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How to Persevere

Lesson 2

PERSEVERANCE Sand House

Learning Goals

  1. I can name situations where perseverance might be needed.
  2. I can suggest tips for persevering.
Preparation:
  • Read the pupils magazine to ensure you are familiar with the content and words.
  • Read the lesson plan to be familiar with the content of the lesson.
  • Find sand that will work for building a house (Steps 6 to 7). It should not be perfect sand for building a house – there should be some challenge to have the pupils persevere. But not too challenging.
  • Try out the sand in building a house to make sure it works. It might be best to have a child try building a house with the sand so you can know if the level of challenge is adequate.
Materials:
  • Perseverance magazine: Adamu and the Blacksmith [Download]
  • Hoe – or any object made by a blacksmith
  • Sand for the sand game. Pupils will be shared in groups of 4, so enough sand for the number of groups needed
  • Water
  • Scoop for water
Procedures
Step 1 (5 min): Review
Guide Give pupils a few minutes to look at their bean seeds. Then have them sit down.
Ask
  1. What was the big word we learned about in Tarbiyya last week?
    2. Perseverance
  2. What does perseverance mean?
    3. Choose to keep trying, even when there are challenges
  3. How do you make Pam Perseverance’s signal?
    4. Guide all pupils in making the perseverance signal
  4. What did you learn about perseverance last week?
    5. Let 4 to 5 pupils share
  5. Who are some people you know who demonstrated perseverance?
    6. Let 3 or 4 pupils share
  6. Have you been persevering in watering your seed?
    7. Yes
  7. What do you observe about your bean seeds?
    8. Let 2 to 3 pupils share
  8. How many of your bean seeds have sprouted?
    9. Let pupils raise their hands
  9. Are you going to keep persevering – keep choosing to water your bean seed?
    10. Yes
Write
and
Read 		Write the I-Can statements on the board.

Read the I-Can statements as the goals of what you will accomplish today.
Step 2 (5 min). Perseverance Song
Guide Share the magazine.

Perseverance
Perseverance
If you don’t persevere
You won’t succeed
Be patient and determined
Be patient and determined
You will be great
You will be great
Step 3 (5 min). Introduction
Ask
  1. Has anyone heard the word blacksmith before?
    2. If no pupil has heard of a blacksmith, then skip the next questions and go straight to the explanation.
  2. What does a blacksmith do?
    3. Makes objects out of iron like hoes
  3. How does the blacksmith shape iron into the object he/she wants to make?
    4. Builds a very hot fire, puts the iron in the fire, and then beats on it with a hammer until it makes the desired object
  4. Is the blacksmith job easy?
    5. No
Explain A blacksmith is a person who makes objects out of iron. Iron is a strong and cheap metal, so it is used to make a lot of tools like hoes and cutlasses.
Present Present the hoe for pupils to see.
Explain Because iron is so strong, it is not easy to shape it into the object that the blacksmith wants to make. First, the blacksmith has to make a fire that is very hot. Then he puts the iron inside of the fire. When the blacksmith pulls the iron out of the fire, he uses a hammer to beat the iron. When he beats the iron, he is shaping it into the object he wants.

The fire and beating also helps to take impurities out of the iron. Most of the time, the iron is not pure iron – there can be some other metals mixed with it. It can be like water – sometimes water is not pure – there might be dirt mixed together with the water. Iron is often like that – there are other metals mixed into the iron that are not as strong. So the blacksmith puts the iron in the fire and beats it to beat the weaker metals out. The more times the blacksmith does this, the stronger the iron becomes.

That means that a blacksmith’s job is not easy – it is hot, hard work.
Step 4 (5 min). Read Adamu and the Blacksmith
Share Share the magazine.
Read Read aloud Adamu and the Blacksmith.
Step 5 (5 min). Comprehension Questions
Ask
  1. Who did Adamu meet on the walk in his father’s village?
    2. A blacksmith
  2. What did Adamu see the blacksmith doing?
    3. Sweating, Hammering a hoe
  3. Why was the blacksmith hitting the metal repeatedly?
    4. Getting the impurities out of the iron
  4. Who showed perseverance in the story?
    5. Blacksmith
  5. How does a blacksmith show perseverance?
    6. A variety of answers can work, such as bearing the heat of the fire, Patiently hitting the metal repeatedly
Step 6 (15 min). Demonstrate the Sand Game
Explain Today, we are going to play a game that requires perseverance.
Ask
  1. Who has ever built a house out of sand before?
    2. Let pupils raise their hand
  2. How do you build a house out of sand?
    3. Let 1 or 2 pupils explain
Explain I am going to demonstrate how to build a house out of sand.
Model Build a sand house over your foot, but do a sloppy job. Complain that your foot hurts. Pretend to be impatient, and pull your foot out early so that the sand house crumbles.
Ask
  1. What did you observe about my sand house?
    2. It fell
  2. Why did my sand house fall?
    3. You were impatient OR You did not persevere
  3. What should you do to make your sand house stand?
    4. Be patient to build a strong house
Explain My sand house fell because I did not persevere. I became inpatient. When I faced a challenge, I gave up, and my sand house fell. When we do not persevere, we fail.
Ask Who would like to demonstrate how to build a sand house properly?
Guide Call 1 or 2 pupils to the front to demonstrate how to build a sand house properly.
Step 7 (30 min). Sand Game in Small Groups
Guide Share the pupils into groups of 4. Each group should get a pile of sand.

Guide pupils in taking turns building a sand house over their foot.
Step 8 (10 min). Discussion Questions
Ask
  1. How many of you successfully built a sand house?
  2. How were you able to build the sand house?
    3. Let 4 to 5 pupils share
  3. What do you see in the picture?
    4. After one or two pupils have described the picture, read the text
  4. When your foot was in the sand, was it easy to keep still?
    5. No
  5. What did you need to keep your foot in the sand so you could build a strong sand house?
    6. Perseverance, Patience
Guide Let’s give the Pam Perseverance signal for those of you who persevered in making your sand house!

Make the signal together
Step 9 (20 min). Direct Instruction
Explain We have learned that blacksmiths need perseverance to shape iron into an object like a hoe. We need perseverance to build a sand house.
Ask What are other situations that you think require perseverance?
Let some pupils respond.
Explain Pam Perseverance wants to teach us some other situations that need perseverance. Let’s open our magazine to page 2 to learn more.
Read Read aloud page 2 of the magazine with pupils following along.
Ask What are situations that Pam Perseverance told us we need perseverance for?
Learn more at school. Have fun while playing with friends. Do the right thing when people pressure us. Have harmony in our families. Succeed in life.
Explain Perseverance is not easy. Pam Perseverance also wants to teach us what we can do to help us persevere.
Read Read aloud page 3 of the magazine.
Ask What are some skills that can help you persevere when you are faced with a challenge?
Practice. Learn from mistakes. Be patient. Have a growth mindset. Encourage yourself by remembering other times you persevered.
Step 10 (5 min). Conclusion
Ask
  1. What did you learn about perseverance today?
    2. Let a few pupils respond
  2. One I-Can statement for today is I can name situations where perseverance might be needed. Can you name a situation where perseverance is needed? Show me a thumbs-down if you cannot explain what perseverance is. Give me a sideways thumb if you think you can explain what perseverance is but are not sure.
    3. Let pupils show their thumbs.
  3. What are some situations where perseverance might be needed?
    4. Call on pupils who gave a thumbs-up.
  4. Another I-Can statement for today is I can suggest tips for persevering. Can you give a tip to help you persevere? Show me your thumbs up, thumbs down, or sideways thumb.
    5. Let pupils show their thumbs.
  5. What is a tip for persevering?
    6. Call on pupils who gave a thumbs-up.
Printable version of What How to Persevere Lesson [Download]