Learning Understanding from a Nonfiction Text
Grade
Grade 6
UNIT
8
•
Understanding
In Unit 8, Lesson 2, “Learning Understanding from a Nonfiction Text,” students will learn examples of understanding from the lives of the Navajo code talkers during WWII. Additionally, students will answer questions to develop their critical thinking skills and advance their academic dialogue skills through class discussion.
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SUGGESTED TIME:
- One class session or one homework assignment to read the article “Unbreakable: The incredible true story of the Navajo code talkers, the top-secret heroes of World War II” by Tod Olson
- As they read the article, students should complete the worksheet questions
- One class session to discuss the worksheet questions
RELATED SUBJECT:
English Language Arts
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Read a short nonfiction text
- Determine the author’s purpose in the text
- Compose answers to questions about the text that demonstrate reading comprehension
- Demonstrate understanding of standard English sentence structure and grammar
- Practice reading and conversation skills by sharing sentences with classmates
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
- Article: “Unbreakable: The incredible true story of the Navajo code talkers, the top-secret heroes of World War II” by Tod Olson
- Video: Uncrackable! The Heroic Native American Code Talkers by
- Colossal Cranium (~4 min)
- Video: Behind the Scenes: Unbreakable by Scholastic — located at the bottom of this page, under Teaching Resources (~5 min)
- Prohuman Grade 6 Unit 8 Worksheet 2: Learning Understanding from a Nonfiction Text
ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET
CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET
LESSON PROCEDURE
Step 1:
- Explain that we will be reading an article about the Navajo code talkers, who played an important role during WWII.
- Navajo Code Talkers were a group of Navajo men who used their native language to transmit messages for the US Marines during WWII.
- These two short videos provide more historical context:
- Uncrackable! The Heroic Native American Code Talkers by Colossal Cranium (~4 min)
- Behind the Scenes: Unbreakable by Scholastic - located at the bottom of this page, under Teaching Resources (~5 min)
Step 2:
- Have students complete the article, either through an in-class silent reading session or as homework:
- Have students complete the short-answer questions on the worksheet as they read the article.
Step 3:
- Allow one class period for in-class discussion of the short-answer questions on the worksheet.
GRADE 6 UNIT 8 WORKSHEET 2: LEARNING UNDERSTANDING FROM A NONFICTION TEXT
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER WHILE READING “Unbreakable: The incredible true story of the Navajo code talkers, the top-secret heroes of World War II” by Tod Olson:
- What was happening in the Pacific Ocean in 1942?
- How had the U.S. government treated Chester’s people?
- What did the Marines ask the Diné soldiers to do?
- Despite how they were treated by the U.S. government, how did the code talkers serve the common good of America and its allies during WWII by using their understanding?
- What was Chester’s first message about? How did it help?
- What kinds of messages did the code talkers send?
- Who won the war and when did it end?
- Why couldn’t Chester tell anyone about his role in the war?
- In what ways were the code talkers honored?
- What is one way that you can show understanding in your own life, to Native Americans or to others who are different from you?
- Write about and share a principle you want to live by that you learned from reading this article.
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/