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New NCERT textbook · Class 7 English

Poorvi, period by period — fitted to your timetable.

Tell Meyy your periods and their length; it plans every chapter of Poorvi to fit, and you tick off sections as you teach.

Chapter 6 · Period 1 of 10 · 40 min

Opening the Play: Guests, Manners and Mary

Reading For Comprehension · comprehension-discussion

Mrs. Shaw's coaching of Mary in Scene I establishes the comedy's engine — every rule she states will be broken in Scene II. Watch for students who conflate 'polite' with 'silent'; the play insists conversation must flow, not simply be inoffensive. A task left for self-study: the group discussion on handling rude classmates (p.70) — students may attempt it independently.

0–8Teacher introduces the play's title and genre (humorous dialogue) and invites students to name one rule of polite conversation they know. A quick paired exchange on the phrase 'Athithi Devo Bhava' and why guests deserve courtesy opens the discussion.
8–20Teacher reads Scene I aloud while students follow in their textbooks (p.70–74), pausing to mark stage directions and character names. Students track how Mrs. Shaw coaches Mary as the reading proceeds.
20–32Class works on 'Let us read' — choosing which of the five listed behaviours display politeness toward guests (p.70). Pairs discuss each option aloud before the class reaches a shared verdict.
32–40Teacher draws out observations: which choices were obvious, which needed reasoning, and why criticising a guest's habits is on the list. Students note one insight in their exercise books.
Assessment

Learning outcome. Student interprets character motivation, dramatic irony, and the consequences of social misjudgement using dialogue as the vehicle.

In Scene I of 'Say the Right Thing', Mrs. Shaw gives Mary a very specific instruction about what to say when guests prepare to leave. Which of the following best explains why Mrs. Shaw feels this instruction is necessary?

  • A She believes Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Lee are likely to leave very early without warning.
  • B She hopes Mary will take over as hostess so that she can attend to other household tasks.
  • C She knows Mary tends to respond impulsively and may say something that embarrasses the family.
  • D She wants Mary to practise formal English phrases used in polite society.

C. She knows Mary tends to respond impulsively and may say something that embarrasses the family.

What each wrong option reveals

  • A Suggests students read the instruction as a practical social tip rather than a pre-emptive correction of Mary's impulsiveness.
  • B Introduces a motivation not supported by anything Mrs. Shaw says or does in Scene I.
  • D Students who choose this focus on the phrasing itself rather than on Mrs. Shaw's knowledge of Mary's character.
Chapter 6 · 10 periods of 40 min

Also saved as 6 periods or 8 periods.

  • 2Scene I Close-Up: What Mrs. Shaw Really Means
    Reading For Comprehension
  • 3Scene II: Every Blunder in Order
    Reading For Comprehension
  • 4Thinking Deeper: Extracts, Silence and Character
    Reading For Comprehension
  • 5Listening for Manners: A Mother–Son Conversation
    Listening
  • 6Stress, Pitch and Meaning: Sounding Like Mary
    Speaking
  • 7From Play to Story: Retelling Mary's Catastrophe
    Writing
  • 8Word-Building with Suffixes: Roots, Rules and Tenses
    Vocabulary Grammar
  • 9Tenses in Action and Stepping Beyond the Play
    Vocabulary Grammar + Beyond Text
  • 10Synthesis: What Mary Taught Us About Conversation
    Synthesis
Poorvi · Class 7 · 15 chapters

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