CBSE CHAMP

The Dark

by James Carter

(Communication with Cambridge)

The Poem :

Why are we so afraid of the dark?

It doesn’t bite and doesn’t bark

Or chase old ladies round the park

Or steal your sweeties for a lark.

And though it might not let you see

It lets you have some privacy

And gives you time to go to sleep

Provides a place to hide or weep.

It cannot help but be around

When beastly things make beastly sounds

When back doors slam and windows creek

When cats have fights and voices shriek.

The dark is cosy, still and calm

And never does you any harm

In the loft, below the sink

It’s somewhere nice and quiet to think.

Deep in cupboards, pockets too

It’s always lurking out of view

Why won’t it come out till it’s night?

Perhaps the dark’s afraid of light.

Summary of the Poem :

In this stanza, the poet asks why people are afraid of the dark. He explains that the dark does not hurt anyone. It does not bite, bark, chase people, or steal anything. The poet shows that our fear of the dark is unnecessary.

This stanza explains that even though the dark makes it hard to see, it is helpful. The dark gives us privacy, helps us fall asleep, and gives us a quiet place where we can cry or hide peacefully.

In this stanza, the poet talks about scary sounds heard at night, like doors slamming, windows creaking, and animals fighting. He says these sounds happen at night, but they are not caused by the dark itself.

Here, the poet describes the dark as cosy, calm, and safe. He says it never harms anyone. The dark can be found in quiet places like the loft or under the sink, where one can sit and think peacefully.

In the final stanza, the poet says that the dark hides in cupboards and pockets and stays out of sight. He ends the poem humorously by suggesting that maybe the dark comes only at night because it is afraid of the light.

Understanding the Poem

A. Answer these questions. Discuss your answers with your teacher.

1. In the first stanza, the speaker compares our fear of the dark to a dangerous dog. Pick out the phrases that bring out this comparison.

Answer:

The phrases are:

“It doesn’t bite and doesn’t bark”

“Or chase old ladies round the park”

“Or steal your sweeties for a lark”

These phrases compare the dark to a dog that might bite, bark, or chase people.

2. What, according to the speaker, are the good points about the dark?

Answer:

According to the speaker, the good points about the dark are:

It gives us privacy

It helps us sleep

It gives us a quiet place to think

It allows us to hide or cry peacefully

It is calm, cosy, and harmless

B. Think and answer. Discuss your answers with your teacher.

Do you think the speaker likes the dark? Say why.

Answer:

Yes, the speaker likes the dark because he describes it as cosy, calm, and safe. He says it never harms anyone and helps people rest and think quietly.

C. Discuss in class.

1. What is your own experience of the dark?

Answer :

Sometimes I feel scared of the dark, but when I am in my room, it feels calm and quiet. It helps me sleep peacefully.

2. In what ways can the dark be a friend?

Answer:

The dark can be a friend because it helps us sleep, gives us privacy, keeps things calm, and gives us quiet time to think and rest.

Appreciation

Now, write the rhyme scheme of the other three stanzas of the poem.

Answer:

Second stanza rhyme scheme: BBBB

(see / privacy / sleep / weep)

Third stanza rhyme scheme: CCCC

(around / sounds / creek / shriek)

Fourth stanza rhyme scheme: DDDD

(calm / harm / sink / think)

Fifth stanza rhyme scheme: EEEE

(too / view / night / light)

Life Skills Activity

Work in groups of five and discuss what you feel about darkness. Does darkness scare you or does it intrigue you? You can use onometopoeic words or vivid imagery to talk about it.

Answer :

Darkness sometimes scares me because I cannot see clearly. But it also feels peaceful and quiet. At night, everything becomes calm, and it helps me relax and sleep.

Solution of Thunder Cake

by Patricia Polacco

(Communicate with Cambridge)

Reading (Reading for main ideas)

A. Work in pairs and choose the right options to complete these sentences.

1. The child’s grandmother lived in

a. a farm in Minnesota

b. a city in Missouri

c. a prairie in Arkansas

d. a farm in Michigan ✅

Answer: d. a farm in Michigan

Explanation: The story clearly says the grandmother lived on a farm in Michigan.

2. Although the child loved visiting her grandmother, she was scared of

a. the flashes of lightning

b. the sound of thunder ✅

c. the shuddering of the windows

d. the fierce rain

Answer: b. the sound of thunder

Explanation: The child feared the loud sound of thunder the most.

B. Fill in the blanks with the ingredients the grandmother collected for her cake as the storm drew closer. Read the story again and check your answers.

1. When the thunder was ten miles away, the grandmother asked the child to gather eggs.

2. Once the storm was nine miles away, she went to old Kick Cow and got some milk.

3. When the storm was eight miles away, she asked the child to get chocolate and sugar.

4. Finally, when the storm was six miles away, the grandmother asked for three over-ripe tomatoes and strawberries, which were the secret ingredients for the cake.

C. Rearrange the sentences in the order in which they took place in the story.

1. The grandmother told the child that they would bake a Thunder Cake.

2. The grandmother mixed all the ingredients of the cake.

3. The child never feared the sound of thunder again.

4. The grandmother noticed that the child was scared.

5. The grandmother tried to keep the child busy by asking her to get different ingredients for the cake.

Correct Order:

4 → 1 → 5 → 2 → 3

Explanation:

First, Grandma noticed the fear → then planned Thunder Cake → kept the child busy → baked the cake → child stopped fearing thunder.

Reading for inference (HOTS)

D. Work in pairs. Read these sentences from the story and answer the questions that follow.

1. “Unless you let go of me, we won’t be able to make a Thunder Cake today!”

a. Who said this and to whom?

Answer: Grandma said this to the child.

b. Why was the person being spoken to holding on to the speaker?

Answer: The child was very scared of thunder and was holding Grandma tightly for safety.

c. Why did the speaker wish to make a Thunder Cake?

Answer: Grandma wanted to help the child overcome her fear of thunder by keeping her busy and brave.

2. “When you hear the thunder, stop counting. That number is how many miles away the storm is. Understand?” she asked.

a. Who is the speaker of these lines?

Answer: The speaker is the grandmother.

b. How would they know how far the storm was?

Answer: They counted the seconds between lightning and thunder to know how far away the storm was.

c. Why did they need to know how far away the storm was?

Answer: They needed to know how much time they had to bake the Thunder Cake before the storm arrived.

3. “Brave people can’t be afraid of a sound, child,” she said as we spread out the tablecloth and set the table.

a. Who said this?

Answer: The grandmother said this.

b. Was the person being spoken to a brave person?

Answer: Yes, the child was brave.

c. What made the speaker think that the child was brave?

Answer: The child faced fear, collected eggs, milk, and other ingredients during the storm, and did not hide anymore.

E. Think and answer

1. How did the child overcome her fear in the story?

Answer:

The child overcame her fear by staying busy with Grandma, counting thunder, collecting ingredients, and baking the Thunder Cake. Grandma’s calm support helped her feel brave.

2. Do you think that the child realised what the grandmother was trying to do? Give reasons.

Answer:

Yes, the child realised it later. She understood that Grandma was helping her become brave when she noticed she was no longer afraid of thunder.

F. Discuss in class (Value-based questions)

1. What are the ways in which one can get over one’s fear of something?

Answer:

Stay calm

Face the fear slowly

Keep yourself busy

Take help from elders

Think positively

2. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Explain this statement. Give examples.

Answer:

This means fear is often worse than the problem itself. When we face fear bravely, it becomes smaller.

Example: The child feared thunder, but after facing it, she was no longer scared.

Using Grammar – Reflexive Pronouns

Fill in the blanks with the right reflexive pronouns to complete these sentences. Discuss your answers with your teacher.

1. Maria saw herself in the mirror.

2. The kitten tried to bite me, but bit itself by mistake.

3. I taught myself to play the guitar.

4. The boys helped themselves to the samosas.

5. There are plenty of cakes here, Boys, help yourselves.

6. My father cut himself whem he was shaving.

Using Words (Onomatopoeia)

Look at these words in the story

crackle, crash, shudder, zip, rumble, rattle, clap, whisper, croak, crow

These words are sound words because they copy real sounds.

A. Say the words aloud and pick the “sound words” from the list and use them in sentences of your own.

1. bloop

2. white

3. splash

4. cloud

5. sprinkle

6. whizz

7. drip

8. outside

Sound words are:

bloop

splash

sprinkle

whizz

drip

Sentences:

1. The stone fell into the water with a bloop.

2. The rain made a loud splash in the puddle.

3. Water began to drip from the roof.

4. The ball whizzed past my head.

5. The gardener began to sprinkle water on the plants.

Which kind of imagery will onomatopoeic words help you create?

Answer:

Onomatopoeic words help us create sound imagery.

Collocations with verbs and adverbs

Choose the correct word:

I was so scared that I could barely see what was going on.

Options:

barely ✅

slowly ❌

wisely ❌

richly ❌

Answer: barely

B. Complete these sentences with the right words from the brackets. Work in pairs. Discuss your answers with your teacher.

1. Henry walked (energetically / briskly) to catch the train.

✅ Answer: briskly

2. She laughed (heartily / completely) at the joke.

✅ Answer: heartily

3. She sang (prettily / sweetly) at the concert.

✅ Answer: sweetly

4. Our soldiers fought (bravely / loudly) at the border.

✅ Answer: bravely

5. The baby slept (soundly / fully) through all the noise.

✅ Answer: soundly

6. Please donate (generously / lavishly) to charity.

✅ Answer: generously

Dictionary Work (Homonyms)

Use a dictionary and find out two meanings for each of these words.

1. shed

a small building for storing things

to let something fall (e.g., a tree sheds leaves)

2. pen

an object used for writing

a small enclosure for animals (e.g., sheep pen)

3. safe

not in danger

a strong box used to keep money or valuables

4. arm

a part of the body

a branch or extension of something (e.g., arm of a chair)

Spelling (consonant clusters br / dr)

Guess the words

_ _ _ I _ K → brick

_ _ _ A G → drag

_ _ O W N → brown

_ _ _ I G _ T → bright

_ _ _ I N → drain

_ _ I L _ → drill

_ _ _ O P → drop

_ _ _ I S K → brisk

Assessment of Speaking and Listening – Listening

The grandmother in the story lived on a farm in Michigan.

1. Which country is Michigan in?

Answer: Michigan is in the United States of America (USA).

2. When did Michigan become a state?

Answer: Michigan became a state in 1837.

3. What is the nickname given to Michigan?

Answer: Michigan is called “The Great Lakes State.”

4. Why has a nickname been given to Michigan?

Answer: It is called the Great Lakes State because it is surrounded by many large lakes.

5. What are the major industries in Michigan?

Answer:

Car manufacturing

Farming

Tourism

Pronunciation

(Consonant sounds in man, name and sing)

A. Say these words aloud. Notice that the letters in bold in these words have the same sound. Check your pronunciation with your teacher.

Words:

man

image

dim

column

Answer (Explanation):

The m sound in all these words is the same. We pronounce it by closing our lips and making a soft sound.

B. Now say these words aloud. Notice that the letters in bold in these words have the same sound. Work in pairs and check each other's pronunciation.

Words:

name

chin

end

knee

Answer (Explanation):

The n sound in all these words is the same. It is made by touching the tongue to the roof of the mouth.

C. Now say these words aloud. Notice that the letters in bold in these words have the same sound. Check your pronunciation with your teacher.

Words:

sing

angry

longing

Answer (Explanation):

The ng sound is the same in all these words. It is a nasal sound made from the back of the mouth.

Speaking

(Making enquiries over the telephone)

A. Imagine you are the child in the story. You hear the weather forecast over the radio. The announcement warns the people of Michigan about an approaching storm. However, you miss some of the details. You call up the weather office to ask for details over the phone. In pairs, role play the conversation between an officer from the weather office and the child.

You could bring like this -

You:

Good morning. My name is Pat Polacco. Could I please speak to someone who can give me information about the weather expected in Michigan?

Officer:

Good morning. Please hold the line. I will connect you to the weather officer.

You:

Thank you.

Weather Officer:

Hello. This is the weather office. How can I help you?

You:

I heard there is a storm coming. Can you tell me when it will arrive?

Weather Officer:

Yes. A thunderstorm is expected this afternoon. There may be heavy rain, lightning, and loud thunder.

You:

Is it dangerous?

Weather Officer:

It can be noisy, but if you stay indoors and remain calm, you will be safe.

You:

Thank you very much for the information.

Weather Officer:

You’re welcome. Stay safe.

B. The grandmother in the story enjoyed baking cakes. What do you enjoy doing? Work in pairs. Tell your partner about things you enjoy doing and how you go about doing them. You could talk about things like playing a sport, reading, painting, acting, travelling or anything else that your like doing.

Answer (Sample for speaking):

I enjoy reading storybooks. I read every day after finishing my homework. Reading makes me happy and helps me learn new words. I like reading storybooks before going to bed.

Writing (Writing a Diary Entry)

Imagine you are the little girl in the story. The storm has cleared and you are about to go to bed at night. Write how your grandmother helped you get over your fear of thunder.

Answer (Diary Entry):

Dear Diary,

I am so happy today! The day began with me being very scared because a storm was coming. The thunder was loud and I hid under the bed. Grandma held my hand and told me not to be afraid.

She made me count the seconds between lightning and thunder and kept me busy by helping her bake a Thunder Cake. We collected eggs, milk, sugar, and other ingredients. Slowly, I stopped feeling scared.

When we ate the cake together, I felt brave. Grandma showed me that thunder is only a sound. Today, I learned how to face my fear.

Good night,

Me