CHAPTER: The Pot Maker by Temsula Ao
REFLECT AND RESPOND (Page 33)
I. Vocations shown in the pictures:
Basket weaving, pot making (pottery), weaving (loom), carpentry/woodwork.
Five more vocations: Farming, blacksmithing, tailoring, painting, fishing.
II. Discussion Questions:
- All the pictures show people engaged in traditional, skill-based, handmade crafts that require training and practice.
- We refer to such skill-based work as v_o_c_a_t_i_o_n_s.
- Differences between handmade and machine-made products:
| Handmade | Machine-made |
|---|---|
| Each piece is unique | Identical, mass-produced |
| Requires skilled craftsmanship | Requires minimal human skill |
| Time-consuming to produce | Produced quickly in large quantities |
| Higher artistic and cultural value | Lower individual character |
| Often more expensive | Generally cheaper |
CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING — PART I (Page 37)
I. Is pot making easy?
No, pot making is not easy at all. The story describes how the clay source is sixteen kilometres away and requires a steep climb. The clay must be dug, loaded, soaked, pounded in bamboo cylinders, shaped carefully on a rotating wheel, dried, and then fired in a kiln — a process that takes months. Even a small error during firing can ruin an entire batch. It requires physical strength, patience, skill, and great concentration.
II. Would Sentila be able to fulfil her dream?
Yes, Sentila would eventually be able to fulfil her dream. She is deeply passionate and dedicated — she secretly visited expert potters, observed them carefully, and persisted despite her mother’s opposition and her own initial failures. With Onula’s guidance and her mother’s indirect teaching through observation, Sentila finally creates a full batch of pots matching her mother’s quality. The story ends confirming: “A new pot maker was born.”
III. Would Mesoba and Arenla support Sentila?
Yes, ultimately they would. Mesoba already showed support by telling the village council that Arenla would teach Sentila. Arenla, despite her apparent reluctance, eventually took Sentila to the riverbank, taught her the process, and on that final day deliberately left Sentila alone to work — suggesting she knew Sentila was ready. Both parents’ actions, though indirect, ultimately supported their daughter’s dream.
CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING — PART II (Page 41)
I. Did Onula’s support help Sentila?
Yes, Onula’s support was crucial in helping Sentila. When Sentila was struggling alone and feeling tense, Onula recognised that her anxiety was the obstacle, not her inability. She encouraged Sentila with kind words, demonstrated the correct technique, and crucially told her to watch her mother shaping the mouth of the pot. This specific guidance removed Sentila’s mental block and gave her the missing technical knowledge. Without Onula’s intervention, Sentila might never have overcome her frustration.
II. What does Sentila observing her mother tell us?
This tells us that Sentila is an extremely attentive, patient, and determined learner. Even when formal instruction fails her, she turns to careful observation as her learning tool. It shows her intelligence — she understands that watching an expert closely can teach what words cannot. It also reveals her deep commitment to mastering the craft despite repeated failures.
III. Correct Sequence of Events:
4 → 6 → 3 → 1 → 8 → 5 → 2 → 9 → 7
- Sentila was passionate about pottery but did not share it with her mother. (4)
- Sentila overheard her mother saying that pot making was a tiring job. (6)
- Sentila observed how other expert potters crafted beautiful pots. (3)
- The village council called Mesoba to know about Arenla’s unwillingness. (1)
- Sentila learnt the art of pot making for a year from her mother, but was unsuccessful. (8)
- Onula guided Sentila in the art of pot making. (5)
- Arenla made a new batch of pots and asked Sentila to continue the work as she was unwell. (2)
- Sentila was able to make pots quickly and skillfully, just one less than her mother’s. (9)
- Onula observed two rows of pots inside the work shed. (7)
CRITICAL REFLECTION (Pages 42–44)
I. Extract-Based Questions:
Extract 1:
(i) A. The process of pot making is quite tiresome and long, and one hardly earns much.
This correctly supports the assertion that effort far exceeds return.
(ii) Arenla wants Sentila to learn weaving because it is cleaner, can be done indoors in all seasons, takes less time per piece, and earns significantly more money. She also believes weaving will provide enough cloth for the family.
(iii) One advantage weaving has over pot making: Weaving can be done indoors in all seasons and is not messy, unlike pot making which requires going to a distant riverbank and working with wet clay outdoors.
(iv) B. “They will make a handsome profit selling this property.”
Here, “handsome” means substantial/considerable (returns), which matches its use in the extract where it refers to good financial returns from weaving.
(v) The author uses the question mark in “And the reward?” to create a dramatic rhetorical effect. It draws the reader’s attention to the sharp contrast between the enormous effort involved in pot making and the meagre financial reward. The question implies that the reward is so little it is almost not worth mentioning — it expresses frustration and irony.
Extract 2:
(i) Onula feels Sentila’s effort at making a pot is clumsy because she is too tense and anxious, which makes it impossible for her to handle the clay with the relaxed, fluid movements that successful pot making requires.
(ii) C. thoughtful and generous
Onula is thoughtful (she notices Sentila’s problem and diagnoses the cause) and generous (she offers freely to teach Sentila despite no obligation to do so).
(iii) A. “As a result, the clay seemed unable or unwilling to yield the right shape.”
This is the effect — the cause being Sentila’s excessive tension while trying to shape the pot.
(iv) The word “fashioned” means created.
(v) When Sentila saw the misshapen lump fall flat, she would have felt a mixture of deep frustration, shame, helplessness, and discouragement. After trying so hard for so long, seeing another failed attempt must have been demoralising. She may also have felt a growing fear that she would never succeed in learning the craft she loved so deeply.
II. Long Answer Questions:
1. Process of pot making as observed by Sentila:
The process of pot making is complex and lengthy. First, grey and red clay is dug from the riverbank using a dao and carried uphill in baskets. The clay is soaked in a trough and then stuffed into bamboo cylinders where it is pounded repeatedly to soften it into malleable dough. The potter then pushes the left hand into a lump of softened clay while rotating it and uses a spatula in the right hand to shape it. After the basic shape is formed, the pot is given a final touchup after two or three days, including careful shaping of the mouth by slackening rhythm and adding a strip of elongated dough for the rim. The pots are then dried in the sun, loaded onto a kiln in a uniform pattern on a bed of hay and dried bamboo, covered with another layer, and fired carefully to avoid over-firing or under-firing.
2. Warning given to Mesoba by the village council:
The village council cautioned Mesoba that it was Arenla’s duty to teach her daughter the skill of pot making that had been handed down from generation to generation. They emphasised that skills like pot making did not belong to any individual — they belonged to the community. Experts were obliged to pass on their skills not only to their own children but to anyone who wished to learn, so that such traditions would not die out.
3. How Sentila felt after a year of failed training:
After a year of trying to learn from her mother without success, Sentila felt deep shame and frustration. She repeatedly hung her head when her attempts failed while her mother effortlessly transformed the same lump of clay into a beautiful pot. The continuous failure, despite her passion and effort, must have been emotionally exhausting. She was determined not to give up, but she was also bewildered as to why the skill would not come to her despite observation and practice.
4. “Onula stood there for a long time as if trying to absorb a new phenomenon”:
When Onula entered the work shed after Arenla’s death, she found two neat rows of newly-made pots standing side by side in perfect symmetry. She could find nothing to tell one batch from the other. This meant that Sentila’s pots were indistinguishable from her mother’s in quality, shape, and craftsmanship. For Onula, who knew how long and painfully Sentila had struggled, this was astonishing — almost a miracle. She stood still, trying to take in the profound significance of what she was seeing: that in her mother’s final hours, Sentila had somehow absorbed all her skill and produced work of equal quality. It was both a moment of wonder and of deep emotion.
5. “The tradition and history of the people did not belong to any individual”:
This statement symbolises the idea that traditional skills are a collective cultural heritage, not private property. Pot making in Sentila’s community is not merely a livelihood — it represents the identity, history, and continuity of the people. By saying it does not belong to any individual, the village elders assert that knowledge and craft must be shared freely for the sake of cultural preservation. This also carries a deeper message: that withholding inherited wisdom is a form of cultural harm, and that the true custodians of tradition are those who keep it alive by passing it on.
6. Significance of “A new pot maker was born”:
This concluding line is deeply symbolic on multiple levels. Literally, it announces that Sentila has mastered the craft and become a skilled potter. Symbolically, it suggests a kind of spiritual inheritance — as if Arenla’s skill passed into Sentila at the moment of her death. It also celebrates the continuity of tradition: the craft will not die with Arenla but lives on in Sentila. The simplicity of the line gives it enormous weight — it is the culmination of years of passion, failure, perseverance, and grief. The word “born” is significant — it suggests not just learning but transformation.
7. Role of perseverance in pursuing one’s dreams — with reference to Sentila:
Sentila’s journey is a perfect illustration of how perseverance transforms passion into mastery. Despite her mother’s opposition, the village’s gossip, and repeated failures even after a year of formal training, Sentila never abandoned her dream. She secretly watched expert potters, carried clay in her basket, practised alone in the dormitory at night, and observed her mother’s technique with painstaking attention. Each failure taught her something new. Her persistence eventually enabled her to break through — on the day she worked alone, something clicked, and she produced pots matching her mother’s standard. The story teaches that dreams worth having are rarely achieved quickly or easily; it is the refusal to give up that ultimately makes the difference.
VOCABULARY AND STRUCTURES IN CONTEXT (Pages 45–48)
I. Classification Table:
| Tools/Implements | Raw Materials | Process |
|---|---|---|
| dao | dough | pounding |
| spatula | clay | rotating |
| kiln | bamboo | shaping |
| basket | bed of hay | — |
| cylinders | — | — |
II. Economic Words — Meanings and Sentences:
| Word | Meaning | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| bankrupt | financially ruined; unable to pay debts | The old shop went bankrupt when large companies took over the market. |
| credit | ability to borrow money; trust in repayment | She bought the raw materials on credit from the supplier. |
| currency | the money system of a country | The currency of India is the rupee. |
| debt | money owed to someone | The potter took a loan and was in debt for two years. |
| fiscal | relating to government finances and taxation | The government announced a new fiscal policy to support artisans. |
| inflation | general rise in prices over time | Due to inflation, the cost of raw clay has doubled. |
| investment | money put into a business expecting returns | She made a wise investment by buying a better kiln. |
| interest | charge paid for borrowing money | He paid ten percent interest on his business loan. |
III. Clauses:
1. Complete with suitable noun clauses:
(i) The elders emphasised that pot making was a tradition that belonged to the entire community and must be passed on to future generations.
(ii) Mesoba explained why Arenla had not yet begun teaching Sentila and that it was only because she had been unwell.
(iii) Onula’s promise was that she would teach Sentila how to make a perfect pot.
(iv) Sentila observed her mother carefully when she was shaping the mouth of the pot, which helped her learn the technique of slackening the rhythm and adding a strip of dough to form the rim.
(v) The kiln, where the pots were placed on a bed of hay and dried bamboo and fired carefully, required careful attention to prevent over-or-under firing.
2. Underline main clause, circle subordinate clause:
(i) Arenla took Sentila to the riverbank (where the grey and red clay was found).
(ii) She started on the next one, and like (a sprinter who had suddenly found momentum)…
(iii) …skills such as pot making, (which not only catered to the needs of the people)…
(Note: In (ii) and (iii), the relative/subordinate clauses are circled as shown.)
3. Complete with suitable relative clauses:
(i) Sentila, whose passion for pottery had been kindled since childhood, practised the craft diligently.
(ii) The village council, where elders gathered to discuss matters of community concern, sought an explanation for Arenla’s reluctance.
(iii) The potter’s hands, which moved with skill and dexterity built over years of practice, shaped the clay into beautiful creations.
(iv) Arenla, her mother, wanted her to learn weaving, which was more profitable and less physically demanding than pot making.
(v) Mesoba went home and discussed the matter with Arenla, who agreed to begin teaching Sentila the art of pot making.
4(i) More determiners from the text:
her, their, the, a, an, one, all, another, no, several, next, same, both, little, more, each
4(ii) Fill in the blanks with determiners:
A. The florist arranged five bouquets for her clients, that were displayed in her elegant floral shop.
B. The carpenter crafted several unique tables, and one became the centrepiece in his furniture collection.
C. Each of the apprentices in the culinary class demonstrated their knife skills during the intense cooking session.
D. Many of the sculptures were displayed at the art exhibition, showcasing their diverse artistic skills.
LISTEN AND RESPOND (Pages 48–49)
(Based on transcript on page 261 — classroom listening activity)
I.
- A statue is carved to create a shape that is three-dimensional / unique / lifelike.
- Among the many things stone is used for, making stone statues/sculptures is one of them.
- India has some of the most magnificent/exquisite/elaborate stone sculptures.
II. Six correct steps in making stone statues:
- choose the stone ✓
- set up the different tools ✓
- carve to remove large unwanted portions of the stone ✓
- work to bring out the imagined shape ✓
- refine the creation within the stone ✓
- detach the creation from the stone as the final statue ✓
(Steps 3, 4, and 7 — “begin carving from the centre,” “measure the weight and dimensions,” and “leave the statue in water to firm up overnight” — are not correct.)
SPEAKING ACTIVITY — Role Play (Page 49)
Sample Role Play: Sentila and Onula
Sentila: I feel so frustrated, Onula aunty. I have been trying for a whole year but I cannot make a single proper pot. I wish I could just give up, but this craft is all I have ever wanted.
Onula: I can see your struggle, Sentila. But I noticed something — when you work with clay, you are too tense. Your hands are gripping instead of guiding. When you said you wanted to give up, it made me think you are closer to success than you realise.
Sentila: But how can I improve when I cannot even hold the lump properly?
Onula: Let me show you. Watch how I let the clay respond to my hands rather than forcing it. [demonstrates] Now you try — with confidence, not fear.
Sentila: [tries] I made a pot! I actually made one!
Onula: Yes! But the mouth needs work. When you work with your mother next time, watch exactly how she shapes the rim. You are a quick learner — you will do well.
WRITING TASK — Reflective Writing (Pages 50–51)
Sample Reflective Write-up:
Introduction: One of my deepest passions is sketching and visual art. Ever since childhood, I have loved translating what I observe into drawings. The act of creating something visual from nothing gives me a sense of calm and achievement that few other activities do.
Describing skills: I practise sketching every evening for about thirty minutes, drawing subjects ranging from nature to portraits. I have attended a summer workshop in watercolour painting and regularly participate in my school’s art club.
Passion into profession: I believe illustration and graphic design could turn my passion into a profession. Visual communication is increasingly valued in advertising, publishing, and digital media. My ability to observe carefully and represent ideas visually could be a significant professional advantage.
Examples and reflection: Last year, I designed the poster for our school’s annual function. Seeing my work displayed for the whole school was a turning point — it made me realise that art is not just personal but communicative. This experience shaped my interest in pursuing design studies.
Conclusion: This exercise has helped me see that passion and profession are not opposites. What I enjoy doing most might also be what I am naturally suited for. I now understand the importance of developing my skill deliberately and seeking opportunities to grow beyond my comfort zone.
LEARNING BEYOND THE TEXT (Pages 51–52)
I. Matching Pottery Styles with Pictures:
Based on visual characteristics:
- Khurja pottery — brightly coloured glazed ceramics (image 1: colourful plates/bowls)
- Blue pottery from Jaipur — distinctive blue and white patterns (image 2: blue vases)
- Terracotta from West Bengal — reddish-brown unglazed clay figurines (image 3: terracotta figurines)
- Andretta pottery from Himachal Pradesh — earthy toned wheel-thrown pottery (image 4: earthy bowls)
- Karigari pottery from Tamil Nadu — fine red clay work (image 5: small clay pots)
- Longpi Black pottery from Manipur — dark grey/black stone pottery without use of a wheel (image 6: black pots)
SUPPLEMENTARY READING: Quality by John Galsworthy
(Summary and discussion notes for teacher reference — students read the full text on pages 52–56)
Summary for classroom discussion:
Quality is a poignant story about Mr Gessler, a German cobbler in London who makes extraordinarily fine, custom boots. He is a master craftsman who cares deeply about quality — using only the best leather and making each pair by hand. The narrator, who has been his customer since childhood, observes Gessler’s gradual decline as large advertising-driven firms take away his customers. Eventually, Gessler’s elder brother dies, and Gessler himself dies of slow starvation — having devoted every penny and every waking hour to making the finest boots, refusing to compromise his craft even as the world moved on without him. The final boots the narrator receives are the best Gessler ever made. The young man who has taken over the shop tells the narrator that Gessler starved himself working late into the night, never advertising, never accepting inferior leather, never letting anyone else touch his boots.
Key themes for presentation (Learning Beyond the Text II):
- The decline of traditional craftsmanship under industrial competition
- The conflict between artisanal integrity and commercial survival
- The dignity of skilled labour
- The tragic irony that the best craftsman starves while inferior mass-produced goods thrive
- The human cost of refusing to adapt vs. the moral value of maintaining standards
POEMS: Gifts of Grace: Honouring Our Vocations
REFLECT AND RESPOND — Riddles (Page 57)
I. Riddle Answers:
- A farmer (sows seeds in furrows and watches them grow)
- A potter (works from wheel to kiln)
- A mason/builder (lays foundations brick by brick)
- A cook (works with pots, pans, and spices)
II. Role and relevance:
- Farmer: Provides food for the entire nation; backbone of agriculture.
- Potter: Creates essential vessels; preserves cultural traditions.
- Mason/Builder: Constructs homes, schools, hospitals — the infrastructure of society.
- Cook: Nourishes families and communities; preserves culinary heritage.
All these vocations are essential to human life and social functioning. Without them, modern society could not exist.
CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING — POEM (Pages 60–62)
I. True or False:
| # | Statement | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The poem highlights the skilled work of craftspersons. | True |
| 2 | The poet shares that musicians express emotions through their instruments. | True |
| 3 | The carpenters in the poem are admired for their logical work. | False — They are admired for their mathematical precision in creating things out of wood — it is their craftsmanship combined with precision, not purely logical work. |
| 4 | The electricians are recognised for their crucial role in lighting up lives. | True |
| 5 | The poem pays homage to shoemakers who manufacture quality footwear. | True |
| 6 | The poem celebrates the patriotism of the people of Bharat. | False — The poem celebrates the vocations and the identity of the working people of Bharat, not patriotism specifically. Rectified: The poem celebrates the diverse vocations and the pride of skilled workers who form the cultural fabric of Bharat. |
| 7 | The poet feels that each vocation deserves to be respected. | True |
II. Appreciation of the Poem:
1. Rhyme Scheme and Lineation:
(i) The poem is written in free verse. It does not strictly adhere to a rhyme scheme — lines do not end with rhyming words in any consistent pattern.
(ii) The varying length of lines mirrors the variety of vocations being described — some vocations require more words to explain, reflecting the richness and complexity of each craft. The varied lengths also create a natural, conversational rhythm that feels inclusive rather than rigid.
(iii) Most lines follow the pattern of naming a vocation followed by describing their action or contribution — for example, “The carpenters celebrating; they create anything out of wood with mathematical precision.” This structure is consistent and gives the poem a catalogue-like, celebratory quality.
2. Speaker:
(i) The speaker appears to be a proud, observant citizen of India (Bharat) — perhaps the poet themselves. The speaker’s role is that of a witness and celebrant, someone who listens to and honours the sounds of Bharat’s working people. The speaker is not part of any one vocation but stands in appreciation of all of them.
3. Tone and Mood:
A. The tone is celebratory and reverential, depicting a sense of admiration and respect for the artisans and craftspersons.
B. There is a joyful mood throughout the poem, capturing the vibrancy and richness of cultural traditions and skills.
4. Imagery:
(i) Two descriptions evoking visual images:
- “The boatmen gathering their nets from the shore, sailing, and singing while at work” — vivid image of fishermen at sea.
- “The carpenters celebrating; they create anything out of wood with mathematical precision” — image of a craftsman carefully measuring and shaping wood.
(ii) Auditory imagery:
The poem includes auditory imagery through mentions of artisans with lutes, the delicious singing of the cook, and the electricians humming, emphasising the sounds associated with each vocation.
5. Metaphor:
(i) True. The phrase “delicious singing” is indeed a metaphor. “Delicious” is a word normally used for food and taste, but here it is applied to singing, implying the cook’s voice (or the joy in their work) is as pleasing as good food. The metaphor blends the senses (a form of synesthesia) to suggest that every aspect of the cook’s work — even their singing — is nourishing and pleasurable.
6. Personification:
(i) The line that personifies vocations: “The voice of their vocation is the voice of their identity.”
Here, “vocation” is given a human quality — a “voice” — as if the craft itself speaks. This personification suggests that a person’s work is not separate from who they are; it speaks for them and defines them.
7. Repetition:
(i) The poet begins and ends with “I hear Bharat celebrating, the varied vocations I hear!” to create a circular, unified structure that frames the entire poem. The repetition reinforces the central message — that the many voices of India’s working people together constitute the nation’s identity. It also gives the poem a chant-like, anthem quality, suggesting that celebrating these vocations is ongoing and eternal.
8. Alliteration:
(i) Two examples:
- “celebrating their craft, woven with colours” — repetition of the ‘c’ sound
- “boatmen…sailing, and singing” — repetition of the ‘s’ sound
(Additional example: “carpenters celebrating; they create” — repetition of ‘c’)
9. Symbolism:
(i) Each vocation in the poem symbolises identity, dignity, and cultural continuity. Beyond just a job, each vocation represents a unique human story, a contribution to society, and a thread in the cultural fabric of Bharat. The carpenter’s precision symbolises rational creativity; the boatmen’s singing symbolises joy in labour; the shoemaker’s craft symbolises care for human movement and freedom. Collectively, the vocations symbolise the truth that every form of honest work is valuable and that a nation’s greatness lies in the dignity of its working people.
CRITICAL REFLECTION — POEM (Page 62)
I. Extract-Based Questions:
1. (ii) to declare with confidence — “affirm” here means the shoemakers proudly and confidently assert the quality of what they have made.
2. Quality shoes help people walk, dance, run, jump, and return home comfortably and safely. The poet suggests that good footwear enables human movement and activity — essentially supporting the full range of human life.
3. “Return home” symbolises, beyond the literal act, the completion of a journey, the safety of the worker, and the concept of belonging. It suggests that quality shoes protect those who go out into the world to earn a living and that home is where one ultimately returns — making the shoemaker’s work a guardian of that journey.
4. The phrase “each celebrating what belongs to them and to none else” tells us that every worker’s contribution is distinct, unique, and irreplaceable.
5. “…for the feet that walk, dance, run, jump, return home” refers to all human beings in their daily activities and movements through life — the shoemaker’s work ultimately serves all of humanity.
II. Long Answer Questions:
1. The poet says “I hear Bharat celebrating, the varied vocations I hear” because India is a land of extraordinary diversity in work and craft. Every corner of the country resonates with the sounds and sights of people engaged in skilled vocations — craftspersons, artisans, carpenters, electricians, fishermen, cooks, and many more. The poet hears in these varied workers a collective celebration — not of festivals but of daily work done with skill and pride. The line reflects the poet’s view that labour itself is a form of joy and identity.
2. The electrician “humming” while getting ready for work suggests cheerfulness, dedication, and contentment in one’s work. It implies that the electrician approaches their job with a positive spirit — they are not burdened by their labour but find a kind of music in it. The humming also conveys that work, when done with purpose, has its own rhythm and harmony.
3. The line “The voice of their vocation is the voice of their identity” is profoundly significant. It means that what a person does for their livelihood is not separate from who they are — it defines them, speaks for them, and gives them a place in the world. A potter is not just someone who makes pots; they carry within them the tradition, the skill, and the cultural memory of generations. This line asserts the dignity of every profession and challenges the social tendency to rank certain jobs above others. It suggests that all vocations are equally valid expressions of human identity.
4. Yes, the role of all people belonging to different vocations is absolutely important in our daily lives. Every service we use, every object we own, every structure we inhabit is the result of someone’s skilled labour. Without farmers, we have no food; without electricians, we have no power; without carpenters, no furniture; without shoemakers, no footwear. Each vocation fills a specific need in society, and the absence of any one would be felt by all. Society functions as an interconnected web of vocations, and respecting each one is essential to social harmony and gratitude.
5. The poet celebrates all vocations because every one of them represents a unique human gift and a vital contribution to community life. In our own context, we can see this everywhere — the auto-rickshaw driver who takes us to school, the dhobhi who keeps our clothes clean, the street food vendor who feeds hundreds daily, the construction worker who builds our homes. Each of these people has a skill, a story, and a dignity that deserves recognition. The poet invites us to move beyond the tendency to value only white-collar professions and see the extraordinary in the ordinary lives of working people.
6. The poet uses multiple forms of sensory imagery to bring out the beauty of everyday work. Auditory imagery appears in the humming of electricians, the singing of boatmen, and the lutes of artisans — making us hear the workplace. Visual imagery appears in the craftsperson’s colourful work and the boatmen gathering nets at the shore — making us see the scene. Even the phrase “delicious singing” blends taste and sound, suggesting that work, when done with joy, appeals to all the senses. This sensory richness transforms mundane labour into something vibrant and worth celebrating.
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT (Pages 63–64)
I. Matching Vocations:
- A person who studies or grows garden plants: horticulturist
- A trained female community health worker: ASHA worker
- A producer of raw silk: sericulturist
- A person whose job is making or selling sweets and chocolates: confectioner
- A metalworker who specialises in working with precious metals: goldsmith
- A person who fuses materials together: welder
II. Word NOT a synonym:
| Column 1 | Word NOT a synonym |
|---|---|
| 1. myriad | countable (myriad means innumerable; countable is the opposite) |
| 2. hues | drawing (drawing is not a synonym of hues/shades/colours) |
| 3. precision | calculation (calculation is a process, not a synonym of exactness/accuracy) |
| 4. varied | uniform (uniform means same/consistent, which is the opposite of varied) |
| 5. delicious | inedible (inedible means cannot be eaten, which is the opposite of delicious) |
LISTEN AND RESPOND (Page 64)
(Based on transcript on page 262)
I. The boy uses a manual / instruction booklet / reference guide to understand the details of the tools.
II.
- (i) happy
- (iii) responsibility
- (iii) realises
- (ii) wish
WRITING TASK — Poster (Page 66)
Sample Completed Poster:
SUNRISE PUBLIC SCHOOL
announces
CAREER MELA
to spread awareness about various careers
on 25 February from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
at School Auditorium, Sunrise Public School
Highlights:
- Details, information and brochures provided for all streams
- Counsellors for all subjects and career paths
- Interactive sessions and workshops with professionals
CHART YOUR FUTURE AT CAREER MELA
Entry: FREE
Supported by: Career Foundation India
Sunrise Public School
(Poster features: placed in a box, visually attractive, varied font sizes for headings, proportionate spacing, word limit ~50)
LEARNING BEYOND THE TEXT (Pages 67–68)
I. The Lamplighter — Discussion:
The poem by R.L. Stevenson captures a child’s fascination with Leerie, the lamplighter — a man who goes door to door lighting street lamps every evening. While the child’s friends and family aspire to higher-status professions (driver, sailor, banker), the child romantically desires to light lamps alongside Leerie. The poem celebrates the dignity of ordinary work and the wonder that a child’s eye can find in simple, everyday vocations. This connects beautifully with the theme of Gifts of Grace: Honouring Our Vocations.
III. Sample Haiku Poem on a Vocation:
(About a potter)
Clay on spinning wheel —
Hands shape a world from the earth,
Fire gives it new life.
(5 syllables — 7 syllables — 5 syllables)
(Additional sample on a farmer)
Seeds touch the dark soil —
Sun, rain, and patient labour,
Harvest sings at last.