Goals and Perseverance

Title: Goals and Perseverance

Students will be able to demonstrate how they have begun with the end in mind by creating an affinity of things they have learned how to do by Learning Objective: beginning with the end in mind. They will apply this knowledge by making a model of a click beetle and comparing that to perseverance and goal setting in their science journals.

FranklinCovey Habit: Beginning with the End in Mind

21st Century Skill: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills; Productivity and Accountability

Subject Area: Language Arts; Science

Activity Type: _X_ Individual _X_ Group ___ Homework

Source: Carole Carr, A.B. Coombs

Activity Time: 60 minutes + Grade Level: K-2

Set Up Student Materials Teacher Materials Review

Post It Notes Book for balancing Tell class, “Recently we have been talking about different Crayons Affinity of “Things We Can Do kinds of animals in the world. When We Try” on chart paper Pencils We have discussed how these The Very Clumsy Click Beetle by animals grow and change, the Clothespins Eric Carle ways they move, and what their habitats are. One of the Yarn in 6 different colors Digital still shot of a real click habitats we learned about was Colored construction paper to beetle on wikipedia.org website the pond. The animal in today’s make click beetles- pattern (Search Click Beetle) story has the pond for its depending on your class levels habitat and it moves in a most interesting way. However the White construction paper most important thing I think we (12x18) to chart length results need to remember is that this on animal is a real leader.” Ask class, What does it mean to be Tacky glue a leader?” Have a discussion Masking tape to make starting about being a leader and line incorporate the use of Covey habits in being a leader. Masking tape to tape yarn lengths

Introduction

1. The teacher will walk across the classroom balancing a book on his/her head and tell the class that this is a goal he/she has always had. (The book will fall off at least two times.) Then the teacher will discuss with the children what he/she needs to do to keep the book balanced. They will talk about setting goals, making plans of action to reach the goals, and following through with the plans.

2. Then tell the class, “Today we are going to read a book about a click beetle that began with the end in mind. We will also construct click beetles, flip them, and record their jump.

Activity

1. Read The Very Clumsy Click Beetle. While reading continue to discuss ways that the very clumsy click beetle is beginning with the end in mind and using perseverance.

2. After reading the book, discuss how the click beetle began with the end in mind, talking about the way he set a goal, made a plan, and executed it. Then ask the children to talk about things they have begun with the end in mind to do, giving personal examples, as well as examples of things we, as a class, have synergized and begun with the end in mind to do.

3. As a class then complete an affinity diagram of “Things We Can Do When We Try” beginning with the end in mind, of course. The affinity diagram will help to organize the data (ideas) that are collected. Give each student a sticky note and have him/her write one thing down to add to the chart. They can bring up their sticky notes and share with the class what they wrote down.

4. Next show the class a digital still shot of an actual click beetle on the wikipedia.org website page. Then briefly discuss the physical characteristics that a click beetle has which enable it to flip. Discuss beginning with the end in mind, as a click beetle does in setting his goal to flip. The click beetle uses perseverance in reaching his goal (to flip) like we do in reaching our goals.

5. Next pass out materials and have each student individually, at his/her seat, construct a click beetle using construction paper, tacky glue, and clothespins. Assist students making click beetles and use a pattern for the click beetle depending on the level and ability of your students.

6. In small groups of 4 or 5, the students will flip their beetles, each beginning at the same starting point and using the clothespins to flip beetles. Every student in the small group will have a different color yarn to use as a nonstandard unit of measure. They will cut their own yarn the length of their beetle’s jump. Then they will taping the different yarn pieces and lengths to white construction paper and as a group, using their schema, compare and contrast their findings. They can see which student had the beetle that flip the farthest and decide if they know why that happened.

7. Upon reaching conclusions in their comparisons, each student will record the results in their science journals. As part of their conclusions have the students also draw a picture of what their beetle looks like and how far it jumped as well as what they learned about setting goals and beginning with the end in mind.

Wrap Up

Discuss with the children what it means to begin with the end in mind and ask them how the very clumsy click beetle did that. Incorporate perseverance in connecting the click beetle’s plight in the story to the click beetle the students made. Additionally relate the click beetle to experiences the children have had. Talk about times when the children began with the end in mind.

Assessment

Assess the students when they bring their sticky notes up to share what they have done to begin with the end in mind. You can also assess them when they record their results and click beetles in their science journals. They will also be assessed during the wrap-up discuss to see if they have made the connection that you need to begin with the end in mind and have perseverance and set goals in order to achieve anything.

Extensions & Integrations