English · Class 9

Active learning ideas

The Duck and the Kangaroo: Friendship and Adventure

Active learning helps students grasp the humour and deeper themes in this nonsense poem. When students physically act out the characters or create visual maps, they move beyond surface laughter to understand how friendship and preparation drive the adventure together.

• CBSE Learning Outcomes
• CBSE: The Duck and the Kangaroo - Class 9

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 30 min · Pairs

Role-Play: Character Conversations

Pair students as duck and kangaroo to read and act out key dialogues from the poem. They exaggerate tones to show personalities, then switch roles. Follow with a class share-out on revealed traits.

Analyze how the poet uses dialogue to reveal the personalities and desires of the duck and the kangaroo.

Facilitation Tip

For the role-play, give pairs a short script with highlighted lines so they focus on tone and expression to show character shifts.

What to look for

Students will write two sentences describing one character trait of the duck and one of the kangaroo, citing a specific line from the poem as evidence for each.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 40 min · Small Groups

Skit: Duck's Preparation Adventure

Small groups script and perform the duck's shopping for scarf, cloak, and boots using classroom props. Highlight humorous details. Groups explain how preparations symbolise overcoming limits.

Evaluate the significance of the duck's preparations for the journey.

Facilitation Tip

In the skit, remind students to use props like the scarf or boots to make the duck’s preparations visually engaging and meaningful.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion: 'If the duck hadn't bought the scarf, cloak, and boots, how might the kangaroo's decision have changed? What does this tell us about preparation and commitment?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 45 min · Pairs

Comic Mapping: The Hopping Journey

In pairs, students illustrate the poem's journey as a comic strip with captions from the text. Add modern twists for fun. Display and discuss theme connections.

Explain how the poem uses humor to convey a message about friendship and cooperation.

Facilitation Tip

During comic mapping, ask groups to place sticky notes with key details next to their drawings to connect humour and symbolism directly.

What to look for

Ask students to identify the rhyme scheme of the first stanza by writing the letters (AABB, ABAB, etc.) on a small whiteboard. Then, ask them to explain in one sentence why the poet chose this particular rhyme scheme for the opening.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Role Play
• 25 min · Whole Class

Humour Circle: Funny Lines Hunt

Whole class sits in a circle; each student shares one humorous line and explains its role in friendship theme. Build a class chart of findings.

Analyze how the poet uses dialogue to reveal the personalities and desires of the duck and the kangaroo.

What to look for

Students will write two sentences describing one character trait of the duck and one of the kangaroo, citing a specific line from the poem as evidence for each.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers know that nonsense poetry works best when students first enjoy the silliness before digging into meaning. Avoid over-explaining the poem upfront, instead letting students discover themes through performance and visuals. Research shows that embodied learning, like role-play and drawing, strengthens memory and comprehension, especially for abstract ideas like friendship and readiness.

Students will show they understand the poem’s humour, themes, and character growth. They will perform thoughtful dialogues, create clear visuals, and identify how details support meaning rather than just repeating lines.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Humour Circle, students may think the poem is only silly with no deeper meaning.

  After Humour Circle, ask students to group funny lines by theme and explain how the humour supports ideas like friendship or adventure.

• During Role-Play: Character Conversations, students may perform the kangaroo as unwilling throughout.

  During Role-Play, remind pairs to practise the kangaroo’s shift in tone from doubt to excitement using the poem’s dialogue as a guide.

• During Comic Mapping: The Hopping Journey, students may see the duck’s preparations as random items.

  During Comic Mapping, have groups label each item with its purpose, such as 'the boots protect her feet' to show how preparations solve problems.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play