Grade VII English

April 2025: Introduction and Foundation

  • Literature:
    • Honeycomb: Ch 1 - "Three Questions" (Prose); Poem - "The Squirrel."
  • Grammar: Nouns (types: proper, common, collective, abstract), Tenses (present tense basics).
  • Writing Skills: Paragraph writing (e.g., "A Memorable Day").
  • Speaking/Listening: Self-introduction activity, listening to a short story.
  • Activities: Reading aloud, vocabulary building (words from Ch 1).
  • Focus: Building reading comprehension and basic grammar skills.
  • Reading Assignment: "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

May 2025: Developing Skills

  • Literature:
    • Honeycomb: Ch 2 - "A Gift of Chappals" (Prose); Poem - "The Rebel."
  • Grammar: Pronouns (personal, possessive, reflexive), Tenses (past tense).
  • Writing Skills: Informal letter (e.g., to a friend about summer plans).
  • Speaking/Listening: Group discussion on "Helping Others" (theme from Ch 2).
  • Activities: Role-play based on "A Gift of Chappals."
  • Note: May often includes a summer break; adjust teaching days or assign holiday homework (e.g., reading Poem - "The Rebel").
  • Reading Assignment: "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton

June 2025: Enhancing Comprehension

  • Literature:
    • Honeycomb: Ch 3 - "Gopal and the Hilsa Fish" (Prose); Poem - "Chivvy."
    • The Alien Hand: Ch 1 - "The Tiny Teacher."
  • Grammar: Verbs (action verbs, helping verbs), Subject-Verb Agreement.
  • Writing Skills: Story writing (e.g., "A Funny Incident").
  • Speaking/Listening: Narrating a short story or anecdote.
  • Activities: Dramatization of "Gopal and the Hilsa Fish," word games.
  • Reading Assignment: "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London

July 2025: Mid-Term Preparation

  • Literature:
    • Honeycomb: Ch 4 - "The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom" (Prose); Poem - "Trees."
    • The Alien Hand: Ch 2 - "Bringing Up Kari."
  • Grammar: Adjectives (describing words, degrees of comparison).
  • Writing Skills: Notice writing (e.g., for a school event).
  • Speaking/Listening: Recitation of "Trees" with expression.
  • Assessments: Unit Test 1 (Ch 1–3 from Honeycomb, basic grammar, and writing).
  • Activities: Creative writing inspired by "Bringing Up Kari."
  • Reading Assignment: "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

August 2025: Building Depth

  • Literature:
    • Honeycomb: Ch 5 - "Quality" (Prose); Poem - "Mystery of the Talking Fan."
    • The Alien Hand: Ch 3 - "The Desert."
  • Grammar: Adverbs (manner, time, place).
  • Writing Skills: Formal letter (e.g., to the principal requesting something).
  • Speaking/Listening: Debate on "Hard Work vs. Talent" (theme from "Quality").
  • Activities: Nature poetry writing, discussion on desert life.
  • Reading Assignment: "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak

September 2025: Term 1 Revision and Exams

  • Literature: Revision of Honeycomb Ch 1–5, Poems ("The Squirrel" to "Mystery of the Talking Fan"), The Alien Hand Ch 1–3.
  • Grammar: Revision of Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, Tenses.
  • Writing Skills: Practice of paragraph, informal letter, notice.
  • Speaking/Listening: Revision through storytelling and recitation.
  • Assessments: Half-Yearly Exams (Term 1 syllabus: Honeycomb Ch 1–5, Poems, The Alien Hand Ch 1–3, grammar, writing).
  • Activities: Mock tests, peer review of writing.
  • Reading Assignment: "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

October 2025: Term 2 Begins

  • Literature:
    • Honeycomb: Ch 6 - "I Want Something in a Cage" (Prose); Poem - "Meadow Surprises."
    • The Alien Hand: Ch 4 - "The Cop and the Anthem."
  • Grammar: Prepositions (in, on, at, etc.).
  • Writing Skills: Diary entry (e.g., "A Day in My Life").
  • Speaking/Listening: Expressing opinions on freedom (theme from Ch 6).
  • Activities: Nature walk observation (linked to "Meadow Surprises").
  • Note: Diwali holidays may occur; adjust accordingly or assign light reading.
  • Reading Assignment: "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

November 2025: Strengthening Expression

  • Literature:
    • Honeycomb: Ch 7 - "The Invention of Vita-Wonk" (Prose); Poem - "Dad and the Cat and the Tree."
    • The Alien Hand: Ch 5 - "Golu Grows a Nose."
  • Grammar: Conjunctions (and, but, because, etc.).
  • Writing Skills: Essay writing (e.g., "Science in Everyday Life").
  • Speaking/Listening: Humorous storytelling (inspired by "Dad and the Cat").
  • Activities: Science fiction writing, group reading of "Golu Grows a Nose."
  • Reading Assignment: "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke

December 2025: Application and Creativity

  • Literature:
    • Honeycomb: Ch 8 - "The Bear Story" (Prose); Poem - "Garden Snake."
    • The Alien Hand: Ch 6 - "I Want to Be an Engine Driver."
  • Grammar: Articles (a, an, the), Sentence Types (declarative, interrogative, etc.).
  • Writing Skills: Report writing (e.g., on a school event).
  • Speaking/Listening: Career aspirations discussion (linked to Ch 6 of The Alien Hand).
  • Activities: Animal-themed poetry or storytelling.
  • Reading Assignment: "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

January 2026: Consolidation

  • Literature:
    • Honeycomb: Ch 9 - "A Bicycle in Good Repair" (Prose); Poem - "The Shed."
    • The Alien Hand: Ch 7 - "Chandni."
  • Grammar: Direct and Indirect Speech (introduction).
  • Writing Skills: Application writing (e.g., leave application).
  • Speaking/Listening: Recitation of "The Shed" with spooky effects.
  • Assessments: Unit Test 2 (Term 2 topics covered so far).
  • Activities: Pair work on dialogue writing.
  • Reading Assignment: "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" by Mildred D. Taylor

February 2026: Term 2 Revision

  • Literature:
    • Honeycomb: Ch 10 - "The Story of Cricket" (Prose); Poem - "The School Boy" (if included, else revision).
    • The Alien Hand: Ch 8 - "The Bear" (revision if needed).
  • Grammar: Revision of Prepositions, Conjunctions, Articles, Direct-Indirect Speech.
  • Writing Skills: Revision of diary entry, essay, report, application.
  • Speaking/Listening: Speech on "Importance of Sports" (linked to "The Story of Cricket").
  • Activities: Mock exams, group revision quizzes.
  • Reading Assignment: "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne

March 2026: Final Exams

  • Literature: Full revision of Honeycomb Ch 6–10, Poems ("Meadow Surprises" to "The School Boy"), The Alien Hand Ch 4–8.
  • Grammar: Comprehensive revision of Term 2 topics.
  • Writing Skills: Practice papers for all formats.
  • Assessments: Final Exams (Term 2 syllabus + select portions of Term 1 as per CBSE guidelines).
  • Activities: Peer teaching, solving previous years’ question papers.
  • Reading Assignment: "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Key Notes:

  1. Textbook Chapters: The plan assumes 10 chapters each in Honeycomb and The Alien Hand, as per the standard CBSE syllabus. Confirm with the latest NCERT editions for 2025–26.
  2. Grammar Progression: Starts with foundational topics (nouns, verbs) and builds to complex ones (direct-indirect speech) by Term 2.
  3. Writing Skills: Gradually moves from simple (paragraphs) to structured formats (essays, reports).
  4. Activities: Designed to enhance engagement and reinforce learning.
  5. Adjustments: Schools may tweak the sequence based on local holidays (e.g., Diwali in October, winter break in December/January).