Activities on "Where Have All The Birds Gone ?"

Choose the appropriate alternative and rewrite the following statements
1. The farmers in Kerala begin agricultural activities in April / June / May .
2. The New Year festival of is related to agricultural / reaping / water sport activities.
3. Four/two/three nests were made in the trunk.
4. The boy requested the wood cutters to plant/to cut/to spare the tree.
5. The fellow parrots would accompany the parrot in the morning/evening/noon.
6. Five years elder daughter/five year-old younger daughter/ five year-old son wants to hear the real story again and again.
Complete the following statements by using the suitable words/expression
1. The narrator’s favourite hobby was…………..
2. The sights the narrator enjoyed are…………..
3. ………….. would captivate the narrator.
4. The parrots would celebrate the reunion of the parrot and writer in the evening by ………….
5. The woodpeckers, parrots and weaverbirds are not seen in the writer’s locality because………..
Prove the following statements with examples from the text.
1. In the past man would support the survival of birds.
2. The narrator tried to save the chicks.
3. The parrot did strike a balance between his family bonds and friendship.
4. The urbanisation affects biodiversity.
5. The narrator is happy though the parrot did not turn up.

Personal response Type
1. We have deprived birds of their natural habitat. Give your opinion.

Ans : We have deprived the birds of their natural habitat. The natural habitat of the birds is forest, trees and fields. In the name of development trees in the city and along the road are being cut. Due to excessive use fertilizer and pesticide to grow crop birds can reside in fields.

     2.  The world around us is turning into a concrete jungle. State your plan about inviting birds like parrots, sparrows etc. into your locality.

Ans: I would manage to put water and grains on the branches of tress in my locality. I would stop people to cut trees. With my family, friends and neighbour I would plant more trees in my locality. 

Vocabulary

Activities on Suburbs

Factual : Complete the statements
1. The poet celebrates ..............
2. People buy..................... on credit .
3. The luxuries of the suburban people are..............
4. The bosses treat the workers ............
5. The two classes of society mentioned in the poem are............
6. ................ is the way of the world.
7. ................ are the executioners.
Complete the web charts.

Interpretation : Pick out
1. Pick out the line which means the middle-class people imitate the rich.
2. Pick out the line which means people have limited ambitions
Poetic Device
1. 'I celebrate the virtues and vices.' Name and explain the figures of speech and find one more example of the similar type.
2. Find two examples of Metaphor.
3. 'or of a shy hotel for travellers' Identify and explain the figures of speech.
4. ' their medals, their titles, their names' Name and explain the figures of speech.
Appreciation
1. The middle-class is treated as unimportant in cities. Explain
2. State harsh realities of middle-class conveyed in the poem.
3. Describe two types of people. Note the words employed to describe them.
Poetic Creativity
Compose four lines of your own comparing the life in city and suburbs.

Practice Time : Climb Every Mountain

Say whether the following statements are true or false.

1. Mark Inglis is referred to as the cheerful Kiwi.
2. Inglis was a professional mountaineer.
3. He was caught in a heavy blizzard in Ireland.
4. He used to wear one fourth pants always.
5. His legs had to cut knee down after rescue.
6. His survival story is inspirational to corporates, schools and all.
7. He was good at rugby.
8. In 1970’s New Zealand climbing was considered as the best sport.

Rearrange the following jumbled sentences in order as to summarize the life story of Mark Inglis.

1. In rescue operation at new Zealand’s Mt. Cook, he was stuck in an ice cave.
2. The relief in the form of helicopter came on the seventh day .
3. He turned towards a degree in biochemistry.
4. He decided to take a break from mountaineering
5. They were provided with food, sleeping bags and a radio.
6. Mark Inglis turned towards mountaineering on the suggestion of his teacher Bert.
7. He climbed Mt.Everest finally and fulfilled his dream.
8. After rescue the worst thing he saw his legs rot.
9. His legs were amputated knee down.
10. Inglis became professional Search and rescue Mountaineer.
11. He renewed his tryst with the Rocky Mountains.
12. He scaled Mt. Cook with his artificial legs.

Complete the web chart

Match the pairs.

Column A	Column B
1. Perilous November	a. Mt. Everest
2.First Double Amputee	b.1982
3. Second Double Amputee	c. Mt. Cho Oyu
4.Bert	d. Paralympic Games
5. Inglis	e. Fellow Montaineer in cave
6. Philip Doole	f. Mountaineer
7. Silver Medal	g. Teacher of Inglis
8.Rocky Mountain	h. scaled first with artificial legs
9. Mt. Cook	i. 2002

Practice Time : Start Where You Stand

1.1   START WHERE YOU STAND

Start where you stand and never mind the past

The past won’t help you in beginning new,

If you have left it all behind at last

Why, that’s enough, you’re done with it, you’re through;

This is another chapter in the book,

This is another race that you have planned,

Don’t give vanished days a backward look,

Start where you stand.

The world won’t care about your old defeats

If you can start anew and win successes;

The future is your time, and time is fleet

And there is much of work and strain and stress;

Forget the buried woes and dead despairs,

Here is a brand-new trial right at hand,

The future is for him who does and dares,

Start where you stand.

Old failures will not halt, old triumphs aid,

To-day’s the thing; to-morrow soon will be;

Get in the fight and face it unafraid,

And leave the past to ancient history;

What has been, has been; yesterday is dead

And by it you are neither blessed nor banned;

Take courage, man, be brave and drive ahead,

Start where you stand.                                                                               

                                                                                                               Berton Braley         

        A.        Choose the appropriate alternative

         1.       The poet advises not to think of present/ past.

         2.      The past does not assist in beginning / ending new venture.

         3.      People do not think about your success / defeats.

         4.      You can start anew and win successes / get failed.

      B.     Say whether the following statements are true or false.

        1.      You should wait to start.

        2.      Do not think of past.

        3.      What you have left is enough.

        4.      Starting anew is the last chapter in the book. 

     5.      Do not remember past woes and despairs.

     6.      You should concentrate on work in hand.
   7. One who does and dares will lose the future.

        8.      Failures do not last forever.
   Ans : 1 False 2. True 3. True 4. False 5.True 6. True 7. False 8. True

    C.    Web chart

     1.      Complete the web chart by pointing out the poet’s advice

Ans : Poet's advice 1. Start at any age , time and plight 2. Concentrate on work 3. Forget the failures 4. Be brave ( Drive ahead, Be courageous, Do not remember woes and despairs )
Ans : Qualities for life  1 Daring 2. Working spirit 3. Courage 4. Fearlessness 5 Fighting spirit 6. Bravery 7. Perseverance ( any four)

D. Poetic Device:

1.      This is another chapter in the book. Name and explain the figures of speech. Find one more example .

2. Forget the buried woes and dead despairs. Name and explain the figures of speech. Find one more example .

3.      Old failures will not halt, old triumphs aid. Name and explain the figures of speech. Find one more example .

E. Poetic Creation 

1. Add suitable poetic lines of your own to rhyme with the last two lines of the extract.

2.Write few poetic lines by using words " failures , triumphs "  

Activities on I Ran Into A Stranger

  Factual Type : 'Who said to whom'

1. “Oh, excuse me please” .
2. “Please excuse me too ”.
3. “Move out of the way,”
4. “While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use".
5. "And you never saw the tears in her eyes.”
6. “Are these the flowers you picked for me?”
7. “found’em, out by the tree.”
8. “I’m sorry for the way I acted today.”
9. " I love you anyway.”
10. "I love you too, and I do like the flowers, especially the blue.”

Poetic Device:
1. "Daughter, I’m sorry for the way I acted today." Name and explain the figures of speech. Pick out one more example.
2. I picked’them out because they' re pretty like you. Name and explain the figures of speech. (Two)
3. "common courtesy you use, " Name and explain the figures of speech.( Two)
4. God’s still small voice came to me and said, Name and explain the figures of speech.
Appreciation
 A2 State the different behaviour of mother. OR Describe the mother referred in the extract.
A2 Describe the daughter referred in the extract.
A2. Pick out the lines which show bonding between mother and daughter.
Poetic Creativity
1. Compose four lines about daughter.
2. Compose four lines about mother.
 

Activities On The Person I Am Looking For

Read the extract and fill in the blanks .
1. You should be cautious of......... when raising yourself in the ...... of others.
2. You should not surrender to ......... and .... .
3. The poet is looking for the ....... .
4. You should not expect praise when you....
5. You should not look for......... while you ....... .
6. Cheers should not let your head ........ or ....... .
7. You should not offer........ after a failure.
Ans : 1. not getting lowered, eyes 2. gossips, lies , 3. ideal person 4. win 5. sympathy, loose 6. toss , spin State whether the following statements are true or false.
1. The poet is looking for the ideal person.
2. The poet expects the person should accept advice as a bad pill.
3. The person should be stubborn.
4. He should meet with love and care.
5. He should be courageous enough to die.
6. He should serve as a beacon light.
Match the following.

Column A	Column B
1. Will	a. Die
2. Courage	b.jeer
3. Ignore	c. Lie
4.Expose	d. Live

Poetic Devices
1. "If you do not give in to gossips and lies." Name the figures of speech and explain. Find one more example of this kind.
2. " If you have the will to live and courage to die."Name the figures of speech and explain. Find one more example of this kind.
3. "You are a beacon light for people far and wide."Name the figures of speech and explain. Pick out a line of refrain
4. The poet has used rhyming words for giving a musical quality to the poem. Pick out rhyming words and write down rhyme scheme.
A3. Personal Response / appreciation.
• Write do's and dont's about an ideal person.
• ‘That virtue and success do not go side by side.’ Give your opinion.
• An ideal person is a beacon light for people. Explain

Poetic creativity.
• Arrange the lines of third stanza with different rhyme scheme
If you crave not for praise when you win
And cheers let not your head toss or spin
If you look not for sympathy while you lose
And after a set-back you offer no excuse.
You may be the person I am looking for.

The Person I Am Looking For : Paraphrase

If you do not get lowered in your own eyes
While you raise yourself in those of others
If you do not give in to gossips and lies
Rather heed them not, saying, ‘Who bothers?’
You may be the person I am looking for.

Read the above stanza as following to facilitate the learning. Students will learn by themselves. This method focuses on learning by students. Here teachers are expected to play the role of facilitator. You may be the person I am looking for.
If you do not get lowered in your own eyes
While you raise yourself in those of others
You may be the person I am looking for.
If you do not give in to gossips and lies
Rather heed them not, saying, ‘Who bothers?’

Let's facilitate. 'You' stands for readers/ people. 'I' stands the poet. Let the students try to understand the poem with this pattern. Tell the students to copy the last line of the first stanza and then the first and the second lines. Tell them to read these lines together and try to guess the meaning. Thereafter students will copy the last line of the first stanza and the third and the fourth lines. Tell them to read those lines together and comprehend. Ask them what they learned.
Follow the pattern for the complete poem. Some of the students might find difficulty in comprehending this way. Let's paraphrase the poem.

If you crave not for praise when you win
And look not for sympathy while you lose
If cheers let not your head toss or spin
And after a set-back you offer no excuse.
You may be the person I am looking for.

  If you accept counsel without getting sore
And re-assess yourself in the light thereof
If you pledge not to be obstinate any more
And meet others without any frown or scoff.
You may be the person I am looking for.

  If you have the will to live and courage to die
You are a beacon-light for people far and wide
If you ignore the jeers and, thus, expose the lie
‘That virtue and success do not go side by side.’
You are the person I am looking for.

The poet is looking for the person with certain qualities and good behavior. The poet mentions those qualities in the poem. The person should not get lowered in his eyes while he raises in the eyes of others. His behavior should be crystal clear. He should neither give in to gossips nor lie. Rather he should not pay attention to the gossips. The gossips and lies are not worth to be bothered. He should be indifferent toward success and failure. He should not desire for praise on winning. He should not expect sympathy on loosing. Even grand success should not make feel heady. His feet should be on the land. Even though he gets a set back (failed) he should not beg for excuse. Better he should take the responsibility and work ahead. The poet expects these type of qualities in the person. The poet wants the person to accept advise readily without getting sore. He should think about the advice and behave accordingly. He should not be obstinate. He should have politeness and courtesy. He should not get angry. The poet expects the person to have these qualities. The person the poet is looking for should have strong desire to live and courage to die. Such a person is beacon light for the masses.He should ignore jeers. He should open the lie behind the assumption that 'success and virtue do not go side by side.' Many people are of the opinion that the righteous person do get success and the successful person is not righteous. But it is not true.