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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


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!


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


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.



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


Try This!

Help Pragya’s grandfather find his way to the park bench.


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!


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 _______


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


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.


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


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

http://www.thebetterindia.com/topics/children/

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.


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



Vande Mataram and Mile Sur Mera Tumhara

Chapter 5

Hard Workers Are Winners!


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.


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.


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!


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


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!


Kin - Family

Come to one’s senses – To begin to think in a correct way

Offence – A wrong act


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


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


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


Pollination – The help required for new plants to grow


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!


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!


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.


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


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.


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.


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.


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?


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


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!”


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.”



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

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