Daily Lesson Plan — Unit 7

Who Saved the Tree

Subject: English | Class: 4 | Series: Leeds (SNC 2020)

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Lesson Duration

3 periods (40 minutes each)

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Period 1: Reading and Comprehension

Objectives:

• Use pre-reading strategies to predict content from pictures and title
• Read and understand the story about Ali and Abdullah saving a banyan tree
• Locate specific factual information to answer short questions
• Identify story elements: characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution

Materials:

• Textbook (pages 38–42)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Pictures of a banyan tree

Warm-Up (5 minutes):

• Show the picture of children playing under a banyan tree from the textbook.
• Ask: "Look at the picture and guess what the text can be about."
• Ask: "Should we plant trees? Why?"

Pre-Reading (5 minutes):

• Introduce the characters: Ali and Abdullah, two boys from a village near a forest.
• Ask: "What is a banyan tree? Have you ever seen one?"
• Explain that a banyan tree has broad branches and hanging roots — children love to play on them.

While-Reading (20 minutes):

• Read the story aloud, pausing for interaction.
• Key events:
  1. Ali and Abdullah lived in a village near a forest. During holidays they played under a banyan tree — playing seven stones, sitting on branches, swinging on hanging roots.
  2. The tree was home to many birds and insects. It had tiny little fruits on its branches.
  3. One Sunday morning, they saw two strangers at Suleman's tea-stall with iron axes, asking about the forest.
  4. Ali and Abdullah followed them and were shocked to see them chopping trees.
  5. Ali shouted "Stop that!" The men told them to get out.
  6. Abdullah said "Let's go and ask for help." They ran through the streets shouting "Save our trees!"
  7. All the villagers rushed to the forest — men, women, and children.
  8. Hundreds of birds were flying around the banyan tree. Monkeys, deer, squirrels, parrots, and owls were barking, screeching, screaming, and chirping. It looked like a battlefield.
  9. The strangers were scared. They left their axes and ran towards the town.
  10. The villagers appreciated Ali and Abdullah.

Post-Reading (10 minutes):

• Ask: "Who do you think saved the banyan tree?" (Both the boys and the animals/birds)
• Ask: "Name the oldest tree of the world."
• Ask: "Do you like the text? If yes, why?"
• Identify story elements:
  • Characters: Ali, Abdullah, two strangers, villagers, animals/birds
  • Setting: A village near a forest
  • Conflict: Strangers trying to cut down the trees
  • Resolution: Villagers and animals scared the strangers away

Differentiation:

• Struggling learners: Provide a story elements chart with blanks to fill. Use picture cards for sequencing.
• Advanced learners: Write a continuation — what happened the next day? Did the villagers take any steps to protect the forest?

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Period 2: Vocabulary, Phonics, and Grammar

Objectives:

• Learn meanings of key vocabulary words (shocked, sudden, appreciate)
• Identify the pronunciation of "the" before consonant and vowel sounds
• Recognise subjective, objective, and possessive case pronouns
• Read and compare information from a pie chart

Materials:

• Textbook (pages 40–41)
• Pronoun chart (three cases)
• Pie chart from textbook

Vocabulary Activity (5 minutes):

• Teach the three vocabulary words:
  • shocked — surprised and upset
  • sudden — happening quickly and unexpectedly
  • appreciate — be grateful
• Students use each word in a sentence.

Sound of "the" (10 minutes):

• Explain the two pronunciations of "the":
  • "thee" — when "the" comes before a vowel sound (the elephants, the ants, the orange)
  • "thuh" — when "the" comes before a consonant sound (the great army, the world, the valley)
• Practise: Read these phrases and decide if "the" is "thee" or "thuh":
  • the elephants (thee), the great army (thuh), the ants (thee), the world (thuh), the orange (thee), the valley (thuh)
• Students create five phrases using "the" and identify the pronunciation.

Three Cases of Pronouns (15 minutes):

• Subjective (Nominative): I, you, he/she/it (singular); we, you, they (plural)
  • "You have some ice cream." "He has a bicycle."
• Objective (Accusative): me, you, him/her/it (singular); us, you, them (plural)
  • "Give the chocolate to me, please." "Do we have to share it with them?"
• Possessive: mine, yours, his/hers (singular); ours, yours, theirs (plural)
  • "This book is mine." "This ship is theirs."
• Students write sentences using pronouns from each case.

Pie Chart Reading (10 minutes):

• Read the pie chart from the textbook:
  • Maths: 45%
  • English: 28%
  • Science: 17%
  • Urdu: 10%
• Answer questions:
  1. The percentage of pupils who like Urdu is 10%.
  2. The percentage of pupils who like Maths is 45%.
  3. The percentage of pupils who like Science is 17%.
  4. The percentage of pupils who like English is 28%.
• Discuss: Which subject is liked by the most students? The fewest?

Differentiation:

• Struggling learners: Provide a pronoun table with examples pre-filled. Guide pie chart reading step by step.
• Advanced learners: Create their own pie chart showing favourite sports in the class.

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Period 3: Creative Writing and Oral Communication

Objectives:

• Identify the elements of a story: characters, plot, setting, conflict, resolution
• Write a guided story using story elements
• Seek permission and show ability/inability in conversation
• Revise written work

Materials:

• Textbook (page 42)
• Story elements mind map template
• Writing notebooks

Elements of a Story (15 minutes):

• Review the five elements using the story "Who Saved the Tree":
  • Characters: The people or animals in the story (Ali, Abdullah, strangers, villagers, animals)
  • Plot: What happens in the story (beginning, middle, end)
  • Setting: Where and when the story takes place (village near a forest)
  • Conflict: The problem in the story (strangers chopping trees)
  • Resolution: How the problem is solved (villagers and animals scare the strangers away)
• Students fill in the mind map from the textbook for this story.
• Discuss: Human characters (Ali, Abdullah, strangers, villagers), Animal characters (birds, monkeys, deer, squirrels), Imaginary vs. Real characters.

Guided Story Writing (15 minutes):

• Students write a short story (8–10 sentences) using the five elements.
• Suggested topics: "The Day I Saved a Bird," "My Adventure in the Park," "The Lost Kitten."
• Planning: First fill in the mind map (characters, setting, plot, conflict, resolution), then write.

Oral Communication — Seeking Permission, Showing Ability/Inability (10 minutes):

• Read and practise the dialogue:
  • Mother: Asslaamu Alaikum! Daughter.
  • Daughter: Wa Alaikum Assalam! Mother.
  • Mother: What are you doing on mobile?
  • Daughter: I am playing video games.
  • Mother: Have you learnt the poem by heart?
  • Daughter: I just forgot. I have a test tomorrow. There is no time left. What should I do now?
  • Mother: This is not a good thing. You should pay attention to your studies.
  • Daughter: I am sorry, Mother.
  • Mother: Be careful next time.
  • Daughter: Okay, I will.
• Key expressions: "I am sorry," "What should I do?", "Be careful next time."
• Students practise in pairs, creating dialogues about managing time for studies and play.

Differentiation:

• Struggling learners: Provide sentence starters for the story. Give a completed mind map as a model.
• Advanced learners: Write a fable with animal characters that teaches a moral lesson.