Grade 7 - Content Book (Mini)

Conversations

Thanks to globalization and the emergence of technologies, international boundaries have become blurred. English, to a high degree, is a commonly understood medium of communication. It is one of the key tools that students need to perform well today and in the future. According to a global study, while recruiting, 98.5% of employers implicitly or explicitly assess a candidate’s English communication skills! There is therefore a growing demand for English communication skills, because it empowers people and enables them to lead a better life.

Functional communication skills, involving aspects of LSRW (listening, speaking, reading and writing), are central to knowledge acquisition, children’s intellectual, social and emotional growth, and life-long learning.

Specifically, strong listening and speaking skills are not only vital in the overall language learning process, but also lead to better reading and writing skills. Yet, these foundational skills tend to be neglected in schools due to the high pupil-teacher ratio, lack of oral language-focused assessment, and most importantly, a lack of systematic and allocated practice time for these skills within the classroom.

Aligned with NEP 2020, NCERT learning outcomes and standardized to CEFR (Common European Framework for Reference) levels, Uolo Speak is a hybrid learning program that focuses on building, applying, practising, and assessing these core language skills.

First, through this book as one of the components of the program, the English classroom becomes an avenue to hone functional speaking skills in real time. The teacher-led activities give learners the opportunity to undertake high-quality, level-appropriate, and experiential activities that help to build confidence and expression in English.

Second, the mobile interface of the product ensures consistent practice of functional LSRW skills. These exercises go beyond traditional question types and employ cutting-edge technology to enable learning and generate instant feedback. For instance, learners practise speaking with Al (artificial intelligence), as if conversing with a real person!

Third, Uolo Speak assessment can be conducted by the school in sync with their academic calendars. The assessment is evaluated by Uolo’s English specialists to give performance report and feedback.

Finally, the reporting methodology used in the above three program components, generates a skill growth chart against CEFR levels for each learner, class and the school. Educators can then clearly identify learners who are reaching, meeting, and exceeding the level requirements, and support them accordingly.

Uolo Speak is a powerful, exciting, and unique experience for learners and teachers. It represents a real life and results-oriented approach to develop essential 21st century functional English skills.

Wishing all teachers, parents, and learners lots of fun and joyful experiences as you embark upon this exciting journey with Uolo Speak.

Dr Laraine O'Connell

D. Litt., English, North West University, South Africa

I am a veteran English teacher and lecturer, with a great love for English and for teaching. I have taught English and trained teachers over many years. I live in South Africa and it is a wonderful experience working with a company promoting the learning of English in India.

Walkthrough

Each chapter is divided into three sections - Part A, E-Speak, Part B.

Part A is period 1. It has one text and one classroom activity.

E-Speak section has two mobile app activities. These activities can be done at home or in school.

Story/poem text

Part B is period 2. It has one fun activity and one presentation task.

Chapter number and name

Animation video

Keywords

Classroom activity

Two mobile app activities

Prompts for thinking

Fun activity

Types of Activities

Work alone

Work in pairs

Work in groups

Teacher does the activity with everyone

Presentation task

Writing notes

Tips for speaking

Peer review

Chapter Outcomes

Chapter No. Chapter Name Big Skill

1 Impossible is for the Unwilling

Giving short motivational speeches

2 Ask and Answer Asking questions and responding to them

3 Can You Convince?

Persuasive speaking

Listening Speaking Competencies

Appreciate key ideas in a motivational text Give short motivational speeches

Ask questions starting with what, where, why, when and how Respond to questions

Listen to and interpret key details in informational texts

Speak persuasively about advantages or disadvantages of something

The Missile Man of India

Today at school, the children saw a short film on India’s 11th President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

“Children, when Dr Kalam was only ten years old, he sold newspapers to help his family. Do you help at home? You should,” said the school principal to the students, encouraging them.

Inspired by the principal, Ira was dusting the bookcase at her home. She was dusting off the last shelf when, lo and behold, she discovered a book, Wings of Fire, with Dr Kalam’s picture on it. “It’s Dr Kalam’s autobiography, dear,” her mother said. “Hard work and big dreams give you ‘Wings of Fire’! That’s how the Missile Man of India, Dr Kalam,

born in the small fishing village of Rameswaram, became our president. He received many prestigious awards, including Bharat Ratna and Padma Bhushan.”

“Dr Kalam liked science — just like you, Ira! He was an aeronautical engineer and worked at some of our country’s

top institutes. He worked at the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) and the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation). He worked on India’s missile projects, ‘Prithvi’ and ‘Agni’.”

“And Mother, Dr Kalam was a teacher and a poet too!” added Ira.

“Yes, Ira, he loved to read and write books. He did not accept any gifts except for books! And he loved learning and teaching. After his term as president, he was also a visiting professor. He said that F.A.I.L. just stands for ‘First Attempt In Learning’!”

“So mother, the next time you say N.O. for ice cream, I will just wait for the ‘Next Opportunity’! That’s what he said about N.O.!” Ira laughed.

aeronautical (ay·ruh·naw·ti·kl): related to the science of building and flying aircraft autobiography (aw·toh·bai·aw·gruh·fee): the story of a person’s life, written by the person himself/herself encouraging (en·kuh·ruh·jing): giving someone support, courage, and hope missile (mi·sile): a weapon that is sent through the air to strike something

Speak on the Spot

Boost your speaking!

Dr Kalam Fan Club

Think of a title that would you like to give Dr Kalam. Present your title to the class and give a reason for your choice. Give Dr Kalam a unique title based on his qualities or how you feel about him. For example — The Man Who Lives in Our Hearts

Look at the following pictures for hints:

(Title)

E-Speak

Practise at home!

COVID Warriors

Meet Miss Lalitha who works as the Head Nurse at The Mark Hospital. Listen to her inspiring story to understand how she helped hundreds of COVID patients to recover. Then read it aloud with expression.

Project 1 Project 2

Send Us Your Taglines

Think of a catchy tagline to motivate your friends and family! Read your tagline aloud and tell us what it means in 2–3 sentences.

Read the clues to solve the crossword on Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam. Complete it in one minute!

Across

A E

1. He was a celebrated aerospace scientist. (synonym of celebrated)

4. He authored several books. (synonym of authored)

Down

2. Dr Kalam was born in the tenth month of the year 1931. (month name)

3. Dr Kalam received several ____ for his service to the country. (synonym of prizes)

Plan and Speak

The final show!

Dreams Come True

Dr Kalam worked very hard from a very young age to achieve his dreams.

Write: What are your dreams and goals in life? Write about them below.

singer painter actor astronaut engineer social worker farmer doctor police officer chef photographer sportsperson YouTuber director make-up artist teacher author architect

Step 1: Title of my presentation

Step 2: My Dream — What do I want to be/do?

Step 3: Why? What inspires me?

Speak clearly and with feeling.

Use your notes, but not all the time. Make eye contact with your audience. Use an enthusiastic tone of voice and body language to keep the audience engaged. In the end, ask your friends if they feel inspired.

Star Scale

Ask and Answer Chapter

The Little Shepherd Boy

Once upon a time, there was a little shepherd boy who lived in a small village. He was known for his wise answers. Tales of his wisdom also reached the King. The King wasn’t convinced that a simple boy could be so intelligent, so he invited the boy to his court.

When the boy arrived, the King said, “If you can give me the answer to each of the three questions that I ask, you shall be greatly rewarded.”

The boy readily agreed and said, “What is your first question, your majesty?”

The King contemptuously asked, “How many drops of water are there in the sea?”

The boy smiled and replied, “Your majesty, in order to answer this question, I will need to make a humble request. Could you please ask your ministers first to stop all the water from flowing into the sea? That is, only until I have counted all the drops in the sea. Then, I will tell you how many drops there are in the sea!”

Talking Book

The King was surprised by the boy’s clever answer. He knew that no one could stop water from flowing into the sea. It was impossible to do so! He decided to test the boy’s intelligence further. He said mockingly, “How many stars are there in the sky?”

The boy calmly said, “I will need a large sheet of paper and a pin to answer this question.” Everyone watched in wonder as the boy proceeded to make minute holes in it. After this, the boy said, “I have made as many holes in this paper as the number of stars in the sky! I humbly request any of your ministers to count them.”

All the King’s ministers took turns trying to count the holes, but none of them could do it. There were so many tiny holes in the paper that they dazzled whoever looked at them.

The King was a little impressed by the boy now. So, he decided to ask one of the most difficult questions that he could think of. He said, “How many seconds are there in eternity?”

Everyone waited anxiously for the boy’s answer. They all were convinced that no one could answer such a strange question. However, the boy thought for a moment and said, “I will try to explain this with an example, if I may?”

The King thought the boy didn’t know the answer, so he agreed.

The boy carefully explained, “In our kingdom, there is a huge mountain. A tiny bird comes once in every thousand years and rubs her beak against it. Now, when the whole mountain has been rubbed away by the bird’s attempts, then the first second of eternity can be counted.”

Everyone, including the King, was in awe of the boy’s answer. The King was finally convinced of the boy’s wisdom and said appreciatively, “You have answered all three questions like a wise sage. You shall be allowed to live in my palace!” From that day onwards, the boy was treated with respect by everyone in the kingdom.

contemptuously (kuhn·temp·choo·uhs·lee): lacking respect for someone convinced (kuhn·vinst): absolutely sure about something eternity (i·tuh·nuh·tee): time that never ends wonder (wuhn·duh): feeling of great surprise

Speak on the Spot

Boost your speaking!

Bingo!

Your teacher has secretly thought of some items! Ask questions to guess what they could be! Here is an example.

What is it used for?

It is used to clean our faces or to wipe our hands.

What is it made of?

Is it big or small? Is it heavy or light? Bingo! It’s a handkerchief!

It is usually made of cotton.

It is small and very light!

Your questions can be about its use, shape and size, where it is found, and what it is made of!

Out of all the items the teacher thought of, how many did you guess correctly?

Write their names.

E-Speak

Practise at home!

Project 3

Can You Help?

You meet your class teacher in your neighbourhood. She seems a little confused. How can you help her?

Project 4

Long Time No See!

You are attending a carnival in the neighbourhood. Suddenly, you spot your uncle passing by. You have not met him in a long time. What questions would you ask him? Record any four or five questions with appropriate expression and gestures.

Plan and Speak

The final show!

A Blockbuster Interview!

1Get into groups of four.

2

Write: You are visiting Film City with your classmates, where you get a chance to interview your favourite movie actor!

Discuss and complete the interview script.

parents grandparents siblings birthplace home school education childhood memories school hobbies food dislikes time spent in shooting films challenges fun parts upcoming projects competition message box office hits flops

Name of the movie actor:

Interviewer 1: Hello, we are so pleased to meet you! I still can’t believe my eyes!

Interviewer 2: Yes, it’s an honour to talk to you. Is it really you?

Movie actor: I am equally happy to meet you all. How are you?

Interviewer 3: We are thrilled to be here! And we are really curious to know more about you. Do you have five minutes, please?

Movie actor: Sure!

Interviewer 1: Great! So, let’s begin!

Movie actor:

Interviewer 2:

Can You Convince?

The Latest in Smartphones

Who would not love to have a brand-new smartphone equipped with built-in apps, such as a calendar, maps, clock, and weather? Today we can hardly imagine a time when we did not have smartphones. How did we cope before we could call our parents from school or anywhere else? What did we do to keep in touch with our friends?

We come across several advertisements for smartphones, and every year they seem to come out with more capacity, more games, and more choices of apps. Although there are many types of smartphones available in the shops and online, they all have the same basic features. Most of them have:

• Internet connectivity and email capability.

• The ability to run apps.

• A camera that can take photographs and record videos.

• Plenty of storage space for photos, videos and music.

• A long battery life. Now that you have learnt about the basics of a smartphone, let’s look at some of its advantages.

The millions of apps available on your smartphone can make your life much easier and help you manage your time better. For example, you can set alerts

apps (aps): short for applications, which are programs you can download on your smartphone for additional functions capacity (kuh·pa·suh·tee): the ability to do something smartphone (smaat·fone): a mobile phone that you can use to phone, take pictures and videos, and access the internet

Speak on the Spot

Boost your speaking!

To Have or Not to Have?

You have read all about smartphones. In pairs, complete the following conversation. Present your conversation to the class.

Student 1 (against smartphones): ______________________________________ Student 2 (in favour of smartphones): ____________________________________

Student 1: Hey, what do you think about smartphones?

Student 2: I think smartphones are useful in today’s times because ...

Talk about the advantages of smartphones.

Student 1: Yes, you are right but I don’t think they are right for children. Let me tell you why! ...

Talk about the disadvantages of smartphones.

Student 2: That is true! But you know what? ...

Talk about one more advantage of smartphones.

Student 1: Yeah, maybe you are right. Even then, ...

Convince your partner of the risk of smartphones.

Use different tones of voice when you are talking about the advantages and disadvantages.

Use facial expressions and hand gestures while presenting your conversation .

E-Speak

Practise at home!

Sell That Smartphone!

Listen to the description of latest model of a smartphone. Then read it aloud with vocal and facial expressions. Remember that you have to sell it!

Project 5

Project 6

Pros and Cons

Choose a product — anything that you use every day. Share some of its pros and cons with your audience to make them aware of the product.

Gadget Gurus!

For each of the following sentences, check (√) the phrase that you feel is most appropriate, based on your opinion.

Watching television can help us learn about new things.

Strongly disagree

Playing games on smartphones can make us an addict.

Strongly disagree

Agree

Watching shows on the computer is better than reading books .

Strongly disagree

(Title — Name of the product) (Name of the product) (Name of the other product)

is/are great because

Present: Present your debate to the class. Use the following tips to make it interesting. 5

Speak with passion and logic to describe why your product is better. Use a respectful tone and language style, even if you are criticising the other item.

About this book

This “Conversations” book follows a unique spiraling approach that systematically builds language skills and enables children to express themselves verbally in real-world situations, thus preparing them for the needs of the 21st century world. Each chapter focuses on building specific and age-appropriate English language competencies and weaves together activities that are contextual, experiential, joyful and research-based.

Special features of this book:

• Activities based Learning: joyful and experiential activities that build English communication competencies.

• Texts as per NEP 2020 themes: exciting and stimulating texts that pave the way for English communication activities.

• Tech Integration: the book works in sync with the digital world, where various other activities and projects are undertaken. Learner outputs are evaluated through an AI-based speech recognition engine.

• Assessment of Speaking & Listening as per CEFR: the program includes special assessments that allow systematic reporting of skill growth as per the CEFR.

• Teachers’ Manual: the book is complemented by the Teachers’ Manual that enables teachers to conduct each session effectively.

About Uolo

Uolo partners with K12 schools to provide technology-based learning programs. We believe pedagogy and technology must come together to deliver scalable learning experiences that generate measurable outcomes. Uolo is trusted by over 8,000 schools with more than 3 million learners across India, South East Asia, and the Middle East.

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