IVAN’S STORY

Learning outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
● express the effectiveness of first-person narration.
● analyse the point of view of the narrator.
● note the ‘cruelty’ in the context.
● discuss the issue of cruelty to animals.
● identify finite and non-finite verbs in sentences.
● identify homonyms.
● write paragraphs using linkers.

Pre-reading
● What can you make out about the story from the title?
● What would you say the story would be about when you know that Ivan is a gorilla?
● How much do you know about our cruelty to animals?

Understanding the Text
Play the text in parts, on the screen. / Ask students
to read the text in parts. / Read the text in parts.
Pause to check comprehension.
The Grunt
Ask students:
How do we know that Ivan loved his birthplace?
(He says it was so beautiful that no artist would
be able to reproduce its beauty in his painting.)
According to the narrator, how are gorillas different
from people about naming babies? (While people
name their babies as soon as they are born or,
sometimes, even before they are born, gorillas name
their babies much later.) Why do gorillas take time
to name their babies? (They wait and watch until
they can decide on a name that describes the child.)
Give an example of how gorillas name their babies.
(Ivan’s twin sister loved to chase him around the forest
and so they called her Tag, as if she were playing tag
with him.) How do we know Ivan loved to play Tag
with his sister? (He has warm memories of chasing
her and of her jumping on to their father when he
got too close. They never tired of playing the game
though their father asked them to pipe down when
they bounced on his tummy.) Why does he say that
their father might have disagreed? (Their father may
have got tired of all the jumping that kept going on.)
What do you think may happen now? (Let students
predict, as this will help develop prediction skills.)
Discuss
What does this paragraph convey? (Every
creature loves to live its life the natural way. Family
togetherness and security means a lot to a child.)
Mud
Ask students:
Why did the parents name Ivan as Mud? (Ivan loved
to draw pictures with the sap from leaves or juice
from fruit. But, most often, he drew with mud.) Why
did he love his name? (He loved his name because it
gave him an identity as an artist.)

15

Gulmohar_TRP 05_English_Book Format.indb 15 20-Dec-19 10:33:40 AM

 Discuss:
Was Mud any different from a human child?
Protector
Ask students:
How does Ivan describe his babyhood? (He says he
was happy doing the right things, searching for food
and eating, then napping or playing.) How was his
father a good head of the family? (He was a good
protector and provider. He kept them from quarreling
and found them the best fruits to eat and the best
branches to sleep on.)
The Perfect Life
Discuss:
Why do you think this part is called the perfect
life? (Everything was what one would expect it to
be—a loving family, a great home and a secure
community to be in)
Ask students:
How are gorilla babies different from elephant
babies or human babies? (Gorilla babies ride on their and Helen? Why would Ivan’s parents not approve
mother’s back most of the time.) List all that the baby of the way Mack and Helen were bringing him up?
learns as he grows. (. He learns: 1. to build a nest by
weaving the branches tightly so that they may not
fall apart; 2. to thump his chest loudly by cupping the survive in the forests.)
palms of his hands while thumping; 3. to move from
tree to tree without letting go, 4. to be kind, strong and
loyal to the family) Why does Ivan say this phase
of his life was perfect? (Because he lived with his
family in his natural habitat, the rainforest) What
is the significance of the phrase ‘for a while’? (an
indication that this phase was not going to last long)
Vine
Ask students:
When did the perfect phase end? (When human
beings trapped him and his sister, Tag, and carried
them away in a cramped crate.) How did Ivan
manage to be well while his sister became sick in
confinement? (Ivan somehow felt he had to forget
his old way of life to survive but Tag missed home and
became very ill.)
16
Gulmohar_TRP 05_English_Book Format.indb 16
Discuss:
Do you think animals should be caged? Why is it
important to let animals be where they are the
happiest?
This is a narration from the gorilla’s point of view.
Why has the author used this style of writing?
(to express the feelings of the gorilla; this makes us
aware of the pain and suffering of the gorilla in a
more intense manner).
The Temporary Human
Ask students:
What was Ivan’s first experience of living with
humans? (He lived in Mack’s house as a human
baby, drinking milk from a bottle and sleeping on
beds and sitting on chairs like a human baby but he
could not understand human language. It sounded
like the buzzing of bees.) Why does he stress on the
word, ‘human’? (Because everything he was doing
was different from the things he used to do as a
gorilla and he realised that he was now doing what
humans do.) How do we know Ivan was naughty?
What were some other things he did with Mack
(They would think that was not the way to bring up a
baby gorilla because that would not prepare him to
Hunger
Ask students:
How do we know that even Ivan longed for his wild
way of life? (Ivan missed his family and his wild way
of life in the forests. He tried not to be depressed like
his twin sister for he did not want to become ill. He
knew he was well taken care of and yet he could not
help missing the companionship with his own kind.)
Why did he teach himself to accept his human way
of life? (He realised that was the only way he could
survive and so he tried to forget his animal way of
life and tried to adjust to his new way of living with
human beings.)
Discuss:
Why is this section called Hunger?
20-Dec-19 10:33:40 AM
 Ivan hungered for the warmth of his natural home
and fellow creatures. Although he was well fed and
taken of by humans, he was hungry for the love
and warmth of his natural home and family.
Appreciating the Text
It is significant that the first-person narrator in the
story is a baby gorilla, Mud, also known as Ivan.
The story is from his point of view as a child.
He presents two settings: His life in the rainforests
of Central Africa with his family of gorillas and
his life with his adopted human family, Mack and
Helen.
The situation in the two settings is similar in the
way the two sets of parents care for his physical
needs as they think best. But his personal response
to the two situations is contrasted. He is happy
in the company of his troop for he has a sense of
belonging with the other gorillas and he has an
identity as an artist. His very name, Mud, defines
his artistic tendency to paint with mud as well as
with the juice of leaves and fruits. Although his new
life is exciting, he does not find the comfort and
security he longs for, as in the home of his human
caretakers because it is a strange and unnatural
environment where his identity as a gorilla is
threatened; he is made to live like a human baby.
He is presented as an innocent baby animal who
is not aware of the great injustice done to him by
humans who steal him from his parents. He does
not know he could be angry with them. And so his
expressions of loneliness and sadness are doubly
poignant when he says, ‘… at night, lying alone
in my pyjamas, I longed for the cheerful grunts of a
play fight and the easy safety of my nearby troop.
Remember what happened to Tag, I told myself. Don’t
think about the jungle. Still, sometimes I lay awake,
wishing for the warmth of another just like me.’
He is helpless because he does not know how to
fight for his rights or to find his way back to his troop.
Ivan’s plight is unfair and is a measure of
Man’s inhuman exploitation of animals for his
entertainment and earning. Fortunately now, there
are activists who fight to protect animals and their
environment.

Post-reading
Activity
● Organise an ANIMAL-CARE DAY.
● Make posters on animal care and hang them in class.
● Share stories about abused animals, both tame and wild.
● Discuss the issue: How can we help prevent cruelty to animals?
● Say what you or anyone you know has done to help animals.

Grammar and Usage finite and non finite verbs

Write the following sentences on the board:
1. She likes playing tennis.
2. She likes to play tennis.
Ask students: Can you identify the verbs in the sentences?
(They may underline the non finites too. Do not explain the difference yet.)
Ask students to change the subject from She to They.
1. They like playing tennis.
2. They like to play tennis.

17

Gulmohar_TRP 05_English_Book Format.indb 17 20-Dec-19 10:33:40 AM

 Ask students:
Can you identify the verbs that changed form in these sentences? (like)
Can you identify the verbs which did not change their forms? (play and playing)
Ask them to change the sentences to the past tense form.
1. They liked playing tennis.
2. They liked to play tennis.
Tell them that in both the sentences the verb like has changed to liked while playing and play remained
the same.
Tell students that:
● the verbs that changed form are called finite verbs and the ones that did not change form are
non-finite verbs.
● a finite verb has a subject and changes its form to show tense and number.
● a non-finite verb does not have a subject and does not change its form to show tense or
number. There are three types of non-finite verbs: Participles, Gerunds and Infinitives.
A participle is a form of a verb that is used to indicate present and past action. It can also be used
1. 
as an adjective. (Example: They are talking again. / That is a talking parrot.)

Present Participles
They are playing tennis.
She was playing tennis.

Past Participles
They had played tennis
She has played tennis.

Gerund
Ask the students about their favourite leisure activities / hobbies.
Write down a couple of these on the board. Make sure you change the infinitives (if students use them)
to gerunds, while writing the sentences on the board.
(I like listening to music. – Swimming is my favourite activity.)
Ask them to identify the verbs and the nouns in these sentences. If they point out listening or
swimming as verbs, ask them if the -ing form expresses present progressive.
Give them a couple of more sentences: Anita is my friend. / Ice cream is my favourite dessert.
Let students identify the nouns in the sentences.
Now ask them to revisit the earlier sentences. (Swimming is my favourite activity. – I like listening to
music. )

18

Gulmohar_TRP 05_English_Book Format.indb 18 20-Dec-19 10:33:40 AM

 Ask students:
The words listening and swimming do not function as verbs here, so what is their function?
(they function as nouns)
Refer to the input in the Reader and reinforce the concept.
Tell students:
A Gerund is a verb with an ing ending that acts as a noun in a sentence. It names activities rather than
things or people. A gerund can be the subject, complement or object of a sentence.

Infinitives
Explain that infinitives do not show the time (tense) of action or events. They are generally used
with ‘to’
Sunil likes to make sandcastles.
Sunil liked to make sandcastles.

Words in Use phrasal verbs with blow; homonyms

Follow the input given in the Reader.

Writing paragraph using linkers

Explain to the class that
● when we want to show the order of events of an incident, we use linking words like, first, then,
after, soon, and so on.
● this helps tell readers about the relationship between ideas / things.
● such words help combine short, simple sentences to make longer complex ones.
The given table shows some common linkers that are used.

Sequence First, after, then, finally…

Cause / effect because of, due to, as a result, therefore…
Opposition In spite of despite, but, although, even though, however…
contrast but, whereas, on the other hand…
Addition And, in addition to, moreover…

19

Gulmohar_TRP 05_English_Book Format.indb 19 20-Dec-19 10:33:40 AM

 WORKSHEET
IVAN’S STORY GRAMMAR

Name of Student: Class:

Complete the sentences with to infinitives.

1. She asked me the door.
2. She remembered a gift for her teacher.
3. The thief was forced the booty.
4. My friend volunteered his tiffin.
5. The principal wanted Tuesday a holiday.

IVAN’S STORY VOCABULARY

Make two sentences with each homonym, with each sentence bringing out the difference in
meaning.

match  bat  ring  lift

20

Gulmohar_TRP 05_English_Book Format.indb 20 20-Dec-19 10:33:40 AM

 WORKSHEET
IVAN’S STORY WRITING

Name of Student: Class:

Write a paragraph on any one of the following topics using the given linkers. You may add more.
My first trip on a sailboat / Making a vegetable sandwich / A visit to the museum

first  after  but  then  soon after  finally

21

Gulmohar_TRP 05_English_Book Format.indb 21 20-Dec-19 10:33:40 AM

 ANSWER KEY TO THE WORKSHEETS

IVAN’S STORY
Answer key to the grammar worksheet
Free response. Suggested answers:
1. to open / shut  2. to buy  3. to return  4. to share  5. to declare

Answer key to the vocabulary worksheet

Free response

QUESTION BANK WITH ANSWER KEY

IVAN’S STORY
1. Read the line and answer the questions.
She was nimble but when I got too close, she would leap on to my unsuspecting father.
a. Who is the narrator?
b. Who is ‘she’ in the above lines?
c. How did she spend time with the narrator?
d. Why was the father ‘unsuspecting’?
Answers:
a. The narrator is a baby gorilla named Mud and who was later known as Ivan.
b. ‘She’ refers to the narrator’s twin sister Tag.
c. She would play tag with her brother. They would then bounce together on their father’s belly until
he signalled them to stop.
d. He is ‘unsuspecting’ because he is caught unawares each time they jump on him.

2. Answer in brief.
a. How did Mud’s father help Mud and Tag?
Mud and Tag’s father, the silverback, was everything a father was meant to be. He would lead them
to the ripest fruit for their morning feast and the finest branches for their night nests. He was a
true guide, a teacher and a protector.
b. What are the skills young gorillas learn after separating from their mother?
After they go further and further away from the safety of their mother, they learn the skills which
an adult needs to learn. They learn to make nests out of branches, how to beat their chests, how to
move from tree to tree and how to be kind, strong and loyal.

22

Gulmohar_TRP 05_English_Book Format.indb 22 20-Dec-19 10:33:40 AM

 3. Answer in detail.
How did Mack and Helen take care of Mud?
Mack and Helen raised him like a human baby. Helen would be amused by Mud but at the same time
would get angry if he was mischievous. Mack and Helen drove him to a restaurant every weekend and
ordered something for him. They also took him to baseball games, grocery stores, movie theatres and
even to a circus. They made his life an exciting one.

4. Think and answer.

‘I longed for the cheerful grunts of a play fight and the easy safety of my nearby troop.’
How do you feel about Mud after reading his thoughts?
Though Mud, the gorilla, was very well taken care of, he missed his natural family. It is very difficult to
be away from one’s family, both for humans and animals. Mud would have missed his natural family
and habitat and longed to be with them.

STUDENTS’ BOOK ANSWER KEY

IVAN’S STORY

Understanding the Text

A. 1. c  2. c  3. a  4. b  5. b.
B. 1. a. The baby gorilla drew pictures on rocks and bark using mud. The parents observed this and
named him Mud.
b. The name meant everything to the baby gorilla as it gave him his identity in the troop.
2. a Here, ‘we’ refers to Mud and his sister.
b. They mostly have to search for food, eat, nap and play.
3. a. Mud says that gorilla babies are similar to elephant and human babies as they have large
families that take care of them.
b. The main difference, according to Mud is that gorilla babies got ride on their mothers’ backs all
day. That is maybe something that all gorilla babies enjoyed.
4. a. Mud compares human words to the buzz of angry bees because to him it sounded just like a
very loud meaningless noise. Also, when he constantly heard those sounds around him, he was
not just irritated, he was frightened too.
b. He uses the word ‘human’ so many times to show us that he is forced to live in a world that is
so different from his own. All around him, everything is related to humans and there is nothing
for gorillas there. He wants to highlight the difference between his life in the forest and his life
in the city.
5. a. Mud had been captured by humans, to be sold as a pet.
b. Mud would never be able to go back to the forest and would have to live in captivity amidst
humans. So he had to accept his new life.

23

Gulmohar_TRP 05_English_Book Format.indb 23 20-Dec-19 10:33:40 AM

 6. a. Mud was fascinated with the new experiences he had in his new life and found it all exciting.
b. His parents had spent their life in the forests where they searched for their own food and lived
independently. They would not have approved of a gorilla depending on someone else for
food and shelter all his life.
7. a. The gorilla felt lonely and missed the companionship of his own kind.
b. No, the gorilla was not truly happy in his new surroundings although he had adjusted well. He
missed his family and the forest.

Appreciating the Text

(answers may vary)
1. ● Somehow I knew that in order to live, I had to let my old life die. But my sister could not let go
of it. She kept thinking about our home all the time, till she fell very sick.
●  ... human words swarmed around me like angry bees.
●  I longed for the cheerful grunts of a play fight and the easy safety of my nearby troop.
●  Remember what happened to Tag, I told myself. Don’t think about the jungle.
●  Still, sometimes I lay awake, wishing for the warmth of another just like me.
2. Mud does not fight back because he is in a place that is totally new and strange to him. He might
have fought back if it was the jungle. He is both innocent and helpless. We know he is innocent
when he talks about how he breaks things in the house and how strange everything seems in
the human world. We know he is helpless when he tells himself not to think about the jungle and
reminds himself of what happened to his sister, Tag.

Grammar and Usage

2. a. to leave – NF   b. left – F   c. leaving – NF
3. a. enjoys – F   b. enjoying – NF   c. to enjoy – NF
4. a. winning – NF   b. to win – NF   c. won – F
5. a. reading – NF   b. Reading – NF   c. to read – NF

Words in Use
A. 1. blew up  2. blew out  3. blown down  4. blows over  5. blowing about
B. 1. watch  2. play  3. land  4. play  5. watch  6. land

Speaking
(free response)

Listening
Listening Text
Jane Goodall, who is known for her work with chimpanzees—we humans are not different from
the rest of the animal kingdom. We’re not the only beings with minds and feelings. Jagmohan Das,
a restaurant owner—I can never hit my dog. He is a child of Nature. And so is every other animal.
Steve Martin, who studies animal behaviour— problems like pollution and cutting trees cause a lot
of suffering to animals and birds. Mohammad Hussain, who works to save sparrows—I believe that
every single creature on this planet has an equal right to live. Richard Holloway, writer—among all the
creatures on this earth, only human beings are cruel to other animals.

24

Gulmohar_TRP 05_English_Book Format.indb 24 20-Dec-19 10:33:40 AM

 Answers:
1. b  2. e  3. a  4. c  5. d

Writing
(Sample Answer)
The king was sad because his elephants were sick. Doctors from all over the country came to treat
the elephants. But the medicines had no effect on the poor elephants. Their condition became worse.
Then a young girl from a village heard the news. She came to the palace and said she wanted to help.
The king was doubtful, but allowed the girl to see the elephants. First, she examined their nails and
ears. She saw that there was an infection in the ears. Immediately, she pulled out a few herbs from
her bag and ground a paste from them. Then, she poured the medicine on the infected parts. The
next day, the elephants’ condition improved miraculously. Soon they were able to stand. When they
saw the girl in the mornings, they raised their trumpets to greet her. After just a week, they became
completely normal and healthy. This made the king very happy and he rewarded the young girl
generously.

25

Gulmohar_TRP 05_English_Book Format.indb 25 20-Dec-19 10:33:40 AM