Perseverance

Big Understanding: People that have a plan: persevere.

Summative Task Design to specs: Create a plan for perseverance. First set a goal and then develop a plan or strategy for overcoming obstacles to this goal. What are the traits necessary to perseverance? þ A Plan: to overcome problems/obstacles (What supports/people/tools will help you?) þ Commitment: motivation and persistence in belief (e.g., I am doing this because its right, etc). þ Courage: in spite of fears, problems and setbacks þ Determination: the ability to keep going for a long time. 1. Developing the concept of “A Plan”: problem solving, supports from tools, strategies, people Text: Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend Scaredy Squirrel had a plan for making friends. Thinking Strategy: First, Next, Then. MODELLING: What was Scaredy Squirrels plan? Fill this out recognizing the steps in his plan., initially as Think Aloud to outline as a retell and a model of how a plan has cause/effect. Supporting Question: What would you put in your make a friend kit? Each student will defend their choices for their kit.

2. Commitment: Nonfiction text about Terry Fox or Horton Hatches an Egg by Dr Seuss

3. Developing the concept of: Determination Oh, The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss

4. Developing the concept of Courage: Text: Swimmy by Leo Lionni Was Swimmy Brave? Thinking Strategy: First, Next, Then. Collaboratively on chart paper or as determined by classroom teacher.

Culminating Task

Developing a Plan: Talk to students about setting a simple goal. (Is there a problem on the playground, free choice that you would like to solve?) 1. What is your goal? I would like to be better… Sometime I have trouble with… It really frustrates me when… 2. Steps to my plan: A. B. C.  3. If I am not successful I will try … What will you do? Who will you ask for help?

Critical question? Why do some people quit while others persevere? Big idea:

** Criteria for Assessment ** Identify Key Learning (Written as a statement of understanding that students will walk away with) Perseverance is a 'Habit of Mind' that allows people to overcome adversity and consistently move towards accomplishing one's goals

Frame Critical Challenge The central question or task student will grapple with

How will I know when I am persevering?

Supporting Questions: What is perseverance? Describe a time in your life when you worked especially hard to accomplish a goal. Why was it important for you to keep working toward this goal? Describe a time when you felt like giving up. What motivated you to keep going? Which people or events helped you? What made it difficult for you to continue? How did it feel to continue your work when it was so difficult to do so? How did you feel when you had accomplished you task?

Set Context (Imagine you are...) Imagine you are the head of a European family who has been selected to set sail for the new world. What habits of mind are going to have the greatest positive impact on your family's survival in the new land?

Have students set a realistic and attainable goal

**K/U** * **C** *




 * T * A * **



that will need to be explicitly taught and formally assessed || - What specific expectations will need to be addressed? - What content / skills will students need to learn to be successful? ||  || a) What criteria will students use to make a decision about the question being asked of them?
 * **Intellectual Tools**
 * Background Knowledge**
 * Background Knowledge**
 * Criteria for Judgement**
 * Criteria for Judgement**

b) What criteria will students use to develop an effective product? || a) Criteria for

- - -

b) Criteria for a . - - - - ||
 * **Habits of Mind**

- What habits of mind are most crucial for students to develop and practice to be successful? ||  ||
 * **Thinking Strategies**

- What are some of the key thinking strategies students will use to sift through background information, apply criteria and make a decision? (e.g. a rating scale, a report card, a decision making matrix, etc.) ||  ||
 * **Critical Thinking Vocabulary**

- What critical thinking vocabulary is most crucial for students to understand in order to be successful? (e.g. “criteria”, “judgement”, “bias”, “perspective”, etc.) ||  ||

Primary Tasks: After reading "Horton Hatches an Egg" and "Tortoise and the Hare", "the Dot", "39 Clues" (upper primary 3 +)

1. Concept attainment:

Yes examples Horton turns and faces the hunters Tortoise trains for the race The Little Engine told himself " I think I can" The girl practiced painting when encouraged by her teacher

Historical figures Terry Fox Hellen Keller Nelson Mandela Rick Hansen Donald Trump

Sports Figures Ty Cobb Lou Gherig Jackie Robinson

No examples

test understanding / scrambled selection

2. Concept formation Make a perseverance board (post any character, possibly friend, sports hero, news item, local politician) as exemplary models. Students need to identify why their selection meets the critieria for perseverance.

See below a letter to send home inviting a community member to share their experience with commitment/perseverance. __ Are you like Horton the Elephant? __ When reading “Horton Hatches an Egg” the children learned that commitment is: þ doing the thing you said you were going to do þ not quitting when the going gets tough “I said what I meant, I meant what I said, an elephant’s faithful 100 percent!” (Horton the Elephant) Dear Kindergarten Parents,

To prepare your child for his VIP day in February please assist your child in identifying a role model, like Horton the Elephant (or the Tortoise in the “The Tortoise and the Hare”) that displays commitment. It could be a close personal friend or family member or a coach, etc. Help your child complete the questions below and bring a photo of the person (or better yet – bring the nominee to our class!). __Nominees are invited to visit the Kindergarten class__ at 11:15 on the VIP’s day (if an alternate day is needed please contact me to make arrangements). For those receiving this with little prep time my apologies, please present your nominee when you are prepared.

Your Committed Kindergarten Teacher!

Mrs Crowhurst

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What are you committed to? (e.g., being a great coach, being a great musician, being a great soccer player) Did you ever have any problems learning to do this? What helped you keep trying? Who helped you keep trying?

3. Concept recognition Play "Change" by Taylor Swift and provide with definition of perseverance and sort the lyrics according the definition (move lyrics into Smartnotebook)

4. Concept mapping Give relationship vocab to connect concepts (helps, may lead to, needs to be nurtured/developed, will encounter, interpret/adopt the attitude of, requires) Related concepts: courage/bravery, optimism, resiliency, success/goals, problem solving, losing/failures, hard work, try your best Rate from most to least important the characteristics related to perseverance. Judge the Better and the Best Which role model best exemplifies the attributes of perseverence? (Students would be asked to select and provide evidence of hard work, problem solving) Design to Specs Using [|www.glogster.com] create an inspirational poster that promotes perseverance. Design to Specs When the going gets tough, what are four effective strategies to help you persevere? Decode the Puzzle Find a powerful metaphor/poem or picture that represents perseverance. Critique the Piece Write a short ed. piece on why a character does display perseverance, also give several points to the contrary Design to Specs Selecting from these ten, which 7 materials would you consider to be the most valuable in helping your family persevere through the hardships of settling a new land. Perform to Specs Which was the best settlement destination for early settlers from England? Pioneers: which of these three/four habits of mind are going to be the most successful traits of a successful early settler which sports heros display perseverance concept attainment activity No Examples Mayzie leaves her nest Hare boasts he is the fastest Hare didn't try Organizing Our Thoughts: Perseverence Activity 1. Perform to Specs: Learn to Juggle A new skill, define what juggling is what steps are in volved. reflection journal based on what the student can do and can’t do at each Intellectual Traits Habits of Mind Activity 2 Critique the Piece: 3 Judge Better/Best 4 Rework the Piece 5 Decode the Puzzle 6 Design to Specs Intellectual Traits Intellectual Traits Intellectual Traits Intellectual Traits Intellectual Traits Habits of Mind Habits of Mind Habits of Mind Habits of Mind Habits of Mind Culminating Activitiy Write, execute and evaluate a personal SMART goal.