Dreams and Discoveries Class 7 English Chapter 3 CBSE Notes 2025-26

Dreams and Discoveries, Chapter 3 of Class 7 English, helps students explore the world of inventions, childhood curiosity, poetry, and travel. The chapter begins with "My Brother’s Great Invention," where Anita introduces us to her inventive but impulsive brother Anand. 

Anand is always tinkering with things and trying out new ideas, sometimes leading to chaos in the house. Once, he decides to build a burglar alarm to protect the family during a wave of thefts in the colony, but the plan goes hilariously wrong when their father, who always enters quietly, gets soaked by a water bag meant for a thief.

Summary of Key Events

Anand’s inventions are usually elaborate but do not work as expected. After his alarm fails, he becomes even more determined, especially after watching a science fiction film, "Back to the Future." He tries to design a time machine, causing suspense and excitement in the house. 

Anita warns Anand not to include her if things go wrong, demonstrating a close but sometimes strained sibling relationship. The children are then left alone at night when their parents travel. 

Mysterious noises wake Anita, and together they face a tense situation with a would-be thief, Boppa, the sweeper from their colony. Anand cleverly misdirects Boppa, and the chaos ends with neighbors coming to the rescue. Anand dismantles his time machine but is soon dreaming up new projects.

Themes and Character Traits

This story highlights themes of creativity, fearlessness in experimentation, and the importance of learning from mistakes. Anand is creative and optimistic, willing to try new ideas, even if they do not work as intended. 

Anita is practical and cautious, often worried about getting into trouble. Their dynamic brings out the playful, imaginative spirit of children, while also showing the occasional worries and lessons that come from failed experiments. The story encourages students to value curiosity and not fear failure.

Important Vocabulary and Language Features

Throughout the text, students encounter useful words such as racket (loud noise), scowling (angry expression), tinkering (experimenting), sceptical (doubtful), and more. The chapter also introduces binomials and idioms like “safe and sound,” “odds and ends,” “get on our nerves,” and “frighten me half to death.”

There are activities on onomatopoeia, focusing on sound words such as “crash,” “humming,” “hissed,” and “clattering.” Grammar sections include examples of the simple past and past perfect tense, such as "Ma had rushed in and found Papa soaking wet."

Cause and Effect Relationships

Understanding actions and their consequences is central in this lesson. For example:

For every invention or action, the story shows a clear effect, helping students understand the sequence and logic of events.

Atmosphere and Literary Features

The chapter uses suspense and humor to maintain reader interest. The night-time burglary episode builds tension and excitement, showing the children’s quick thinking and courage. Anita’s narration brings out both her concerns and her admiration for Anand’s creativity.

Poem: “Paper Boats” by Rabindranath Tagore

This lesson also includes the famous poem “Paper Boats.” It captures the innocence and imagination of a child. The poet floats paper boats, writes his name and village, and fills them with flowers, hoping that someone in a distant land will find them. 

The poem is set outdoors, along a running stream, with gentle and wishful language. It uses alliteration (“blooms of the dawn,” “paper boats”), and rich imagery (“running stream,” “bulging sails,” “midnight stars”).

Themes include innocence, imagination, and childhood hope. The poem’s symbols are:

• Paper boats – messages and dreams travelling far
• Shiuli flowers – purity and new beginnings
• Midnight stars – the universe and endless dreams

There are also “phrases with ‘of’,” like “wings of the wind” and “tears of the thunder,” enhancing poetic style. The poem’s activities ask students to think about their own wishes and the hopes carried by their own “boats.”

“North, South, East, West” – Postcards from Shaana

Shaana’s journey across India appears through several postcards she sends from different locations. She visits the Thajiwas glacier in Kashmir, mountains in Himachal Pradesh, forests of Arunachal, West Bengal wetlands, the desert of Gujarat, the Narmada river for rafting, plateaus and tunnels of Goa, beaches of Chennai and Puducherry, and finally home. 

Each place is described with environmental and cultural details, and her feelings—sometimes excitement, sometimes nervousness (as when she sees crocodiles and snakes).

Her mother expresses concern about the environment, especially the flooding in the Sundarbans, helping students reflect on human impact on nature. The journey encourages feelings of curiosity and wonder about India’s diversity.

Learning Grammar

Students practice subject-verb agreement (e.g., “Mathematics is an interesting subject”, “there are so many hills here”) and review proper formal writing format by learning how to compose a simple leave application letter. There is a special focus on binomials (pairs of words joined by “and,” like “make or break”) and idioms that enrich English expression.

Exploring Science and Discovery

The chapter encourages students to appreciate great inventors and scientists from India. Some highlights include Sushruta (an ancient surgeon), Dr. Janaki Ammal (a pioneer in plant science), Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (missile and rocket expert and former President), and Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany (Father of Fiber Optics). These role models inspire students to dream, question, and work hard.

Listening and Puzzles

There are several listening activities, including dialogues between characters from the story and the poem. The “Guess the Water Body” puzzles help children recognize and describe different water forms, improving thinking and creativity.

• Sea or ocean
• Lake
• River or stream

Overall, Chapter 3 blends stories, poems, grammar, activities, and discussions to encourage curiosity, imagination, scientific thinking, respect for the environment, and strong communication skills in English for Class 7 students.

Class 7 English Chapter 3 Notes – Dreams and Discoveries: Complete Summary & Revision Key Points

These Class 7 English Chapter 3 revision notes offer a clear and organized overview of "Dreams and Discoveries." They cover key events, vocabulary, grammar, and poetic devices, making exam preparation simple and efficient for students.

Detailed tables, story highlights, and thematic explanations in these notes help students quickly recall chapter facts, improve understanding, and boost confidence for assessments. Find all essential points and summary in one student-friendly resource.