The Frog: NCERT Class 5 English Poem (Santoor Chapter 5)

etmantra3 Nov 20264 min read

In this bouncy poem, a frog talks to us about its own life. Children learn real facts about frogs, like webbed feet and catching food with the tongue, while enjoying easy rhymes. It is great for reciting with hops and croaks.

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From NCERT’s new English book Santoor for Class 5, unit “Water”. Chapter 5.

What your child learns

Rhyming words: rain and drain, loud and proud, high and sky
Joining words: and, but, because
Facts about frogs: tadpoles, webbed feet, croaking
Reciting a poem with actions and sounds

What the poem is about

The frog tells us where it lives: in ponds, in the rain and in muddy drains. It remembers swimming as a tadpole, a tiny fish-like creature. It catches its food very fast with a flick of its tongue. It lives both on land and in water, in damp places.

The frog's colours match the plants, so it can hide in grass and leaves. It must watch out for snakes. It croaks loudly and feels proud in its pond. It hops high, and its webbed feet help it swim easily. The poem is cheerful and full of facts about a frog's life.

New words, with Hindi meanings

hop: to jump with small, quick jumps (हिंदी: फुदकना)
muddy: full of wet soil (हिंदी: कीचड़ वाला)
tadpole: a baby frog that lives in water (हिंदी: मेंढक का बच्चा)
flick: a quick, sudden movement (हिंदी: झटका)
damp: a little wet (हिंदी: नम)
dew: tiny drops of water on grass in the morning (हिंदी: ओस)
croak: the deep sound a frog makes (हिंदी: टर्राना)
webbed: with skin between the toes (हिंदी: जालीदार)

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.

Where does the frog like to live?
How does the frog catch its food?
How does the frog hide from snakes?
Have you ever seen or heard a frog? Where?

Answers for parents

In ponds, in the rain, in muddy drains, and in damp places on land.
It flicks out its tongue very fast.
Its colours match the plants and trees, so it hides in grass and leaves.
For example: Yes, I heard frogs croaking near our village pond in the rainy season.

Grammar corner: Joining words: and, but, because

Joining words connect two ideas. 'And' adds one more thing, 'but' shows something different, and 'because' gives a reason. They help us make longer sentences.

The frog lives in water and on land.
The frog loves its pond, but it must look out for snakes.
The frog swims well because it has webbed feet.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank with 'and', 'but' or 'because': The frog hides in the grass ___ a snake is near.
Spot the rhyme: which word rhymes with 'loud' — proud, pond, jump?
Make a sentence using 'hop'.

Answers: 1. because · 2. proud · 3. Sample answer: The frog likes to hop in the rain.

Try this

Play 'Frog says'. Call out lines like 'Frog says hop', 'Frog says croak', 'Frog says flick your tongue', 'Frog says hide in the grass'. Everyone does the action only when you start with 'Frog says'. Then ask your child to tell you three things a frog does, in English.

Tip for parents

Ask in Hindi first: 'मेंढक कहाँ रहता है?' Then help your child say it in English: 'The frog lives in a pond.' Let them use Hindi words they do not know in English yet, then give the English word, like 'टर्राना means croak'. Praise every attempt.

Questions parents ask

What is the poem The Frog about?

A frog tells us about its own life: where it lives, how it swims as a tadpole, how it catches food, hides from snakes, croaks and hops.

Which words rhyme in The Frog?

Some rhyming pairs are rain and drain, cheer and clear, food and good, loud and proud, and high and sky.

Is The Frog in the new NCERT book?

Yes. It is Chapter 5 of NCERT's new Santoor book for Class 5, in Unit 3, 'Water'.

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.

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