Unit 1: How I Taught My Grandmother to Read + Bharat Our Land

Science · CBSE Class 9 · NCERT ‘Exploration’ · Notes & Solutions

Unit 1 — Summary, Themes & Literary Devices

Every Kaveri unit pairs a prose piece with a poem on a shared theme. Unit 1’s theme is literacy, learning and independence.

Prose: “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read” — Sudha Murty

The narrator, a twelve-year-old girl, stays with her grandparents in a north-Karnataka village. Her grandmother Krishtakka (“Avva”), who never went to school and cannot read, loves listening to the serial novel Kashi Yatre by the Kannada writer Triveni, read aloud each week by the narrator. Once, when the narrator is away at a wedding for a week, Avva cannot read the new episode herself and feels helpless and dependent. That night she weeps and resolves to learn the Kannada alphabet by Saraswati Puja (Dassara). Though the narrator first laughs at her, Avva works harder than any student. On the festival day she can read on her own — and she touches her granddaughter’s feet as a mark of respect for her teacher, declaring that a teacher deserves respect “irrespective of gender and age.”

Themes: the value of education, “there is no age bar for learning,” determination overcoming obstacles, self-respect and independence, and the loving bond between generations. Message: “For a good cause if you are determined, you can overcome any obstacle.”

Characters: the narrator (young, affectionate, becomes Avva’s first teacher — later a Computer-Science teacher); Krishtakka / Avva (determined, humble, self-respecting). Told as a warm first-person memoir.

Poem: “Bharat Our Land” — Subramania Bharati

An ode celebrating India’s natural grandeur and spiritual heritage — the mighty Himavant (Himalayas), the generous Ganga, the sacred Upanishads, its warriors, sages, Brahma-knowledge and the Buddha’s teachings. The refrain “she’s peerless, let’s praise her!” rings with national pride.

Literary devices in the poem: personification (India as “she/her”); metaphor (“sunny golden land” = richness and glory); symbolism (Himavant = strength/permanence, Ganga = purity/generosity); allusion (Upanishads, Brahma-knowledge, the Buddha); hyperbole and a refrain that gives a chant-like rhythm. Tone: reverent and celebratory; mood: pride and admiration.

Key Terms

memoir, protagonist, theme, tone, mood, first-person narration, ode, refrain, personification, metaphor, symbolism, allusion, hyperbole, imagery, binomial, prefix, idiom, past perfect tense.

Textbook Questions — Full Solutions

Complete answers to the prose “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read” and the poem “Bharat Our Land” — Reading for Meaning, Check Your Understanding, Critical Reflection, Vocabulary & poem appreciation.

RMReading for Meaning — match the highlighted words with their meanings.

protagonist = main character; debate = discussion; episode = a part of a story; community = people living in one particular area; concentration = focus; eagerly = excitedly; convincing = believable; guided = directed.

CU1Check Your Understanding (Part I) — cause and effect.

(i) Cause: the transport system was poor, so papers/magazines arrived late. (ii) Effect: because Krishtakka never went to school and could not read, the narrator read the story aloud to her. (iii) Cause: the grandmother identified with the novel’s heroine and was deeply interested → she discussed each episode with her friends. (iv) Effect: the narrator was away for a week, so no one read the new episode and the grandmother felt helpless. (v) Cause: she felt dependent and regretted never going to school. (vi) Effect: she resolved to learn the Kannada alphabet to become independent.

CU2Did the narrator expect to see her grandmother in tears? / How might she help her?

No — the narrator was surprised because she had never seen Avva cry, even in the most difficult situations. She could help by teaching her grandmother to read and write herself.

TFCheck Your Understanding (Part II) — True / False.

1. True (she wanted independence). 2. False (she was too embarrassed to ask anyone). 3. True (the narrator was her first teacher). 4. True (“for learning there is no age bar”). 5. True (she touched the narrator’s feet as respect for a teacher). 6. False (the grandmother learned brilliantly — “passed with flying colours”).

CR1Critical Reflection — Extract 1 (grandmother in tears).

(i) ‘never seen her cry in the most difficult situations’ → A. strong-willed. (ii) she was too emotional to respond. (iii) rural-setting clue: “sleeping in the open terrace of our house” on a summer full-moon night (and the name ‘Avva’). (iv) tender atmosphere: “Her affectionate hands touched my forehead”. (v) NOT emphasised → C. the grandmother’s regret over her lack of education.

CR2Critical Reflection — Extract 2 (“I want to be independent”).

(i) B. She desires self-sufficiency. (ii) learning has no age limit. (iii) the narrator laughs because she thinks 62 is too old — “grey hair, wrinkled hands, spectacles.” (iv) two qualities: determination and self-respect (also hard-working). (v) she is making assumptions by judging that age (grey hair, wrinkles) makes learning impossible.

AQAnswer the following (prose).

1. She felt embarrassed because being unable to read made her feel dependent and helpless, and she was ashamed to reveal it. 2. She laughs because she assumes 62 is too old to start learning. 3. Kashi Yatre is both the grandmother’s favourite story (she identifies with its heroine) and the trigger that makes her want to read independently. 4. Her desire reflects her determination, self-respect and longing for independence. 5. It teaches that a teacher deserves respect regardless of age or gender, and shows humility. 6. It broadens into the theme that determination can overcome any obstacle, including age. 7. Very effectively — the story shows how literacy gives Avva dignity and independence.

VBVocabulary — binomials.

sink or swim = succeed or fail without help; on and off = sometimes/occasionally; mix and match = put different things together; all or nothing = done completely or not at all; part and parcel = complete part of / belong to; pick and choose = choose only the best; sooner or later = at some time in the future; leaps and bounds = increase or develop very quickly.

VPVocabulary — prefixes (opposite/negative).

popular → unpopular; belief → disbelief; important → unimportant; respect → disrespect; correct → incorrect; continue → discontinue; understand → misunderstand; ordinary → extraordinary; interesting → uninteresting; possible → impossible.

VIVocabulary — idioms about learning.

hit the books = study seriously; draw a blank = be unable to remember; learn the ropes = understand how to do an activity; rack one’s brain = think very hard; learn by heart = memorise something; burn the midnight oil = study or work late into the night.

VTVocabulary — simple past & past perfect.

(i) A. arrived / had already begun; B. learned / started; C. started / had ensured; D. recognised / had exhausted; E. logged in / had already discussed. (ii) A. took; B. reviewed; C. had spent; D. discussed; E. opened; F. set; G. had already introduced; H. hurried; I. had completed; J. enjoyed.

P-RRPoem — Reflect & Respond (odd one out).

1. peerless → odd = valuable (peerless = incomparable/unmatched). 2. sanctified → odd = applauded (sanctified = blessed/purified). 3. auspicious → odd = fantastic (auspicious = fortunate/favourable). 4. hoary antiquity → odd = recent past (it means ancient times / time immemorial).

P-CUPoem — complete the summary.

1. historical greatness; 2. Himavant; 3. Ganga; 4. Upanishads; 5. warriors; 6. sages; 7. Brahma-knowledge; 8. Buddha; 9. peerless; 10. praise.

P-SYMPoem — symbolism match.

Himavant → strength and permanence; Ganga → purity and generosity; Upanishads → spiritual and philosophical legacy; Gallant warriors & sages → courage and wisdom; Brahma-knowledge & Buddha’s Dhamma → knowledge and enlightenment; Sunny golden land → richness and glory.

P-FPoem — features, refrain, metaphor & Critical Reflection.

Mood: pride/admiration. Tone: reverent, celebratory. Personification: India referred to as “she/her,” the Ganga’s “grace.” The refrain “she’s peerless, let’s praise her!” stresses India’s uniqueness and creates a chant-like rhythm. The metaphor “sunny golden land” suggests India is rich and glorious. Critical Reflection: (1) ‘mighty’ = the strength/grandeur of the Himavant; (2) the question mark is used to (ii) emphasise a point; (3) ‘generous’ — the Ganga gives water and life selflessly; (4) ‘graceful’ — its smooth, flowing movement; (5) the Upanishads are unmatched in wisdom. Being an ode, it praises India in an elevated, emotional style.

Extra Practice — Hard / HOTS Questions

Higher-order thinking and application questions in CBSE style.

1‘For a good cause if you are determined, you can overcome any obstacle.’ Discuss with an example from the story and your own life. (HOTS)

In the story, Avva overcomes old age, grey hair and a busy kitchen through sheer determination to learn to read by Saraswati Puja. The line means that a strong purpose and steady effort can defeat any difficulty — age, fear or circumstance. (Own example: e.g. a person learning a new skill late in life, or a student overcoming a weak subject through daily practice.)

2Compare the grandmother and the narrator as ‘teacher’ and ‘student’. How do their roles reverse? (HOTS)

Traditionally the elder guides the child, but here the twelve-year-old becomes the teacher and the sixty-two-year-old becomes the eager student. The grandmother honours this by touching her granddaughter’s feet — showing that respect flows to a teacher ‘irrespective of gender and age.’ The reversal highlights humility, mutual love, and that learning levels all barriers.

3Write a short character sketch of Krishtakka (Avva). (Application)

Krishtakka is a sixty-two-year-old village grandmother — warm, usually smiling, and hard-working. Though illiterate and married young, she is self-respecting and fiercely determined: once she feels the helplessness of not being able to read, she sets a deadline and works harder than any student to become literate. Her humility (touching her granddaughter’s feet) and her belief that ‘learning has no age bar’ make her an inspiring figure.

4How does ‘Bharat Our Land’ build a sense of national pride? (HOTS)

The poet lists India’s unmatched gifts — the Himalayas, the Ganga, the Upanishads, its warriors, sages, Brahma-knowledge and the Buddha — and repeats the proud refrain ‘she’s peerless, let’s praise her!’ By combining natural grandeur with spiritual and intellectual heritage, and personifying India as a revered ‘she,’ the ode stirs admiration and love for the motherland.

5Both texts in Unit 1 celebrate ‘heritage’ — one personal, one national. Explain. (Value/HOTS)

The prose celebrates a personal and family heritage — the passing of literacy and respect between generations, and the dignity that learning brings. The poem celebrates a national heritage — India’s rivers, mountains, scriptures and sages. Together they show that heritage, whether a grandmother’s hard-won reading or a nation’s ancient wisdom, is something to value, preserve and pass on.