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1. Sample Lesson Plan Number 4
1. Preparing - Study the First Life Lesson (Cánh Diều)
(SGK page 4, Literature 6, Volume 2, Cánh Diều)
- Review the knowledge of literature to apply to understanding the text.
- While reading the fable, pay attention to these questions:
- What is the main event in the story? What are the key events?
- What animals appear in the story? Who is the main character?
- How do the shapes and personalities of the animals in the story reflect both their animal nature and human traits?
- What lesson does the story convey to the reader? Do you find the lesson meaningful? Why or why not?
- Learn more about the author Tô Hoài and his work "The Adventures of Dế Mèn."
- Have you ever played with a cricket? What do you know about this insect?
Suggested answers:
- The story tells of Dế Mèn's first life lesson. The key events include:
- The strong appearance of Dế Mèn
- Dế Mèn's disdain for Dế Choắt
- Dế Choắt's death
- The first life lesson learned by Dế Mèn
- The main character in the story is Dế Mèn. Other characters include Dế Choắt and Chị Cốc.
- Similarities between the animals and humans in the story:
+ Descriptions resembling human features:
- Dế Mèn: A strong young man, walking with dignity, with a head that appears like chunks of stone, standing guard with an air of martial arts.
- Dế Choắt: Thin, wobbly, resembling a drug addict, with a confused face.
+ Personalities: stubborn, aggressive, proud, superior, weak.
- The message the story conveys: In life, one should not be arrogant, reckless, selfish, or cause harm to others and oneself. This lesson is meaningful to us.
- Information about the author Tô Hoài and his work "The Adventures of Dế Mèn."
Tô Hoài, born Nguyễn Sen in 1920 and passed away in 2014, was from Thanh Oai district, Ha Tay (now part of Hanoi), and grew up in Nghĩa Đô village. He began writing before the August Revolution of 1945 and produced a large body of work in various genres. In 1996, he was awarded the Hồ Chí Minh Prize for Literature and Art. "The Adventures of Dế Mèn" was first published in 1941 and is his most famous work for children, consisting of 10 chapters about the adventures of Dế Mèn through the world of small creatures.
- Dế Mèn lives under the green meadows, in bushes, ruins, or deep underground tunnels.
2. Reading Comprehension - Study the First Life Lesson (Cánh Diều)
* Mid-lesson questions:
Question 1 on page 5 of Literature 6, Volume 2, Cánh Diều
- Pay attention to the details describing Dế Mèn.
Suggested answer:
- Appearance:
+ Antennae: shiny
+ Claws: hard, sharp
+ Wings: long, with a tail-like tip
+ Head: large, like chunks of stone
+ Teeth: black, gnashing
+ Antennae: long, curved
- Actions:
+ Walks proudly, moves in style, struts with confidence
+ Yells at the grasshoppers, teases the mantis
+ Kicks the grass, struts with the posture of a martial artist
+ Chews fiercely, carefully grooms his antennae.
Question 2 on page 6 of Literature 6, Volume 2, Cánh Diều
- What do you think of Dế Choắt from Dế Mèn's perspective?
Suggested answer:
- Similar in age to Dế Mèn
- Thin, tall, with short wings, large legs, and a confused expression.
=> Dế Choắt is portrayed as weak and completely opposite to Dế Mèn.
Question 3 on page 7 of Literature 6, Volume 2, Cánh Diều
- How do the descriptions of Dế Mèn and Dế Choắt in the story compare with the image below?
Suggested answer:
- The images of Dế Mèn and Dế Choắt in your imagination and the image below share similarities in appearance, with Dế Mèn being arrogant and Dế Choắt being weak, and Dế Mèn bullying Dế Choắt.
Question 4 on page 8 of Literature 6, Volume 2, Cánh Diều
- How did Dế Mèn "play tricks"?
Suggested answer:
- Dế Mèn played tricks by teasing Chị Cốc.
Question 5 on page 9 of Literature 6, Volume 2, Cánh Diều
- What disaster did Dế Mèn refer to, and who did it affect?
Suggested answer:
- By teasing Chị Cốc, Dế Mèn caused the tragic death of Dế Choắt.
Question 6 on page 9 of Literature 6, Volume 2, Cánh Diều
- Imagine Dế Mèn's expression at this moment.
Suggested answer:
- Dế Mèn's face was filled with regret, tears flowing down silently, as he bowed his head to atone for his actions toward Dế Choắt.
Question 7 on page 10 of Literature 6, Volume 2, Cánh Diều
- Which character and event does the illustration depict?
Suggested answer:
- The illustration depicts Dế Mèn standing remorsefully at Dế Choắt's grave, reflecting on how his reckless teasing of Chị Cốc led to Dế Choắt's tragic death.
* End-of-lesson questions:
Question 1 on page 10 of Literature 6, Volume 2, Cánh Diều
- Who narrates the story, and which characters are involved?
Suggested answer:
- The story is narrated by Dế Mèn. The characters involved are Dế Mèn, Dế Choắt, and Chị Cốc.
Question 2
- What is Dế Mèn regretting? Summarize the event in about three sentences.
Suggested answer:
- Dế Mèn regrets teasing Chị Cốc, which led to the tragic death of Dế Choắt. In summary: Dế Mèn, a proud and strong young cricket, teased Chị Cốc, which caused Dế Choắt's death. After burying Dế Choắt, Dế Mèn deeply regrets his actions and reflects on the lesson he has learned.
Question 3
- How did Dế Mèn's attitude and mood change after his prank on Chị Cốc, leading to Dế Choắt's death? Why did this change occur?
Suggested answer:
- Initially, Dế Mèn was proud of his actions, but after realizing that his prank led to Dế Choắt's death, he became fearful, remorseful, and introspective. This change occurred because Dế Mèn realized the consequences of his actions.
Question 4
- Based on the "self-portrait" details and Dế Mèn's actions, speech, mannerisms, and attitude toward Dế Choắt and Chị Cốc, what can you conclude about his character?
Suggested answer:
- Dế Mèn is confident, loves life, and takes pride in himself. He boasts about his appearance and strength to his neighbors, is arrogant, self-assured, and dismissive of others.
Question 5
- At the end of the passage, after burying Dế Choắt, Dế Mèn "stood still for a long time" and "thought about his first life lesson." What do you think this lesson was?
Suggested answer:
- The lesson is: "In life, being arrogant and reckless will eventually bring trouble to oneself and others." One must be humble, help others, and when making mistakes, acknowledge and correct them.
Question 6
- The author Tô Hoài once said, "Characters in fables are anthropomorphized based on real-life behaviors of the animals." Based on what you know about crickets, identify the real traits in the story and the anthropomorphized elements.
Suggested answer:
- Real traits of crickets: Shiny antennae, sharp claws, brown bodies, and large, gnarled heads.
- Anthropomorphized traits: The characters are given human names and behavior. Dế Mèn speaks like a person, exercises regularly, behaves with human-like dignity, and shows human traits like arrogance and self-importance.
LITERATURE KNOWLEDGE
1. Fables: Themes and Topics
- A fable is a type of story that uses animals as characters, with the animals described as human-like (called anthropomorphism).
- A theme is the subject matter of a story. For example, the theme of "The Legend of the Sword Lake" is about fighting against invaders to protect the nation.
- A topic is the main issue discussed in a text. For example, the topic of "The Legend of the Sword Lake" is the spirit of patriotism and the people's desire for peace.
2. Expanding the Subject
- The subject is a key component of a sentence, answering questions like who or what. It is often a noun or pronoun. A sentence may have one or more subjects.
- To convey a more complete message, the subject can be expanded into a noun phrase, where the noun is the central element and other modifiers add detail.
2. Sample Lesson Plan 5
Summary: Dế Mèn is the youngest of three siblings in a family of crickets. He quickly moves out on his own, and due to a balanced diet and a disciplined lifestyle, he becomes a strong and healthy young cricket. Dế Mèn takes great pride in his martial arts-like appearance. He often mocks the people in his neighborhood, especially Dế Choắt, for being weak and incapable. Dế Mèn taunts chị Cốc and then retreats into a deep burrow. Chị Cốc mistakenly believes Dế Choắt is the one who mocked her and severely injures him. Before dying, Dế Choắt advises Dế Mèn to stop his reckless behavior and to think carefully before acting. This becomes the first life lesson for Dế Mèn.
Structure: The text can be divided into two parts:
1. Part 1 (from the beginning to "...can't be undone"): A self-portrait of Dế Mèn.
2. Part 2 (the rest): The first life lesson.
Main Content: The first lesson Dế Mèn learns is the cost of reckless, thoughtless actions. This lesson is expressed through Dế Choắt's sincere advice: "If you live with a hot temper and a lack of thought, you'll eventually bring harm upon yourself." This lesson is also a reflection for humanity.
Preparation: Fable stories often use animals as characters, with authors personifying them (giving them human traits).
When reading a fable, we learn about:
- Dế Mèn's strong, arrogant appearance.
- The weak Dế Choắt – Dế Mèn's neighbor.
- Dế Mèn acting like a mentor to Dế Choắt about household matters.
- Dế Mèn teasing chị Cốc.
- The consequences of teasing chị Cốc.
The main event is: Dế Mèn teasing chị Cốc and the aftermath.
The characters include: the crickets (Dế Mèn, Dế Choắt) and the bird (chị Cốc). Dế Mèn is the main character.
The animals' characteristics in the story reflect both their animal traits and human-like qualities:
Dế Mèn
Animal traits:
- Shiny, powerful legs.
- Claws on the feet and knees that are hardening and becoming sharp.
- Short front wings that have now grown long and cover the tail.
- A brown, shiny body.
- A big head, very stubborn.
- Two black teeth always chewing.
- Long, curled antennae, often using his feet to groom them.
Human traits:
- A strong young cricket.
- A long coat that reaches to the tail.
- Walks with dignity.
- When I speak loudly, everyone listens and stays silent.
- Yells at chị Cào Cào, makes others hide their faces.
- Occasionally kicks anh Gọng Vó.
- I thought I was powerful, almost at the top of the world.
- Arrogant, boastful, conceited, mischievous.
Dế Choắt
Animal traits:
- Thin, long body.
- Short wings that end in the middle of his back, exposing his ribs.
- Wide, heavy legs that look unattractive.
- A broken antenna.
Human traits:
- Like an opium addict.
- Looks like someone in a sleeveless vest.
- His face seems vacant, absent-minded.
- Impulsive and careless nature.
Chị Cốc
Animal traits:
- Stands in the shade, preening feathers and beak.
- Fluffy body, sharp beak like an iron rod.
Human traits: She glares with wide eyes, wings raised as if preparing for a fight.
The story conveys a lesson about arrogance, bullying the weak, and selfishness.
This lesson is meaningful to me because it helps me realize my own flaws and those of the people around me, encouraging me to be more considerate and act with moderation.
Before reading the text 'The First Life Lesson', explore the author Tô Hoài and his work 'The Adventures of Dế Mèn'.
Tô Hoài (1920 – 2014), born Nguyễn Sen, from Hanoi, was a prolific author with a keen sense of observation and a rich, descriptive writing style. He left behind more than 100 works, including 'The Grasshopper and the Goat' and 'The Adventures of Dế Mèn'.
'The Adventures of Dế Mèn' is a fable published in 1954, which is a compilation of two stories: 'Con Dế Mèn' and 'The Adventures of Dế Mèn'.
I have never played with a cricket. I think they usually live in grass clumps or rock crevices and feed on grass.
Reading Comprehension
Question on page 5 of the 6th-grade Vietnamese textbook: Pay attention to the details describing Dế Mèn.
Answer:
Details describing Dế Mèn:
- Shiny, powerful legs.
- Claws on the feet and knees that are hardening and becoming sharp.
- Short front wings that have now grown long and cover the tail.
- A brown, shiny body.
- A big head, very stubborn.
- Two black teeth always chewing.
- Long, curled antennae, often using his feet to groom them.
Question on page 6 of the 6th-grade Vietnamese textbook: From Dế Mèn's perspective, how do you imagine Dế Choắt?
Answer:
- Dế Choắt is very thin, long and lanky, with short wings that stop at the middle of his back, exposing his ribs. His legs are wide, heavy, and unattractive, with broken antennae. He looks extremely weak, underdeveloped.
Question on page 7 of the 6th-grade Vietnamese textbook: What similarities do you notice between Dế Mèn and Dế Choắt as depicted in the illustrations below?
Answer:
- Dế Mèn is fully developed and appears large, while Dế Choắt is thin and pale, looking much weaker compared to Dế Mèn.
Question on page 8 of the 6th-grade Vietnamese textbook: How did Dế Mèn behave mischievously?
Answer:
- Dế Mèn was mischievous by:
- Teasing everyone in the neighborhood.
- When I raised my voice, everyone was silent and didn’t respond.
- Yelling at chị Cào Cào, making others hide their faces.
- Occasionally kicking anh Gọng Vó.
- I thought I was powerful and on the verge of ruling the world.
Question on page 9 of the 6th-grade Vietnamese textbook: What disaster does Dế Mèn refer to here? Who was affected?
Answer:
- The disaster Dế Mèn refers to is caused by his teasing chị Cốc, which led to her mistakenly attacking Dế Choắt.
Question on page 9 of the 6th-grade Vietnamese textbook: How do you imagine Dế Mèn's face at this moment?
Answer:
- His face is horrified, pale with fear, and full of regret.
Question on page 10 of the 6th-grade Vietnamese textbook: Which character is depicted in the illustration, and what event is it illustrating?
Answer:
- The illustration depicts Dế Mèn burying Dế Choắt’s body, building a large mound over it, standing silently, reflecting on the first lesson he learned.
After Reading
Question 1 on page 10 of the 6th-grade Vietnamese textbook: The story is told from the perspective of which character? Identify the characters involved.
Answer:
- The story is told from Dế Mèn's perspective.
- The characters in the story are Dế Mèn, Dế Choắt, and chị Cốc.
Question 2 on page 10 of the 6th-grade Vietnamese textbook: What does Dế Mèn regret? Summarize the event in about three lines.
Answer:
- Dế Mèn regrets his reckless behavior that led to teasing chị Cốc, causing the tragic death of Dế Choắt. He learns his first life lesson about selfishness.
Question 3 on page 10 of the 6th-grade Vietnamese textbook: How did Dế Mèn change his attitude and mood after teasing chị Cốc, which led to Dế Choắt's death? Why did this change occur?
Answer:
- After the incident, Dế Mèn felt terrified, kneeling and lifting Dế Choắt's head. He regretted his reckless actions, felt sorrow for Dế Choắt, and repented for his mistake.
- This change occurred because Dế Mèn began to recognize the consequences of his foolishness, which resulted in a tragic death.
Question 4 on page 10 of the 6th-grade Vietnamese textbook: From the self-portrait and Dế Mèn's speech, attitude, tone, and behavior toward Dế Choắt and chị Cốc, what do you think about his character?
Answer:
- Dế Mèn's self-portrait shows pride and arrogance.
- His speech, tone, and attitude toward Dế Choắt and chị Cốc are mocking and dismissive.
- His character is arrogant, mischievous, selfish, and self-centered.
Question 5 on page 10 of the 6th-grade Vietnamese textbook: At the end of the passage, after burying Dế Choắt, Dế Mèn "stood silently for a long time" and "thought about the first life lesson." What do you think this lesson is?
Answer:
- Dế Mèn learns a lesson about arrogance, bullying the weak, and selfishness. He understands the importance of being considerate and acting with moderation.
Question 6 on page 10 of the 6th-grade Vietnamese textbook: The author Tô Hoài once shared: "Characters in fables are personified while still staying true to the real life of the animal." Based on what you know about crickets, identify aspects that are "true" in the text and point out details that were "personified" by the author.
Answer:
- True animal traits of Dế Mèn:
- Shiny, powerful legs.
- Claws on the feet and knees that are hardening and becoming sharp.
- Short front wings that have now grown long and cover the tail.
- A brown, shiny body.
- A big head, very stubborn.
- Two black teeth always chewing.
- Long, curled antennae, often using his feet to groom them.
- Personified human traits of Dế Mèn:
- A strong, youthful cricket.
- A long coat that reaches to the tail.
- Walks with dignity.
- When I speak loudly, everyone listens and stays silent.
- Yells at chị Cào Cào, makes others hide their faces.
- Occasionally kicks anh Gọng Vó.
- I thought I was powerful and on the verge of ruling the world.
- Arrogant, boastful, conceited, mischievous.
3. Sample composition number 1
1. Preparation
Review the literature knowledge to apply when analyzing this text.
When reading a fable, pay attention to the following:
- What is the story about? What are the key events?
- Which animals are the main characters? Who is the protagonist?
- How are the animals' characteristics depicted in the story, both in terms of their animal traits and human-like qualities?
- What lesson does the story impart? Is the lesson meaningful to you?
Task:
The story narrates the first life lesson of Cricket Men. The key events in the story are:
- The muscular appearance of Cricket Men
- Cricket Men’s contempt for Cricket Chot
- The death of Cricket Chot
- The first life lesson learned
- The main characters in the story: Cricket Men, Cricket Chot, and Sister Cock
- The protagonist: Cricket Men
- Similarities between the animals in the story and humans:
- Descriptions resembling human characteristics:
- Cricket Men: A robust young man, walking proudly with a posture suggesting a martial arts master
- Cricket Chot: Thin and fragile, resembling a drug addict, with a confused expression
- Personality traits: Stubborn, aggressive, arrogant, proud, and weak
The story’s lesson: One should not be arrogant, reckless, or selfish, as these traits bring harm to others and oneself. This lesson is very meaningful to us.
2. Comprehension Questions
* Questions during the text:
- Pay attention to the details describing Cricket Men.
- Based on Cricket Men’s narrative, how would you imagine Cricket Chot?
- What similarities do the images of Cricket Men and Cricket Chot you imagined in part 3 share with the ones in the illustration below?
- How did Cricket Men "mischievously" act?
- What misfortune does Cricket Men describe here? Who does it affect?
- Imagine Cricket Men’s expression at this moment.
- Which character and event in the story does the illustration depict?
Task:
The important details in describing Cricket Men are:
- Appearance:
- Antennae: shiny
- Claws: sharp and pointed
- Wings: long, reaching the tail
- Head: large, with noticeable lumps
- Teeth: jet black, gnawing noisily
- Antennae: long, curved
- Actions:
- Walking with pride, making a show, stepping with elegance
- Shouting at the grasshoppers, teasing the crickets
- Kicking and stomping the grass, acting as if from a martial arts family
- Chewing noisily, carefully grooming himself
Based on Cricket Men’s description, you can imagine Cricket Chot as:
- A similar age to Cricket Men
- Thin, with short wings and broad claws, a stubby antennae
Thus, Cricket Chot appears ugly, frail, and the complete opposite of Cricket Men.
- The images you imagined of Cricket Men and Cricket Chot share similarities in their external appearance and in the arrogant behavior of Cricket Men and the weakness of Cricket Chot when you look at the illustration.
- Cricket Men mischievously teased Sister Cock.
- The misfortune that befell Cricket Chot happened because he made fun of Sister Cock, leading to his tragic death.
- Cricket Men’s face at this point is full of remorse, with silent tears flowing as he lowers his head, offering an apology to Chot.
- The illustration depicts Cricket Men standing in regret at the grave of Cricket Chot, reflecting on how his careless actions led to Chot’s death.
* Final Questions:
- Who narrates the story? Identify the characters in the story.
- What does Cricket Men regret? Summarize the event in about three lines.
- How did Cricket Men’s attitude and mood change after teasing Sister Cock, leading to Cricket Chot’s death? Why did this change occur?
- From Cricket Men’s self-portrait and his speech, behavior, and tone toward Cricket Chot and Sister Cock, what can you infer about his character?
- At the end of the excerpt, after burying Cricket Chot, Cricket Men "stood still for a long time" and "thought about his first life lesson." What do you think this lesson is?
- Writer Tô Hoài once said: "Characters in fables are anthropomorphized, yet their actions are grounded in the real behavior of the animals." Based on what you know about crickets, point out the "real" details in the text and the anthropomorphized elements the author created.
Task:
The story is narrated by Cricket Men. The characters in the story are: Cricket Men, Cricket Chot, Sister Cock.
Summary: The excerpt describes Cricket Men’s robust youth and his arrogance. He teases Sister Cock, causing the tragic death of Cricket Chot. Cricket Men feels regret and learns his first life lesson.
- After teasing Sister Cock, Cricket Men initially felt amused by his actions.
- His attitude changed drastically afterward: fear, shock, regret, realizing the foolishness of his actions.
- Cricket Men changes because he realizes that his actions led to Cricket Chot’s death.
4. Cricket Men’s Personality:
- Cricket Men is confident, enjoys life, and takes pride in his appearance and strength.
- He is arrogant, self-important, and reckless, looking down on others.
5. At the end of the excerpt, after burying Cricket Chot, Cricket Men "stood still for a long time" and "thought about his first life lesson." I believe the lesson is: One must be humble, care for those around us, and when we make mistakes, we must regret and correct them.
6. Real traits of crickets described by the author:
- Shiny claws
- Sharp and pointed foot claws
- Brownish, shiny body, smooth and attractive
- Large, bumpy head
- Black teeth, chewing noisily
These real traits were cleverly anthropomorphized by the author, such as:
- The character’s name written in uppercase, giving them a human-like quality
- Cricket Men behaves like a human, eating regularly, exercising, walking with pride, and interacting with the community
- Personality traits like arrogance and self-importance, as seen in human behavior.
4. Sample Lesson Plan No. 2
1. Preparation
- Review the literature knowledge to apply it in understanding the text
- When reading a fable, students should pay attention to the following:
Question 1: What event does the story tell about? What are the main events?
Answer:
- The story tells about the first life lesson of Cricket Men. The main events narrated are:
- Cricket Men's strong appearance
- Cricket Men's disdain for Cricket Choat
- The death of Cricket Choat
- The first life lesson
Question 2: What animals are the characters in the story? Who is the main character?
Answer:
The main characters in the story are: Cricket Men, Cricket Choat, and Sister Cốc.
* The main character: Cricket Men
Question 3: How are the shapes and personalities of the animals in the story similar to both the animals and humans?
Answer:
The similarity between the animals in the story and humans lies in:
- Their human-like description:
- Cricket Men: a strong young man, walking with pride, his head growing in large chunks, walking with swagger, and having the air of a martial artist.
- Cricket Choat: thin, lanky, resembling a drug addict, with a confused look on his face.
- Personality traits: stubborn, aggressive, arrogant, haughty, weak
Question 4: What lesson does the story want to convey? Does this lesson matter to you?
Answer:
* The message the story conveys: In life, one should not be aggressive, reckless, mischievous, or selfish, as it can bring harm to others and to oneself. => This lesson is very meaningful to us.
2. Understanding the text
* Mid-story question:
Question 1: Pay attention to the details describing Cricket Men.
Answer:
Key details describing Cricket Men:
- Appearance:
- Body: sleek and glossy
- Claws: hard, sharply pointed
- Wings: long coat with trailing edges
- Head: large, prominent
- Teeth: sharp, chomping continuously
- Antennae: long, curving
- Actions:
- Walks proudly, making a show, bouncing with every step
- Shouting at the grasshoppers, teasing the crickets
- Raises legs, stomping through the grass in a martial arts style.
- Chomps repeatedly, grooming himself with dignity
Question 2: Based on Cricket Men’s narration, how would you imagine Cricket Choat?
Answer:
- From Cricket Men’s narration, I imagine Cricket Choat as:
- Aged similarly to Cricket Men
- Thin, short wings, wide claws, and stubby antennae
=> Cricket Choat is unattractive and weak, the opposite of Cricket Men.
Question 3: How do the images of Cricket Men and Cricket Choat in part 3 compare to the ones in the illustration below?
Answer:
The images of Cricket Men and Cricket Choat in part 3 resemble those in the illustration in their physical appearance and the arrogant bullying of Cricket Men compared to the helplessness of Cricket Choat.
Question 4: How did Cricket Men “mischievously” act?
Answer:
Cricket Men acted “mischievously” by teasing Sister Cốc.
Question 5: What disaster is being described here, and who did it happen to?
Answer:
The disaster here occurred to Cricket Choat, who died tragically after teasing Sister Cốc.
Question 6: Imagine the expression on Cricket Men’s face at this moment.
Answer:
Cricket Men’s expression is full of remorse, with tears silently streaming down his face as he bows his head in apology to Choat.
Question 7: Which character is illustrated, and what event does the illustration depict?
Answer:
The illustration depicts Cricket Men standing in remorse before Cricket Choat’s grave, reflecting on the tragedy caused by his reckless teasing of Sister Cốc.
* Final question:
Question 1: Who tells this story? Identify the characters involved in the story.
Answer:
- The story is told by: Cricket Men
- The characters in the story are: Cricket Men, Cricket Choat, and Sister Cốc
Question 2: What is Cricket Men regretting? Summarize the incident in about three lines.
Answer:
Summary:
The passage describes Cricket Men’s physical strength and youthful beauty, but also his arrogance and impulsiveness. He caused the tragic death of Cricket Choat by teasing Sister Cốc. Cricket Men regrets his actions and learns his first life lesson.
Question 3: How did Cricket Men’s attitude and mood change after the incident with Sister Cốc leading to Cricket Choat’s death? Why did this change happen?
Answer:
After teasing Sister Cốc, Cricket Men lay down comfortably and initially found it amusing.
However, his attitude and mood changed to fear and remorse as he realized his actions led to Cricket Choat’s death.
=> The change in Cricket Men’s attitude and mood happened because he recognized the consequences of his reckless behavior.
Question 4: Based on the details of self-description, mannerisms, and attitude towards Cricket Choat and Sister Cốc, what can you infer about Cricket Men’s character?
Answer:
Cricket Men’s character:
- Cricket Men is a confident, life-loving cricket who takes great pride in himself and his physical strength, always boasting to his neighbors.
- He is arrogant, conceited, and dismissive of others.
Question 5: At the end of the passage, after burying Cricket Choat, Cricket Men “stood still for a long time” and “thought about his first life lesson.” What do you think this lesson was?
Answer:
At the end of the passage, after burying Cricket Choat, Cricket Men “stood still for a long time” and “thought about his first life lesson.”
=> The lesson: In life, we must be humble, care for others, and when we make mistakes, we must admit them and correct them.
Question 6: Author Tô Hoài once shared: “The characters in fables are personified but still retain realistic traits of the animals.” Based on what you know about crickets, identify the “real” traits depicted in the text, and point out the elements that have been “personified” by the author.
Answer:
- Real traits of crickets as described by the author:
- Shiny, smooth claws.
- Sharp, hard legs and feet.
- Body covered in a brownish, glossy color, often admired.
- Large, prominent heads with a proud stance.
- Sharp, black teeth that continuously chew.
- The author skillfully personifies these traits, attaching human-like actions, gestures, personalities, and behaviors to the crickets, such as:
- Characters have human-like names, the animals act like humans, such as eating regularly, exercising, speaking formally, walking with pride, and joking with neighbors.
- Cricket Men is arrogant, conceited, and superior, much like a human with a similar attitude.
5. Reference Assignment 3
Literature Knowledge
1. Fable Stories, Themes, and Topics
- A fable story is a type of narrative where animals are often the central characters. These animals are described and portrayed as humans (a technique called anthropomorphism).
- The theme refers to the scope of life depicted in the text. For example, the theme of the story 'The Legend of Hoan Kiem Lake' is about fighting invaders to save the country.
- The topic represents the main issue discussed in the text. For instance, the topic of 'The Legend of Hoan Kiem Lake' is the spirit of patriotism and the desire for peace of our people.
2. Expanding the Subject
- The subject is one of the two main components of a sentence, indicating the entity or phenomenon that performs the action, state, or characteristic described in the predicate; it answers the questions Who? What? Which?
- The subject is usually expressed by a noun or pronoun. A sentence can have one or more subjects.
- To fully reflect objective reality and express the feelings and attitudes of the writer (or speaker), the subject, which is a noun, is often expanded into a noun phrase, which consists of a noun as the central element and one or more modifiers.
Lesson Plan: The First Life Lesson
1. Preparation
a. Answer the questions in the textbook
- The story narrates the first life lesson of the cricket, Dế Mèn.
- The main events of the story include:
- Dế Mèn introduces himself.
- Dế Mèn talks about his neighbor, Dế Choắt.
- Dế Mèn mocks chị Cốc.
- The death of Dế Choắt.
The first life lesson of Dế Mèn.
- Characters in the story: Dế Mèn, Dế Choắt, and chị Cốc. Main character: Dế Mèn.
- Similarities between the animals in the story and humans include:
- Physical appearance resembling humans: Dế Mèn: a strong young man, walking confidently, his head big and squared, standing proudly, each step with an elegant stride, resembling a martial artist's style…;
- Dế Choắt: skinny and lanky like a drug addict, his legs too thin and unattractive, with a vacant expression...
- Personality: Dế Mèn: aggressive, arrogant, proud; Dế Choắt: weak, timid…
- The moral of the story is: In life, those who act aggressively without reason, having a mind but not thinking properly, will inevitably bring misfortune upon themselves. This is a valuable lesson, reminding us to live humbly and think carefully before acting.
- Some facts about the cricket species: belonging to the insect family, crickets are found in grassy fields, bushes, or forests, most active at night…
b. Briefly about the author and the work
* Author
- To Hoài (1920 - 2014), real name Nguyễn Sen.
- To Hoài was born in the hometown of Kim Bài Town, Thanh Oai District, in the old Hà Đông province. However, he grew up in his maternal hometown, Nghĩa Đô village, Từ Liêm District, Hoài Đức district, Hà Đông (now part of Nghĩa Đô Ward, Cầu Giấy District, Hanoi).
- He had a deep and broad understanding of the customs and practices of many regions across the country.
- His works often focus on depicting the truths of daily life.
- He has written many types of works, including short stories, novels, memoirs, film scripts, essays, and more.
- In 1996, he was awarded the Hồ Chí Minh Prize for Literature and Arts.
- Some of his notable works include: 'The Adventures of Dế Mèn' (novel, 1941), 'The Mouse' (short story collection, 1942), 'Wild Grass' (memoir, 1944), 'Stories of the Northwest' (short story collection, 1953)...
* The Work:
- Origin: The story 'The First Life Lesson' is an excerpt from Chapter I of the novel 'The Adventures of Dế Mèn.' The title of the excerpt was given by the textbook compiler.
- Summary: Dế Mèn is a strong cricket because he maintains a balanced diet. However, he is also proud, believing that he “could soon be the ruler of the world.” He looks down on everyone, especially Dế Choắt, his weak and sickly neighbor. One day, Dế Mèn mocks chị Cốc, causing Dế Choắt to suffer from the consequences. Choắt is fatally injured by chị Cốc, and before he dies, he advises Dế Mèn to give up his arrogance. Dế Mèn feels deeply regretful and learns his first life lesson.
- Structure:
- Part 1: From the beginning to “I could soon be the ruler of the world”: Dế Mèn introduces himself.
- Part 2: From then to “I’ll leave, without a care”: The story of his neighbor, Dế Choắt.
- Part 3: The rest: Dế Mèn learns his first life lesson.
2. Reading Comprehension
(1) Pay attention to the descriptions of Dế Mèn.
Physical appearance:
- His legs are muscular and shiny.
- The claws on his legs and knees are getting harder and sharper.
- His body is covered in a shiny brown, oily coat, which makes him very attractive.
- His head grew larger, forming rough, stubborn lumps.
- His black teeth were always chewing on something.
- Actions and personality:
- He eats and works in moderation, growing fast.
- A young, strong cricket.
- He walks proudly, his body gleaming, very handsome.
- From time to time, he gracefully lifts his legs to groom his antennae.
- He walks with an air of dignity, every step making a subtle sway.
- His sharp black teeth are always chewing like two working sickles.
- He dares to provoke everyone in the neighborhood: scolding chị Cào Cào, teasing anh Gọng Vó…
(2) Based on Dế Mèn's story, how do you imagine Dế Choắt?
Hint: Dế Choắt is about the same age as Dế Mèn, but is weak and frail.
(3) What similarities can you find between the image of Dế Mèn and Dế Choắt in the third section and their portrayal in the image below?
Hint: Similarities in appearance: Dế Mèn is strong and healthy, while Dế Choắt is thin and weak.
(4) How did Dế Mèn act mischievously?
Dế Mèn teased chị Cốc, causing her to become extremely angry.
(5) What disaster did Dế Mèn describe here? Who did it happen to?
- The disaster described by Dế Mèn: The tragic death of Dế Choắt.
- It happened to Dế Choắt.
(6) Imagine Dế Mèn's expression at this moment:
His face was filled with sorrow, his head hung low in regret.
(7) Which character and event does the illustration depict in the story?
The illustration shows Dế Mèn standing before Dế Choắt's grave, reflecting on his first life lesson.
3. Answer the Questions
Question 1. Who is the narrator of the story? Identify the characters involved.
- The story is narrated by Dế Mèn.
- The characters involved are: Dế Mèn, Dế Choắt, chị Cốc.
Question 2. What does Dế Mèn regret? Summarize the event in about three lines.
- Dế Mèn regrets teasing chị Cốc, which led to the tragic death of Dế Choắt.
- Summary: Dế Mèn is a strong cricket, but arrogant. He mocked chị Cốc, causing her to become furious, and as a result, Dế Choắt, who was nearby, suffered and died tragically.
Question 3. How did Dế Mèn's attitude and emotions change after teasing chị Cốc, leading to Dế Choắt's death? Why did this change occur?
- After teasing chị Cốc, Dế Mèn relaxed, resting comfortably, finding his actions amusing.
- When Dế Choắt was attacked by chị Cốc, Dế Mèn became scared, regretful, and realized his mistake.
Question 4. Based on Dế Mèn's self-description and his tone, mannerisms, and attitude toward Dế Choắt and chị Cốc, what can you infer about his character?
- Dế Mèn is very confident and proud of himself.
- Dế Mèn is arrogant and haughty.
Question 5. At the end of the excerpt, after burying Dế Choắt, Dế Mèn “stood silently for a long time” and “thought about his first life lesson.” What do you think this lesson is?
The lesson Dế Mèn learned: In life, being aggressively thoughtless, having intelligence but not using it wisely, will eventually bring trouble to oneself.
Question 6. The author, To Hoài, once shared: “The characters in fables are anthropomorphized while still retaining traits of real-life animals.” Based on what you know about crickets, can you identify elements in the text that are based on real characteristics, and what parts have been anthropomorphized by the author?
- Real characteristics:
- Muscular, shiny legs.
- Sharp claws on the legs and knees.
- Shiny, oily brown body, which is very attractive.
- His head grows, forming rough, stubborn lumps.
- His teeth are black and always chewing.
- Anthropomorphized details:
- Eating and working in moderation, growing quickly.
- A strong, young cricket.
- Walking proudly, body gleaming and attractive.
- Occasionally, he raises both legs to groom his antennae.
- Walking gracefully, each step with an elegant sway.
- His sharp black teeth always chewing like two working sickles.
- Provoking everyone in the neighborhood: scolding chị Cào Cào, teasing anh Gọng Vó…
