A Prayer for Healing PDF

A Prayer for Healing Notes 19 A PRAYER FOR HEALING From ancient times, people across the world, belonging to different cultures and different rel...

A Prayer for Healing Notes 19 A PRAYER FOR HEALING From ancient times, people across the world, belonging to different cultures and different religions, have prayed to various objects of nature – the sun, moon, stars, earth, wind, water bodies, plants, and animals. This is because man has recognised their importance from the very beginning. The earth is our home, our only home. But have we been good to it? Do we think of protecting it? Do we think of taking care of it? ‘A Prayer for Healing’ is a poem about the earth and about us. It is an appeal to all the people around the globe to make a collective effort to heal the earth. Let us read it. OBJECTIVES After completing this lesson you will be able to: recognise the importance of planet earth and related environmental issues; spread awareness about environmental issues by writing letters, slogans, and through discussions; read and enjoy a poem; explain the central idea in the poem; justify the choice of words in the poem; identify the refrain in a poem/song; write a letter to the editor of a newspaper, and enhance your vocabulary. English Secondary Course 59  A Prayer for Healing Notes 19.1 LET US READ THE TEXT A PRAYER FOR HEALING We join with the earth and with each other To bring new life to the land To restore the waters To refresh the air We join with the earth and with each other To renew the forests To care for the plants To protect the creatures restore: to bring back (something) to its original or former condition refresh: to make fresh and pure again renew the forests: to make the forests grow back (as if new) celebrate: to show that we value and appreciate something We join with the earth and with each other rejoice: to express To celebrate the seas happiness To rejoice the sunlight recreate: to make it better To sing the song of the stars community: group of people living in a We join with the earth and with each other particular area or place promote: to help to To recreate the human community develop To promote justice and peace diverse: different To remember our children mystery: something not understood healing: making whole We join with the earth and with each other and healthy again We join together as many and diverse expressions renewal: making new Of one loving mystery, for the healing of earth and the renewal of all life. again 60 English Secondary Course A Prayer for Healing 19.2 LET US UNDERSTAND THE TEXT Notes 19.2.1 PART 1 (Stanzas 1, 2 and 3) We join with the earth and with each other................. To sing the song of the stars. We all need air, water and food to live. The earth and its atmosphere give us all these. If we want fresh air and water in the future, we must take care of our land, the air around us and the water sources, by not polluting them and by preventing people who try to do so. Earth is our home and also the home of many plants, trees, animals, birds and insects. When trees are cut down and water bodies are polluted, many creatures lose their homes. Some species from the animal and plant world are already extinct and some are in danger of becoming extinct. We must protect them and take care of them. Forests, the green cover of the earth, must be looked after too. Can you imagine the night sky without stars? Do you like looking at the shimmering waters of the oceans and seas? On a cold, winter day, have you ever wished for the sun to come out and warm you? We feel happy because we get to enjoy these wonderful gifts of nature. They are not only beautiful but they also sustain (preserve, protect and support) life. INTEXT QUESTIONS 19.1 1. Tick the correct option. ‘We join with the earth and with each other’ means that …………………………. a. we are related to each other. b. we agree to work together. c. we should hold each other’s hands. d. we live on the earth. 2. What do the words/phrases ‘to bring to new life’, ‘to restore’, ‘to refresh’ and ‘to renew’ suggest? 3. What ‘creatures’ are being referred to in this unit? Tick the correct option. a. ghosts and spirits b. all types of animals, birds and insects c. human beings who are dependent upon others 4. The words ‘celebrate’and ‘rejoice’ are expressions of joy. We celebrate the birth of a child because we are happy. We rejoice in the fact that free and compulsory education is the right of every child now. But why have these words been used in the context of the sea, sunlight and stars? English Secondary Course 61  A Prayer for Healing Notes LET US LISTEN 19.1 We have only one earth, so we must do our bit to protect it and keep it clean. Environmental slogans help to create awareness about environmental issues. Form a buddy group. One by one, read aloud the slogans given below. Air is nothing Let’s go green When you refuse but life, if to get our to reuse, it’s our polluted how globe clean earth you abuse can we survive? Earth Day Heal the world! Earth isn’t Every Day Make it a better disposable place When the earth Give earth a dies, where will Save forests. chance you live? Save wildlife Living beings are Reuse the past, To sit in the equal, protect recycle the shade, you have wildlife to present, save to save paper preserve equality the future first Crackers are of Better earth, Say NO to no use, they are better life, crackers just environment better abuse tomorrow... Save Your Your Planet Planet, Save Needs You— Yourself Unite to Combat Climate Change Now make at least two slogans on your own. 62 English Secondary Course A Prayer for Healing Notes LET US DO 19.1 Take a shopping bag made of cloth or jute. Using fabric colours, write the slogan you liked best in bold letters on the bag. If anyone asks you about it, explain to him/her the importance of the slogan. LET US TALK 19.1 In your ‘buddy group’, read aloud A Prayer for Healing. Ask your friends to come up with ideas to preserve the environment (for example, plants, animals, forests, water, air and others) Write them down in your notebook. Which ones do you already follow in your day-to-day life? Which two would you like to follow? If you and your friends have difficulty in coming up with ideas, re-read the slogans given in the section Let Us Listen to help to think of ideas. ? DO YOU KNOW Almost 24 trees are cut down to produce 1 ton of newspaper. Recycling 1 ton of paper saves about 17 mature trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, and 2 barrels of oil. Recycling one aluminum can save enough energy to run a 100-watt bulb for 20 hours, a computer for 3 hours, or a TV for 2 hours. Plastic takes up to 500 years to decompose. Glass is 100% recyclable and can be used innumerable times. LET US DO 19.2 A. i. Find a poem or song that is related to the environment in any language. and/or Compose a short poem (of at least eight lines) related to the environment. English Secondary Course 63  A Prayer for Healing ii. Share it with your buddy group. Notes B. Different festivals are celebrated for different reasons. Do you know of any festival in which the sun, stars, water bodies, animals or plants are worshipped (especially in the area/state in which you live)? Talk to your elders and neighbours to find out. On a sheet of paper, write down the name of the festival, the reason it is celebrated and how it is celebrated. Also find out if there is a folk tale associated with it and narrate it your family or friends. 19.2.2 PART 2 (Stanzas 4 and 5) We join with the earth and with each other..................and the renewal of all life. The first three stanzas talk about caring for the land, air, water, plants, animals and other natural objects. In this unit, the focus is on the human world. The poet suggests that we should work together to make the human world a better place to live in. We should try to leave the earth in a good condition for the future generations. Don’t you think so too? All human beings differ from each other in some way, but we share the same home – the earth, and must work collectively to protect and preserve it. INTEXT QUESTIONS 19.2 1. What do you think the poet means by ‘recreate the human community’? 2. Tick þ the correct option. ‘To remember our children’ means that…………………………. a. children will be adults in future. b. parents love their children. c. we should leave behind for our children a better world. d. naughty children can destroy peace. 3. What two things does the poet want us to promote? (Answer in 30 words.) 4. What does the poet mean by the phrase ‘many and diverse expressions of one loving mystery?’ 64 English Secondary Course A Prayer for Healing ? DO YOU KNOW Notes To spread awareness about issues related to the earth and its environment, various initiatives have been taken up worldwide. Some important days that are celebrated internationally are: EARTH DAY – 22 APRIL Earth Day is celebrated to make people appreciate the earth’s natural environment and raise awareness about its condition. It was first held on April 22, 1970. It is now celebrated in more than 175 countries every year. WORLD WATER DAY – 22 MARCH Water is a basic requirement for all forms of life. It’s very important to utilise and manage this resource in a sustainable manner. In order to create awareness about it, in 1993, March 22 was declared as World Day for Water. WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY–- 5 JUNE World Environment Day (WED) was first observed in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on Human Environment. It is commemorated every year on June 5 to stimulate awareness of the environment and to encourage political attention and action. EARTH HOUR – Last Saturday of March Earth Hour is a global event organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It is held every year on the last Saturday of March. It asks households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour, to raise awareness of the need to take action on climate change. Earth Hour was jointly initiated by the WWF and the Sydney Morning Herald in 2007, when 2.2 million residents of Sydney (Australia) participated by turning off all non-essential lights. English Secondary Course 65  A Prayer for Healing 19.3 APPRECIATION Notes Refrain When a line is repeated several times in a poem, it is called a refrain. A lot of songs (which are often a form of poetry) contain a refrain. A refrain usually conveys the central idea of the song/poem. Read the song given below. WE SHALL OVERCOME We shall overcome, we shall overcome, We shall overcome some day Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe that we shall overcome some day We shall all be free, we shall all be free, We shall all be free some day Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe that we shall overcome some day We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace, We shall live in peace some day Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe that we shall overcome some day The refrain in this song is: I do believe that we shall overcome some day Exercise a) Read aloud A Prayer for Healing. b) Identify the refrain. LET US DO 19.3 Given below are the names of some organisations working for the protection of the environment: INTERNATIONAL Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Friends of the Earth 66 English Secondary Course A Prayer for Healing Green Cross International Greenpeace Notes International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) NATIONAL Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India Forest Survey of India (FSI) Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Forest Research Institute (FRI) The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPI) Task: Find out about the objectives and activities of any two of the organisations mentioned above. LET US LEARN NEW WORDS 19.1 In this lesson you have learnt about the importance of protecting and preserving the environment. Given below are the meanings of some words/terms that are often used in this context: pollution: the release of harmful and/or poisonous substances in the environment deforestation: clearing of forests by cutting of trees conservation: protection of a resource from harm, destruction, wastage and overuse biodegradable material: material that can be decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms. Examples: vegetable peels, paper, cloth. non-biodegradable material: materials that do not biodegrade or do not biodegrade easily. Examples: a) Glass bottles – take a million years to biodegrade b) Aluminium cans – take 80-100 years to biodegrade c) Styrofoam glasses – take 500 years - forever to biodegrade Now that you have understood the meanings of these words, select the appropriate word from the box and fill in the blanks to complete the sentences given below. biodegradable, conservation, pollution, non-biodegradable, deforestation 1) __________waste should be put in green dustbins and __________waste in blue dustbins. English Secondary Course 67  A Prayer for Healing 2) Almost seventy per cent of the earth’s land animals and plants live in forests, and many Notes cannot survive the ________ that destroys their homes. 3) Different activities of man have caused different kinds of air and water __________. 4) People all over the world need to work for the ______________ of natural resources. LET US DO 19.4 After reading A Prayer for Healing, you have developed awareness about the need for environmental protection. Now look at the advertisement given below. (published in the Hindustan Times on 25 March 2011) a. Who has issued this advertisement? b. What does the advertisement ask the people to do? c. Show this advertisement to your buddy group. Discuss Earth Hour in the group. Tell your buddies (friends) to talk about the advertisement to at least 5 people. d. Cut more such advertisements that are issued to create awareness about environmental protection and paste them in a scrap book. 19.4 LET US WRITE Formal Letter to the Editor of a Newspaper It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword. By writing a letter to the editor of a 68 English Secondary Course A Prayer for Healing newspaper, you can share your views about important issues with a large audience. A well-written and timely letter can create awareness about environmental protection, and Notes influence readers and even government policy. Tips on Writing a Letter to the Editor A letter to the editor of a newspaper may be a response to an article in the newspaper, or it may be written to express your views and thoughts on important issues. When responding to an article in the paper, begin your letter by mentioning the heading and date of the original article, along with the name of the correspondent (journalist, writer). Always keep your letter to the editor brief, to-the-point and interesting. Support your letter with accurate facts and statistics. Open your letter with a strong statement. Close the letter with possible solutions/thoughts for the readers to remember. Exercise Write a letter to the Editor of a news paper discussing any two environmental issues that concern you the most. Outline the consequences of what might happen if no action is taken. Also give probable solutions to the problems. Use the format given below. Format of a Formal Letter Sender’s address: _____________ _____________ Date: ________ The Editor The ________________ _________________ New Delhi-110001 Respected Sir/Madam, Subject: ________________________________________ Body of the letter Yours sincerely/Yours truly _________ your name English Secondary Course 69  A Prayer for Healing Notes WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT For our health and happiness, we need a healthy environment — everything that surrounds us including the air, water, land, plants, animals and man-made things. A Prayer for Healing creates awareness about the need for environmental protection. There is an urgent need to make global and united efforts to control and stop environmental damage. We should live respectfully on earth; we have no other home; earth is our only home. TERMINAL QUESTIONS 1. What is the main idea of the poem A Prayer for Healing? 2. Can you think of another title for this poem? 3. Earth is our home. It is the home of many other creatures too. Imagine that you are a bird living in a nest on a tree. Suddenly you find that the tree has been cut. How would you feel and what would you do? (Answer in about 50-75 words.) 4. Which aspect of your natural environment (water bodies, trees, mountains, birds, animals, etc.) appeals to you the most? Why? Suggest two ways in which you would take care of it. 5. This poem is an appeal for the healing of the earth. Do you think the earth needs healing (making healthy again)? Why/Why not? 6. Which stanza/s of the poem do you like the most? Why? 7. How can you contribute towards healing the earth? Read the following suggestions and tick the ones that you already follow or want to follow in the future. a. Spreading awareness about environmental issues b. Joining an NGO/organisation working in the field of environmental protection c. Adopting environment-friendly measures in day-to-day life d. Stopping people who are polluting the environment e. Following some other ways ________________________________ ANSWERS 19.2.1 PART 1 INTEXT QUESTIONS 19.1 1. b. we agree to work together. 70 English Secondary Course A Prayer for Healing 2. They suggest that life, air, water and forests should be brought back to their old condition— when the air was pure, the water was clean and plentiful, and forests were Notes thick and full of trees, resources were not overused, animals and birds were safe in their natural habitat and not hunted by human beings. 3. b. all types of animals, birds and insects 4. The sea, the sun and the stars are wonderful gifts of nature. They are beautiful and sustain (protect, preserve and support) life. We feel happy to see them. The words ‘celebrate’, ‘rejoice’ and ‘sing’ are all used to express our happiness, and hence have been used in context of the sea, sun and stars. LET US TALK 19.1 Suggested responses: Turn off all lights that don’t need to be on. Buy energy-efficient bulbs and appliances. Try to use solar water heaters. Water the plants in the evening. Use recycled products, especially paper. (Use grey paper registers instead of white) Re-use envelopes, jars, paper bags, scrap paper, etc. Take a print-out only when absolutely necessary. Avoid using anything made of plastic foam. Join a car pool or use public transport to commute if travelling long distances. Enjoy sports and recreational activities that use your muscles rather than petrol and/or electricity. Try to compost kitchen and garden waste. Participate in events such as the Earth Hour. Volunteer to support the initiatives launched by the government and NGOs for environment protection. 19.2.2 PART 2 INTEXT QUESTIONS 19.2 1. It means that we should try and create a community where people live in harmony with each other and with their surroundings, where justice is valued, where all living things – animals, birds, plants and human beings are respected and cared for. 2. c. we should leave behind for our children a better world. English Secondary Course 71  A Prayer for Healing 3. Justice and peace Notes 4. Individual responses. Suggested response: No two human beings on this planet are exactly the same. They are different from each other due to their looks, temperament, culture, beliefs or religion. Yet there are many things that all human beings have in common. We need to live in harmony with each other and with nature. 19.3 APPRECIATION Refrain: We join with the earth and with each other LET US LEARN NEW WORDS/PHRASES 19.1 1. Biodegradable, non-biodegradable 2. Deforestation 3. Pollution 4. Conservation LET US DO 19.4 a) Department of Environment & Forests, Government of NCT of Delhi b) The advertisement asks people to save power for one hour on a specific date and at a specific time. 19.4 LET US WRITE Individual responses. TERMINAL QUESTIONS 1. This poem is an appeal to everyone to work together to bring the earth back to its old healthy state, to protect it and leave it in a good condition for the future generations. 2. Individual responses Accept all responses 3. Individual responses Accept all responses 4. Individual responses Accept all responses 72 English Secondary Course A Prayer for Healing 5. Individual responses Suggested response Notes There is a need to heal the earth because over a period of time many harmful substances have been, and are being added to the environment. This has caused air, water and land pollution. Also, the earth’s resources are limited but the needs of human beings are many. As a result there is a shortage of resources. Therefore resources should be conserved, especially those resources which cannot be renewed. If the earth and its resources are safe then mankind will be safe, because mankind depends on the earth’s resources for all its needs. 6. Individual responses Accept all responses 7. Individual responses Accept all responses 8. Individual responses Accept all responses English Secondary Course 73