Summary
Chapter 11 of the Class 3 English NCERT textbook (Santoor), "Chanda Mama Counts the Stars", is a short story about the Moon (Chanda Mama) who tries night after night to count all the stars in the sky but keeps falling asleep and forgetting his count, until the Sun cheers him up by saying the number of stars equals the number of lovely children on Earth.
- The Story of Chanda Mama — Chanda Mama, the Moon, attempts to count the stars one by one but yawns, falls asleep, and wakes up having forgotten where he stopped. Night after night he tries again and again, growing very upset until the Sun kindly tells him the answer.
- The Sun's Comforting Answer — When Chanda Mama cries in frustration, the Sun smiles and tells him that the number of stars in the sky is the same as the number of lovely children on Earth. This makes the Moon happy, and from then on he smiles at both the stars and the children every night.
- Here and There — Location Words — The chapter teaches children to use the word 'here' for things that are near the speaker and 'there' for things that are far away, with simple fill-in-the-blank practice sentences.
- Wind Chimes Craft Activity — Children are guided to make moon-and-star wind chimes using cardboard sheets, coloured paper, scissors, a marker, thread, and glue by cutting crescent moon and star shapes and attaching them together.
Key points & formulas
- 01Chanda Mama (the Moon) tries to count all the stars but keeps falling asleep and forgetting his count.
- 02The Sun helps Chanda Mama by telling him the number of stars equals the number of lovely children on Earth.
- 03After hearing the Sun's answer, Chanda Mama smiles happily every night looking at the stars and the children.
- 04The chapter introduces the location words 'here' (for things nearby) and 'there' (for things far away).
- 05Children practise sorting things into 'can be counted easily' and 'too many to be counted' through a listening activity.
- 06New words introduced in the chapter are 'round', 'count', and 'tears'.
- 07A hands-on project teaches children to make wind chimes shaped like the moon and stars using simple craft materials.
Frequently asked questions
01What is the story about in Chapter 11 of Class 3 Santoor?
The story is about Chanda Mama, the Moon, who keeps trying to count all the stars in the sky. He falls asleep while counting and forgets his number each time, until the Sun comforts him with a sweet answer.
02Why did Chanda Mama start crying in the story?
Chanda Mama got very upset because, no matter how many nights he tried, he was never able to finish counting the stars. He kept falling asleep or forgetting where he had stopped.
03Who helped Chanda Mama and what did they say?
The Sun helped Chanda Mama. The Sun told him joyfully that the number of lovely children on Earth is the same as the number of stars in the sky.
04Does the Moon look the same every night according to this chapter?
No, according to the chapter, Chanda Mama is at times round like a circle and at times different in shape.
05Why did Chanda Mama fall asleep while counting?
Chanda Mama was counting a very large number of stars, and as the numbers grew bigger he started to yawn. By the time he reached 999 he had fallen asleep, and when the Sun came out in the morning he woke up only in the evening.
06What language activity does Chapter 11 teach?
The chapter teaches children when to use the words 'here' and 'there'. 'Here' is used for things that are near the speaker, and 'there' is used for things that are far away.
07What new English words are introduced in this chapter?
The three new words introduced in this chapter are 'round', 'count', and 'tears'.
08What is the listening activity in this chapter about?
Children listen to a list of items and decide whether each one can be counted easily or is too many to count. For example, fingers on your hand can be counted easily, while hairs on your head are too many to count.
09What craft activity is included in Chapter 11?
Children make wind chimes shaped like the moon and stars using two cardboard sheets, coloured paper, scissors, a marker, thread, and glue. They cut a crescent moon and star shapes, decorate them, and attach them with thread.
10What writing activity does this chapter have?
Children complete a conversation between a group of friends who have come out on a full moon night to look at the Moon. They pick words from a help box to fill in what each child says.
11What question does the chapter ask children to think about in their own language?
The chapter asks children what they call the Moon in their own language, since the story uses the Hindi name Chanda Mama.
12What is the moral or main feeling of the Chapter 11 story?
The story shows that even a problem that seems impossible to solve, like counting every star, can feel better when someone kind steps in to help. The Sun's warm words turn Chanda Mama's tears into a happy smile.
More chapters in Santoor
Read Chapter 11 of Santoor, the Class 3 English NCERT textbook (2026-27 edition), online for free: the complete chapter as published by NCERT with every diagram, solved example and exercise, with a chapter summary, question answers and revision notes. Open the NCERT PDF above, or browse all NCERT Class 3 textbooks.
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