ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S LETTER TO HIS SON’S TEACHER
ABOUT THE WRITER
Abraham Lincoln is self-taught lawyer, legislator and vocal opponent of slavery. He was elected 16th
President of United States of America in November 1860. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest
presidents in the history of U.S.
ABOUT THE LESSON
Abraham Lincoln’s Letter to his son’s teacher is full of optimism and values. The letter has a universal
appeal. It shows his passion and zeal for learning. According to Lincoln, the purpose of education is to
inculcate honour and character among the children. He believed that education is a potential tool for
building up the all-round personality of the student. Through this letter Lincoln appeals to his son’s teacher
to inculcate faith in his son. He asks the teacher to teach his son that he should not be discouraged by
scoundrels and enemies.
Teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero that for every crooked politician, there is a
dedicated leader.
He should be taught the value of honesty, integrity and sincere tears. His son should learn that there is a
friend for every enemy and a hero for every villain. He must learn to be gentle with the good and tough
with the rude. He should be taught how to distance sadness with laughter.
Teach him there can be glory in failure and despair in success.
His son should be trained to listen to everyone and filter the truth. He must understand the value of hard
work and stay away from envy. At the end Lincoln appeals to the teacher neither to be too gentle nor to be
too harsh. Lincoln employs various figures of speech so effectively that the prose in this letter sounds
poetic in style.
CHARACTER IS THE REAL FOUNDATION OF ALL WORTHWHILE SUCCESS
SHE CONQUERED EVEREST
ABOUT THE WRITER
She conquered Everest the masterpiece is adopted from an article on the internet penned by Dr.Sowjanya.
It deals with the indomitable will of a young girl who overcame many terrible situations in her life.
ABOUT THE LESSON
Arunima Sinha lost her father when she was of the age of 3. She was a cyclist, football player and a
National volley ball player. She faced so many hurdles regarding her employment. Her brother-in-law asked
her to apply for Army. Finally she applied for it and got the call letter which stated an error in her birth
certificate. She made up her mind not to lose the job for the tiny error. So she set out for Delhi to correct
it. While she was travelling in train, she was robbed and attacked by criminals. She put a brave fight to save
herself. Nobody came to rescue her.
The compartment was full of people, but no one came to the rescue of the girl being robbed and
attacked.
They pulled her from the running train forcefully and threw her on the opposite track. Much later 49 trains
had passed her by. Her mangled body was traced by some children who came by that side for dump. She
was admitted in hospital. She was informed that her left leg should be amputated without anaesthesia.
Very soon this incident became a sensation. Some government official spread rumours that she attempted
suicide. Some stated that she was travelling without a ticket. But in the CC TV footage it was found that she
was buying a ticket at the counter. She decided to prove herself. As soon as she was discharged from
hospital, she went to Bachendripal, the first woman who climbed Everest. She encouraged her.
She said, “Arunima in this condition you made such a huge decision. Know that you have already
conquered your inner Everest. Now you need to climb the mountain only to show the world what you
are made of.”
Since e she is an amputee, it is more painful to her to scale Everest. Any pressure on the right leg would
send acute intense pain to her spasms. She reached the fourth camp which is called Death zone. She saw a
number of people lying around. But she overcame her pain, fear and anxiety to reach the summit. Her
Sherpa warned her that she might lose her life. She used her last vestiges of oxygen to take pictures and
videos on the peak. She knew that she was probably going to die. But as her Sherpa quickly latched the
oxygen cylinder she was relaxed. At last she conquered Everest.
WINNING ISN’T GETTING AHEAD OF OTHERS. IT’S GETTING AHEAD OF YOURSELF
 DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
ABOUT THE WRITERS
A.P.J Abdul Kalam was the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. He is a well known scientist and
turned as a statesman. Y.S.Rajan is an Indian professor, scientist and administrator. He is distinguished
Professor in Indian Space Research Organisation.
ABOUT THE LESSON
The essay ‘Digital Technologies’ is extracted from the popular and path breaking book ‘INDIA 2020: A
Vision for ‘The New Millennium’. In this essay Abdul Kalam and Y.S.Rajan describe how the communication
technology is going to bring changes in many sectors. According to Kalam and Rajan digital skills are very
much needed in the development of the country. Agriculture is our primary sector. With the use of
information technology in agriculture there will be better optimization of input resources. Technology
gives the farmers advanced notice of weather condition so that they can take precautions to protect and
improve their crop.
The agriculture sector may also use information technology much more intensely than it
does now.
We can bring tremendous changes with the use of modern communication technology. Satellite
navigational system or G.P.S. is going to transform marketing logistics. Trading and distribution are going
through satellite communication and computer networks. Marketing communication which consists of
services like advertisement, market research and entertainment depends mainly on the economic
development. There would be major changes in the marketing communication with the rise in the rate of
literacy.
Marketing communication by foreign companies even through satellite based T.V. and
other information services will also affect Indian consumer preference even in rural India.
Tourism is an important sector which has been contributing effectively to the Gross National Product.
Tourism requires the use of satellite communication. According to Kalam and Rajan Indian Industry is
lagging ten years behind in the use of Information Technology if compare with the developed countries.
The writers’ opinion is that this trend has to be changed.
SHARING IS GOOD, AND WITH DIGITAL TEFHNOLOGY, SHARING IS EASY
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
ABOUT THE WRITER
The lesson ‘Disaster Management’ is compiled by Dr. A. Madhavi Latha. Information is taken from various
websites, magazines and newspapers to bring awareness among students’ about natural disasters and
manmade disasters.
ABOUT THE LESSON
The essay throws light on the two types of disasters and the proper management to reduce dangers and
losses. A disaster is a serious disruption occurring over relatively short time of the functioning a community
of a society involving widespread loss. Natural disasters are the manifestation of the nature’s anger and
can take place at any time at any place; such natural calamities include Tsunamis, floods, Hurricanes,
earthquakes forest fires and volcano eruptions. Mediate impact on human health and lasting impact on
human life.
Disaster management is strategy adopted to reduce the hazards caused by disasters
There is another type of disaster which is caused mainly by human error. Those manmade disasters may
result from Gas leaks, oil, pills, nuclear meltdown and industrial fire. Only natural disasters can be
mitigated but not manmade disasters. One such example is the Bhopal disaster. The Bhopal Gas tragedy
was a Gas leak incident on the night of 23rd December 1984. It was considered to be the world’s worst
Industrial disaster. Over 5, 00,000 people were affected by the poisonous gas. It caused extensive damage
to the environment in the surrounding.
National Institute of Disaster Management online courses are the first of its kind in India and help
different users in acquiring knowledge in the subject.
Different disasters need different people, different strategies and different equipment. So there should be
training for different disasters. Such training or educations is given by National Disaster Management
Institute. The institute introduces various programmes for mitigation and responsiveness for specific
situations. These programmes would increase awareness for disaster risks within Indian communities.
PREPARE AND PREVENT, DON’T REPAIR AND REPENT
 COMMON WEALTH OF BEES
THIS IS MY PRAYER TO THEE MY LORD
ABOUT THE POET ABOUT THE POET

William Shakespeare is widely known as the world’s greatest English playwright. Some of the most popular Rabindranath Tagore is a well known poet, novelist, dramatist, short story writer and artist. His major
plays are Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, the Tempest etc. works included Gitanjali a world famous poetry book. He won the ‘Noble Prize’ for Literature in 1913, for
his collection of poems Gitanjali. He is the writer of our National Anthem ‘JANAGANANAMANA’.

ABOUT THE POEM

ABOUT THE POEM
The poem ‘This is My Prayer to Thee My Lord’ is an extract from Gitanjali which is written in Bengali and
The poem ‘Common Wealth of Bees’ is an excerpt from Shakespeare’s play, Henry-V Act-I scene-2. Here
translated into English by Rabindranth Tagore. This poem is in the form of a universal prayer to God
Henry’s Archbishop of Canterbury offers to him a lengthy speech for the organization of his common
Almighty. Tagore prays to God Almighty to bestow his divine strength upon mankind. The ‘I’ in this poem
wealth in the time of war. Here the poet gives vivid description of bees’ kingdom in a lyrical form through
stands for humanity in general. The poem opens with a humble appeal to God Almighty to stike and
which we come to know that the life of insect is not simple the way we think. Shakespeare uses bees as a
removes spiritual ‘penury’ or poverty of his heart.
part of long, classical tradition of treating the natural world as a metaphor of the human kind. They are
models of political and social organization. He says that they have the capability to teach us the art of This is my prayer to thee, my lord-
order.
Strike, strike at the root of penury in my heart.
Creatures that, by rule in nature, teach
This removal of spiritual weakness gives him strength to bear the joys and sorrows of life equally. He prays
The art of order to a peopled kingdom: for the strength to manifest his love for God in ‘Fruitful Service’ and never to ignore the plight of the
needy. He also prays to strengthen him and bow before insolent mighty.
If we notice their living standard, we can see that they have an organized life. They also have some rules
and laws to maintain discipline in order to run their life. In this poem the poet observes that in the bee And give me the strength
hives, there are different classes of bees engaged in diverse works such as magistrate bees do corrective
To surrender my strength
work, mechanical bees collect honey, and solider bees protect their hives and king who observes the work
of everyday including mason bees. There are other working groups who do their job with due diligence, To thy will with love.
according t the poet, the lives of bees are organized. They have the capability to teach the human the art
of order. According to the poet, life is full of contradictions. So, he prays to God to bless him with equal abilities to
accept and respond to both pain and pleasure with the same sense of detachment.
As many arrows loosed several ways

Come to one mark, as many ways meet in one town,

PRAYER IS MAN’S GREATEST POWER
So may a thousand actions, once a foot,

End in one purpose, and be all well borne without defeat.

When such a natural order is in place, a kingdom can simultaneously fight a war and make peace and
security. We should learn that if many different elements work towards one common end, it results in one
desired goal.

THE ONLY THING THAT WILL REDEEM MANKIND IS CO-OPERATION

 AS I GREW OLDER
ABOUT THE POET

James Mercer Langston Hughes is an African American poet, novelist, short story writer and a playwright.
His first book of poetry “The Weary Blues” was first published in 1926 and his first novel ‘Not without
Laughter’ in 1930. As a black poet, he always was identified himself with his fellow Black Americans. He
depicted their common experience, suffering, music, laughter and the language in his work.

ABOUT THE POET

In the beginning of the poem, the poet recalls a dream he had long ago and had nearly forgotten. But now
the poet can see it ahead of him once more, the poet’s dream first appeared ‘bright like the Sun’. As a child
he was not aware of what was actually happening around him. He was not aware of various social and
racial obstacles that came in their way in achieving his dreams.

And then the wall rose,

Rose slowly, slowly,

Between me and my dream

The poet represents all African Americans who had to relinquish their dreams. He became aware of his
status as a second class citizen. All he can see is the thick walls of injustice and shadow that rises up
gradually to block the sunlight. He uses the symbol of a shadow because his race is the barrier for achieving
his dream. The speaker forcefully commands his ‘dark hands’ to break the wall so he can access his dream.
He wants to ‘shatter this darkness’ and ‘smash this night’.

Help me to shatter this darkness,

To smash this night,

To break this shadow

Into a thousand lights of sun,

The conclusion is fantastic, as the poet imagines the shadow breaking apart into thousands of fragments.
The tone of the second half of the poem seems to suggest that even if he fails, there are spiritual values in
possessing the self-realization to grasp for a dream that might be out of reach. It revolves around the
strong willingness, the hardship needed for everyone to achieve his goals. The poet’s plea is that everyone
should be treated equally.

HOLD FAST TO DREAMS, FOR IF DREAMS DIE, LIFE IS A BROKEN-WINGED BIRD THAT CANNOT FLY