Writing a Narrative About Courage
Grade
Grade 3
UNIT
5
•
Courage
In Unit 5, Lesson 3, “Writing a Narrative About Courage,” students will write narratives about how they, or a character they create, have shown courage. Students will develop real or imagined experiences or events with a narrator and/or characters. Their narratives will include dialogue, descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feeling, temporal words and phrases to signal event order, and a sense of closure.
.jpg)
SUGGESTED TIME:
20 minutes
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Demonstrate comprehension of the word courage
- Create a narrative that develops real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences
- Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally
- Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations
- Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order
- Provide a sense of closure
- Demonstrate understanding of standard English sentence structure and grammar
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
- Prohuman Grade 3 Unit 5 Worksheet 3: Writing a Narrative About Courage
VOCABULARY:
- Courage: I do what I think is right even when I am afraid.
ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET
CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET
LESSON PROCEDURE
Today we will write a narrative about courage.
- We read two stories about courage, one about the characters in Brave Irene by William Steig, the other a true story about Bessie Coleman.
- Our stories should do five things. Let’s go through all five things and provide examples of each.
First, our stories should establish a situation.
Example: Malik wanted to learn how to ride a dirt bike, but he felt afraid.
Second, our stories should introduce a narrator and/or characters.
Example: Malik stood with his older brother, Amir. Malik was eight and Amir was ten.
Third, our stories should use dialogue to show the response of characters to situations.
Example:
“I want to ride the dirt bike today, but I am afraid,” said Malik. “I know the right thing to do is to face my fear and to learn.”
“I will help you learn how to ride it,” said Amir.
Fourth, our stories should use temporal words and phrases to signal event order.
First, Amir sat on the dirt bike. Then, he showed Malik how to turn the key to start the engine. Next, he showed Malik how to push the pedal. Finally, he showed Malik how to turn the wheel to steer the dirt bike.
Fifth, our stories should provide a sense of closure.
After Malik watched Amir teach him about the dirt bike, he didn’t feel as afraid.
“Are you ready to try to ride it, Malik?” Amir asked.
Amir nodded. He sat on the dirt bike and turned the key. Then, even though he was still a bit afraid, he showed courage and gently pushed the pedal. He turned the wheel in the direction he wanted to go, and he rode down the street.
- Now you will write your own story on your worksheet.
NOTE: Collect and keep the worksheet on the following page for the next day’s lesson in which students will share their stories with a partner.
GRADE 3 UNIT 5 WORKSHEET 2: LEARNING COURAGE FROM A NONFICTION TEXT
Courage: I do what I think is right even when I am afraid.
ACTIVITY: Write a story about how courage is shown by either you or a character you create.
Beginning:
Middle:
End:
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/