My goal is to create and share a collection of stories for students in grades 4–12, categorized by Non-Fiction and Fiction.
I’m intentionally starting at grade 4 because there’s already a wealth of materials for younger children focused on phonics and foundational reading skills. But as kids get older, many who struggle with reading comprehension fall further and further behind, not just in reading, but in general knowledge, which limits their ability to engage with peers and the world around them.
I’m not a reading expert, but I’ve read the work of those who are. And I believe this:
We don’t have to be perfect to be helpful.
To address that, I’m starting with non-fiction passages by grade level, written in accessible, engaging ways. These passages will cover important topics like:
- How the U.S. government works
- Basic scientific principles
- Global cultures and geography
- Human psychology and behavior
- Climate change and the environment
- Media literacy and social influence
- Ethics, power, and decision-making
I’ll be using tools like ChatGPT and other large language models to help generate and refine these texts. As of March 24, 2025, LLMs are still not great at writing compelling fiction for kids—but they’re a great starting point for informative and age-appropriate non-fiction.
Once the non-fiction library is underway, I plan to expand into fiction—with help. Writing truly engaging stories for different age levels is an art, and I’d love to make this part of the project collaborative.
Whether you’re an aspiring writer, a teacher, a parent, or a student, your voice matters. This will be an open invitation to co-create meaningful fiction that connects emotionally and intellectually with kids at different ages.
To keep everything transparent and open-source, I’ll also share how we organize and version this project using Git. (I have working knowledge from my background as an iOS developer and will create a video to walk beginners through it.)
Below is a list of general knowledge topics I generated in conversation with ChatGPT, based on what kids from grades 4–12 should ideally learn to become informed, thoughtful, and capable citizens.
Grade 4–5 (Ages 9–11)
Science
- Basic ecosystems and food chains
- The solar system and Earth’s place in it
- States of matter (solid, liquid, gas)
- Simple machines and forces (push/pull)
- Human body systems (skeletal, digestive)
Politics & Society
- What rules and laws are, and why we have them
- Local community roles (mayor, police, teachers)
- Basic rights and responsibilities (e.g. kindness, fairness)
- Introduction to U.S. founding ideals: freedom, equality
Human Nature
- Empathy and perspective-taking
- Conflict resolution and sharing
- The idea that people have different experiences and backgrounds
- Awareness of emotions and self-regulation
Grade 8–9 (Ages 13–15)
Science
- Genetics and evolution
- Newton’s Laws of Motion
- The periodic table
- Ecosystems, biodiversity, and environmental science
- Scientific literacy: evaluating claims (what’s pseudoscience?)
Politics & Society
- How laws are made
- The role of media and propaganda
- Understanding democracy, authoritarianism, and theocracy
- Global interdependence (e.g. trade, climate, refugees)
- Social class and economic inequality basics
Human Nature
- Logical fallacies and argumentation
- Moral dilemmas and ethical reasoning
- Power dynamics (in school, family, government)
- Social conformity and independent thinking
Grade 10–11 (Ages 15–17)
Science
- Chemistry: bonding, reactions, stoichiometry
- Physics: energy, waves, electricity
- Biology: systems, reproduction, ecology, brain basics
- Climate science and sustainability
- How science interacts with society (e.g. vaccines, AI, climate)
Politics & Society
- Political ideologies (liberalism, conservatism, socialism, etc.)
- The electoral system, voting, and gerrymandering
- Civil liberties vs. national security
- Justice system: laws, courts, incarceration
- History of colonialism, imperialism, and their legacy
Human Nature
- Psychology basics (cognitive dissonance, unconscious bias)
- The role of trauma and resilience
- How humans make decisions (heuristics, emotion vs. reason)
- Social influence, media manipulation
- Identity: race, gender, orientation, disability
Grade 12 (Age 17–18)
Science
- Scientific ethics (CRISPR, AI, bioengineering)
- Climate crisis and sustainable solutions
- Health literacy (nutrition, reproductive health, mental health)
- Understanding data and statistics (to interpret studies, polls)
- Tech literacy (privacy, AI, misinformation)
Politics & Society
- How to vote and research candidates
- Understanding taxes, credit, and loans
- Systemic inequality and institutional change
- How change happens (activism, policy, entrepreneurship)
- Role of international bodies (UN, WTO, WHO)
Human Nature
- Moral philosophy (utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics)
- Navigating pluralism and disagreement
- How power is maintained and challenged
- Cultivating purpose and meaning
- Compassionate skepticism — questioning while staying open
Any thoughts? Maybe human nature is overreaching. This is definitely a broad sketch, I will adjust as I go.