Class Discussion: NCERT Class 5 English Poem (Marigold Unit 6)

etmantra31 Mar 20217 min read

Not every child is a talker, and that is perfectly fine. This short poem helps children and adults understand quiet people, and opens a kind conversation about how we each like to share our thoughts.

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From the NCERT English book Marigold for Class 5, unit 6. NCERT’s newer Class 5 book is Santoor, but many schools still teach Marigold.

Watch: Class Discussion

Play the video three or four times. The first time, just listen. Then point at the pictures, and from the third time, say the lines along with the video. Short, repeated listening is how CALP builds a child’s English.

What your child learns

Words for talking and quiet: discussion, chatter, silence
'Hardly' and 'barely' for 'almost not'
Rhyming pairs in a poem: word and heard, chatter and matter
Respecting people who are quiet

What the poem is about

In the poem, someone speaks to Jane after a class discussion. Everyone else shared their opinions, but Jane hardly said a word. She sat and stared in silence while the chatter went on around her. The speaker asks her plainly whether anything is the matter.

Jane looks up and answers in a clear, low voice. She says that there are many people in the world who are rather quiet. The message is that being quiet is not a problem. Some people simply speak less, and that is a normal way to be.

New words, with Hindi meanings

discussion: a talk where people share their ideas about something (हिंदी: चर्चा)
hardly: almost not at all (हिंदी: मुश्किल से)
opinions: what people think or feel about something (हिंदी: राय)
barely: only just; very little (हिंदी: बहुत कम)
stared: looked at something for a long time (हिंदी: एकटक देखा)
silence: no sound at all; quiet (हिंदी: चुप्पी)
chatter: a lot of quick, noisy talking (हिंदी: बकबक)
plain: clear and simple, without hiding anything (हिंदी: साफ़-साफ़)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

What did Jane do during the class discussion?
What did the speaker ask Jane?
What was Jane’s answer?
Do you like to speak a lot in class, or do you prefer to listen? Why?

Answers for parents

She hardly said a word. She sat and stared in silence while everyone else talked.
The speaker asked her to be plain and say whether anything was the matter.
In a clear, low voice, she said there are many people in the world who are rather quiet.
For example: I like to listen first, because I want to think before I speak.

Grammar corner: 'Hardly' and 'barely' mean 'almost not'

'Hardly' and 'barely' tell us that something happened only a very little. If Jane hardly spoke, she spoke almost not at all. These words already have a 'not' feeling, so we don't add another 'not' with them.

Jane hardly raised her hand in class.
We could barely hear her soft voice over the noise.
The quiet boy hardly ate his tiffin today.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank: Jane ___ said a word in the discussion. (hardly / loudly)
Spot the rhyme: Which word in the poem rhymes with 'chatter'?
Make a sentence using 'barely'.

Answers: 1. hardly · 2. matter · 3. Sample: I could barely see the board from the last bench.

Try this

Hold a small “family discussion” on an easy topic, such as your favourite food. Pass a spoon around; only the person holding it may speak, and anyone may pass it on without speaking. Afterwards, talk about how it felt to speak and how it felt to listen, and why both are fine.

Tip for parents

Talk in Hindi first: "कुछ लोग कम बोलते हैं, और यह ठीक है." Then read Jane's reply together in English. Ask your child how they feel in class in whatever language feels easy, and praise them for sharing, whether they are a talker or a listener.

Questions parents ask

What is the poem Class Discussion about?

It is about Jane, who hardly speaks in a class discussion. When asked if something is the matter, she calmly says many people in the world are rather quiet.

What is the message of Class Discussion?

Being quiet is not a problem. Some people speak less, and that is a normal way to be.

Which NCERT book has the poem Class Discussion?

It is Unit 6 of NCERT's older Marigold book for Class 5. The newer NCERT English books are Mridang for Class 1–2 and Santoor for Class 3–5.

Learn every Class 5 chapter with CALP

Every chapter of Santoor, NCERT’s new book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, grammar, speaking and writing practice. ₹1,299 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →