THE ROYAL PROCESSION

Note: The transactional processes suggested in CISCE curriculum are highlighted in grey.

Learning Outcomes
Ɣ To note how a chance encounter turns out to be royal one
Ɣ To relate to the children’s excitement
Ɣ To learn what a Vihara is
Ɣ To analyse the character of King Ashoka

Pre-reading
This focusses on assessment for learning. were helping their father to deliver the
Students are introduced to what pottery is earthen goods at the Vihara.
about with the help of the image and the
Ask students:
related questions.
Have you seen a potter? What does a potter
This will help students understand that
make? Allow free response and after students’
pottery is a profession and that the children
responses, proceed to explain that a potter
makes bowls, plates, pots etc with clay.

READING

Students read to comprehend and analyse and

deduce Do you think the man in the prayer hall
is a monk? Give reasons for your answer.
Play the audio / Read the text and pause (Suggested answer, please accept any
at relevant points to explain / check logical answer: No, the man in the prayer
comprehension. hall is not a monk because he was wearing
Ɣ It was early in the morning…very interesting gold jewellery.)
there. The question will lead the students into
Generate a discussion on where people go to the thought that monks dress in simple
pray. Allow students to share where they or attires and do not wear jewellery; hence
their folks go to pray. the person could be a royal
Explain what a Vihara is. Ask students:
Ask students: What did they see in the temple hall? Who did
What did the children carry? Who did they meet they see praying in the hall? Who do you think he
in the kitchen? What did the monk tell them? is? (Students are bound to say king/ some royal
Why did he have a mysterious smile on his face? person / a general…) Why do you think so?
(Because he knew the children were going to Ɣ Oh! I’m so sorry, sir…walked away smiling.
get a huge surprise)
Who do you think they will meet? (Let students Do you think Parvati guessed correctly that the
predict) retired soldier was the important person the
monk had told them about? (Free response.)
Ɣ In the temple hall…opened his yes.
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Why did Parvati apologise? How did the man – the grandeur of the procession.
respond? What kind of a person do you think he – Parvati and Laxman’s surprise.
is? Why do you think so? (Let students state their
– the king’s acknowledgement
reasons — was friendly, did not get upset at all;
joked with the children; was talking to them – the children’s excitement
about things they would be interested in)
Why do you think King Ashoka had come to
Who do you think he is? (Students are sure to pray alone at the vihara, a few days ago?
say ‘King Ashoka’) Why do you think so/ What
made you guess that he was King Ashoka? (The (Suggested answer, please accept any logical
man wore gold jewellery; he said he worked answer: King Ashoka had come alone to
in the palace; he said he was a soldier once the vihara a few days ago so he could pray
and not anymore; he said the king was not alone without any disturbance.)
handsome which no one else would dare say)
Ɣ A few days later…said Kesava, enviously. Post-reading
Talk to the class about: Group-work
– the king’s bodyguards and the need to Let students discuss in groups and describe King
have them. Ashoka’s nature with examples from the text.

GRAMMAR Prepositions—place, time, direction

Prepositions of Place
Tell students that you are going to give them some fun instructions to follow.
Customise the instructions and questions, taking into consideration your classroom
arrangement.
You may use some of these instructions:
Put your left foot under the desk. / Put your English book in your bag. / Put your right hand on
your head.
Ask students:
Where did you put your left foot? Where did you put your English book? Where did you put your
right hand?
When they provide the answers, write only the phrases on the board: under the desk / in the
bag / on my head, and so on.
Ask students to identify the things in each phrase and the word which talks about their positions.
Circle all the prepositions on the board and write Prepositions of place on top.
You can also show pictures of an object in different places and ask students to say where it
is. Example: a ball in the box…
Tell students:
In, on, under, above, behind and between are prepositions of place.
A preposition of place tells us where a person, an animal, a place or a thing is.
Prepositions of Time
Conduct a question and answer session with the following questions and let students
answer you.
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Write a few sentences with the prepositions of time on the board. Underline the
prepositions and explain that they answer the question when.
Example:
When do you have your breakfast?
I have my breakfast in the morning. / at eight o’clock.
Prepositions of Direction
Explain that prepositions of direction
Ɣ show us the direction in which something is moving.
Ɣ answer the question ‘which direction’.
Example:
The athletes ran towards the finish line.
The boat sailed against the tide.
They climbed up the ladder.
Activity
Tell students you are going to play Classroom Treasure Hunt.
Divide the class into two groups.
Instruct Team 1 to create a treasure hunt map within the class for Team 2.
Tell them to write 5 clues using prepositions of direction. Write a few prepositions of
direction on the board.
Allow them to hide the clues in different places in the class.
Example of clues:
Walk towards the blackboard.
Along the wall, you will find a clue.
Walk through the third row and below a chair you will find your fifth clue...and so on.
Instruct them to hand over the clues to Team 2 and cheer them as they solve the clues.
Repeat the activity with Team 2.

VOCABULARY Idiomatic expressions

Follow the input given in the Reader

LISTENING Post-listening
The listening task helps students stay focussed and develops concentration skills.
Tell students
Ɣ that they will be listening to a conversation between two people.
Ɣ to listen carefully and then underline the correct answers.
Play the audio track and let students do the task.
Review the answers.
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SPEAKING Discussion
Explain to the class that a hobby is an activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during
one’s leisure time.
Generate a discussion on what students like to do in their spare time.
Proceed with the speaking task after students have warmed up to the concept.
Encourage students to communicate using appropriate expressions and intonation.
Monitor the activity.

WRITING email
Explain to students that emails are either formal or informal (just like letters that we send
by post).
Point out that while writing emails, we follow a few simple rules:
Ɣ Use a short and accurate subject line: Avoid saying too much in this section, but make
sure it refers to the content clearly, (Surprise party for Ms Kaur) so that it is not mistaken
for anything else.
Ɣ Salutation: Begin an informal email with ‘Dear’, ‘Hi’, ‘Hello’, and so on.
Ɣ Next, type in the mail. Be sure to get your message across. Make sure you type in
paragraphs. Insert space between paragraphs.
Ɣ Use the correct form of leave-taking. This will depend on your relationship with the
recipient. (Warmly, With love, Regards, and so on)
Ɣ Sign off with your name.
Ɣ Read your mail to check for errors. Make sure that you have not omitted any important
details.
Ɣ Do not type the date or your email address as this is displayed by default.

STUDENTS’ BOOK ANSWER KEY

The Royal Procession
Pre-reading
(Suggested answers)
Ɣ The man is making a vase or a pot.
Ɣ Mud/earth/clay, a potter’s wheel and water are needed for this activity.
Ɣ Free response.
Ɣ Free response.
Comprehension
A. 1. Parvati and Laxman had come to the monastery to deliver the earthen pots, plates,
bowls and glasses made by their father.

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 2. The temple hall was decorated by delicate carved designs on the wooden pillars
and splendid pictures painted on the walls.
3. The children saw a man praying before the shrine in the temple hall. He was
wearing an antariya, an uttariya and gold jewellery on his neck, ears and arms.
4. Laxman felt that the man in the temple hall was a lucky person because he worked
in the palace of King Ashoka and saw him every day. He and Parvati had lived in
Pataliputra all their lives but had never seen him.
5. The royal procession was led by soldiers carrying shining spears. They were followed
by horse chariots, a band of women soldiers carrying big swords, a row of drummers
playing a marching beat and a huge elephant. The elephant had a howdah on its back
and colourful patterns painted on its trunk and ears. King Ashoka, Queen Mahadevi, a
mahout and a man holding an umbrella sat in the howdah.
6. Parvati and Laxman were surprised when they saw the king’s face because they
recognised him as the man they had met at the vihara of the monastery.
7. The king noticed Parvati and Laxman among the crowd because they began
jumping and shouting in excitement after recognising him.
B. 1. a. The speaker is the man who was praying in the vihara of the monastery.
He was speaking to Parvati and Laxman.
b. The speaker asked this question because Laxman told him that his and Parvati’s
father was a potter.
c. Parvati and Laxman told the speaker that they tried to work the potter’s wheel
but their pots came out all crooked.
2. a. The speaker is Parvati. She is speaking to the man praying in the vihara of the
monastery.
b. The speaker used a white colour made from lime powder and a black colour
made from the soot of oil lamps to paint the pots.
c. The speaker painted flowers, clouds, leaves and birds on the pots.
3. a. The speaker is Parvati. She is speaking to the man praying in the vihara of the
monastery.
b. The speaker, Parvati, asked this question because a monk in the monastery had
told her and Laxman that they might meet an interesting person if they went to
the vihara.
c. The man in the vihara told the speaker, Parvati, that he didn’t think he was an
important person. He said that he was only a retired soldier who worked in the
palace.
C. (Suggested answer, please accept any logical answer):
King Ashoka was humble.
These lines from the text show that King Ashoka was humble—
“She asked, ‘Are you an important person, sir?’
The man laughed, ‘I don’t think so. I’m just a retired soldier who works in the palace.’”
Grammar
A. 2. The kitten is sitting in the box.
3. The kitten’s mother is sleeping under the table.
4. The lamp is hanging above the table.
5. Trisha is hiding behind the tree.
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B. 2. The first train leaves at 6.05 am.
3. The shop is open only till noon.
4. Wait for me, I will be ready in five minutes.
5. Please brush your teeth after eating any sweets.
C. 2. Prerna dove into the pool.
3. Shireen pointed towards the window.
4. The train slowly pulled out of the station.
5. The boat sailed across the river.
Vocabulary
A. 2. out of the blue. 3. purple with rage 4. white as a sheet. 5. green with envy
B. 2. f 3. a 4. c 5. b 6. d
Listening
1. c 2. a 3. c 4. b 5. a
Speaking
Free Response
Writing
Free Response
Punctuation
1. Pablo Picasso was a famous Spanish painter.
2. I think I will read the Wizard of Oz today.
3. Shreya will visit the Yosemite National Park in November.
4. Grandma enjoys Marie biscuits with her tea.
5. Kabir loves reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
6. My mother reads The Daily Telegraph every morning.

ANSWER KEY TO WORKSHEET 8

A. 1. The shop is closed on Mondays.
2. She ran across the field.
3. Ahan found the missing keys on the table.
4. Farhan walked into the room.
5. I will reach the movie hall in ten minutes.
6. Put the speaker beside the TV screen.
7. We will practise till 6.30 pm.
8. The sign points towards the police station.
B. 1. snores 2. jingled 3. squeaks 4. sneezing
5. shrieked 6. gurgling 7. rumble 8. howling
C. Free Response
D. Free Response
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 QUESTION BANK
The Royal Procession
A. Answer in brief.
1. What did one of the monks tell Parvati and Laxman?
Ans. One of the monks told Parvati and Laxman that if it was the first time that they
had come to the Vihara, then they should see their temples. He also added that they
may meet someone interesting there.
2. Describe the shrine.
Ans. The shrine contained the carved feet of the Buddha. It was carved on a round
stone and was decorated with flowers. Bowls of burning incense were placed before it.
B. Answer in detail.
What did the children say when King Ashoka asked them if they could work on a
potter’s wheel?
Ans. The children told King Ashoka that they try to work on the potter’s wheel but
the pots come out crooked. Then, Parvati told the king that she liked to paint flowers,
clouds, leaves and birds on pots and that she used a white colour made from lime
powder and a black colour made from the soot of oil lamps to paint.
C. Choose the right answer.
A howdah is a
a. a two-wheeled vehicle drawn by horses.
b. king’s bodyguard.
c. seat on the back of an elephant.
Ans. c
D. Read the lines and answer the questions.
I wish I could paint like you!
a. Who says these words and to whom?
b. What does he say he knows to do?
c. What does he say he is doing?
Ans. a. King Ahoka says these words to Parvati. b. He says that he only knows
how to fight with a sword. c. He says that he is a retired soldier who is working
in the palace.

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