Activity: Conversation in the College Park

Meenakshi and Rohit Write a Poem

The goal of the activity:

The students are able to read a passage aloud and answer questions based on the passage.

Competencies:

Reading, Comprehension, Vocabulary, Writing.

Preparation:

Bring the “Meenakshi and Rohit Write a Poem” handouts.

Summary:

The situation for this Lesson Plan is Meenakshi and Rohit Write a Poem. The Lesson Plan is divided into 4 sections:

• The first section Read Out Loud helps the students read a passage.
• The second section Comprehension section based on the passage.
• The third section Let’s Learn New Things is on vocabulary.
• The fourth section Writing helps the students write sentences on their own.

Section 1:  Read Out Loud

Time: 35 minutes

Objective: The students are given a passage to read.

Activity 1:

Distribute the following handout (Meenakshi and Rohit Write a Poem):

Handout:

Rohit and Meenakshi are in the college park. It is their free period. Meenakshi is reading a book. Rohit is lying on the grass.

“I don’t want to study,” says Rohit. “It is boring.”

“What do we do then?” asks Meenakshi.

“Why don’t we write a poem?” suggests Rohit.

“Okay,” replies Meenakshi. “But what will the poem be about?”

“About college life,” says Rohit.

“Hmmm…” says Meenakshi. “All right! I will take out pen and paper. How do you want to start the poem?”

“College is the best place to be –” begins Rohit.

“All the students are friendly –” says Meenakshi.

“We do more than just study –” continues Rohit.

And so Meenakshi and Rohit write a poem about college life. The poem becomes ten lines long. Meenakshi reads it out to their other friends. They all like it. The teachers also like it. So, they publish the poem in the college magazine. {alertInfo}

Note to the teacher:

Read out the passage for the students, explaining the meaning of each sentence. Then, ask the entire class to read out the passage. After that, make each student read out the passage.

If required, you can explain the meaning of the following terms:

1. Friendly – (of someone) nice, like a friend

2. Publish – to print (छापना)

3. Magazine – for example, Manorama, Champak, etc.

Section 2: Comprehension 

Time: 25 minutes

Objective: The students have to work on a comprehension exercise.

Activity 2:

Write down the following questions on the blackboard:

1. Why are Rohit and Meenakshi in the college park?

2. Who finds it boring to study?

3. Who asks what the poem should be about?

4. What is Rohit and Meenakshi’s poem about?

5. What line does Rohit and Meenakshi’s poem start with?

6. Who reads out the poem to their friends?

7. Where is the poem published in?

(a) college magazine

(b) local newspaper

(c) Meenakshi’s notebook

Teacher Note:

Divide the class into pairs, and ask them to answer the above questions. Give them fifteen minutes to find the answers. Then, one person from each pair/both students can read out their answers.

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After all of them have read out, tell them the correct answers:

1. Rohit and Meenakshi have a free period. So, they are in the college park.

2. Rohit finds it boring to study.

3. Meenakshi asks what the poem should be about.

4. Rohit and Meenakshi’s poem is about college life.

5. Meenakshi reads out the poem to their friends.

6. (a) college magazine

Section 3: Let’s Learn New Things 

Time: 15 minutes

Objective: The students are given new words and terms to learn.

Activity 3:

Write down the following on the blackboard:

1. Bunk – to miss class

2. Absent – to miss class

3. Dull – boring

4. Attend – to be present at

Note: Tell the students the difference between the words “bunk” and “absent”. To bunk is to miss class/work without permission, to avoid doing one’s duty. Whereas, being “absent” means you are not present, with or without permission.

Take the students through the word/term and its meaning. Give them some examples.

1. I don’t feel like studying today. I will bunk the class.

2. Seema is absent today. She is ill.

3. This movie is dull.

4. I am going to attend today’s class.

Now, ask the students to make their own sentences using the above words. Give them ten minutes to write the sentences. When the time’s up, let them read out whatever they have written. It’s all right if they haven’t made sentences with all the words.

Section 4: Writing 

Time: 15 minutes

Objective: The students are given some sentences to write.

Activity 4:

Write down the following on the blackboard:

1. What do we do then?

2. How do you want to start the poem?

3. Why don’t we write a poem?

Tell the students that the first two sentences are ways of asking for suggestions. They can also be rewritten as:

1. What do we do then?

What would you like us to do?

2. How do you want to start the poem?

How should we start the poem?

How would you like the poem to start?

The third sentence is making a suggestion.

3. Why don’t we write a poem?

We could write a poem.

Shall we write a poem?

How about writing a poem?

Now, ask the students to rewrite the following two sentences in the ways shown above:

1. How do you want to go to the cinema?

2. Why don’t we go to the cinema?

Answers are:

1. How should we go to the cinema?

How would you like us to go to the cinema?

2. We could go to the cinema.

Shall we go to the cinema?