WATER’S FOR Class English Lesson 1 POEM
Overview:
This poem presents two contrasting perspectives on water use. The first part reflects the practical, everyday uses of water as described by an adult (likely the mother), focusing on cleaning, drinking, and gardening. The second part, narrated by a child, highlights water’s playful and imaginative uses, such as puddle jumping, squirting siblings, and mixing with mud for fun. It captures childhood’s joy and creativity while showcasing water’s essential role in daily life.
Water’s for . . .
washing, drinking
making tea,
cleaning the bath
or scrubbing me;
shining a car
or rinsing a shirt
watering tomatoes,
shifting the dirt
… my Mum says.
But I say . . .
Paddling in wellies
or just in feet
(puddles are good
but the sea’s a treat)
squirting at brothers,
splashing Dad,
soaking my sister
to make her mad!
Mixing with mud
to bake a pie,
spraying the dog
or catching a fly.
bath or puddle,
sleet or rain,
let’s all play
a WATER game!
Multiple-Choice Questions:
- What is the main focus of the first part of the poem?
a) Playing with water
b) Practical uses of water
c) Saving water
d) Environmental pollution
Answer: b) Practical uses of water - What is the child’s favourite activity with water?
a) Drinking water
b) Washing clothes
c) Playing and splashing
d) Watering plants
Answer: c) Playing and splashing - What does “shifting the dirt” mean in the poem?
a) Cleaning dirty places
b) Moving soil in a garden
c) Playing in the mud
d) Spraying water on dirt
Answer: a) Cleaning dirty places - Which poetic device is used in “Paddling in wellies”?
a) Simile
b) Alliteration
c) Metaphor
d) Personification
Answer: b) Alliteration - What does the mother value most about water?
a) Its practical uses
b) Its entertainment value
c) Its beauty
d) Its availability
Answer: a) Its practical uses - Why does the child enjoy spraying the dog?
a) To clean the dog
b) For fun
c) To teach the dog tricks
d) To shift the dirt
Answer: b) For fun - What type of water is described as a “treat”?
a) Rain
b) The sea
c) Puddles
d) A bath
Answer: b) The sea - What emotion is likely caused by soaking the sister?
a) Joy
b) Anger
c) Gratitude
d) Fear
Answer: b) Anger - Which action does NOT involve water in the poem?
a) Spraying the dog
b) Mixing with mud
c) Rinsing a shirt
d) Sweeping the floor
Answer: d) Sweeping the floor - What is the tone of the child’s section of the poem?
a) Serious
b) Playful
c) Sad
d) Neutral
Answer: b) Playful - What does the word “wellies” refer to?
a) Gloves
b) Rain boots
c) Hats
d) Raincoats
Answer: b) Rain boots - What does “sleet” refer to in the poem?
a) Snow
b) Frozen rain
c) Strong winds
d) Puddles
Answer: b) Frozen rain - Why is water important for tomatoes?
a) To clean them
b) To water them for growth
c) To wash off dirt
d) To mix with mud
Answer: b) To water them for growth - What does the child use mud for?
a) Cleaning
b) Making a pie
c) Painting
d) Shifting dirt
Answer: b) Making a pie - What activity involves “paddling”?
a) Cooking
b) Walking through the water
c) Jumping on a trampoline
d) Drinking water
Answer: b) Walking through the water - What does the word “soaking” mean in the context of the poem?
a) Drying
b) Absorbing
c) Drenching with water
d) Splashing lightly
Answer: c) Drenching with water - What does the mother’s perspective emphasize?
a) The scarcity of water
b) Water’s role in hygiene and chores
c) The joy of playing with water
d) Rainy weather
Answer: b) Water’s role in hygiene and chores - What poetic device is prominent in the line “bath or puddle, sleet or rain”?
a) Rhyme
b) Simile
c) Hyperbole
d) Onomatopoeia
Answer: a) Rhyme - What kind of game does the child suggest?
a) A card game
b) A water-based game
c) A puzzle
d) A video game
Answer: b) A water-based game - What lesson can be inferred from the poem?
a) Water should be used only for work.
b) Water is essential for fun and utility.
c) Playing with water is a waste.
d) Adults know better than children.
Answer: b) Water is essential for fun and utility.
Reading Comprehension
1. Complete the table, “What’s water for,” according to the child and the mother.
| Mother | Child |
| Washing, drinking making tea, cleaning, bath, watering tomatoes. bake | Paddling in wellies squi- rating at brothers, splashing his dad, soaking his sister, mixing mud into a pie, spraying the dog. playing water game |
2. Given are some situations. Imagine yourself as a five-year-old child. Tick some of the situations that you would enjoy doing:
1. Waking up someone by pouring water. (X)
2. Watering plants. (√)
3. Jumping in rainwater. (√)
4. Washing clothes. (X)
5. Throwing water on someone. (√)
6. Floating paper boats in a tub or bucket. (√)
7. Fill an empty bottle with water. (√)
8. Pouring out water from one glass to another. (V)
9. Put a piece of paper in the water and stick it on the walls or door. (√)
10. Playing with water. (√)
3. Complete the table with your own rhyming words. Pick up one from the poem :
| shirt | dirt | skirt | |
| feet | treat | fleet | sleet |
| mad | sad | dad | red |
| fly | dry | shy | why |
| tea | see | me | glee |