Storytelling and Expressing Ideas

Lesson Title

कहानी सुनाना और अपने विचार बताना
Storytelling and Expressing Ideas

Class: Grade 1
Subject: English + Hindi (Bilingual)
Main Aims:

• समझना और सुनाना सरल कहानियाँ (Understand and tell simple stories)
• अपनी भावनाएँ और विचार आसान शब्दों में कहना (Express feelings and ideas in simple words)
• सुनना, बोलना, और कल्पना करना सीखना (Improve listening, speaking, and imagination)

Materials Needed:

• एक अच्छी चित्र-कहानी (Picture story cards or big book)
• Crayons, drawing sheets
• Flashcards of animals/feelings (खुश, उदास, चालाक, etc.)
• Props (optional): toy animals, mask

Warm-up Activity (5–7 minutes) – गर्मागर्मी गतिविधि

English: Good morning children! Today we will become little storytellers!
Who likes stories? Raise your hand!
Do you like monkey stories? Lion stories?

Hindi: नमस्ते बच्चो! आज हम छोटे-छोटे कहानी सुनाने वाले बनेंगे!
कौन-कौन सी कहानियाँ पसंद हैं? हाथ उठाओ!
बंदर वाली कहानी? शेर वाली कहानी?

Quick game: Teacher says one word → children repeat + action
Example:

• Happy → clap clap! (खुश → ताली बजाओ!)
• Sad → boo hoo (उदास → रोने का नाटक)
• Clever → finger on head (चालाक → दिमाग पर उंगली)

Main Story – मुख्य कहानी (15–18 minutes)

We use a very famous, short Panchatantra story suitable for Class 1: The Thirsty Crow (प्यासा कौआ)
It teaches: Think smart / clever ideas help (होशियारी से काम लो)

Bilingual Version (Teacher reads slowly, shows big pictures or draws on board)

English Version
One hot day, a crow was very thirsty.
He flew here and there but found no water.
Then he saw a pot with water.
But the water was very low. His beak could not reach it.

The crow thought and thought.
He saw some pebbles.
He picked up pebbles one by one.
He dropped them into the pot.
Plop! Plop! Plop!
The water came up… up… up!
Finally the crow drank the water.
He was happy!

Moral: Think smart and you can solve problems.
(धीरे-धीरे सोचो तो मुश्किल आसान हो जाती है।)

Hindi Version
एक गर्म दिन था। एक कौआ बहुत प्यासा था।
वह इधर-उधर उड़ा लेकिन पानी नहीं मिला।
फिर उसने एक घड़ा देखा जिसमें पानी था।
लेकिन पानी बहुत नीचे था। उसकी चोंच नहीं पहुँच रही थी।

कौआ ने सोचा और सोचा।
उसने कंकड़ देखे।
उसने एक-एक करके कंकड़ घड़े में डाले।
छप! छप! छप!
पानी ऊपर आया… ऊपर… ऊपर!
आखिरकार कौआ ने पानी पी लिया।
वह बहुत खुश हुआ!

सीख: होशियारी से सोचो तो समस्या हल हो जाती है।

While telling:

• Use actions (fly wings, drop pebble, drink)
• Change voice: thirsty crow = weak voice, happy crow = loud happy voice
• Ask after every 2 sentences: क्या होगा अब? (What will happen now?) कौआ क्या सोच रहा है? (What is the crow thinking?)

Post-Story Discussion – कहानी के बाद बातचीत (10 minutes)

English questions (simple):

1. Was the crow happy or sad at first?
2. What did the crow do?
3. Was the crow clever? Yes/No
4. Tell me one idea you liked.

Hindi questions:

1. कौआ पहले खुश था या उदास?
2. कौआ ने क्या किया?
3. कौआ चालाक था? हाँ/नहीं
4. तुम्हें कौन-सी बात अच्छी लगी?

Expressing Ideas activity:
Each child says 1 sentence:

• "I like the crow because…" (मुझे कौआ अच्छा लगा क्योंकि…)
• "If I was thirsty, I would…" (अगर मैं प्यासा होता तो मैं…)

Teacher helps: use sentence starters on board
I feel… / मुझे लगता है…
I think… / मैं सोचता हूँ…

Creative Activity – रचनात्मक कार्य (15–20 minutes)

Draw your own ending / अपनी कहानी का अंत बनाओ

1. Give drawing sheet.
2. Children draw:
   
   • The thirsty crow
   • The pot
   • Pebbles going in
   • Happy crow drinking
3. OR let them change the story:
   
   • What if there was no pebble? What would crow do? (Draw new idea)
4. After drawing, 4–5 children show picture and say 1–2 sentences: "This is my crow. He is happy!" "यह मेरा कौआ है। वह खुश है!"

Extension for homework:
Tell this story to mummy-papa at home.
Draw one more picture of your favourite animal story.

Vocabulary Bank – शब्दावली (for display/flashcards)

Assessment – मूल्यांकन (informal)

• Can the child repeat 3–4 lines of the story?
• Can the child say 1 feeling or idea? (खुश हूँ / clever idea)
• Did the child participate in drawing and sharing?

This lesson builds confidence in speaking both languages, helps imagination, teaches a good value, and matches Grade 1 level perfectly.

You can repeat similar lessons with other easy stories like:

• The Monkey and the Crocodile (बंदर और मगरमच्छ)
• The Lion and the Mouse (शेर और चूहा)