About the Story:
“Get Down, Rocky” is a delightful story about a mischievous goat named Rocky who manages to climb up the roof of a church, much to the frustration of the coconut seller, Ramesh, and Rose, the owner of the goat. As various characters come up with different ideas to get Rocky down, including bending a banana plant and stacking boxes, it is Peter the carpenter who builds a ramp for Rocky. With a thrilling slide down the ramp, Rocky finally comes down and learns a valuable lesson about not trying to eat things he shouldn’t. This engaging story, written by Annie Besant, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat, and published by Pratham Books, will captivate young readers and teach them about problem-solving and the consequences of actions.
Story Reading (English) / Read Aloud: Get Down, Rocky!
Quotes from the Book Reading:
“Rocky’s climbed up the roof of the church”: “How could they expect him to jump down from the roof of a church? He was not super-goat.”
Activities / Lesson Plan based on the Book:
Objective:
To develop problem-solving skills and teach about the consequences of actions.
Materials:
- Copy of the book “Get Down, Rocky”
- Paper and pencils for each student
- Various objects (e.g., paper, straws, eggs, bubble wrap)
Procedure:
Introduction (5 minutes):
- Show the book “Get Down, Rocky” to the students and read the title.
- Ask the students if they have ever had a pet that misbehaved or did something unexpected.
Pre-reading activity (10 minutes):
- Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
- Give each group an egg, some bubble wrap, some paper, and a few straws. Ask them to come up with a creative way to cover the egg so that when they drop it from a height it does not break.
- Encourage them to think outside the box.
Reading the book (15 minutes):
- Read the book “Get Down, Rocky” aloud to the class, using engaging voices and expressions.
- Pause at key moments to ask comprehension questions and encourage discussion.
Comprehension and discussion (10 minutes)
Discuss the story with the students, focusing on the problem-solving attempts of the characters and the consequences of their actions.
Ask questions such as:
- Why did Rocky climb up the roof of the church?
- What were some of the ideas the characters had to get Rocky down?
- What happened when they tried these ideas?
- What did Rocky learn by the end of the story?
Writing activity (15 minutes)
Ask the students to imagine a different scenario where Rocky gets stuck in a different location.
Have them write a short story or draw a picture illustrating how they would help Rocky get down using creative problem-solving.
Reflection and conclusion (5 minutes)
Ask each student to share their story or drawing with the class.
Conclude the lesson by discussing the importance of thinking creatively and considering the consequences of our actions.
Questions based on the Story: Get Down, Rocky!
1. Why did Rocky climb onto the roof in the first place?
2. How did different characters in the story try to help Rocky get down?
3. What were some of the creative ideas suggested by the characters?
4. Why do you think Rocky wanted to eat the banana leaves and boxes?
5. How did Peter, the carpenter, solve the problem in the end?
6. Why do you think teamwork was important in bringing Rocky down?
7. Can you think of any other creative ways the characters could have tried to bring Rocky down?
8. Why do you think it was important for the characters to find a solution without hurting Rocky?
9. How did the community come together to solve this problem?
10. What lesson did you learn from this story about problem-solving and creativity?
