Class 8 : - Unit 3 - Prose - Sir Issac Newton - The Ingenious Scientist

Unit 3  -   Prose  -   Sir Issac Newton - The Ingenious Scientist 

LESSON PLAN for this lesson is given at the end of the answers.

Warm up

identify the great thinkers of the world and write their names from the box.

1.      

Aristotle –  (ancient Greek philosopher)

2.      

Swami Vivekananda –  (Indian spiritual leader)

3.    

   Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam – (Indian scientist and former President)

4.    

   Buddha – (founder of Buddhism)

5.    

   Plato – Fifth image (ancient Greek philosopher, student of Socrates)

6.       

Albert Einstein –  (theoretical physicist, known for theory of relativity)

7.      

C. V. Raman – (Indian physicist, known for Raman effect)

 

Section -I

A. Fill in the blanks

1. Isaac Newton was born at Woolsthorpe.
2. Grandmother was advised to apprentice Newton to a clockmaker.
3. Isaac made a clock, by the dropping of water.
4. The sun-dial made by Isaac is still in existence at Woolsthorpe.
5. Isaac constructed a model of the windmill .                                                                            
6.   B. Choose the correct synonyms for the italicized words
7. 1. Isaac was chiefly remarkable for his ingenuity.
      ✅ b. notable
   2. He will make a capital workman.
      ✅ b. excellent
   3. Nobody could tell what the sunlight was composed of.
      ✅ a. made
   4. He cared little for earthly fame and honors.
      ✅ d. popularity

   
   

   Section -II   A. Choose the correct antonym for the italicized word

   1. His Grandmother was very kind to him.
      ✅ d. cruel
   2. The boy seemed to have a taste for mathematics.
      ✅ c. distaste
   3. Isaac possessed a wonderful faculty of acquiring knowledge.
      ✅ c. lacks
   4. He was observed to be usually busy with his tools.
      ✅ b. rarely

    

   B. Answer the following questions in one or two

   1. Who was taking care of Newton after his father's death?
      → His grandmother took care of him after his father’s death.
   2. What did Isaac manufacture at his young age?
      → He manufactured a water-clock, a sun-dial, and a model of a windmill.
   3. How did the young boy find the strength of the wind?
      → He jumped against the wind and calculated its strength by the length of his jump.
   4. Why were his friends attracted by the windmill?
      → They were enchanted by how pretty and wonderful it was, and they had never seen anything like it before.
   5. How was Newton honoured by the king?
      → He received the honor of knighthood from the king.

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   C. Answer the following in about 100 words

   1. Why did Newton's friends advise his grandmother to apprentice him to a clockmaker?

   Newton showed great interest and skill in mechanical work from a young age. He created many useful and intricate items using self-made tools. His talents included a deep understanding of how things work, especially mechanical objects. His friends noticed his aptitude for mathematics and mechanical inventions, both of which are important for clockmaking. Therefore, they advised his grandmother to apprentice him to a clockmaker, believing he could have a successful career making complex clocks with dancing figures and moving ships, using his extraordinary mechanical skills and creative mind.

   ---

   2. How did Newton learn about the way a windmill operated?

   Newton was curious and observant. Near his grandmother’s house, there was a windmill that operated on a new plan. He frequently visited the mill and spent hours examining it. He closely observed how its sails moved with the wind and how the millstones worked to grind grain. He even studied the machinery inside the mill. After understanding its mechanism, he used his tools to build a small working model of the windmill, complete with linen sails and a hopper that could grind wheat into flour—demonstrating his deep learning through observation and experimentation.

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   3. Mention some of Newton's inventions.

   As a young boy, Newton invented several creative items. He made a water-clock that used dropping water to tell time and a sun-dial which could be used to know the time during sunlight. He also built a working model of a windmill that could grind wheat into flour. As he grew older, he made much greater contributions to science, such as discovering the nature of light, formulating the laws of motion, and explaining the force of gravitation. These discoveries helped explain how the planets move and revealed the secrets of the universe.                                                                                                                                                B. Prefix and Suffix Completion

   Use from: able, ful, ly, sub, ion, un, tri, re, im, mis

   1. recall
   2. comfortable
   3. subcategory
   4. misunderstand
   5. improper
   6. successful
   7. equal → equality
   8. colourful
   9. reconstruct
   10. newly

    

   Syllabification

   Break the following words into syllables:

   1. education → ed-u-ca-tion
   2. school → school
   3. college → col-lege
   4. english → Eng-lish
   5. opportunity → op-por-tu-ni-ty
   6. friend → friend
   7. teacher → teach-er
   8. simultaneously → si-mul-ta-ne-ous-ly
   9. laboratory → lab-o-ra-to-ry
   10. beneficiary → ben-e-fi-ci-ar-y

    

   Listening Comprehension

   Fleming’s Thought at Breakfast

   1. Name the scientist: Sir Alexander Fleming
   2. What did he discover? Penicillin
   3. Who approached the scientist? Two journalists
   4. What question did the journalist ask? “What are you thinking about right now?”
   5. When did they meet the scientist? Just as he was about to have breakfast

    

   Character Sketch (H)

   Character Sketch: Harry Potter

   Harry Potter, the main character in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, is a brave, loyal, and curious young boy who grows into a powerful wizard. He is introduced as an orphan living with his unkind aunt and uncle. Throughout the story, Harry shows courage, especially in facing dangerous enemies like Voldemort. His friends Ron and Hermione admire his honesty and loyalty. Teachers at Hogwarts respect his determination. What makes Harry admirable is that despite his fame and power, he stays humble and values friendship above all. I find his character inspiring because he stands up for what is right, even when it is difficult.

    

   Prepositions (a)

   1. We go to school on Mondays, but not on Sunday.
   2. Christmas falls on 25th December.
   3. My friend gave me a gift on my birthday.
   4. I am more active at night.
   5. Her shift gets over at 7 p.m.

    

   Polite Requests (I)

   a) Fill in the blanks:

   1. Would you please close the door?
   2. Could you put out the lights?
   3. Would you mind going to the back bench?
   4. Could you please bring some water for me?

   b) Polite request phrases for different situations:

1. Ask the policeman for directions:
   → Could you please tell me how to get to the bus stop?
2. Borrow your friend’s bike:
   → Would you mind if I borrowed your bike for a while?
3. Exchange the book purchased:
   → Could you help me exchange this book, please?
4. Open your classroom window:
   → Would you mind 

   

             LESSON PLAN 

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Lesson Plan: Unit 3 - Sir Isaac Newton - The Ingenious Scientist

1. Learning Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify key biographical details about Sir Isaac Newton’s early life, including his birthdate and place.
• Recognize Newton's early mechanical ingenuity and his ability to invent curious articles with his tools.
• Understand his methods for acquiring knowledge through simple means, such as calculating wind strength by jumping against it.
• Learn about his significant scientific discoveries, including the nature of light and the force of gravitation.
• Appreciate Newton’s humility and his vast contributions to human knowledge.

2. Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Discuss the importance of curiosity and perseverance, as exemplified by Newton’s approach to learning and discovery.
• Connect Newton's scientific contributions (e.g., gravity, light) to their real-world impact and understanding of the universe.
• Reflect on the value of knowledge and the continuous process of discovery, drawing inspiration from Newton's perspective on truth.
• Analyze and interpret text to understand an author's purpose and ideas regarding a historical figure.

3. Introduction: To introduce the lesson, the teacher can engage students with questions such as:

• "In pairs, identify the great thinkers of the world and write their names from the box." (The provided box includes names like Buddha, C.V. Raman, Plato, Einstein, Vivekananda, Aristotle, A. P. J Abdul Kalam, Socrates).
• "What makes someone a 'great thinker' or 'ingenious'?"
• "What significant scientific discoveries are you familiar with, and who made them?"

4. Reading and Understanding: Students will read the excerpts from "Sir Isaac Newton - The Ingenious Scientist". As they read, they will focus on understanding the text and learning new vocabulary. The teacher will guide them to use the provided glossary for new words.

• Key vocabulary from the text for discussion: ingenuity, contrived, apprentice, acquiring, pried, hopper, enchanted, miniature, curiosity, accustomed, gazing, ceased.

5. Mind Map: A mind map for this lesson could visually represent key aspects of Newton's life and work:

6. Consolidation and Presentation: The teacher will summarize the lesson, highlighting that Sir Isaac Newton was an extraordinary scientist born in 1642. From a young age, he showed remarkable mechanical skill, creating a unique water-clock, a sun-dial, and a working model of a windmill. He used simple, practical methods to understand the world, such as determining wind strength by jumping. His later life was dedicated to profound scientific inquiry, leading to his discoveries about the nature of light and the law of gravitation, which explains how heavenly bodies move. Despite his immense fame and recognition, Newton remained incredibly humble, viewing his vast knowledge as merely a few shells picked up from a boundless ocean of truth.

7. Reinforcement:

• Emphasize Newton's curiosity and observational skills from a young age (e.g., how he studied the windmill's internal machinery and the process of grinding grain).
• Discuss the significance of the "apple story" as a catalyst for his discovery of gravitation, showing how everyday observations can lead to profound insights.
• Reinforce his humility through his famous quote: "I seem to myself like a child... playing on the sea-shore, and picking up here and there a curious shell or a pretty pebble, while the boundless ocean of Truth lies undiscovered before me". This illustrates that true knowledge acknowledges the vastness of what is still unknown.
• Mention that his biography was published by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a notable American novelist.

8. Evaluation:

• a) Lower Order Thinking Question: "When and where was Isaac Newton born?"
• b) Middle Order Thinking Question: "Describe one of Isaac Newton's early inventions and explain how it worked."
• c) Higher Order Thinking Question: "Newton observed, 'I seem to myself like a child... playing on the sea-shore... while the boundless ocean of Truth lies undiscovered before me.' What does this quote tell you about Newton's character and his understanding of knowledge?"

9. Remedial Teaching: For slow learners, the teacher can employ several strategies:

• Visual Aids: Use diagrams or drawings of Newton's inventions (like the water-clock or windmill) to help conceptual understanding.
• Simplified Language: Rephrase complex sentences or concepts into simpler terms.
• Repetition and Review: Go over key facts and vocabulary multiple times, perhaps using flashcards.
• Paired Reading: Encourage stronger readers to read with and support slower learners.
• Focus on Key Concepts: Prioritize understanding of core ideas like his mechanical skill and the concept of gravity, rather than memorizing all details.
• Interactive Games: Utilize the "ICT CORNER GRAMMAR – NOUN" or "ICT CORNER GRAMMAR – DEGREES OF COMPARISON" sections for engaging practice with grammar points relevant to sentence structure and description.

10. Writing: Students can be asked to write a character sketch of Sir Isaac Newton based on the information in the text. They should include:

• An introduction to the person.
• Highlights of his character as revealed in the story (e.g., ingenious, curious, humble, persistent).
• What the text implies others thought of him (e.g., neighbors' admiration).
• Whether the character appealed to them and why, supporting their views with evidence from the text.

11. Follow Up:

• Homework/Assignment: "Mention some of Newton's inventions".
• Activity: Encourage students to explore the "ICT CORNER GRAMMAR – DEGREES OF COMPARISON" by accessing the provided website or QR code to learn and practice different forms of adjectives. This will help them describe people and things more effectively, including figures like Newton.
• Research Task: Ask students to research another "ingenious scientist" from the list given in the warm-up (e.g., Einstein, Plato, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam) and identify their key contributions.