North, South, East, West — Class 7 English (CBSE)

From the current NCERT Poorvi Grade 7 book, Unit 3: Dreams and Discoveries, Chapter 9. A travel story that takes us to the four corners of India through the eyes of a young traveller.

1. About the lesson

• Text type: A travel story told through letters / postcards.
• Main character: Shaana, a girl from Rameswaram (the far south of India).
• Main theme: The amazing diversity of India — its land, climate, plants, animals and people.

2. Summary

Shaana, who lives in Rameswaram at the southern tip of India, travels to different parts of the country and shares what she sees through letters and postcards. She journeys to the north — to Kashmir, where she visits Sonamarg and the Thajiwas glacier, and notices how the glacier has been shrinking (a sign of climate change). She writes from the west, in Gujarat, and from the east, in Arunachal Pradesh, with its hills and unique culture. She also describes the beaches of Goa and the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, home of the Royal Bengal tiger. Through Shaana's eyes, we discover how different each region is in landscape, weather, food and customs, and yet how all of them are part of one India. The lesson celebrates India's unity in diversity and gently reminds us to care for our environment.

3. Theme and values

• Unity in diversity — many regions, one country.
• Geography awareness — directions, landforms, climate.
• Care for nature — the shrinking glacier warns of climate change.
• Curiosity and travel — learning by exploring.

4. New words and meanings

5. Let Us Think (comprehension)

1. Where does Shaana come from? Rameswaram, in the far south of India.

2. What does she visit in Kashmir? Sonamarg and the Thajiwas glacier.

3. What change does she notice in the glacier? That it has been shrinking — a sign of climate change.

4. Name two other places she writes about. Any two of Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, the Sundarbans.

5. What is the main idea of the lesson? India's unity in diversity, and the need to care for nature.

6. Language and grammar

Directions and proper nouns

List the four directions and one place Shaana visits in each. Remember to capitalise proper nouns (Kashmir, Goa…).

Letter / postcard format

Notice how a postcard is short and friendly. Write a one-line postcard greeting.

7. Writing and speaking

• Writing: Write a short postcard (4–6 lines) to a friend describing a place you have visited.
• Speaking: Point to four places on a map of India and say one fact about each.

8. Common mistakes

• Mistake: Mixing up the directions of places. Fix: Kashmir = north, Arunachal = east, Gujarat = west, Rameswaram = south.
• Mistake: Ignoring the climate-change hint. Fix: The shrinking glacier is an important warning.
• Mistake: One-word answers. Fix: Add a detail (place + what she saw).

9. Practice set

1. How does Shaana share her travels?
2. What does she see at Sonamarg?
3. Why is the shrinking glacier important?
4. Which animal lives in the Sundarbans?
5. What does the lesson teach about India?

10. Answer key

1. Through letters and postcards.
2. The Thajiwas glacier (and the beautiful meadows of Sonamarg).
3. It is a sign of climate change and a warning to protect nature.
4. The Royal Bengal tiger.
5. That India is wonderfully diverse yet one — unity in diversity.

11. Quick revision

• Unit 3: Dreams and Discoveries · Chapter 9 · a travel story in letters.
• Shaana is from Rameswaram (south); she travels across India.
• North: Kashmir — Sonamarg, Thajiwas glacier (shrinking).
• West: Gujarat; East: Arunachal Pradesh; also Goa and the Sundarbans.
• Theme: unity in diversity; care for the environment.

Unit 3: Dreams and Discoveries

This chapter is part of Unit 3: Dreams and Discoveries. The three chapters in this unit are:

• Chapter 7: My Brother's Great Invention — a humorous story
• Chapter 8: Paper Boats — a poem by Rabindranath Tagore
• Chapter 9: North, South, East, West — a travel story about India