Lesson
2
:
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 THE BOOK by Anne Frank (Author), Otto M. Frank (Editor), Mirjam Pressler (Editor), Susan Massotty (Translator):
- In her entry for June 20, 1942, why does Anne say she started writing in a diary?
- Why did Anne and her family have to go into hiding and where do they hide? Who are all the people in hiding?
- In her entry for October 9, 1942, what does Anne describe is happening to the Jews in Holland?
- What are two ways that Anne develops her intellectual character while in hiding?
- January 2, 1944, how does Anne show a growth mindset in her thoughts about how she had written about her mother?
- In her entry for February 3, 1944, how does what Anne calls “invasion fever” affect the inhabitants of the secret hideout?
- In her entry for March 29, 1944, Anne wrote, “Mr. Bolkstein, the Cabinet Minister, speaking on the Dutch broadcast from London, said that after the war a collection would be made of diaries and letters dealing with the war. Of course, everyone pounced on my diary…ten years after the war people would find it very amusing to read how we lived, what we ate and what we talked about as Jews in hiding.” How do you think Anne’s awareness that her diary could be found and read affected the way she wrote in her diary?
- On July 15, 1944, Anne wrote, “I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.” Why do you think she believes this?
- Also on July 15, 1944, Anne wrote, “It’s utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering and death. I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness. I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more. In the meantime, I must hold onto my ideals. Perhaps the day will come when I’ll be able to realize them!” Why do you think Anne was able to maintain this optimism?
- What did you learn about optimism from Anne Frank?
- How can you show more optimism in your life?
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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