BOOK 17#

Title- ' Phooli Roti'

Publisher, Year, Place- NCERT, 2008, New Delhi

Grade- 1st and 2nd

Genre- Picture Book

Theme - Food

Name of the Series- 'Barkha Series'

Brief Biography

'Barkha Series' has been published by NCERT with a special focus on Early Grades . It is understood that children enter school with an existing vocabulary that has several words. So they already have a rich language resource of their own , even before they start learning reading and writing. The aim of 'Barkha Series' is to utilize this existing knowledge source of children.

The stories in the series are usually around day to day events of children's lives. The illustrations have been designed keeping in mind the young audience. And the text is easy to read and comprehend.

Synopsis

Food is an essential part of our lives. It nourishes not only our bodies, but our souls. Its a daily occurrence to see food being cooked in our home. Who cooks the food in your house? How is the food cooked?

Would you like to see how 'Jamal' cooked his first 'Roti'?

Reading - Writing Strategies

This story can be used to do 'Recipe Writing' with students. You can create your own sample recipe to use it as a sample text with students.

Pre- reading

• Ask the students about their favorite food.
  
• Ask them where is the food cooked in their houses.
  
• How is the food cooked in their houses?
• Ask them if they have ever cooked before?

During reading

• Here Jamal's mother is cooking food , who cooks food in your family?
• How do you think roti is made?
  
• Is it only made from wheat? What all other things are used to make 'Roti'?
  
• What do you think Jamaal will do next?
  

Post reading

 

• Ask the students to think if 'Roti' is cooked the same way at their houses as in the story.
• You can ask them to write the steps involved in making a 'Roti'.

or

 

• You can ask the students to bring the ingredients for Sandwiches , Bhelpuri etc. and ask them to make it in class.
  
• You can ask them to write the way they are making it an do recipe writing with them.
  

Reflection

Stories in Barkha Series have very relatable themes. They have great visuals and are not loaded with text, which allows us as practitioners to keep young children engaged. Stories like 'Phooli Roti' depict the everyday occurrence of a child's life. And food is a very important part of our childhood, so many of our happy memories revolve around food. I remember the way I would go for ice- cream if my dad came to pick me after school instead of my mom or the way we would go out to eat 'Kathi rolls' after my final exams every year.

Something that i found very unconventional about the story is depiction of a boy , who wishes to learn cooking. In that way the story debunks a certain stereotypes around gender , where it is only the 'girl' child who does the household chores.