Lesson
3
:

Writing a Narrative About Grit

Grade

Grade 5

UNIT

2

•

Grit

Last Updated:

June 10, 2025

In Unit 2, Lesson 3, “Writing a Narrative About Grit,” students will write a narrative about one of the two people we learned about earlier in this unit: Henry “Box” Brown or Olaudah Equiano. Students will develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

SUGGESTED TIME:

45 minutes

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RELATED SUBJECT:

English Language Arts

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LEARNING OUTCOMES:

  • Demonstrate understanding of the word grit 
  • Write a narrative that develops real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences
  • Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

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REQUIRED MATERIALS:

  • Prohuman Grade 5 Unit 2 Worksheet 3: Writing a Narrative About Grit  

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VOCABULARY:.

  • Grit: I keep trying to reach my goals even when it is hard. I don’t give up.

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ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET

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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1

Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3.A

Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3.B

Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations

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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3.C

Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events.

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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3.D

Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.

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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3.E

Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.4

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.2

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

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CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET

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Performance Character A5

Define grit (e.g., perseverance and passion for a long-term goal)

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Performance Character B5

Provide an example of a role model who demonstrates grit (perseverance and passion for a long-term goal)

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Intellectual Character B4

Demonstrate the ability to analyze data, facts, and information

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Self-Awareness A1

Understand and explain why different situations may set in motion or give rise to different emotions (e.g., learning something new or difficult, meeting someone new)

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LESSON PROCEDURE

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  1. Today, you will write a narrative about one of the two people we learned about earlier in this unit: Henry “Box” Brown or Olaudah Equiano. You can choose one of two options:
  • Option 1: Write a story about what Henry did on his first day of freedom in Philadelphia. Focus on how he showed grit.
  • Option 2: Write a story about what happened on the next day of Olaudah Equiano’s life, after the portion of his autobiography we read. Focus on how he showed grit. 

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NOTE: Collect and keep the worksheet on the following page for the next lesson in which students will share their stories with a partner.

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GRADE 5 UNIT 2 WORKSHEET 3: WRITING A NARRATIVE ABOUT GRIT

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Grit: I keep trying to reach my goals even when it is hard. I don’t give up.

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For your narrative, choose one of the following options: 

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Option 1: Write a story about what Henry did on his first day of freedom in Philadelphia. Focus on how he showed grit.

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Option 2: Write a story about what happened on the next day of Olaudah Equiano’s life, after the portion of his autobiography we read. Focus on how he showed grit. 

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Do the following: 

  1. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
  2. Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events.
  3. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
  4. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

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Prohuman K-12 Curriculum © 2025 by Prohuman Foundation is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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