Science and Curiosity Class 8 English Chapter 5 CBSE Notes 2025-26

In this chapter, students explore the theme of “Science and Curiosity” through engaging stories, poems, influential lives, and relevant grammar. The unit includes a narrative (“Feathered Friend”), the poem “Magnifying Glass,” and a biographical sketch of scientist Bibha Chowdhuri, focusing on how curiosity and scientific thinking impact both personal and community lives. The lessons also touch on technological innovation, creative language use, and India’s contributions to science.

Feathered Friend – Short Story Summary Set on a space station, “Feathered Friend” revolves around Sven Olsen, a talented construction worker, and his secret pet canary, Claribel. Despite no official prohibition, Sven secretly brings Claribel aboard, partly out of scientific curiosity to observe how a bird would manage in zero gravity. 

Claribel adapts quickly, flying loops in the air and seeming unbothered by gravity’s absence. Her food needs are minimal, and she provides the crew some comic relief. But her hidden presence also brings a problem: her singing from hidden spots worries the crew and means they must invent excuses for mysterious noises.

Scientific Curiosity and Problem Solving Sven claims he wanted to study how a bird would behave in space, where there is no gravity. Claribel’s adjustment is remarkable; she flies gracefully and is not troubled by weightlessness. 

The crew sometimes confuses her musical whistles with sounds from the intercom. Sven manages to keep Claribel’s presence a secret for several days, but her growing confidence and curiosity mean close calls with discovery.

Crisis in the Space Station Later, the story takes a tense turn when a sudden air crisis hits the station. The crew experiences headaches and lethargy, and their alarm system fails. Claribel, more sensitive to changes in air quality, faints. 

This echoes how miners used canaries to detect toxic gases. Her suffering leads Sven and the narrator to discover a problem with the air purifier in time to save everyone. 

Claribel’s revival with oxygen brings relief, and her presence is recognized as crucial to the crew’s survival. Without her, as the narrator says, “we should soon have been slightly dead,” highlighting the unpredictability and danger of life in space and the role of unconventional solutions.

Key Reflections and Title Significance The story uses humour—Claribel’s presence brings both laughs and life-or-death importance. 

The title “Feathered Friend” is fitting, as the canary saves the crew and represents the unexpected value of curiosity and living things in scientific environments. The chapter highlights that innovation can arise from unlikely sources, emphasizing that sometimes small and disregarded things make a big difference.

Glossary – Important Words

• Wiry: Thin but strong
• Girders: Long beams used in building construction
• Handiwork: Something made or done skillfully by hand
• Aboard: On or in a ship, aircraft, or vehicle
• Ventilating shafts: Ducts that allow air flow

Comprehension and Reflection

• Sven’s motivation was a mix of curiosity and companionship. He wanted to observe animal behaviour in space.
• Claribel’s suffering helped expose a technical fault no machine detected.
• The humour in the story comes from the contrast between strict regulations and Claribel’s secret journey, plus the misunderstanding over mysterious sounds on the station.
• The title is appropriate as the “feathered” friend unexpectedly saves the day.
• The episode shows the value of thinking differently and the importance of non-human companions even in scientific contexts.

Grammar and Language Activities The chapter provides practice with adjectives, word formation, and tenses:

• Examples of adjectives in use: narrow path, nagging worry, vague plan, delighted look, inexplicable reason, sluggish traffic, hushed voices, sheepish expression.
• Learning merged words (portmanteau words) like breakfast + lunch = brunch, motor + hotel = motel, smoke + fog = smog, video + log = vlog, spoon + fork = spork, web + seminar = webinar.
• Future tenses are demonstrated through examples: “Our flight leaves at 10.00 a.m. tomorrow”, “They will finish the project by the end of this week”, “She is going to the mall this afternoon”.

Poem – Magnifying Glass This poem by Walter de la Mare celebrates observation and discovery. With a “round glass” (magnifying glass), everyday small things—chalk, moss, drops of water—are seen as magical and full of surprising worlds. Using poetic devices like simile (“A drop of water like a hive of bees”), alliteration (“marvellous make”), and metaphor (moss as “a forest”), the poem encourages looking closer at the world.

The poem hints that curiosity and tools like magnifying glasses (and, by extension, telescopes) help us unlock wonders, possibly even making the moon seem closer.

Inspirational Life – Bibha Chowdhuri: The Beam of Light The chapter highlights the story of Bibha Chowdhuri, India’s first female particle physicist. Born in 1913, she overcame the obstacles of her time to make significant contributions in cosmic ray and particle research. 

She was the first Indian woman to earn a doctorate in high-energy physics, working at Manchester under Patrick Blackett. She discovered pi-mesons and was even nominated for a Nobel Prize by Erwin Schrödinger, though she received little recognition then. 

Bibha became the first woman faculty at TIFR and later worked at various Indian scientific institutions, contributing at sites like the Kolar Gold Mines. In her honour, a star has been named “Bibha,” and she is recognized as a pioneer paving the way for today’s Indian women in STEM like ISRO’s Dr Ritu Karidhal Srivastava.

Activities and Writing The chapter encourages creative engagement through different activities:

• Panel discussions and report writing, practising clear structuring of headlines, attributions, event details, and language use (passive voice, past tense).
• Speaking and discussion activities on technology in education, especially AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality), and Digital India initiatives.
• Exposure to India’s key science honors, such as the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar, with categories for lifetime achievement (Vigyan Ratna), distinguished contributors (Vigyan Shri), young scientists, and team awards.

These notes help students appreciate not only scientific ideas and discoveries but also language skills and inspirational stories, all tying back to the theme of how curiosity drives both individuals and societies forward.

CBSE Class 8 English Notes Chapter 5 – Science and Curiosity: Key Revision Points

These CBSE Class 8 English Chapter 5 notes present all important events, vocabulary, and grammar from “Science and Curiosity.” Key facts about “Feathered Friend,” poetic devices from “Magnifying Glass,” and highlights of Bibha Chowdhuri’s life are summarized for quick revision. Each section is structured for easy memory retention and exam preparation.

By using these notes, students gain a clear understanding of the chapter’s main stories and language lessons. Important themes, morals, and new words are neatly organized so learners can quickly revise before tests and build strong concepts in English and general knowledge.