Learning Understanding from a Nonfiction Text
Grade
Grade 1
UNIT
8
•
Understanding
Unit 8, Lesson 2, “Learning Understanding from a Nonfiction Text,” reinforces the vocabulary word understanding. Students will read a nonfiction text that shows how a real person demonstrated understanding. Additionally, students will practice their reading comprehension skills by reading independently and hearing a reading from the teacher. Finally, students will create their own sentences and practice their reading and conversation skills by sharing sentences with classmates.
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SUGGESTED TIME:
20 minutes
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Read independently to support reading comprehension
- Spell, define, and give an example of understanding
- Compose sentences that demonstrate comprehension of the word understanding
- Demonstrate understanding of standard English sentence structure and grammar
- Practice reading and conversation skills by sharing sentences with classmates
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
- Video: Positive Current: Gitanjali Rao by Google (~4 min)
- Video: How to Choose a Solution to Build with Kid of the Year Gitanjali Rao by Technovation (~25 min)
- Prohuman Grade 1 Unit 8 Worksheet 2: Learning Understanding from a Nonfiction Text
VOCABULARY:
- Understanding: I seek knowledge and try to learn the truth. I think about other people’s views that might be different from mine.
ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET
CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET
LESSON PROCEDURE
- Write understanding on the board.
- Ask students to spell understanding on their worksheets.
- Ask students what we learned about understanding from the last lesson.
- Play the video Positive Current: Gitanjali Rao by Google (~4 min)
- Have students read the nonfiction text on their worksheets independently, quietly to themselves. Circle the room to support the students.
- After giving the students 10 minutes to practice reading, then read the worksheet text aloud to the whole class.
- Have them answer the questions on their worksheets, in complete sentences.
- Have students share their sentences with a partner.
- Extension activity: Play the video: How to Choose a Solution to Build with Kid of the Year Gitanjali Rao by Technovation (~25 min)
GRADE 1 UNIT 8 WORKSHEET 2: LEARNING UNDERSTANDING FROM A NONFICTION TEXT
Understanding: I seek knowledge and try to learn the truth. I think about other people’s views that might be different from mine.
Write the word understanding:
_________________________________________________________________________
NONFICTION TEXT: GITANJALI’S UNDERSTANDING
When Gitanjali Rao was 11, she heard that lead had gone into the water in Flint, Michigan. If people drank the water, they would become sick. She wanted to help people test their water to make sure there was no lead in it.
Gitanjali made a device she named Tethys, after the Greek goddess of fresh water. The device has an app that shows if the water is safe or not. Gitanjali has also used her understanding to create other things, including Kindly, an AI-based anti-cyberbullying service that aims to see and stop cyberbullying at an early stage.
Sources: Gitanjali Rao personal website, Fast Forward: Gitanjali Rao
ACTIVITY:
Write 1 sentence that explains how Gitanjali showed understanding.
Write 1 sentence that explains how Gitanjali’s understanding helped other people.
Write 1 sentence about how you can show understanding.
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/