LESSONS

Nonfiction

The Prohuman Kindergarten curriculum is aligned to two sets of standards: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Character and Social Emotional Development (CSED) National Guidelines. The full collection of units introduces all nine of the prohuman character strengths: optimism, grit, gratitude, curiosity, courage, compassion, fairness, understanding, and humanity. Unit 2, Lesson 1, “What is Grit?” introduces the spelling and definition of the word grit. Students will learn examples of grit provided by the accompanying video. Students will practice the correct spelling of grit, demonstrate comprehension through a pictorial demonstration, and practice conversation skills by sharing their illustrations with a partner. SUGGESTED TIME: 20 minutes RELATED SUBJECT: English Language Arts LEARNING OUTCOMES: Correctly spell grit Demonstrate comprehension of the word grit by producing a pictorial representation Practice reading and conversation skills by sharing sentences with classmates Demonstrate understanding of standard English sentence structure and grammar in writing and speaking REQUIRED MATERIALS: One piece of thread or string for each student Ten beads for each student Video: Grit & Perseverance: An SEL Video for Kids by Year in the Making (~2 min) Prohuman Kindergarten Grit Unit 2 Worksheet 1: What is Grit? VOCABULARY: Grit: I keep trying to reach my goals even when it is hard. I don’t give up. ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.10 Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1.A Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.1.A Print many upper- and lowercase letters. CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET Performance Character A Know, understand, and practice the character strengths of self-discipline, responsibility, goal setting and grit Self-Awareness A2 Identify personal strengths (e.g., honesty, curiosity, listening) Self-Management A3 Explain the different ways people respond to problems and challenges (e.g., ask for help, try harder, learn from mistakes) Social-Awareness A3 Demonstrate the ability to listen carefully and intentionally to others Interpersonal/ Relationship Skills 1 Initiate and engage in conversation and social interactions with classmates, peers, and adults Interpersonal/ Relationship Skills 7 Play games and appropriately participate in small group classroom activities Responsible and Ethical Decision-Making 1 Describe a rule or principle that everyone should strive to live by (e.g., be kind, be honest, try your best) LESSON PROCEDURE Today we will talk about grit. Write grit on the board and prompt students to write it on their worksheets. Play the video: Grit & Perseverance: An SEL Video for Kids by Year in the Making (~2 min) Give students a piece of thread or string and ten beads each. Explain that we will do an activity that teaches us how to use our grit, to not give up. We will need to get all 10 beads on this thread (~5 min) Ask students what they learned from this activity. Give an example of grit (e.g., I showed grit when I learned how to ride a bike without training wheels. It was hard at first, and I fell down a few times. But I kept trying until I could ride my bike without falling.) Write three sentences on the board and ask students which one shows grit: 1. I don't want to try to ride my bike because it is too hard. 2. I'm going to ride my bike, even though it is hard. I will keep trying until I ride it. 3. I don't like to try any new things. Ask students to draw a picture on their worksheet of how they have shown grit. Have students share their pictures with a partner. EXTENSION ACTIVITIES Talk with your students about times that you have seen examples of people demonstrating grit. You could give examples of family, friends, and/or historical or current public figures. Talk with your students about times in your life that you have demonstrated grit, despite hardships. KINDERGARTEN UNIT 2 WORKSHEET 1: WHAT IS GRIT? Grit: I keep trying to reach my goals even when it is hard. I don’t give up. Write the word grit: Draw a picture of a time you showed grit:

Fiction

Ancient Greece

The Prohuman Kindergarten curriculum is aligned to two sets of standards: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Character and Social Emotional Development (CSED) National Guidelines. The full collection of units introduces all nine of the prohuman character strengths: optimism, grit, gratitude, curiosity, courage, compassion, fairness, understanding, and humanity. Unit 2, Lesson 2, “Learning Grit from Literature” reinforces the vocabulary word grit. Students will learn an example of grit from a classic work of children’s literature. Additionally, students will practice spelling grit and copy the definition of the word grit. SUGGESTED TIME: 20 minutes RELATED SUBJECT: English Language Arts LEARNING OUTCOMES: Listen to a read aloud to reinforce understanding of English sentence structure, syntax, and grammar Correctly write the word and definition of grit Demonstrate understanding of standard English sentence structure and grammar in writing and speaking Practice conversation skills by discussing a story with classmates REQUIRED MATERIALS: Text: Aesop’s Fable: The Tortoise and the Hare and/or Video: The Tortoise and the Hare from Animaza Studios (~4 min) Prohuman Kindergarten Unit 2 Worksheet 2: Learning Grit from Literature VOCABULARY: Grit: I keep trying to reach my goals even when it is hard. I don’t give up. ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.10 Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1.A Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.1.A Print many upper- and lowercase letters. CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET Performance Character A Know, understand, and practice the character strengths of self-discipline, responsibility, goal setting and grit Self-Awareness A2 Identify personal strengths (e.g., honesty, curiosity, listening) Self-Management A3 Explain the different ways people respond to problems and challenges (e.g., ask for help, try harder, learn from mistakes) Social-Awareness A3 Demonstrate the ability to listen carefully and intentionally to others Interpersonal/ Relationship Skills 1 Initiate and engage in conversation and social interactions with classmates, peers, and adults Interpersonal/ Relationship Skills 7 Play games and appropriately participate in small group classroom activities Responsible and Ethical Decision-Making 1 Describe a rule or principle that everyone should strive to live by (e.g., be kind, be honest, try your best) LESSON PROCEDURE Today we will learn about grit. Write grit on the board. Read Aesop’s Fable: The Tortoise and the Hare (text) and/or Play the video The Tortoise and the Hare (~4 min) Have a class discussion about how the tortoise in the story showed grit. Ask students to complete their worksheets. KINDERGARTEN UNIT 2 WORKSHEET 2: LEARNING GRIT FROM LITERATURE Grit: I keep trying to reach my goals even when it is hard. I don’t give up. Write the word grit: ACTIVITY: Write the definition of the word grit:

Nonfiction

The Prohuman Kindergarten curriculum is aligned to two sets of standards: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Character and Social Emotional Development (CSED) National Guidelines. The full collection of units introduces all nine of the prohuman character strengths: optimism, grit, gratitude, curiosity, courage, compassion, fairness, understanding, and humanity. Unit 2, Lesson 3, “Learning Grit from a Nonfiction Text,” reinforces the vocabulary word grit. Students will learn examples of grit from a nonfiction text by listening to a read aloud. Also, students will develop their reading skills by reading the text aloud to a partner. Finally, students will practice their writing skills by copying a sentence about grit. SUGGESTED TIME: 20 minutes RELATED SUBJECT: English Language Arts LEARNING OUTCOMES: Listen to a read aloud to reinforce understanding of English sentence structure, syntax, and grammar Spell, define, and give an example of grit Correctly copy a sentence about grit Demonstrate understanding of standard English sentence structure and grammar in writing and speaking Practice reading and conversation skills by sharing sentences with classmates REQUIRED MATERIALS: Prohuman Kindergarten Unit 2 Worksheet 3: Learning Grit from a Nonfiction Text VOCABULARY: Grit: I keep trying to reach my goals even when it is hard. I don’t give up. ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.2 With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.3 With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.10 Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.1.A Print many upper- and lowercase letters. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1.A Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.2 Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.6 Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly. CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET Performance Character A Know, understand, and practice the character strengths of self-discipline, responsibility, goal setting and grit Self-Awareness A2 Identify personal strengths (e.g., honesty, curiosity, listening) Self-Management A3 Explain the different ways people respond to problems and challenges (e.g., ask for help, try harder, learn from mistakes) Social-Awareness A3 Demonstrate the ability to listen carefully and intentionally to others Interpersonal/ Relationship Skills 1 Initiate and engage in conversation and social interactions with classmates, peers, and adults Interpersonal/ Relationship Skills 7 Play games and appropriately participate in small group classroom activities Responsible and Ethical Decision-Making 1 Describe a rule or principle that everyone should strive to live by (e.g., be kind, be honest, try your best) LESSON PROCEDURE Write grit on the board. Ask students to spell grit on their worksheet. Read the nonfiction text on the worksheet. Ask students what is the main topic of the text. Ask students what are the key details of the text. Ask students what is the relationship between grit and school in the text. Have students take turns reading the nonfiction text to a partner. Have students copy the sentence on the worksheet. KINDERGARTEN UNIT 2 WORKSHEET 3: LEARNING GRIT FROM A NONFICTION TEXT NONFICTION TEXT: Grit means that I keep trying to reach my goals even when it is hard. I don’t give up. If I have grit in school, I will work hard to learn, even when it is not easy. ACTIVITY: Write the word grit: Write this sentence about grit: If I have grit in school, I will work hard to learn, even when it is not easy.

The Prohuman Kindergarten curriculum is aligned to two sets of standards: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Character and Social Emotional Development (CSED) National Guidelines. The full collection of units introduces all nine of the prohuman character strengths: optimism, grit, gratitude, curiosity, courage, compassion, fairness, understanding, and humanity. In Unit 2, Lesson 4, “Writing About Grit,” students will practice writing sentence dictations from the teacher. Then students will work with a partner to read their sentences aloud. SUGGESTED TIME: 20 minutes RELATED SUBJECT: English Language Arts LEARNING OUTCOMES: Write 3 sentence dictations using phonetically spelled words Demonstrate understanding of standard English sentence structure and grammar in writing and speaking Practice reading and conversation skills by sharing sentences with classmates REQUIRED MATERIALS: Prohuman Kindergarten Unit 2 Worksheet 4: Writing About Grit VOCABULARY: Grit: I keep trying to reach my goals even when it is hard. I don’t give up. ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.10 Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1.A Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.1.A Print many upper- and lowercase letters. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.1.B Use frequently occurring nouns and verbs. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.2.A Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.2.B Recognize and name end punctuation. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.2.C Write a letter or letters for most consonant and short-vowel sounds (phonemes). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.2.D Spell simple words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of sound-letter relationships CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.1.E Use the most frequently occurring prepositions (e.g., to, from, in, out, on, off, for, of, by, with). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.6 Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly. CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET Performance Character A Know, understand, and practice the character strengths of self-discipline, responsibility, goal setting and grit Self-Awareness A2 Identify personal strengths (e.g., honesty, curiosity, listening) Self-Management A3 Explain the different ways people respond to problems and challenges (e.g., ask for help, try harder, learn from mistakes) Social-Awareness A3 Demonstrate the ability to listen carefully and intentionally to others Interpersonal/ Relationship Skills 1 Initiate and engage in conversation and social interactions with classmates, peers, and adults Interpersonal/ Relationship Skills 7 Play games and appropriately participate in small group classroom activities Responsible and Ethical Decision-Making 1 Describe a rule or principle that everyone should strive to live by (e.g., be kind, be honest, try your best) LESSON PROCEDURE Explain the worksheet to the students: Today on your worksheet, I will read you three sentences. You will write each word you hear on your worksheet. Write on your worksheet beside number 1: I have grit. Write on your worksheet beside number 2: She works hard. Write on your worksheet beside number 3: He does not give up. KINDERGARTEN UNIT 2 WORKSHEET 4: WRITING ABOUT GRIT Grit: I keep trying to reach my goals even when it is hard. I don’t give up.