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These activities come before reading the poem . Read each riddle exactly as in the book, then open Show Answer .
I. Given below are four riddles. Read and identify who these people are.
1.
In furrows deep, secrets I sow,
As time passes,
I watch them grow.
Who am I? ________________________
As time passes,
I watch them grow.
Who am I? ________________________
How to answer:
Find the clue words — “furrows”, “sow” and “watch them grow” all point to one workplace: the field.
View Answer
Who am I?
A farmer
.
Why:
“
Furrows
” are the long, narrow cuts a plough makes in a field. The “secrets” sown are
seeds
, and the farmer watches them
grow
into crops.
2.
From wheel to kiln, my skill is born,
Step by step, an art takes form.
Who am I? ________________________
Step by step, an art takes form.
Who am I? ________________________
How to answer:
Two tools are named — a “wheel” and a “kiln” (a baking oven for clay). Ask yourself who uses both.
View Answer
Who am I?
A potter
.
Why:
The
wheel
is the potter’s wheel on which clay is shaped, and the
kiln
is the hot oven where the pot is baked hard. Step by step, the clay becomes
art
.
3.
I lay foundations, brick by brick,
To build a house, it’s me you pick.
Who am I? ________________________
To build a house, it’s me you pick.
Who am I? ________________________
How to answer:
“Foundations”, “brick by brick” and “build a house” — think of the person who actually raises the walls.
View Answer
Who am I?
A mason (bricklayer)
.
Why:
The mason lays the
foundation
of a building and raises the walls
brick by brick
— the person we “pick” when we want a
house built
.
4.
I work with pots, pans, and spice,
Creating dishes that taste so nice.
Who am I? ________________________
Creating dishes that taste so nice.
Who am I? ________________________
How to answer:
The tools (pots, pans, spice) and the result (tasty dishes) both point to one room of the house — the kitchen.
View Answer
Who am I?
A cook
.
Why:
Pots, pans and
spices
are kitchen tools, and the “dishes that taste so nice” are the
tasty food
a cook creates.
II. What is the role and relevance of the people you identified in the riddles. How do they contribute to the society? Discuss with your classmates and teacher.
Discuss the role and relevance of the farmer, potter, mason and cook.
[Discussion]
How to answer:
For each worker, say (a) what they give us daily and (b) what would happen if they stopped working.
View Answer
Sample discussion answer:
All four workers meet our most
basic daily needs
. The
farmer
grows the food we eat; without him there would be no grain or vegetables. The
potter
shapes pots and vessels used to store water and food. The
mason
builds the houses, schools and hospitals we live and work in. The
cook
turns raw food into healthy, tasty meals. Society simply cannot run without them, so every one of these vocations deserves
equal respect
.
