# The Big Laddoo

## Overview

In the poem “The Big Laddoo,” children explore imaginative ideas of things becoming enormous, such as one huge laddoo or one huge child. This poem develops vocabulary, encourages creative thinking, builds rhyme recognition, and promotes discussion on traditional Indian sweets and festivals. The chapter includes picture reading, speaking tasks, language exercises, and real-life activities.

---

## Key Topics Covered

### 1. **Let Us Recite (Poem – The Big Laddoo)**

- The poem imagines what would happen if:
- All laddoos became one big laddoo,
- All children became one big child,
- All seas became one big sea.
- The final lines describe the big child picking up the big laddoo and throwing it into the big sea — creating a big *splish-splash*.
- The rhyme enhances memory and listening.

### 2. **New Words Introduced**
- **Sea** – large body of salt water.
- **Splish-splash** – sound made when something splashes in water.

---

### 3. **Let Us Think (Comprehension and Imagination)**

Students are asked to:
- Recall if they’ve seen or eaten a big laddoo.
- Discuss foods that are large or round.
- Name edible and non-edible round things.
- Imagine what happened to the big laddoo after being thrown into the sea.

---

### 4. **Let Us Speak (Storytelling Through Dialogue)**

- A story about Jithu gifting Meena a box of sweets.
- Meena, who cannot see well, picks out the laddoo by touch.
- Prompts children to guess how Meena identified the laddoo.

---

### 5. **Let Us Learn (Descriptive Language Practice)**

- Children write descriptive words about laddoos (e.g., round, sweet, soft, yellow).
- Builds vocabulary and sensory understanding.

---

### 6. **Let Us Write (Sentence Formation and Matching)**

#### A. Sentence Making:
Using words like:
- play
- plum
- cloud
- clock
- blue
- blanket

Students are encouraged to create simple sentences.

#### B. Matching Activity:
Match male and female animals:
- cock → hen
- lion → lioness
- peacock → peahen
- mare → horse
- bull → cow
- drake → duck

Blending sounds (cl, pl, bl) are introduced.

---

### 7. **Let Us Explore (Float and Sink Experiment)**

Children drop different objects into water to test if they float or sink:
- Objects: paper, stone, leaf, pencil, eraser, feather, spoon
- Develops scientific observation and comparison (light vs heavy)

---

### 8. **Festival and Food Connection**

- Discusses **khichdi**, a dish cooked with rice and lentils, eaten during festivals.
- Introduces **Harvest Festival** (Sankranti, Pongal, Bihu, etc.)
- Kite flying and regional names of khichdi across India:
- Gujarat – Gujarati khichdi
- Tamil Nadu – Pongal
- Bihar – Bihari khichdi
- Rajasthan – Bajra khichdi
- West Bengal – Kichuri
- Karnataka – Bisi bele bhat
- Kashmir – Moong khetchir

Children are asked to write about their favourite festival foods.

---

## New Words and Simple Meanings

| Word | Meaning |
|--------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| laddoo | A round Indian sweet made from flour, sugar, and ghee |
| splish-splash| Sound made when something falls into water |
| khichdi | A dish made of rice and lentils, often eaten at festivals |
| festival | A special day of celebration |
| float | Stay on top of the water |
| sink | Go down in water |
| drake | A male duck |
| peahen | A female peacock |
| harvest | The time when crops are gathered |
| culture | Traditions, beliefs, and customs of a group |

---

## Practice Questions

### Easy (3)

1. What did the big child throw into the sea?
**Answer**: The big laddoo.
**Explanation**: The poem ends with the child throwing the laddoo into the sea.

2. What is a laddoo?
**Answer**: A round sweet eaten in India.
**Explanation**: A common sweet made during festivals.

3. What is khichdi made of?
**Answer**: Rice and lentils.
**Explanation**: A simple dish made during festivals.

### Medium (2)

4. Name two things that float and two that sink from the activity.
**Answer**: Float – feather, leaf; Sink – spoon, stone
**Explanation**: Lighter objects float, heavier ones sink.

5. What is the name of khichdi in Tamil Nadu?
**Answer**: Pongal
**Explanation**: Each region has its own name for khichdi.

### Difficult (3)

6. What is the Harvest Festival also called in Assam?
**Answer**: Bihu
**Explanation**: Bihu is celebrated in Assam during harvest time.

7. Why do we celebrate festivals?
**Answer**: To stay together and be happy.
**Explanation**: Festivals bring joy and connect us with culture and nature.

8. How could Meena identify the laddoo without seeing?
**Answer**: By touching and feeling its round shape.
**Explanation**: She used her sense of touch to recognize it.

### Very Difficult (2)

9. Imagine and write what happened to the laddoo after it fell into the sea.
**Answer**: It may have dissolved or floated.
**Explanation**: Open-ended creative response.

10. Why do you think kites are flown during the Harvest Festival?
**Answer**: To celebrate joy and freedom in the sky.
**Explanation**: Kite flying is a traditional part of celebrations.

---