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THE BLACK PLATE


  

“ Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom”.

Thomas Jefferson 

 

 

– When we say the truth, we are being honest.

 

– We are being honest when we think and act the same way. 

 

– Honesty is not to make promises that we are not planning to keep. 

 

– An honest person is somebody whom we trust because he or she doesn´t lie.

 

– We are being honest when we comply with rules. 

 

– We are honest when we pay what is fair and don´t steal somebody elses´s money.

 

– We need courage to be honest.

 

– We are honest when we tell the truth, even if other people don´t agree.

 

– Being honest is to keep our promises to our friends, our parents, and ourselves.

 

– We are honest when we help our friends to change what they did wrong even if they don´t feel good.

 

– We are honest when we do our own job. When we copy in a test we are being dishonest.

 

– We are honest when we do our teamwork.

 

– We are honest when we promise a friend to play with him or her during recess and we keep that promise. 

 

– We are honest when we return things that a friend borrowed us.

 

– We shouldn´t feel bad if people think that being honest is foolish.

 

– We should always be honest even if people don´t recognize it.

 

– To be honest we should report people who did something wrong.

 

– We should always tell the truth and not tell stories that could harm other people.

 

– We should accept our mistakes and correct them.

 

– We shouldn´t take anything that doesn´t belong to us. 

 

Honesty is a principle of human beings. If we learn to be honest since we are kids, we can be upright citizens, able to transform the world so that everybody can have a better life.

 

Live everyday with honesty, you will be happier and you will make happy everybody around you.

 




“ Honesty prospers in every condition of life” 

Friedrich  Schiller

 

“ Each time you are honest and conduct yourself with honesty, a success force will drive you toward greater success. Each time you lie, even with a little white lie, there are strong forces pushing you toward failure”.

Joseph Sugarman

 

“Honesty is the best image”.

Tom Wilson

 

 

THE BLACK PLATE

 

 

CHARACTERS:

NARRATOR

MERCHANT 1

MERCHANT 2

 GIRL

 GRANDMA

 

 SCRIPT:

 

NARRATOR: Once upon a time in India, there were two merchants who sold plates, pots, pans, brooms, mops, soap, jewelry, and clothes.  Each day, they took turns to sell.

 

MERCHANT 1:  Everybody come here!.  Come see our jewelry for sale, pots, pans.  We have everything you need!.

 

GIRL: Grandma, look at that beautiful bracelet!.

 

GRANDMA: How much is it?.

 

MERCHANT 1: More than what you can pay, old lady.

 

GRANDMA: At home we have an old black metal plate.  Do you want it for the bracelet?.

 

MERCHANT 1: I have to see it first.

 

GRANDMA: Let´s go home so you can see it.

 

MERCHANT 1: Fine, you lead the way, old lady.

 

NARRATOR: When they arrived to the old lady´s house, she showed the plate to the merchant.

 

GRANDMA: Take a look at the plate.

 

MERCHANT 1: Mmmm, let´s see.

 

NARRATOR: When the merchant saw the plate, it was truly black, but when he scratched it a little, he could see that it was a silver plate.

 

MERCHANT 1: This plate is worthless, old lady.  If you want to, I can take the plate with me and give you a broom.

 

GRANDMA: Thank you, but we prefer to keep our plate.

 

MERCHANT 1: It´s your decision.  I have wasted my time.

 

NARRATOR: But the merchant was thinking about going back the next day to try to convince her to give him the plate.  Next day, merchant 2 was selling in the street.

 

MERCHANT 2: Pot, pans, brooms, clothes, I have everything you need!.  Just come and get it!.

 

GIRL: Grandma, look, I still want that beautiful bracelet!.

 

GRANDMA: How much is it?.

 

MERCHANT 2: More than what you can pay, old lady.

 

GRANDMA: At home we have an old black metal plate.  Do you want it for the bracelet?.

 

MERCHANT 2: I have to see it first.

 

GRANDMA: Let´s go home so you can see it.

 

MERCHANT 2: I will follow you.

 

NARRATOR: When they arrived to her house,  she showed him the plate.

 

GRANDMA: Take a look at the plate.

 

MERCHANT 2: Mmmm, this is a silver plate.  It´s all black because it is dirty.  The things I have to sell are not enough to pay you.

 

GRANDMA: Oh, we didn´t know.  But we don´t have anything in this house!.  We don´t have any furniture, we are very poor.  Can you give us the bracelet and something else?.

 

MERCHANT 2: I will give you everything I have.

 

GRANDMA: Oh thank you, you’re so kind.

 

NARRATOR: When the merchant left the home, he went to see his friend.

 

MERCHANT 2: Take a look at this.  It´s a silver plate I got it from an old woman.  I gave her everything I had for this plate.  What do you think?.

 

MERCHANT 1: What?.  I saw that plate yesterday!  I lost an opportunity to have it without giving her anything in return.

 

NARRATOR: Then he stopped to think for a while.

 

MERCHANT 1: I have thought about it. If we join your honesty and the beautiful things that I still have, we can do  great businesses.  Can we work together from now on?.

 

MERCHANT 2: Sure!.

 

NARRATOR: Both men cleaned the silver plate until it was sparkling.  And both became very successful merchants.

 

 

THE END

 

 Author:  Buddhist Legend

 

Moral Value:  Honesty

 


 

 

–  When we say the truth, we are being honest.

 

–  We are being honest when we think and act the same way.

 

–  Honesty is not to make promises that we are not planning to keep.

 

–  An honest person is somebody whom we trust because he or she doesn´t lie.

 

–  Honesty means not to take what we didn´t achieve or that belongs to others.

 

 

 

COMMON CORE: THE INDEFINITE ARTICLES

THE INDEFINITE ARTICLES :  a / an

Use 'A' before a word which begins with a consonant sound.

a man
a pen
a boy
a car
a fish
a house

a movie
a star
a bike
a student
a watch
a computer

a school
a shoe
a bottle
a mouse
a tiger
a camera

a city
a teacher
a website
a dollar
a machine
a game


Use 'AN' before a word which begins with a vowel sound

an umbrella
an elephant
an actor
an emergency

an American
an automobile
an airplane
an ant

an ice-cream
an ambulance
an offer
an equipment



NB: Note that the pronunciation is what matters when choosing between a & an .
Examples:
an h onor / an hour    ( h is silent)
a u niversity /  a u nit             ( a before the 'y' sound)

We use the indefinite articles a / an

1. to refer to something or someone for the first time in a conversation:
I've got two children – a boy and a girl. The boy is 7 and the girl 4.
2. before professions and job titles:
a nurse            a plumber            a politician           a marketing executive
3. with some expressions of quantity, amounts and frequency:
a pair of jeans            a few minutes           twice a year           50 miles an hour

4. with expressions with "What ... !":
What a great dress!           What a mess!           What a shame !

Exercise: Fill in the blanks with : A or An



1. Ronaldo is ……. famous football player.

2. Jessica is……….  hardworking student.

3. Is Dr. Phil …………. smart man?

4. A tiger is …………. animal.

5. Is that …………. old book?

6. Is tea …………. beneficial drink?

7. Mustang is …………. American brand.

8. This is …………. eraser.

9. N.Y Times is…. popular news company.

10. Derek is …………. fisherman.

11. It's………….  honor to meet you.

12. Angelina Jolie is …………. actress.

13. This is ……. educational website.

14. Bart Simpson is …………. child.

15. Superman is …………. hero.

COMMON CORE: FAMILY TREE

FAMILY RELATIONS

MALE

Child / Children / Cousin

FEMALE

Grandfather

Family

Members

=

Relatives

Grandmother

Father

Mother

Husband

Wife

Son

Daughter

Brother

Sister

Grandson

Granddaughter

Nephew

Niece

Uncle

Aunt

Father

Son           - in - law

Brother

Mother

Daughter        - in - law

Sister

                father

Step        son

                brother

                mother

Step        daughter

                sister

FAMILY TREE


                                                    Ali                          Aicha






               Omar          Nadia           

                                                                Malika                    Youssef       Rkia








        Zaid           Bassou                                           Said                    Nora

1. Ali is Aisha’s husband.

2. Nadia is Omar’s wife .

3. Omar is Malika and Youssef’s brother .

4. Malika is Omar and Youssef’s sister .

5. Zaid is Omar’s son.

6. Nora is Rkia’s daughter .

7. Malika is Bassou’s aunt.

8. Omar is Said’s uncle .

9. Nora is Zaid and Bassou's cousin .

10. Rkia is Omar’s sister-in-law

11. Zaid is Malika’s nephew .

12. Bassou is Ali and Aicha’s grandson.

13. Nora is Ali and Aicha’s granddaughter .

14. Youssef is Nadia’s brother-in-law .

15. Ali and Aicha are Zaid, Bassou, Said and Nora’s grandparents.

16. Aicha is Said’s grandmother .

17. Ali is Said’s grandfather .

18. Zaid and Bassou are Omar and Nadia’s children .

19. Ali is Nadia and Rkia’s father-in-law .

20. Aicha is Nadia and Rkia’s mother-in-law .

RELATIVES AND EXTENDED FAMILY EXERCISE

1. When you have children, you are a ……………….

2. If you are a male parent, you are a …………….

3. If you are female parent, you are a ………………...

4. If one of your children is a boy, he is your ……………….

5. If one of your children is a girl, she is your …………………………..

6. When a couple gets married, the man is the ………., and the woman is his…

7. A …………….………. and ………………… both have the same parents.

1. grandparents: the parents of your parents

2. grandfather: the ……………… of your father/mother

3. …………… : the mother of your father/mother

4. …………….. : the children of your children

5. grandson: the ………. of one of your children

6. ……………… : the daughter of one of your children

7. ……………………: the father of your grandfather/grandmother

8. great grandmother: the mother of your grandfather/grandmother

9.  ……………........ : the brother (or brother-in-law) of your mother/father

10. aunt: the ………..(or sister-in-law)of your mother/father

11. ………… : the child of your aunt/uncle

12. ……………… : the male child of your brother/sister

13. ……………… : the female child of your brother/sister

1. father-in-law: the ……………………….of your spouse

2. ………………….. : the mother of your spouse 

3. ………………….. : the husband of your daughter

4. daughter-in-law: ………………………………..

5. ……………………… : the husband of your sister

6. sister-in-law: …………………………………………..

COMMON CORE: USEFUL VERBS

USEFUL VERBS

· I listen to music for two hours every day.

· The teacher speaks and the students listen , and then repeat .

· He also asks them questions and they answer them.

· You are welcome Fatima. Please, take a chair and sit down .

· Some students stand up to answer questions.

· Our school opens at 7:45 in the morning and closes at 18:00 in the afternoon .

COMMON CORE: SUBJECT PRONOUNS

SUBJECT PRONOUNS

What are the subject pronouns in English?

We use these subject pronouns in English

Subject
Pronoun

Singular or Plural - Who?

Masculine or Feminine

I

Singular - first person

Masculine or feminine

You

Singular - second person

Masculine or feminine

He

Singular - third person

Only masculine

She

Singular - third person

Only feminine

It

Singular - third person

Object / thing / animal

We

Plural - first person

Masculine or feminine

You

Plural - second person

Masculine or feminine

They

Plural - third person

Masculine or feminine

When do you use IT?

IT is normally used when we refer to objects, things, animals or ideas (and not normally people).

o The dog is big. It is also hairy. (It = the dog)

o My bed is small but it is comfortable. (It = my bed)

Sometimes when we do not know the sex of a baby (we do not know if it is a boy or girl), then we can use IT .

o Their baby is very small. It only weighs 2 kilos. (It = the baby.)

We use IT we when talk about the time, weather or temperature.

o It is five o'clock (= the time is five o'clock)

o It is cold today. (= the weather is cold today.)

o It is 30º outside right now. (= the temperature is 30º outside right now)

He

Mr. Ken
Jake
Nicholas
My Father

She

Mrs. Flintstone
Miss Jackson
Cynthia
My Mother

It

The book
The cat
The school
The weather

They

Lily and Marshall
The cat and the dog
Jill and James
She and Barnie

Examples:
a. Tony and Timothy are basketball players.  ===> They are basketball players.
b. Miss White is very clever. ===> She is very clever.
c. Richy is an English teacher. ===> He is an English teacher.
d. Lion is the king of the jungle. ===> It is the king of the jungle.

EXERCISE
Use the appropriate subject pronouns to rewrite the following sentences.


1. Mrs. Chart is very beautiful.             She is very beautiful


2. Dr. Phil is a famous person.              He is a famous person


3. Fred and Barnie are good friends.


4. Is James good at basketball?


5. Maria plays tennis.


6. Andy and I are cousins.


7. Wendy and Robin are good at math.


8. Mount Everest is very high.


9. Mrs. Rogala has 23 students.


10. Is the TV too loud?


11. How are Jessie and James ?


12. The weather is very hot today.


13. Bruce , Arnold and I are good friends.


14. Are you and Mr. Parker related?


15. The cat looks very friendly.

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