Learning Grit from a Nonfiction Text
Grade
Grade 6
UNIT
2
•
Grit
In Unit 2, Lesson 2, “Learning Grit from a Nonfiction Text,” students will learn examples of grit from the lives of the first two people to reach the summit of Mount Everest, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. Additionally, students will develop their critical thinking skills by answering questions about the text and advance their academic dialogue skills by participating in a class discussion about the book.
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SUGGESTED TIME:
- 2-4 class sessions of in-class independent reading or 2-4 homework assignments to complete the book, Everest: The Remarkable Story of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay by Alexandra Stewart (Author), Joe Todd-Stanton (Illustrator). The book is in 4 parts and 64 pages
- Students should complete the worksheet questions as they read the book
- Please allow 50 minutes of class time for both small group and all-class discussions of the worksheet questions.
RELATED SUBJECT:
English Language Arts
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Read a nonfiction text and demonstrate understanding of the central ideas
- Determine the author’s purpose in the text
- Compose sentences that demonstrate comprehension of the word optimism
- Demonstrate understanding of standard English sentence structure and grammar
- Practice reading and conversation skills by sharing sentences with classmates
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
- Video: First people to climb Everest - Witness History, BBC World Service by BBC World Service (~2 min)
- Book: Everest: The Remarkable Story of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay by Alexandra Stewart (Author), Joe Todd-Stanton (Illustrator)
- Prohuman Grade 6 Unit 2 Worksheet 2: Learning Grit from a Nonfiction Text
ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET
CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET
LESSON PROCEDURE
Step 1:
- Ask the class what they know about Mt. Everest and write answers on the board.
- Explain that we will be reading a book about the first two people who climbed to the summit of Mt. Everest: Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
- Play the video: First people to climb Everest - Witness History, BBC World Service by BBC World Service (~2 min)
Step 2:
- Have students read the book, either as a series of in-class reading assignments or for homework: Everest: The Remarkable Story of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay by Alexandra Stewart (Author), Joe Todd-Stanton (Illustrator).
- Students should complete the worksheet questions as they read the book.
Step 3:
- Invite students to contribute to a class discussion about the worksheet questions.
GRADE 6 UNIT 2 WORKSHEET 2: LEARNING GRIT FROM A NONFICTION TEXT
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER WHILE READING
- What is significant about Mt. Everest, and what are three facts that make climbing it difficult?
- How did Edmund Hillary show grit while growing up?
- How did Tenzing Norgay show grit while growing up?
- What is a sherpa and what do they do?
- What is a sirdar and what do they do?
- Why was a whole team of people needed for Ed and Tenzing to climb Mt. Everest? What were three different jobs that the support team did?
- What personal tragedy did Ed experience while helping the Sherpa people, and how did he show grit in continuing his work?
- What did Tenzing do after climbing Mt. Everest?
- What is one way that you can show grit in your own life?
- Write about and share a principle you want to live by that you learned from the lives of Edmund Hillary and/or Tenzing Norgay.
Prohuman K-12 Curriculum © 2025 by Prohuman Foundation is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
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