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NCERT Class 6 English Honeysuckle Unit 5 contains a story and a poem. The story “A Different Kind of School” is the experience of the author EV Lucas who was inspired by a teacher who used interesting teaching methods to impart knowledge. On the other hand, the poem “Where do All the Teachers Go?” is an account of the life of teachers after school. To help CBSE Class 6 students understand these texts, we have provided the summary of both the story and the poem in these Notes. Also, we have NCERT solutions to all writing questions in the exercise of the story and the poem.
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Table of Contents
Also Read: Story Writing: Tips to Write An Enchanting Story
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NCERT Class 6 English Honeysuckle Unit 5 Story: A Different Kind of School
This story is about a visit to Miss Beam’s school. The author EV Lucas arrives and meets a girl with a bandage over her eyes, being guided by a younger boy. The author finds Miss Beam to be a kind and authoritative teacher. They discuss the teaching methods, which are focused on simple subjects like spelling and Mathematics, along with reading and interesting discussions.
Miss Beam explains that the main goal of her school is not just to teach facts, but to encourage kindness, responsibility, and thoughtfulness towards others. She then introduces a unique part of their system. In this system, the children have special days where they experience what it is like to have a disability. They have blind days, lame days, deaf days, injured days, and dumb days. This helps them understand and appreciate the challenges that others might face.
The narrator meets a girl on her blind day and learns how difficult it is to be blind. The girl appreciates the helpers but thinks it is harder for them because they have been through it already. They take a walk together, and the author realises how much more attentive and thoughtful they have become. They also learn to describe people and things in detail.
When the narrator leaves, they tell Miss Beam that they are sorry to go. It shows that Miss Beam’s teaching method has made a positive impact on them. The story ends with Miss Beam feeling encouraged that her system is working.
| To support and empathize with people with disabilities, you must check out the following: Prevention of Blindness Week World Sight Day 2023: History, Significance & More World Sight Day Activities to Plan for Your School International Day of Sign Languages 2023 |
Important Words and Phrases and Their Meanings
Here are important words and meanings of the story in NCERT Class 6 English Honeysuckle Unit 5:
- Plump: Chubby, pleasantly fat, or stout
- Kindly: Affectionately, warmly, or friendly
- Responsible: In control of, in charge of, or to be aware of one’s duties
- At play: The act of playing
- Hopeless: Lost or without hope
- Misfortune: Bad luck or an unfortunate situation
- Lame day: A day when a person acts as if she/they/ he is lame
- Their eyes are bandaged: They have been blindfolded
- Are of their honor: To keep a promise
- Thoughtless: Foolish or careless
- Misery: Unpleasantness, unhappiness, or difficulty
- Awful: Disgusting or bad
- Troublesome: Upsetting or difficult
- Gradually: Step by step or slowly
Also Read: 50 Difficult Words with Meanings
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Explore NCERT Solutions of all Chapters of ‘Honeysuckle’ Here:
NCERT Solutions Class 6 English Honeysuckle Unit 5 Story
Let us now dive into the answers for all writing questions in NCERT Class 6 English Honeysuckle Unit 5 Story- “A Different Kind of School”.
Working with the Text
Ques A. Put these sentences from the story in the right order and write them out in a paragraph. Don’t refer to the text.
- I shall be so glad when today is over.
- Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I guess.
- I don’t think I’ll mind being deaf for a day — at least not much.
- But being blind is so frightening.
- Only you must tell me about things.
- Let’s go for a little walk.
- The other bad days can’t be half as bad as this.
Ans: “Let’s go for a little walk,” I said. “Only you must tell me about things. I shall be so glad when today is over. The other bad days can’t be half as bad as this. Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I guess. I don’t think I’ll mind being deaf for a day — at least not much. But being blind is so frightening.”
Ques B. Answer the following questions
- Why do you think the writer visited Miss Beam’s school?
- What was the ‘game’ that every child in the school had to play?
- “Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day…” Complete this line. Which day was the hardest? Why was it the hardest?
- What was the purpose of these special days?
Ans:
- The author visited Miss Beam’s school because he appreciated the unique teaching styles of her school. He visited her school to experience the novel teaching methods.
- In the school, each student pretends to be blind, lame, mute, deaf, or injured for a specific day. Mss Beam helped children experience these disabilities in the form of a game. In this game, students have to inform her about their personal experiences afterwards.
- Every student experiences one dumb day, one damaged day, one blind day, one lame day, and one deaf day each term. The day when children had to pretend to be blind without peeking through their blindfolds was the hardest of all the days. Every instant they had the sensation that they were going to be struck or collide with something.
- The primary goal of these unique days was to expose the kids to personal failure. They would gain respect for the less fortunate members of society and an understanding of how people who are born with disabilities feel if they pretended to have a disability for a day. Through this instruction, the kids were equipped to become moral and responsible citizens.
Working with the Language
Ques A. Match the words (Box 1) and phrases (Box 2) with their meanings
Box 1:
| Homesick Practically It pains me Appreciate Thoughtless Exercise Relief Ghastly |
Box 2:
| Almost Understanding the difficulties It hurts me A welcome change Terrible Not very caring Wanting to be home Test the strength of |
Ans:
| Homesick | g. Wanting to be home |
| Practically | a. Almost |
| It pains me | c. It hurts me |
| Appreciate | b. Understanding the difficulties |
| Thoughtless | f. Not very caring |
| Exercise | h. Test the strength of |
| Relief | d. A welcome change |
| Ghastly | e. Terrible |
Ques B. Re-word these lines from the story:
- I had heard a great deal about Miss Beam’s school.
- Miss Beam was all that I had expected — middle-aged, full of authority.
- I went to the window which overlooked a large garden.
- “We cannot bandage the children’s mouths, so they really have to exercise their willpower.
Ans:
- I had received a lot of information about Miss Beam’s school beforehand.
- Miss Beam lived up to my expectations – she was middle-aged and very authoritative.
- I approached the window that gave a view of a spacious garden.
- “We are unable to wrap bandages around the children’s mouths, so they must rely on their own willpower.”
Ques C. Here is a page from a dictionary. Have a look at the page and find a word for the following questions in 1 and 2.
| terrace noun level area cut out from the side of a hill flat area outside a house: We sat on the terrace in the evening. a row of houses joined together terraced adjective: a terraced house |
| terrace noun level area cut out from the side of a hill flat area outside a house: We sat on the terrace in the evening. a row of houses joined together terraced adjective: a terraced house |
| text nounthe words used in a book a few words from a book |
| terrify verb (present participle terrifying, past terrified)to fill with fear: The animals were terrified by the storm. |
| terror noun (no plural)great fear: a feeling of terror’ |
| territory noun (plural territories)1 land ruled by one government: This island is British territory.2 an area belonging to one person or animal: Wild animals will not allow other animals to enter their territory. |
| text noun the words used in a book a few words from a book |
| test tube noun small thin glass tube: We put chemicals in test tubes in our chemistry class. |
| test verb to look at something to see if it is correct or will work properly: Before he bought the car, he drove it to test it.to ask someone questions: The teacher tested the children on their homework. test( 2) noun an examination: I passed my driving test today. |
| textbook noun: It is a book we use to learn about something. |
| than(used when we compare things, in sentences like these): My brother is older than me. Mary sings better than anyone else in the class. |
| thank verb to say we are grateful to someone: I thanked her for the present she sent me. Thank you for the present you sent me. No, thank you, I don’t want any more tea.’ thankful adjective very glad; grateful thanks plural noun word used to show that we are grateful: Thanks for helping me. It was thanks to John (= because of him) that we won the game. |
| that the one over there; the one further away than this one: This is my bowl; that bowl is yours.(plural those) (used to point out someone or something; used to mean the one known or mentioned already): Did you bring that photograph? We played football and after that ( = next) we went home.(used instead of who, whom) |
- Look at the page and answer the following:
- Find a word that means the same as ghastly. Write down the word and its two meanings.
- Find a word meaning a part of the school year.
- Find a word that means examination.
- Now make a list of:
- All the words on the page (plus any more that you can think of) that begin with terr-
- 5 words that may follow the last word on the page- that.
- Write down your own meaning of the word thank. Then write down the meaning given on the dictionary page.
Ans 1:
- Ghastly: awful or terrible
- Term: a fixed length of time in a school year
- Test: It means to ask someone questions and get answers
Ans 2:
- Terrace, Terraced, Terrible, Terribly, Terrifying, Terrified, Terror, Territory, Territories
- Man, woman, carrot, question, school
- It is a word used to show gratitude and appreciation. It is a way of being polite to someone who has helped you in any form.
The dictionary meaning of Thank: is to say we are grateful to someone
Speaking and Writing
Ques A. Make a short list of things you find difficult to do, for example, turning a somersault and threading a needle.
Ans: You can say and write some things like these:
- Playing a musical instrument
- Solving math problems
- Doing a cartwheel
- Sketching
Ques B. Look at your hands carefully. Now, write down for each finger one action for which that finger is particularly important. For example, the second (or index) finger helps to hold the knife down firmly when cutting.
Ans: Here are the important actions of each finger:
- Thumb (1st finger): It helps us grasp objects, hold things, and perform tasks like writing or using tools.
- Index Finger (2nd finger): The index finger is used for pointing at things. It’s also for tasks like pressing buttons and picking up small objects.
- Middle Finger (3rd finger): It helps in gripping and holding objects. It’s also used in activities like typing on a keyboard or playing musical instruments.
- Ring Finger (4th finger): This finger is often used to help the middle finger in gripping objects. We also wear rings on this finger.
- Little Finger (5th finger): It helps with tasks like holding a pencil, gripping small objects, and providing stability to the hand.
Explore Summary of all Poems of ‘Honeysuckle’ Here:
NCERT Class 6 English Honeysuckle Unit 5 Poem: Where do All Teachers Go?
In this part of NCERT Class 6 English Honeysuckle Unit 5 Notes, we have the summary of the poem and answers to textbook questions.
Summary of Poem: Where Do All the Teachers Go?
This poem by Peter Dixon is all about the poet’s curiosity about what teachers do once school is over. The poet wonders if teachers lead normal lives like us if they have homes, do regular chores like washing socks, wear comfortable clothes like pyjamas, and enjoy activities like watching TV. The poem also asks if teachers have families, like moms and dads, and if they were once children who may have misbehaved occasionally.
The poet is also curious if teachers, like all of us, made mistakes when they were young, like not spelling correctly or doing things they should not have. The poem imagines scenarios like being disciplined for taking chocolate flakes or forgetting their hymn books. It even wonders if teachers were a bit messy in their school days, like scribbling on desks or wearing old, dirty jeans.
The poet’s plan is to follow a teacher home one day to learn more about their everyday life, and then share this information in a poem. It’s a way of showing that teachers are regular people with their own homes, families, and histories, just like everyone else.
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Download NCERT Class 6 English Honeysuckle Unit 5 Important Questions and Answers PDF
Explore NCERT Solutions of all Poems of ‘Honeysuckle’ Here:
NCERT Solutions Class 6 English Honeysuckle Unit 5 Poem
Here are answers to the Exercise Questions:
Working with the Poem
Ques 1. Answer the following questions:
- Why does the poet want to know where the teachers go at four o’clock?
- What are the things normal people do that the poet talks about?
- What does he imagine about
- Where teachers live?
- What they do at home?
- The people with whom they live?
- Their activities when they were children in school?
- Why does the poet wonder if teachers also do things that other people do?
- How does the poet plan to find out? What will he do once he finds out?
Ans:
- According to the poet, teachers are not ordinary people. He thinks that they are unique human beings. Due to this, he wants to know where the teachers go at four o’clock.
- The poet feels that ordinary people stay in houses, wear pyjamas, watch TV, freshen up after returning home, make mistakes, wear old dirty clothes, stay with their parents, scribble on their desks, get punished, lost books, etc.
- Here are the answers:
- He thinks that his teachers stay in houses with their families.
- According to the poet, teachers watch TV, wash their socks, pick on their noses, and wear pajamas at home.
- As per the writer, teachers stay with their parents and other family members.
- The poet imagines that in their childhood Teachers were sometimes bad and made mistakes. According to him, they also misspelled a word, misplaced their hymn books, and ate chocolate in class.
- Since the poet believes that teachers are not regular people but rather unique individuals, he wonders if they also do normal things like others. He believes that these instructors are perfect in every manner, are constantly severe, and never make a mistake.
- The poet made the decision to follow his teacher home in order to learn more about them directly. He plans to write a poem after learning what they do, which the teachers would then read to the children.
Ques 2: What do you think these phrases from the poem mean?
- Punished in the corner
- Leave their greens
Ans:
- Punished in the corner: This phrase generally means to be placed or forced into a situation where one is isolated or not given much attention. In the context of the poem, “punished in the corner if they pinched the chocolate flakes,” implies that if a child took chocolate flakes without permission, they might be made to stand in a corner as a form of punishment.
- Leave their greens: In this context, “greens” most likely refers to vegetables, particularly green ones like spinach, broccoli, etc. So, “leave their greens” means to not eat or finish the vegetables on their plate. The phrase suggests that some children might not want to eat their vegetables and might try to avoid them.
Access Notes and NCERT Solutions of all Chapters of ‘A Pact with the Sun’ Here:
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FAQs
Who is the author of the NCERT Class 6 English Honeysuckle Unit 5 story?
“A Different Kind of School” is written by EV Lucas.
Which is the poem in CBSE Class 6 English Honeysuckle textbook Unit 5?
The poem is titled “Where Do All Teachers Go”. It was written by Peter Dixon.
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