Lesson Plan: The Swing

Class 4 English Santoor NCERT: Unit 4 Up High

Lesson Overview

Aspect	Details
Lesson	The Swing (Chapter 10)
Class	4
Subject	English (L2 – Second Language)
Unit	4: Up High
Type	Poem (Classic)
Duration	5 Days (30–35 minutes per day)
Page Reference	Pages 103-110
Curricular Goals (NCF-SE 2023)	CG 1 (Sustains effective communication skills), CG 2 (Develops fluency in reading and comprehension), CG 3 (Expresses understanding in writing), CG 4 (Develops wide range of vocabulary)

Introduction

“The Swing” is the tenth chapter of Unit 4: Up High in the Santoor Class 4 English textbook. This classic poem by Robert Louis Stevenson captures the pure joy and wonder of a child swinging up into the air.

The poem describes:

The joy of swinging – “the pleasantest thing ever a child can do!”
The view from the swing – rivers, trees, cattle, and the countryside
The feeling of flying – “Up in the air I go flying again”
The simple pleasures of childhood

The chapter also includes activities related to:

Comprehension questions about the poem
Vocabulary building – stringing together sentences
Nouns vs Verbs – same words with different meanings
Tongue twisters – ‘w’ sound
Rhyming words in the poem
Prepositions – on, beside, between, above, in front of, behind, under
Creative writing – writing about free time activities
Swings of Imagination – drawing a magical swing
Exploring festivals with swings (Teej, etc.)

Learning Objectives (सीखने के उद्देश्य)

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Recite the poem “The Swing” with correct rhythm and expression. (कविता को सही लय और भाव के साथ गा सकेंगे।)
Appreciate the imagery and joy of swinging described in the poem. (कविता में वर्णित झूले के आनंद और कल्पना को समझ सकेंगे।)
Identify rhyming words in the poem. (कविता में तुकांत शब्दों की पहचान कर सकेंगे।)
Understand the difference between nouns and verbs (same word, different usage). (समान शब्दों के संज्ञा और क्रिया के रूप में अंतर समझ सकेंगे।)
Use prepositions correctly (on, beside, between, above, in front of, behind, under). (अव्यय शब्दों का सही उपयोग कर सकेंगे।)
Write a short paragraph about activities they enjoy. (अपनी पसंदीदा गतिविधियों के बारे में एक लघु अनुच्छेद लिख सकेंगे।)
Explore cultural connections – festivals involving swings (Teej, etc.). (सांस्कृतिक संबंधों का पता लगा सकेंगे – त्योहारों में झूले।)
Learn about the author – Robert Louis Stevenson. (लेखक रॉबर्ट लुई स्टीवेन्सन के बारे में जान सकेंगे।)

Key Vocabulary (मुख्य शब्दावली)

Poem-Specific Words (कविता से संबंधित शब्द)

English	Hindi
Swing	झूला (Jhoola)
Pleasantest	सबसे सुखद (Sabse sukhad)
Countryside	ग्रामीण क्षेत्र (Gramin kshetra)
Cattle	मवेशी (Maveshi)
Roof	छत (Chhat)
Fly	उड़ना (Udna)
Garden	बगीचा (Bagicha)

Words Used as Noun and Verb (संज्ञा और क्रिया दोनों)

Word	Noun Meaning	Verb Meaning
Dance	नृत्य	नाचना
Play	खेल	खेलना
Answer	उत्तर	उत्तर देना
Fly	मक्खी	उड़ना
Waves	लहरें	हाथ हिलाना
Swing	झूला	झूलना

Prepositions (अव्यय शब्द)

English	Hindi
On	पर (Par)
Beside	बगल में (Bagal mein)
Between	बीच में (Beech mein)
Above	ऊपर (Oopar)
In front of	सामने (Saamne)
Behind	पीछे (Peeche)
Under	नीचे (Neeche)

Sight Words (दृश्य शब्द)

the, and, to, of, for, with, on, at, by, from, in, it, they, their, them, we, our, you, up, down

Day-Wise Lesson Plan

Day 1: Introduction to the Poem (कविता का परिचय)

Duration: 30 minutes

Time	Activity	Hindi Term / Instruction	Teacher’s Role
5 min	Warm-up	शुभ प्रभात! (Shubh Prabhat!)	Greet students. Ask: “Have you ever played on a swing?” (क्या तुमने कभी झूले पर खेला है?) “How do you feel when you swing up high?” (ऊपर झूलते समय कैसा लगता है?)
5 min	Pre-listening	आज क्या सीखेंगे? (Aaj kya seekhenge?)	Show the title “The Swing”. Ask: “What do you think this poem is about?” “Today we will read a beautiful poem about the joy of swinging by Robert Louis Stevenson!”
10 min	Poem Recitation	कविता सुनो (Kavita suno)	Recite the poem with actions (Pages 103-104). Do it line by line. Students repeat and act.
5 min	Action Song	साथ में गाओ (Saath mein gao)	Sing the full poem with actions. Do it twice with energy.
5 min	Wrap-up	आज क्या सीखा? (Aaj kya seekha?)	Ask: “What is the poem about?” “What does the poet see from the swing?” “Who wrote this poem?”

Poem: The Swing (Pages 103-104)

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!
Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all,
Over the countryside.
Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown,
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

— Robert Louis Stevenson

Actions for the Poem:

Line	Action
Up in a swing	Lift arms up, swaying
Up in the air so blue	Point up, circle arms
Pleasantest thing	Smile, hands on heart
Over the wall	Look over an imaginary wall
Rivers and trees	Point to river, point to trees
Cattle and all	Point to animals
Countryside	Open arms wide
Garden green	Point down, gesture to grass
Roof so brown	Point to roof shape
Flying again	Arms spread like flying

About the Author:

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)
Scottish author and poet
Famous for “A Child’s Garden of Verses”
Also wrote “Treasure Island” and “Kidnapped”

Hindi Instructions to Use:

“Kavita suno” (कविता सुनो) – Listen to the poem
“Mere saath karo” (मेरे साथ करो) – Do with me
“Jhoola” (झूला) – Swing
“Upar” (ऊपर) – Up

Day 2: Comprehension and Discussion (समझ और चर्चा)

Duration: 30 minutes

Time	Activity	Hindi Term / Instruction	Teacher’s Role
5 min	Revision	कल क्या सीखा? (Kal kya seekha?)	Recite the poem with actions. Ask: “What is the poem about?”
10 min	Comprehension Questions	प्रश्न-उत्तर (Prashn-uttar)	Ask from Page 105: “What does the poet see when the swing goes over the wall?” “Does the poet enjoy swings? Which lines tell us that?” “Why does the poet say the air is blue?”
10 min	Think and Discuss	सोचो और चर्चा करो (Socho aur charcha karo)	Use Page 105 (B): “Have you seen a swing? Where have you seen it? What was it made of?” “What would you like to see when you are up in the air on a swing?”
5 min	Wrap-up	आज क्या सीखा?	Ask: “What does the poet see from the swing?” “What would you like to see from a swing?”

Comprehension Questions (Page 105 A):

Question	Expected Answer
What does the poet see when the swing goes over the wall?	The poet sees rivers, trees, cattle, and the countryside.
Does the poet enjoy swings? Which lines tell us that?	Yes. “Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing ever a child can do!”
Why does the poet say the air is blue?	The poet says the air is blue because from high up, the sky looks blue.

Think and Discuss (Page 105 B):

Question	Possible Answer
Have you seen a swing? Where? What was it made of?	I have seen a swing in the park. It was made of wood/iron/plastic.
What would you like to see from a swing?	I would like to see birds, clouds, trees, and my house from a swing.

Rhyming Words in the Poem:

Rhyming Pair
swing – thing
blue – do
wall – all
wide – countryside
green – seen
brown – down

Hindi Instructions to Use:

“Kavi ko kya dikhta hai?” (कवि को क्या दिखता है?) – What does the poet see?
“Kavi ko jhoola kyun pasand hai?” (कवि को झूला क्यों पसंद है?) – Why does the poet like the swing?
“Aap kya dekhna chahenge?” (आप क्या देखना चाहेंगे?) – What would you like to see?

Day 3: Nouns and Verbs (संज्ञा और क्रिया)

Duration: 30 minutes

Time	Activity	Hindi Term / Instruction	Teacher’s Role
5 min	Revision	पुनरावृत्ति (Punaravritti)	Quick poem recall. Rhyming words recap.
15 min	Nouns and Verbs Activity	संज्ञा और क्रिया	Use Page 106: “Read the following sentences. Circle the verbs and underline the nouns.” Practice with: dance, play, answer, fly, waves, swing.
5 min	Sentence Practice	वाक्य अभ्यास (Vakya abhyas)	Students create sentences using the same word as both a noun and a verb.
5 min	Wrap-up	आज क्या सीखा?	Ask: “What is the difference between a noun and a verb?” “Give an example of a word used as both.”

Words Used as Noun and Verb (Page 106):

A. Word: dance

Noun	Verb
The dance begins in an hour.	My friends and I dance when we are happy.

B. Word: play

Noun	Verb
I like to play kho-kho.	We are going to watch a play tomorrow.

C. Word: answer

Noun	Verb
Can you answer the questions?	I know the answer.

D. Word: fly

Noun	Verb
There is a fly on the wall.	My friends fly kites on 15th August.

E. Word: waves

Noun	Verb
The waves did not let us finish our sandcastle.	She waves to her siblings while leaving for school.

F. Word: swing

Noun	Verb
The swing is in the park.	I swing on the swing every day.

Practice Sentences:

Word	Noun Sentence	Verb Sentence
Dance	The dance was beautiful.	I dance with my friends.
Play	The play was amazing.	I play cricket.
Answer	I know the answer.	Please answer the question.

Hindi Instructions to Use:

“Noun kya hai?” (Noun क्या है?) – What is a noun?
“Verb kya hai?” (Verb क्या है?) – What is a verb?
“Circle karo aur underline karo” (Circle करो और underline करो) – Circle and underline

Day 4: Prepositions and Tongue Twisters (अव्यय शब्द और Tongue Twisters)

Duration: 30 minutes

Time	Activity	Hindi Term / Instruction	Teacher’s Role
5 min	Revision	दोहराव (Dohrav)	Quick nouns and verbs recall.
10 min	Prepositions Activity	अव्यय शब्द	Use Page 109: “Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions from the box.” Practice: on, beside, between, above, in front of, behind, under.
10 min	Tongue Twister Activity	Tongue Twister	Use Page 107: “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” Practice the ‘w’ sound.
5 min	Wrap-up	आज क्या सीखा?	Ask: “What is a preposition?” “Can you say the tongue twister?”

Prepositions Activity (Page 109):

Sentence	Answer
There is a ladybug ______ the two flower pots.	between
A butterfly is flying ______ the flower.	above
A honeybee is sitting ______ the flower.	on
The watercan is ______ the flower pots.	beside
An ant is walking ______ the leaf.	under
A caterpillar is walking ______ a flowerpot.	in front of
A leaf has fallen ______ the flower pot.	behind

Preposition Summary:

Preposition	Hindi	Meaning
On	पर	On top of
Beside	बगल में	Next to
Between	बीच में	In the middle of two things
Above	ऊपर	Higher than
In front of	सामने	Before, ahead
Behind	पीछे	At the back of
Under	नीचे	Below

Tongue Twister Practice (Page 107):

“How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?”

‘W’ Sound Practice Words:

Word	Hindi
Fever	बुखार
Fewer	कम
Valley	घाटी
White	सफ़ेद
Vine	बेल
Wise	बुद्धिमान
Win	जीतना
Wait	इंतज़ार करना
Vet	पशु चिकित्सक
Wet	गीला

Note to Teacher (Page 107): /V/ is pronounced by placing the upper teeth on the bottom lip. You may introduce this to learners when you feel they are ready to learn it after /W/.

Hindi Instructions to Use:

“Preposition kya hai?” (Preposition क्या है?) – What is a preposition?
“Kahan hai?” (कहाँ है?) – Where is it?
“Tongue twister bolo” (Tongue twister बोलो) – Say the tongue twister

Day 5: Writing, Assessment, and Celebration (लेखन, मूल्यांकन और उत्सव)

Duration: 30 minutes

Time	Activity	Hindi Term / Instruction	Teacher’s Role
5 min	Revision	पुनरावृत्ति (Punaravritti)	Full poem recitation. Quick prepositions recall.
10 min	Writing Activity	लेखन (Lekhan)	Use Page 108: “Write a short paragraph about the activities you enjoy doing in your free time.”
5 min	Speaking Assessment	बातचीत परीक्षण (Baatcheet parikshan)	Call students one by one. Ask: “What does the poet see from the swing?” “What is your favourite thing to do?” “What is a preposition?”
5 min	Writing Assessment	लेखन परीक्षण (Lekhan parikshan)	Dictate 5 words: swing, pleasant, countryside, cattle, roof. Students write.
5 min	Wrap-up & Celebration	समापन और शाबाशी (Samaapan aur Shabashi)	Sing the poem one last time. Clap for all students. Celebrate their learning!

Writing Activity – My Free Time (Page 108):

Sample Paragraph:

In my free time, I like to play in the garden. I play cricket with my friends. I also like to read storybooks. Sometimes, I draw pictures of birds and trees. I enjoy spending time with my family. My favourite thing to do is to play on the swing in the park. It makes me feel happy and free.

Structure for Students:

What do you do in your free time?
Who do you do it with?
Why do you enjoy it?
How does it make you feel?

Speaking Assessment Questions:

Question	Expected Answer
What does the poet see from the swing?	The poet sees rivers, trees, cattle, and the countryside.
What is your favourite thing to do in your free time?	My favourite thing to do is ______.
What is the poem “The Swing” about?	It is about the joy of swinging up in the air.
What is a preposition?	A preposition shows the position of something.
Who wrote the poem “The Swing”?	Robert Louis Stevenson.

Writing Assessment:

Dictation Word	Expected Spelling
Swing	S-W-I-N-G
Pleasant	P-L-E-A-S-A-N-T
Countryside	C-O-U-N-T-R-Y-S-I-D-E
Cattle	C-A-T-T-L-E
Roof	R-O-O-F

Assessment Checklist (मूल्यांकन सूची):

Skill	Criteria	Yes/No
Recitation	Recites the poem with expression	☐
Comprehension	Answers 4+ questions correctly	☐
Vocabulary	Identifies new words	☐
Nouns vs Verbs	Distinguishes between noun and verb usage	☐
Prepositions	Uses prepositions correctly	☐
Rhyming Words	Identifies rhyming words in the poem	☐
Writing	Writes a paragraph about free time	☐
Speaking	Answers questions in sentences	☐
Writing	Writes dictation words correctly	☐

Additional Activities (अतिरिक्त गतिविधियाँ)

Activity	Description	Hindi Instruction
Swings of Imagination	Draw a magical swing that can take you anywhere. Write a short paragraph about the adventure.	“Jadooi jhoola banao.” (जादुई झूला बनाओ।)
Festivals with Swings	Research festivals where people swing (Teej, etc.) and share with the class.	“Jhoolon ke tyohaar pata karo.” (झूलों के त्योहार पता करो।)
Make a Paper Swing	Create a paper swing craft using cardboard and string.	“Paper jhoola banao.” (पेपर झूला बनाओ।)
Recitation Competition	Have a recitation competition of “The Swing” poem.	“Kavita pathan pratiyogita.” (कविता पाठन प्रतियोगिता।)
Nature Walk	Take students to see trees, birds, and the countryside like the poet describes.	“Prakriti sair karo.” (प्रकृति सैर करो।)
Preposition Game	Place objects and ask students to describe their position using prepositions.	“Preposition khel.” (प्रीपोज़िशन खेल।)

Resources Needed (आवश्यक सामग्री)

Textbook: Santoor Class 4 English (Pages 103-110)
Picture of a swing
Flashcards: prepositions (on, beside, between, etc.)
Flashcards: noun/verb examples
Drawing sheets and crayons
Cardboard and string for paper swing craft
Notebooks and pencils
Chart paper for poster

Integration with Indian Knowledge System (भारतीय ज्ञान परंपरा से जुड़ाव)

Swings in Indian Culture: Swings (jhoola) are an important part of Indian festivals. In Teej, women swing on decorated swings. In Janmashtami, swings are used to celebrate Lord Krishna. In Rath Yatra, swings are part of the celebration.
Teej Festival: Teej is a festival celebrated in North India where women swing on decorated swings, sing songs, and celebrate the monsoon season.
Janmashtami: During Janmashtami, swings (jhoola) are decorated and Lord Krishna’s idol is placed on a swing.
Indian Folk Songs: Many Indian folk songs are about swings, especially during the monsoon season.
Traditional Swings: In villages, swings are often made from ropes tied to trees. In cities, swings are made of wood, iron, or plastic.
The Joy of Childhood: Swinging has been a favourite childhood activity in India for generations, as reflected in the poem.

Note to the Teacher (शिक्षक के लिए नोट)

Draw learners’ attention to the placement of the words in the sentences. You may carry this forward to Grade 5 as well. (As mentioned on Page 106)
You may give them hints about the sentence structure S-V-O followed in English without burdening them with definitions. (As mentioned on Page 106)
Practice with learners. Pronounce a few words for them first. /V/ is pronounced by placing the upper teeth on the bottom lip. (As mentioned on Page 107)
Encourage learners to share their hobbies in class. You may provide them with a few phrases and words to facilitate the writing process. (As mentioned on Page 108)
You may talk about your own hobbies first using simple sentences. This will encourage participation. (As mentioned on Page 108)
Revise the concept of prepositions. A preposition is a word used before a noun/pronoun to indicate its place, time and direction. (As mentioned on Page 109)
Encourage children to use their imagination when describing what they would see from a swing.

Links to Other Curricular Areas (पाठ्यक्रम के अन्य क्षेत्रों से जुड़ाव)

Area	Connection
Art & Craft	Paper swing craft, drawing magical swing
Social Studies	Festivals with swings (Teej, Janmashtami)
Science	Motion, gravity, swinging
Values Education	Appreciation of nature, joy of simple pleasures
Language Development	Vocabulary, rhyming words, nouns vs verbs, prepositions
Music	Singing the poem, folk songs about swings

Quick Reference Card

Key Poem Lines:
“Up in the air so blue”
“The pleasantest thing ever a child can do”
“Rivers and trees and cattle and all”
“Up in the air I go flying again”

Key Vocabulary:
swing, pleasantest, cattle, countryside, roof, fly

Key Grammar:
Nouns vs Verbs (dance, play, answer, fly, waves, swing)
Prepositions (on, beside, between, above, in front of, behind, under)

Key Rhyming Pairs:
swing-thing, blue-do, wall-all, wide-countryside, green-seen, brown-down

Key Message:
“The simple joy of swinging brings happiness and a wonderful view of the world!”