CBSE Class 7 English Alien Hand Syllabus

CBSE Syllabus for Class 7 English Alien Hand 2023 – 2024 Exam

The CBSE syllabus for Class 7 English consists of two NCERT books. The textbook is ‘Honeycomb’ and the supplementary reading book is titled ‘Alien Hand’. This book helps CBSE students nurture their reading and writing skills by studying 10 diverse stories.

Important CBSE Class 7 English Syllabus 2023 – 2024 – Alien Hand

Students can access the CBSE Class 7 English Alien Hand Syllabus using the link given below. A  syllabus document link is provided so that the students can start their preparation for exams. Extramarks also provides simplified and effective study material curated by the experienced subject matter experts who meticulously follow the latest CBSE guidelines. . Students can refer to the CBSE past years’ question papers to have a good grasp of the types of questions, along with their pattern and marks distribution, that is usually followed in exams. These resources and more are available on the Extramarks website and app. They can help students focus on CBSE important questions and prepare them in advance for any  CBSE extra questions that might be asked in exams. 

CBSE Class 7 English Syllabus 2023 – 2024 – ‘Alien Hand’

Chapter number Name of the Chapter
1 The Tiny Teacher
2 Bringing up Kari
3 The Desert
4 The Cop and the Anthem
5 Golu Grows a Nose
6 I Want Something in a Cage
7 Chandni
8 The Bear Story
9 A Tiger in the House
10 An Alien Hand

Chapters: An Overview of the CBSE English Alien Hand Syllabus (Class 7)

The English Alien Hand Syllabus For Class 7 CBSE has  a total of 10 chapters and each chapter offers students an interesting story. Each story is important for the growth of students as it focuses on essential moral and human values to build positive traits like compassion, respect, kindness and humility. Here is a detailed overview of each chapter.

  • The Tiny Teacher

The book starts with a story titled ‘The Tiny Teacher’ that motivates the students with the concept of hard work, commitment, and discipline with reference to the ants. Ants are fascinating creatures that have their own social structure. They work hard and scan their environment through their antennas to make a living. The author has also shed light on the ants’ growth and progress while presenting them as  motivational creatures  for humans to learn from.

  • Bringing up Kari

The second story ‘Bringing up Kari’ is a narrative with two main characters Kari and the narrator. It is an interesting story that centres around his growing-up years with a baby elephant named Kari and   contains more emotional values and experiences of raising and training Kari.  The bonding and humane behaviour of the elephant are vividly painted through this story.

  • The Desert

The third story, titled ‘The Desert’, is generally perceived as land without vegetation and  water. It can either be hot or cold. However, it showcases that even in such extreme climatic conditions it is brimming with life, where many plants and animal species have been surviving for millions of years. 

  • The Cop and the Anthem

This is one of the most wonderful stories from the book that portrays the story of a broke, homeless person from New York. His name is Soapy and he spends the whole year on the bench at Madison Square. However, winter is going to be an unbearable season for him to continue like this. The story shows Soapy’s struggle to find shelter during winter and the irony of the story is that when he realizes he wants a better life, he is arrested and sentenced to jail for a period of three months, and this is exactly what he wished for in the beginning.  .

  • Golu Grows a Nose

The fifth story in the book is also about a  baby elephant Golu who was born without a nose. He had a bulging snout though. He always has a string of questions because he is curious by nature.  However, he goes through a  series of strange experiences,  for instance, the dangers of trusting strangers and eventually how he gets an elongated nose and the importance of having one. .

  • I Want Something in a Cage

This is a very interesting story that deals with freedom and its importance in everyone’s life. The story revolves around a conversation between a customer and a pet shop owner. The customer buys a pair of doves from the pet shop and sets them free. The customer used to work at the port for minimum wage and now understands the real meaning of freedom. . He empathised with the pair of doves after he had  almost a decade in prison and he was willing to sacrifice all the money he had earned to give them a taste of freedom. 

  • Chandni

Chandni is a pet goat by Abbu Khan who is very much loved by her master. The story reveals the struggle for Chandni’s freedom and a fight with a wolf.

  • The Bear Story

This is a story that shows the barbaric side  and the humanitarian side of humans that coexist. . In the story, the bear gets beaten and chained by the old lady who lived in the manor house in the dense jungle.  The bear remains obedient and amicable despite the misunderstanding which the old lady regrets later. However, even in these conditions, the bear chose to always remain friendly and polite.

  • A Tiger in the House

‘A Tiger in the House’ is a story by Ruskin Bond regarding a tiger cub named Timothy. In the story, the author explains how Timothy was rescued and domesticated through his grandfather’s selfless love and care. However, Timothy soon became ferocious because of their animal instincts and had to be sent to the zoo.

  • An Alien Hand

The book ends with the last story, the namesake ‘An Alien Hand’. It is about a space project: a Viking Mission to Mars. The central character Tilloo lives with his parents on Mars and the story further explains his experience when an alien spacecraft lands on Mars.

The students are encouraged to read each of the stories not just as a part of the syllabus but to enhance  their knowledge and imagination as well. Studying Alien Hand can help students come up with better literary answers. CBSE revision notes and CBSE sample papers are also recommended to better their reading and answer writing skills on the subject.

FOREWORD

THE National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2005, recommends
that children’s life at school must be linked to their life outside
the school. This principle marks a departure from the legacy
of bookish learning which continues to shape our system and
causes a gap between the school, home and community. The
syllabi and textbooks developed on the basis of NCF signify an
attempt to implement this basic idea. They also attempt to
discourage rote learning and the maintenance of sharp
boundaries between different subject areas. We hope these
measures will take us significantly further in the direction of a
child-centred system of education outlined in the National
Policy of Education (1986).
The success of this effort depends on the steps that school
principals and teachers will take to encourage children to reflect
on their own learning and to pursue imaginative activities and
questions. We must recognise that, given space, time and
freedom, children generate new knowledge by engaging with
the information passed on to them by adults. Treating the
prescribed textbook as the sole basis of examination is one of
the key reasons why other resources and sites of learning are
ignored. Inculcating creativity and initiative is possible if we
perceive and treat children as participants in learning, not as
receivers of a fixed body of knowledge.
These aims imply considerable change in school routines
and mode of functioning. Flexibility in the daily time-table is
as necessary as rigour in implementing the annual calendar
so that the required number of teaching days are actually
devoted to teaching. The methods used for teaching and
evaluation will also determine how effective this supplementary
reader proves for making children’s life at school a happy
experience rather than a source of stress or boredom. Syllabus
designers have tried to address the problem of curricular
burden by restructuring and reorienting knowledge at different
stages with greater consideration for child psychology and the

time available for teaching. The book attempts to enhance this
endeavour by giving higher priority and space to opportunities
for contemplation and wondering, discussion in small groups,
and activities requiring hands-on experience.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training
(NCERT) appreciates the hard work done by the textbook
development committee responsible for this book. We wish to
thank the Chairperson of the advisory group in languages,
Professor Namwar Singh, and the Chief Advisor for this book,
Professor R. Amritavalli for guiding the work of this committee.
Several teachers contributed to the development of this book;
we are grateful to their principals for making this possible. We
are indebted to the institutions and organisations which have
generously permitted us to draw upon their resources,
materials and personnel. We are especially grateful to the
members of the National Monitoring Committee, appointed by
the Department of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry
of Human Resource Development under the Chairpersonship
of Professor Mrinal Miri and Professor G.P. Deshpande for their
valuable time and contribution. As an organisation committed
to systemic reform and continuous improvement in the quality
of its products, NCERT welcomes comments and suggestions
which will enable us to undertake further revision and
refinements.

Director
New Delhi National Council of Educational
20 November 2006 Research and Training

A Note For The Teacher

THE main objective of this supplementary reader is to promote
among learners the habit of reading independently with
interest, understanding and enjoyment. It seeks to enable them
to read independently in the sense that they would not expect
the book to be taken up page by page in the classroom. They
would rather read it on their own and later share and confirm
their responses and appreciation with the teacher and the peer
group through discussions, questions and, wherever possible,
even role-play.
The book contains ten pieces. Each piece has been divided
into two or three manageable sections, each section briefly
summarised in point form without revealing crucial turns and
twists of the storyline, thus sustaining readers’ curiosity and
interest. While-reading ‘Comprehension Check,’ given at the
end of sections, is a recall of what has been read and understood
so far.
This format is being tried to make comprehension easier
and concentration keener. Each piece is also followed by a set
of questions as aids to understanding and, at many places,
topics for discussion in groups. All questions should be
attempted orally before well-formulated answers are put down
on paper. Discussion on related topics should be encouraged
so that learners get an opportunity to go beyond the book and
feel inspired to reach hitherto undiscovered vistas of knowledge
and pleasure.
The stories, amply illustrated, deal with themes of
cooperation, compassion, respect and love for flora and fauna,
sound decision-making, science fiction, peace and harmony.
It is hoped that young readers will find the book enjoyable
and rewarding, and will feel motivated to read extensively on
their own to become proficient readers in the years to come.

Textbook Development Committee

CHAIRPERSON, ADVISORY GROUP IN LANGUAGES
Professor Namwar Singh, formerly Chairman, School of Languages, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

CHIEF ADVISOR
R. Amritavalli, Professor, English and Foreign Languages
University (EFLU), Hyderabad

CHIEF COORDINATOR
Ram Janma Sharma, Former Professor and Head, Department
of Education in Languages, NCERT, New Delhi

MEMBERS
Beena Sugathan, PGT (English), Loreto Convent, Delhi
Cantonment, New Delhi
Madhavi Gayathri Raman, Lecturer, The English and Foreign
Languages University, Hyderabad.
Rooma Palit, PGT (English), Delhi Public School, Nalcognar
Angul, Odisha
Shyamala Kumaradas, (formerly of CIEFL), Hyderabad, 3C
Sheetal Haven, Peringavu, Trichur

MEMBER–COORDINATOR
Nasiruddin Khan, Former Reader in English, Department of
Education in Languages, NCERT, New Delhi

Acknowledgement

THE National Council of Educational Research and Training is
grateful to Professor M.L. Tickoo, formerly of the Central Insitute
of English and Foreign Languages, Hyderabad, and the
Regional Language Centre, Singapore for going through the
manuscript and making valuable suggestions. Special thanks
are due to Professor R. Amritavalli for her overall monitoring
and assistance as Chief Adivsor.
For permission to reproduce copyright material in this book
NCERT would like to thank the following: Gita Wolf and
Anoushka Ravishankar for ‘Children at work’ from Trash—On
Ragpicker Children and Recycling, Tara Publishing & Books
for Change, Chennai, 1999; M.S. Bela Raja, Editor, for ‘Treasure
Within’ from Sparsh—A Newsletter from The Resource Centre,
The valley School, Bengaluru, Vol : 003, July 2001; Ruskin
Bond for ‘The Fight’ from Time Stops at Shamli and Other
Stories, Penguin India, 1989; and Jayant Narlikar for ‘The
Comet’ from Tales of the Future, Witness Books, Delhi, 2005.
Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders.
We apologise for some omissions, and will gratefully
acknowledge them as soon as they can be traced.
Special thanks are also due to the Publication Department,
NCERT, for its support. NCERT also acknowledges
the contributions made by Parash Ram Kaushik, Incharge,
Computer Resource Centre; Razi Ahmad and Inder Kumar,
DTP Operators; and Mathew John, Proof Reader.

Contents

  1. Foreword iii
    A Note for the Teacher v
    1. The Tiny Teacher 1
    2. Bringing up Kari 7
    3. The Desert 15
    4. The Cop and the Anthem 20
    5. Golu Grows a Nose 30
    6. I Want Something in a Cage 36
    7. Chandni 43
    8. The Bear Story 52
    9. A Tiger in the House 58
    10. An Alien Hand 66

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

The English book ‘The Alien Hand’ is specially crafted to make sure the students are able to understand the moral values and underlying meanings of the stories they read. It falls under the guidelines  of the CBSE curriculum that students are able to identify the characteristics of various texts and references while building their own individual perspectives. The moral stories offered in this book have a direct impact on students and their developing minds, giving them valuable life lessons.

‘Alien Hand’ is considered a supplementary reading book for Class 7 CBSE. It is important to go through  the book to improve your grades in literature in the examination.  The stories are simplified and are quite fun to read. Thus, students should take complete advantage of the book and consider it as a part of their preparation to enhance their reading, writing and listening skills. 

Extramarks provides a collection of essential study material, revision notes, and detailed analysis of the syllabus. Students can improve their exam scores by using these resources and the following tips:

  • Read and understand each story, the characters, and the underlying messages provided inside
  • Find the moral values reflected in each chapter.
  • Know the meaning of the unfamiliar words and create short notes for better understanding
  • Self-assess yourself by writing the answers to the question offered at the end of the chapters
  • Try to revise all the chapters once a week and take the sample tests to step up your preparation and excel in your exams.

NCERT books are very helpful for CBSE syllabus. Exam answers do not follow any predefined formulas, but coming up with the right answer under strict time limits could be a little daunting experience. However, online course material can offer students more exposure and practice to score better marks in exams. Whether it be past years’ question papers or important CBSE revision notes, students can get everything on the Extramarks website and app to be prepared for any kind of question. The materials are curated by experienced subject matter experts while adhering to the CBSE guidelines.