Paper Boats - Textual Notes

 Paper Boats

Let us do these activities before we read.

I. Read the questions given below. Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher

1. What comes to mind when you think about ‘paper boats’?

Rain, water puddles, childhood fun, making crafts out of paper, and watching them float down a stream.

2. What do you think someone might hope for when they send a paper boat down a stream?

They might hope that the boat floats far away safely without sinking, reaches distant unknown places, or gets picked up by another child downstream. 

3. Read the title of the poem ‘Paper Boats’ and predict what the poem might be about.

The poem is likely about a child who makes paper boats, floats them in a stream, writes messages or names on them, and imagines where they travel and who might find them.

II.  Read the given paragraph and match the highlighted words with their meanings given in the box below. 

loading     speedily     flowing     swelling     putting     bouncing  

I love to play beside a 1. running stream at a short distance from my grandparent’s house. I love to see it 2. skipping along to join a river. On the river, I can see boats with 3. bulging sails moving swiftly. Some of them take the people from one shore to the other while in some of them people can be seen 4. lading things too. I can spend hours watching the busy river and dreaming about them, 5. burying my head in my pillow at night

1. running — speedily flowing
   
   
2. skipping — bouncing
   
   
3. bulging — swelling
   
   
4. lading — loading
   
   
5. burying — putting

Let us discuss 

Choose the correct words from the brackets to complete the summary of the poem given below.

The poet sends paper boats down a 1. __________ (stream/river) each day, writing his name and the name of his 2. __________ (school/ village) on them. He hopes that someone in a 3. __________ (strange/familiar) land will find them and know who he is. The poet fills his boats with 4. __________ (rose/shiuli) flowers from his garden, hoping they will be safely carried to another land at 5. __________ (night/morning). As he launches his boats, he imagines that the 6. __________ (clouds/birds) in the sky are like friends, racing with his boats. At night, he dreams that his paper boats continue to 7. __________ (swim/float) under the midnight stars, with the fairies of sleep sailing in them, their baskets full of 8. __________ (dreams/fruits)

Answer:

The poet sends paper boats down a 1. stream each day, writing his name and the name of his 2. village on them. He hopes that someone in a 3. strange land will find them and know who he is. The poet fills his boats with 4. shiuli flowers from his garden, hoping they will be safely carried to another land at 5. night. As he launches his boats, he imagines that the 6. clouds in the sky are like friends, racing with his boats. At night, he dreams that his paper boats continue to 7. float under the midnight stars, with the fairies of sleep sailing in them, their baskets full of 8. dreams.

II.  Choose the correct option for the following.  

The theme of the poem is ________________. 

1. innocence      2. imagination    3. ignorance    4. playfulness     5. travel 

(i) 1, 2 and 3         (ii) 3, 4 and 5          (iii) 1, 4 and 5         (iv) 1, 2 and 4

Answer: (iv) 1, 2 and 4

III.  Identify whether the following statement is true or false. 

"The setting of the poem is a natural, outdoor environment."

Answer: True

IV.  Complete the following sentence by choosing the correct word given within the brackets.

The tone is ____________________ (sad and serious/gentle and wishful) and the mood is ____________________ (thoughtful/boring).

Answer: The tone is gentle and wishful and the mood is thoughtful.

V.  Identify the examples of alliteration from the poem.

Alliteration occurs when words starting with the same consonant sound are placed close together. Examples from the poem include:

• “Big black letters” (repetition of the /b/ sound)
• “Some strange land” (repetition of the /s/ sound)
• “Load my little boats” (repetition of the /l/ sound)
• “Fairies of sleep are sailing” (repetition of the /s/ sound)

VI.  Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the poem. 

1. The repetition of words ___________ and ___________ emphasises the passage of time.

    Answer: day by day and one by one (or day and night)

2. The poet uses imagery like ___________ and ___________ to create a clear picture in the minds of the readers.

    Answer: midnight stars and white bulging sails (or shiuli flowers)

VII. Match the descriptions in Column 1 with what they symbolise in Column 2.

Column 1 (Description)	Column 2 (Symbol)
1. The child's innocence, dreams, hopes, and messages sent out into the world	(ii) paper boats
2. Purity, beauty, and the start of a new day	(iii) shiuli flowers
3. The vast universe and the child's dreams continuing through the night	(i) midnight stars

Matched Pairs:

1 & (ii): Paper boats represent the child's innocence, dreams, hopes, and messages sent out into the world.

2 & (iii): Shiuli flowers represent purity, beauty, and the start of a new day.

3 & (i): Midnight stars represent the vast universe and the child's dreams continuing through the night.

I Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. 

(i) Select the option that is most likely to be the speaker as per the extract

(ii) What can be inferred about the speaker’s feelings when night comes?

   Answer: Speaker's feelings: Peaceful, hopeful, and happy.

(iii) What kind of beings are the ‘fairies of sleep’ imagined as? Select the most appropriate option. 

A. mischievous      B. gentle      C. fearsome      D. playful

Answer: B. gentle

(iv) Fill in the blank by selecting the correct option from those given in the brackets.

The phrase ‘lading is their baskets full of dreams’ suggests that the speaker imagines the fairies of sleep carefully _________________ (carrying his dreams /collecting his wishes) in their baskets.

Answer: carrying his dreams

II.  Answer the following questions. 

1. Why does the poet write his personal details on the boats?

Answer: So that anyone in a far-off land who finds the boats will know who made them and where he lives.

2. Give examples of the child's imagination in the poem.

Answer:

• Imagining clouds as friends racing his boats.
• Imagining fairies of sleep sailing in his boats with baskets full of dreams.

3. How does the poet mix imagination and reality?

Answer:

He combines real everyday actions (making paper boats and putting flowers in them) with magical ideas (racing clouds and sailing fairies).

Let us learn 

The poet has used phrases like ‘blooms of the dawn’ and ‘fairies of sleep’ in the poem. In the same way we can create phrases. Now, select words from Column 1 and Column 2 and combine them with ‘of’. Write as many phrases as possible in Column 3. An example has been done for you.

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3 (Phrases)
wings	the wind / the birds	wings of the wind (Example), wings of the birds
waves	the ocean	waves of the ocean
dreams	the children	dreams of the children
songs	the birds / the rain	songs of the birds, songs of the rain
glimmers	the stars	glimmers of the stars
cries	the children	cries of the children
tears	the rain	tears of the rain
roars	the thunder / the ocean	roars of the thunder, roars of the ocean
shadows	the evening / the clouds	shadows of the evening, shadows of the clouds

II The poet uses words like ‘dawn’, ‘night’ and ‘midnight’ to show different parts of the day. The box given below has some more words. Write the words in the appropriate columns. 

twilight      nightfall          dawn          sunset          dusk              sunrise             noon      daybreak      midnight     sunup         forenoon     sundown      noontime     night-time     noonday midday

Morning	Afternoon	Evening	Night
dawn	noon	twilight	nightfall
sunrise	noontime	sunset	midnight
daybreak	noonday	dusk	night-time
sunup	midday	sundown
forenoon

III Match the words from the text given in Column 1 with their opposites in Column 2

Answer:

1. strange —  ordinary
   
   
2. dawn — dusk
   
   
3. launch — halt
   
   
4. bulging — shrinking
   
   
5. float — sink
   
   
6. lading — emptying

Let us listen 

You will listen to a conversation between a girl and her father about the art of paper folding called origami. As you listen, select the true statements from 1–7. (Transcript for the teacher on pg. 137) 

 1. Sai was trying to make an origami boat. (False)

 2. Sai’s father used to do origami as a child.(True)

 3. Paper was very expensive so it was used only for special occasions.(True) 

 4. People have been making paper cranes for thousands of years. (False)

 5. There is a belief that if you make a thousand paper cranes, your wish will come true.(True) 

 6. The art of origami is about enjoying the process. (True)

 7. Sai’s father suggests making a paper bookmark next time. (True)

(Note on False Statements: Statement 1 is false because Sai was trying to make an origami crane, not a boat. Statement 4 is false because paper cranes have been made for hundreds of years, not thousands.)

Let us speak 

Create any craft item using eco-friendly materials. Make a presentation in front of your classmates and teacher about the craft item you have made. 

Your presentation should include the following information: 

 • Introduction of the item 

 • Description of how you made it 

 • Reason why you like the craft 

 • Conclusion

Use the phrases given below to make your presentation. 

 • Today, I’m going to show you a... I made. 

 • This... is made of... (materials) 

 • It’s... (describe colour, shape, size) 

 • It can be used to… 

 • First, I started by… 

 • Then, I used... (tool or material) to… 

 • The most difficult part was to… 

 • This... is special to me because… 

 • I hope you enjoyed seeing my craft and learning about it. 

 • Thank you for your attention. 

1. Presentation Script: Eco-Friendly Newspaper Pencil Stand:

Good morning teacher and my dear friends,

Today, I’m going to show you a pencil stand I made.

This craft is made of old newspapers, cardboard, and eco-friendly glue. It’s cylindrical in shape, about 10 centimetres tall, and painted in bright yellow and green colours. It can be used to hold pens, pencils, rulers, and scissors neatly on a study desk.

First, I started by rolling old newspaper sheets tightly into thin paper tubes. Then, I used scissors and eco-friendly glue to cut the tubes to equal lengths and stick them neatly around a circular cardboard base. Finally, I painted the stand using natural colours. The most difficult part was to roll all the newspaper tubes evenly so that the stand looks uniform and neat.

This pencil stand is special to me because it turns waste paper into something useful and helps protect our environment by reducing waste.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my craft and learning about it.

Thank you for your attention.

2. Presentation Script: Eco-Friendly Clay Vinayaka

Good morning teacher and my dear friends,

Today, I’m going to show you a clay Vinayaka idol I made.

This idol is made of natural clay and water. It’s earthy brown in color, small in size, and shaped like Lord Ganesha sitting peacefully with big ears, a trunk, and a crown. It can be used to worship during Ganesh Chaturthi or as an eco-friendly decoration at home.

First, I started by mixing natural clay soil with water and kneading it into a soft, smooth dough. Then, I used my hands and a wooden stick to shape the base, body, head, ears, trunk, and small details. The most difficult part was to attach the delicate trunk and arms securely without cracking the clay.

This clay Vinayaka is special to me because it is completely natural and dissolves safely in water during immersion, protecting our rivers and marine life.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my craft and learning about it.

Thank you for your attention.

Let us write 

A diary entry is a personal document. It records an individual’s account of a day of her or his life expressing the thoughts, feelings and opinions in the individual’s mind. 

The guidelines to compose a diary entry include: 

• mentioning day, date and time of writing it 

• beginning with a general sentence describing the day or feelings towards an event or                experience 

• giving details 

• concluding with a final remark 

Now, write a diary entry expressing your joy experiencing a rainy day. You may begin as given below:

Friday, 15 July 20XX

6:30 p.m.

Dear Diary,

It was quite humid today. On my journey back from school, I wished that it would rain. And it did!

Dark grey clouds suddenly covered the sky, and a cool breeze swept away all the heat. Within minutes, heavy rain began to pour down. The rich, earthy smell of the wet soil filled the air instantly. My friends and I couldn't resist getting drenched—we laughed, splashed through muddy water puddles, and enjoyed every drop. When I reached home, I made a small paper boat and launched it into the stream flowing near our gate, watching it sail joyfully down the water.

This cool, refreshing afternoon brought so much happiness after a hot week. I hope it rains again tomorrow!

 --    Prerna

Let us explore 

 

Shiuli flowers often find a mention in Rabindranath Tagore’s poems. These flowers are found in many parts of our country. 

Look at the pictures of shiuli flowers and recall what you call them in your language. 

1. Find out names of some more trees or plants in your locality which have fragrant flowers. Write their names in your language and English language. Draw any two flowers and colour them

Shiuli Flower (Local Name):

• Telugu: Parijatham (పారిజాతం)
  
  
• Hindi: Harsingar (हरसिंगार)
  
  

Fragrant Plants in My Locality

English Name	Telugu Name	Hindi Name
Jasmine	Malli (మల్లి)	Mogra (मोगरा)
Frangipani / Plumeria	Devaganalu (దేవగన్నేరు)	Champa (चंपा)
Tuberose	Sampangi (సంపంగి)	Rajnigandha (रजनीगंधा)
Rose	Gulabi (గులాబీ)	Gulab (गुलाब)

Simple Drawing Guide for Two Flowers

1. Jasmine (Malli):
   • How to draw: Draw 5 small, rounded oval petals radiating from a tiny center dot.
     
     
   • Colors: White petals with a soft yellow center and green leaves.
     
     
2. Frangipani (Champa):
   
   
   • How to draw: Draw 5 smooth, slightly overlapping spoon-shaped petals spread out evenly.
     
     
   • Colors: Bright yellow in the inner center fading into white at the outer edges.

II.  Solve the riddles given below. Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher. 

1. I have water that you cannot drink, People come to see how in me the Sun sinks. I can be rough, I can be calm, I hold within myself plenty of charm. My depths tell a never-ending tale. Who am I with dolphins and the whale?

2. I sit in stillness, but move with the wind, My surface mirrors the world you are in. The trees around me live happily, In me, you can take a dip daily. Home to ducks, frogs, fish, and all, Can you guess what I am, after all?

 

3. I gently travel through valleys deep, My soft murmur can make you sleep. Little paper boats float on me in rain The merry laughter of the kids I gain. You may sit beside me without any fear, Who am I who skips along, crystal clear?

4. I have a bed, but I do not sleep. I have a bank, but no money I keep. I carry stories, old and new, High mountains to the oceans blue. I journey far to meet the sea, Can you guess, who I can be?

 

Answers:

1. Sea / Ocean
2. Pond / Lake
3. Stream / Brook
4. River