Lesson
3
:

Writing a Narrative About Humanity

Grade

Grade 4

UNIT

9

Humanity

Last Updated:

June 3, 2025

In Unit 9, Lesson 3, “Writing a Narrative About Humanity,” students will write narratives about how they, or a character they create, have shown humanity. 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 humanity 
  • 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 9 Worksheet 3: Writing a Narrative About Humanity 

VOCABULARY:

  • Humanity: I see that every person is special. People are more alike than unalike. We all need to work together to make our lives better.

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 A4

Offer examples of caring and compassionate behaviors (at home, in school, in the community)

Moral Character B4

Provide an example of a friend or role model who demonstrates caring and compassion

Civic Character A4

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

Civic Character B6

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

Social-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)

Interpersonal/ Relationship Skills A3

Understand and recognize the characteristics of healthy relationships (e.g., honesty, compromising, sharing, encouragement)

Interpersonal/ Relationship Skills A4

Understand and recognize the characteristics of unhealthy relationships (e.g., hostility, intimidation, hitting)

LESSON PROCEDURE

Today we will write a narrative about humanity.

  1. Our stories should do five things. Let’s go through all five things.

  1. First, our stories should orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters.


    For example: On the first day of school, there was a new student. His name was Hamza. English was a new language for him. He sat next to me. I thought that it must be very hard to learn a new language. I wanted to show humanity to him. I knew that we are more alike than unalike.

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

    For example: “Hello, Hamza,” I said. “I can help you.”

    Hamza nodded and said, “Thank you.” 

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

    For example:

    Then, Hamza pointed to a sentence on his paper and looked confused.

    “Let me ask the teacher to help you,” I said. Next, I raised my hand and waited for the teacher to come over to help.

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


    For example:

    The teacher, Mrs. Johnson, walked across the classroom which was filled with twenty-two students, all quietly reading at their desks. The walls were filled with colorful posters about English language arts, math, history, and science. Sunlight streamed through the windows, warming the air.

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


    For example:

    Mrs. Johnson helped Hamza to read the sentence out loud. He said each word very clearly. He smiled, and I was happy that I showed him humanity.

  6. 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 9 WORKSHEET 3: WRITING A NARRATIVE ABOUT HUMANITY

Humanity: I see that every person is special. People are more alike than unalike. We all need to work together to make our lives better. 

ACTIVITY: Write a story about how you—or a character you create—show humanity.

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/

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