List of IFE Activities (IX)

Lesson & Author	Genre	Suggested IFE Activities
Lesson 1: Tales of Bhola Grandpa Manoj Das	Prose	Survey: Conduct a survey among classmates or family members on "The Funniest Things People Forget" and present the findings. Nature Study: Research the Sundarbans mangrove forest mentioned in the story, focusing on its unique flora, fauna (like the Royal Bengal Tiger), and environment. Case Study: Analyze Bhola Grandpa as a case study of "Harmless Eccentricity." Discuss how society treats such characters. Creative Writing: Write a diary entry from the perspective of Bhola Grandpa's wife, describing a day with him. Model Making: Create a diorama (3D model in a box) depicting the scene where Bhola Grandpa clutches the tiger's ears. Open Textbook Evaluation (OTE): Find three examples of hyperbole (exaggeration for effect) in the story and explain why the author used them.
Lesson 2: All about a Dog A. G. Gardiner	Prose	Survey: Survey 10 people on whether they think pets should be allowed on public transport. Create a simple report with a bar chart. Nature Study: Research the temperament and characteristics of the Pekinese dog breed. Case Study: Analyze the conductor's actions as a case study of "Adherence to Rules vs. Empathy." Discuss the pros and cons of his stance. Creative Writing: Rewrite the incident from the Pekinese dog's point of view. Model Making: Build a simple cross-section model of the double-decker bus, labelling the upper and lower decks. Open Textbook Evaluation (OTE): Identify the arguments made by the narrator against the conductor's rule. Which one is the most persuasive and why?
Lesson 3: Autumn John Clare	Poem	Survey: Survey classmates about their favourite season and the reasons why. Create a pie chart to show the results. Nature Study: Collect and press different types of leaves found during the autumn season in your locality. Label them and create a scrapbook. Case Study: N/A (Can be adapted: A study of how poets across different cultures depict the autumn season). Creative Writing: Write a short poem or a descriptive paragraph of 100 words about a rainy day in autumn. Model Making: Create a collage using natural materials (twigs, dry leaves, seeds) to represent a scene from the poem. Open Textbook Evaluation (OTE): List all the images related to sound (auditory imagery) and sight (visual imagery) from the poem in a table.
Lesson 4: A Day in the Zoo Gerald Durrell	Prose	Survey: Conduct a survey on "Should animals be kept in zoos?" Prepare a report summarizing the arguments for and against. Nature Study: Choose one animal mentioned in the text (e.g., gorilla, macaw) and create a detailed fact file about its habitat, diet, and behavior. Case Study: Analyze the daily routine described in the text as a case study for "Effective Zoo Management." Creative Writing: Imagine you are an animal in the zoo. Write a short story about your day. Model Making: Design and create a 3D model of an ideal, modern enclosure for an animal of your choice. Open Textbook Evaluation (OTE): The author describes the zoo at dawn and at dusk. Find and compare the descriptions. What is the difference in mood?
Lesson 5: All Summer in a Day Ray Bradbury	Prose	Survey: Conduct an anonymous survey among classmates about their experiences with bullying or being excluded. Present the data sensitively. Nature Study: Research the planet Venus. Create a chart comparing the real scientific facts about Venus with the fictional description in the story. Case Study: Analyze the character of Margot as a case study of "The effects of social isolation and jealousy." Creative Writing: Write the next chapter of the story. What happens when Margot is let out of the closet? Model Making: Create a two-part model or a single drawing showing the Venusian landscape 'before' and 'during' the one hour of sun. Open Textbook Evaluation (OTE): How does the author use sensory details (sight, sound, touch) to describe the rain? Find at least five examples.
Lesson 6: Mild the Mist Upon the Hill Emily Jane Brontë	Poem	Survey: Survey people on what kind of weather makes them feel nostalgic or reminds them of their childhood. Nature Study: Observe and write a short report on how mist or fog changes the appearance and sounds of your surroundings. Case Study: A literary case study of how the poet uses nature (mist, clouds) to represent emotions and memories. Creative Writing: Write a personal account of a memory that a particular smell or sight brings back to you. Model Making: Create a watercolour painting or a pencil sketch that captures the misty, melancholic mood of the poem. Open Textbook Evaluation (OTE): The poem shifts from the present to the past. Identify the lines that describe the present and the lines that describe the past.
Lesson 7: Tom Loses a Tooth Mark Twain	Prose	Survey: Conduct a humorous survey on "The Best Excuses to Skip School" and compile the top five creative answers. Nature Study: N/A (Can be adapted: Research common folk remedies for ailments like toothache from the 19th century). Case Study: Analyze Tom's character as a case study in "Childhood Mischief and Imagination." Creative Writing: Write a short, humorous dialogue between two friends planning to skip a test. Model Making: Create character puppets of Tom, Sid, and Aunt Polly and prepare for a puppet show of the scene. Open Textbook Evaluation (OTE): Identify three examples of dramatic irony in the text (where the reader knows something a character does not).
Lesson 8: His First Flight Liam O’Flaherty	Prose	Survey: Survey classmates about their biggest fears and what helped them (or could help them) overcome them. Nature Study: Create an information chart about seagulls: their habitat, diet, flight patterns, and social behavior. Case Study: Analyze the family's strategy to make the young seagull fly as a case study in "Motivation and Tough Love." Creative Writing: Write a diary entry from the young seagull's perspective, the day after his first successful flight. Model Making: Create a mobile using paper cutouts to show the stages of the seagull's flight: 1. On the ledge, 2. Falling, 3. Flapping, 4. Soaring. Open Textbook Evaluation (OTE): How does the author personify the young seagull? Find words and phrases that give it human-like thoughts and feelings.
Lesson 9: The North Ship Philip Larkin	Poem	Survey: Survey your friends on what they consider a "successful journey" in life means to them (e.g., wealth, happiness, adventure). Nature Study: Research how wind and weather conditions (like frost) affect sea travel, both historically and today. Case Study: A symbolic case study of the three ships, representing different life paths: prosperous, comfortable, and challenging. Creative Writing: Write a short story about the journey and fate of the third, "unfruitful" ship. Model Making: Make three small, simple models of ships. Decorate each one to represent its journey as described in the poem. Open Textbook Evaluation (OTE): Analyze the poem's rhyme scheme and rhythm. How does the structure contribute to the poem's story-like quality?
Lesson 10: The Price of Bananas Mulk Raj Anand	Prose	Survey: Conduct a survey at a local railway station or market (with permission) about the challenges faced by porters or small vendors. Nature Study: Research the behavior of monkeys, especially their intelligence and tendency to snatch food in public places in India. Case Study: A comparative case study of the businessman (Sethji) and the narrator, focusing on their differing attitudes towards the poor fruit-vendor. Creative Writing: Write a newspaper report about the incident on the railway platform. Model Making: Create a model of a typical Indian railway platform scene, including the fruit stall, passengers, and train. Open Textbook Evaluation (OTE): What does the "price of bananas" symbolize in the story beyond its literal cost? Explain with reference to the text.
Lesson 11: A Shipwrecked Sailor Daniel Defoe	Prose	Survey: Survey classmates: "If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three items would you want to have and why?" Compile the results. Nature Study: Research and list five edible plants and five dangerous animals one might find on a tropical island. Case Study: Analyze Robinson Crusoe's actions upon reaching the island as a case study in "Human Instinct for Survival." Creative Writing: Write the first logbook entry for Crusoe, detailing his thoughts and feelings on his first full day on the island. Model Making: Build a 3D model of the island as described by Crusoe, showing the creek, the high ground, and the spot where he built his first shelter. Open Textbook Evaluation (OTE): Create a timeline of the events from the moment the ship hits the sandbank to Crusoe falling asleep on the shore.
Lesson 12: Hunting Snake Judith Wright	Poem	Survey: Conduct a small survey to find out people's immediate reactions and feelings about snakes (e.g., fear, fascination, disgust). Nature Study: Create a fact sheet distinguishing between venomous and non-venomous snakes found in West Bengal, with pictures. Case Study: A case study of the human-wildlife interaction in the poem. Analyze the observers' reactions of awe and stillness. Creative Writing: Write a poem or a short paragraph describing a brief, intense encounter with a wild animal, focusing on its movements and your feelings. Model Making: Create a clay model of the black snake, trying to capture the "curves of diamond scale" and its graceful form. Open Textbook Evaluation (OTE): The poet uses powerful verbs to describe the snake's movement. Find five such verbs and explain their effect.

---