Learning Optimism from a Nonfiction Text
Grade
Grade 2
UNIT
1
•
Optimism
Unit 1, Lesson 2, “Learning Optimism from a Nonfiction Text,” reinforces the vocabulary word optimism. Students will learn an example of optimism from the life of a real person. Students will also have the opportunity to practice their reading comprehension skills by reading independently and hearing a reading from the teacher. Finally, students will create their own sentences that demonstrate their reading comprehension.
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SUGGESTED TIME:
20 minutes
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Practice reading aloud to a partner to support reading comprehension
- Spell, define, and give an example of optimism
- Compose 2 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: CNN Hero: Yash Gupta by CNN (~2 min)
- Prohuman Grade 2 Unit 1 Worksheet 2: Learning Optimism from a Nonfiction Text
VOCABULARY:
- Optimism: I have hope and believe that my actions will help things to turn out well
ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET
CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET
LESSON PROCEDURE
Today we will continue to learn about optimism.
- Write optimism on the board.
- Ask students to spell optimism on their worksheets
- Play the video: CNN Hero: Yash Gupta by CNN (~2 min)
- Tell students that Yash Gupta’s group Sight Learning has now collected and distributed more than 2 million dollars worth of used eyeglasses to students around the world in Mexico, Honduras, Haiti, and India. (Source: Sight Learning website)
- Ask students if anyone knows where those countries are on the map.
- Show students those countries on the map.
- 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 text aloud to the whole class.
- Have students write the answers to the worksheet questions.
- Ask students to share their sentences with a classmate, and to discuss the reasons for their answers.
GRADE 2 UNIT 1 WORKSHEET 2: LEARNING OPTIMISM FROM A NONFICTION TEXT
Optimism: I have hope and believe my actions will help things turn out well.
NONFICTION TEXT: YASH’S OPTIMISM
Yash Gupta has worn glasses since he was 5 years old. When he was in the 9th grade, he broke his glasses in a martial arts class and had to go to school without them for about a week as a new pair was made. He began to value glasses and their impact on his education.
Yash found that, without his glasses, it was not possible for him to focus, see, or learn in the classroom. He learned the importance that glasses had on his life. After some research, he learned that there were millions of children who lacked a pair of glasses, even though millions of pairs were thrown out each year.
Yash believed that his actions could make a difference. He started Sight Learning, a non-profit organization that collects and gives out used eyeglasses to students around the world who need them and makes sure that every child has the chance to receive a good education. Sight Learning has now collected and given out more than $2 million worth of used eyeglasses—that is over 60,000 pairs of glasses—to students around the world in Mexico, Honduras, Haiti, and India
Source: https://sightlearning.com/
ACTIVITY:
Write a sentence that explains how Yash showed optimism.
Write a sentence that explains how Yash’s optimism helped others.
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/