Lesson
2
:

Learning Curiosity from a Nonfiction Text

Grade

Grade 4

UNIT

4

Curiosity

Last Updated:

June 3, 2025

In Unit 4, Lesson 2, “Learning Curiosity from a Nonfiction Text,” students will learn an example of curiosity from the life of a real person. By independently reading a nonfiction text, students will develop their reading comprehension skills. Finally, students will create their own sentences that demonstrate their reading comprehension and share their sentences with a partner.

SUGGESTED TIME:

20 minutes

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

  • Read a nonfiction text independently to develop reading comprehension skills
  • Demonstrate understanding of the main idea of a nonfiction text
  • Compose sentences that demonstrate comprehension of the word curiosity 
  • Demonstrate understanding of standard English sentence structure and grammar  
  • Practice reading and conversation skills by sharing sentences with classmates

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

VOCABULARY:

  • Curiosity: I want to learn new things.

ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4

Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.5

Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.8

Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.10

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.B

Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.C

Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.D

Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1

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

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

Intellectual Character A1

Describe why it is important for learners to be curious

Intellectual Character A2

Understand the skills (being prepared, focused effort, diligent practice, attention to detail, etc.) that enable someone to acquire or polish a skill

Intellectual Character B1

Explain how a particular historical or contemporary person practiced curiosity

Intellectual Character B4

Demonstrate the ability to analyze data, facts, and information

Civic Character A4

Explain why it is important for everyone to serve and contribute to their family, school, community, nation, globally

Civic Character A6

Describe how a role model volunteers and contributes to the common good

LESSON PROCEDURE

  1. Without providing any context, show students the first image of this article from NASA, “Remembering the First Moon-Based Telescope.” 
  2. Ask the students what they see. 
  3. Ask the students what they wonder about.
  4. Explain that this image was taken in 1972 of Apollo 16 astronaut John Young using a telescope to photograph star clouds, nebulae, and Earth’s outermost atmosphere from the Moon. It was the first telescope used to make astronomical observations from the surface of another planetary body. 
  5. Tell students that this scientist who received a patent for this telescope is named George Carruthers.
  6. Play the video: George Carruthers - 2011 National Medal of Technology & Innovation by National Science and Technology Medals Foundation (NSTMF) (~2 min)
  7. Have students read the nonfiction text on the worksheet, quietly to themselves. Circle the room to support the students. 
  8. Have students write the answers to the worksheet questions.
  9. Have students share their answers with a partner.

GRADE 4 UNIT 4 WORKSHEET 2: LEARNING CURIOSITY FROM A NONFICTION TEXT

Curiosity: I want to learn new things. 

NONFICTION TEXT: DR. GEORGE CARRUTHER’S CURIOSITY

George Carruthers was born in Ohio in 1939. As a kid, he was very interested in space. When he was 10, he built his first telescope from lenses he saw for sale in an astronomy magazine. In 1964, he earned a PhD in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. George then worked for the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). 

In the 1960s, George designed, built, tested, and patented a compact and powerful telescope, which became the first (and still the only) astronomical instrument sent to the Moon. It was placed on the lunar surface on Apollo 16 in 1972, and it performed very well, leading to better knowledge of the Earth’s outermost atmosphere and the vast spaces between the stars and galaxies invisible to the eye.

George became famous and helped young people get involved in science, technology, and engineering. He mentored many students and brought students into his laboratory to experience research. In the 1980s, he took part in creating the Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP), which supports students in working and being mentored by NRL scientists to experience and appreciate science firsthand. 

Over the years, Carruthers has received many awards and honors for his work. In 2013, he was awarded the 2011 National Medal for Technology and Innovation by President Barack Obama.

Source: https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/george-carruthers-astronautical-engineer-astronomer 

ACTIVITY:

  1. How did George Carruthers show curiosity?

  1. What did George invent that made him famous?

  1. How did George help others?

  1. What is something you are curious about and why?

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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