Class 8 · English · New NCERT
Chapter 7: The Case of the Fifth Word
"The Case of the Fifth Word" opens Unit 3, Mystery and Magic, at about twenty-one pages. It is by Donald J. Sobol, the creator of the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, and the preface says it emphasises that keen attention to detail and critical thinking can help uncover hidden truths and solve mysteries. Students read a detective story, look for clues, try to solve the case before the end and discuss what the detective noticed. It supports comprehension, inference and logical reasoning, and is a good chapter for writing a short mystery of their own.
This is chapter 7 of 15 in Poorvi, the Class 8 English textbook, in Unit 3, Mystery and Magic, and begins on page 101 of the printed 2026-27 book. It follows "Verghese Kurien — I Too Had A Dream" and is followed by "The Magic Brush of Dreams".
The main skills practised in "The Case of the Fifth Word" are comprehension and expression. Children are encouraged to answer orally before writing, to retell or describe in their own words, and to use new words in sentences of their own. The book's sections (the Let us discuss, Let us think and reflect, Let us learn, Let us listen, Let us speak, Let us write and Let us explore activities) ask for different kinds of response, from reciting and speaking to drawing and writing, so that children with different strengths all find a way in. Phonological awareness, such as noticing rhyme and similar-sounding words, is practised along the way.
After the lesson on "The Case of the Fifth Word", children can make their own small page: a drawing, a few labelled words or a sentence of their own. Reading it aloud to a family member gives meaningful practice. Encourage questions and curiosity rather than correctness alone.
This overview is written from the 2026-27 textbook's Contents page, its preface and the chapter title, to help families and teachers prepare. Please read the chapter itself for exact content, activities and exercises.