Teaching of Prose
Standard : X,
Topic : The Last Lesson,
Theme : “ The longing to learn the mother tongue and love for it.”,
“It is about one’s language and why it is important to preserve it for any race” ,
Learning Outcomes:
E-1005 – talks on key contemporary issues like social issues, like social justice, environment, gender etc., in
speech and writing
E-1010 – collects evidences and discusses in groups for reading autobiographies, history and science based
literary texts
E-1011 – writes paragraphs, narratives etc., by planning revising, editing, rewriting and finalizing
Competency
General Objectives
• To learn to narrate
• To appreciate narration
Specific Objectives
• Encouraging patriotism and language among students
• Engage themselves in conversation, dialogue, discussion and discourse in peer-peer mode, and with
teacher on various themes.
TLM
▪ Videos, PPT, charts, Online resources and images.
Motivation and Introduction:
▪ Which language do you like to speak?
▪ Tell about the languages spoken in Indian states
▪ Did everyone participate in the Indian freedom struggle regardless of language?
▪ After a country conquers another country, how should the conquered country treat that country?
Guided Reading:
I read the prose with proper stress, pause and intonation. Students listen silently at the first time.
Second time they repeat after me. They read in small groups.
Teacher’s activity:
Before explaining this lesson, the teacher explains the new words with the help of chart. The
teacher explains the lesson in simple words through video. And actions.
Student’s activity:
Choose a favorite part of the prose and have students explain it. Volunteer students to briefly
explain the content explained by the teacher in front of other students.
Presentation:
• The narration of this story is by a French boy, Franz. Franz is a lazy boy. However, in spite of his laziness,
Franz likes to play and is of a sensitive nature. Furthermore, Franz hates his teacher M. Hamel in his school
and has no interest in studying French.
• An order has come from Berlin after taking over the districts of Alsace and Lorraine in France that the
German language rather than the French should be taught in the schools there.
Furthermore, it is the
school French teacher M. Hamel’s last day. This teacher has been working there for forty years. Moreover,
the teacher has feelings of patriotism. He is also full of nostalgia and grief. The village men also attend his
‘last lesson’ so as to honour and respect him. The village is regretting and is sad that they didn’t learn
their mother tongue in their childhood.
• Franz receives a big shock when he learns that this is his last lesson in French. He is shocked because he
does not know French. Furthermore, on learning about the last lesson, a sudden interest arises in him for
learning French. Moreover, he pays careful attention and learns everything taught on this last day.
• Instantly, he develops liking for the teacher M. Hamel. His feelings of hatred for him suddenly came to an
end. Moreover, Franz develops respect for the hard work and sincerity of his teacher. Franz is sad and
ashamed for being unable to recite his lesson.
• Hamel explains that they all are at fault for lacking eagerness to learn. Furthermore, he also includes
himself in this fault. He blames himself for lack of sincerity in teaching them.
• There is a reflection of his patriotism in his praise for the French language. He says that the French
language is the most logical and beautiful language in the world. It seems that M. Hamel got emotional on
this occasion. Furthermore, he asks the class to guard their language. He says that being close to one’s
language is a way to escape the clutches of slavery. This language will assist them in attaining freedom
from the Germans. The people realize the significance of their mother tongue. Moreover, they feel the
reason for their defeat is illiteracy.
• Franz feels that it is impossible to remove one’s language from a person. This is because it is something
that is natural to a person. This means that no matter how hard the opposition may try, they will fail to
remove one’s language.
New words
chirping (v) – making a short, sharp high pitched sound (usually by small. birds or insects)
bustle (v) – move in an energetic manner
unison (n) – simultaneous utterance of words
rapping (v) – striking with a series of rapid audible blows
thumbed (v) – a book which has been read often and bearing the marks of frequent handling
cranky (adj.) – strange
Saar -a River in north-eastern France and western Germany
Angelus (n) – a Roman Catholic devotion commemorating the Incarnation of Jesus and
including the Hail Mary, said at morning, noon, and sunset.
Reinforcement:
▪ Political enslavement leads to an identity crisis is discuss with reference to the last lesson.
Evaluation:
LOT
• Why did Franz dread to go to school that day?
• What were the various things that tempted Franz to spend his day outdoors?
MOT
• What were the thoughts of the narrator’s parents?
• Why does M. Hamel say that we must guard our language?
HOT
• When you have sight you never realise the value of your eyes how far is this true with the story The Last
lesson?
• Do you think either the students or the teacher sincere in their task till the day of the last lesson?
Substantiate with evidence from the text.
Assignment
We appreciate the value of something only when we are about to lose it. Explain this with reference to
the French language and M.Hamel.
Writing:
They follow the teacher and write exercises. They write book back exercises… reading comprehension,
vocabulary, listening and writing.
Follow up work:
• Give an account of the last day of M.Hamel in school.
• Describe and write how language and patriotism played a role in the Indian freedom struggle.