Class II

Words and Statements highlighted in color are by the author of the Blog:

Words in GREEN= Grammar, syntax or spelling error

Words, phrases and sentences in PURPLE= Questionable and/or inaccurate statement (theology, philosophy, ethics, morality, scientific)

Statements in BLUE= Statements that SRCM (Chennai) does not seem to practice


Chapter I - God And Guru 31
God Is Your Friend 31

Chapter II - Healthy Living 34
Do Not Waste Food 34

Chapter III - Greetings 37
Hello! Vanakkam!! Namaste!!! 37

Chapter IV - Love 39
I Love My Friends! 39

Chapter V - Happiness 43
Be Content, Be Happy 43

Chapter VI - Nature 45
Be In Tune With Nature 45

Chapter VII - Discipline 47
Take Care On The Road 48

Chapter VIII - Work And Perseverance 50
Unity Is Strength 50

Chapter IX - Time Management 53
Do It Now!! 53

Chapter X - Courage 55
Speak The Truth 55


CHAPTER I - GOD AND GURU

GOD IS YOUR FRIEND

Objectives

 God is the best friend we can have. We can depend on Him at all times.
 Prayer helps us to feel His presence. Group prayer is very beneficial.
 The guru helps us to learn a lot of new things easily. We must respect our teachers.

Introduction

It is never too early to learn that God is not sitting separately somewhere but is very much with us. He is the best friend we can have. He loves us and takes care of us in every way. We are able to withstand adversities and pull on through life when we believe in God and in His help. He gives us the strength to overcome obstacles. Prayer is a link that helps us to reach God.
Guru helps us to learn new things easily. If we had to learn on our own, it would be very difficult and it would be a slow process. Showing respect for the one who teaches us is one of the most important principles in our culture. This value seems to be slowly getting eroded. It becomes imperative therefore, to instil this in early childhood itself so that it stays with them all through their life.

A way to begin

 Ask the children how would it be if they had a friend who was invisible. Tell them that they can think of God as their invisible friend who is always there with them.

 Tell them—“Make it a habit to say a prayer and talk to God everyday. How does this help? When you are in school, you like to be with your friends and play with them. You don’t feel the same way with strangers. When you think of God everyday, He becomes your friend. He is not a stranger to you anymore. When you can spend so much time with your friends, is it not possible to spend some time with someone who can be the best friend you can ever have?” Ask them to think about this.

 Ask them—“Are you afraid of your friends or do you love them? Do your friends help you or leave you when you are in trouble? If you think of God as your friend, will you be afraid of Him or will you love Him? As your friend, will He help you or leave you? What will you do to show your love for Him?” Discuss this point.
 Tell them that teachers are our Gurus at school. Without their help it will be difficult to learn things. We will learn better if we respect and love our Gurus. Parents act as Gurus at home.

Story Time

Story 1 - Ranjan’s mother was surprised when she saw him getting up very early in the morning on a holiday. He was going out with his friend to watch some birds, which came to the park at dawn. When he came back, he told his mother all about the wonderful birds he had seen and the good time he had had with his friends. His mother listened to him and then told him,” Ranjan, you were amazed to see the birds. How much more amazing is God who has created them! You are willing to get up early to spend time with your friends. How about getting up early so that you can spend time with God in prayer? God is the best friend you can have. He is always there with you, ready to help you. Don’t you think you should spend at least some minutes with Him? And the best time to do so is when you begin the day. Then you can go through the whole day with His help. Think about it.” Ranjan understood what his mother was telling him. The next day she was happy when she saw him getting up early and praying!

Story 2 - Do you know that in the olden days there were no schools as we have them today? There were teachers who lived in their ashrams. They were highly respected and students would go to them, stay with them for a few years, serve them in every way and learn from them. At the end of their study period they would offer something as their Guru Dakshina. The following story is about a boy who was eager to learn from a guru.
Jathila was the son of a poor widow. He wanted to study with a guru who lived across the forest but he was scared to go alone. His mother told him not to be scared and to call out for brother Gopal. Jathila believed in her and called out Gopal’s name when he went into the forest. Soon a cowherd appeared before him and asked him what he wanted. When he learnt about Jathila’s fears he told him not to be afraid and that he would help him. Everyday Jathila would call out to Gopal and with his escort, cross the forest. Soon the school term came to an end and Jathila was in a fix what to give his teacher as Guru dakshina. Gopal solved this problem by giving him a pot of curd. When the teacher tasted the curd, he found it so sweet and tasty that he wanted to know from where Jathila had got it. When Jathila narrated who had been helping him all these days, the teacher realized that innocent Jathila’s escort was no one else but God himself!

Story 3 - Here is a small story to show how God is always there with us and takes care of us. Once a man happened to be able to talk to God. “ Where have you been all these years?” he asked God, “ I never saw you!” “ I have always been with you, my son, I never left you” said God. To prove this, God gave the man the capacity to look back into his life. The man saw his life unfold before him. He saw all through his life there were two pairs of footsteps. “ See the second pair of footsteps? Those are mine. Now do you believe that I was always there with you?” asked God. “ Wait a minute,” said the man, “ At some places I can see only one pair of footsteps and those were the times when I was in great trouble! You left me at those times. You left me when I needed you the most!” accused the man.
God smiled gently at him. “Look again, my son” He said with love, “The footsteps you see were mine. When you were in trouble, I did not leave you. But I carried you in my arms!”

Points to Discuss

 Prayer is a link with God. Have you learnt any prayer from your parents? Share it with the class. Is everybody saying the same prayer? What do you learn from this? (Prayers can be in any language. Let the children understand that they can communicate with God in any way. Prayers can be silent too.)

 When we pray to Him in a group, it is very effective. For example, when a teacher enters the class, if all the students get up together and wish the teacher, the effect is wonderful and the teacher responds. Likewise, when we pray together, the effect is greater.

 Teachers are our gurus at school. What work do they do? Who are our teachers at home? Do you have teachers for teaching you something else other than studies? (eg. music, dance, etc.) Tell your friends about these teachers and why you like them.

 Teachers feel happy when you are able to follow their guidance and do well and benefit. Have you played the game of being a teacher with your friends? Did you like it? Would you like to take up teaching as a profession? What benefits will be there? What problems will you have to face?

Activities

 Read these poems to the children and let them think about their meanings
One Little Candle
It is better to light one little candle
Than to stumble in the dark
Better far to light just one little candle
All you need is a tiny spark
If we all said a prayer that the world would be free
What a wonderful dawn of a new day it would be
And if everyone lit just one little candle
What a bright world this would be!

 God’s love
God’s love is so wonderful, O, wonderful love!
It is so high—you can’t get over it!
It is so deep—you can’t go under it!
It is so wide—you can’t go around it!
O, wonderful love!
 Help the children make cards for their teachers to wish them or to thank them. Make sure that ALL the teachers who come to teach them get these cards!

CHAPTER II - HEALTHY LIVING (stopped here)

DO NOT WASTE FOOD

Objectives

 Pay attention to the daily routine of cleanliness.
 Eat clean and healthy food and avoid junk food.
 Do not waste any food. Help your parents in serving food.

Introduction

Apart from learning habits of healthy living, one should also pay attention to not wasting food. Many children tend to leave things on their plates and this habit should be curbed at the earliest. Periodic checking of nails, hair and teeth of the children in the class will ensure that they learn the importance of personal hygiene. It is necessary for children to develop a daily routine of cleanliness, paying attention to also keeping their nails and hair clean.

A way to begin

 Talk to the children about the food they eat. What food do they like? Do they eat everything or do they waste food? Tell them that whenever they feel like leaving some food on the plate, they should think of their parents who have spent time and money to get it for them and think of those people who are not getting enough to eat.

 Bring to their notice how a lot of food gets wasted when there are parties. Many people take more than what they can eat and waste this food. In some places the extra food is collected and given to those who do not get enough to eat. Will it not be better to take just enough so that more people can benefit? Let the children resolve never to take more than what they can eat.

 Ask them to think of food as a gift from God. We should thank Him for it before we start eating. There are many people responsible for bringing the food to our table but we cannot thank each one of them individually. So we thank God who ultimately is the one who has given us this food. Prayer is a link with God.

Story Time

Story 1 - Little Hari hated to brush his teeth, wash his hands or comb his hair. His mother had to remind him every time. He just wouldn’t bother!
One night he had a dream. He saw a shabby man dressed in dirty clothes with unkempt hair and foul smelling mouth come near him. He was so smelly, Hari couldn’t even stand near him. But the man would not leave Hari and asked him if he knew the boy in the address slip he had with him. “ Hello, my name is Mr.Dirty. I have been looking for a place to stay, it is very difficult in this city! Everybody is chasing me away. I was told that this boy would let us stay there”, he said. “ Us? Who else is there with you?” asked Hari. The shabby man pointed to four people in the distance. “ There, you can see Mr. Tooth ache, Mr. Stomach ache and Mr. Fever. The one who is very important is Mr. Lazy. He helps us a lot. Now, I have to find a place to stay. Do you know where this boy lives?” Hari was aghast to find his name on the slip! “ No,” he said hurriedly, “ this boy also will not let you stay with him!” Saying this he quickly ran home and shut the door firmly. He was still shaking with the thought of the dirty man when he found his mother shaking him to wake him up. He jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to brush his teeth and have his bath. His mother couldn’t believe her eyes and wondered what had happened. But you know, don’t you?

Story 2 - Ravi could never eat without wasting something. Once Ravi’s uncle came on a visit and when he saw the way Ravi was wasting his food, he decided to teach him a lesson. He took Ravi to a cafeteria and ordered Pizza, pastry and ice cream for him. Ravi was thrilled! When they arrived, he started to eat the pizza. Just as he was half way through, his uncle just took it from him and threw it in the waste bin. Ravi was surprised and wanted to ask his uncle but his uncle was busy talking to somebody. A bit puzzled, Ravi started to eat the pastry and in between he would scoop a spoon of ice cream. They were so delicious and Ravi was having a very good time. But before he could finish them, his uncle again took them away and threw them in the waste bin. Ravi was angry and with tears in his eyes he looked at the half-eaten pieces longingly. “Why, Ravi, why are you crying,” asked his uncle, “ I thought you never liked to eat anything fully. Yesterday I saw you biting into a biscuit and you left it there. Then you took a banana but didn’t eat it fully. Your mother told me that you always did that. So I was just helping you to waste food. Did I do something wrong?” He knew his uncle was telling the truth. He also realized his mistake and made up his mind to be careful with his food.

Points to Discuss

Ask--What does your mother say or do when you forget to brush your teeth at night, let the tap run while you are brushing your teeth or you let the soap float on water. Do you think she is right? Or, do you get upset with her? Just wash your hands quickly with water. Then with soap. Rub your hands well. Do you see the black dirt being washed away? You were going to eat that entire dirt too! Also check up to see if your nails are clean and not dirty. If you don’t cut your nails regularly, dirt will hide in them. What will happen if you bite those dirty nails?

 Think of the following situation ---Anand reaches for more food. “Not so fast, Anand. You still have food on your plate. Eat slowly. Chew your food well. Take only as much as you can eat. Remember, Anand, you should not waste any food” says his mother. What are the four instructions she gave him?

 We should eat only the right amount of food. What will happen to a plant if it gets too much of water or sunlight ? It will wither due to excess water and heat.Take only as much as you can eat. Think of children who do not get enough to eat at all.

Activities

 Complete this crossword. (crossword given)
 Fill up the blanks using - always /never /sometimes.
I ___ brush my teeth at night. I___ like to eat chocolates. I___ like to eat green vegetables. I___ forget to close the tap. I am ___ careful with my soap. I___ wear a clean dress.
 Let’s play word antakshari! Fill up the blanks with words which start with the last letter of the previous underlined word. The first word is done for you.
a) Chew your food well.
b) Do not waste any food.
c) Do not e___t your food in a hurry.
d) T______g with food in your mouth is not polite.
e) Eat g______ n vegetables everyday.
f) N______r eat spoilt food.
g) Always r______e your mouth with water after eating.
h) E______y what you eat.

 Ten good things to eat and drink are hidden in this word square. Can you spot them? (apple, orange, cheese, eggs, dals, curd, beans, tomatoes, carrot, milk)


T O M A T O E S
Q S I Z C U R D
D A L Q S G G E
Z P K B E A N S
C A R R O T Q E
P N D X W V C E
O R A N G E S H
A P P L E D X C



CHAPTER III - GREETINGS

HELLO! VANAKKAM!! NAMASTE!!!

Objectives

 Greeting varies from place to place but the feelings expressed are the same.
 We express our feelings of love, care, friendship and respect to others through our greetings.
 We greet to express joy, to show our concern for the welfare of the person, to spread goodwill, as thanks giving.

Introduction

We exchange greetings to communicate and to begin a relationship. It is a way to express our good wishes for the person we meet or talk to. We can communicate a lot in one word of greeting than anyone can in a whole sentence. We always greet with a smile to express our warmth. People of different regions greet in different ways but the feelings expressed are the same.

A way to begin

 Ask the students to think of a situation where some guests come home while the parents are there and when they are away. What will they say and do? Let them enact this scene. (You can be the guest!) Ask the other students to comment on the scene and offer suggestions for improvement. (Make sure the children offered some water to the guests, made them feel comfortable and after they had left, made a note of their names and the time of their visit to inform their parents. Also warn the students NEVER to let anybody unknown come inside the house when they are alone!)

 If there are students from other states of India, ask them how greetings differ in their states.

 Explain to the children how people greet and show their respect to the elders in different parts of our country—touching the feet of the elders and then touching their own forehead (charan sparsh) in the North, doing namaskaram by kneeling and bending in front of the elders (done by women) or falling at their feet and letting all eight parts of the body touch the floor (sashtanga namaskaram by men). Unfortunately these forms of greeting as well as showing respect to elders is fast disappearing from India! Let the children at least know about these customs.

Story Time

Story 1- Mr & Mrs Parekh and their two children Prakash & Sandhya lived in Delhi. Every time a visitor came home, Prakash would run happily towards the visitor and greet them. Sandhya would sit aside silently even without looking at the visitors. Every time her mother had to remind Sandhya to greet the visitors. One day Sandhya asked her mother why nobody brought her sweets or talked to her. Her mother told her that she always got back what she gave. If she greeted them happily, so would they. Sandhya tried this next time and found that what her mother told her was quite true. Now she has many friends too!

Story 2 : Uma went with her father to an international conference. She saw people from various parts of the world and from India. Uma looked around to see what people were doing. She saw two people folding their hands and saying “Namaste” to each other. She had heard her mother using the same words when her aunt had come to see them. Then somewhere around she saw two people hugging each other and talking. Everybody was smiling when they greeted each other. Then she spotted two people rubbing their noses! “What is that?” she asked her father. ”Oh! They are Eskimos and this is the way they greet each other.”
Now look at those two ladies! Hugging and kissing on both cheeks-“They are French and this is how they greet ”, said her dad. Uma kept on observing people around. All looked different and they talked also in different languages but when they saw each other they all smiled and looked happy. When her father’s friend asked her what she had learnt, she said, “I learnt that people from various parts of the world have come here. I noticed that all of them had a smile on their faces when they met each other. They spoke different languages but seemed to understand when greeted in different ways. I have picked up a few words, which my father helped me to understand.They are, Namaste as said in Hindi, Kunichua -as said in Japanese, Hello, Hi - in English, Vanakkam in Tamil ……My father told me that people had different gestures but they all meant to make the other person warm. Tomorrow when I go to school, I will tell my teacher about what I had learnt in this International Conference.”

Points to Discuss

 Below are given some greetings. Match them with the given situations

Greetings—

You say you are sorry to hear that ….
You congratulate him happily
You run and give him a hug
You say Namaste and ask them to sit down
You wish her Happy Birthday!
You say “ Excuse Me”

Situations

Some guests have come home
It’s your friend’s birthday!
Your friend, who was absent for a long time, comes to the class again.
A classmate wins a prize.
Two people are talking and you want to cut across and go to the other side.
Your friend has lost his pet dog.
 Your friend had a fight with you and now he wants to make up. What will you say?

Activities

 Teach the children different ways of making greeting cards. Emphasise the need to conserve paper by using once used paper.
 Let them think of sending cards to those who never get them, for example, inmates in an old age home or orphanage or even those who work for them.


CHAPTER IV - LOVE

I LOVE MY FRIENDS!

Objectives

 Be friendly and not quarrelsome.
 Show your love for your friends by sharing in their joys and sorrows.
 Only people who love us and care for us criticize us by pointing out our mistakes. We must take the criticisms in the right spirit.

Introduction

Friends make our day, friendship lightens the way! School life without friends is unimaginable. Most children make friends naturally without thinking about love and friendship etc. Love in friendship develops the qualities of tolerance, patience and sharing. By focussing their attention on the need to love others, it is hoped that they will be able to increase the circle of their friends and spread their love to more people. Encourage them to extend their friendliness and love to children who are shy and have difficulties in making friends easily. Most often these children get sidetracked and find it even more difficult to open up.


A way to begin

 Tell them the story of Krishna and his friend Sudama. Since most of the children may be familiar with this story, ask them questions in between or deliberately make a mistake to see how attentive they are!

 Tell them the story of how Krishna helped Arjun fight the Kurukshetra war. When Arjun declined from fighting the war because all his relatives were lined up against him. Krishna, who was Arjun’s best friend, advised Arjun and reminded him of his duties. This was how the immortal verses of Gita were born.

 The two stories show what a good friend Krishna was. He helped when it was necessary but also criticized when it was needed. Let the children understand that God, who is our best friend, does the same way. He helps us when we need his help. When we do something wrong, He reminds us of it too!

Story Time (stopped here)

Story 1 - (from Panchatantra) A crow called Laghupatanaka, a rat named Hiranyaka and a turtle known as Manthara became good friends. Once, they found a deer trembling with fright in a forest. When they asked him the reason, he introduced himself as Chitranga and said that a hunter was chasing him and that was why he was scared. The three friends felt sorry for him. Chitranga said he wanted their assistance. “How can tiny creatures like us help you?” asked the three. In reply, Chitranga told the story of how some rats that lived in a forest were once trampled by a herd of elephants. (In Panchatantra, one story always leads to another) The king of the rats went to the king of the elephants and told him to spare their tribe and that they would help them in need. Even though amused, the elephant king agreed. Shortly thereafter, the elephants were caught in a trap. The elephant king called out to the tiny rats who came and freed the elephants by biting away the net. “Didn’t this story show how friends can always help each other?” asked Chitranga. After hearing this story, the three friends took the deer also as their friend.

Once Chitranga was caught by the hunter and tied to a tree. His friends rushed to help him. The rat bit away the rope and just as the deer was set free, the hunter came there. The deer ran fast, the crow flew and the rat hid itself. But the hunter caught Manthara, the slow turtle. How to free him? The friends thought of a plan. Suddenly the hunter saw a dead deer lying on the ground with a crow pecking at it. He threw the turtle down and went to get the deer. Meanwhile, the rat ran to the turtle and helped it to jump into a lake. Just as the hunter came near, Chitranga, which had pretended to be dead, ran away and Laghupatanaka flew away. The hunter was totally perplexed to see how his prey, the deer and the turtle, had escaped.

Story 2 - When Lord Krishna was studying with a guru his best friend was a brahmin called Sudama. After school, the friends separated and went their ways. Krishna became the king of Dwaraka. Sudama got married and had many children. He had become very poor by now and could hardly feed his family. His wife urged him to go to Krishna and request him for help. Sudama postponed it for as long as he could since he didn’t want to go to his friend’s place with a begging bowl. Ultimately however he was forced to take this step. His wife gave him a small bag of puffed rice to give to Krishna.
When Sudama reached the magnificent door of the palace, the guards stopped him. Quite ashamed of himself, he told the guard to inform Krishna that his friend Sudama was at the door. The guard did not believe that this man wearing such tattered clothes could be the king’s friend. Nevertheless he took pity on the poor fellow and went in to announce to the king. Imagine his surprise when Lord Krishna rushed out to greet his friend. He hugged him with happiness and led him inside. Both the friends were very happy to see each other. After making him comfortable, Krishna asked his friend what had he brought for him. Sudama tried to hide his bag but Krishna quickly snatched it and found the rice inside. This was his favorite dish and he ate it with relish. He made Sudama stay there for a couple of days but Sudama never got to tell his friend why he had come. A few days later Sudama was sent home with all honours. As he came near his house, Sudama wondered what he would tell his wife. How could he tell her he had not got any money from his friend? But imagine his bewilderment when he saw a huge mansion where his house had been. As he stood wondering, out came his wife and family, all dressed in fine clothes! Sudama understood that his friend had done the needful even without his telling him anything. He had done what a good friend would do.

Story 3 - A long time ago, a king named Athiyaman lived in Tamil Nadu. The saint poetess, Avvai, famed for her lyrical verses, lived in his kingdom and became the king’s good friend. One day, a seer came to the king and gifted him with a rare fruit saying that it was one of its kind and that it would grant him immortal life. The king took it and thanked him but did not eat it himself. He rushed to his friend, the poetess and gave it to her. She was more deserving, he said, because her long life would benefit many more people. With tears in her eyes, the poetess immortalized this gift by a song!

Story 4 - Lakshmi and Ramaa learnt music from the same teacher. Lakshmi enjoyed learning music and practiced diligently. Ramaa could sing well but she was quite lazy! She often came to the class without practicing her lessons and the teacher would scold her. Lakshmi did not like this and decided to help her friend. So everyday she would go to Ramaa’s house and make sure she learnt her lessons. She would criticize if Ramaa didn’t sing well. In the beginning Ramaa did not like it at all! She would even fight with Lakshmi. But slowly her singing improved and her teacher praised her. Now, Ramaa is very grateful to her friend who took the trouble to criticize her.

Points to Discuss

 How was Krishna able to know what Sudama needed without being told?
 Why was Sudama ashamed to ask his friend for help? Was he right?
 How can you help your friends in school? Sometimes you don’t even have to do something. If you smile and let the smile spread to the other person, you have made him happier!
 Sometimes friends and family criticize us. Why do they do this? How does criticism make you feel? Do you realize that it is for your own good? Remember it is only a person who is interested in you and loves you, will help you by criticizing you.
 How do you feel when
 Both you and your friend enter some competition. He wins an award and you don’t.
 You tell your friend to pay attention to his work since he is not doing it well and he gets angry with you.
 You get a whole bar of chocolate when your classmate is sitting next to you.
 A new student has come to the class and your friend ignores you and tries to be friendly with him/her.
 You haven’t done your homework and are reluctant to go to school. Your friend finds out and helps you to complete the work.

Activities

 Match the following emotions with the situations. Remember that there is no one right answer and one emotion can be applicable for more than one situation.

1. Happy 1. When Sudama met the guards at the gate
2. Reluctant 2. When Krishna met his old friend
3. Bewildered 3. When Krishna took the puffed rice from Sudama
4. Astonished 4. When Sudama saw a mansion instead of his hut
5. Unhappy 5. When Sudama had to go and ask his friend for help
6. Ashamed 6. When Sudama could not take care of his children well

 Who is your best friend in the class? Write a few sentences about him/her and say why you like your friend.

 Talk about how you felt when you came to the school as a new student. Did the first person who talked to you become your friend?

 Do a ‘Secret Friend’ Activity. Write the names of all the children in the class on slips of paper and put them in a container. Pick up one slip but do not tell others whose name it was. Do something for that secret friend that day, like helping him/her, giving a small gift - for eg. a flower.

 Make and give a card or a gift to your friend on his/her birthday. Find out the dates of birth of your classmates and wish them on that day.

 Learn this song ---The More We Get Together
The more we get together
Together, together
The more we get together
The happier we'll be

For your friends are my friends
And my friends are your friends.
The more we get together
The happier we'll be.


CHAPTER V - HAPPINESS

BE CONTENT, BE HAPPY

Objectives

 Happiness does not depend on expensive and costly things but on contentment.
 Happiness lies in not being greedy.
 Be happy with the special things that God has given us, namely, our body and mind.

Introduction

We often think that the more we have, the more expensive the things are, the happier we will be. Children sometimes throw tantrums to acquire more things. But happiness does not automatically follow acquisition of these things. Only contentment gives us true happiness.
Greediness and desire for things that others possess also leads to unhappiness. We should learn to be happy with whatever we have. God has given us many things that we take for granted, for example, the body that we have. We must be thankful to Him for that.

A way to begin

 Here is a story that can be dramatised in the class.
Story - A cat once found a pot with kheer. It licked the kheer on the rim but found there was more inside. It was greedy and wanted to have more. It put its head inside the pot to drink that. But its head got stuck in the pot and the poor cat could not take its head out. Imagine the greedy but foolish cat running around with its head stuck inside the pot!

The story could be illustrated by using a vessel with a narrow mouth. Put some small things in it and ask a child to take out as much as he can from the vessel. The mouth of the vessel should be such that one cannot bring the hand out if it is full of things. Alternately use a picture of a hand stuck inside a vessel. Ask questions and elicit the moral of the story.

Story Time

Story 1 - King Midas was so greedy that he wanted everything he touched to turn into gold. An angel granted him his wish. At first the king was very happy. But soon the king discovered how foolish he had been when he found out that he could not eat or drink because the food too turned into gold. When his daughter came near him, he hugged her and she too became a statue of gold! Poor king Midas had to beg to get rid of his boon.
Elicit the moral of the story.

Story 2 - A man was always complaining because he did not have much money. He would look at others who were wealthier than him and think, ‘if only I had that much money, how happy I would be’. One day, he said these same words to a wise man. The wise man thought about it for a while and then said “ I know something that will help you to get enormous wealth, but there is just one condition. You will have to give a part of your body in exchange. Will you give me your hands?” The man immediately said “ How can I give you my hands? Without them I will not be able to do any work, even eat my food?” In the same way, whichever part of the body the wise man asked him to give, he started to say how important that part was. (Make the children say what he would have said). In the end, the wise man asked him, “ When you have a treasure already with you, why do you want more? Would you rather have the wealth than this wealth that God has given you?” The man went away much wiser.

Points to Discuss

 Discuss how greediness ended with unhappiness giving examples from the stories.

 Show the children some pictures(advertisements) of expensive and unnecessary things. How many of these things are absolutely necessary to have? Do they pester their parents to buy them these things? Do they think that they will be happy once they get them?

 Let the children understand that we should not covet what others have but be content with what God has given us. It is natural to have a desire for what others have. But it will only lead to discontent and unhappiness.

 We also have many things that are special to us. Think of those who do not have the things we take for granted ( handicapped, blind, deaf etc) Learn to be satisfied with what you have.

Activities

 Dramatise the story of King Midas or the story from Panchtantra.

 Which story did you like best? Draw some pictures to illustrate the story.

 Make a list of things which God has given us (for eg.) health, legs to run, eyes to see etc. Write these on small slips of paper and put them in a box. Let each child pick up one piece of paper and talk about it.

 Try these activities – trying to eat or pick up something with your hands tied at the back, walking on a straight line blindfolded. See how difficult it is? Think about those who are not able to do things because of their handicap.


CHAPTER VI - NATURE

BE IN TUNE WITH NATURE

Objectives

 God is the creator of all Nature and man is part of nature.
 We should remain in contact with nature.
 We should be simple and natural.

Introduction

It is not just the physical part of the world with its flora and fauna and hills and valleys that constitutes nature. This can be said to be the external part of nature. We have to seek the real Nature inside. Man is also very much part of nature and there is even a saying, 'God created man in His own image.' When we do good things in life, we come closer to this ideal. Living the way God created us to live, is the one way to thank Him. Children who live in the urban cities, miss out being in contact with nature. Many of them sit glued to their TV sets and get second hand information. Encourage them to be out in the open and enjoy what nature has to offer. Be simple and natural and avoid things that are artificial.

A way to begin

 Ask them whether they have been to a place rich in Natural beauty and how they felt then. Does it feel good just to see hills and rivers on the TV or would they prefer to see them in real? How does it feel when they let the light rain drops fall on them? Can they get this experience sitting inside the house?

 Tell them how we should emulate Nature and remain simple and natural. Give examples and show how being artificial and exhibiting one’s wealth should be avoided.

 Talk to them about people who are simple and in tune with Nature. Babuji, the founder of Shri Ram Chandra Mission at Shahjahanpur was a living example of simple living. When Babuji started the mission, there were very few people with him. But as word spread about him, many more people started to come to his place to listen to him. He told them about the need to bring in divinity into their lives. He told them how they should become natural and lead a simple life. He himself set an example. He gave very simple but wholesome food to the people who came to visit him. There was just minimum comfort available. People who were used to a very comfortable lifestyle came to Shahjahanpur and had to eat this simple food and sleep on the floor. But no one suffered any discomfort and no one complained!

Story Time

Story 1 - One day a man came with two identical bunches of flowers to King Solomon and asked him to find which was real and which was fake. It was very difficult because they looked exactly similar. The king thought just for a minute and then asked the windows to be opened. Soon a few bees came inside the room and they went and settled down on one bunch. 'Those are the real flowers' said the king.

Story 2 - Once a king came across a very wise shepherd. He liked him so much that he made him his minister. The minister did very well and became quite popular. Some people did not like this and kept talking against him to the king. They told the king that this man kept a room in his big mansion always locked and no one was allowed to go inside that room. He spent an hour in that room alone. Surely he must be engaged in some secret activity against the king? The curiosity of the king was aroused and he demanded that he be shown that room. The minister did not want to do it in the beginning. Then he opened the room and took the king inside. There was nothing in the room except an old dhoti and a stick. What was the meaning of this, asked the king. ''O, king!’, said the man, 'I keep these things to remind me of the past. I was a very happy shepherd and enjoyed being out in the open with my sheep. I lived a simple life. So I come here everyday and think of my past. I know I can go back to these things when my duties here are over.” The king realized his mistake and apologized profusely to the wise man.

Story 3 - Helen Keller was a famous American woman who was blind and deaf. Yet, she learnt about many things and lectured about them. Once she asked her friend who had been for a walk through the woods, what she saw. The friend replied that she saw nothing in particular. Helen was aghast. How could a person who was able to see, see nothing? She took her friend back to the forest and made her touch the softness of the leaves, the hard trunk of a tree and made her run her fingers through the waters of a brook and told her friend to describe these for her. The friend SAW these things now with a new interest and realised how much she had missed. Blind Helen had opened her eyes. This story illustrates how we take Nature for granted and fail to observe the beauty around us.

Points to Discuss

 Which is better and why?
 Going to the movie or going to the zoo or the park?
 Drinking Pepsi or drinking coconut water?
 Having artificial plants inside the house or having real plants?
 Using a cotton bag or using a plastic one? (Actually plastic may be better for some things. Let the children think and discuss)
 Eating sweets or eating fruits? In the story of King Solomon, if the bees could reject the artificial and choose the real one, why are we not able to do so? Why do we run after things that are artificial? Think.
 It is very difficult to imagine life without TV or fridge or a car now. Yet your grand parents lived a happy and healthy life without any of these. Talk to them and find out about their life when they were young.
 Have you seen a waterfall or a tall mountain? How did you feel? Talk about it.
 Given a choice, would you like to live away from a city? Why? If not, why not?
 Gandhiji was a great leader and yet he lived a very simple life. Do you know that he always wore only a dhoti and went to UK in it even when it was freezingly cold!

Activities
 Show pictures of Natural beauty and encourage the children to appreciate them.
 Let them paint some scene in Nature and talk about it.
 Teach them to make simple things using coconut shells, palm leaves, coir and jute.
 Go for a morning walk and look with attention at the beautiful things nature has given us. Make a scrapbook of things collected during the walk.
 Nowadays many people use natural medicines. Find out the names of some medicinal plants and how they are useful.
 Make a list of trees/ birds you can find in your neighbourhood.



CHAPTER VII - DISCIPLINE

TAKE CARE ON THE ROAD

Objectives

 We must follow rules because they are for our good.
 Discipline on the road is very important.
 A queue helps in many ways.

Introduction

Discipline and rules, though not liked generally, are absolutely necessary for the smooth functioning of life. Without them, daily life can get chaotic.

With the increasing number of vehicles on the road, children have to learn the safety rules of the roads. There can be no two opinions on this. It must be made clear that rules are made to help everyone to live in safety.

We lack the discipline in public places. Nowhere is it more obvious than when we rush to get into buses. We don’t think twice about jumping queues. Let us hope that atleast the future generation behaves in a better way!

A way to begin

 Get children to talk about how they come to school and what road safety rules they follow.
 Show them pictures of road signs and ask them what they indicate.
 Show them a picture which has eight mistakes that they should not commit while on the road and ask them to spot these. (1. A child running across the road 2. Not crossing at the zebra crossing 3. The walk signal is red and people are crossing 4. No queue at the bus stops 5. People on the footboard of buses 6. Children playing on the side of a busy road 7. Banana peel on the road 8. A blind man trying to cross a road but no one is helping.)
 Ask them what they would do in the following situations:
 You see some children playing very close to the main road.
 You see an old man trying to cross the road.
 You find a banana peel on the roadside.
 Get them to talk about Rules in general. (see more in the 'Points to discuss' part )

Story Time

Story 1 - I am Shyam’s new bike. Would you like to hear my story?
I was given to Shyam on his birthday. How happy he was! He kept polishing me till I shone. He showed me off to all his friends. I think he even dreamt of me when he slept. His father told him never to take me out on the main road. He wanted Shyam to learn how to ride me well and know all the road rules before he did that.
One day when his father was away, Shyam took me out on the busy road. I was so scared! I shouted to Shyam not to do it, but he did not hear me at all. He drove off happily. We had gone only a short distance. Some children were crossing the road at the zebra crossing. Maybe Shyam did not see them. He drove on. I screeched and told him to stop! Atlast he heard me but it was too late. He turned quickly, hit a lamp post and fell down on me. He was badly hurt but I was in a worse shape. Look at me now! Do I look like a new bike? Now I sit in the garage, crying all the time. Won't you come and take me away?

Story 2 – In Indian mythology, we read about Devas and Asuras. The devas were good but the asuras always troubled the people. Once both the devas and the asuras tried to take out nectar from the ocean of milk, which would give them everlasting life. They had to churn the ocean patiently before they got it. The Gods did not want the asuras to get the nectar. So when the nectar came, God Vishnu took the form of a beautiful girl, Mohini, and came there offering to distribute the nectar. She told them to sit in an orderly way. The devas did so immediately and she distributed all the nectar to them. The asuras were fighting among themselves, trying to get close to her. Mohini took advantage of the chaos and pretended to serve them and in the confusion, the asuras did not even notice that they did not get even one drop of nectar!

Points to Discuss

 Do you think rules are a bore? Would you rather not have any rules to follow? Is it good to do so?
 What are some rules in the school that you don’t like? Why do you think these rules are there?
 Sometimes you have to stand in a queue when there are many people waiting for the same thing. Is it good to push some one and try to get in? Would you like it if you were pushed? Will you like to lose your place in the queue to someone? Isn’t it always better to wait patiently for your turn?

 Discuss the following:
 People are in a queue, waiting for the bus. When it comes, they break the line and try to get in.
 All are in a queue. A man comes and joins the line in the middle.
 People are waiting near the door waiting for the office to open. As soon as the door opens, they push each other and rush in.
 What is the advantage of standing in a queue? Name seven places where a queue system will be very helpful.
 What do you understand by the saying, ''Always alert, accidents avert''?

Activities

 Learn this poem:
Red light, red light, what do you say?
I say stop, stop right away!
Yellow light, yellow light, what do you mean?
I mean wait, wait till the light is green!
Green light, green light, what do you say?
I say go, go right away!
 Dramatise a scene where people are in a queue waiting for a bus. Show what happens when someone comes and tries to join in the middle, when an old man or a woman with a child in arms comes there, when a bus comes and stops a little distance away.
 Draw pictures to show a road scene where people are following the rules of the road.


CHAPTER VIII - WORK AND PERSEVERANCE

UNITY IS STRENGTH

Objectives

 Work in amity and co-operation with others.
 Unity is strength, division and disharmony bring failure.
 In a group, every part of work, however small, is important. Do your part of work well.

Introduction

There are many jobs that can be done only when people work together as a group or a team. A group works best when the participants are motivated and involved. If each person pulls in a different direction and if there are ego clashes, then the group cannot work as a unit. Working together teaches one to think of the larger unit and how they can contribute to it. Making the children work as a group teaches them social skills which are very necessary for them to get along in life. The spirit of teamwork needs to be there both in the classroom as well as in the play field.

A way to begin

 Organize some group games where children have to play together in a co-operative manner.
For eg. "Tug of War", where all the members of a team have to pull together to succeed. Another game could be played thus -- Draw a big circle. Draw four smaller ones at four places around the first circle. Let the children stand on the circle holding their hands. When the whistle blows, they must run and get into one of the smaller circles, without letting go of their hands. Any child can try to pull the other children to the circle nearest to them. When the game starts there will be pulling in all directions and there will be chaos. Now tell them that when the whistle blows they should let one-person pull and no one should resist. They will see for themselves how effective it is when they do not pull in different directions.

 The following story can easily be demonstrated. Take a few sticks to the class. Tell the following story and show how difficult it is to break the sticks if they are bound.

Story: Four sons of a father were fighting among themselves. The father called them and gave each of them a twig to break. They did this easily. Next he gave them a bundle of twigs tied together and told them to break it together. They couldn’t do it, however hard they tried. They decided to stick together and not fight among themselves.

Story Time

Story 1 - ( From Panchatantra) Once a group of pigeons were flying when they saw grains scattered on the ground. What they didn’t see was a net spread there to catch them. They happily settled down to eat the grains and when they tried to fly away, they found themselves caught in the net. They didn’t know what to do. The leader of the pigeons told them a trick. He said that they should pretend to be dead and then all should fly together when he gave the signal. Soon the hunter came there. When he saw the dead birds, he untied the strings. The old bird gave a signal and all the birds started to fly at the same time. Their unity helped them to escape.

Story 2 - Once there was a fighting amongst the fingers about who was the most important. The thumb said, “ I am the fattest. So I am important”. The index finger said it was the most used, the middle finger said it was the tallest and the ring finger said it was the one to wear a ring. The little one said, “ When the hands are folded in prayer, I am the closest to God”. When they were fighting like this, a man tripped and fell down. Each of the fingers tried to lift him up alone. They could not do it. What did they have to do before they could help him? What does this teach us?

Story 3 - It was just before the war between Rama and Ravana. Rama was trying to reach the island of Lanka to fight with Ravana and rescue his wife Sita. The ocean stood between them and had to be crossed. Rama prayed to the king of the ocean who parted and left a path for Rama. The monkeys in the vanara sena got busy carrying huge stones and boulders, building a bridge to Lanka. A small squirrel was watching all this. He too wanted to help Rama. He did not think about his size. He did not wonder whether he could do anything. He just started doing whatever he could. All that he could carry were small stones. And he did this with all his might. Rama was moved to see the tiny squirrel scurrying to and fro trying his best to help. He lifted the helpful squirrel in his hands and very lovingly and gently he stroked it. Do you know that the squirrel did not have any lines on his body till then? The three lines you see on his back now, are the loving marks left by Rama!

Points to Discuss

 Ask--Do you like doing group work? What are the advantages of doing the work as a group? What are the disadvantages? (Not being able to do individual work. No credit for individual effort etc. )

 What is the meaning of the saying ‘ the chain is as strong as its weakest link’?

 What will happen if everyone in the group starts to feel that his/ her work is the most important? ( discuss for and against )

 How do you co-operate in the work in the family? Is any special duty assigned to you? How does your duty and work help in the smooth running of family chores? Do you always do your work properly without complaining?

 Discuss how working in co-operation and amity is important for doing efficient work in the neighbourhood, city, state and country?

Activities

 Let the children do some activity such as helping to make a salad, gardening, or putting together pieces of a puzzle. Let them realize how the work gets done faster when many hands work together.

Divide the class into groups and let them make picture collages by assigning topics (eg. working together on big projects on the National level, working together in the family, in the school, in the entertainment field, in the sports field etc.) to each group. Let each child bring some pictures or draw something on the topic and this can be stuck in an interesting way to make a collage.

 On a large sheet of paper made by sticking together a few sheets of paper or charts (can use the backside of used paper), let the children draw and colour something as a joint effort. Compare this to work done by an individual child and let them discover how efficient it is to work together.

 Teach them some songs which extol the virtues of working together. One such example is the song from the film Naya Daur, “Saathi haath badhaana”.

 Put up a play, which brings out the importance of doing their bit in any given job without worrying about its significance. (For example, in the story of Ramayana, the part of Manthara is quite small and she appears only for a very short while. But her role in the unfolding of the story is very important!)



CHAPTER IX - TIME MANAGEMENT

DO IT NOW!!

Objectives

 Do not postpone doing things. Do today’s work today itself.
 Be punctual.

Introduction

We should learn not to postpone doing things. Kabir said that what needs to be done tomorrow, do it today and what has to be done today, do it now. We cannot take for granted that things will wait till we are ready. We trouble others and we miss opportunities when we are not on time. A person who is a stickler for time and is punctual is respected as being dependable. Insist on the children being punctual with everything they do whether they are at school or elsewhere. Let them realise that time lost can never be regained.

A way to begin

 Take two puppets to the class. Call one of them 'Mr. On time' and the other 'Mr. No time.' Think of situations like going to school or to the office, missing the bus and its consequences etc. Let them act as their name implies.

 Talk to them about how many of us have this habit of postponing things waiting for the best time. We do not realise that NOW is the best time. Whatever has to be done, should be DONE NOW! Ask them if they want to give up the bad habit of throwing things around? Tell them--- Start right NOW! You want to develop the habit of reading books? Read a good book TODAY! Do it everyday till it becomes a habit. Your father tells you to go to the market and buy something. Do it now, don’t postpone it till he decides to go himself! You would have missed an opportunity to be of help.

Story Time

Story 1 - Here is a story about the hare and the tortoise. Once the animals decided to have a fair in the forest. There were going to be lots of attractions and prizes! There was a big prize to be won for cake-baking and both the hare and the tortoise wanted to enter that contest. The next day the hare saw the tortoise going to the library. “Why are you going there?” asked the hare. “I want to get a recipe book for cakes”’ said the tortoise. The hare burst out laughing. It couldn’t understand why the tortoise should start thinking about the cake so soon. There was plenty of time! But the tortoise didn’t believe in postponing anything. It chose a good recipe, made a list of things needed, bought them from the market and baked the cake well in advance. Then it set about decorating the cake and it did a very good job since there was plenty of time. What about the hare? It spent its time playing with its friends. Suddenly just two days before the contest, it woke up. There was so much to do! Quickly it ran to the market to get the things. But there was no flour and no sugar in the shop! The hare begged the fox, which was in charge of the shop to somehow get these things. The next day it got them but at a higher price! Then it had to think of a recipe for a quick and easy cake. The hare somehow managed to bake the cake but it was not fluffy but flat and lumpy! It had forgotten to add something in the hurry. There was no time to bake another cake. All that the hare could do was to sit and cry. The tortoise’s cake was declared the best. The sad and disappointed hare watched the tortoise carry away the prize proudly!

Story 2 - A king was being attacked by his neighbour. He wanted to call his friend for help and sent a messenger by horse. The man travelled as fast as he could but suddenly he found that the shoe of the horse was not all right as a nail had come off. He didn’t want to waste time fixing it and just hurried. But later the horse just fell down as it couldn’t move any further and the man didn’t reach his destination in time. This story is given in the form of a verse below.
For want of a nail, a kingdom was lost!
For want of a nail, a shoe was lost;
For want of a shoe, a horse was lost;
For want of a horse, a rider was lost;
For want of a rider, a battle was lost;
For want of a battle, a kingdom was lost;
And all for want of a horse shoe nail!

Points to Discuss

 Discuss the following pictures. The first set should show the situation as it is at present. The second set should show the result of procrastination.
1st-- Milk kept outside, a small tear in a shirt, toys not kept inside after playing, getting up late
2nd-- a big tear in the shirt, cat drinking milk, boy tripping and falling on the toys, missing the bus.

 Look at the given pictures. (Pictures of a railway station, airport, school, cinema hall, bus stop etc.). Discuss what will happen if you are not punctual here?

Activities

 POSTPONE means to delay doing things and PROCRASTINATE means putting off things, maybe due to laziness! Both mean, not doing things on time. How many small words can you make from these two big words? Eg. post, pot etc. from 'postpone' and cast, nation, etc. from 'procrastinate' (Make as many words as you can).
 Complete this word antakshari
 Get u___ early in the morning.
 Whatever needs to be done, do it n___w.
 Do not w______e time.
 For being punctual, you must be able to read the clock. Match what Anjali is saying and the time the clock shows (clock faces with time marked on it.)
“ I will meet you at 3 o’ clock.” “ I always get up at 6 o’ clock” “ My bus comes to my stop at 8.30 a.m.” “ It is 4. 30! Time to go out and play”.

 Read this poem

If you have something to give, give it now
If you can make someone glad or another less sad, do it now
If you’ve a kind word to say, say it now, do it now, do it now, do it now
Now, before it’s too late, now is the time for every good deed
Do not wait until tomorrow, for it may be just too late
If there’s good news to give, give it now, if there’s friendship to show, show it now
If there’s hope you can raise or someone you can praise
Do it now, do it now, do it now.


CHAPTER X - COURAGE

SPEAK THE TRUTH

Objective

 Courage helps you to always speak the truth.
 Courage helps you to admit your mistakes.

Introduction

Sometimes we are afraid of speaking the truth because of the consequences. It may seem easier to tell some convenient lie and escape. But when you tell the truth, you don’t have any conflicts in your mind and you feel peaceful. Being truthful gives you mental strength and confidence. When you tell a lie you are always afraid that you will be found out. People who tell the truth are respected and trusted.
It requires courage to admit your mistakes and to say that you are sorry. But when you repent, your sense of guilt is removed and you feel relieved.

A way to begin

 Talk to the children about bravery and courage and ask them who in their opinion are brave people. Tell them that the really brave ones are those who always speak the truth. Do they agree with this? It requires courage to speak the truth and admit one’s mistakes.

 Discuss what are the benefits of telling the truth. Ask them for examples from personal experiences.

? Tell them how important it is to tell the truth to their parents. Usually parents can easily find out when the children are lying. It is better that children confide in their parents. Only then can the parents help if they have any problems. This is a good opportunity to find out what kind of relationship exists at home and whether the children feel comfortable telling the truth.

Story Time

Story 1 - Once when Gandhiji was in school, an inspector came to his class to assess the teacher’s work. A dictation test was given and the teacher found Gandhi had written the wrong spelling. He came near Gandhi and quietly asked him to copy the correct spelling of the word from the boy sitting next to him. Gandhiji refused saying he would never do such a thing.

Story 2 - Once when Gandhiji was young, he got into bad company. To get money for smoking, he stole some gold ornament from home. But he felt very troubled by what he had done. Though he was scared of what his father would say, he wrote about it on a piece of paper and gave it to his father. His father read the note and just shed tears. Gandhiji wrote later that his father’s silent tears made him take a vow that he would never steal in future.

Points to Discuss

 Can you think of an instance when you had to tell a lie. How did you feel? Unhappy that you had lied or happy that you had escaped? ? What would have happened if you had told the truth?

 Discuss how a lie makes you feel guilty. You try to hide from others because you are afraid your lie will be found out. Sometimes you may have to tell more lies to cover up the first one. You may even forget which lie you told whom!

Compare this with telling the truth. Truth helps you to be bold because you don’t have to hide anything and from anybody. So when you tell the truth, however unpleasant it is, you feel much better.

 Look at the following situations. What is wrong here? What should have they done?
a. Nina spills some water on the floor by mistake. Her brother slips on it and has a fall. When he asks if she has spilt the water, she says no.
b. Varun finds his teacher has given him extra marks. When the teacher asks everyone if their marks are correct, he keeps quiet.
c. Charan’s brother gives him an important letter to post and Charan forgets to do it. But when his brother asks him, he says he has posted it.

Activities

 Find out what our national motto ‘Satyemevae jayate’ means.
 Tell one of the stories you have just heard in your own words.
 Below are given some words. Which of them are associated with ‘truth’ and which with ‘untruth’?
Happy, hide, calm, afraid, strong, reliable, worried, sorry, scared