CBSE Class 6 English NCERT Solutions: A Different Kind of School

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NCERT Solutions PDF Class 6 PDF

CBSE Class 6 English Honeysuckle Chapter 5, 'A Different Kind of School,' introduces a unique educational philosophy. This chapter explores Miss Beam's school, where students learn through experiencing temporary disabilities like blindness, deafness, and lameness. The aim is to cultivate deep empathy, compassion, and a sense of responsibility by understanding the challenges faced by others. The NCERT Solutions guide students to comprehend the narrative, answer questions about the school's innovative methods, and understand new vocabulary. Key themes include the importance of looking beyond superficial appearances, appreciating the abilities of others, and the profound impact of experiencing different perspectives. These solutions help students grasp the chapter's message about building a more understanding and caring society.

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Quick info

BoardCBSE
ClassClass 6
SubjectHoneysuckle
Session2026
LanguageEnglish
TypeNCERT Solutions
Chapter5. A Different Kind of School

Chapter summary

This chapter focuses on Miss Beam's unique school where students learn through experiencing disabilities. The NCERT Solutions cover exercises that require students to arrange narrative sentences in chronological order, answer comprehension questions about the school's 'game' of experiencing blindness, lameness, and deafness, and understand the pedagogical purpose behind these methods. It also includes a vocabulary matching exercise to reinforce understanding of key terms used in the text.

Learning outcomes

  • Understand the narrative structure of the story by ordering sentences.
  • Explain the unique teaching methodology of Miss Beam's school.
  • Identify and describe the purpose behind the 'different kind of days' (blind, lame, deaf).
  • Define and use new vocabulary words from the chapter in context.
  • Analyze the importance of empathy and responsibility in education.

Topics covered

Paper topics

  • Experiential learning
  • Empathy and compassion
  • Understanding disabilities
  • Narrative ordering
  • Comprehension skills
  • Vocabulary building
  • Miss Beam's school
  • Character perspective

Important topics

  • The purpose of the 'different days' (blind, lame, deaf)
  • The hardest day and its reasons
  • The writer's motivation for visiting the school
  • Vocabulary related to the story's themes

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Questions and Solutions

A. Ordering Sentences

Arrange the following sentences from the story in the correct chronological order and write them out as a paragraph. Do not refer to the text.

I shall be so glad when today is over.

Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I guess.

I don't think I'll mind being deaf for a day — at least not much.

But being blind is so frightening.

Only you must tell me about things.

<math>\blacktriangle</math> The other bad days can't be half as bad as this.

  • Let's go for a little walk.
Solution: The sentences describe a sequence of thoughts and experiences related to a difficult day. The correct order reflects a progression from a desire for a walk to the fear of blindness, contrasting it with other less frightening experiences.
  1. Let's go for a little walk.
  2. Only you must tell me about things.
  3. I shall be so glad when today is over.
  4. The other bad days can't be half as bad as this.
  5. Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I guess.
  6. I don't think I'll mind being deaf for a day - at least not much.
  7. But being blind is so frightening.
This order follows a logical flow, starting with an invitation, moving to the anticipation of the day ending, comparing different difficult experiences, and concluding with the most frightening one.

B. Answer the following questions:

1. Why do you think the writer visited Miss Beam's school?

Why do you think the writer visited Miss Beam's school?
Solution: The writer visited Miss Beam's school out of sheer curiosity. They had heard a great deal about the school's unique and unconventional methods of education and wanted to see it firsthand.

2. What was the 'game' that every child in the school had to play?

What was the 'game' that every child in the school had to play?
Solution: The 'game' at Miss Beam's school was a unique part of the curriculum where each child had to experience a different disability for one day each term. This included a blind day, a lame day, a deaf day, an injured day, and a dumb day, during which they had to act and behave as if they had that particular disability.

3. "Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day..." Complete the line. Which day was the hardest? Why was it the hardest?

Complete the line: "Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day..." Which day was the hardest? Why was it the hardest?
Solution: The line continues: "...one deaf day, one injured day and one dumb day." The hardest day for the children was the blind day. This was because being unable to see anything was extremely frightening. Students felt a constant sense of danger, as if they might bump into something or someone at any moment. Unlike other days where they could still see, the darkness of being blindfolded made the experience particularly terrifying.

4. What was the purpose of these special days?

What was the purpose of these special days?
Solution: The purpose of these special days was to cultivate important life skills and values in the children. They were designed to teach thoughtfulness, kindness towards others, and a sense of responsibility. By making the children experience misfortune themselves, the school aimed to help them appreciate and understand the difficulties faced by others who live with such conditions permanently.

Working with language

A. Match the words and phrases with their meanings

Match the words and phrases with their meanings from the box below:
  1. homesick (paragraph 3)
  2. practically (paragraph 4)
  3. it pains me (paragraph 7)
  4. appreciate (paragraph 9)
  5. thoughtless (paragraph 10)
  6. exercise (paragraph 11)
  7. relief (paragraph 13)
  8. ghastly (paragraph 14)

Meanings: Almost, it hurts me, terrible, test the strength of, understanding the difficulties, wanting to be home, a welcome change, not very caring

Solution: Here are the correct matches between the words/phrases and their meanings:
  1. homesick - wanting to be home
  2. practically - almost
  3. it pains me - it hurts me
  4. appreciate - understanding the difficulties
  5. thoughtless - not very caring
  6. exercise - test the strength of
  7. relief - a welcome change
  8. ghastly - terrible
These matches help in understanding the nuances of the vocabulary used in the chapter.

Common mistakes

  • Incorrectly ordering the narrative sentences from the story.
  • Misinterpreting the purpose of the 'game' played by the students.
  • Difficulty in understanding the emotional impact of the 'blind day'.
  • Incorrectly matching vocabulary words with their meanings.

Revision tips

  • Read the chapter carefully to understand the concept of experiential learning.
  • Pay close attention to the description of the 'blind day' and why it was the hardest.
  • Practice ordering the sentences from the story without referring to the text.
  • Review the meanings of the new vocabulary words and try to use them in sentences.

Practice MCQs

Q1. What was the primary goal of the 'game' played at Miss Beam's school?

Q2. According to the story, which day was considered the hardest for the students?

Q3. What does the word 'ghastly' mean in the context of the story?

Q4. Why did the writer visit Miss Beam's school?

Frequently asked questions

What is the main theme of the chapter 'A Different Kind of School'?

The main theme is about an unconventional educational approach where students learn empathy and responsibility by experiencing temporary disabilities, fostering a deeper understanding of others' challenges.

Why did the students have to play a 'game' of being blind, lame, or deaf?

This 'game' was a pedagogical tool designed to teach children thoughtfulness, kindness, and how to appreciate and understand the misfortunes of others by experiencing them firsthand.

Which day was the most difficult for the students and why?

The blind day was the hardest because the complete inability to see was frightening, making students feel constantly vulnerable and scared of unseen obstacles.

How do these NCERT Solutions help Class 6 students?

These solutions provide clear, rewritten answers to all questions, help in ordering narrative sentences, explain vocabulary, and clarify the chapter's core concepts, aiding in exam preparation.

What kind of vocabulary is covered in the exercises?

The exercises cover vocabulary related to emotions (homesick, relief), intensity (practically, ghastly), and understanding (appreciate, thoughtless, exercise).

Important links

Content reviewed by the NCERT Help team. Editorial Team and update policy

NCERT Solutions PDF PDF on NCERT Help. URL unchanged for search indexing.