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NCERT Solutions for Class 9th English Chapter 5 Nine Gold Medals (poem) — Writing Task

Book page 165–166 Updated on2026-09-08

Q1.
I. Work in pairs to write three creative slogans on Special Olympics. One example of a slogan on Special Olympics has been given below. Special Olympics: Igniting a Universe of Potential Present your slogans in a creative manner and share with your classmates and teacher. [Steps to write a slogan, page 166: Understand the theme on which you want to write a slogan. Brainstorm ideas and use them to create the slogan. Keep it brief and simple. It should not be more than eight to ten words. Make the slogan catchy.]
Answer

Work from the theme outwards, exactly as the steps on page 166 say. The theme here is inclusion through sport — not pity, not charity, not ‘helping the less fortunate’. Every good slogan on this subject says something about ability, belonging or the meaning of winning.

What makes a slogan work:
  • Under ten words, as the book requires. Shorter is almost always stronger.
  • A sound device — alliteration, rhyme or a balanced pair — so the ear holds it.
  • One idea only. A slogan that lists three things is a sentence, not a slogan.
  • An active, positive verb. The model slogan uses igniting.
  • The right attitude. Test every draft against this question: would an athlete be proud to wear it on a T-shirt? ‘Give them a chance’ fails that test; ‘Watch us win’ passes it.

Sample answer — three slogans:

  1. Nine runners. One finish line. Everybody wins. (built directly on the poem — the ending explained in seven words)
  2. Different starting blocks, the same fire. (alliteration on /f/; ‘starting blocks’ borrowed from stanza 3 of the poem)
  3. Include, and watch us compete. (the imperative is addressed to the spectator, not the athlete — inclusion is presented as something the crowd must do)
Why slogan 3 is worth studying: most slogans on disability address the athlete (‘Never give up!’). This one turns round and addresses everybody else, which matches what the chapter actually argues — Dr. Malik’s obstacle was “societal perceptions”, not her spine, and the Special Olympics aims at “fostering the acceptance and inclusion of all people”. Acceptance is a job for the audience.
Q2.
I. (continued) Now, create a poster based on the inspiration you have drawn from the poem. Present your poster to the class and display it on the classroom board. [Steps to design a poster, page 166: Include all vital information. Write down the ideas. Remember to place the slogan you created. Use top, bottom, and sides of the poster for other important information. Include some illustrations, a call for action, if needed. Colour and decorate your poster. Present your poster as a box item.]
Answer

A poster is a visual text, so plan the layout before you plan the sentences. The steps on page 166 give you the marking scheme; here is a layout that satisfies every one of them.

Zone of the posterWhat goes thereWhich step it satisfies
Top bandThe title in the largest lettering — NINE GOLD MEDALS — with a subtitle in smaller type: Special Olympics: where everyone finishes together.‘Include all vital information’
CentreThe single illustration: nine runners drawn as linked stick figures crossing one finish line, hands joined, the tape unbroken. Above them, a banner reading SPECIAL OLYMPICS.‘Include some illustrations’
Below the pictureYour slogan, in bold: Nine runners. One finish line. Everybody wins.‘Remember to place the slogan you created’
Left marginTwo quoted lines from the poem: “One by one they all turned round and went back to help him / And brought the young boy to his feet.”‘Use top, bottom, and sides’
Right marginTwo facts: the Special Olympics is for children and adults with intellectual disabilities; the Paralympic symbol, the Agitos, is Latin for “I move”. (Both from page 168.)‘Use top, bottom, and sides’
Bottom stripThe call to action, in a contrasting colour: Come and watch our Inclusive Sports Day — Ground, 20 September, 8 a.m. Everyone runs.‘Include… a call for action’
BorderA single ruled box around the whole sheet, with gold, red and blue used sparingly.‘Present your poster as a box item’ and ‘Colour and decorate’
Three cautions worth taking seriously:
  • Do not crowd it. A poster is read from three metres away. If the writing is too small to read standing back from the board, it has failed however good the content is.
  • Do not draw pity. No drooping figures, no tears, no helping hand reaching down from above. The poem’s image is nine athletes level with one another, which is why the linked-figures drawing is the right one.
  • Get the words right. If you name the movement, name it correctly — Special Olympics for athletes with intellectual disabilities, Paralympics for para-athletes. The two are not interchangeable, as the chapter’s infographic makes clear.
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