Lesson
3
:

Writing a Narrative About Gratitude

Grade

Grade 4

UNIT

3

Gratitude

Last Updated:

May 26, 2025

In Unit 3, Lesson 3, “Writing a Narrative About Gratitude,” students will write narratives about how they, or a character they create, have shown gratitude. 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 feelings, temporal words and phrases to signal event order, and a sense of closure.

SUGGESTED TIME:

20 minutes

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

  • Demonstrate comprehension of the word gratitude 
  • Create a narrative that develops real or imagined experiences or events Demonstrate understanding of standard English sentence structure and grammar

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

  • Prohuman Grade 4 Unit 3 Worksheet 3: Writing a Narrative About Gratitude

VOCABULARY:

  • Gratitude: I am thankful for many things, big and small.

ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3.A

Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3.B

Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3.C

Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3.D

Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3.E

Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.F

Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2

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

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2.A

Use correct capitalization.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2.D

Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.3

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

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.3.A

Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.

CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET

Moral Character A5

Offer examples of when you expressed gratitude to another person

Moral Character B5

Provide an example of a friend or role model who demonstrates gratitude

Self-Awareness A1

Understand and explain why different situations may set in motion or give rise to different emotions (e.g., learning something new or difficult, meeting someone new)

Social-Awareness A4

Explain a time when you put yourself in “someone else’s shoes” in order to understand their perspective and point of view

Social-Awareness A5

Explain what empathy means (e.g., the ability to sympathetically understand and personally identify with the emotional states, needs and feelings of others)

LESSON PROCEDURE

Today we will write a narrative about gratitude.

  1. Our stories should do five things. Let’s go through all five things.
  2. First, our stories should orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters.

    For example: 

    Maria was having a bad day. Her mother said she should think of something for which she is grateful.

  3. Second, our stories should use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.


    For example:


    “When I am sad,” Maria’s mom said, “I think of something I am grateful for, like the house that I live in.”

    “That’s a good idea,” said Maria. “I would like to think of something I am grateful for, too.”

  4. Third, our stories should use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.


    For example:


    Next, Maria sat down at her desk to think about the things for which she was grateful.


  5. Fourth, our stories should use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely

    For example:


    Maria opened the cover of her pink notebook and picked up her yellow pencil. As she thought, she tapped the pencil on the hard, white painted wooden desk. At last, she wrote, I am grateful for my family, my friends, and my school.


  6. Fifth and finally, our stories should provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.


    For example:


    Maria felt happier once she wrote down some things for which she was grateful.

  7. 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 4 UNIT 3 WORKSHEET 3: WRITING A NARRATIVE ABOUT GRATITUDE

Gratitude: I am thankful for many things, big and small.

ACTIVITY: Write a story about how you—or a character you create—have shown gratitude.

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/

unlock all lessons:

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.