Rights, Responsibilities and Needs
Primary 4 · English
Rights, Responsibilities and Needs
Lesson 3 of 4
45 min
Imagine a football match at break with no rules. Players pick up the ball with their hands. Nobody knows who scored. Everyone is shouting! Rules help us to play fairly, stay safe and live together.
When we break a rule, something happens. That is a consequence. Today you will read a story about a boy who broke a family rule, and learn to talk about rules and consequences.
Listen to the story (audio, read by Darshan Soni). You can also open the Storybooks Rwanda page to read it in Kinyarwanda and French. The text below is the whole story.
One day, mama got a lot of fruit.
“When can we have some fruit?” we ask. “We will eat the fruit tonight,” says mama.
My brother Rahim is greedy. He tastes all the fruit. He eats a lot of it.
“Look at what Rahim did!” shouts my little brother. “Rahim is naughty and selfish,” I say.
Mother is angry with Rahim.
We are also angry with Rahim. But Rahim is not sorry.
“Aren't you going to punish Rahim?” asks little brother.
“Rahim, soon you will be sorry,” warns mama.
Rahim starts to feel sick.
“My tummy is so sore,” whispers Rahim.
Mama knew this would happen. The fruit is punishing Rahim!
Later, Rahim says sorry to us. “I will never be so greedy again,” he promises. And we all believe him.
What was mama's rule about the fruit?
The family would eat the fruit together, tonight.
What was the consequence for Rahim?
He ate too much and his tummy became sore.
Why does the story say “the fruit is punishing Rahim”?
Nobody had to punish him. Eating too much fruit made him sick, so he learned his lesson.
Use If + present, then will + verb:
Consequences can be bad or good. Keeping a rule has good consequences too!
| Rule | Consequence |
|---|---|
| We must listen when others speak. | If we listen, we will learn more. |
| We mustn't throw rubbish on the playground. | If we throw rubbish, the school will be dirty and we will have to clean it. |
| We must wash our hands before eating. | If we don't wash our hands, we will get sick. |
Speak: In a group, agree on five rules for your class. For each rule, say one consequence: If we …, we will … .
Write your five class rules. Use must for three rules and mustn't for two. Then write what Rahim learned, in one sentence.
Tip
“If” looks at now, “will” looks at later. If you eat (now) … you will feel sick (later). Never put will after if: say If Rahim eats, not If Rahim will eat.
Write your answers in your exercise book, then check.
Complete: You ___ run in the classroom. (must / mustn't)
Answer: mustn't
Complete: If Rahim ___ (eat) all the fruit, he will feel sick.
Answer: eats
Complete: If we play fairly, everyone ___ enjoy the game.
Answer: will
Write one rule for crossing the road.
Answer: Example: We must look left and right before we cross the road.
What did Rahim promise at the end of the story?
Answer: He promised never to be so greedy again.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
Quick check
Which sentence is correct?
