Intro to Set 1

Words and Statements highlighted in color are by the author of the Blog: (Class I, IX and X completed)

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

AN INTRODUCTION TO VALUE BASED SPIRITUAL EDUCATION

Why Value Education

Values bring quality and meaning to life and give a person his identity and character. Children imbibe values all the time from their parents, teachers and peers. But it is also necessary that we deliberately teach them the right values right from their childhood. What they learn at this tender age stays with them all through their life. Hence importance should be given to imparting a value-based spiritual education in schools.

Many values are taught unconsciously. Whatever is done or not done, whatever is said or not said, gives a message to the child. Sometimes these messages are positive and he learns a good value system. Often negative values are also imparted unintentionally. Since children learn through imitation, they imbibe values that the teacher consciously or unconsciously holds. Therefore the teachers themselves must have a good basic value system and impart the right training to children. Emotional maturity is developed when there is a positive relationship based on trust, respect and love between the teacher and the students.

Some suggestions

 Ensure that each class is stimulating, interesting, fun-filled, and absorbing, with practical activities.
 Devise ways and means to develop sensitivity, sympathy and empathy in the students.
 At the end of each term, take stock of what has been taught and how this has changed the habits and attitudes in the students.
 The ten maxims of the mission are very useful and hence, include them wherever possible.
 Try to bring the children closer to Nature by making a reference to it wherever possible.
 Keep a record of what happens in the classroom to help tackle the topics in a better way.
 Try to integrate less fortunate and disabled children into the mainstream.

In the Class

 Begin with recitation of the Mission prayer followed by five minutes of meditation. The meditation technique is not taught but the students are asked to sit quietly with their eyes closed. This enables them to be calm and composed and sharpens their intellect.
 Be clear about what is the objective in teaching a particular value or what we aim to do in the class.
 Capture the attention of the children by using AV aids, cassettes or by telling a story. Children love stories and remember them for a long time. Let them elicit the moral of the story themselves.
 Follow up with discussions and encourage all the children (giving more attention to the shy ones) to take part in it. Use thought provoking, open-ended questions, which do not have readymade answers.
 Activities in the classroom help the children understand and remember better. Let them be actively involved in doing something with all the Hs. (Head, Heart and Hand)
 Recapitulate whatever has been taught in the classroom. Sometimes some relevant values other than what had been intended may have been discussed as the lesson was taught. Ensure the role and responsibility of a student in upholding values for the sake of the individual, family and society.
 Conclude with prayer or quiet meditation.
 Make a collection of quotations, sayings etc. These can be used as starting points for discussions.

Some practical activities that can be done in the classroom

 Story telling –enliven it with actions, pictures etc.
 Drawing and colouring, poster making
 Learning poems and songs
 Solving riddles and puzzles
 Role play and dramatization
 Comprehension exercises with picture cards, newspaper cuttings etc.
 Word squares and crossword puzzles
 Games such as snakes and ladders, lotto, 10 questions
 Discussions and debates
 Group activities

Follow up the activities with reflection and let the children think about the values being discussed.

How to use the teachers’ guide book

 This is an idea book and not a substitute for a textbook. It is hoped that those who use this book, will be able to take the ideas given therein and use them in the way they prefer.
 There are five sections, each suitable for one class. There are ten topics which have been graded to suit the children’s abilities.
 Each topic in the Guide book has
 Objectives (to give a definite direction to what is to be achieved in the classroom)
 A way to begin (describes one way to motivate the children before starting the topic. Teachers may be aware of many more)
 Stories (there are two or three stories given under each topic. This is to enable the teachers to have a choice. The teacher has the preference to choose any story that she/ he finds relevant)
 Points for discussion (offers many starting points for discussion. Ideally the children should have the freedom to express their ideas and opinions freely. This will lead to trust, love and respect between the teacher and the taught.)
 Activities (suggestions are given for doing some activities in the classroom and at home.)

We would welcome suggestions from you for improving the book.

Class I

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 1

Start The Day With A Prayer 1

Chapter II - Healthy Living 3
Keep Healthy 3

Chapter III - Greetings 5
Use The Magic Words! 6

Chapter IV - Love 8
Love Begins At Home 8

Chapter V - Happiness 10
Be Happy, Make Others Happy 11

Chapter VI - Nature 13
A. Plants Are Our Friends 13

Chapter VI - Nature 16
B. Animals Are Our Friends 16

Chapter VII - Discipline 18
Discipline Starts At Home 19

Chapter VIII - Work And Perseverance 21
Work Is Fun! 21

Chapter IX - Time Management 23
Take Care Of Today! 24

Chapter X - Courage 26
Courage Is Being Fearless 26


CHAPTER I - GOD AND GURU

START THE DAY WITH A PRAYER

Objectives

 God is the creator of everything. He gives us everything.
 Prayer is a means of talking with God. We can pray anyway, any time and anywhere.
 It is good to start and end the day with a prayer.

Introduction

When we look at this wonderful world of ours with its amazing variety of creations, when we gaze awe struck at the play of Nature, we can see the hand of a super power that we call ‘God’. Pass on this feeling of wonderment at God’s creations to the children. Everything we see around us is the handiwork of God. All these creations depend on each other in some way or the other, for survival. A feeling of love holds them together.
Prayer is a way of talking to God and conveying our feelings to Him. Children should understand that prayers could be said any time, in any way and by anybody. It is good to start and end the day with prayer.

A way to begin

 Ask the children to name some things that they can see being created around them. For example, mother cooks food, the tailor stitches a new shirt, masons build a new building etc.
 Ask them, ‘Who has created the moon and the sun and many other things that we see around us?’ Ask the children to name from Nature, things that are living or non living, tiny or big, moving or not moving etc,. ‘Who has made all these things?’ (God)
 With the help of children, compile a list of useful things from Nature. ‘How do we thank God for giving us all these things?’ (We thank Him in our prayers.)
 Ask, ‘What is a good time to pray? Should we pray only when we are in difficulty?’ (Any time is a good time to pray. We should thank God when we are happy too.)
 Ask, ‘Why is it good to start the day with a prayer?’ (It is the best time of the day and God’s presence & help is felt throughout the day) ‘Why should they end the day with a prayer?’ (To thank Him for the day).
 Ask them, ‘What is a good way to pray?’ Elicit that prayers can be said in silence too.
 Tell them to sit silently with eyes closed for two minutes. Ask, ‘How do they feel after this silent prayer or meditation?’ (Encourage them to say in their own words).
 Inform them that you would start all the Value Education classes in the same way with meditation, from now on.

Story Time

Story 1 - Maya’s mother always told Maya what was the right thing to do. One day she told her that she should always thank whoever gave her something and made her happy. That night Maya had a dream. In her dream, she saw a tree full of fruits. She took one, ate it and said ‘Thank you, tree, for giving me the fruit’. The tree shook its head and said, “Don’t thank me, Thank God for making me”. Next Maya saw a beautiful flower. She liked it so much that she said, ‘Thank you, flower. I am so happy to see you’. The flower said, “Don’t thank me, thank God who has made me”. (Continue the story in the same way). The next day morning Maya told her mother about her dream. Maya’s mother said, “That was such a good dream, Maya. What happened in the end?” “Oh, I got so tired thanking this and thanking that!” said Maya, “Then I thought I will need the whole day if I had to thank everybody. So I just sat down and thanked God for everything. Wasn’t that okay?” What do YOU think, Wasn’t Maya correct?

Story 2 - Ram had gone to his cousin Rani’s house for the holidays. Early in the morning, Rani woke him up. Ram, who was still sleepy, begged her to let him sleep for some more time but she dragged him out and said, “Look at the sunrise and listen to the birds singing. Can you get these in your city? Enjoy this morning freshness. It won’t last!” Ram asked Rani how long had she been up and what had she done. She replied that she had said her prayers and she was ready for the day. Ram was surprised. “Have you had your bath? I didn’t hear the sound of any puja, how did you say your prayers?” Rani laughed and said, “I say my prayers first thing in the morning. I don’t need to get ready for that! I talk to God the way I would talk to any of my friends. But I do that silently, that is why you did not hear any sound. My parents tell me that God is everywhere and I can pray to Him from anywhere in any way! Isn’t that the best way to do it?” Ram was happy he had learnt something from her.

Points to Discuss

 Encourage children to name some small or big things in Nature that impressed them. (You could bring samples of shells, flowers, stones etc. to the class). Discuss how perfectly they are made. Who could have made them with such precision? They are but some examples of divine handiwork!
 Remember that God loves children and listens to their prayers. You can talk to him as you would talk to your friend. What will you tell Him?


Activities

 Develop the habit of saying a prayer of thanks to God before you start eating food.
 Learn a prayer that you can say at the beginning and at the end of the day and remember to say it everyday.

When you wake at break of day
Just lift your heart and to Him say
'I don’t know what this day will bring
But Lord I offer you everything.'
When you are happy and things are fine
Just sing to Him this little rhyme
'O! Thank you Lord, you are so good
Help me love you, as I should.'

 Go for a nature walk and ask them to pick up something they liked and make a class collection.

CHAPTER II - HEALTHY LIVING

KEEP HEALTHY

Objectives

 Keep yourself clean and remain healthy.
 Take a balanced meal with fruits, vegetables and milk included in the diet.
 Be regular in doing daily ablutions. (Keep the stomach clean)
 Play outdoor games to make the body stronger.

Introduction

Children must understand that nutritious food, cleanliness, exercise and healthy habits keep them healthy. It is very important to get rid of the waste matter from the body and if there is any problem in this, they must inform their parents. This body of ours is a gift from God and we have to take good care of it.

A way to begin

 Teach the children this action song
These are my fingers, these are my toes,
Two little eyes, and one little nose.
A nice straight back, to keep me tall,
Ears to listen to when teacher calls.
Hands to move and feet to walk,
A little mouth, to make me talk.
I’ll jump up high, then bend down low,
Watch me as I start to grow, up, up, up on my toes,
That is how my body grows!

 Tell them how they will become taller and bigger as they grow up. Then they can do many things that they are not able to do now (ask for examples). Emphasise the need to have good and healthy food to grow up properly.
 Tell them how they will remain strong if they keep healthy. Elicit what are some healthy habits they should have (keeping themselves and their surroundings clean, eating food at regular times, exercise or playing outdoors, going to bed early etc.)
 Ask them if they pay attention to getting rid of the waste matter from their bodies. Discuss what problems could arise if the waste matter remains in their bodies.
 Ask them, if they get a special gift, don’t they keep it well and take good care of it? Let them understand how this body is a gift from God and how we should take good and proper care of it.

Story Time

Story 1 - Cheeku hated to eat fruits and vegetables. “How I wish I could eat only the things I want to eat!” he said aloud. Suddenly a fairy appeared before him and asked him which food did he love to eat. “Chocolates and Ice cream all the time,” he said, “ I can never get tired of them!” The fairy granted him his wish. Cheeku was thrilled! Whenever he wanted food, bars of chocolate and cups filled with ice cream started to appear. What fun it was! He had chocolates and ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner too. The next day it was the same story. More chocolates and ice cream for breakfast, for lunch and ugh! for dinner too! Would YOU like it if you had only chocolates and ice cream all the time?
How would you end this story?

Story 2 - Mona and Sona were sisters. Sona liked to go out and play with her friends but Mona always stayed home and watched TV or read storybooks. She grew plump and fat! Once Mona fell sick. She was tired and could not do anything. She was taken to a doctor. He told her that she fell ill because her body could not fight the germs. She had to make herself healthy and strong. She could do this by doing exercises or by playing outdoors in the fresh air. Mona started doing that. Soon she became quite healthy. It made her feel so good that now she never misses her play outside!

Story 3 - Asha was the first one to catch a cold or get sick in the family. She wondered how her grandfather even though quite old, always remained healthy and active. Once she asked him and he told her how his life as a young boy made him build up his body. There was no school near his village and he had to compulsorily walk a few miles everyday. There was no TV or any other form of entertainment and he and his friends used to spend hours playing in the open fields. He helped his parents in milking the cows and getting vegetables from the garden. He enjoyed eating them! His food was very simple but complete. There was no eating out at restaurants at all! No wonder he was so healthy!

Points to Discuss

 Discuss who is doing the right thing and who is not. Do YOU do the right things?
 Gagan brushes his teeth in the morning as well as at night.
 Hira gets rid of the waste matter from his body daily.
 Shibi doesn’t like to bathe everyday. On some days, he doesn’t bathe at all!
 Nina’s dress is never clean.
 Bina plays outside in the evenings.
 Baba keeps his hair clean and shiny by combing it daily.
 Why must you do these things?
 Keep a separate comb for yourself.
 Keep your tooth brush in a clean place.
 Wash your hands with soap after using the toilet.
 Go out and play in the evenings.

Activities

 Draw and colour your favourite fruits.
 Look at all these fruits. Circle those items that are good for your health. (make a collection of pictures showing various kinds of food items)
 Which is better?
 Plain ice cream or fruit salad? Why?
 Real orange juice or the flavoured drink? Why?
 Plain bread or a sandwich with butter tomatoes and cucumbers? Why?
 Mime some outdoor games and ask the children to guess what they are. Let them mime and show what games they like best.
 Learn this saying
Early to bed and early to rise,
Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
 Take a paper and tear it into 14 pieces. Write one word from the above saying in each one of the bits. Ask the children to arrange the bits of paper to get the saying correctly.

CHAPTER III - GREETINGS

USE THE MAGIC WORDS!

Objectives

 Everyone likes a person who is well behaved and polite.
 Learn to use the words ‘please’, ‘sorry’, ‘thank you’ and ‘excuse me’.
 Avoid talking back and being rude. Be pleasant and give respect to others.

Introduction

Politeness and good manners are always appreciated and so great pains are taken at school and at home to teach children these social skills. However one must not forget that politeness should not end with just mouthing these words. Good manners should be combined with respect that comes from the HEART. Respect means really caring about other people. It is the basic foundation for other basic values of life. Children who learn this will be better friends, better leaders and better members of society.

A way to begin

 Talk to the children about any magic shows they have been to. Then tell them that you could also show them some magic. Hold an object in your hand and tell them that they can get it easily from you if they know some magic words. Make them come out with the word ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’. Tell them how these and the words ‘Sorry’ and ‘Excuse me’ are magic words because they help you to get along with everyone.
 Tell them that these words acquire more power only if a thing called RESPECT backs them. Whom do they respect? (Elders?). How do they show their respect? Not enough if they say just Sir or Madam. They must FEEL this respect for them.
 Ask—who else should be respected? Through discussion derive the point that we should respect EVERYONE! Even our friends and juniors. Respect means caring for them and thinking about their feelings and not hurting them.

Story Time

Story 1 - A few children were playing with a ball on the street when it went over the hedge and fell inside a house. The children didn’t know what to do since they knew that an old man well known for his ill temper lived there. Now who would have the courage to go in and retrieve the ball? A small boy offered to bell the cat. His friends tried to dissuade him and warned him that he might not be the right one for the task. May be a bigger and stronger boy should go. But the little boy went courageously and knocked at the door. When the children heard the gruff voice of the old man they ran away. When they peeped out from their hiding places, they saw the little boy come out with the ball. Not only that, they saw the grumpy old man wave in a friendly way at him!
What did the boy do to win over the old man? He was polite and used the magic words. He said Excuse me when the man opened the door and expressed his regret for the mishap. He said ‘please can I have the ball?’ and remembered to say thank you when it was given. He also realised that the old man was lonely and so spent some time talking to him. No wonder he achieved what might not have been possible for someone stronger.

Points to Discuss

 Given below are some situations. Act them out using the appropriate ‘magic’ words.
 A waiter brings food in the restaurant.
 You are asking the shopkeeper to show you something.
 You are going in a bus when the driver applies the brake and you fall over someone.
 You have too many boxes to carry and ask for help.
 You are waiting at the bus stop and your neighbour gives you a lift home.
 Your mother is on the phone. You want to ask her permission to go out and play.

 Fill up the blanks with the right words.
 You say ----------- when you meet someone in the afternoon.
 You say ----------- when you meet someone in the evening or night.
 When you take leave of someone, you say -------.
 If someone thanks you, you say --------.
 If you want to draw someone’s attention, you say -------.
 When you want to request something you say ------.
 When you want to apologize for your mistake, you say ---------.

Activities

 What gestures are shown with the following greetings? 'Namaste', 'How do you do?' 'Vanakkam', 'Bye bye'.
 Say Namaste with a smile and then say it frowning. Which is better?
 Tell two children to have an imaginary conversation. Tell them how they should say sorry even when they commit a mistake unintentionally, for example when they trip someone and he falls. Make one of them yawn or sneeze and show how they should close their mouth and say ‘Excuse me’. When they ask for a pencil or something from their friends, they should not demand but request. They should always say, ’please’ or ‘may I have’ and when they have got it they must not forget to say ‘Thank you’.



 Learn this song (based on ‘When you are happy and you know it, clap your hands!)
When you meet your friends in school what do you say? Hello! Hello!
When you are happy and you know it and you really want to show it
When you are happy and you know it, shake your hands (action- shaking hands)
When you pack your bags and leave for home, what do you say? Bye, bye!
When you go to bed at night what do you say? Good night!
When you are happy and you know it and really want to show it,
When you are happy and you know it, give a smile! (Smile)


CHAPTER IV - LOVE

LOVE BEGINS AT HOME

Objectives

 Love begins at home. Our parents (and other family members) love us. They take care of us and help us.
 We can show our love for them by helping and caring for them and by sharing whatever we get. We can help them by doing our work ourselves.
 People who love us, correct us, when we do something wrong.

Introduction

A child begins its life on this earth with the loving care of its mother. As it grows older, it begins to experience the love that exists in the family and learns to play its part in the process of receiving and giving love. Hence the saying, 'Love begins at home' is true. It must be kept in mind that children should be supported with love. It is better to avoid the policy of Reward and Punishment to make the children do what we would like them to. In the early stages of schooling, the school becomes an extension of home and the child gets more opportunities to love and care for others. Since love is the basic feeling in all our relationships, we must create an atmosphere that is conducive to this learning.
It is never too early to learn that giving is more important than receiving and what we do for others is more important than what they do for ourselves.

A way to begin

 Discuss about the love that exists in a family. Ask--What does your family do for you? Let the children talk about how each member of the family does something for the child. Ask-What makes them do things for you? (Because they love you and care for you.)
 Find out whether their grandparents are staying with them. Discuss how they should love and respect their grandparents. Encourage them to talk to these elders and share their daily experiences with them. Discuss how they can help their grandparents by doing small chores for them.
 Discuss how they will show their love for their parents. By giving them a hug? By listening to them and obeying them? By not disturbing them when they are busy or when they are sick? Or by crying when they leave them and go somewhere?
 Sometimes the parents scold the children for doing something wrong. (Ex. When the child throws its books around and makes a mess) Does this mean they love them less?
 Sometimes parents do not allow the child to do certain things. (Ex. Not letting it eat junk food). Is it because they do not love the child? Is it right for the child to get angry with its parents? Through discussion, let the children understand why their parents deny them certain things.

Story Time

Story 1 - “ Wake up, Maya,” said Anand. “ Remember today is mummy’s birthday! Get up, lets go and wish her.” Their mother was in the kitchen. They ran and hugged her and sang “ Happy Birthday to you!” Maya gave her a bunch of lovely flowers that she had picked up from the garden. Anand gave her a card that he had made. Their mother was very happy. “Thank you, dear children. That was very nice of you” she said. “Wait, mummy we have something more for you,” said the children. Maya gave her a penholder, which was made out of an empty container. She had pasted some pictures on it. Anand had made a small notebook for writing down her shopping list. He had made it out of used paper. Wasn’t their mother very happy!

Story 2 - There was a small baby at home! It was a sweet little thing and everybody just adored it. Mala watched as her parents fussed over the baby. Her mother had no time for Mala now. All day long she was taking care of the baby, sometimes feeding her, sometimes rocking her to sleep and often just holding her. Mala wanted to sit on her mother’s lap but the baby was always there! Mala felt her parents did not love her any more. All they cared for was the baby! One-day Mala’s aunt came to see the baby. She looked at her and said, “Why, the baby looks exactly like Mala! Is she as good as Mala was?” Mala’s mother said, “ Oh, Mala was such a good baby. I had no trouble with her at all. But this baby cries more and I have to hold her for a longer time. I am waiting for the baby to grow up. Then Mala can help me in taking care of her sister. Do you know she stops crying and gives a special smile when Mala comes near her? I think she already loves Mala and will listen to her!” Mala looked at her tiny sister with new understanding. Now Mala spends most of her time by the side of her sister just waiting for her to grow up!

Points to Discuss

 Talk about the following with the children.

Here is an easy way to show your love for your parents. DO something for them. When your father or mother comes home from work, get them a glass of water. Help them to put their things away. Help them lay the table and after dinner do your bit in carrying things back to the kitchen. Eat in a neat way without spilling food. Before you leave for school, look for small jobs that you can do. Maybe you can help to water the plants, fill up the water bottles, or help in dusting. Maybe you can even fold clothes or help in putting the things away. Put away your toys and books as soon as you are done with them. You can also help in taking care of the guests who visit you, by serving them water or soft drinks or coffee or tea. Whatever it is, do it cheerfully and willingly.
 You can even help by trying to do your work yourself. Are you able to brush your teeth, take a bath, wear your uniform, polish your shoes, pack your schoolbag and do your homework all by yourself? If you can, that is really very good. If you can’t, try and keep trying. One day you will, and that will be a good gift for your parents!
 Let them talk about instances when their parents denied them something or corrected them. Why did they do it? Did it help the children to correct their behaviour?

Activities

 Giving gifts is one way to show love for others. The gifts need not be expensive. It is the thought behind the gift that counts. The children can make your gift using odds and ends in an imaginative way. Bookmarks, penholders, paperweights and note pads are very easy to make and can be done by small children with some help from adults.
 Children are very happy when their birthdays are celebrated. Ask them to make note of the birthdays of their family members and wish them on that day. This will surely make them happy.

CHAPTER V - HAPPINESS

BE HAPPY, MAKE OTHERS HAPPY

Objectives

 God has given us many things to make us happy.
 Everyone likes a person who is happy.
 Spread your happiness around. Make others happy by being happy yourself.

Introduction

Though happiness is associated with receiving things or with success or being with our loved ones, it need not always be so. There is happiness when there is enthusiasm and a positive outlook in life. If we look around, we can see many things that God has given us that can make us happy. Happiness can be found in simple things of life. A colourful rainbow, cool breeze or the innocent laughter of children can bring a smile to our faces. We must always treasure these moments and be thankful to the almighty for this.
A happy person is liked by all. By having a friendly disposition and being happy ourselves, we can make others also happy. When you smile, the world smiles with you. Happiness increases when you share your happiness with others and add value to their lives.

A way to begin

 Let the children have a smiling contest. Ask, ‘Whose smile is the biggest? Look at your partner and smile. Remember, be happy and make others happy!’

 Teach the following song to the class

Smile a while
And while you smile
Another smiled
And soon there are miles and miles of smiles
Just because YOU smiled!

 Let the children name some things that make them happy. By giving examples, guide them to name some simple inexpensive things and things in Nature and help them to think of God and thank Him for giving us so many things.

Story Time

Story 1 - There was a boy who was always cross and grumpy. No one wanted to play with him because he was always complaining. He was very unhappy. One day he went to a party where every one had to wear a mask. He was given a mask with a laughing face. (put on a mask of a laughing face yourself) Soon he found that every one was laughing and joking with him. He became the most popular boy in the room. He wondered what brought about this sudden change. Do you know the reason?

Story 2 –Mona was unhappy because she was not rich and did not have jewels like her friends. Her sister Sona promised to show better jewels than what her friends had. She took Mona to watch the rising sun (gold ), dewdrops (diamond ), red kundumani seeds ( coral ) etc. Think of similar things like this. Point out how the beautiful things seen in nature are even better than the best of artificial things.

Story 3 - A little monkey in the zoo complained to its mother that no one was coming to see it. They were flocking to see the big elephant or the fierce lion. It sat in a corner, unhappy and sad. Its mother told the monkey not to do that. If it kept a long and sad face no one would come near it. It told the little monkey to forget its complaints. There were so many things it could do to make itself happy. There were trees to climb and playthings to play with and many friends to run around and chase! Then all of them could have a good time. The little monkey did just that. Its friends were happy to have it with them and soon every one of them was having a wonderful time chasing each other and playing. Imagine its surprise when it found all the people crowding around it, watching its antics happily! What fun the little monkey had as it jumped and clowned and made all of them laugh! (Can use a hand puppet of a monkey to make it more interesting)

Points to Discuss

 Find out how a smile or a laugh can make us happy. Even when we don’t feel very happy, if we smile or laugh, it makes us feel happy. Try it and see!
 When we are happy we smile and laugh. The others also feel happy when they see how happy we are.
 You see a friend who is grumpy. How can you make him happy? (Smile, pat him on the back, tell a joke or a funny incident and make him smile).
 A happy family does many things together. What are the things your family does together? (Show some pictures to elicit answers --pray, eat, play games, visit friends, go shopping, go for a picnic, listen to music, sing songs, sit in the garden, watch birds, watch TV, share jokes, solve puzzles, go to the park, travel, watch the sunset, go for a walk.) Can you think of anymore?

Activities

 Teach the action song ‘ If you are happy and you know it, clap your hands ( repeat the line 3 times)
If you are happy and you know it and you really want to show it
If you are happy and you know it, clap your hands’
Repeat the lines while changing the actions.
 Show them pictures of a grumpy face and a smiling face. Which one do they like? Discuss why. Show the children how to draw a grumpy face and how it can be changed into a smiling one ( )
 Help them make masks with happy faces, clown faces etc.
 Give each child a cut strip of paper. Show them how to draw a smiley face on it. (). Write underneath ‘keep smiling’. This can be used as a bookmark. Tell the children to gift the bookmark to another child.


CHAPTER VI - NATURE

a. PLANTS ARE OUR FRIENDS

Objectives

 Plants and trees are God’s gifts to us. They help every one of us.
 Plants are like our friends. They give us many useful things.
 We should take care of the plants and trees around us and not destroy them.

Introduction

God has blessed us with the gift of plant life. Let’s not take them for granted. Let children look at the plants around them as their friends and learn their names. This will help them to learn about plants in a more personal way and they will be eager to take care of the plants. They should learn to play their part in the protection and preservation of the environment.

A way to begin

 Through dramatisation, the need to take care of plants can be effectively brought out. Let some children act as plants which are wilting and drooping due to lack of water. What should be done to revive them? Let some other children pretend to water them and make them bloom.

 Show the children trees and plants in the school garden and tell them to think of these as their friends. The class can be divided into groups and each group can ‘Adopt’ one tree as their own. Let them get to know their friends by touching them and feeling their texture. Ask some children to identify these plants by touching them while blindfolded.

Story Time

Story 1- an abridged version of Whose Garden? By Marilyn Kratz: This story talks about how the animals and insects in a garden think of the garden as their own. The brown earthworm thinks it is his garden because he lives there. He wriggles his way through the rich black earth, leaving it richer and softer. The Robin thinks it is her garden. She sings her morning song there and has her breakfast. The yellow butterfly is sure, the garden belongs to him. The ladybird decided this was the perfect garden in which to raise her family. Now she has lots of little ladybird babies and teaches them to look after the garden. The bumblebee comes to the garden on business. She is so busy gathering honey from the flowers that she scarcely has time to see how pretty they are. Whose garden is it?

You’d almost think the big bright sun owned the garden. The garden wouldn’t grow without the sun’s warm golden smile and the garden seems to smile right back up at him. But the garden needs rain, too. The rain makes it stand tall and smell fresh. The others leave when the rain visits the garden as if the garden belonged only to the rain.

A small girl planted the seeds. She pulled the weeds and watered the seeds when the rain disn’t have time. If you‘d ask her, she would say it was her garden. Whose garden is it?

Story 2 - Once a king was going by and he saw a very old man planting mango seeds. The king started laughing and asked the old man why he was planting the seeds. They would take such a long time to grow and surely the old man would not live that long to enjoy them. The old man looked at the king and said with a smile that he was aware of that. But the tree did not give fruits only to the man who planted it. It would give fruits to his children and grand children and maybe even the to the children of the king. It was for them that he was planting the seeds.

Story 3 - Manu read a story about a man who could understand what the animals spoke. ‘If I could do that!’ thought little Manu. One day he was standing near a plant which had lovely flowers. Manu started to break the twig which had the flowers and leaves. Suddenly he heard a voice. It was the plant speaking! “ Manu, look at what you are doing! You are taking away my leaves. Do you know that these leaves make my food and I will starve without their help? Look at the flowers you have plucked. Do you know that many people come here to look at these flowers and feel happy? The bees also come for their food and nectar from the flowers. Now they will feel hungry too! I wish you would not hurt me by breaking my branches. The birds love to sit on them. Will you help me and take care of me, Manu?” said the plant. How do you think Manu felt?

Points to Discuss

 When we love someone, we make him or her happy by giving gifts. God loves us so much that He has given us the gift of plants and trees. Discuss this.
 List ways by which YOU can help to take care of plants and trees.
 How, a small plant like grass is helpful? Can you think of tiny tots like you being helpful to others?
 Do you know that you can help plants grow well by singing to them and talking to them lovingly? Try it with the plants you have at home!

Activities

 Learn the names of common plants and trees that you can see around you.
 Find out the names of eight trees that are hidden in this given word square.

Mango, Teak, Gulmohar, Neem, Peepal, Guava, Banyan, Apple


S T E A K L G P
A P P L E N U E
O N F F D K L E
Q A X M G W M P
F Y F A U N O A
J N T N A E H L
J A D G V E A Q
S B S O A M R S


 Read this poem to the children and explain its meaning.

Trees are the kindest things I know
They do no harm, they simply grow
And spread a shade for sleepy cows
And gather birds among their boughs
They give us fruit in leaves above
And wood to make our houses of
They are the first when day’s begun
To touch the beams of the morning sun
They are the last to hold the light
When evening changes into night.

 Make a class collage to show the use of plants and trees.
 Learn to do bark rubbing of tree trunks and leaf rubbings. Use these as well as dry leaves to make different shapes.
 It is a fascinating experience to put some seeds in a small container of soil and watch the new plants germinating from them. Children could be told to take care of these plants as well as plants near their classrooms. This will help them to inculcate love for nature.


CHAPTER VI - NATURE

b. ANIMALS ARE OUR FRIENDS

Objectives

 Animals give us a lot without asking for anything in return. They do not grumble but show their love and gratitude.
 We should be kind to animals and take care of them.

Introduction

We can learn many things from animals -- their non-grumbling nature, their love, gratitude and faithfulness and the way they co-exist with other animals and use their resources as per their needs.
Young children are fascinated by animals and pets but they need to learn how best to take care of them and when to leave them alone. Being kind to animals is an age-old concept. ‘Ahimsa paramo dharma’ says the vedas. We also belong to the animal kingdom but there is one big difference. God has given us the power to think. We can use this power to protect the animals. We should not needlessly destroy what God has created.

A way to begin

 Ask riddles about animals and let the children identify them. Ex “I am very big. I have a trunk and tusks. Who am I?” When the children identify it as an elephant, talk to them about its good qualities, the way it takes care of its herd, specially the young ones. Likewise highlight the social nature of ants, the faithfulness of a dog and the gentleness of a cow.
 Let children mime the movement of some animals and talk about them. Help them to think of these animals with love.
 It is very easy to make animal masks. Draw animal faces on large sheets of paper, cut them and let the children colour them. Children would love to put these masks that they make!

Story Time

Story 1 - Mira had come to her uncle’s village for her holidays. One day he told her to come with him to see Gowri and Lakshmi . Mira wondered who they were. They were two new calves! Mira was thrilled. She ran to pat and cuddle them.
Mira now had two dogs, two cats, a rabbit, and an aquarium full of lovely fish to keep her busy! And the two little calves too. She helped in feeding the calves, taking the dogs for a walk and in keeping the aquarium clean.
She asked her uncle why they had so many animals at home. “We love them; that’s why!” said her uncle. “And we get much more love in return.”
Mira had to agree. She had seen how the dogs showed their happiness when he came back home. They wagged their tail, jumped at him and licked his face and hands!
Mira’s uncle told her that the animals never complained or grumbled but gave generously. They got milk and milk products from the cows, the bulls helped in the field and the dogs guarded the house and farm. What more could they ask for?
Mira’s uncle talked to her about how some people do not treat the animals well. They forget that God creates the animals too. The animals have feelings and suffer just as we do. Unfortunately they cannot talk to us and tell us how they feel! God has given us the capacity to love them and take care of them. We should do that but if we cannot, at least let’s not do things that will hurt them. Do you agree with this?

Story 2 - This story happened a long time ago in a place called Rome. The rich people of Rome had many slaves who worked for them. The slaves were not treated well. A poor slave called Androcles ran away from his master and hid himself in a forest. One day he saw a lion in the forest. He was about to run away when he saw the lion lifting its paw, showing a huge thorn stuck there and begging him to help him. Slowly he went near the lion and removed the thorn.
Androcles could not be free for a long time. He was caught and put in jail. His punishment was that he had to face a hungry lion. If he escaped from it, then he would be set free but so far no one had escaped. As he stood shivering with fear, the lion was let in and it came charging at him. But suddenly it stopped. As everybody watched it slowly came near Androcles and started to lick his feet. Yes, it was the same lion Androcles had helped earlier!

Points to Discuss

 Just like us, God has created all the animals in this world. Your parents want you to live with love with your siblings and not hurt each other. What do our parents want from us? What does God want from us? Will He like it if His children hurt each other?
 God has given us a very good gift, the ability to think. How can we use this ability in taking care of animals which cannot talk and express their feelings?
 How are pet animals useful? How will you take care of your pets? Why should we not hurt them? Do you think animals also feel the pain?
 Which of these people are taking care of the animals?
 Ashish keeps his dog tied up all the time because he is scared it might bite someone. Since he doesn’t have the time, he does not take it out for its walks either.
 Rita always makes sure, the aquarium is kept clean. She feeds the fish regularly.
 Ram loses his patience when he has to drive the bullock carts and whips them hard.
 Shyam teases the monkeys in the zoo. He laughs when they get angry with him.
 Manoj has kept a table in the garden with pieces of bread or seeds for the birds on it.
 Asha was walking down the street with her elder sister. They saw a dog that had been hit by a speeding car. The dog was bleeding and was in pain. Asha’s sister immediately rang up the Blue cross and made sure that the wounded dog was taken care of.

Activities

 The Blue cross is an organization that cares for animals. Find out more about it.
 What are doctors who treat sick animals called? Is there a hospital for animals in your city? Which animals are treated there? Ask people who have pets for information.
 Spot the animals in this forest. (draw a picture of a forest with animals hidden in it)
 Learn this poem

My Dog

His nose is short and shiny, his ears hang rather low
He always brings the stick back, no matter how far you throw
He sits and begs, he gives a paw, he is you can see,
The finest dog you saw and he belongs to ME!

 Make models of animals using dried leaves or other waste materials. For example, you can make a tortoise by using half a coconut shell and four ice cream spoons.

CHAPTER VII - DISCIPLINE

DISCIPLINE STARTS AT HOME

Objectives

 Obedience to parents helps us develop discipline.
 There is no chaos when things are kept in order.

Introduction

Discipline for the child starts very early, at home. What is taught at that age is never forgotten! A right mixture of love and discipline helps them to have a healthy attitude towards discipline. Often children become rebellious against discipline because it is imposed on them and they do not like it. Still, childhood is the right time to learn certain rules that will help them grow into matured adults.
One of the earliest rules that children can learn is to put back their things in their place and to keep their things in order.

A way to begin

 The game of ‘Simon says’ (or ‘Mother says / Father says’) can be played in the class. In this game certain commands are given which the children have to obey ONLY if they are preceded by the words ‘Mother says / Father says’. When a command is given without these words they should not do them. Lead them to infer how they should be disciplined and obedient at home too.
 Act out the following story with the children’s help “ Bear’s house was in a mess. He decided to put things in their places. He opened the fridge and found a book there. Where should he keep it? (let the children answer) He put the book in the bookshelf but found a bottle of honey there. Where should he keep it? He put the bottle in the kitchen shelf but found a soapbox there. Where should he put it? (Every time let the children answer. You can keep this game going as long as the children are interested in it! Keep changing the things and places)

Story Time

Story 1 - Babu’s parents had given him strict orders not to buy and eat anything that was sold in the open. Everyday Babu saw a sweet vendor selling candyfloss near his school and he was tempted. One day he happened to have some money with him for buying a notebook and he spent it on the candyfloss. It tasted good but Babu was not feeling very happy even though he had what he had wanted for a long time. That evening he had a severe stomach ache and had to be taken to a doctor. The doctor rightly diagnosed it to something that Babu had eaten. Babu had to admit what he had done. His stomach ache taught him a lesson! Now he listens to his parents and does what they tell him to do because he has realised that they do it for his good.

Story 2 - Renu did not bother to keep her things in order. Her mother had to help her every time. One day her mother told Renu that she had to learn to take care of her things herself and that she would not help. Renu had great difficulty in getting ready and she often forgot to take her things to school. Her teacher noticed this. A talk with Renu’s mother gave her an idea. The next day she brought different kinds of seeds to school. She put them on the table and told Renu to separate them. Renu did it with difficulty. But as Renu was going back to her seat her teacher mixed up the seeds again and called her back to separate them. Every time Renu completed the task, she was asked to do it again. Renu was getting upset and angry. The teacher told Renu to imagine herself as the mother and the teacher as Renu. Didn’t Renu behave in the same way at home? Renu thought about it and made up her mind to change! (Can be done as a practical activity in the class)

Points to Discuss

 What are some rules imposed by your parents? Which of these rules do you feel are unjustified? Which do you think are for your good? Discuss. Has there been a change in your view after discussion?
 Do you do the following things?
 Keep your shoes in the shoe rack
 Put your toys away after playing
 Keep your books in one place
 Do not mess up any room
 It helps to keep things in their proper places. Think what would happen in the following situations when things are not in their places--
 The lights go off and you have to look for the candle in the dark.
 You took the scissors but forgot to put them back. Now you need them urgently.
 By mistake someone has kept the shaving cream where the tooth brush should be.
 Someone has kept the medicines where a small child can reach them.

Activities

 Divide the class into groups and give each group a jigsaw puzzle to make. Make the pieces fairly large and uncomplicated. Keep away one piece with you so that the children cannot complete it. Let them get frustrated a little bit before handing over the missing piece. Use this opportunity to make them think how it is when they don’t put away toys properly after playing with them.
 Leela and her mother went shopping and bought a lot of things. Help them to put them away in their proper places. (pictures of things like soap, tooth paste, dals, books, shoes, milk etc )
 Enact the story of Babu. Encourage them to come up with similar stories.
 Look at this picture of a kitchen. Can you spot the things that do not belong to this room? (You can draw a room with things that do not belong there. Get this sheet copied and give it to the children as an individual activity)


CHAPTER VIII - WORK AND PERSEVERANCE

WORK IS FUN !

Objectives

 Those who work hard, always do better than those who don’t.
 We should do all our work with care.
 We should be regular in our work.

Introduction

Children love to put in hard work while playing but do not have the same interest when it comes to studying or doing some other chore. Guide them to look at work as a challenge. Help them to develop enthusiasm for all kinds of work. Point out how work gets done faster and better when it is done willingly. Children should learn to do any work with full attention and not half-heartedly. Everyday they should assign some time, to do their job, whether it is schoolwork or any other kind of work. This habit of regularity will help them a lot in life.

A way to begin

 Draw a grid with 9 or 16 squares (1”x1”) on a sheet of paper and make copies. Give each child one sheet. On the blackboard draw a similar grid. Draw a picture within the grid. The children will have to follow what you have drawn on the board by paying attention to the squares they have on their sheets. Ask them if they found this work hard to do. (they would say 'No' because they would have found it interesting). Through questions, elicit the fact that when it is interesting and enjoyable, one does not mind doing hard work.( For ex. while playing) Would they have liked it as much if they had to do a page of writing? Why not? Let them name some people who have to work very hard. What would happen if they all decided that the work was not interesting and stopped working?
 Work does not necessarily mean only schoolwork. Children should be trained to help in household work too. If appreciated, they would enjoy doing some small jobs at home and not look at it as a chore. Through discussion, guide them to make a list of all the jobs they could do at home to help the family.
 Children should be made to understand that it is all right to play, watch TV or sleep, but these things should not be done at the cost of some work that needs to be attended to. Some parents have a hard time disciplining children who would rather indulge in such activities. Through discussion, let the children understand how doing the work allotted to them with attention and care is very important.

Story Time

Story 1 - A grasshopper saw some ants carrying away food grains and called them to play with him. They refused saying they had a lot of work to do. The grasshopper went away laughing at their foolishness in working so hard. Soon it was the rainy season and the grasshopper found it very hard to get any food. The ants that had slogged away were happily eating their stored food and it was their turn to laugh.

Story 2 - Take two puppets or cut outs to the class. Name these puppets and make them react to some given situations. Make one of them a worker, always willing to do a good job and the other one a shirker, always trying to wriggle out of work. Let the children realise how it is better to be a good worker and get satisfaction out of a job done well.
With the help of the same puppets, let the children understand how one should pay attention to the work we do and how one should be regular in one's work. Improvise situations to bring home these points.

Story 3 - Guru Drona who was the guru of the Pandavas and the Kauravas once wanted to find out how attentive his pupils were. He kept a toy bird on the branch of a tree and asked them to take aim to shoot it in its left eye. The guru asked each one what they saw. They answered that they saw the tree or the branch or the leaves. Arjun alone answered that he saw only the bird. When questioned further he said that he saw only the bird’s head and later, only its left eye. He was ordered to shoot and he shot the bird exactly in the centre of its left eye. His one-pointedness alone helped him to become the best archer of his time.

Points to Discuss

 Show the class two pieces of writing, one done shabbily and the other done very neatly and legibly. Which one did they like? Why? Let them compare it with their own work. Encourage them to try every day so that they could also do as well.
 Ask the children--Are you attentive? When you pay attention and listen, you are able to understand better. You are able to remember better. You are able to perform better. When you let your thoughts wander and do not pay attention, you find it difficult to do well.
 Ask--What do your parents say when
 You watch TV while doing your homework.
 Your parents tell you to bring four things from a room and you bring only two.

Activities

 Let them know that they have to pay attention not only in the classroom but in other places too. Ask them (or show them pictures and ask) why they must be attentive at these places? What could happen if they are not attentive? [examples--- crossing the road, in a doctor’s clinic, taking change back from a shopkeeper, cutting things with a knife in the kitchen]. Let them give more such examples.
 With the help of the students, prepare a timetable of activities for the day using colourful pictures to illustrate. See that there is time set aside for work as well as play. Find out how useful this timetable was.
 Sing the song to the tune of ‘ Here we go round the mulberry bush’
This is the way we do our work, do our work, do our work
This is the way we do our work,
With care every morning.
This is the way we dust and mop, dust and mop, dust and mop.
This is the way we dust and mop,
With care every morning.
(change the activities to include other things that the children could do with attention)
Here we go round the Banyan tree, early in the morning
This is the way we sweep and dust, early in the morning

Sing with - Mop the floor, dust our things, wash our clothes, cook our food, polish our shoes, and water the plants Etc


CHAPTER IX - TIME MANAGEMENT

TAKE CARE OF TODAY!

Objectives

 We must make good use of the time available.
 It is good to get up early in the morning.

Introduction

Out of the twenty-four hours in a day, we get only about ten hours to do our work, the rest being used up in sleeping, eating, getting ready etc. We must use this time effectively to get the maximum out of it. One way to do it is to get up early and start the day early. The other way is to do any work with proper attention so that time does not get wasted.

A way to begin

Discuss the benefits of getting up early. (Not hot, pleasant, feel fresh and active, more time to do work etc.) Tell them--- You can do so many things if you wake up early.You can go for a walk with your parents (this will also give some time to interact with their parents). You can learn your lessons. You can help your parents. You can get ready without hurrying. Can you do these things if you wake up late?
 At what time do you get up everyday? On which day did you get up the earliest? Were you able to get ready for school without hurrying up on that day? When you try to get up early in the morning, on some days, you may feel very sleepy. You may feel like going back to bed. Is it good to do so? Think about it.
 What is the right time to do these activities—playing, watching TV, eating food, getting ready to go out, etc. Through discussion let the children understand that there is a proper time for doing everything.

Story Time

Story 1 - A rich man (call him THE FATRICHSICKMAN to make it interesting) was all the time feeling sick. Actually he didn’t have enough work and was lazy. So no doctor could cure him. A wise man who came to him realized this and told the rich man that he would get better if he followed a simple rule. Every morning he should start the day with a small cup of water collected as dewdrops from the plants. He should collect the water himself. Soon the FATRICHSICKMAN became THE THINRICHFITMAN! How? Clue- when do we see dew drops on plants?

Story 2 - One night an angel took Anjali to the Topsy turvy world. Anjali saw that the people in this world slept all through the day. They got up in the evening and had their breakfast. When they went to school, it was night time. The children stayed inside all the time because it was too dark to go out and play! Anjali felt tired and sleepy but found the people there running around and doing all their work under artificial lights. When it was getting to be day light they went to bed. (Think of some funny situations or ask the children to improvise) Anjali was getting more and more confused! Thankfully, she got up and realised it was only a dream!

Points to Discuss

 God has given all of us the same number of hours in a day. How we use them is up to us! Discuss how we can use time in the proper way.
 Ask--What is the best way to start the day? (Start with a prayer). What are the activities one should do in the morning? In the evening? What will happen if you behave like you are in the Topsy Turvy world and start playing in the mornings?
 Ask--Do you do the following on time? Tick the correct answer

Task Always sometimes never
I get up when the alarm clock rings

I get ready for school on time

I reach school on time

I eat my food on time

I don’t make my friend wait for me


 Talk about how it is at home in the mornings when everybody is getting ready to go out. Is there a lot of confusion? Does every one run around? Or do they get ready quickly because they have already prepared for the day?

Activities

 Read this poem. Do YOU feel like this?
I wake up in the morning early
And always the first thing I do
I poke my head and sit up in bed
And I sing and I sing and I sing!
(Rose Fyleman)
 Here is another poem to read and enjoy!
Don’t be late in the morning
Is my advice to you
Though you’re feeling dead
Jump right out of bed
Don’t be late in the morning
Do what the birdies do
Get up, get up, get up you sleepy head!
When you hear the rooster calling you
Cock a doodle, doodle, doodle do
So don’t be late in the morning
Remember mother’s words
Just be one of the early birds.

 Draw and colour a picture of the sun to show how it looks early in the morning.
 The words of a popular saying are jumbled up. Put them in order to find out what the saying is. (bed , early, and, to, early, rise, to, man , a, wise, makes, healthy ,and, wealthy)
 Give them a sheet of paper with clock faces drawn on it and ask them to draw pictures to show what they do during the day. Specify the time to get up (6 am) and go to bed (9 pm).


CHAPTER X - COURAGE

COURAGE IS BEING FEARLESS

Objectives

 Courage is being fearless. One needs courage to face any new situation.
 God helps us and gives us the courage to face any situation.

Introduction

Fear is one of the basic feelings of man. Courage is being able to overcome these fears but it is not easy to be courageous. A person who is courageous is fearless and he is able to face any situation.
Often, children develop fear for all kinds of things. It takes courage to try any new activity and sometimes children are afraid and draw back. Encourage them to overcome their fears, and when they take their first step and try, praise them for their effort, whether they succeed or not.
To develop courage, one must have belief in oneself. Belief in God and His support gives invincible courage. One who has the faith that God is always there with him is fearless and courageous.

A way to begin

 Some children may not do things boldly because they are shy by nature and not because they are afraid. Such children will do very well with some encouragement. But some children really feel scared. Such children need help. They may be guided to see how their fears are baseless. Ask the children—‘Do you feel scared sometimes? What makes you feel scared? If you think about them you will know why these fears are baseless and how you can get rid of them.
 Are you afraid of the dark? Remember that darkness is a part of nature and it doesn’t last forever. Day follows the dark night. Say a prayer before going to bed. Keep a night lamp if necessary.
Are you afraid of insects? Insects and other smaller animals must be more afraid of us because of our size.
Are you afraid of being reprimanded? Isn’t it better not to do anything that will get you into trouble? Understand that rules are for your own good. Only a person who cares for you will reprimand you because they want you to become better.

Story Time

Story 1 - A king had two wives. The first wife’s son, Dhruv, was denied the love of his father by his stepmother and was not allowed to sit on his father’s lap. When a sorrowful Dhruv went to his mother she consoled him by saying that he should not worry about such small things and to pray to God to help him. Dhruv decided to pray till he met God Himself. He asked someone where he could go to do intense prayer or tapasya and he was told to go to the forest. Dhruv did just that. He was not afraid of anything. The loneliness, the wild animals, the dark night, nothing scared him. He stood steadfast in prayer and God appeared before him and made Dhruv sit on his lap. The intense tapasya that Dhruv did with determination earned him a place in the Stellar System. The unmoving, unwavering North Star is known even today as the Dhruv star.

Story 2 - There was a lion in a forest and it used to hunt the animals and kill them. The animals could not even go out for grazing. So they were getting weaker and weaker without food. A bold rabbit suggested a plan. He said that he would go to the lion and request it to stay in one place and not hunt them. Instead everyday one animal would be sent to him as his food. The animals liked this plan and the lion also agreed to it. So turn by turn, each day one animal would go to the lion to be killed. One day it was the turn of the rabbit. It did not want to die and thought of a plan. It went very slowly and reached the lion’s den quite late. The lion was very hungry and angry. It roared and demanded why the rabbit was late. The rabbit pretended to be scared and said that another lion, which wanted to kill him, delayed it. The rabbit could escape only after it had promised that it would go back to this new lion after informing the older one. The lion did not believe this. The rabbit agreed to take him to the new lion’s den. It took the lion to an old well and said that the other lion lived there. The lion peeped in and saw its own reflection. It foolishly mistook it for another lion and jumped into the well to kill itself and that was the end of it. The brave rabbit thus succeeded in getting rid of the lion and all the animals were very happy.

Points to Discuss

 Think about this—Dhruv was able to see God and talk to Him. We are not able to do so now. But that does not mean that God’s help is not there. When we need it, He always helps.
 Were you scared when you came to the school the first time? Share your experiences with others.
 How do you feel when you are very scared? Does your heart go pounding? What else do you feel? How does it feel when you get over the fear and go ahead? Remember how good it felt when you went ahead with courage. Whenever you feel scared, think of that time and you will be filled with courage!

Activities

 Teach the song
We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day
Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe that we shall overcome some day

 Role-play some of the things that make us feel scared and how we can get rid of them.
 Answer these riddles – Sometimes you are scared of me- who am I?
 From a cat I run and hide
 On me, Ganesha gets a ride! ( a mouse )
 When I come, I chase the evening away.
 But the day chases me away! ( night)
 On a rainy night I rumble.
 Hearing me how you tremble! ( thunder )
 Do you see the warning sign about me on the front gate?
 But don’t forget I am your most loyal mate! ( a dog )

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