Spiders and Perseverance

Key ideas

Perseverance - is it a good thing?

 

Stimulus

This version is for younger years, Reception to year 3 or thereabouts

Tell the children the story of Incy Wincy spider (they should know it and will probably start joining in)

Incy the spider climbed up the water spout and nearly got to the top when all of a sudden, the rain came down and flushed poor Incy out. Then the sun came out and dried up all the rain. So Incy Wincy climbed up the spout again…. And nearly got to the top when all of a sudden, the rain came down and….

Continue the story in this circular fashion for a bit. I use a spider puppet to act it out too.

 

When they get the idea that Incy keeps on doing this, despite never getting to the top, stop the story and ask:

 

Task Question

Should Incy try again?

 

Nested Questions

Should Incy carry on trying after 10 times? After 100 times? After 1,000 times?

Is trying a good thing?

Should you do difficult things?

Should you take the easy way?

 

Important note

There is an assumption that perseverance is good that needs problematising for the philosophy to work. Mostly, if you seek diversity, they will problematise this (She shouldn’t try again, ‘cos she’ll get hurt). It’s important that you do this.

 

Perseverance

This is for older pupils, year 2 and up.

Optional intro

Introduce the word Perseverance, give the children a definition: Keep on doing something, even if you don’t make it. You could ask for a couple of examples of perseverance, just to check understanding.

 

Now set 3 tasks for 3 pupils (either all at once or one at a time)

 

Give someone a pen with the instruction ‘don’t drop it’. They just hold the pen
Give someone a pen to throw up and catch repeatedly with the instruction ‘don’t drop it’
Get someone to hold their hand out palm down, hold a pen just under their hand, then suddenly drop the pen they have to catch it before it hits the ground (they can’t move their hand until you have let go of the pen!). Repeat with the instruction ‘don’t drop it’

The tasks should be of varying difficulty 1 being ridiculously easy and 3 being impossibly hard.

 

Task Question

Is this perseverance?

 

Nested Questions

Is it perseverance if:

You don’t have to try?
It’s hard/easy?
Not achievable?

Task

If you had to give each person points for what they did, who would you give the most points too? 1, 2, or 3?

 

Nested Questions

Should you persevere? Are there times when you shouldn’t persevere?

 

Perseverance games

 

I don’t think these are necessarily perseverance games. They are something like self-control but they are fun to do.

 

Game 1

Children all stand in a circle their objective is to not move or laugh. Adults (invite other staff to help) go around making silly faces, saying boo and generally trying to get chn out. They sit down once they are out.

 

Game 2

Stand 1 child in the middle of the circle. Let them choose (or you can give them) an odd word (I like ‘cheese’, ‘goat’ or ‘snozcumber’). The children around the outside put their hands up to ask questions like ‘What’s your name?’ ‘What’s your favourite colour?’ the child in the middle must always answer with their silly word. Anyone on the outside circle who laughs is out.

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