Lesson
1
:

Learning Understanding from Literature

Grade

Grade 2

UNIT

8

Understanding

Last Updated:

June 5, 2025

Unit 8, Lesson 1, “Learning Understanding from Literature,” reinforces the vocabulary word understanding. Students will learn an example of understanding from a contemporary work of children’s literature. Additionally, students will write their own sentences about understanding. Finally, students will practice their reading and conversation skills by sharing their sentences with classmates.

SUGGESTED TIME:

20 minutes

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

  • Listen to a read aloud to reinforce understanding of English sentence structure, syntax, and grammar
  • Compose sentences about the text and about understanding
  • 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:

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

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1

Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3

Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5

Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.10

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2-3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.A

Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.C

Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.D

Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.F

Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.4

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.3

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.A

Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.8

Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1

Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.A

Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.2

Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.6

Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET

Moral Character A5

Understand why caring and being concerned for the well-being of others is a character strength

Moral Character B

Apply and demonstrate the character strengths of honesty and integrity, caring and compassion, gratitude, and the courage to take initiative

Performance Character A

Know, understand, and practice the character strengths of self-discipline, responsibility, goal setting and grit

Intellectual Character A

Know, understand, and practice the character strengths of curiosity, carefulness, intellectual autonomy and humility, open-mindedness, and critical thinking

Intellectual Character A3

Recognize different approaches to problem-solving

Intellectual Character B

Apply and demonstrate the character strengths of curiosity, carefulness, intellectual autonomy and humility, open-mindedness, and critical thinking

Civic Character B2

Demonstrate the ability to be respectful, courteous and polite

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 A

Demonstrate the ability to empathize and take the perspective of others, including demonstrating awareness of cultural differences and respect for human dignity

Social-Awareness A1

Demonstrate the ability to understand what another person is feeling (e.g., happy, sad, disappointed, confused, angry)

Social-Awareness A2

Demonstrate the ability to care about how others are feeling

Social-Awareness A3

Demonstrate the ability to listen carefully and intentionally to others

Social-Awareness A6

Be able to tell stories and listen to stories told by 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 understanding. 

  1. Ask students what understanding means.
  2. Give students the definition of understanding: I seek knowledge and try to learn the truth. I think about other people’s views that might be different from mine.
  3. Without providing any information, show students this optical illusion: Shepard elephant.
  4. Ask students how many legs the elephant has.
  5. Explain that it is an optical illusion, something that tricks your eyes and makes you think you see something that is not really there, or see it differently from how it really is.
  6. This elephant is a good example of how the way we look at something can change our perspective, so it is important to listen to everyone’s point of view to understand something. 
  7. Today we will read a book about a doctor who developed her understanding to help people with blindness.
  8. Read the book: The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath by Julia Finley Mosca or
  9. Play the video: Read aloud of The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes by Mrs. K’s Bookworm Adventures (~7 min)
  10. Ask students the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the book.
  11. Ask students how characters in the story responded to major events and challenges.
  12. Ask students to describe the story's overall structure, including how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.
  13. Ask students to answer the questions on their worksheet.
  14. Ask students to read their sentences to a partn

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES - SUGGESTIONS

  • Talk with your students about times you have seen people demonstrating understanding. You could give examples of family, friends, and/or historical or current public figures.
  • Talk with your students about times when you have demonstrated understanding, despite hardships.

GRADE 2 UNIT 8 WORKSHEET 1: LEARNING UNDERSTANDING FROM LITERATURE

Understanding: I seek knowledge and try to learn the truth. I think about other people’s views that might be different from mine.

ACTIVITY: 

How did Dr. Patricia Bath show understanding?

What is one way that you have shown understanding, in the past?

What is one way that you can show understanding, in the future?

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/

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