Class 1 English Notes Chapter 2 (After a Bath; The Bubble; the Straw; and the Shoe) – Marigold

Okay, here are the detailed notes for NCERT Class 1 English, Marigold Book, Chapter 2, focusing on aspects relevant for government exam preparation.

Chapter 2: After a Bath (Poem) & The Bubble, the Straw, and the Shoe (Story)

This chapter combines a simple poem about personal hygiene with a short story illustrating basic concepts like friendship, actions, and consequences.

Part 1: Poem - "After a Bath"

• Poet: Aileen Fisher (Important to note the poet's name if asked).
• Theme: The poem describes the simple, everyday activity of a child drying themselves after taking a bath. It highlights the process of wiping different body parts and contrasts it humorously with how a dog dries itself.
• Summary:
  • The child narrator describes their routine after bathing.
  • They try hard ('try, try, try') to wipe themselves completely dry ('till I'm dry, dry, dry').
  • Specific body parts mentioned for wiping are: hands, fingers, toes, two wet legs, and a shiny nose.
  • The child then imagines being a dog. If they were a dog, they would simply 'shake, shake, shake' to get dry, which would take much less time.
• Key Vocabulary & Meanings:
  • Bath: Washing the body.
  • Try: To make an effort.
  • Wipe: To clean or dry something by rubbing it.
  • Myself: Referring to one's own person.
  • Dry: Free from moisture or liquid; not wet.
  • Hands: The part of a person's arm below the wrist, used for holding, grasping, etc.
  • Fingers: The five terminal members of the hand.
  • Toes: The five terminal members of the foot.
  • Legs: The limbs used for standing and walking.
  • Shiny: Reflecting light, bright.
  • Nose: The part of the face containing the nostrils, used for breathing and smelling.
  • Shake: To move back and forth or up and down with quick, short movements.
  • Dog: A common domestic animal.
  • Less: A smaller amount.
• Rhyming Words: (Often a focus in exams)
  • try / dry
  • toes / nose
  • shake / take (Implied rhyme with 'take less time')
• Potential Exam Questions (Focus Areas):
  • Comprehension: What does the child do after a bath? Which body parts does the child wipe? How does a dog dry itself? What does the child wish they could do?
  • Vocabulary: Meanings of words like 'wipe', 'shake', 'shiny'. Opposites (e.g., wet/dry).
  • Rhyming words identification.
  • Identifying action words (verbs) from the poem: try, wipe, shake.
  • Identifying naming words (nouns) from the poem: hands, fingers, toes, legs, nose, dog.
  • Understanding the use of 'I' (first-person narration).

Part 2: Story - "The Bubble, the Straw, and the Shoe"

• Theme: Friendship, cooperation (attempted), consequences of actions (laughing at misfortune), physical properties (floating, stretching, breaking, bursting).
• Characters:
  • The Bubble: Can float, laughs easily, bursts eventually.
  • The Straw: Can stretch, fragile, breaks under weight.
  • The Shoe: Can likely float for a bit (implied), falls into water.
• Plot Summary:
  1. Bubble, Straw, and Shoe are friends living near a forest.
  2. One day, they go into the forest and reach a river.
  3. They don't know how to cross it.
  4. The Shoe suggests the Bubble float them across (Bubble refuses/can't).
  5. The Bubble suggests the Straw stretch itself from one bank to the other.
  6. The Straw stretches across the river.
  7. The Shoe decides to jump onto the Straw first to cross.
  8. As the Shoe jumps onto the Straw, the Straw breaks.
  9. The Shoe falls into the river with a loud 'splash'.
  10. The Bubble sees this, shakes with laughter, and bursts with a big 'bang'.
• Key Vocabulary & Meanings:
  • Bubble: A thin sphere of liquid enclosing air or another gas.
  • Straw: A dried stalk of grain; also, a thin tube for drinking.
  • Shoe: Outer covering for the foot.
  • Lived: Resided in a place.
  • Forest: A large area covered chiefly with trees.
  • River: A large natural stream of water flowing to the sea or a lake.
  • Know: To have knowledge or understanding.
  • Cross: To go from one side to the other.
  • Float: To rest or move on the surface of a liquid without sinking.
  • Stretch: To make something longer or wider by pulling.
  • Bank: The land alongside a river or lake.
  • Jumped: Pushed oneself off a surface and into the air.
  • Broke: Separated into pieces; snapped.
  • Splash: The sound of something hitting water.
  • Shook: Past tense of shake; trembled or vibrated.
  • Laughter: The action or sound of laughing.
  • Burst: Broke open suddenly and violently.
  • Bang: A sudden loud sharp noise.
• Moral/Lesson:
  • Laughing at someone else's misfortune can have negative consequences.
  • Things have limitations (Straws break, Bubbles burst).
  • Importance of thinking through a plan carefully.
• Potential Exam Questions (Focus Areas):
  • Comprehension: Who were the three friends? Where did they go? What problem did they face? How did they try to solve it? What happened to the Straw? What happened to the Shoe? What happened to the Bubble? Why did the Bubble burst?
  • Sequencing: Ordering the events of the story correctly.
  • Character Identification: Naming the characters, possibly describing their actions.
  • Vocabulary: Meanings of words like 'stretch', 'burst', 'splash', 'bank'.
  • Sound Words (Onomatopoeia): Identifying words that imitate sounds (splash, bang).
  • Identifying action words (verbs): went, came, crossed, floated, stretched, jumped, broke, fell, shook, burst.
  • Identifying naming words (nouns): bubble, straw, shoe, forest, river, bank, water.

General Exam Relevance:

• Reading Comprehension: Ability to understand simple texts (poem and story).
• Vocabulary: Knowledge of basic English words and their meanings.
• Grammar: Identification of basic parts of speech (nouns, verbs), rhyming words, opposites.
• Sequencing: Understanding the order of events in a narrative.
• Inferential Skills: Simple inferences like why the Bubble burst (due to excessive laughter).

NCERT Textbook Exercises Focus:

Be aware of the types of questions asked in the textbook itself, as exam questions are often based on these patterns:

• Reading practice ('Let's Read').
• Answering direct comprehension questions.
• Fill in the blanks (often testing vocabulary or sequence).
• Matching words with pictures or meanings.
• Identifying rhyming words.
• Simple sentence formation or rearrangement.
• Tracing letters and basic writing practice (less likely directly tested in objective exams but part of the chapter's learning).

These notes cover the core content and potential areas of focus for Chapter 2 relevant to exam preparation. Remember to cross-reference with the actual NCERT textbook for exact phrasing and illustrations.