Our School
Primary 4 · English
Our School
Lesson 2 of 5
40 min
During English, Teacher Mutesi asks her class, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Mugisha shouts, “A pilot!” Uwase says, “A doctor, because I want to help sick children.” Ishimwe is not sure yet, and that is fine too.
Today you will read about a little chicken with a very big dream. Then you will learn to talk and write about your own hopes for the future.
This story was made by Book Dash and is shared on the African Storybook. As you read, look for the words when I grow up and want to.
Once upon a time, there was a little farm near a little village. There lived a little chicken called Daisy.
“When I grow up, I want to fly high, high into the sky,” Daisy said.
But all the other chickens laughed at her. “You are so weird,” they said. “We won't play with you anymore.”
“Daisy, we can all flap our wings but it's very difficult for chickens to fly,” Mama told her. Daisy wouldn't give up.
Every day she practiced by herself, flapping her wings. Flap, flap, flap, she would flap her wings but she couldn't lift off the ground. She imagined herself flying high into the sky.
She imagined herself flying high and looking at the chickens below. She imagined flying past the sparrows and the swallows. “Wow! A chicken that can fly!” The birds would say.
So Flap, flap, flap, every day Daisy would flap her wings. She would lift off the ground but fall down again.
“I'm never going to fly!” Daisy cried to Mama. “The others are right.”
“Daisy, you are different from the other chickens. They don't want to fly but you do! You can do it,” Mama said.
The following day Daisy climbed to the top of the chicken coop and flap, flap, flap, she flapped her wings. She flew into the air and flapped her wings and flapped her wings and … BAM!
The other chickens laughed out loud. “Ha ha ha! We told you! Chickens can't fly!”
But the next day Daisy climbed even higher, right up to the top of the hut. Flap, flap, flap, Daisy flapped her wings. She flew into the air and flapped her wings and flapped her wings and flapped her wings and …
She kept flying! The wind beneath her wings grew stronger and she flew higher and higher! The sparrows and the swallows said, “Amazing! A flying chicken!”
And the other chickens wanted to be just like her. They said, “Oh Daisy, you're amazing!”
What did Daisy want to do when she grew up?
She wanted to fly high into the sky.
What did the other chickens do when Daisy told them her dream?
They laughed at her and said they would not play with her.
Who helped Daisy to keep trying? What did she say?
Mama. She said, “You are different from the other chickens … You can do it.”
Daisy fell down (BAM!), but she tried again the next day. What does this teach you?
Possible answer: if you fall or make a mistake, keep practising. Do not give up on your dream.
A hope or a dream is something you want to happen in the future. Here are four ways to talk about it:
Look carefully. After want to and hope to we put a verb: be, fly, study, build, help. When you name a job, use want to be + a or an + the job.
Use an before a word that starts with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u). Use a before the other sounds.
| a | an |
|---|---|
| a doctor, a pilot, a teacher, a farmer, a vet | an engineer, an artist, an astronaut, an accountant |
| Job | What the person does |
|---|---|
| doctor | helps sick people to get better |
| engineer | plans and builds roads, bridges and machines |
| pilot | flies aeroplanes |
| vet | looks after sick animals, like cows and goats |
| farmer | grows crops and keeps animals |
| artist | paints, draws or makes beautiful things |
I want to be a vet because I love animals.
Byiringiro wants to be an engineer because he likes building things.
Remember the chickens in the story? They laughed at Daisy's dream. When a friend tells you their dream, listen kindly and say, “That's a great dream!”
Write three sentences about your dream:
Speak: Ask three friends, “What do you want to be when you grow up? Why?” Tell the class about one friend: “Mutesi wants to be a pilot because she wants to see the world.”
Tip
BE a job, DO an action. I want to be a pilot. I want to fly.
Before a vowel sound, a changes to an: an engineer, an artist.
Write your answers in your exercise book, then check.
Complete with a or an: I want to be ___ engineer.
Answer: an
Complete: When I grow ___, I want to be a nurse.
Answer: up
Put the words in order: be / want / I / a / to / teacher
Answer: I want to be a teacher.
Which sentence is correct? I want to be fly. or I want to fly.
Answer: I want to fly. (Use be only before a job or a describing word.)
Finish the sentence: I want to be a vet because …
Answer: Example: because I love animals and I want to help sick cows and goats.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
Quick check
Which sentence is correct?
