Lesson Plan: Chanda Mama Counts the Stars

Class 3 English Santoor NCERT: Unit 4 The Sky

Lesson Overview

Aspect	Details
Lesson	Chanda Mama Counts the Stars (Chapter 11)
Class	3
Subject	English (L2 – Second Language)
Unit	4: The Sky
Type	Story (Fiction – Folktale)
Duration	5 Days (30–35 minutes per day)
Page Reference	Pages 127-134
Curricular Goals (NCF-SE 2023)	CG 1 (Sustains effective communication skills), CG 2 (Develops fluency in reading and comprehension), CG 3 (Expresses understanding in writing), CG 4 (Develops wide range of vocabulary)

Introduction

“Chanda Mama Counts the Stars” is the eleventh chapter of Unit 4: The Sky in the Santoor Class 3 English textbook. This delightful folktale personifies the Moon (Chanda Mama) as a character who tries to count the stars in the sky.

The story follows:

Chanda Mama (the Moon) – who loves to count the stars
The Sun – who helps Chanda Mama solve his problem
The children – who are as numerous as the stars

The story teaches children about:

The Moon’s changing shapes – from round to different shapes
The vastness of the universe – too many stars to count
The connection between stars and children – each child is as special as a star
Friendship and helping others – the Sun helps Chanda Mama
The concept of “too many to count” – infinity

The story also includes activities related to:

Comprehension questions about the story
Using ‘here’ and ‘there’ – prepositions of place
Sorting items that can be counted easily vs. too many to count
Completing a conversation using a help box
Project work – making wind chimes

Learning Objectives (सीखने के उद्देश्य)

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Listen to and understand the story “Chanda Mama Counts the Stars.” (कहानी सुन और समझ सकेंगे।)
Identify the characters – Chanda Mama (Moon), the Sun. (पात्रों को पहचान सकेंगे – चंदा मामा (चाँद), सूरज।)
Understand the Moon’s changing shapes (full moon, crescent, etc.). (चाँद के बदलते आकारों को समझ सकेंगे।)
Use ‘here’ and ‘there’ correctly to indicate location. (‘here’ और ‘there’ का सही उपयोग कर सकेंगे।)
Sort items based on whether they can be counted easily or are too many. (वस्तुओं को आसानी से गिनने योग्य/बहुत अधिक के आधार पर वर्गीकृत कर सकेंगे।)
Complete a conversation using words from a help box. (सहायता बॉक्स से शब्दों का उपयोग कर बातचीत पूरी कर सकेंगे।)
Answer comprehension questions about the story. (कहानी से संबंधित प्रश्नों के उत्तर दे सकेंगे।)
Make wind chimes following step-by-step instructions. (चरण-दर-चरण निर्देशों का पालन कर विंड चाइम्स बना सकेंगे।)

Key Vocabulary (मुख्य शब्दावली)

Story-Specific Words (कहानी से संबंधित शब्द)

English	Hindi
Chanda Mama	चंदा मामा (Moon)
Stars	तारे (Taare)
Count	गिनना (Ginna)
Round	गोल (Gol)
Circle	वृत्त (Vritt)
Full moon	पूर्णिमा (Purnima)
Crescent	अर्धचंद्र (Ardhchandra)
Peeped out	झाँका (Jhaanka)
Woke up	उठा (Utha)
Upset	उदास (Udaas)
Tears	आँसू (Aansoo)
Smiled	मुस्कुराया (Muskuraaya)
Joyfully	खुशी से (Khushi se)

New Words (नए शब्द)

English	Hindi
Count	गिनना
Upset	उदास
Tears	आँसू
Joyfully	खुशी से
Peeped	झाँका

Prepositions of Place (स्थान के अव्यय शब्द)

English	Hindi	Usage
Here	यहाँ	Near the speaker
There	वहाँ	Far from the speaker

Sight Words (दृश्य शब्द)

the, and, to, of, for, with, on, at, by, from, in, it, they, their, them, he, she, but, here, there

Day-Wise Lesson Plan

Day 1: Introduction to the Story (कहानी का परिचय)

Duration: 30 minutes

Time	Activity	Hindi Term / Instruction	Teacher’s Role
5 min	Warm-up	शुभ प्रभात! (Shubh Prabhat!)	Greet students. Ask: “What do you see in the sky at night?” (रात में आसमान में क्या दिखता है?) “Have you seen the moon?” (क्या तुमने चाँद देखा है?)
5 min	Pre-listening	आज क्या सीखेंगे? (Aaj kya seekhenge?)	Show the picture on Page 127. Ask: “What do you see?” (The moon, stars) “Today we will read a story about Chanda Mama (the Moon) who tries to count the stars!”
10 min	Story Narration (Part 1)	कहानी सुनो (Kahani suno)	Narrate the first part of the story (Pages 127-128): Chanda Mama tries to count the stars, falls asleep, wakes up and starts again.
5 min	Vocabulary Introduction	नए शब्द सीखो (Naye shabd seekho)	Introduce key words: Chanda Mama, stars, count, round, circle, peeped out, woke up.
5 min	Wrap-up	आज क्या सीखा? (Aaj kya seekha?)	Ask: “Who is Chanda Mama?” (The Moon) “What did he try to do?” (Count the stars) “What happened when he was counting?” (He fell asleep)

Story Summary (Part 1 – Pages 127-128):

Chanda Mama! At times round as a circle and at times different.
Once, he started counting the stars. 1 … 2 … 3 … 10 … 21 … 45 … 99 … 100 … 311 … 516 … 890 … yawn … 999 …
Chanda Mama fell asleep!
The Sun peeped out from behind the clouds. It was morning. Chanda Mama woke up in the evening. He began to count again. But he had forgotten where he had stopped!
By the time he remembered, the night was over.
However, he continued to count the stars night after night. Often, he would forget the count.

Key Characters – Part 1:

Character	Hindi	Role
Chanda Mama	चंदा मामा	The Moon who counts stars
Sun	सूरज	Peeps out in the morning

Key Vocabulary – Part 1:

Word	Hindi
Chanda Mama	चंदा मामा
Stars	तारे
Count	गिनना
Round	गोल
Circle	वृत्त
Peeped out	झाँका
Woke up	उठा

Hindi Instructions to Use:

“Kahaani suno” (कहानी सुनो) – Listen to the story
“Chanda Mama kaun hain?” (चंदा मामा कौन हैं?) – Who is Chanda Mama?
“Unhone kya karne ki koshish ki?” (उन्होंने क्या करने की कोशिश की?) – What did he try to do?
“Kya hua?” (क्या हुआ?) – What happened?

Day 2: Story Narration (Part 2) and Comprehension (कहानी का दूसरा भाग और समझ)

Duration: 30 minutes

Time	Activity	Hindi Term / Instruction	Teacher’s Role
5 min	Revision	कल क्या सीखा? (Kal kya seekha?)	Quick recall: “Who is Chanda Mama?” “What did he try to do?”
10 min	Story Narration (Part 2)	कहानी पूरी सुनो (Kahani puri suno)	Narrate the rest of the story (Pages 128-129): Chanda Mama gets upset and cries, the Sun helps him by telling him that the number of children equals the number of stars, and Chanda Mama is happy.
5 min	Comprehension Questions	प्रश्न-उत्तर (Prashn-uttar)	Ask from Page 130: “Does the Moon look the same every night?” “What did Chanda Mama try to count?” “Why did Chanda Mama fall asleep?” “Who helped Chanda Mama?” “Complete the sentence.”
5 min	Discussion Activity	चर्चा (Charcha)	Use Page 130 (B): “I call the Moon, Chanda Mama. What do you call him in your language?” “Chanda Mama was not able to count the stars. What things can you not count?” “The Moon is visible during the night. What can you see in the night sky?”
5 min	Wrap-up	आज क्या सीखा?	Ask: “Who helped Chanda Mama?” (The Sun) “What did the Sun say?” (The number of children equals the number of stars)

Story Summary (Part 2 – Pages 128-129):

One night, he was very upset. He began to cry. “Ooohh … Ooohh … What is this? I am never able to complete my counting.”
On seeing his tears, the Sun smiled, “Don’t worry! Why do you cry? I can tell you how many stars there are in the sky.”
“Really? How many?” Chanda Mama was surprised.
The Sun replied joyfully, “The number of lovely children is the same as the number of stars in the sky.”
Chanda Mama was happy! Now, the Moon came out every night. He would look at the stars. He would look at the children and he would smile happily.

Comprehension Questions (Page 130):

Question	Expected Answer
Does the Moon look the same every night?	No, the moon changes shape (full moon, crescent).
What did Chanda Mama try to count?	Chanda Mama tried to count the stars.
Why did Chanda Mama fall asleep?	He was tired from counting.
Who helped Chanda Mama?	The Sun helped Chanda Mama.
Complete the sentence: The number of stars in the sky is the same as ______.	the number of lovely children.

Discussion Questions (Page 130 B):

Question	Possible Answer
What do you call the Moon in your language?	Chand (Hindi), Chandran (Tamil), Chandrama (Kannada), Chanda Mama (Bengali)
What things can you not count?	Stars, sand grains, drops of water, hair on your head.
What can you see in the night sky?	I see the moon, stars, and clouds.

Hindi Instructions to Use:

“Chanda Mama kyun roye?” (चंदा मामा क्यों रोये?) – Why did Chanda Mama cry?
“Suraj ne kya kaha?” (सूरज ने क्या कहा?) – What did the Sun say?
“Chanda Mama ko kaisa laga?” (चंदा मामा को कैसा लगा?) – How did Chanda Mama feel?
“Apni bhasha mein chand ko kya kehte hain?” (अपनी भाषा में चाँद को क्या कहते हैं?) – What do you call the moon in your language?

Day 3: ‘Here’ and ‘There’ – Prepositions (यहाँ और वहाँ – अव्यय शब्द)

Duration: 30 minutes

Time	Activity	Hindi Term / Instruction	Teacher’s Role
5 min	Revision	पुनरावृत्ति (Punaravritti)	Quick story recall. “What did the Sun tell Chanda Mama?”
15 min	‘Here’ and ‘There’ Activity	‘Here’ और ‘There’	Use Pages 131-132: “Look at the following sentences. We are here on the Earth. The Moon is there in the sky.” Explain: ‘here’ is for things near us, ‘there’ is for things far from us. Fill in the blanks with ‘here’ or ‘there’.
5 min	Practice Sentences	वाक्य अभ्यास (Vakya abhyas)	Students create sentences using ‘here’ and ‘there’. “My book is here.” “The moon is there in the sky.”
5 min	Wrap-up	आज क्या सीखा?	Ask: “When do we use ‘here’?” (For things near us) “When do we use ‘there’?” (For things far from us)

‘Here’ and ‘There’ Explanation (Pages 131-132):

Word	Meaning	Hindi	Usage
Here	Near the speaker	यहाँ	Something close
There	Far from the speaker	वहाँ	Something far away

Examples from the Textbook:

We are here on the Earth. (near)
The Moon is there in the sky. (far)
I have a sharpener here in my pencil box. (near)
The crayons are there in the big box. (far)

Fill in the Blanks (Page 132):

Sentence	Answer
The students are playing kabaddi ______.	there
______ is your shirt.	Here
______ is my bicycle.	Here
I went to Chandigarh last year. My brother is ______.	there
This is my bench. I sit ______ with my friends.	here

Practice Sentences:

Word	Sentence
Here	My pencil is here.
There	The sun is there in the sky.

Hindi Instructions to Use:

“Here ka upyog kab karte hain?” (Here का उपयोग कब करते हैं?) – When do we use ‘here’?
“There ka upyog kab karte hain?” (There का उपयोग कब करते हैं?) – When do we use ‘there’?
“Paas ya door?” (पास या दूर?) – Near or far?

Day 4: Counting and Sorting Activity (गिनती और वर्गीकरण गतिविधि)

Duration: 30 minutes

Time	Activity	Hindi Term / Instruction	Teacher’s Role
5 min	Revision	दोहराव (Dohrav)	Quick ‘here’ and ‘there’ recall. Story recall.
15 min	Counting and Sorting Activity	गिनती और वर्गीकरण (Ginati aur vargeekaran)	Use Page 133: “Look at the following list. Sort them into the correct column.” Items: children in the classroom, flowers in a garden, books in the library, pencils in your pencil box, fingers on your right hand, children in your city/town, pages in your English notebook, the hairs on your head.
5 min	Conversation Completion Activity	बातचीत पूरी करो (Baatcheet puri karo)	Use Page 134: “It was a full moon night. Children had come out to see the Moon. Complete the conversation they had by picking the words from the help box.”
5 min	Wrap-up	आज क्या सीखा?	Ask: “What can be counted easily?” “What cannot be counted easily?” “What did you learn about the moon?”

Counting and Sorting Activity (Page 133):

Can be counted easily	Too many to be counted
Children in the classroom	Flowers in a garden
Books in the library	Children in your city/town
Pencils in your pencil box	Pages in your English notebook
Fingers on your right hand	The hairs on your head

Conversation Completion Activity (Page 134):

Help Box:

a camera for the picture
so bright and big
says the full moon looks very beautiful
let’s take a picture

Speaker	Dialogue	Answer
Govind	Wow, look!	The moon is ______	so bright and big
Safura	The moon looks so big and bright.	–	–
Sukanya	Isn’t it?	–	–
Dhruv	My grandfather ______	says the full moon looks very beautiful
Ramani	Let us take a picture.	–	–
Safura	My mother has ______	a camera for the picture
Dhruv	Come. Stand here and ______	let’s take a picture
Govind	The moon is ______	so bright and big

Hindi Instructions to Use:

“Kya ginna aasan hai?” (क्या गिनना आसान है?) – What can be counted easily?
“Kya ginna mushkil hai?” (क्या गिनना मुश्किल है?) – What is too many to count?
“Sahayta box se shabd chuno” (सहायता बॉक्स से शब्द चुनो) – Choose words from the help box.

Day 5: Wind Chimes, Assessment, and Celebration (विंड चाइम्स, मूल्यांकन और उत्सव)

Duration: 30 minutes

Time	Activity	Hindi Term / Instruction	Teacher’s Role
5 min	Revision	पुनरावृत्ति (Punaravritti)	Full story recall. Quick ‘here’/’there’ recall.
10 min	Wind Chimes Project Work	विंड चाइम्स	Use Page 135: “Let us make ‘Wind Chimes’ with the shapes of the moon and the stars.” Follow stepwise instructions to make wind chimes.
5 min	Speaking Assessment	बातचीत परीक्षण (Baatcheet parikshan)	Call students one by one. Ask: “Who is Chanda Mama?” “What did the Sun tell Chanda Mama?” “What is the Moon called in your language?”
5 min	Writing Assessment	लेखन परीक्षण (Lekhan parikshan)	Dictate 5 words: moon, star, count, sky, night. Students write in their notebooks.
5 min	Wrap-up & Celebration	समापन और शाबाशी (Samaapan aur Shabashi)	Sing a favourite rhyme. Clap for all students. Celebrate their learning!

Wind Chimes Making (Page 135):

Step	Instruction	Hindi
1	Take two cardboard sheets.	दो कार्डबोर्ड शीट लो।
2	Draw stars on cardboard and cut them.	कार्डबोर्ड पर तारे बनाओ और उन्हें काटो।
3	Use paper to decorate the sun.	सूरज को सजाने के लिए कागज़ का उपयोग करो।
4	Attach all the above shapes as shown in the picture using thread and glue.	सभी आकृतियों को धागे और गोंद का उपयोग कर चित्र की तरह जोड़ो।

Materials Required:

Two cardboard sheets
Coloured paper
Child-friendly scissors
Marker
Thread
Glue

Speaking Assessment Questions:

Question	Expected Answer
Who is Chanda Mama?	Chanda Mama is the Moon.
What did the Sun tell Chanda Mama?	The Sun said the number of children equals the number of stars.
What is the Moon called in your language?	Chand/Chandran/Chandrama.
Why was Chanda Mama upset?	He could not count all the stars.
What did Chanda Mama do every night?	He counted the stars and smiled at children.

Writing Assessment:

Dictation Word	Expected Spelling
Moon	M-O-O-N
Star	S-T-A-R
Count	C-O-U-N-T
Sky	S-K-Y
Night	N-I-G-H-T
Sun	S-U-N

Assessment Checklist (मूल्यांकन सूची):

Skill	Criteria	Yes/No
Listening	Listens to the story attentively	☐
Comprehension	Answers 4+ questions correctly	☐
Vocabulary	Names 5+ new words	☐
Prepositions	Uses ‘here’ and ‘there’ correctly	☐
Counting/Sorting	Sorts items into correct columns	☐
Conversation	Completes dialogue using help box	☐
Craft	Makes wind chimes	☐
Speaking	Answers questions in sentences	☐
Writing	Writes dictation words correctly	☐

Additional Activities (अतिरिक्त गतिविधियाँ)

Activity	Description	Hindi Instruction
Star Counting Activity	Give students star stickers. Ask them to count stars in different groups.	“Taare gino.” (तारे गिनो।)
Moon Observation	Observe the moon for a week. Draw its shape each night.	“Chand dekho.” (चाँद देखो।)
Here and There Game	Teacher places an object. Ask: “Is it here or there?”	“Yahan ya wahan?” (यहाँ या वहाँ?)
My Favourite Night Sky Drawing	Draw your favourite night sky with stars and moon. Write a sentence about it.	“Apna pasandida raat ka aasman banao.” (अपना पसंदीदा रात का आसमान बनाओ।)
Chanda Mama Song	Sing or learn a song about the moon in your mother tongue.	“Chand ke baare mein geet gao.” (चाँद के बारे में गीत गाओ।)
Counting Challenge	Count objects in the classroom. See what can be counted easily.	“Ginati challenge.” (गिनती चैलेंज।)

Resources Needed (आवश्यक सामग्री)

Textbook: Santoor Class 3 English (Pages 127-135)
Pictures of: moon (different shapes), stars, sun
Flashcards: ‘here’ and ‘there’
Star stickers (for counting activity)
Cardboard sheets for wind chimes
Coloured paper, scissors, thread, glue
Drawing sheets and crayons
Notebooks and pencils

Integration with Indian Knowledge System (भारतीय ज्ञान परंपरा से जुड़ाव)

Chanda Mama in Indian Culture: In India, the moon is often affectionately called “Chanda Mama” (Moon Uncle). Many Indian songs and rhymes, like “Chanda Mama door ke,” are popular among children.
Indian Calendars: The Hindu calendar (Panchang) is based on the moon’s phases. Many Indian festivals are celebrated based on the moon (Diwali on Amavasya, Karwa Chauth on full moon).
Moon in Indian Mythology: The moon (Chandra) is a deity in Indian mythology. He is one of the Navagrahas (nine planets).
Stars and Children: The story connects stars to children, reflecting the Indian belief that children are precious like stars.
Indian Folk Tales: This story is a folk tale that has been passed down through generations, reflecting India’s rich oral storytelling tradition.
Sanskrit Connection: The word “Chandra” is Sanskrit for moon. Many Indian languages use this root word for moon.

Note to the Teacher (शिक्षक के लिए नोट)

Encourage students to share stories with others. Introduce the English counterparts of the words as and when possible.
Reinforce the link between position and ordinal numbers by using examples from everyday life such as standing first or last in a line, etc.
On the basis of the examples, list more items for children (based on local context) to sort in the two columns. Repeat the phrases twice or thrice instead of jotting down on the board.
Help children notice the difference between day and night. You may ask questions such as ‘Can you see colours at night?’
Give instructions to the children in simple English. Repeat the instructions for clarity. Pause for some time before giving the next instruction.
Encourage children to use their imagination when describing the night sky.

Links to Other Curricular Areas (पाठ्यक्रम के अन्य क्षेत्रों से जुड़ाव)

Area	Connection
Science	Moon, stars, space, day and night, phases of the moon
Art & Craft	Wind chimes, drawing night sky
Social Studies	Indian festivals (Karwa Chauth, Diwali), Indian mythology
Mathematics	Counting, infinity, too many to count
Values Education	Friendship, helping others, appreciation of nature
Language Development	Vocabulary, prepositions (‘here’/’there’), conversation completion

Quick Reference Card

Key Characters:
Chanda Mama (Moon) – wants to count stars
Sun – helps Chanda Mama

Key Events:
Chanda Mama counts stars → Falls asleep → Forgets count → Gets upset → Sun helps → Happy ending

Key Message:
“Children are as precious and numerous as the stars in the sky.”

Prepositions:
Here (near), There (far)

Key Question:
“Can you count all the stars in the sky?”