THE VISIT TO THE MANSION

Learning outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
● compare the two main characters and their way of living.
● analyse what is more important for happiness.
● Discuss the neighbourly goodness that exists.
● identify and use determiners with countable and uncountable nouns.
● identify some phrasal verbs.
● write a descriptive paragraph about a person.

Pre-reading
● What do you think the story is about?
● How would you expect the people from the mansion to be?
● How should we treat our neighbours?

Understanding the Text Excited, Laurie flew…more books than her.

Play the text in parts, on the Smart book. / Ask students:
Ask students to read the text in parts. / Read the Why was Laurie excited? (He was lonely and the
text in parts. thought of having someone visit him, delighted him.)
Pause to check comprehension. How did Laurie prepare for her visit? What did
Jo bring Laurie? (A sweet dish from Meg and three
Jo March…I’ll ask Mother. Wait.”
kittens from Beth to entertain Laurie. Her mother
Ask students: sent her love.) What difference can you make out
Why do you think Jo waited until Mr Laurence was between the two families? (Laurie lives alone with
out of the mansion before she went towards it? his grandfather and Jo has a large family with a
(Perhaps she was scared he would not like strangers caring mother and sisters.) Why does Laurie say that
trespassing. Perhaps she wanted to make friends Jo is kind? (She had bothered to visit him with some
with Laurie when his grandfather was not around.) soft food that he could eat without hurting his sore
What do you think of Jo setting out towards the throat and some pets to cheer him up.) Why does
mansion? (She seems like a bold girl with the courage Laurie prefer that they should talk instead of Jo
to do what she would like to do.) How did Jo attract reading to him? (He had read all his books and also,
Laurie’s attention? Does her action confirm what perhaps, he wished to get to know Jo and her family.)
you thought of Jo earlier? Explain. (Yes, it does. Why did Laurie hide the trembling of his lips when
She is bold enough to throw the snowball at the he talked about seeing her family together? (He
window instead of going to the door and knocking.) did not want her to see that he was sad to be a lonely
Why did Laurie ask her to come in and talk to him? child.) How many sisters does Jo have? What are
(He was ill, lonely and bored.) How do we know their names? How did Laurie know their names? (As
Jo did the right thing? (She went back to ask her a lonely boy, he might have been watching them and
mother if she could visit Laurie.) heard them calling out to one another.)
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 Why did Jo invite Laurie home? (She felt sad him Jo is bold for a girl of those times. She had noticed
because he was lonely while she had a large family. her neighbour, Laurie, being a lonely boy and
Also, she knew he would have a good time with them.) tries to make friends with him. She is also careful
How did Jo assure Laurie that he was welcome? to wait until his grandfather is out before she
(She told him he that he would not be disturbing attracts Laurie’s attention and gets invited inside.
them since they were neighbours. Neighbours are Coming from a middle-class family, she is suitably
meant to be neighbourly / friendly.) What did Jo like impressed by the show of wealth and class at the
about Laurie? (He too was interested in books like her mansion. And despite her protest that she is bold,
and had read many more of them.) she is afraid of meeting Laurie’s grandfather.
If you like them so much…March’s house Laurie is happy to welcome a visit by his
occasionally. neighbour, Jo. He is a lonely boy watching the
warmth of the March family as an outsider. He feels
Ask students:
that his wealth is no match for their joy of family
How do we know that Jo is right when she says she togetherness. He is a polite host while showing
isn’t afraid of anything? (She threw a snowball at his Jo around the house and excusing himself before
window to attract his attention and made the first going to his doctor. He is open and friendly, teasing
attempt to make friends with him, her neighbour.) Jo about being scared when she had professed she
Why was Jo impressed with Laurie’s house? (It was was not afraid and also confessing that a person
a grand mansion with many well-furnished rooms cannot be happy with only wealth.
and a large library.) What did Laurie say when Jo
Laurie’s grandpa is a supporting character, kind in
told him he should be the happiest boy in the
caring for his grandson and concerned about him
world? (He told her he may have a wealthy house but
disturbing the neighbours. He seems impressed
he was still lonely and so could not be really happy.)
with Jo.
Why did Jo get into a panic when the doorbell
rang? (She was afraid that it could be Laurie’s Jo’s family are absentee characters showing their
grandfather and wondered what he would have concern for their sick neighbour. Meg sends a
to say about her intruding.) What did Jo do while pudding, soft and easy to swallow with a sore
the doctor was checking on Laurie? (She stared throat, Beth sends kittens and Mother sends her
at Laurie’s grandfather’s portrait to make out what love. They represent what Laurie does not have,
kind of a person he would be.) Was Jo really as brave parents and siblings.
as she had boasted to Laurie? (No, she wasn’t. She The contrast is in the settings of the two families in
was afraid that his grandfather had come when the terms of have and have-nots.
doorbell rang earlier and when he had actually come
in and heard what she had said about him.) How Laurie has wealth and class. He has a caring
would you describe the three characters? grandfather who provides but does not have
parents and siblings to provide the joys of a family.
Appreciating the Text Jo comes from a middle-class family with no
This excerpt from a famous novel has two main wealth to speak of but she has parents and sisters
characters, Jo and Laurie. and the confidence that comes from the sense of
belonging.

Post-reading
Discussion:
● Do you think Laurie’s and Jo’s families will become family friends? Give your reasons.
● Do you like being an only child or being among siblings? Explain your stand.

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 Grammar and Usage determiners with countable and uncountable nouns
Review determiners with class. Once students have warmed up to the concept, proceed to
determiners that are used with countable and uncountable nouns.
Write these words on the board. Example: some, any, few, little, more, much, many, each, every, both, all,
enough, half, little, a lot of and so on.
Explain to the class that these words are used as determiners. They are commonly used before either
countable or uncountable nouns.
Example:
They have many dogs in their house.
He has enough money to buy a story book.
Ask students to work in pairs and say which of the determiners they would place in front of the
following nouns.

plates turbans sand brush water tomato cream

cooks doctor sticks needle notebook island hills
rivers playground sugar packets mice toys oil

Words in Use phrasal verbs

Explain phrasal verbs to the class: A verb and a preposition put together to give a different meaning.
Example: bear with, carry on, blow up, call off, give up, hold on
Brainstorm with class for meanings of these phrasal verbs. Help students if required.
Answers:

bear with: be patient

carry on: continue
blow up: explode
call off: cancel
give up: stop doing something that has been a habit
hold on: wait

Writing describing a person

Have a discussion on how to describe a person with the given input.
Write the main points on the board and provide the given examples to help students comprehend
better.

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 What can we say about someone who has influenced us in a special way?
For example: a grandparent, your teacher, a friend, a parent, sister, brother…
How do we begin the paragraph? We begin a paragraph with a topic sentence and some general
information about the way the person has influenced you.

Procedure
(Write the topic sentence.) My grandmother is my special friend.
(Provide specific interesting details that help the reader get to know the person you are talking about.)
She is my mother’s mother and I like to think I am her favourite because I am her eldest grandchild.
(Describe the person with specific details to help the reader imagine her.) She is quite tiny with curly
grey hair. She always grumbles about her hair because it does not stay in place. (Exaggerate) But she cannot
keep it for long; she soon breaks into the sunniest of smiles.
(Add some more details to add body to the topic sentence.) She writes stories for children and I have a
collection of them. I am amazed that she keeps adding to my collection.
(Describe the friendship you share with her and how it has made you what you are.) We are good
friends and we do everything together. I like to stand on a stool by the stove and keep stirring whatever she
puts into the cooking pot. I would watch her slice onions or chop vegetables doing everything bit by bit.
I have also learnt not to be bored, studying every day, however boring the lessons may be. I know it helps me
with marks in the examination.
(Close the paragraph with a recap.) This is what I have learnt from my grandmother and why I love her
so much.

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 WORKSHEET
THE VISIT TO THE MANSION GRAMMAR

Name of Student: Class:

Choose the correct determiners and fill in the blanks.

1. She does not have experience. (some / any)
2. trees have been thoughtlessly chopped down. (Any / Many)
3. I heard word of what was being said. (every / neither)
4. There is not sugar left in the jar. (much / many)
5. A students have not submitted the work. (few / fewer)
6. There is a space left. (lots of / little)

THE VISIT TO THE MANSION VOCABULARY

Make sentences of your own with the given phrasal verbs.

look for  see off  look up  call out

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 THE VISIT TO THE MANSION WRITING

Name of Student: Class:

Write a paragraph describing your friend.

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 ANSWER KEY TO THE WORKSHEETS

THE VISIT TO THE MANSION

Answer key to the grammar worksheet
1. She does not have any experience.
2. Many trees have been thoughtlessly chopped down.
3. I heard every word of what was being said.
4. There is not much sugar left in the jar.
5. A few students have not submitted the work.
6. There is a little space left.

Answer key to the vocabulary worksheet

Free response

QUESTION BANK WITH ANSWER KEY

THE VISIT TO THE MANSION

1. Read the lines and answer the questions.
“How kind you are!” said Laurie. “Now please take the big chair and let me do something to entertain
you.”
a. Who does Laurie refer to as a kind person?
b. Why does he say so?
c. Why does Laurie want to entertain the person?
d. How does the person react to Laurie’s remark?
Answers:
a. Laurie refers to Jo as a kind person.
b. He says so because Jo had brought a sweet dish for Laurie along with three kittens for him to
play with.
c. He is grateful to Jo for the kindness she has shown to him.
d. Jo wants Laurie to rest as he is unwell. Instead she wants to read a book for him.

2. Answer in brief.
How did Laurie react when he saw the snowball near his window?
Laurie saw the snow ball being tossed up. He peeped out wondering who would have thrown the ball.
The moment he spotted Jo he was very happy and he smiled at her.

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 3. Answer in detail.
How would you describe Jo?
Jo is an intelligent girl who likes to read books just as much as her neighbour, Laurie, does. She notices
that Laurie, who is sick, is a lonely boy and tries to make friends with him. When she sees that Laurie
would like to have her over, she runs home and gets him a sweet dish which he would be able to eat
without hurting his throat. Knowing that Laurie may like playing with kittens, she gets them over to
his place. She is caring and kind as she wants Laurie to rest and offers to read him a book.

4. Think and answer.

Do you think Laurie’s grandfather was a very strict man? Give reasons.
Laurie’s grandfather was not strict as Jo had thought him to be. He just did not allow Laurie to visit
his neighbours because he did not want him to disturb them. Besides, he did not want Laurie to go
out anywhere as he was suffering from a bad cold. In the end, we see that he is happy that Laurie has
made friends and sends Laurie to the March’s house occasionally.

STUDENTS’ BOOK ANSWER KEY

THE VISIT TO THE MANSION

Understanding the Text
A. 1. Jo tossed up a snowball to attract Laurie’s attention and make him look out of his window.
2. Laurie was unwell and alone at home. He invited Jo to come to his house as he was lonely and
bored and knew that he would feel better if he had someone to talk to.
3. Jo brought some blancmange and three tiny kittens for Laurie. He liked the kittens the most.
4. Laurie could often hear the March sisters talking to each other. Sometimes, he also saw them
sitting around the table with their mother. That is how he knew all of them.
5. Mr Laurence thought that people who did not know Laurie would feel disturbed if Laurie visited
them. So, he did not allow Laurie to visit their neighbours.
6. Laurie went to meet the doctor who had come to check if he was recovering well. Jo did not mind.
She was very happy to be surrounded by the innumerable books, and was looking at the portraits
with great curiosity and interest.
B. 1. b  2. c  3. b  4. a
C. 1. Jo and Laurie were neighbours. As she had never visited the grand old mansion of the Laurences,
Jo imagined that it would be a wonderful place, filled with delightful things. But she was also very
curious about Laurie, who never came out to play with them, and looked very lonely and shy. She
wanted to befriend him, and tell his grandfather to allow him to leave the house and play. So, one
day, when she saw old Mr Laurence drive away, Jo started walking towards the mansion. When
she spotted Laurie sitting all by himself in a room on the upper storey, she realised he had no
company at home and tossed up a snowball to make him look outside. Later, when Laurie told her
that he was unwell and invited her to visit him, she readily agreed, rushing to ask her mother for
permission. She knew it would make him feel better if he had someone to talk to.

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 2. The Marches and the Laurences were neighbours. Jo always wanted to befriend Laurie, who
looked very lonely. So, one afternoon, Jo visited Laurie when he said he had a bad cold and
requested her for company. When she finally arrived, Jo was carrying gifts sent by her family.
Her sister, Meg, had sent some blancmange for Laurie. It was a thoughtful gesture as Laurie would
not be able to swallow anything that hurt his throat. Beth had sent three kittens to cheer Laurie up
as he was sad and lonely. It actually worked, as Laurie soon started laughing over the kittens and
grew cheerful. Jo started talking to him, and even offered to read a book to him to make him feel
better. Later, when she realised how unhappy Laurie was, she invited him to visit her house so that
he could enjoy the warm and joyful company of the March family.
3. Jo is referring to the innumerable books in the library.
4. Laurie was very unhappy, as he was very lonely. While he had no one to talk to, he could hear the
March sisters talking to each other and playing together all day. Sometimes, he could also see
them sitting with their mother at a table. This made him sadder as it reminded him that he did not
have the warmth and loving company of his family.
5. No, Jo was not very brave. When she heard the bell ring, Jo thought that old Mr Laurence had
returned, and asked Laurie what she should do, with great alarm. She was really frightened that
she would meet old Mr Laurence in the house.

Appreciating the Text

a. Laurie was very lonely.
b. He understood that Jo loved books very much. He was also very generous.
c. Laurie did not like staying alone, and longed for the warmth and comfort of family.
d. Laurie had a wicked sense of humour.
e. Laurie was a caring friend and a polite person.

Grammar and Usage

A. 2. no  3. Few / Many  4. a lot of  5. any  6. some

B. 1. b. He  2. a. yours  b. mine  3. 
We  4. a. us  b. 
We  c. her
5. a. I   b. yours

Words in Use
A. 1. invite
2. shout something out to draw someone’s attention
3. search for something
4. try to find a particular information in a book or on the internet
5. go with someone to the door when they are leaving to say goodbye to them
6. go to a station or airport with someone to say goodbye to them

B. 2. c. I do not know how to spell this word. Shall I look it up in the dictionary?
3. e. Tomorrow is Grandma’s birthday. Father wants to look for a gift for her.
4. f. Some students have been selected for the play. Please call out their names.
5. a. The fridge stopped working yesterday. We need to call in the electrician.
6. b. Rohit is leaving today. His brother is going to see him off at the airport.

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 Writing
Suggested answer. Yesterday, as I sat at the window, I saw our neighbour, Jo March, tossing up
a snowball at my window with all her energy. As I leaned towards the window to see what was
happening, I saw that her face was shining with happiness and excitement. When she saw me, Jo
called out in a loud, cheerful voice and asked me what I was doing. I told her I had a bad cold and was
very bored as I was all alone. Then, I asked her if she could come and pay me a visit. She immediately
ran off to ask her mother for permission. When she finally came upstairs, she was carrying a dish of
blancmange and three kittens to cheer me up. I felt so happy! As I listened to her talk about her sisters,
and played with the kittens, I soon felt very comfortable in her company. How friendly she was! She
also invited me to visit her at home so that I do not feel lonely. I found her to be a very kind, caring
and helpful person, as she wanted to read to me to make me feel better. When I told her I had already
read the books, she revealed that she loved books as well. So, I offered to take her down to our library,
and showed her our rooms. She curiously examined things and asked many questions about them.
When we finally reached the library, she was overjoyed and gazed happily around the room, declaring
that these riches should make me the happiest boy in the world. I also realised later that she is very
funny. When the bell rang a little later, Jo sprang up, terrified, because she thought that Grandpa
had returned home. She had declared a while back that she was not afraid of him at all! How hard I
laughed at her! I really enjoyed myself in her company. I hope we meet again soon.

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