Lesson Plan: Thank God!

Class 3 English Santoor NCERT: Unit 3 Good Food

Lesson Overview

Introduction

“Thank God!” is the eighth chapter of Unit 3: Good Food in the Santoor Class 3 English textbook. This delightful story is a Jataka tale – a traditional story from India that teaches moral values through animal and human characters.

The story follows:

• A farmer – who grows fruits on his farm, especially grapes and watermelons
• His wife – who suggests giving the best fruits to the king
• The King – who is in a playful mood and throws grapes at the farmer
• The farmer’s clever response – “Thank God!” – showing wisdom and wit

The story teaches children about:

• Gratitude – being thankful even in difficult situations
• Wisdom and cleverness – the farmer’s witty response
• Hard work – the farmer works hard to grow fruits
• Fruits and farming – grapes, watermelons, and other fruits
• Jataka tales – traditional Indian moral stories
• Opposites – heavy/light, big/small
• Using ‘is’ and ‘are’ – singular and plural verbs

The chapter also includes activities related to:

• Comprehension questions (true/false)
• Opposites – heavy/light, big/small, etc.
• Using ‘is’ and ‘are’ – filling in the blanks
• Poem “Aachoo!” – about an elephant with a cold
• Making a salad – ordering steps
• Fruit word search – finding fruits in a grid

Learning Objectives (सीखने के उद्देश्य)

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

1. Listen to and understand the Jataka tale “Thank God!” (जातक कथा “Thank God!” को सुन और समझ सकेंगे।)
2. Identify the characters – farmer, farmer’s wife, king, princess. (पात्रों को पहचान सकेंगे – किसान, किसान की पत्नी, राजा, राजकुमारी।)
3. Understand the moral – gratitude, wisdom, and cleverness. (नैतिक संदेश को समझ सकेंगे – कृतज्ञता, बुद्धिमत्ता और चतुराई।)
4. Identify opposites – heavy/light, big/small, etc. (विलोम शब्दों की पहचान कर सकेंगे।)
5. Use ‘is’ and ‘are’ correctly in sentences. (‘is’ और ‘are’ का सही उपयोग कर सकेंगे।)
6. Answer comprehension questions about the story. (कहानी से संबंधित प्रश्नों के उत्तर दे सकेंगे।)
7. Sequence steps for making a fruit salad. (फलों का सलाद बनाने के चरणों को क्रम में लगा सकेंगे।)
8. Find fruits in a word search grid. (शब्द ग्रिड में फलों के नाम ढूंढ सकेंगे।)

Key Vocabulary (मुख्य शब्दावली)

Story-Specific Words (कहानी से संबंधित शब्द)

New Words (नए शब्द)

Opposites (विलोम शब्द)

Fruits (फल)

Sight Words (दृश्य शब्द)

grow, kept, front, again, the, and, to, of, for, with, on, at, by, from, in, it, they, their, them

Day-Wise Lesson Plan

Day 1: Introduction to the Story (कहानी का परिचय)

Duration: 30 minutes

Story Summary (Part 1 – Pages 96-97):

Once upon a time, there was a farmer who liked fruits. So, he decided to grow fruits on his land. He worked hard to grow a variety of fruits.

When the fruits were all ripe and ready to be eaten, the farmer decided to gift the best fruit to the king. His wife said, “This year, the best fruits on our farm are the watermelons and the grapes.”

The farmer said, “Since it is a long journey to the palace, I shall take the grapes as watermelons are too heavy.” So, he put bunches of grapes in a basket and walked to the king’s palace.

Key Characters – Part 1:

Key Vocabulary – Part 1:

Hindi Instructions to Use:

• “Kahaani suno” (कहानी सुनो) – Listen to the story
• “Kisaan kaun hai?” (किसान कौन है?) – Who is the farmer?
• “Usne kya ugaya?” (उसने क्या उगाया?) – What did he grow?
• “Raja ko kya diya?” (राजा को क्या दिया?) – What did he give the king?

Day 2: Story Narration (Part 2) and Comprehension (कहानी का दूसरा भाग और समझ)

Duration: 30 minutes

Story Summary (Part 2 – Pages 97-99):

The farmer reached the palace. He told the palace guard that he had brought a gift for the King. The guard took him to the royal garden. The farmer saw the King playing with the princess. He quietly kept the basket full of grapes in front of him and sat down.

When the King sat down to rest, the guard brought the basket of grapes to the King. The King was still in a playful mood. He took a bunch of grapes from the basket. He plucked out one grape and popped it into his mouth. Then he plucked another grape and threw it playfully at the farmer.

When the grape hit the farmer’s forehead, he said, “Thank God!”
The King was surprised! He threw a grape again. The farmer again said, “Thank God! I am blessed!”

The King asked the farmer, “Why are you thanking God when I am throwing grapes at you?”

The wise farmer replied with a smile, “O mighty King! I had grown the best grapes and watermelons on my farm. I chose the grapes to gift to you. Imagine if I had brought watermelons! Indeed, God is great!”

Comprehension Questions (Page 100):

Hindi Instructions to Use:

• “Raja ne kya kiya?” (राजा ने क्या किया?) – What did the king do?
• “Kisaan ne kya kaha?” (किसान ने क्या कहा?) – What did the farmer say?
• “Kyun?” (क्यों?) – Why?
• “Kaisa tha?” (कैसा था?) – How was he?

Day 3: Discussion and Opposites (चर्चा और विलोम शब्द)

Duration: 30 minutes

Discussion Questions (Page 100 B):

Opposites Activity (Page 101 A):

Hindi Instructions to Use:

• “Vilom shabd kya hai?” (विलोम शब्द क्या है?) – What is the opposite word?
• “Heavy ka opposite kya hai?” (Heavy का opposite क्या है?) – What is the opposite of heavy?
• “Kisaan ko kya kahenge?” (किसान को क्या कहेंगे?) – What will you say to a farmer?

Day 4: Using ‘is’ and ‘are’ (is और are का उपयोग)

Duration: 30 minutes

‘is’ and ‘are’ Rules:

Fill in the Blanks (Page 102):

Poem “Aachoo!” (Page 103):

Once a mighty elephant,
Got a mighty cold.
It went to buy a handkerchief,
Where handkerchiefs were sold.

“A hanky for an elephant?”
The sales girl was surprised,
“Sorry sir but we don’t have
A handkerchief that size.”

“AACHOO!” said the elephant.
And shook its mighty head,
“Forget about the handkerchief
Give me a sheet instead.”

Discussion Questions for the Poem:

• “What food items will you take with you?” (Take soup, hot drinks, fruits, etc.)

Hindi Instructions to Use:

• “Is ka upyog kab karte hain?” (Is का उपयोग कब करते हैं?) – When do we use ‘is’?
• “Are ka upyog kab karte hain?” (Are का उपयोग कब करते हैं?) – When do we use ‘are’?
• “Khaali jagah bharo” (खाली जगह भरो) – Fill in the blanks.
• “Ek ya zyada?” (एक या ज़्यादा?) – One or more than one?

Day 5: Salad Making, Word Search, Assessment, and Celebration (सलाद बनाना, शब्द खोज, मूल्यांकन और उत्सव)

Duration: 30 minutes

Salad Sequencing Activity (Page 104):

Fruit Word Search (Page 105):

Find these fruits in the grid:

• APPLE
• MANGO
• BANANA
• GRAPES
• ORANGE
• PAPAYA
• WATERMELON
• GUAVA
• POMEGRANATE
• PINEAPPLE

Speaking Assessment Questions:

Assessment Checklist (मूल्यांकन सूची):

Additional Activities (अतिरिक्त गतिविधियाँ)

Resources Needed (आवश्यक सामग्री)

1. Textbook: Santoor Class 3 English (Pages 96-105)
2. Pictures of: farmer, fruits (grapes, watermelon, etc.), palace, king
3. Real fruits (for fruit salad activity)
4. Flashcards: opposites
5. Flashcards: ‘is’ and ‘are’ examples
6. Fruit word search worksheet
7. Drawing sheets and crayons
8. Notebooks and pencils
9. Magazines for fruit collage

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

• Jataka Tales: The story is a Jataka tale – traditional Indian stories about the previous lives of the Buddha. These stories teach moral values and wisdom.
• Farmers in India: India is an agricultural country. Farmers are the backbone of India. The story highlights the importance of farmers and their hard work.
• Gratitude in Indian Culture: The farmer says “Thank God!” even when grapes are thrown at him. This reflects the Indian value of gratitude and finding blessings in every situation.
• Indian Fruits: The story mentions grapes and watermelons. India has a rich variety of fruits – mango, banana, papaya, guava, pomegranate, etc.
• Wisdom and Wit: The story teaches that being wise and clever can turn a difficult situation into a good one. This is a common theme in Indian folklore.
• Kings and Palaces: The story mentions a king and a palace, reflecting India’s rich royal history.

Note to the Teacher (शिक्षक के लिए नोट)

• Recapitulate the concept of singular and plural and link it with the use of ‘is’ and ‘are’. (As mentioned on Page 102)
• Guide students to locate the words in the grid. (As mentioned on Page 105)
• Incorporate activities where learners get to describe someone or something.
• Provide regular and frequent practice of the above sentence structure.
• Encourage children to speak about their experiences with farmers, farming, or visiting farms.
• Use the Jataka tale to teach moral values – gratitude, wisdom, and cleverness.

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

Quick Reference Card

Key Characters:
Farmer, Farmer’s wife, King, Princess

Key Fruits:
Grapes, Watermelon, Mango, Apple, Banana, Papaya, Orange, Guava

Key Opposites:
Heavy – Light, Big – Small, Hard – Soft, Hot – Cold

Grammar:
is (singular) / are (plural)

Key Message:
“Be wise and grateful. Sometimes, the best situations come from clever thinking.”

Jataka Tale Moral:
“The farmer’s wisdom saved him from a heavy situation!”