.

Some prompts to practise:

How can you help your mother?

  • I can help my mother to prepare the food.
  • I can help my mother to prepare the food and to clean my clothes.
  • I can help my mother to prepare the food or to clean my clothes.

How can you help your father/sister/brother/teacher/friend/aunty/uncle?

  • I can help ............

 

 

4. Dialogue Practice using Conjunctions

For the Student

Learning Focus: To create dialogues with conjunctions.

Success Criteria:

  • Study the example of a dialogue.
  • Write your own dialogue.
  • Comment on other groups' dialogues.
  • Perform your dialogue for the class.

Vocabulary

English Hindi

animals

way

pond

promise

brave

helpful

small

जानवरों

शैली/रास्ता

तालाब

पक्का वादा

बहादुर

उपयोगी

छोटा

Mooshakraj: Dear Gajraj, please take another way to the pond or many rats will be hurt. 

Gajraj: Ok Mooshakraj, now we will take another way and avoid your home.

Mooshakraj: Thank you Gajraj! I promise we rats will always be there if you need our help.

Gajraj: That is very kind but I don't think that animals as small as you will be able to help animals as big as us.

Comment: Write your group's dialogue here with at least 4 exchanges and at least 2 conjunctions (or, and, but). Each person in the group should try to do some of the writing in the comment box.

Then comment on 1-2 dialogues of other groups. You could use the following sentence starters:

We like your dialogue because ............

Your dialogue was interesting.

Your dialogue made us think of .........

Fig. 4: Perform your group's dialogue for the class.

 

For the Teacher

Dialogue Practice

Focus Group Work Tools Grammar Vocabulary
Writing and speaking through dialogues/role plays

Inner-Outer Circle

Think-Pair-Share

Conjunctions

Simple sentences

Compound sentences

animals(जानवरों)

way(शैली/
रास्ता)

pond(तालाब)

promise(पक्का वादा)

brave(बहादुर)

helpful(उपयोगी)

small(छोटा)

Teaching Tips:

Revise the story with students in an Inner-Outer Circle, asking the following questions in Hindi and in English:

  • The story was about which animals?
  • What were the names of the animals given in the story?
  • Where did they live?
  • Why happened in the beginning of the story?
  • What happened in the middle of the story?
  • What happened at the end of the story?
  • How did elephant feel at the end?
  • What did we learn from the story?

Write the name of all characters on the board. Continue in the Inner-Outer Circle where students discuss the qualities of each character (Mooshakraj and rats - small, helpful, intelligent, brave; Gajraj and elephants - big, kind, helpful).

Inner Circle: What is Mooshakraj like?

Outer Circle: He is small and helpful.

Take 2 steps to the right.

Outer Circle: What is Mooshakraj like?

Inner Circle: He is small and helpful.

Repeat until all students are confident with both asking and answering questions. More characters can be added in the story for the role play like hunter or any other animal.

Next, read the following dialogue to the students and demonstrate how to speak dialogues with voice modulations. Also point out the use of the conjunctions (or, and, but). Remind students about how these conjunctions create compound sentences and make their writing more interesting.

Writing Dialogues

Mooshakraj: Dear Gajraj, please take another way to the pond or many rats will be hurt.

Gajraj: Ok Mooshakraj, now we will take another way and avoid your home.

Mooshakraj: Thank you Gajraj! I promise we rats will always be there if you need our help.

Gajraj: That is very kind but I don't think that animals as small as you will be able to help animals as big as us.

Read this to the students and demonstrate how to speak dialogues with voice modulations. Next, encourage students to think about different situations and what the characters would have said in that situation; for example when the rats were in trouble, when the elephants were in trouble, when elephants felt sorry for making fun of the small size of rats, etc.

Students form their Scholar groups to create a role play of a part of the story. Students can use the glossary and the textbook to help them create their dialogues. The dialogues should have at least 4 exchanges and include 2 conjunctions.  

Help students to prepare the role play and  provide any new vocabulary like request, promise, hurt, etc.  They then add their dialogues to the comment box in Scholar and comment on other students' dialogues.

Performance and Reflection

After each group has typed in their dialogue, they will present the story through role play. Facilitate the process by helping each child to participate and speak in English. Role plays could be repeated to ensure all students have a turn. After each group has performed, ask students about what they learnt from the story.

After all groups have performed, use a Think-Pair-Share so students discuss:

  • If they could  extend the story, what will happen next?
  • How else can rats help elephants?
  • What experiences  have you had of taking help from anyone younger?

Acknowledgements

Title: (Source); Fig. 1a: Placemat by Rita van Haren; Fig.1b: (Source); Fig.2: Textbook; Fig.3: (Source); Fig.4: (Source)