The Rainbow Class 5 English Chapter 3 CBSE Notes 2025-26

The poem "The Rainbow" highlights the beauty of nature and its creations while comparing them with human-made things. Christina Rossetti, the poet, describes boats sailing on rivers and ships sailing on seas, but she believes that clouds in the sky are even prettier.

The poem then talks about bridges on rivers, but the poet prefers the natural “bow” that bridges heaven and overtops the trees. This bow refers to the rainbow, which seems to build a road from earth to sky, and is described as more beautiful than any bridge made by humans.

Key Words and Meanings

• Bow: In the poem, 'bow' means the curved band of seven colours seen in the sky after rain – a rainbow.
• Overtops: To rise above or be taller than something else, like the rainbow arching above trees.
• Bridges: Structures built to cross over rivers, roads, or valleys.

Important Questions and Facts

• The poet uses 'these' to refer to boats and ships in the first stanza, and to bridges in the second stanza.
• The poet likes the natural rainbow bridge more than any man-made bridge because it seems magical and connects earth to sky.
• Statements like "Ships sail on the river" and "Boats sail on the sea" are false; ships usually sail on seas and oceans, while boats sail on rivers and lakes.
• Bridges are built on rivers (true), but a real road is not exactly built from earth to the sky (false), except in the imagination inspired by the rainbow.

Discussion Points

• Ways to cross a river include using boats, ships, bridges, or even swimming.
• Seeing a rainbow often brings happiness and excitement, as it is rare and colourful.
• If you could walk on a rainbow, you might imagine it as a magical journey to the sky or to a land full of colours.

Vocabulary and Language Skills

• The poem helps learners understand and use new words such as 'sail', 'river', 'sea', 'clouds', 'bridges', 'heaven', 'overtops', 'bow', and 'road'.
• Students are encouraged to create and solve word unscrambling exercises based on the poem and identify rhyming words like 'seas' and 'these', 'bow' and 'now'.

Listening and Speaking Activities

• Interactive activities like giving rhyming words for ‘ship’, ‘tree’, ‘bow’, ‘rain’, ‘sun’, etc., help strengthen vocabulary and pronunciation.
• Children are guided to recite poems in different moods—happy, angry, surprised—to understand emotions in spoken English.
• Poems like “Colours” and “Aachoo!” are included as fun exercises for group recitation.

Writing Skills Development

• Students are prompted to write about a journey they have taken, focusing on details like destination, companions, experiences, and food they tried.
• They practice making new words by joining “friend words” (for example, rain + bow = rainbow, tea + cup = teacup, wrist + watch = wristwatch).

Grammar and Language Use

• Learners identify words that work both as nouns and verbs (e.g., “cut” – noun: The cut is deep; verb: Please cut the paper).
• Opposite pairs are given for practice (example: large × small, weak × strong, fast × slow, rough × smooth, dull × shiny, finish × start, complicated × simple, etc.).
• Students are encouraged to form sentences using these pairs and create similar exercises using another letter.

Science Connection – Colours of the Rainbow

The seven colours of the rainbow can be remembered through 'VIBGYOR': Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red. When sunlight passes through drops of rain, it splits into these seven colours, making a rainbow.

Colour and Food

Students can observe how spices, commonly found in the kitchen, add colours and flavours to food. They are also encouraged to write the names of these spices in their mother tongue.

Learning Colour Mixing

• Red + Blue = Purple
• Yellow + Blue = Green
• Red + Yellow = Orange
• Red + White = Pink
• Red + Black = Maroon
• Blue + Yellow = Green

Project and Group Activities

• Create a list and project about different types of boats. Gather images and share information on their uses and differences.
• Class discussions can explore human-made creations like ships and bridges versus natural wonders like clouds and rainbows.
• Design and colour a "Flowerpot Friend" as an art activity linking creativity with learning.

Did You Know?

Isaac Newton used a spinning disk painted with the rainbow’s seven colours to show that white light is actually made up of many colours. When spun quickly, the colours blend and look white to our eyes, demonstrating the science behind the rainbow’s beauty.

Summary

• The poem "The Rainbow" teaches us to appreciate nature's wonders, especially the colours of the rainbow after rain.
• Students practice new vocabulary, rhyming, and word formation, and reflect on the beauty of nature through activities in the chapter.
• There are options for group discussions, art projects, and exploring real-life experiences, making the lesson interactive and fun.

Class 5 English Chapter 3 Notes – The Rainbow: Key Points for Quick Revision

Get all the important highlights from the Class 5 English Chapter 3 ‘The Rainbow’ in these simple revision notes. Covering key vocabulary, central ideas, and creative exercises, these notes help you understand the poem and its meaning. Revise rhyme words, story themes, and enjoy the fun activities in a quick, easy format.

These notes for CBSE Class 5 English Chapter 3 guide you through answers, activities, and explanations connected to the NCERT textbook. Perfect for last-minute study, the main points and practice sections can boost your exam preparation. You can now focus on the most valuable content before your tests.