Poorvi 8 - Project 2

CLASS 8 ENGLISH – UNIT 2 VALUES AND DISPOSITIONS

PROJECT 1: HEROES WHO INSPIRED INDIA

Task

Choose one Indian personality who has made a significant contribution to the nation or society.

1. MAJOR SOMNATH SHARM- A Brave Soldier

Name : Major Somnath Sharma

Place and Date of Birth: Dadh, Himachal Pradesh, 31 January 1923

Field of Contribution: Indian Army

Important Achievements

He was a brave Indian soldier.
He fought in the Battle of Badgam in 1947.
He led his soldiers bravely.
He received the Param Vir Chakra.
He was the first person to receive this award.

Challenges Faced

He and his soldiers faced a much larger enemy force. He continued to fight bravely and protect his country.

Values Shown

Courage
Patriotism
Duty
Leadership
Selflessness

How Did He Inspire Others?

He showed great courage and love for the country. His bravery continues to inspire soldiers and young people.

What Have I Learnt?

I have learnt to be brave, responsible and loyal to my country.

2. DR A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM

The Missile Man of India

Name: Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Place and Date of Birth: Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, 15 October 1931

Field of Contribution: Science and Education

Important Achievements

He was a great scientist.
He worked in India's space and defence programmes.
He played an important role in India's missile programme.
He became the 11th President of India.
He received the Bharat Ratna.
He inspired many students.

Challenges Faced

He came from a simple family. He worked very hard to achieve his dreams.

Values Shown

Hard work
Determination
Humility
Discipline
Patriotism

How Did He Inspire Others?

He encouraged children to dream big and work hard. He loved meeting students and answering their questions.

What Have I Learnt?

I have learnt that hard work and determination can help us achieve our dreams.

3. VERGHESE KURIEN

The Father of the White Revolution

Name: Dr Verghese Kurien

Place and Date of Birth: Kozhikode, Kerala, 26 November 1921

Field of Contribution: Dairy Development and Rural Development

Important Achievements

He helped develop India's dairy industry.
He played an important role in the White Revolution.
He helped dairy farmers through cooperatives.
He played a major role in the growth of Amul.
He helped India become a major milk-producing country.

Challenges Faced

Indian farmers faced many problems in selling milk and getting a fair price. Kurien worked with farmers to solve these problems.

Values Shown

Determination
Hard work
Leadership
Cooperation
Service

How Did He Inspire Others?

He showed that people can achieve great things when they work together. His work helped many farmers.

What Have I Learnt?

I have learnt that teamwork, hard work and cooperation can bring positive change.

4. DR M.S. SWAMINATHAN

The Father of the Green Revolution in India

Name: Dr M.S. Swaminathan

Place and Date of Birth: Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, 7 August 1925

Field of Contribution: Agricultural Science

Important Achievements

He was a famous agricultural scientist.
He played an important role in India's Green Revolution.
He helped increase food production.
He worked to improve the lives of farmers.
He promoted better farming methods.
He received the Bharat Ratna posthumously.

Challenges Faced

India faced food shortages and low food production. Dr Swaminathan worked with other scientists to help increase food production.

Values Shown

Hard work
Determination
Scientific thinking
Innovation
Service

How Did He Inspire Others?

He showed how science can help farmers and society. His work helped India improve food production.

What Have I Learnt?

I have learnt that knowledge and science can be used to help people. I should work hard and use my knowledge wisely.

PROJECT 2: THE VALUES TREE

Task

Create a large Values Tree.

Draw a tree with:

Roots: Important lessons
Trunk: The three texts
Branches: Values
Leaves: Examples of the values

The value I admire most is: Compassion (or Kindness)

This value is important because: it allows us to understand the struggles of others and motivates us to help them without expecting anything in return, making our community caring and united.

An example of this value in my life is: helping an elderly neighbour carry heavy grocery bags up the stairs when they were finding it difficult to walk.

One way I can practise this value is: offering support and a patient ear to a classmate who is feeling left out, lonely, or struggling with their studies.

PROJECT 3: UNSUNG HEROES AROUND US

Task

Choose an unsung hero from your community.

Examples:

Teacher, Farmer, Nurse, Sanitation worker, Postperson, Bus driver, Security guard, Shopkeeper, Domestic worker, Social worker

Conduct a short interview.

Interview Questions

What is your name?
What work do you do?
How long have you been doing this work?
What do you like most about your work?
What difficulties do you face?
How does your work help other people?
What keeps you motivated?
What is one value that is important in your work?
What advice would you give children?
What are you proud of?

My Unsung Hero - 1

Name: Lakshmi
Occupation: Teacher

Important qualities:
Patient, caring, helpful and responsible.

Contribution to society:
She teaches children and helps them become knowledgeable and responsible people.

Challenges faced:
Helping different students and making lessons interesting for everyone.

What I learnt from this person:
I learnt that teachers play an important role in shaping children's lives. I should respect my teachers and learn sincerely from them.

My Unsung Hero - 2

Name: Suresh
Occupation: Sanitation Worker

Important qualities:
Responsible, hardworking, punctual and dedicated.

Contribution to society:
He helps keep public places clean and contributes to a healthier community.

Challenges faced:
The work can be physically tiring and difficult in hot or rainy weather.

What I learnt from this person:
I learnt that every kind of work is important. We should respect sanitation workers and keep our surroundings clean.

My Unsung Hero - 3

Name: Ramesh
Occupation: Farmer

Important qualities:
Hard-working, patient, responsible and determined.

Contribution to society:
He grows food for people and supports the country's food supply.

Challenges faced:
Uncertain weather, crop diseases and changes in farming conditions.

What I learnt from this person:
I learnt that farmers work very hard to provide food for us. We should respect their work and never waste food.

PROJECT 4: FROM A DROP OF MILK TO THE WHITE REVOLUTION

Task

Prepare a project on Verghese Kurien and the White Revolution.

1. Introduction

Dr Verghese Kurien was a famous Indian dairy expert and social entrepreneur. He is known as the Father of the White Revolution in India. He helped dairy farmers work together through cooperatives and played an important role in the growth of Amul.

2. His Dream

His dream was to help Indian farmers become self-reliant and earn a better income from milk production.

He organised farmers into cooperatives. He helped them collect, process and sell milk together. His efforts helped improve the dairy industry in India.

3. The Cooperative Model

Farmers → Cooperative → Milk Collection → Dairy Processing → Market → Consumers

Farmers joined together and sold their milk through cooperatives. This helped them get a fairer price, reduce the role of middlemen and improve their income. Working together also gave farmers greater strength and confidence.

4. The White Revolution

The White Revolution was a major movement that increased milk production in India and developed the dairy industry.

It helped India produce more milk and become one of the world's leading milk-producing countries.

It provided farmers with better opportunities to sell milk, earn income and improve their lives.

Farmers worked together through cooperatives. They shared resources, collected milk and marketed it together. This made the dairy system stronger and more successful.

5. Values Demonstrated by Verghese Kurien

Determination – He worked hard to achieve his dream.
Leadership – He guided farmers towards progress.
Cooperation – He believed in working together.
Innovation – He found new ways to improve dairy farming.
Service – He worked for the welfare of farmers and society.

Conclusion

Verghese Kurien showed that cooperation, hard work and good leadership can bring great change. His contribution to India's dairy sector continues to inspire us.

PROJECT 5: HEROES OF THE INDIAN ARMED FORCES

Task

Research one brave member of the Indian Armed Forces.

Hero 1: Major Somnath Sharma

Rank/Profession: Major, 4th Battalion, Kumaon Regiment (Indian Army)

Place of birth: Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

Important contribution: Saved Srinagar airfield and the Kashmir Valley from enemy raiders in 1947.

Major challenge/event: Battle of Badgam, holding off 500 raiders with just 50 men while heavily outnumbered.

Awards/Honours: Param Vir Chakra (India’s first recipient, posthumous)

Qualities shown: Supreme sacrifice, valor, unyielding duty, and calm leadership under fire.

Tribute:

Major Somnath Sharma stands as India’s first hero of the Param Vir Chakra. Outnumbered and facing heavy enemy fire, he refused to pull back even an inch. His courage saved the vital Srinagar airport and protected the valley. He fought fearlessly until his very last breath for the nation. His supreme sacrifice will forever inspire generations of Indians.

Hero 2: Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey

Rank/Profession: Captain, 1/11 Gorkha Rifles (Indian Army)

Place of birth: Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh

Important contribution: Cleared critical enemy fortified bunkers on the road to Tiger Hill during the 1999 Kargil War.

Major challenge/event: Attack on Khalubar ridge under freezing weather and heavy crossfire.

Awards/Honours: Param Vir Chakra (posthumous)

Qualities shown: Audacity, fierce determination, patriotic zeal, and front-line leadership.

Tribute:

Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey proved that for a soldier, country comes before life itself. During the Kargil conflict, he charged directly into enemy bunkers despite severe gunshot wounds. His sheer willpower ensured the recapture of Khalubar ridge. He lived by the belief that stepping backward was never an option. I salute his unmatched bravery and eternal dedication to the tricolour.

Hero 3: Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan

Rank/Profession: Major, 51 Special Action Group, National Security Guards (NSG)

Place of birth: Kozhikode, Kerala

Important contribution: Led rescue operations and saved 14 hostages during the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Major challenge/event: Clearing terrorists at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel during Operation Black Tornado.

Awards/Honours: Ashoka Chakra (India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, posthumous)

Qualities shown: Selflessness, fearlessness, empathy, and exceptional tactical courage.

Tribute:

Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan epitomized raw courage and protective brotherhood. During the Mumbai attacks, he willingly placed himself in the line of fire to safeguard his team and innocent citizens. His parting command, "Do not come up, I will handle them," echoes his selfless spirit. He fought with relentless determination until the hotel was cleared. His sacrifice is a shining example of absolute devotion to our nation.

PROJECT 6: IF I WERE IN THEIR PLACE…

Task

Choose one important situation from each text and imagine that you are the character / person involved.

Situation 1 – Major Somnath Sharma

If I were Major Somnath Sharma, I would…
I would bravely do my duty and protect my country and my soldiers.

The value that would guide me would be…
The values that would guide me would be courage, duty and patriotism.

I would make this decision because…
I would make this decision because protecting the country and supporting my fellow soldiers would be my responsibility.

Situation 2 – Somebody’s Mother

If I were the child in the poem, I would…
I would stop and help the old woman cross the road safely.

I would help the old woman because…
I would help her because she is old and needs someone to support her. Everyone deserves kindness and respect.

The value shown here is…
The values shown here are kindness, compassion and empathy.

Situation 3 – Verghese Kurien

If I were Verghese Kurien, I would…
I would work to improve the lives of dairy farmers and help them work together.

The difficulty I might face is…
I might face problems such as lack of resources, low milk production and difficulties in bringing farmers together.

I would overcome it by…
I would overcome these difficulties through hard work, cooperation, good planning and determination.

Reflection

The three values I would like to develop are:

Courage – I want to be brave and do my duty even when situations are difficult, like Major Somnath Sharma.
Kindness – I want to help people who need support and treat everyone with care and respect, like the child in Somebody’s Mother.
Determination – I want to work hard and never give up when I face difficulties, like Verghese Kurien.

PROJECT 7: VALUES IN MY COMMUNITY

Task

Conduct a small survey among 5–10 people such as family members, teachers or neighbours.

Survey Questions

What does courage mean to you?
Why is kindness important?
Who is a person you admire?
What makes a good leader?
Why should we help people in need?
What does determination mean?
Can one person bring a change in society?
Which value is most important for young people?

I conducted a survey among 8 people—my family members, teachers and neighbours. I asked them questions about courage, kindness, leadership and determination.

My Analysis

According to my survey, people believe that courage, kindness and determination are important values. They feel that we should help others, respect everyone and work hard. I learnt that practising good values can make our society a better place.

Most commonly mentioned value: Kindness
Most admired quality: Determination
Most common reason for helping others: To support people in need.

The pie chart above illustrates the survey distribution across the 8 people:

Kindness (Most Common Value): 3 votes (37.5%)
Determination (Most Admired Quality): 2 votes (25.0%)
Courage: 2 votes (25.0%)
Leadership: 1 vote (12.5%)