Learning Gratitude from a Nonfiction Text
Grade
Grade 8
UNIT
3
•
Gratitude
In Unit 3, Lesson 2, “Learning Gratitude from a Nonfiction Text,” students will learn examples of gratitude from a short collection of essays: Gratitude by Oliver Sacks. Students will develop their reading comprehension skills by reading this text. Additionally, they 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.
SUGGESTED TIME:
- 1 class period to introduce the text; 1 class period to discuss the text
- If desired, additional class periods can be devoted to in-class silent reading of the text
- The book for this lesson, Gratitude by Oliver Sacks, contains four short essays.
- Suggested reading assignments, to be completed either in class or for homework are:
- Assignment 1: “Mercury”
- Assignment 2: “My Own Life”
- Assignment 3: “My Periodic Table”
- Assignment 4: “Sabbath”
- Have students complete the worksheet questions as they read.
- Allow 50 min for in-class discussion of the book.
RELATED SUBJECT:
English Language Arts
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Read a nonfiction text and demonstrate an understanding of the central ideas
- Write answers to questions about the book, demonstrating an understanding of standard English sentence structure and grammar
- Engage effectively in collaborative discussions about the book
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
- Book: Gratitude by Oliver Sacks
- Video: Gratitude is Good for You by the John Templeton Foundation (~1 min)
- Video: Dr. Oliver Sacks, Explorer of the Brain | Obituary by The New York Times (~2 min)
- Prohuman Grade 8 Unit 3 Worksheet 2: Learning Gratitude 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 a nonfiction book of essays about gratitude.
- Let’s learn about the benefits of gratitude. Play the video: Gratitude is Good for You by the John Templeton Foundation (~1 min)
Step 2:
- Introduce the book, Gratitude by Oliver Sacks, by playing this video about the author: Dr. Oliver Sacks, Explorer of the Brain | Obituary by The New York Times (~2 min)
Step 3:
- Have students read the book, Gratitude by Oliver Sacks, either as a series of in-class reading assignments or for homework.
- Have students write the answers to the worksheet questions while reading the book.
Step 4:
- Set aside a class period to discuss the book. Invite students to a whole-class discussion of the worksheet questions.
GRADE 8 UNIT 3 WORKSHEET 2: LEARNING GRATITUDE FROM A NONFICTION TEXT
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER WHILE READING THE BOOK Gratitude by Oliver Sacks:
- In “Mercury,” what is the significance of the element Mercury in the author’s life?
- In “Mercury,” why does the author say that he has felt “an enlargement of mental life and perspective” (pg. 10)?
- In “My Own Life,” how does the author express gratitude?
- In “My Own Life,” how does the author compare and contrast his life to that of his favorite philosopher, David Hume?
- In “My Periodic Table,” what are two scientific topics the author discusses?
- In “My Periodic Table,” what is the significance of the periodic table to the author?
- In “Sabbath,” what type of upbringing did the author have and what was the significance of the Sabbath?
- In “Sabbath,” how did the author find meaningful work after his recovery from “near-suicidal addiction to amphetamines” (pg. 38)?
- In “Sabbath,” what does the author conclude about the importance of the Sabbath?
- What did you learn about gratitude from this book?
- How can you show more gratitude in your life?
- Each day, for the next 30 days, write something for which you are grateful. It should be something different each day. There is a place for you to write on the next page.
30-DAY GRATITUDE CHALLENGE
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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/