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TRANSCRIPT
Book Cover
Earth Spark! Book 1
Inside book cover Manuscript disclaimer: Images used here are reference only and may have been borrowed from online sources. As this work is not intended for commercial purposes and is for free distribution, there is no attribution provided.
Introduction Enjoy Yourself! Laugh! And be happy! (There are a couple of empty pages at the end of this book for you. You can write your thoughts and questions, draw something or have your friends, family and teachers draw or write something for you!) (There are a couple of empty pages at the end of this book for you. could be provided in a folded sleeve of the back cover)
Contents A Little About Me! The Beginning! 1. A Friend Here, A Friend There! (Friendship, making friends) 2. A Special Friend! (Recognizing and being a good friend) 3. A Kind Word, A Kind Act! (Kindness, compassion, Politeness, respect for elders) 4. India Is Ours! (National pride, unity) 5. Hard Workers Are Winners! (Discipline, punctuality, sincerity) 6. Living Healthy Is Living Happy! (Cleanliness, good hygiene) 7. Love Mother Nature! (Care for environment and animals) 8. Choose To Be You! (Gender neutrality, personal identity, developing self-pride) 9. Be Safe Not Sorry!
(Safety, taking the right precautions) 10. Up and Down! (Understanding and dealing with emotions)
A Little About Me! My name is I am years old I celebrate my birthday on My family is We live at My school’s name is Image: Pattern to colour in. This image is reference only.
Paste a fun photo of you
here.
Image: the Earth near the Sun with Spark in the foreground.
Hi there! I’m Spark and that tiny
blue-green planet is Earth! I’m
headed there to discover human
values. I’ve heard of their
goodness but also that not
everyone shares them.
If I can learn human values, I can
spread them too and help make
Earth a better, happier place!
Join me on my adventure!
Spark is a creation of our universe. Spark has many forms
and can do many amazing things but has a lot to learn.
The Beginning!
Chapter 1
A Friend Here, A Friend There!
Image: Spark with a family which includes parents, grandparents and a young girl. First speech bubble from an elder. Second speech bubble from the young girl.
Spark arrives on Earth and chooses to start its adventure with the
help of a family it knows in a little Indian city.
We’re glad we can help you. Pragya,
why don’t you take Spark out to play!
Sure, I’d like that! Come along
Spark!
Image: At the park. Spark and Pragya with a young boy, Manu. First speech bubble from Pragya. Second speech bubble from Spark.
Look, there’s my friend Manu! We
can play with him.
That sounds nice but what’s a
friend?
Pragya and Manu tell Spark what friendship means to them with a
poem. Read the poem and see if you agree!
Friendship Is Great!
Friends are everywhere I see
In my class, at the park, and in my family
When I play nice, listen well, be kind and
smile
Others see me as friendly
When I’m mean, get angry, shove and
fight
No one wants to play with me.
Image: A group of children smiling jumping with their hands in the air
A friend is someone who shares
Their thoughts and their toys
Their sorrows and their joys
A friend is someone who cares
To listen and face difficulty with you
To guide and give you gifts too!
When things get you down
A friend helps turn your frown around
When things are looking good
A friend shares your happy mood
Having a friend is great you know
Being one is even greater though!
Image: A group of wearing party hats and opening gifts
Image: A child lying in bed. Another child standing beside the bed smiling and holding open a colourful card
Image: Spark is represented as a thought bubble.
What Do You Think?
Do you agree with the poem? Yes/No
What other things make friendship great?
Image: Spark is represented as a magnifying glass on a word. Word Power!
What does it mean to:
Lend an ear
Lend a hand
Image: Spark is represented as a thought bubble.
What Do You Think?
How do you make friends? Some things to do and not do are
mentioned in the poem. How many more things can you think of?
Things to do Things not to do
Image: Spark is represented as a pencil leaving a rainbow trail.
Let’s Draw!
Use your imagination to turn these frowns into something else!
We all need friends! You can feel very sad and
lonely if you don’t have someone to play with
or talk to - it happens to everybody sometimes
- like when you’re new in school or you move
to a new place, or when you do something to
upset others.
Making friends can be fun. Just like a game, it
has some simple rules.
Image: Pragya’s father talking to the children and Spark.
Image: Pragya’s mother talking to the children and Spark.
How to Make Friends
1. Like yourself
What do you like to
do?
How do you feel
about yourself?
What are you good
at?
2. Introduce yourself
3. Remember names
Ask again if you don’t get it the first time!
Repeat it in your head. Say it when you talk to them.
Stand tall
Make eye contact
Smile
Be polite
Be loud and clear
Don’t get upset if other kids are not friendly
4. Get to know one another
Ask what they like.
Image: Two children with speech bubbles.
Tell them about yourself and what you like.
Image: Spark is represented as jigsaw pieces.
Try This!
The quick connect
Image: Two children standing with each other, smiling. One is holding a stop watch and the other is
holding a piece of paper.
Get together with a classmate or friend. Make a list of your own
questions to ask each other. Set a two minute timer and ask your
friend your questions and let them respond. Then switch. Tell
someone else what you learnt about each other. See how much you
can remember!
Image: Spark is represented as a musical note.
Suggested Listening!
The More We Get Together
Chapter 2
A Special Friend!
Image: At the park with Grandma. In the distance there is a group of friends in a circle and another pair of friends playing with a Frisbee.
Some kids have more friends than
others.
Having a lot of friends can be
great. But it’s not how many
friends you have that matters.
Image: At the park with Grandma.
That’s right! What really matters is
being and having good friends!
I understand. Being friendly is
different from being a good friend.
I know a story of two special
friends. Would you like me to
share it?
Spark
Pragya
Grandma
Spark
Images: Relevant images interspersed within the story.
A Dragon’s Heart
Images: Reference image only
Spiff the dragon was the only one of her kind in the magic forest. She
was very popular and had a lot of friends. But it hadn’t always been
that way. When Spiff was a baby dragon she was scared of
everything! She would hide from everyone! And she was very lonely.
It was Mag, the wizard’s daughter who caught her eye once. She saw
gentleness in the scared dragon’s eyes.
Mag helped Spiff come out of her shell. She would play with her, go
for long walks with her, and share stories. Soon, Spiff stopped hiding
and it wasn’t long before she started to make other friends too.
Some of the forest creatures wanted to be with Spiff to feel safe
because she was big and strong. While others wanted to be her
friend because they wanted her to share her heart with them. They
knew sharing a dragon’s heart would give them a dragon’s strength
and long life. Mag didn’t want anything from her friend. She just
liked spending time with her, doing things together and seeing her
happy. Spiff knew her true friend was Mag! She had unselfishly
showed her kindness when no one else did and their friendship grew
stronger every day. When the time came, Spiff shared her heart with
Mag, and when they were together, it was always an adventure!
Image: Spark is represented as a thought bubble.
What Do You Think? Q. Why were some of the other forest creatures not Spiff’s true
friends?
□ They were not as strong and big as Spiff.
□ They were not dragons.
□ They were not spending enough time with Spiff.
□ They were with her for selfish reasons only.
Image: Spark is represented as a light bulb.
Did You Know?
To be a good friend you need to be a friend to yourself first! In fact,
you can be your own best friend!
Sounds funny?
Well, who are you with all the time?
Q. Which of these things do you like to do by yourself?
Provide images and checkboxes for each.
Solving a puzzle
Walking
Reading
Painting
Watering plants
Feeding animals/birds
Playing with toys
Skipping
Looking at stars
Image: Spark is represented as a thought bubble.
What Do You Think?
What makes a good friend?
Read each statement. If it describes a good friend, colour in a happy
face, otherwise, colour in a sad face.
Provide an outline of a happy and a sad face in front of each statement.
Cares about you and wants what’s good for you
Likes to brag about things
Always takes over when you’re talking
Gives you time to be alone or with other friends
Does your things for you
Is always happy to see you
Stops being friends with others to be with you
Accepts their mistakes and makes up for them
Asks you to join in when playing with other friends
Likes to listen to you and ask you questions
Likes equal shares
Calls you over to their house and likes to come over to your house
Likes to take more turns than you when playing together
Tells an adult if you’re in trouble
Keeps you away from bad habits
Doesn’t care if you behave badly
Makes you laugh
Gets upset if you are better than them at something
Image: Spark is represented with an ear.
Tell Me More!
Being with friends and joining in with them is fun, but sometimes it's
good to spend some time reading or thinking by yourself. Favourite
books and stories, a toy, or a pet can seem like great friends too.
Write down or draw some of your favourite things.
Image: Spark is represented as a musical note.
Suggested Listening!
Count On Me by Bruno Mars
Image: Spark is represented as 3-d glasses.
Suggested Viewing!
YouTube:
What’s a real friend? (Noticias Teocraticas)
Chapter 3
A Kind Word, A Kind Act!
True kindness is about being nice to everybody, animals and nature,
without wanting anything for it.
Being kind is simple. Here are some things you can do to show
kindness:
Be polite
Show the following with relevant images around the heading.
Smile Greet Compliment Use polite words
Image: Spark, Pragya and Pragya’s father in a kitchen garden
Kindness between friends and family
members is such a beautiful thing!
But does it stop there?
Spark
Not at all. You can and should try to
be kind all the time!
Pragya’s father
A child smiling
A child with joined hands (Namaste)
A post it with “Way to go!”
Coloured ribbons with “please, thank you, excuse me, sorry, may I, could you”
Be helpful
Pick up your things Help with housework
Carry things for someone who is hurt Cheer someone up
Respect your elders
A teacher in class
Teacher
A couple at a
dining table
holding hands
Parents
An elderly couple
having tea/reading
the paper
Grandparents
Elderly people
sitting on
benches in a
park
Other elders
A child helping clear the table
A child putting toys in a box or books on the shelf
A child watering a plant
A child carrying books for a child who’s hurt
A child giving a balloon to a sad child
Listen to them
Be patient
Be open minded
Ask questions
Be interested
Ask how you can be of help
Image: Spark is represented as jigsaw pieces.
Try This!
Help Pragya’s grandfather find his way to the park bench.
Image: Spark is represented as 3-d glasses.
Story Time!
Simple Kindness
Image: A lady cook, in an apron, in the kitchen.
In a tiny neighbourhood, Kavita works as a cook and house help. Her
husband doesn’t have a job, so to earn enough for her their daily
expenses and her two children’s school fees, she has to work in many
houses all day. It is a tough life but she always remembers her
A garden/park maze with a child and Pragya’s grandfather at the “Start” and a park bench at the “Finish”. Include a cobblestone bridge, trees, bushes, joggers, children playing, seesaw, slide, swings, etc. along the way.
mother’s advice – be polite and kind to everyone, no matter what.
She always smiles and greets the families nicely.
Image: A lady cook, sitting on the floor with two kids, holding a teddy bear.
In one of the houses, two young working parents live with their two
young children. They sometimes don’t even have time to tell Kavita
what to cook! So Kavita sees what’s in the kitchen and makes sure a
proper meal is ready for the family on her own. She also plays with
the children when the parents are really busy. She never asks for
extra money, she just enjoys helping others and making them happy.
Kavita is truly a kind lady.
All It Takes Is A Smile!
Rubina’s mother’s job requires her to move every few years. They’ve
just moved to a new city and Rubina has joined a new school. Rubina
wears a hijab. She has to walk from their house to school and had
started to feel uneasy with all the curious looks she would get. When
she told her mother about it, her mother said, “Don’t worry about it
Rubina! But if it you really don’t like it, the next time somebody
stares, just politely smile!”
Image: A young girl in a hijab walking, smiling. A few other children and a
security guard smile back at her.
The next day she tried it and guess what happened? To her surprise,
people started smiling back at her and greeting her nicely too!
Image: Spark is represented as a thought bubble.
What Do You Think?
Do you need to spend a lot of money to be kind? Yes/No
Does it take a lot of hard work to be kind? Yes/No
Image: Spark is represented as colourful open palms. What Would You Do?
Someone smiles at you.
I would ______
Someone wishes you, “good
morning!”
I would say ______
You like someone’s shoes.
I would say _______
Someone has tripped and
dropped their things.
I would _______
You see trash lying in your school
You want to ask for something.
I would say ______
Someone gives you something.
I would say _______
Someone is blocking your way.
I would say _______
You see a child sitting alone in
your school playground.
I would _______
You drop juice on someone.
I would say _______
playground.
I would _______
A school friend is sick at home.
I would _______
You see an injured bird.
I would _______
Image: Spark is represented as 3-d glasses.
Suggested Viewing!
YouTube:
Kindness Changes Everything Song - Pay It Forward (Lisa Currie)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKTGyNJBvgs
Image: Spark, Pragya and Pragya’s father in a kitchen garden
It’s so true! Kindness makes you
happy and happiness makes you
kind.
Spark
Chapter 4
India Is Ours!
Image: Spark, Pragya and Pragya’s mother looking at the Indian flag in a garden
Mumma, why does our teacher say
that we should love our country? Pragya
India, or Bharat, is our home and its
people, our family. Just like we love
our home and family, we should love
our country. And like we do things to
improve our home and help our
family, so should we do things for our
country and its people too! We all
represent our country and should
always try to be the best we can be so
that India will be the best it can be!
Pragya’s mother
Let’s find out more about our country!
A World Within The World
Images: Relevant images interspersed within the story.
India is a land of contrasts, both geographical and cultural.
The many different climates and land features give India a rich
variety of not just animals and plants, but also building styles, foods
and clothes! We are home to more than 800 languages! We have 8
classical dance styles and many folk dance styles, with as many music
styles too! Different martial art styles can be found all across India as
well. India is home to people of at least 9 religions, and is the birth
place of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism!
With so much of diversity, isn’t it amazing that we all live together as
one nation! You could say, India is a world within the world.
Image: Spark is represented as jigsaw pieces.
Try This!
Get together with a classmate or friend from a different part of the
country. Ask these questions to learn more about each other. Write
the answers here. Remember, you can ask your parents if you don’t
know the answers.
Friend’s name
Their home town
Their mother tongue
A few words or sentences in their
mother tongue
Their home town foods and
favourite dishes
Traditional wear
Traditional dance
Your name
Your home town
Your mother tongue
A few words or sentences in your
mother tongue
Your home town foods and
favourite dishes
Traditional wear
Traditional dance
Image: Spark is represented as a light bulb.
Did You Know?
India has given the world:
Healthy practices like yoga Image: Surya namaskar
A system of medicine – Ayurveda Image: mortar and pestle with herbs
Zero and the decimal system Image: “0 – 10”
Images: Harappa statue, India flag in front of other nations’ flags, a spinning
wheel with a white dove, a space shuttle launch, folded hands with the text
“Athithi Devo Bhava”.
India, Then and Now
One of the oldest civilizations,
Now, on its way to be one of the world’s leading nations!
From princely states to a freedom movement,
Now, in science, art and commerce, it’s all about improvement!
There are so many stories from India’s history,
The world is watching - India is no longer a land of mystery!
Image: Spark is represented as a telescope.
Explore Some More!
Ask your teacher or parent to help. Visit
http://www.thebetterindia.com/topics/children/ and choose a topic
that you like. Talk about it in class.
Here’s a little poem about what I
think of India.
Spark
More About India
Spark projects a caricature style map of India, like the reference image
provided below.
The following points, with relevant images, will be provided on the map:
Indian peninsula extends into the Indian Ocean. Two main island
groups are Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea and Andaman and
Nicobar in the Bay of Bengal.
The world's tallest mountain system, the snowy Himalaya.
South of the Himalaya, the low, fertile Ganges Plain is India's most
populous region.
The Great Indian Desert lies in the west, but eastern India receives
some of the highest rainfall in the world during the monsoon season
(June to October).
The Deccan Plateau covers most of Southern India.
The Taj Mahal is one of the wonders of the modern world.
Only country where both lions and tigers live in the wild.
In 2014, India became the first country to successfully send a mission
to Mars in its first attempt.
Chess was most likely invented in India, just like Snakes and Ladders!
More movies are produced in India than anywhere else in the world.
Image: Spark is represented as a telescope.
Explore Some More!
Find out, with the help of your teacher or parents:
- How are we celebrating our festivals, like Holi, Diwali and
Ganpati Visarjan, in better ways than before? Talk about it with
your friends.
- What is the meaning of the different parts of the Indian flag?
Make a poster.
Image: Spark is represented as a pencil leaving a rainbow trail.
Colour Me In!
The Peacock – Our National Bird
Image: Spark is represented as a musical note.
Suggested Listening!
Vande Mataram and Mile Sur Mera Tumhara
Chapter 5
Hard Workers Are Winners!
Image: Spark is represented as a telescope.
Explore Some More!
These are some Indian kids who worked hard to be good at what
they like. With the help of your teacher or parents, find out what
they worked hard to do and match their names to the things they’re
good at.
Anadi Tagde
Anshuman Nandi
Mohini Dey
Truptraj Pandya
Rifath Sharook
Malavath Poorna
India is full of hard working people,
which makes it a great country!
Spark
There are so many things I would
like to do. This story of a boy, who
taught himself to do what he
wanted to do, really inspires me.
Manu
Images: A cricket ball in front of wickets; a drum kit; a bass guitar; a tabla; a space shuttle with ‘kalamsat’ in front of it; Indian flag on a mountain peak
Images: Thomas Suarez with his ipad; children at computers in a classroom.
The Youngest App Developer
Thomas Suarez was a regular kid. He would spend time on his
computer like most other kids his age. But he wasn’t just interested
in playing games and using apps. He wanted to know how to make
them. When he was 9, he taught himself programming and made his
first app, becoming the youngest app developer! He convinced his
parents to help him put his app on the app store. From there on
there was nothing to stop him. He has made more apps and even
started his own company. He feels that such skills are very important
for children as they are the basic need of future jobs. He started an
app club at his school, to help other kids build and share their
creations. He also thinks it’s important for kids to teach elders about
new technologies. “I’ve made a lot of money for a kid,” said Suarez
when he was 12. None of this would have been possible if he hadn’t
worked hard to do what he wanted.
Image: Spark is represented as 3-d glasses.
Suggested Viewing!
Watch his inspiring TED talk!
https://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_suarez_a_12_year_old_app_de
veloper#t-19790
It feels good when others say "Well done", but
even better when you do your best and can say
that to yourself! Pragya
Try Your Best!
If you keep waiting to be a star,
You're not going to get very far.
To be good at anything you like,
Be it reading or riding your bike,
You've got to put in the time.
Not trying is the real crime!
You may get nervous and sometimes you will fail
Get up, keep at it, or walk a different trail
Know what you want to do
So you can plan how to do it too
And when things seem like an impossible task
Remember, to get help, all you need to do is ask!
Trying to be better than others will only make you sad
Trying to be a better you is what truly makes you glad
Be proud of your own improvement, the sacrifices it takes
Have fun and laugh, even when you make mistakes
For we cannot all be famous or more successful than the rest,
But we all can feel joy when we know we've tried our best!
Images: A girl wearing a helmet, smiling, on a cycle, training wheels lying near it. Thought bubble, “No more training wheels!” An adult sitting with a child and an open book pointing at something in the book. Five children. Three on a winner podium and two on either side. All five children are holding their hands raised in the air.
Image: Spark is represented as a thought bubble.
What Do You Think?
Q. Why is “not trying the real crime”?
□ You’ll never know if you can do something unless you try and
not knowing is your punishment
□ You’ll be punished by your elders if you don’t try hard
Q. In the poem, what do you think “walk a different trail” means?
□ Give up and try something new
□ Try another way of doing what you want to do
Q. What, according to the poem, is real success?
□ Being better than everyone and winning at everything
□ The happiness you feel when you try your best
Image: Spark is represented as a speech bubble with quotation marks inside.
Quotable Quotes!
“Don’t practice until you get it right. Practice till you can’t get it
wrong!”
Image: A line of footballs on the ground and a girl kicking one into an empty goal.
Chapter 6
Living Healthy Is Living Happy!
Image: Spark, Pragya and a doctor in a doctor’s office
At Pragya’s doctor’s clinic for her regular checkup…
When you’re happy, it’s easy to be
a good friend, be kind and work
hard. But does it take magic to be
happy?
Spark
Ha ha! Yes, actually it is a kind of
magic that your body does. The
trick is in living healthy!
Doctor
Living healthy and magic remind
me of a story!
Images: Relevant images interspersed within the story. Suggested images are
reference only.
Healthy Again In Happyville!
In a land far, far away, there was a town called Happyville! Everyone
in the town was healthy and strong. They liked to stay clean, eat
right, with well-balanced diets and drink lots of water. They also
enjoyed playing a lot of games together, which was good exercise,
and peacefully slept every night under a very starry night sky.
Everyone in the little town was truly happy!
One day, some bad witches flying over Happyville saw all the happy
people there. Seeing the people’s joy made them very jealous and
angry! The witches made a plan to create problems for the town folk.
They thought that if they could take away the people’s healthy
habits, they would no longer be happy.
The witches started casting evil spells. One spell made all the water
smell bad. Another spell made all the fresh food taste bad. One more
spell filled the town’s air with smoke. And the last spell made the
night time as bright as day! The witches also disguised themselves as
merchants and started selling the towns folk unhealthy foods and
magic boxes which you could stare into all day!
So, because the water smelt bad, the people stopped cleaning
themselves and instead of drinking water, started to drink sweet
colas! And because all the fresh food tasted bad, they started to eat
fried foods and sweets. They stopped playing games outside because
of all the smoke and instead spent their time staring into the magic
boxes, even at night!
Soon everyone in the town was lazy, unhealthy and sad. They tried
different medicines to feel better, but none of the medicines worked
either! This pleased the witches.
One day a girl who had been travelling, returned to Happyville. She
could barely recognize her family and friends - they were all so
unhealthy and unhappy! She quickly went to a wise wizard to ask
how she could help everyone. The wizard told her about the evil
witches and the only way to defeat them – being happy and making
an effort to live a healthy life!
So the girl went back to her town and told the town folk about what
the wizard had told her. Sure enough, when the people stopped
buying things from the witches and went back to their good habits,
they started feeling better and happier and the witches spells started
to wear off. Their growing happiness soon scared the witches away
too! Happyville was happy again!
Image: Spark is represented as a thought bubble.
What Do You Think?
Q. How did the people of Happyville defeat the witches?
□ They asked a wise wizard to scare them away
□ They stopped buying unhealthy foods and made an effort to
live healthy again
□ They took a lot of medicines to become happy which scared the
witches away
Q. What are the healthy habits that keep us happy? Colour in a
smiley face for a healthy habit and a sad face for an unhealthy habit.
Provide an outline of a happy and a sad face in front of each image and
statement.
Image: Girl wiping sweat from her brow
Have a bath only on days you sweat a lot
Image: French fries, ice cream, chips
Eat french fries, ice cream, chips
Image: A showerhead with water coming out of it
Have a bath at least once a day
Image: fresh fruits, glass of milk, cheese
Eat fresh fruits, milk and milk products
Image: A child with dishevelled hair in bed, 1:00p.m. on a clock
Reference:
Laze in bed till lunch time
Image: Child sleeping with a smile at night
Reference:
Sleep on time and wake up early
Image: A glass next to a bottle of water
Drink 8 – 10 glasses of water everyday
Image: Child lying down on tummy, propping head up with hands in front of TV
Watch television lying down
Image: bottle medicine being poured into a spoon
Take medicines without reason
Image: A brush and toothpaste in a glass
Brush your teeth twice a day
Image: Three bottles - orange, black and grey inside
Drink colas whenever you’re thirsty
Image: A racquet and shuttle, football, frisbee
Get out and play something everyday
Image: A nailcutter
Keep your nails trimmed and clean
Image: Spark is represented as jigsaw pieces.
Try This!
Choose one of the following healthy habits and make a poster or
presentation which will encourage your friends to follow it.
Staying clean
Eating healthy
Exercising right
Sleeping well
Drinking enough water
Avoiding sweets and sugary drinks
Limiting screen time
Chapter 7
Love Mother Nature!
Image: A few children, including Manu, Pragya and Spark sit around a lady. The lady has an “Earth” on her t-shirt and is holding a potted plant.
An environmentalist has come to the school to talk with the children.
We know that we can be good to
ourselves by living healthy and we
can be good to others by being
kind.
A child
Very good! But our world is more
than just us. Our world is all of
nature too!
Environmentalist
A child
And what does an
environmentalist do?
A child
What is nature?
Be The Change Images: Relevant images interspersed within the poem. We are all but children and that is what we’ve always been
In the eyes of mother nature, we are all each other’s kin
She connects us to the mountains and the seas
To the flowers, grass and all the trees
To starlight, snowflakes and the breeze
To rainbows, dewdrops and waterlilies
To all animals, butterflies and even humble bees
To all of life and its endless mysteries!
An environmentalist works to protect the environment, animals and people
from harmful human activities. Here’s a poem that I really like. I hope you like
it too.
Environmentalist Nature is all the plants, animals and other
things that are not made by people. Nature is
also all the events that are not caused by
people, like seasons. In fact, we all are a part
of nature too!
A lot of people don’t respect nature, and are very selfish. They pollute
water, air and land, cut down forests, and are cruel to animals. And what’s
bad for the environment, is bad for animals and all of us too.
A waterfall, flowery landscape, polluting factory
She gives us the air we breathe
All the food, water and shelter we need
She shows us beauty all around
And shares her treasures buried in the ground
She gives and gives and then gives some more
And like all good mothers, never asks us to restore
So we choose not to see
And instead take and take greedily
Without a care, we treat animals cruelly
Give our natural world smoke and make it dirty!
When will we wake up, come to our senses
When will we humans stop such offences?
We must be the change we wish to make
For the environment, the animals and our own sake!
Image: Spark is represented as a magnifying glass on a word. Word Power!
Kin - Family
Come to one’s senses – To begin to think in a correct way
Offence – A wrong act
Image: Spark is represented as a thought bubble.
What Do You Think? Q. Why is nature called ‘mother nature’?
□ We are all children and are one big family □ It not only creates life but also gives us all we need to live and
doesn’t ask for anything in return Q. What can we do to show our love for nature?
□ Plant trees □ Don’t pluck flowers □ Be careful about what you buy □ Don’t litter □ Treat animals kindly □ Don’t waste water or electricity □ Walk, cycle or carpool whenever possible
Image: Spark is represented as jigsaw pieces.
Try This!
Choose one of the following ways you can help the environment and
make a poster or presentation for your friends, family or classmates.
- Recycle - Reuse - Reduce
Image: Spark is represented as a light bulb.
Did You Know?
Images: Relevant images with each point
Sniffer dogs that work with the police can find bombs and harmful
drugs
Many different animals help to cheer people up in hospitals and
nursing homes
Bats help restore forests by spreading a variety of seeds and also
help farmers by eating insects that can harm crops
Not just dogs but miniature horses are used to help guide the visually
impaired too
There are many animals, birds, and insects that are pollinators, but
bees are the best
Image: Spark is represented as a magnifying glass on a word. Word Power!
Pollination – The help required for new plants to grow
Image: Spark is represented as a telescope.
Explore Some More!
Check out this webpage, for a lot of fun animal facts!
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals.html
1. Image: A child petting a rabbit Be gentle when you pet an animal and pet furry animals in the direction their hair goes. No pinching, pulling or hitting!
2. Image: A slingshot with a ban circle on it
Don’t scare, shout or throw things at animals. If you see another kid doing that, ask them to stop!
3. Image: A child with arms outstretched running after a cat with a ban
circle If an animal is trying to get away, let it go. Don’t chase after it.
4. Image: Two children outdoors, one pointing and the other looking
through binoculars
Environmentalist We can all be kind to animals. Here are some
things for you to keep in mind.
Observe animals and insects outdoors without touching. (Like squirrels, birds, butterflies, grasshoppers and even ants)
5. Image: Books with animals on their covers (dolphin, lion, camel)
Learn more about our animal friends. There’s a lot of information available out there!
Image: Spark is represented as a telescope.
Explore Some More! Check out this website, with a trusted adult, to find out more ways you can help animals. http://www.petakids.com/ Image: Spark is represented as jigsaw pieces.
Try This!
1. Make a map of green areas around your home or school or
water bodies nearby. Help plan a nature walk, clean-up drive or
tree planting with your school or family.
2. Find an animal shelter near your home. Help plan a trip with
your family or school. Meet the animals there, play with them,
and help feed and care for them.
Image: Spark is represented as an open book
Suggested Reading The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Chapter 8
Choose To Be You!
Image: Manu, Pragya and Spark sitting on a rug. Manu has a book, Pragya is drawing.
Both of you like to do different
things but are best friends.
Spark
We like each other for who we are.
Being different helps us learn new
things too.
Manu
Sometimes, it can be hard to fit in
with other children. To fit in, some
kids might do things just to please
others.
Pragya
Fitting in sounds important.
Should you do things just to
please others or should you
always be yourself?
Spark
Be Yourself To Fit In!
Images: Relevant images interspersed within the story.
Kai was from out of town and it was his first day of school. He
dressed differently than all the other children. First day of school was
not nice. A lot of the girls and boys made fun of him because of his
clothes. They called him names and laughed at him.
Image: A boy in suspenders and bow tie (see reference below) and other
children pointing and laughing at him with a building labelled “School” in the
background. The other children are all wearing t-shirts and shorts.
Kai wanted the other children to like him and be his friends. He had
an idea! The next day, Kai went to school dressed up like the other
children. All the children that had made fun of Kai earlier actually
complimented his clothes and said they wanted to be his friends. By
the end of the day Kai had many friends. But he didn’t feel good. He
began to realize that his new friends didn’t like him because of who
he was but because of how he dressed. It made him feel like if he
changed back into the clothes he liked to wear, his new friends
would all disappear.
When Kai went home that day, he had a new idea. Instead of trying
to be more like the other children, he would go to school and just be
himself!
Image: Kai dressed like the other kids and they’re standing together in front of
school.
Kai’s third day at school started off like his first day. A lot of the
children didn’t talk to him and made fun of him. But this time, he
didn’t pay attention to them. Then, at lunch, some kids sitting at a
table asked Kai to join them. They said they wanted to be his friends
because he wasn’t trying to be like everyone else in school but was
just trying to be himself. That’s when Kai realized that true friends
like you for who you are, no matter what!
Image: Kai in his original clothes with a lunch box, some children are smiling
and waving him over to their table. There are open lunch boxes on the table.
Image: Spark is represented as a thought bubble.
What Do You Think? Q. What was Kai’s idea for his second day at school?
□ Don’t pay attention to kids troubling him.
□ Dress like the kids who had troubled him.
□ Stay at home.
□ Try to make new friends at lunch.
Q. True friends like you
□ For doing things they want you to do
□ For who you are
□ For being like them
□ For letting them laugh at you
How To Be Yourself
Image: Three light bulbs, only one is lit.
Dream, be original and come up with ideas. Remember, ideas that
don’t work help you come up with ideas that do.
Image: Colourful question marks.
Be curious. There are no bad questions. Don’t be shy if you don’t
know something. If somebody teases you, they need to change, not
you.
Image: Boy with a speech bubble, “I thought all girls like pink!”
Don’t give in to stereotypes, pressures or fads.
Image: Girl singing into a mic with shaky notes.
Don’t be afraid of being judged and not liked. It’s better that others
don’t like you rather than you not liking yourself.
Yeah, it can be difficult being a kid. You’re always
too small or too young to do a lot of things! Some
people even have different ideas about how girls
and boys should behave.
Manu
Goes Around Comes Around
Images: Relevant images interspersed within the story.
Image: A park. Four toddlers on a merry-go-round with a bigger kid pushing it.
One day, in a playground, four toddlers were on the merry-go-round
while an elder girl spun them. When she pushed a little too hard and
it spun a little too fast, two of the toddlers, a boy and a girl, got
scared and started to cry. The girl stopped the ride and let them get
down.
Image: Crying girl being picked up by concerned elder sister. Crying boy
running to his mother who seems annoyed.
The little girl was picked up by her elder sister. She told her it was ok
to get scared and if she got scared again she could just say, “Slow
down, I’m getting scared!”
The boy ran to his mother. His mother told him, “It’s ok if she cries,
she’s a girl. But you’re a brave and strong boy. You shouldn’t cry.”
Image: Older children talking to the boy’s mother
Hearing this, some of the older children went up to the boy’s mother
and told her that she was wrong. One boy explained, “Being brave or
strong has nothing to do with being a boy or girl. If you tell your son
that he should be strong just because he’s a boy, he will hide how he
really feels. If you tell him it’s ok for girls to cry and not boys, he will
not care when he sees a girl crying and he will laugh at boys who cry.
He may even start to think that it’s ok to trouble girls and make them
cry. How would you feel, if someday he makes you cry just because
he thinks you’re supposed to cry?”
Coming from the children, it was a powerful message for the boy’s
mother.
Image: Spark is represented as a thought bubble.
What Do You Think?
Q. What was the powerful message for the boy’s mother?
□ Boys and girls should play together nicely.
□ Children are not different just because they’re girls or boys.
□ All boys and girls are equally strong and brave.
Image: Spark is represented as jigsaw pieces.
Try This!
In the olden days, people thought differently than they do nowadays.
Draw a line to match each statement to where it belongs.
Nowadays
Image: Table with a
book and study lamp
(colour image)
Girls are expected to be sweet and gentle and boys
are expected to be strong and brave.
Girls and boys can be themselves - sweet, gentle,
strong, brave.
It's ok for girls to cry but not for boys.
It's ok for both girls and boys to show their emotions.
It's ok for girls not to go to school but boys must.
Both girls and boys must go to school.
Olden Days
Image: Table with a
book and lantern
(black and white)
Women look after the family and house while men go
out to work.
Women and men share housework and both can
choose to go out and work too.
Some jobs are only for men, like flying airplanes, and
some jobs are only for women, like being a nurse.
Some sports are only for boys, like cricket, and some
are only for girls, like dancing.
Boys and girls can play any sport they like.
Girls and boys can be good at the same things.
Learn to play with each other. Playing together is
about fun, exercise and friendship!
Spark
Chapter 9
Be Safe Not Sorry!
As a child, you should play and explore! But no matter how good
you, your family, your teachers and your friends are, you have to
remember that the world can be a dangerous place.
Image: A security guard stopping a child on a cycle from going out of a neighbourhood gate. Pragya and Spark walking nearby.
I’m tired of being told what to do!
Rules are everywhere!
Child on cycle
Rules don’t stop us from doing
things. In fact, rules are there so
we CAN do things! Rules just keep
us safe.
Pragya
I hadn’t thought about it like that.
Image: A collage of a friendly policewoman, firefighter, doctor, lifeguard,
soldier.
That’s why we still have police, firefighters, doctors, lifeguards, the
military and other help services. But they can’t always be there to
help and come to your rescue. You have to know how to help
yourself by keeping safe.
Here are some important rules that can help keep you safe. Which
ones do you already follow?
Image: Nametag, house, phone
Know your name, address and phone number
Share in case of emergency only
Know where your home is and nearby landmarks too
Image: A group of adults (could be Pragya’s parents, grandparents, teacher)
Build your trusted adults network
These are your safe people from different areas of your life
Know how to get in touch with them when no one from home
is reachable
Image: A person holding a mask on their face
Beware of strangers
Keep a safe distance from strangers and do not follow them
Do not take anything to eat from strangers
Do not give them your personal information
Image: Children running on the grass
Play safe
Image: helmet and life jacket
Know the rules for different activities and places and always
use the right safety gear
Image: A child on a climbing wall and a wall with a ban sign on it
Risk-taking teaches you a lot but there is a difference between
trying something new and doing something dangerous
Image: Children petting a dog on a leash
Animals are our friends but you have to know how to play with
them safely. Tell an adult immediately if you’ve been bitten or
scratched by an animal.
Image: A child putting toys in a box
Always ‘tidy up’ when you’re done playing. If you leave things
lying around, someone could get hurt.
Image: Children holding hands
Know good touch, bad touch
Some games involve touching…if you don’t like being touched,
say so!
Learn who to trust. If an older child or an adult wants to ‘play’
with you away from all your other friends or offers to take you
somewhere ‘secret’, DON’T do it! Healthy play is what you can
do in public.
Image: Child in a swimming pool, lifeguard outside and dotted line from
the lifeguard’s eyes to the child
Remember the ‘line of sight’ rule – always play in the line of
sight of a parent, teacher or other friends.
Image: Child, concerned expression, pointing away, with an adult
If you think someone is in trouble, report it, till something is
done about it!
Image: kid with hand up to say no to a group of other kids
Don’t get pressured into doing things
Stop and think if it’s good or bad or if you or someone else
could get hurt (body or feelings).
Say NO when you know something is bad or not what you want
to do. You could suggest doing something else or do something
else by yourself or with other friends.
Know when to tell a trusted adult. If you don’t have anyone you
can tell, you can call Childline (1098).
Image: Icons for a road sign, swimming, cooking, karate, yoga
Practice ‘survival’ skills
Understanding signs, running, swimming, first aid, cooking, self-
defence, awareness of your surroundings, staying calm,
thinking clearly, good judgment are all basic skills you should
practice.
Learning them can be fun and will help improve your body and
mind!
Image: A smart phone and a computer
If you use a phone or the internet, you should know about phone
and internet safety
Set usage rules and create safe lists with your trusted adults.
Remember, never message or share pictures or personal
information with strangers.
Image: Spark is represented as a thought bubble.
What Do You Think?
Safe or unsafe? Colour the flag red if it’s unsafe or green if it’s safe.
Images: Images for the following with a flag next to each
Monkey bars on grass
Open matchbox and fire
Electric point and wires
Playing football on the grass
Playing with a skip rope on the road
Jumping in a pool from a low diving board, lifeguard in the background
Razor and scissors
Skateboarding with helmet and pads
Open pothole on a sidewalk
Drinking from a sink tap
Child sitting in car seat with seatbelt
I have a favourite rule - Don’t be afraid to talk about
something that is bothering you. And talk about it till
something is done! Do you have a favourite rule too?
Pragya
Chapter 10
Up and Down!
Image: Spark, Pragya, with Pragya’s mother walking with shopping bags. There is a rollercoaster in the background.
Have you been on a rollercoaster?
Spark
I’m on one every day!
Pragya
Really?!
Not really! But our feelings can
seem like a rollercoaster ride!
Spark
Haha! You mean up when you’re
happy, down when you’re sad, slow
when you’re bored, fast when you’re
excited and twisty when you’re
nervous!
What are feelings?
All of us have feelings and they change through the day as different
things happen. When we’re having fun playing, we feel happy. When
our parents don’t allow us to do something, we can feel sad.
There are many emotions we feel and they can be seen on our faces
and in our behaviour. Can you tell how someone is feeling by looking
at them?
Image: Spark is represented as jigsaw pieces.
Try This!
Match the faces to the words that describe feelings.
Image: Show faces for the following emotions
Happy
Confused
Nervous
Sick
Laughing
Bored
Excited
Image: Spark is represented as a light bulb.
Did You Know?
Your feelings change because of different chemicals going to your
brain. There are ‘feel good’ and ‘feel bad’ chemicals. We all have our
own ways to get our ‘feel good’ chemicals working.
Q. What do you like to do to get your ‘feel good’ chemicals working?
Provide images and checkboxes for each.
Run
Cold shower
Sing
Walk and look around at nature
Dance
Eat something sweet
Skip
Cycle
Listen to music
Play your favourite music instrument
Think of things you like
Watch the rain
Drink a glass of water
Take a deep breath
Stop, Think, Act!
It was book reading time in class and all the kids were sitting around
the classroom. Lisa finished her book and got up from her favourite
chair to return the book to the bookshelf and get another one.
Pragya
Here’s a story on managing your
feelings when dealing with others.
Image: Children with books sitting on chairs in a reading room.
Image: One of the girls is up at a book shelf and a boy has taken her place.
When she turned around to go back with her new book, she saw
Anand sitting in her favourite chair. This upset Lisa.
She went up to Anand and said, “Get up, I was sitting there!”
Anand refused to get up and the two children started arguing.
Image: The boy holding on to the chair and the girl looks upset.
Image: Teacher talking to the two children who look upset.
Hearing the children, their teacher went over to help out. When she
understood the situation, she told Lisa that before reacting when
she’s feeling bad, she should remember to, “Stop, think, then act.”
The teacher told Lisa that this means she should talk to people like a
friend instead of being demanding and rude by thinking before she
says or does something. Sometimes when you react without thinking
you could hurt someone’s feelings.
Lisa thought about how she spoke to Anand and that if she was in his
place she would have refused to get up too.
Lisa apologized to Anand and the teacher asked her to try again. This
time Lisa smiled at Anand and said, “Hi Anand, this is my favourite
chair and I just got up to get another book. Could I please sit here
when you’re done?”
Image: The two children smiling at each other.
Anand smiled back and said, “You can sit here now Lisa, I was only
sitting here because Gauri was in my favourite chair!”
Image: Spark is represented as a thought bubble.
What Do You Think?
Q. How does “stop, think, act” help you to manage how you react?
□ You can consider the other person’s point of view
□ You can make your words helpful instead of hurtful
□ You can relax and think clearly before reacting
□ You can turn a bad situation into a good one
Image: Spark is represented as a speech bubble with quotation marks inside.
Quotable Quotes!
“Every experience and emotion can either make you stronger or
weaker, the choice is yours.”
“Don’t feel sad if you fail. Failure is information. It tells you how not
to do something so you can try something different next time.”
Image: Spark is represented as a musical note.
Suggested Listening!
Feeling Good by Nina Simone, covered by Michael Bublé and Avicii
Book ending, story continues
[End of series (grade 8)… Spark as your conscience Describe your own conscience. That is your spark. Keep your spark alive by being enthusiastic in every task you undertake. Whether it’s waking up every morning and doing your morning chores, doing your schoolwork, helping others, dancing, or playing your favourite sport. Feel joy when you try and do things. Take the time to enjoy those moments. If life is a collection of moments, it’s up to you to make each moment memorable and a life worth living! All the best for all your future endeavours whether they take you to unchartered destinations on our planet or outer space, or in your value to society, or in your imagination!]
Score yourself cards
Facilitator check cards Adult facilitator or parent maintains behaviour record, beginning of year, end of year, and open; Competencies rated as, “Already there!”, and, “Getting there!” “Remember, getting there is all the fun!”
Inside book back cover
Book back cover