Lesson Plan: A Show of Clouds

Class 2 English (Mridang) Unit 4: Life Around Us

Lesson Overview

Aspect	Details
Lesson	A Show of Clouds (Chapter 1)
Class	2
Subject	English (L2 – Second Language)
Unit	4: Life Around Us
Duration	5 Days (30–35 minutes per day)
Page Reference	Pages 68-74
Curricular Goals (NCF-FS)	CG 9.1 (listens to and appreciates songs/rhymes), CG 9.2 (thinks of rhyming words), CG 9.3 (converses fluently), CG 9.7 (uses enough words for daily interactions), CG 9.4 (understands instructions), CG 11.1 (phonological awareness)

Introduction

“A Show of Clouds” (Pages 68-74) is the first chapter of Unit 4: Life Around Us in the Mridang Class 2 English textbook. This beautiful poem invites children to look up at the sky and use their imagination to see shapes in the clouds.

The poem describes how the speaker sees different animals in the clouds:

An elephant waving its trunk
A camel with a hump
A lion about to jump
A rabbit that quickly hops away

The chapter emphasizes:

Imagination and creativity – seeing shapes in clouds
Observation skills – looking at the sky and nature
Animal vocabulary – elephant, camel, lion, rabbit
Phonological awareness – ‘ck’ sound
Sky observation – day sky vs night sky

The chapter also includes activities related to:

Cloud watching and reporting what they see
Colours of clouds at different times
Joining dots in alphabetical order
Identifying the ‘ck’ sound in words
Answering questions about what they see in the sky

Learning Objectives (सीखने के उद्देश्य)

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

Recite the poem “A Show of Clouds” with correct rhythm and expression. (कविता को सही लय और भाव के साथ गा सकेंगे।)
Identify and name animals seen in clouds – elephant, camel, lion, rabbit. (बादलों में दिखने वाले जानवरों के अंग्रेज़ी नाम बता सकेंगे।)
Use their imagination to see shapes in clouds and describe them. (बादलों में आकार देखने और उनका वर्णन करने के लिए कल्पना का उपयोग कर सकेंगे।)
Observe and describe the sky during the day and at night. (दिन और रात के आसमान का अवलोकन और वर्णन कर सकेंगे।)
Identify colours of clouds (white, grey, black, orange/red at sunset). (बादलों के रंगों की पहचान कर सकेंगे।)
Recognize and use the ‘ck’ sound in words. (‘ck’ ध्वनि को पहचान और उपयोग कर सकेंगे।)
Join dots in alphabetical order to complete a picture. (वर्णमाला क्रम में बिंदुओं को जोड़कर चित्र पूरा कर सकेंगे।)
Answer questions using the structure: “When I look up, I see…” (“When I look up, I see…” संरचना का उपयोग कर प्रश्नों के उत्तर दे सकेंगे।)

Key Vocabulary (मुख्य शब्दावली)

Animals in the Poem (कविता के जानवर)

English	Hindi
Elephant	हाथी (Haathi)
Camel	ऊँट (Oont)
Lion	शेर (Sher)
Rabbit	खरगोश (Khargosh)
Trunk	सूंड (Sood)
Hump	कूबड़ (Koobad)

Sky and Clouds (आसमान और बादल)

English	Hindi
Clouds	बादल (Badal)
Sky	आसमान (Aasman)
Day	दिन (Din)
Night	रात (Raat)
Sunset	सूर्यास्त (Suryast)
Sunrise	सूर्योदय (Suryoday)

Colours (रंग)

English	Hindi
White	सफ़ेद (Safed)
Grey	भूरा/स्लेटी (Bhoora/Sleti)
Black	काला (Kala)
Orange	नारंगी (Narangi)
Red	लाल (Laal)
Blue	नीला (Neela)

Sight Words (दृश्य शब्द)

one, at, me, with, just, go, a, the

‘ck’ Sound Words (‘ck’ ध्वनि वाले शब्द)

English	Hindi
Back	पीठ / वापस
Black	काला
Pack	बंडल
Sack	बोरी
Tack	किला
Kick	लात मारना
Pick	चुनना
Duck	बत्तख
Clock	घड़ी
Rock	चट्टान

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: “What do you see in the sky?” (तुम आसमान में क्या देखते हो?) “Have you seen clouds?” (क्या तुमने बादल देखे हैं?) “What shapes do they make?” (वे कैसे आकार बनाते हैं?)
5 min	Pre-listening	आज क्या सीखेंगे? (Aaj kya seekhenge?)	Show the picture on Page 68-69. Ask: “What do you see in the clouds?” “Today we will read a poem about clouds and the shapes we can see in them!”
10 min	Poem Recitation	कविता सुनो (Kavita suno)	Recite the poem with actions (Pages 68-69). 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 animals did we see in the clouds?” (Elephant, camel, lion, rabbit) “What was the elephant doing?” (Waving its trunk)

Poem: A Show of Clouds (Pages 68-69)

I see an elephant,
Waving its trunk at me.
I see a camel,
With a hump on its back.
I see a lion,
Just about to jump.
Oh! Now I see a rabbit,
And away it goes!

Actions for the Poem:

Line	Action
I see an elephant	Make a trunk with your arm
Waving its trunk at me	Wave like a trunk
I see a camel	Make a hump on your back
With a hump on its back	Touch your back
I see a lion	Make claws like a lion
Just about to jump	Crouch and jump
Oh! Now I see a rabbit	Make rabbit ears with fingers
And away it goes!	Hop away

Key Animals and Features:

Animal	Special Feature	Hindi
Elephant	Trunk	सूंड
Camel	Hump	कूबड़
Lion	Jump	कूदना
Rabbit	Hop	उछलना

Hindi Instructions to Use:

“Kavita suno” (कविता सुनो) – Listen to the poem
“Mere saath karo” (मेरे साथ करो) – Do with me
“Haathi” (हाथी) – Elephant
“Oont” (ऊँट) – Camel
“Sher” (शेर) – Lion
“Khargosh” (खरगोश) – Rabbit

Day 2: Cloud Watching and Observation (बादल देखना और अवलोकन)

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 animals did we see in the clouds?”
10 min	Cloud Watching Activity	बादल देखना (Badal dekhna)	Use Page 70: “Sit outside your home, or in an open space and watch the clouds go by. Next day, tell the class what you saw.” Take children outside to watch clouds. Ask: “What shapes do you see in the clouds?”
5 min	Cloud Colours Activity	बादलों के रंग (Badalon ke rang)	Use Page 70: “What are the colours of clouds? Tick the colours that clouds can be.” Discuss: white clouds, grey clouds, black clouds, and orange/red clouds at sunset.
5 min	Speaking Practice	बातचीत (Baatcheet)	Use Page 71: Answer questions asked by the teacher. “When I look up, I see…” “When I look down, I see…” “When I close my eyes, I see…”
5 min	Wrap-up	आज क्या सीखा?	Ask: “What shapes did you see in the clouds?” “What colours can clouds be?”

Cloud Watching Activity (Page 70 A):

Step	English	Hindi
1	Sit outside your home or in an open space.	अपने घर के बाहर या खुली जगह पर बैठो।
2	Watch the clouds go by.	बादलों को जाते हुए देखो।
3	Next day, tell the class what you saw.	अगले दिन कक्षा को बताओ कि तुमने क्या देखा।

Cloud Colours (Page 70 B):

Colour	When?	Tick (✓)
White	Daytime clouds	☐
Grey	Rainy/cloudy day	☐
Black	Storm clouds	☐
Orange	Sunset clouds	☐
Red	Sunset clouds	☐
Yellow	Sunrise clouds	☐

Speaking Practice (Page 71):

Question	Possible Answer
When you look up in the sky, what do you see?	When I look up, I see clouds and birds.
When you look down at the ground, what do you see?	When I look down, I see grass and flowers.
When you close your eyes, what do you see?	When I close my eyes, I see stars/dreams/darkness.

Hindi Instructions to Use:

“Badal dekho” (बादल देखो) – Look at the clouds
“Kya shape dikhta hai?” (क्या शेप दिखता है?) – What shape do you see?
“Kya rang hai?” (क्या रंग है?) – What colour is it?
“Upar dekho” (ऊपर देखो) – Look up
“Neeche dekho” (नीचे देखो) – Look down

Day 3: Comprehension and Sky Observations (समझ और आसमान का अवलोकन)

Duration: 30 minutes

Time	Activity	Hindi Term / Instruction	Teacher’s Role
5 min	Revision	पुनरावृत्ति (Punaravritti)	Quick recall of poem and cloud observations.
10 min	Comprehension Questions	प्रश्न-उत्तर (Prashn-uttar)	Use Page 72: Answer the questions. “In the poem, what animals did the child see as he looked up at the clouds?” “What do you see in the sky during the day?” “What do you see in the sky at night?”
10 min	Picture Time Activity	चित्र समय (Chitra samay)	Use Page 73: “Join the dots in alphabetical order and colour the picture.” Students join A-B-C-D… to complete the picture.
5 min	Wrap-up	आज क्या सीखा?	Ask: “What do you see in the sky during the day?” “What do you see in the sky at night?”

Comprehension Questions (Page 72):

Question	Expected Answer
In the poem, what animals did the child see as he looked up at the clouds?	The child could see an elephant, a camel, a lion, and a rabbit.
What do you see in the sky during the day?	I see clouds, birds, and the sun.
Write any three things you see in the sky during the day.	Sun, clouds, birds, aeroplane.
What do you see in the sky at night?	I see the moon, stars, and sometimes clouds.

Picture Time Activity (Page 73):

Step	English	Hindi
1	Join the dots in alphabetical order.	बिंदुओं को वर्णमाला क्रम में जोड़ो।
2	A → B → C → D …	A → B → C → D …
3	Colour the picture.	चित्र में रंग भरो।

Sky Observation Chart:

Time	What You See	Hindi
Daytime	Sun, clouds, birds	सूरज, बादल, पक्षी
Night	Moon, stars	चाँद, तारे
Sunrise	Orange/red sky	नारंगी/लाल आसमान
Sunset	Orange/pink sky	नारंगी/गुलाबी आसमान

Hindi Instructions to Use:

“Kya dekha?” (क्या देखा?) – What did you see?
“Din mein kya hai?” (दिन में क्या है?) – What is there in the daytime?
“Raat mein kya hai?” (रात में क्या है?) – What is there at night?
“Alphabetical order mein jodo” (Alphabetical order में जोड़ो) – Join in alphabetical order

Day 4: Phonics – ‘ck’ Sound (ध्वनि – ‘ck’ ध्वनि)

Duration: 30 minutes

Time	Activity	Hindi Term / Instruction	Teacher’s Role
5 min	Revision	दोहराव (Dohrav)	Recite the poem. Quick cloud observation recall.
15 min	Phonics Activity	ध्वनि अभ्यास (Dhvani abhyas)	Use Page 74: “Repeat after the teacher. The poem has the word ‘back’. Listen to your teacher and say the following words, with your teacher.” Practice words: back, black, pack, sack, tack, kick, pick, duck, clock, rock. Ask: “What sound is common in these words?” (/ck/ sound)
5 min	‘ck’ Sound Hunt	‘ck’ ध्वनि ढूंढो (‘ck’ dhvani dhundho)	Students find objects in the classroom with the ‘ck’ sound: clock, book, chalk, blackboard, etc.
5 min	Wrap-up	आज क्या सीखा?	Ask: “What sound does ‘back’ end with?” (/ck/ sound) “Say more words with the ‘ck’ sound.”

Phonics – ‘ck’ Sound Activity (Page 74):

Word	Hindi Meaning	‘ck’ Sound
Back	पीठ/वापस	Yes
Black	काला	Yes
Pack	बंडल	Yes
Sack	बोरी	Yes
Tack	किला	Yes
Kick	लात मारना	Yes
Pick	चुनना	Yes
Duck	बत्तख	Yes
Clock	घड़ी	Yes
Rock	चट्टान	Yes

More ‘ck’ Sound Words:

Word	Hindi
Book	किताब
Look	देखना
Took	लिया
Cook	रसोइया/पकाना
Shook	हिलाया
Crock	बर्तन
Pocket	जेब
Check	जाँच करना

‘ck’ Sound Hunt in the Classroom:

Object	Has ‘ck’ Sound?
Clock	Yes
Book	Yes
Chalk	Yes
Blackboard	Yes
Desk	No
Pencil	No

Hindi Instructions to Use:

“Mere pichhe bolo” (मेरे पीछे बोलो) – Repeat after me
“Kaun si sound common hai?” (कौन सी साउंड common है?) – What sound is common?
“‘ck’ sound wale shabd bolo” (‘ck’ sound वाले शब्द बोलो) – Say words with the ‘ck’ sound
“Class mein ‘ck’ sound dhundo” (Class में ‘ck’ sound ढूंढो) – Find the ‘ck’ sound in the classroom

Day 5: Review, Assessment, and Fun Activities (पुनरावृत्ति, मूल्यांकन और मज़ेदार गतिविधियाँ)

Duration: 30 minutes

Time	Activity	Hindi Term / Instruction	Teacher’s Role
5 min	Revision	पुनरावृत्ति (Punaravritti)	Full poem recitation with actions. Quick ‘ck’ sound words recall.
5 min	Speaking Assessment	बातचीत परीक्षण (Baatcheet parikshan)	Call students one by one. Ask: “What shapes do you see in the clouds?” “What do you see in the sky at day/night?” “What sound does ‘back’ end with?”
5 min	Writing Assessment	लेखन परीक्षण (Lekhan parikshan)	Dictate 5 words: cloud, elephant, camel, rabbit, sky. Students write in their notebooks.
10 min	Creative Activity	बादल चित्र (Badal chitra)	Students draw clouds and colour them. They can draw shapes they see in the clouds (animals, objects). They label: “This is a cloud.” “I see an elephant in the cloud.”
5 min	Wrap-up & Celebration	समापन और शाबाशी (Samaapan aur Shabashi)	Sing the poem one last time. Clap for all students. Celebrate their learning!

Speaking Assessment Questions:

Question	Expected Answer
What shapes do you see in the clouds?	I see an elephant/camel/lion/rabbit in the clouds.
What do you see in the sky during the day?	I see clouds, birds, and the sun.
What do you see in the sky at night?	I see the moon and stars.
What sound does ‘back’ end with?	‘back’ ends with the /ck/ sound.
What is the name of the animal with a hump?	Camel
What is the name of the animal with a trunk?	Elephant

Writing Assessment:

Dictation Word	Expected Spelling
Cloud	C-L-O-U-D
Elephant	E-L-E-P-H-A-N-T
Camel	C-A-M-E-L
Rabbit	R-A-B-B-I-T
Sky	S-K-Y
Lion	L-I-O-N

Creative Activity – Cloud Drawing:

Step	English	Hindi
1	Draw clouds in the sky.	आसमान में बादल बनाओ।
2	Draw what you see in the clouds.	बादलों में जो दिखता है, उसे बनाओ।
3	Colour your picture.	अपने चित्र में रंग भरो।
4	Write a sentence about it.	इसके बारे में एक वाक्य लिखो।

Assessment Checklist (मूल्यांकन सूची):

Skill	Criteria	Yes/No
Recitation	Recites the poem with actions	☐
Vocabulary	Names 4+ animals from the poem	☐
Observation	Describes cloud shapes	☐
Sky Awareness	Describes day and night sky	☐
Comprehension	Answers questions about the poem	☐
Phonics	Identifies ‘ck’ sound words	☐
Writing	Writes dictation words correctly	☐
Creativity	Draws clouds and shapes in them	☐

Additional Activities (अतिरिक्त गतिविधियाँ)

Activity	Description	Hindi Instruction
Cloud Watch	Take students outside to watch clouds. Ask them to describe what they see.	“Badal dekho aur batao.” (बादल देखो और बताओ।)
Cloud Shapes Drawing	Draw different cloud shapes and colour them. Write what they look like.	“Badal ke shapes banao.” (बादल के शेप्स बनाओ।)
Sky Diary	Observe the sky for one week. Draw what you see each day (sun, clouds, moon, stars).	“Aasman ki diary banao.” (आसमान की डायरी बनाओ।)
Animal Charades	Act like the animals from the poem (elephant, camel, lion, rabbit). Others guess.	“Janwar ka abhinay karo.” (जानवर का अभिनय करो।)
‘ck’ Sound Game	Teacher says a word, students identify if it has the ‘ck’ sound.	“‘ck’ sound wala shabd batao.” (‘ck’ sound वाला शब्द बताओ।)
Cloud Collage	Use cotton balls to make cloud shapes on paper. Stick them to make a sky scene.	“Rui ke badal banao.” (रुई के बादल बनाओ।)
What Do You See?	Show different cloud pictures. Students say: “I see a ______ in the cloud.”	“Badal mein kya dikhta hai?” (बादल में क्या दिखता है?)

Resources Needed (आवश्यक सामग्री)

Textbook: Mridang Class 2 English (Pages 68-74)
Pictures of clouds with different shapes
Pictures of: elephant, camel, lion, rabbit
Flashcards: ‘ck’ sound words (back, black, pack, sack, duck, clock, rock)
Cotton balls for cloud craft
Drawing sheets and crayons
Notebooks and pencils for writing practice
Chart paper for sky diary
Glue and scissors for cloud collage

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

Clouds in Indian Culture: Clouds (बादल) are an important part of Indian monsoon season. They bring rain which is essential for agriculture.
Indian Monsoon: India’s monsoon season is crucial for farmers. Clouds are seen as bringers of life (rain) and are celebrated in many Indian songs and poems.
Animals in Indian Culture: The animals mentioned in the poem (elephant, camel, lion, rabbit) are all part of Indian wildlife and culture.
- Elephant: Associated with Lord Ganesha
- Lion: Associated with Goddess Durga
- Camel: Important animal in Rajasthan’s desert culture
- Rabbit: Associated with the Moon (Chandrama)
Indian Sky Observation: In India, farmers have traditionally observed the sky to predict weather. This is an important skill for agriculture.
Indian Poetry: Indian poetry has many poems about nature, clouds, rain, and the sky. This poem continues that tradition.
Rangoli: Cloud shapes are often used in Indian Rangoli designs.

Note to the Teacher (शिक्षक के लिए नोट)

Let the children speak. Encourage them to speak in English. Accept answers even if they respond in only one word or a phrase.
Ask children to explain. For instance, if children say ‘The cloud is red’, they may be thinking of clouds at sunset.
All answers are acceptable, real or imaginary. Provide regular practice of the sentence structures. Help children answer in full sentences.
Let the children repeat the words, one by one, noticing the ‘ck’ sound. The children need not know the meaning of these words.
Provide regular and frequent practice of the above sentence structures.
Encourage children to use their imagination when looking at clouds.
Take children outside for cloud watching if possible – this makes learning experiential and memorable.

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

Area	Connection
Environmental Studies (EVS)	Sky, clouds, weather, day and night, animals
Art & Craft	Cloud drawing, cotton ball clouds, sky collage
Science	Clouds, rain, weather, day and night sky
Mathematics	Counting, alphabetical order
Values Education	Observation, imagination, appreciation of nature
Language Development	Vocabulary building, ‘ck’ sound words, sentence formation

Quick Reference Card

Key Animals:
Elephant (trunk)
Camel (hump)
Lion (jump)
Rabbit (hop)

Key Sky Observations:
Day: Sun, clouds, birds
Night: Moon, stars

Key Cloud Colours:
White, grey, black, orange, red

Phonics Focus:
‘ck’ sound (back, black, pack, sack, duck, clock, rock)

Key Sentences:

When I look up, I see ______.
When I look down, I see ______.
When I close my eyes, I see ______.

Key Message:
“Use your imagination – clouds can be anything you want them to be!”