Lesson Diary: The Crow

Class: IV
Subject: English
Chapter: The Crow
Duration: 6 periods × 40 minutes
Method: Panchapadi Method
Teaching Aids: Textbook, pictures/flashcards of birds, feather picture, colour cards, word cards, chart of bird body parts, blackboard, worksheet and crayons.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lesson, I expect learners to be able to:

  • Identify common birds such as crow, sparrow, pigeon, peacock, parrot and eagle.
  • Listen to and recite the poem The Crow with proper rhythm.
  • Understand the central idea: We should be happy with what we are.
  • Use new words such as feather, colourful, wings, stuck, picked up and without fail.
  • Answer comprehension questions from the poem.
  • Recognise rhyming words such as crow–know, tail–fail and head–said.
  • Pronounce multi-syllable words such as peacock, feather, beautiful and colourful.
  • Identify the body parts of a bird and write simple sentences.

Period 1: Birds and Pre-reading

Topic: Identification of birds and introduction to the crow
Text Focus: Pre-reading questions and bird names

1. ଅଧୀତି (Adhiti — Introduction) — 7 minutes

I will show pictures of different birds and ask learners to name them:

  • Sparrow
  • Pigeon
  • Peacock
  • Bulbul
  • Hoopoe
  • Parrot
  • Woodpecker
  • Eagle
  • Crow
  • Toucan

I will ask simple questions:

  • Which bird do you like?
  • Which bird says “caa, caa”?
  • What colour is a crow?
  • Is a peacock colourful?
  • Can a bird fly without wings?

I will ask learners to imitate the sound of a crow: “Caa, caa.” I will appreciate their participation and tell them that today’s poem is about a crow.

2. ବୋଧ (Bodh — Conceptual Understanding) — 12 minutes

I will introduce the poem by saying:

“Today we will read a poem about a black crow who wanted to become colourful like a peacock.”

I will explain that every bird is special in its own way:

  • A peacock is known for colourful feathers.
  • A parrot is known for its green colour and curved beak.
  • An eagle is known for its sharp eyes and strong wings.
  • A crow is known for its black colour and intelligent nature.

I will connect the idea with children’s lives: every child has different abilities. One child may draw well, another may sing well, and another may be good at games. We should respect ourselves and others.

3. ଅଭ୍ୟାସ (Abhyas — Practice) — 9 minutes

I will conduct a “Show and Say” activity. I will show a bird picture and learners will say its name.

I will ask oral questions:

  • Which bird is black?
  • Which bird has colourful feathers?
  • Which bird says “caa, caa”?
  • Name one bird that you like.
  • Name one bird that can fly high.

Learners will make sentences such as:

  • “The crow is black.”
  • “The peacock is colourful.”
  • “I like the parrot.”
  • “The crow says caa, caa.”

4. ପ୍ରୟୋଗ (Prayog — Application) — 8 minutes

I will ask learners to observe birds near their home, school or field. They will tell the class what they have seen.

Examples:

  • “I saw a crow on a tree.”
  • “I saw pigeons near my house.”
  • “I saw a sparrow near the window.”

I will remind them not to throw stones at birds or disturb nests.

5. ପ୍ରସାର (Prasar — Extension/Sharing) — 4 minutes

I will ask learners to share one message at home:

“We should be kind to birds and animals.”

Assessment: Learners will be able to identify at least three birds and tell the sound of a crow.

Home Assignment: Draw or paste one bird picture and write its name.

Period 2: The Crow Wants to Be Beautiful

Topic: First part of the poem
Text Focus: The crow’s wish to grow colourful feathers

1. ଅଧୀତି (Adhiti — Introduction) — 5 minutes

I will revise the previous class:

  • Which bird says “caa, caa”?
  • What colour is the crow?
  • Which bird has colourful feathers?

Then I will ask, “Can a crow become a peacock by putting peacock feathers on its body?” Learners will give their opinions.

2. ବୋଧ (Bodh — Conceptual Understanding) — 13 minutes

I will recite the first part of the poem with actions:

“There once was a crow.
He was black, as you know.
How to be beautiful,
he wanted to know.
Colourful feathers,
he wanted to grow.”

I will explain:

  • Wanted means wished.
  • Beautiful means nice to look at.
  • Colourful means having many colours.
  • Feather is one of the soft, light things that cover a bird’s body.

I will explain that the crow thought he would become beautiful only by having colourful feathers. But being beautiful is not only about colour or appearance. A bird can be beautiful because of its voice, helpful nature, courage or intelligence.

3. ଅଭ୍ୟାସ (Abhyas — Practice) — 9 minutes

I will read each line and learners will repeat after me.

I will ask:

  • Who was black?
  • What did the crow want to know?
  • What did he want to grow?
  • Did the crow want black feathers or colourful feathers?

I will write the following on the blackboard:

  • The crow was .
  • The crow wanted to be .
  • He wanted to grow feathers.

Expected answers: black, beautiful, colourful.

4. ପ୍ରୟୋଗ (Prayog — Application) — 9 minutes

I will ask learners to say one good thing about themselves:

  • “I am good at drawing.”
  • “I am kind to my friends.”
  • “I can sing well.”
  • “I help my mother at home.”
  • “I am good at reading.”

I will explain that we do not need to copy others to become valuable. We should improve ourselves while being happy with who we are.

5. ପ୍ରସାର (Prasar — Extension/Sharing) — 4 minutes

I will ask learners to tell one family member:

“Everyone is special in a different way.”

Assessment: I will check whether learners understand feather, colourful and wanted.

Home Assignment: Write three sentences using: crow, black and feather.

Period 3: Peacock Feathers and the Crow

Topic: The crow collects and fixes peacock feathers
Text Focus: “He found one peacock feather…”

1. ଅଧୀତି (Adhiti — Introduction) — 6 minutes

I will show a picture of a peacock feather and ask learners:

  • Which bird has this feather?
  • What colours can you see in the feather?
  • Can a peacock feather make a crow into a peacock?

I will ask learners to recall what the crow wanted: “The crow wanted to grow colourful feathers.”

2. ବୋଧ (Bodh — Conceptual Understanding) — 12 minutes

I will read the next lines:

“He found one peacock feather.
He stuck it in his tail.
Then he found another,
He picked up all without fail.”

I will explain the new words:

  • Peacock feather — a feather of a peacock.
  • Stuck — fixed something in a place.
  • Tail — the back part of a bird’s body with feathers.
  • Another — one more.
  • Picked up — lifted something.
  • Without fail — successfully; without missing.

I will use examples:

  • “I picked up my pencil from the floor.”
  • “I stuck a picture in my notebook.”
  • “The bird has a tail.”
  • “Give me another pencil.”

3. ଅଭ୍ୟାସ (Abhyas — Practice) — 9 minutes

I will use word cards and ask learners to match the word with its meaning:

Word

Meaning

Feather

Soft covering of a bird’s body

Picked up

Lifted

Stuck

Fixed

Tail

Back part of a bird

Another

One more

I will ask learners to complete sentences orally:

  • The crow found a feather.
  • He stuck it in his .
  • Then he found feather.
  • He up all the feathers.

Expected answers: peacock, tail, another, picked.

4. ପ୍ରୟୋଗ (Prayog — Application) — 8 minutes

I will give a simple art activity. Learners will draw a crow and decorate it with paper-feather shapes. After the activity, I will ask:

  • “Does decoration change the crow into a peacock?”
  • “What is the crow still?”

Expected response:

“It is still a crow.”

I will explain that we can enjoy art and colours, but we should not feel unhappy about our natural appearance.

5. ପ୍ରସାର (Prasar — Extension/Sharing) — 5 minutes

I will ask learners to share one sentence with a partner:

  • “The crow found a peacock feather.”
  • “He stuck it in his tail.”
  • “A crow is beautiful in black.”

Assessment: Learners will be able to use stuck, picked up and another in simple sentences.

Home Assignment: Draw a feather and write: “A peacock has colourful feathers.”

Period 4: The Message of the Poem

Topic: Other crows advise the crow
Text Focus: “You are beautiful in black…”

1. ଅଧୀତି (Adhiti — Introduction) — 5 minutes

I will ask learners:

  • What did the crow do with the peacock feathers?
  • Where did he fix the feathers?
  • Did he think he had become beautiful?

I will ask learners to imagine how a crow would look with many peacock feathers on its wings, tail and head.

2. ବୋଧ (Bodh — Conceptual Understanding) — 13 minutes

I will recite the final part of the poem:

“He stuck them in his wings,
Put one on his head.
I am now beautiful,
He danced and said.”

“The other crows laughed at him.
‘Oh, what a fool you are!
You are beautiful in black.
We love you for what you are.’”

I will explain:

  • Wings are the body parts with which birds fly.
  • Head is the upper part of the body.
  • Fool means a person who acts without thinking properly.
  • What you are means your real self or natural identity.

I will discuss the message carefully: the other crows tell him that black is his natural colour and he is already beautiful. We should not laugh at or insult anyone’s appearance. Instead, we should encourage people and respect their individuality.

3. ଅଭ୍ୟାସ (Abhyas — Practice) — 9 minutes

I will ask learners these questions:

  • Where did the crow stick the feathers?
  • What did he put on his head?
  • What did he say after decorating himself?
  • Who laughed at the crow?
  • What did the other crows say?
  • Is the crow beautiful in black?

Learners will answer:

  • “He stuck feathers in his wings.”
  • “He put one feather on his head.”
  • “He said, ‘I am now beautiful.’”
  • “The other crows laughed at him.”
  • “They said, ‘You are beautiful in black.’”

4. ପ୍ରୟୋଗ (Prayog — Application) — 8 minutes

I will discuss situations related to the poem:

  • A child has dark skin.
  • A child wears spectacles.
  • A child is short or tall.
  • A child is good at singing but not at drawing.

I will guide learners to say positive sentences:

  • “Everyone is special.”
  • “We should not tease anyone.”
  • “We should respect all people.”
  • “We should be happy with what we are.”

5. ପ୍ରସାର (Prasar — Extension/Sharing) — 5 minutes

I will ask learners to share one positive sentence with a classmate:

  • “You are a good friend.”
  • “You draw very nicely.”
  • “You are helpful.”
  • “You read well.”

Assessment: I will check whether learners can state the moral of the poem: “We should be happy with what we are.”

Home Assignment: Learn the poem and tell its moral to a family member.

Period 5: Recitation, Syllables and Rhyming Words

Topic: Pronunciation, syllables and rhymes
Text Focus: peacock, feather, beautiful, colourful, and rhyming words

1. ଅଧୀତି (Adhiti — Introduction) — 5 minutes

I will begin with a clapping game. I will say a word and learners will clap for each syllable:

  • Crow — one clap
  • Peacock — two claps
  • Feather — two claps
  • Beautiful — three claps
  • Colourful — three claps
  • Another — three claps

I will explain that dividing a long word into smaller sound parts helps us pronounce it correctly.

2. ବୋଧ (Bodh — Conceptual Understanding) — 10 minutes

I will demonstrate syllable breaking:

  • Pea — cock = peacock
  • Fea — ther = feather
  • Beau — ti — ful = beautiful
  • Co — lour — ful = colourful
  • A — no — ther = another

I will explain rhyming words. Rhyming words have similar ending sounds.

Examples from the poem:

  • Crow — know
  • Grow — know
  • Tail — fail
  • Head — said
  • Wings — things
  • Beautiful — colourful

3. ଅଭ୍ୟାସ (Abhyas — Practice) — 10 minutes

I will recite the poem line by line, and learners will repeat with rhythm and actions.

I will ask learners to find rhyming words:

  • Crow, brow, .
    Expected answer: know
  • Tail, mail, .
    Expected answer: fail
  • Feather, leather, .
    Expected answer: another
  • Head, bread, .
    Expected answer: said
  • Beautiful, wonderful, .
    Expected answer: colourful
  • Sing, ring, .
    Expected answer: wings

4. ପ୍ରୟୋଗ (Prayog — Application) — 10 minutes

I will form small groups and give each group a word. Learners will think of a rhyming word:

  • Cat — mat
  • Sun — fun
  • Book — look
  • Hen — pen
  • Dog — log

Then learners will make short oral sentences:

  • “The cat sat on the mat.”
  • “I have a pen.”
  • “The sun is bright.”

I will connect it with the poem: “The crow wanted colourful feathers, but he was already beautiful in black.”

5. ପ୍ରସାର (Prasar — Extension/Sharing) — 5 minutes

I will ask learners to tell one rhyming pair to someone at home, for example:

“Crow and know are rhyming words.”

Assessment: I will assess pronunciation, syllable clapping, poem recitation and ability to identify rhyming words.

Home Assignment: Write five pairs of rhyming words.

Period 6: Reading, Writing and Creative Activity

Topic: Bird body parts, sentence formation and favourite bird
Text Focus: Written activities and revision

1. ଅଧୀତି (Adhiti — Introduction) — 5 minutes

I will revise the poem through rapid questions:

  • What colour was the crow?
  • What did the crow want to grow?
  • Which bird’s feathers did the crow find?
  • Where did he fix the first feather?
  • What did the other crows say?
  • What is the moral of the poem?

2. ବୋଧ (Bodh — Conceptual Understanding) — 10 minutes

I will show a bird diagram and teach body parts:

  • Head
  • Eye
  • Beak
  • Neck
  • Wings
  • Leg
  • Tail

I will make simple sentences:

  • “A bird has two wings.”
  • “A bird uses its wings to fly.”
  • “A bird uses its beak to eat.”
  • “A bird has a tail.”
  • “A bird has two legs.”

I will also explain the use of an before words beginning with the vowel sound /o/:

  • an ox
  • an otter
  • an orange

3. ଅଭ୍ୟାସ (Abhyas — Practice) — 10 minutes

I will conduct a written worksheet.

A. Choose the correct answer

  • The crow wanted to grow feathers.
    (colourful)
  • The crow found a feather.
    (peacock)
  • The crow stuck the feather in his .
    (tail)
  • The other crows at him.
    (laughed)
  • The other crows loved him for .
    (what he was/what he was naturally)

B. Label bird body parts

Learners will label: head, eye, beak, neck, wings, leg and tail.

4. ପ୍ରୟୋଗ (Prayog — Application) — 10 minutes

I will teach sentence formation using the given table:

  • “I will go to school today.”
  • “We will go to the park today.”
  • “Rajni will go to the village today.”
  • “She will go to the farm today.”
  • “Harish will go to the theatre today.”

Then learners will make two new sentences of their own:

  • “I will go to the market.”
  • “My father will go to the farm.”

5. ପ୍ରସାର (Prasar — Extension/Sharing) — 5 minutes

I will ask learners to draw their favourite bird and write its name below the drawing.

Examples:

  • “My favourite bird is a parrot.”
  • “My favourite bird is a peacock.”
  • “My favourite bird is a crow.”

I will encourage learners to draw trees, grass, sky and a nest in the background. I will end with the mental-talk message:

“We should be happy with what we are.”

Assessment: I will assess learners through oral responses, poem recitation, rhyming-word activity, body-part labelling, sentence writing and favourite-bird drawing.

Home Assignment: Write five sentences about your favourite bird.