NCERT Textbook - A Truly Beautiful Mind - English Class 9

 Page 1


Notes for the T Notes for the T Notes for the T Notes for the T Notes for the Teacher eacher eacher eacher eacher
Units Units Units Units Units 4 4 4 4 4–6 –6 –6 –6 –6
4. A TRULY BEAUTIFUL MIND
The story of Einstein tries to show him as a human being, a fairly
ordinary person who had his likes and dislikes, his streaks of rebellion,
and his problems. The class can think about how a ‘great person’ was
perceived before being recognised as ‘great’: it is not as though great
people are born with a special sign that allows us to recognise them
instantly! What qualities in a person, then, make them a genius or a
great person?
You can take the help of a science teacher to explain Einstein’s Theory
of Relativity, to talk about Einstein, and build inter-subject cooperation.
The exercise of matching headings to paragraphs in the lesson is useful
for finding the topic sentence or to scan a paragraph for specific
information. Students may be asked to provide a different heading if
they feel some other point is equally important.
Students should be guided to write a newspaper report. Note the points
given below. Illustrate them by bringing examples from newspapers into
the class, and ask students to bring their own examples.
• A report should have:
1. A headline
2. Name of the reporter e.g. ‘By a Staff Reporter’, etc.
3. Place, date, source (the source may also be given at the end of the
report).
• The beginning is usually an expansion of the headline.  The middle
paragraph gives the details.  It is followed by the conclusion or the
summing up.
• The report should be brief, but the headline and the style should be
eye-catching.
• Sometimes important points are given in a box in the centre of the
report.
• Regarding the language of the reports:
1. passives for past action (for example: It is found..., ... has been
unearthed.)
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 2


Notes for the T Notes for the T Notes for the T Notes for the T Notes for the Teacher eacher eacher eacher eacher
Units Units Units Units Units 4 4 4 4 4–6 –6 –6 –6 –6
4. A TRULY BEAUTIFUL MIND
The story of Einstein tries to show him as a human being, a fairly
ordinary person who had his likes and dislikes, his streaks of rebellion,
and his problems. The class can think about how a ‘great person’ was
perceived before being recognised as ‘great’: it is not as though great
people are born with a special sign that allows us to recognise them
instantly! What qualities in a person, then, make them a genius or a
great person?
You can take the help of a science teacher to explain Einstein’s Theory
of Relativity, to talk about Einstein, and build inter-subject cooperation.
The exercise of matching headings to paragraphs in the lesson is useful
for finding the topic sentence or to scan a paragraph for specific
information. Students may be asked to provide a different heading if
they feel some other point is equally important.
Students should be guided to write a newspaper report. Note the points
given below. Illustrate them by bringing examples from newspapers into
the class, and ask students to bring their own examples.
• A report should have:
1. A headline
2. Name of the reporter e.g. ‘By a Staff Reporter’, etc.
3. Place, date, source (the source may also be given at the end of the
report).
• The beginning is usually an expansion of the headline.  The middle
paragraph gives the details.  It is followed by the conclusion or the
summing up.
• The report should be brief, but the headline and the style should be
eye-catching.
• Sometimes important points are given in a box in the centre of the
report.
• Regarding the language of the reports:
1. passives for past action (for example: It is found..., ... has been
unearthed.)
Rationalised 2023-24
2. present tense for statements (The document contains…, The
manuscript describes…)
This unit has a passage for dictation, an anecdote. Dictation is an
exercise that requires the individual participation of each student. It
fosters unconscious thinking, and draws attention to language form.
Students can also be given opportunities for self or peer correction after
the dictation.
• Students should first read the passage silently, noticing the use of
punctuation marks.
• The passage to be dictated should be read aloud twice in the class
with proper intonation, and pauses between meaningful phrases.
• The passage is read a third time for students to check through.
5. THE SNAKE AND THE MIRROR
‘The Snake and the Mirror’ is a complex story of self-discovery that is
humorously told. The narrator is a vain and foolish young man who in
a moment of crisis realises that he is “poor, foolish and stupid”. The
questions are designed to help the students notice the humour in the
narration.
This unit has a formal, expository passage for dictation. Students should
be encouraged to learn the spellings of unfamiliar words beforehand.
The dictation of such passages also encourages the development of
grammar in the students’ minds, as they recall complex language.
The Writing task is based on a sketch from a photograph that tells a
story. Encourage the students to read the words given alongside the
sketch. Let the students form pairs or groups to talk freely about the
sketch before they start writing.
A new kind of activity introduced in this lesson is to compare two
translations of the beginning of a story. This activity suggests to the
students that language is not ‘fixed’; there are different ways of
experiencing an idea, which also lead to small changes in the idea that
is expressed. This activity should be done as a fun activity.
6. MY CHILDHOOD
The autobiographical account of childhood embodies the themes of
harmony and prejudice, tradition and change. The questions guide the
children to identify the instances of the themes.
A map reading activity is given in this unit.  Students will find out the
geographical location of Dhanushkodi and Rameswaram, and
the languages spoken at that time by different communities. This
44 / Beehive
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 3


Notes for the T Notes for the T Notes for the T Notes for the T Notes for the Teacher eacher eacher eacher eacher
Units Units Units Units Units 4 4 4 4 4–6 –6 –6 –6 –6
4. A TRULY BEAUTIFUL MIND
The story of Einstein tries to show him as a human being, a fairly
ordinary person who had his likes and dislikes, his streaks of rebellion,
and his problems. The class can think about how a ‘great person’ was
perceived before being recognised as ‘great’: it is not as though great
people are born with a special sign that allows us to recognise them
instantly! What qualities in a person, then, make them a genius or a
great person?
You can take the help of a science teacher to explain Einstein’s Theory
of Relativity, to talk about Einstein, and build inter-subject cooperation.
The exercise of matching headings to paragraphs in the lesson is useful
for finding the topic sentence or to scan a paragraph for specific
information. Students may be asked to provide a different heading if
they feel some other point is equally important.
Students should be guided to write a newspaper report. Note the points
given below. Illustrate them by bringing examples from newspapers into
the class, and ask students to bring their own examples.
• A report should have:
1. A headline
2. Name of the reporter e.g. ‘By a Staff Reporter’, etc.
3. Place, date, source (the source may also be given at the end of the
report).
• The beginning is usually an expansion of the headline.  The middle
paragraph gives the details.  It is followed by the conclusion or the
summing up.
• The report should be brief, but the headline and the style should be
eye-catching.
• Sometimes important points are given in a box in the centre of the
report.
• Regarding the language of the reports:
1. passives for past action (for example: It is found..., ... has been
unearthed.)
Rationalised 2023-24
2. present tense for statements (The document contains…, The
manuscript describes…)
This unit has a passage for dictation, an anecdote. Dictation is an
exercise that requires the individual participation of each student. It
fosters unconscious thinking, and draws attention to language form.
Students can also be given opportunities for self or peer correction after
the dictation.
• Students should first read the passage silently, noticing the use of
punctuation marks.
• The passage to be dictated should be read aloud twice in the class
with proper intonation, and pauses between meaningful phrases.
• The passage is read a third time for students to check through.
5. THE SNAKE AND THE MIRROR
‘The Snake and the Mirror’ is a complex story of self-discovery that is
humorously told. The narrator is a vain and foolish young man who in
a moment of crisis realises that he is “poor, foolish and stupid”. The
questions are designed to help the students notice the humour in the
narration.
This unit has a formal, expository passage for dictation. Students should
be encouraged to learn the spellings of unfamiliar words beforehand.
The dictation of such passages also encourages the development of
grammar in the students’ minds, as they recall complex language.
The Writing task is based on a sketch from a photograph that tells a
story. Encourage the students to read the words given alongside the
sketch. Let the students form pairs or groups to talk freely about the
sketch before they start writing.
A new kind of activity introduced in this lesson is to compare two
translations of the beginning of a story. This activity suggests to the
students that language is not ‘fixed’; there are different ways of
experiencing an idea, which also lead to small changes in the idea that
is expressed. This activity should be done as a fun activity.
6. MY CHILDHOOD
The autobiographical account of childhood embodies the themes of
harmony and prejudice, tradition and change. The questions guide the
children to identify the instances of the themes.
A map reading activity is given in this unit.  Students will find out the
geographical location of Dhanushkodi and Rameswaram, and
the languages spoken at that time by different communities. This
44 / Beehive
Rationalised 2023-24
will develop a critical understanding of how life and society in
the deep south changed and developed over the years. Dhanuskodi
and Rameswaram are on an island, the Pamban Island, off the
Tamil Nadu coast.
The dictionary work encourages children to identify the contexts, literal
and metaphorical, in which the given words occur. You may find other
such words to add to the exercise.
The dictation exercise in this unit requires the rearrangement of jumbled
paragraphs. Ideally this kind of dictation should be carried out with
passages that the students have not seen before.
The teacher dictates the three parts of the given passage, in random
order, one to each group in class, for example part two first, then part
three, and finally part one. The class has to share information in order
to put the text together in the right order. This can be a class activity
directed by the teacher.
The Speaking exercise includes an activity requiring students to ask
other people for their opinion on the topic.
Notes for the Teacher / 45
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 4


Notes for the T Notes for the T Notes for the T Notes for the T Notes for the Teacher eacher eacher eacher eacher
Units Units Units Units Units 4 4 4 4 4–6 –6 –6 –6 –6
4. A TRULY BEAUTIFUL MIND
The story of Einstein tries to show him as a human being, a fairly
ordinary person who had his likes and dislikes, his streaks of rebellion,
and his problems. The class can think about how a ‘great person’ was
perceived before being recognised as ‘great’: it is not as though great
people are born with a special sign that allows us to recognise them
instantly! What qualities in a person, then, make them a genius or a
great person?
You can take the help of a science teacher to explain Einstein’s Theory
of Relativity, to talk about Einstein, and build inter-subject cooperation.
The exercise of matching headings to paragraphs in the lesson is useful
for finding the topic sentence or to scan a paragraph for specific
information. Students may be asked to provide a different heading if
they feel some other point is equally important.
Students should be guided to write a newspaper report. Note the points
given below. Illustrate them by bringing examples from newspapers into
the class, and ask students to bring their own examples.
• A report should have:
1. A headline
2. Name of the reporter e.g. ‘By a Staff Reporter’, etc.
3. Place, date, source (the source may also be given at the end of the
report).
• The beginning is usually an expansion of the headline.  The middle
paragraph gives the details.  It is followed by the conclusion or the
summing up.
• The report should be brief, but the headline and the style should be
eye-catching.
• Sometimes important points are given in a box in the centre of the
report.
• Regarding the language of the reports:
1. passives for past action (for example: It is found..., ... has been
unearthed.)
Rationalised 2023-24
2. present tense for statements (The document contains…, The
manuscript describes…)
This unit has a passage for dictation, an anecdote. Dictation is an
exercise that requires the individual participation of each student. It
fosters unconscious thinking, and draws attention to language form.
Students can also be given opportunities for self or peer correction after
the dictation.
• Students should first read the passage silently, noticing the use of
punctuation marks.
• The passage to be dictated should be read aloud twice in the class
with proper intonation, and pauses between meaningful phrases.
• The passage is read a third time for students to check through.
5. THE SNAKE AND THE MIRROR
‘The Snake and the Mirror’ is a complex story of self-discovery that is
humorously told. The narrator is a vain and foolish young man who in
a moment of crisis realises that he is “poor, foolish and stupid”. The
questions are designed to help the students notice the humour in the
narration.
This unit has a formal, expository passage for dictation. Students should
be encouraged to learn the spellings of unfamiliar words beforehand.
The dictation of such passages also encourages the development of
grammar in the students’ minds, as they recall complex language.
The Writing task is based on a sketch from a photograph that tells a
story. Encourage the students to read the words given alongside the
sketch. Let the students form pairs or groups to talk freely about the
sketch before they start writing.
A new kind of activity introduced in this lesson is to compare two
translations of the beginning of a story. This activity suggests to the
students that language is not ‘fixed’; there are different ways of
experiencing an idea, which also lead to small changes in the idea that
is expressed. This activity should be done as a fun activity.
6. MY CHILDHOOD
The autobiographical account of childhood embodies the themes of
harmony and prejudice, tradition and change. The questions guide the
children to identify the instances of the themes.
A map reading activity is given in this unit.  Students will find out the
geographical location of Dhanushkodi and Rameswaram, and
the languages spoken at that time by different communities. This
44 / Beehive
Rationalised 2023-24
will develop a critical understanding of how life and society in
the deep south changed and developed over the years. Dhanuskodi
and Rameswaram are on an island, the Pamban Island, off the
Tamil Nadu coast.
The dictionary work encourages children to identify the contexts, literal
and metaphorical, in which the given words occur. You may find other
such words to add to the exercise.
The dictation exercise in this unit requires the rearrangement of jumbled
paragraphs. Ideally this kind of dictation should be carried out with
passages that the students have not seen before.
The teacher dictates the three parts of the given passage, in random
order, one to each group in class, for example part two first, then part
three, and finally part one. The class has to share information in order
to put the text together in the right order. This can be a class activity
directed by the teacher.
The Speaking exercise includes an activity requiring students to ask
other people for their opinion on the topic.
Notes for the Teacher / 45
Rationalised 2023-24
B B B B BEFORE EFORE EFORE EFORE EFORE Y Y Y Y YOU OU OU OU OU R R R R READ EAD EAD EAD EAD
• Who do you think of, when you hear the word ‘genius’? Who
is a genius — what qualities do you think a genius has?
• We shall now read about a young German civil servant who
took the world by storm about a hundred years ago. In the
summer of 1905, the 26-year-old published in quick succession
four ground-breaking papers: about light, the motion of
particles, the electrodynamics of moving bodies, and energy.
His work took up only a few pages in scientific journals, but
changed forever our understanding of space, time and the
entire cosmos — and transformed the name ‘Einstein’ into a
synonym for genius.
• Fifty years after his death, Albert Einstein’s genius still reigns.
1. ALBERT Einstein was born on 14 March 1879 in the
German city of Ulm, without any indication that he
was destined for greatness.  On the contrary, his
mother thought Albert was a freak. To her, his head
seemed much too large.
2. At the age of two-and-a-half, Einstein still wasn’t
talking. When he finally did learn to speak, he uttered
everything twice. Einstein did not know what to do
with other children, and his playmates called him
“Brother Boring.” So the youngster played by himself
4. A T 4. A T 4. A T 4. A T 4. A Truly Beautiful Mind ruly Beautiful Mind ruly Beautiful Mind ruly Beautiful Mind ruly Beautiful Mind
freak: a word used
disapprovingly to talk
about a person who is
unusual and doesn’t
behave, look or think
like others
Otto Neugebauer, the historian of ancient mathematics, told a
story about the boy Einstein that he characterises as a “legend”,
but that seems fairly authentic. As he was a late talker, his parents
were worried. At last, at the supper table one night, he broke his
silence to say, “The soup is too hot.” Greatly relieved, his parents
asked why he had never said a word before. Albert replied,
“Because up to now everything was in order.”
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 5


Notes for the T Notes for the T Notes for the T Notes for the T Notes for the Teacher eacher eacher eacher eacher
Units Units Units Units Units 4 4 4 4 4–6 –6 –6 –6 –6
4. A TRULY BEAUTIFUL MIND
The story of Einstein tries to show him as a human being, a fairly
ordinary person who had his likes and dislikes, his streaks of rebellion,
and his problems. The class can think about how a ‘great person’ was
perceived before being recognised as ‘great’: it is not as though great
people are born with a special sign that allows us to recognise them
instantly! What qualities in a person, then, make them a genius or a
great person?
You can take the help of a science teacher to explain Einstein’s Theory
of Relativity, to talk about Einstein, and build inter-subject cooperation.
The exercise of matching headings to paragraphs in the lesson is useful
for finding the topic sentence or to scan a paragraph for specific
information. Students may be asked to provide a different heading if
they feel some other point is equally important.
Students should be guided to write a newspaper report. Note the points
given below. Illustrate them by bringing examples from newspapers into
the class, and ask students to bring their own examples.
• A report should have:
1. A headline
2. Name of the reporter e.g. ‘By a Staff Reporter’, etc.
3. Place, date, source (the source may also be given at the end of the
report).
• The beginning is usually an expansion of the headline.  The middle
paragraph gives the details.  It is followed by the conclusion or the
summing up.
• The report should be brief, but the headline and the style should be
eye-catching.
• Sometimes important points are given in a box in the centre of the
report.
• Regarding the language of the reports:
1. passives for past action (for example: It is found..., ... has been
unearthed.)
Rationalised 2023-24
2. present tense for statements (The document contains…, The
manuscript describes…)
This unit has a passage for dictation, an anecdote. Dictation is an
exercise that requires the individual participation of each student. It
fosters unconscious thinking, and draws attention to language form.
Students can also be given opportunities for self or peer correction after
the dictation.
• Students should first read the passage silently, noticing the use of
punctuation marks.
• The passage to be dictated should be read aloud twice in the class
with proper intonation, and pauses between meaningful phrases.
• The passage is read a third time for students to check through.
5. THE SNAKE AND THE MIRROR
‘The Snake and the Mirror’ is a complex story of self-discovery that is
humorously told. The narrator is a vain and foolish young man who in
a moment of crisis realises that he is “poor, foolish and stupid”. The
questions are designed to help the students notice the humour in the
narration.
This unit has a formal, expository passage for dictation. Students should
be encouraged to learn the spellings of unfamiliar words beforehand.
The dictation of such passages also encourages the development of
grammar in the students’ minds, as they recall complex language.
The Writing task is based on a sketch from a photograph that tells a
story. Encourage the students to read the words given alongside the
sketch. Let the students form pairs or groups to talk freely about the
sketch before they start writing.
A new kind of activity introduced in this lesson is to compare two
translations of the beginning of a story. This activity suggests to the
students that language is not ‘fixed’; there are different ways of
experiencing an idea, which also lead to small changes in the idea that
is expressed. This activity should be done as a fun activity.
6. MY CHILDHOOD
The autobiographical account of childhood embodies the themes of
harmony and prejudice, tradition and change. The questions guide the
children to identify the instances of the themes.
A map reading activity is given in this unit.  Students will find out the
geographical location of Dhanushkodi and Rameswaram, and
the languages spoken at that time by different communities. This
44 / Beehive
Rationalised 2023-24
will develop a critical understanding of how life and society in
the deep south changed and developed over the years. Dhanuskodi
and Rameswaram are on an island, the Pamban Island, off the
Tamil Nadu coast.
The dictionary work encourages children to identify the contexts, literal
and metaphorical, in which the given words occur. You may find other
such words to add to the exercise.
The dictation exercise in this unit requires the rearrangement of jumbled
paragraphs. Ideally this kind of dictation should be carried out with
passages that the students have not seen before.
The teacher dictates the three parts of the given passage, in random
order, one to each group in class, for example part two first, then part
three, and finally part one. The class has to share information in order
to put the text together in the right order. This can be a class activity
directed by the teacher.
The Speaking exercise includes an activity requiring students to ask
other people for their opinion on the topic.
Notes for the Teacher / 45
Rationalised 2023-24
B B B B BEFORE EFORE EFORE EFORE EFORE Y Y Y Y YOU OU OU OU OU R R R R READ EAD EAD EAD EAD
• Who do you think of, when you hear the word ‘genius’? Who
is a genius — what qualities do you think a genius has?
• We shall now read about a young German civil servant who
took the world by storm about a hundred years ago. In the
summer of 1905, the 26-year-old published in quick succession
four ground-breaking papers: about light, the motion of
particles, the electrodynamics of moving bodies, and energy.
His work took up only a few pages in scientific journals, but
changed forever our understanding of space, time and the
entire cosmos — and transformed the name ‘Einstein’ into a
synonym for genius.
• Fifty years after his death, Albert Einstein’s genius still reigns.
1. ALBERT Einstein was born on 14 March 1879 in the
German city of Ulm, without any indication that he
was destined for greatness.  On the contrary, his
mother thought Albert was a freak. To her, his head
seemed much too large.
2. At the age of two-and-a-half, Einstein still wasn’t
talking. When he finally did learn to speak, he uttered
everything twice. Einstein did not know what to do
with other children, and his playmates called him
“Brother Boring.” So the youngster played by himself
4. A T 4. A T 4. A T 4. A T 4. A Truly Beautiful Mind ruly Beautiful Mind ruly Beautiful Mind ruly Beautiful Mind ruly Beautiful Mind
freak: a word used
disapprovingly to talk
about a person who is
unusual and doesn’t
behave, look or think
like others
Otto Neugebauer, the historian of ancient mathematics, told a
story about the boy Einstein that he characterises as a “legend”,
but that seems fairly authentic. As he was a late talker, his parents
were worried. At last, at the supper table one night, he broke his
silence to say, “The soup is too hot.” Greatly relieved, his parents
asked why he had never said a word before. Albert replied,
“Because up to now everything was in order.”
Rationalised 2023-24
A Truly Beautiful Mind / 47
much of the time. He especially loved mechanical
toys. Looking at his newborn sister, Maja, he is said
to have said: “Fine, but where are her wheels?”
3. A headmaster once told his father that what
Einstein chose as a profession wouldn’t matter,
because “he’ll never make a success at anything.”
Einstein began learning to play the violin at the
age of six, because his mother wanted him to; he
later became a gifted amateur violinist, maintaining
this skill throughout his life.
4. But Albert Einstein was not a bad pupil.  He went
to high school in Munich, where Einstein’s family
had moved when he was 15 months old, and scored
good marks in almost every subject. Einstein hated
the school’s regimentation, and often clashed with
his teachers. At the age of 15, Einstein felt so stifled
there that he left the school for good.
5. The previous year, Albert’s parents had moved to
Milan, and left their son with relatives.  After prolonged
discussion, Einstein got his wish to continue his
education in German-speaking Switzerland, in a city
which was more liberal than Munich.
6. Einstein was highly gifted in mathematics and
interested in physics, and after finishing school,
he decided to study at a university in Zurich. But
science wasn’t the only thing that appealed to the
dashing young man with the walrus moustache.
amateur: doing
something for
personal enjoyment
rather than as a
profession
regimentation: order
or discipline taken to
an extreme
stifled: unable to
breathe; suffocated
liberal: willing to
understand and
respect others’
opinions
Einstein in 1900 at the
age of 21.
Einstein in 1955 as we
remember him now
Rationalised 2023-24