Learning Area ENGLISH Grade Level 8

W4
Quarter Third Quarter Date

I. LESSON TITLE Makato and the Cowrie Shell (A Thai Folktale)

II. MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING MELC 14: Analyze literature as a mirror to a shared heritage of people with diverse
COMPETENCIES (MELCs) backgrounds
III. CONTENT/CORE CONTENT Enabling Competencies: None

Suggested
IV. LEARNING PHASES Learning Activities
Timeframe
A. Introduction 30 minutes All of us have dreams in life and of course we want to succeed in the end. That’s
why we are doing our best to achieve what we want. No matter how hard the
challenges are, we make ways to courageously face them because in the end, we
believe that we will achieve the fruit of our labor…which is success. This success will
bring us happiness as long as we know to ourselves that we got it in an honest and
legal way wherein we do not hurt and affect other people.

Help this man find the way to get the pot of gold.

Illustration Credit: Canva

1. Assume that the gold on the illustration is your dream. What will you feel if
you have attained your goal in life?
2. Do you think it will be easy for you to reach your dream?

B. Development 1 hour and Now let us see how the Asian countries influenced one another as we read the
30 minutes short story of “Makato and the Cowrie Shell”, a Thai Folktale. Before reading it, let
us review first the elements of a short story and answer the vocabulary
enhancement.

Learning Task 1: Play with the Elements!

Unscramble the jumbled letters using the given definition.
1. g t t i n S e _____ refers to place, time, weather condition, social condition,
and even mood or atmosphere.
2. P o l t _____ is the sequence of events in a story or play.
3. f l i c t C o n _____ is the sequence of events in a story or play.
4. r a c t e r C h a _____ is the person in a work of fiction and the
characteristics of a person.
5. t o i n P of w i e V _____ is the angle from which the story is told.
6. m e T h e _____ is the controlling idea or value in a piece of fiction.
Learning Task 2: Match the word in Column A to its meaning in Column B. Write
your answer on the space provided before the number.
Column A Column B
__1. orphan a. successful
__2. idled b. the chance and the way it affects your life
__3. mahout c. a child whose parents are dead
__4. prosperous d. a person who cares for a working elephant
__5. fortune e. not working

Learning Task 3: Read the story, then enumerate the events by filling in the
graphic organizers below:

Makato and the Cowrie Shell (A Thai Folktale) by Supanee Khanchanathiti

Once upon a time, there was a boy whose name was Makato. He was an orphan, for his
father and mother died when he was very young. He had no brothers, sisters, cousins or
friends to take care of him, so he had to make a living for himself. He did every kind of work—
carrying heavy things, clearing away the forest, or feeding pigs. He never idled. Although he
was paid only small wages, he was satisfied. He knew that if he would not work, he would
starve. Wherever he went, his employers praised him for being sensible, hardworking, good-
tempered and cheerful. One fine evening after he had finished chopping up a big pile of
wood, he sat down to rest and thought of all he would like to do in the future. He wanted to
try his luck in far–off strange lands, for he longed for exciting adventures. ―What are you
thinking about so deeply, my boy? asked his employer. ―I would like to go on a journey for
adventure, said Makato, pointing to the northeast. ―I heard that the land is fertile and the
people are kind. I wish I could see the land for myself. His eyes sparked with excitement.
―The land you wish to go to is called Sukhothai, said his employer. ―They say Pra Ruang of
Sukhothai is a very kind–hearted king. You might be lucky if you could go there. Sometime
later, Makato decided to try his fortune. He left his village and set out in the wide world. He
walked along cheerfully, enjoying new insights and talking to the people he met on the way.
After a month‘s journey, he reached a village on the boundary of the Kingdom of Sukhothai.
―Please, can I have some water to drink? Makato asked an old woman with a big water pot
on her head. ―I‘m so thirsty. ―Where did you come from? Why are you here alone? You
look as if you‘ve come a long way, said the old woman, pouring cold water from her pot into
a small cup and handling it to Makato. ―Thank you so much, said the boy. ―Who are your
father and mother? Haven‘t you any family? the old woman asked again. ―I come from the
City of Mon over there, replied Makato. ―Good heavens! Have you really come from Môn?
How is it that you are travelling alone, such a young boy as you are? ―I wanted to see Pra
Ruang of Sukhothai, replied Makato. They say he is a very kind-hearted king. ―You are a
very determined boy! said the woman.‖Come along with me .Who knows? You might see
Pra Ruang someday. Makato was glad to go with her. If he could work with this kind of
woman, he would have a place to sleep, some food to eat and perhaps someday, he might
be lucky enough to see the king. The old woman was one of the Pra Ruang Mahouts, which
meant that she helped the mahout find the food for the elephant and clean out the
elephants‘ sheds. He worked hard and well, and the mahout and his wife grew fond of him.
One day, the sky was clear and the weather so fine, it seemed to Makato that it must be a
lucky day. As he worked in the elephants‘ sheds, a tall young man in a splendid costume,
followed by attendants, came in. It was Pra Ruang himself. Makato bowed low at once with
his hands clasped together before him. His heart beat fast. ―Where did the boy come from?
the king asked the mahout, who was attending him. ―How old is he? the king asked further.
―12 years old, your Majesty, replied the mahout. ―A good-looking and hardworking boy,
said the king. ―Take good care of him. As the king walked away, Makato saw a little cowrie
shell
 lying on the ground. He ran to pick up and held it to the king, but the king said with a smile,
―You may keep it ―How wonderful! Makato thought, ―the king has given me a cowrie shell.
At the time, the people of Sukhothai used cowrie shells as money. Although one cowrie had
little value, Makato wanted to make as much use of it as possible, for it was the king‘s gift. For
a long time, he could not think of a way to use it so that it would earn money for him. One day,
he passed by a stall in the market where the seeds of many different plants were sold. He
looked along the stall and caught sight of a basket full of lettuce seed. Lettuces! He could grow
small plants like that. He asked the joyful woman at the stall, ―Can I buy some lettuce seed?
―Oh yes, my boy. How much do you want? said the old woman. ―I have one cowrie shell!
said Makato. ―One cowrie shell! said the woman, laughing. That won‘t buy anything. I can‘t
even measure that much.‖ ―Look!‖ said Makato eagerly. ―I will dip my finger into the pile of
seeds. Then, I will take the seeds that stick to it. That must be right for one cowrie shell. ―Well,
why not?‖ said the amused woman at his suggestions. ―All right boy. Help yourself. Makato
paid the woman his one cowrie shell .Then, he dipped his finger into the pile of seeds. When
he pulled his wet finger out, it was covered with seeds. He carefully scraped them of his finger
into the palm of his hand and went away, happily clutching the seeds. Now that he had seeds,
Makato broke the soil and sowed them at once. He watered the seed bed every day and soon,
the young plants appeared. Day by day, he cleared more ground and planted more lettuce
seedlings until the kitchen garden was covered with them. He was very proud of himself
because he had done so well. ―I wish I could give the king some lettuces, he thought. One day,
the king passed by the elephants‘ sheds again. Makato waited for an opportunity, then knelt
down and proudly presented his biggest lettuces to the king. ―Where did you get this? the
king asked, surprised. ―I grew them from the cowrie shell you gave me, Your Majesty,
answered Makato, beaming with a smile. ―How could you do that? asked the puzzled king.
Makato told the king the whole story. The king was impressed with his intelligence and
industry, so much so that later on, he gave Makato a job in the palace. As the years passed,
Makato grew tall and handsome. He mastered every grace and served the king well. He was so
loyal that the king trusted him absolutely. He was promoted to higher positions until he was
given a title of Kun Wang, which meant that he was the most important person in the king‘s
court. He was also happily married to the beautiful young daughter of the king. After that, the
king made him the ruler of the Mon. So it was that Makato, who had once been a poor orphan,
became the king of that prosperous kingdom.

Grade 8 Learner’s Materials pp.144-146

Illustration Credit: Canva

Learning Task 4: Answer the following questions:
1. Describe Makato. What character traits does he possess?
 2. Through inferring what the character says, does and thinks, one can recognize
the traits of a literary character. Cite lines, actions and thoughts which show
Makato‘s traits.
3. What were those changes in Makato‘s life after meeting the king? Enumerate.
4. Which of Makato‘s traits are similar to yours?
5. How would you nurture and enhance your positive traits? In what ways?
6. What lessons in life does the author want to convey to you?
C. Engagement 1 hour Learning Task 5: Perform the indicated activities:

Group 1 – Dramatists – Present a scene that highlights the theme of the story,
“Makato and the Cowrie Shell”
Group 2 – Dancers – Present a Thai dance showcasing its culture.
Group 3 – Singers – Sing a song or perform a rap related to the selection. Provide
your own lyrics depicting Thai and Filipino cultures and beliefs.
Group 4 – Artists – Draw a scene in the story that shows Makato’s similar trait to ours.
Explain your drawing in a 3-sentence paragraph.

Performance will be graded according to the following rubric/criteria:

Criteria Points
Content and Ideas 15
Presentation 15
Participation and Group Work 10
Neatness and Orderliness of Output 10
TOTAL 50
D. Assimilation 30 mins. Learning Task 6: Based from the story, enumerate some similarities of Thais to Filipinos
in terms of culture, beliefs, respect and love for family as depicted in the selection.
Write your answer on a separate sheet.
V. ASSESSMENT 30 mins. Choose the letter of the correct answer.

1. In a plot of a story, the logical arrangement of events is presented. It has five

essential parts EXCEPT _____________.
a. denouement b. exposition c. atmosphere d. climax

2. Setting is one of the elements of a short story. It refers to the time and location in
which a story takes place. It may be the following EXCEPT ____________.
a. mood b. climax c. atmosphere d. social condition

3. Which of the following is considered one element of a short story?

a. character b. denouement c. exposition d. climax

4. What element of the story shows the logical arrangement of events, with a
beginning, middle, and end?
a. exposition b. character c. plot d. conflict

5. Which is synonymous to mood or atmosphere in the story?

a. climax b. denouement c. setting d. character

6. The point of view is defined as the angle from which a story is told EXCEPT
___________.
a. first person b. innocent eye c. omniscient d. static
VI. REFLECTION Write your personal insights about the lesson using the prompts below.
I understand that ___________________.
I realize that ________________________.
I need to learn more about __________.
Prepared by: Checked by:
Buenas Princess P. Jalbuena- SDO Tayabas

Michaella R. Rada- SDO Tayabas Maria Madel C. Rubia-Head Teacher III