P.S.

175 City Island School

Guidance Curriculum
MARCH - PERSEVERANCE

Title of Lesson
Sink or Swim?

Grades
Kindergarten
1st Grade
2nd Grade

Materials
Whiteboard
Dry-erase markers
Clear glass bowl
Modeling clay

Purpose (Why of the lesson, where and how does it tie into the course/curriculum?)
To incorporate good character and perseverance into the school community

Learning Outcome(s) (What will students be able to do/know by the end of the lesson?)
Students will be able to understand the relationship between not giving up and
achieving goals or dreams
Students will be able to see how changing from a giving up attitude to a positive can
make all the difference
Students will be able to make connections of not giving up in their own lives

Bridge-In (Focus student attention)

The counselor will ask the students for examples of times where they didnt give up
even though things got tough, what it means to not give up
Eventually, the counselor will state that this is called perseverance, and will be our
topic for this month

Procedure (Main content: ideas, information, concepts, principles, procedures and examples)
1. The counselor explains: I am going to make four balls out of this clay, and we will give
a name for every ball of clay
 2. The counselor will roll clay into four balls, three of them small, and one a little larger
(like small and big marbles)
3. The counselor will drop each of the three little balls into the clear bowl filled with water,
labeling each one with a name, and watch them sink
4. The counselor will explain to the students that each ball represents a student who
feels discouraged or frustrated by something that has happened to them
Suzie: Feels frustrated because she cant remember her sight words
Jake: Feels frustrated because he is having trouble with a math problem
George: Feels frustrated because he cannot learn how to swim
5. Explain that everyone feels this way at one point or another in life (ask students to
raise their hands)
6. Explain that feeling frustrated is a natural part of life, and a very natural reaction to
things that are upsetting
7. The counselor will take the fourth lage ball and begin to reshape it into a canoe shape
8. Explain to the students that this student (give it a name) is not going to give up, and is
going to try having a positive attitude instead and showing perseverance
9. Discuss how it is possible to approach life's challenges by reshaping your attitude
10. Put the other three balls into the canoe and place it into the water and watch it float
11. Ask the students, What can happen when we have a positive attitude and decide to
persevere?
12. Refer to the examples we used with the balls and ask what kind of reshaping those
students could do (who could they ask for help, what could they think of for
motivation?)
13. Ask students to turn and talk about this
14. Ask students to share a time when they didnt give up and what they did instead

Guided Practice (Application of knowledge: classroom activities for students, problem to

solve, etc.)
Students will answer questions about the students (balls of clay)

Reflection (Recap key concepts, helps students consolidate knowledge)

Ask, What are some words that describe how you might feel when you
perseverance?

Check for Understanding (What questions will you ask and when to determine students
understand?)
How can a positive attitude help us reach our goals and dreams?

Assessment (Product, Reflect on Learning Outcomes)

Answer questions about what it means to persevere/turn and talk
 P.S. 175 City Island School
Guidance Curriculum
MARCH - PERSEVERANCE

Title of Lesson
Reach for the Stars

Grades
Kindergarten
1st Grade
2nd Grade

Materials
Paper with stars to cut out
Crayons/Pencils/Markers

Purpose (Why of the lesson, where and how does it tie into the course/curriculum?)
To incorporate good character and perseverance into the school community

Learning Outcome(s) (What will students be able to do/know by the end of the lesson?)
Students will be able to determine a short-term goal themselves
Students will be able to identify a way in which they can get to this goal
Students will be able to identify a way in which they can persevere in the face of any
obstacles that may arise

Bridge-In (Focus student attention)

The counselor will recap this months topic as perseverance
Relating to goal-setting for conferences/in the classroom (you need an action plan)

Procedure (Main content: ideas, information, concepts, principles, procedures and examples)
1. The counselor will ask, Raise your hand if you have ever experienced trying to learn
something that was difficult, like learning to ride a bike (without training wheels) or
learning to swim.
2. The counselor will make a chart of things that students know how to do, and how they
achieved this
3. The counselor will ask, How did you learn that skill? (Prompt students to say that
 they didn't give up)
4. The counselor will ask students to brainstorm a goal that they would like to achieve, a
skill that they would like to acquire, etc.
5. The counselor will provide an example from experience (skill, sport mastered - how,
what was the motivation?)
6. Share-out of what they would like to achieve/how they persevered
7. The counselor will ask students to return to their seats, and will pass out papers with
stars for them to cut out, and with the sentence, My goal is _________.
8. Students will write their goals (teacher help for kindergarteners) on the line, and
decorate their stars
9. Students will return to the carpet and will take turns telling the class their goals
10. With each goal read, the counselor will ask the student for a way in which they can
work hard and not give up to achieve this goal
11. Students can take their stars home to hang up

Guided Practice (Application of knowledge: classroom activities for students, problem to

solve, etc.)
Students will think of a goal for themselves
Students will think of a way to work hard and not give up towards that goal

Reflection (Recap key concepts, helps students consolidate knowledge)

How does it feel to achieve something new? Does it feel good to work hard to achieve
a goal?
What does it mean to persevere?

Check for Understanding (What questions will you ask and when to determine students
understand?)
How does never giving up lead us to achieve a new goal?

Assessment (Product, Reflect on Learning Outcomes)

Students will think of a goal for themselves and ways in which they can keep
themselves going even when they feel like giving up
 P.S. 175 City Island School
Guidance Curriculum
MARCH - PERSEVERANCE

Title of Lesson
The Very Clumsy Click Beetle (Part 1)

Grades
Kindergarten
1st Grade
2nd Grade

Materials
Paper with lines to cut out a beetle
Crayons/Markers
The Very Clumsy Click Beetle by Eric Carle (video or book)

Purpose (Why of the lesson, where and how does it tie into the course/curriculum?)
To incorporate good character and perseverance into the school community

Learning Outcome(s) (What will students be able to do/know by the end of the lesson?)
Students will be able to learn about the click beetle in the story and how he never gave
up
Students will be able to see how with perseverance, the click beetle was able to
achieve his goal of flipping over
Students will be able to relate to the click beetle because he was young and was still
learning to acquire a skill, and received guidance from an adult
Students will be able to relate the experience to their own lives in a time where they
may have felt like giving up while learning to acquire a skill (riding a bike, learning to
swim, etc)

Bridge-In (Focus student attention)

The counselor will recap this months topic as perseverance

Procedure (Main content: ideas, information, concepts, principles, procedures and examples)
1. The counselor will explain that we will be reading a book about perseverance
2. Read the book/show the video of The Very Clumsy Click Beetle by Eric Carle
 3. Ask the students, What was the click beetle struggling with?
4. Ask, How did the click beetle achieve his goal of flipping over? (Turn and Talk)
5. Ask, Have you ever felt frustrated because you were too young to do something new,
like swim or ride a bike?
6. Ask, Did an adult help you? How did it feel to have someone who was there to help
you?
7. Ask, Is it okay to ask for help when you are struggling, or is it better to try and do it on
your own? (Turn and Talk) - possible motivators: peer pressure/friends can do it,
you are embarrassed, parents, contest, praise, rewards, self-pride, confidence -
anything that pushes us forward
8. Explain that we are making our own click beetles as a reminder of the story and how to
not give up, and to persevere
9. Hand out papers with beetle shapes and have the students color their beetle
10. Have the students cut out their beetles
11. Explain that we will continue our work next class

Guided Practice (Application of knowledge: classroom activities for students, problem to

solve, etc.)
Students will apply their knowledge of perseverance and relate it to how the click
beetle never gave up
Students will relate this to one of their own frustrating experiences in life

Reflection (Recap key concepts, helps students consolidate knowledge)

Ask, What is an example of a way that we can show perseverance in school?

Check for Understanding (What questions will you ask and when to determine students
understand?)
How did the click beetle achieve his goal of flipping over?

Assessment (Product, Reflect on Learning Outcomes)

Students will answer questions about perseverance
Students will color their own click beetles
 P.S. 175 City Island School
Guidance Curriculum
MARCH - PERSEVERANCE

Title of Lesson
The Very Clumsy Click Beetle (Part 2)

Grades
Kindergarten
1st Grade
2nd Grade

Materials
Class beetles from previous lesson
Clothespins
Google eyes
Crayons/Markers
The Very Clumsy Click Beetle by Eric Carle

Purpose (Why of the lesson, where and how does it tie into the course/curriculum?)
To incorporate good character and perseverance into the school community

Learning Outcome(s) (What will students be able to do/know by the end of the lesson?)
Students will be able to learn about the click beetle in the story and how he never gave
up
Students will be able to see how with perseverance, the click beetle was able to
achieve his goal of flipping over
Students will be able to relate to the click beetle because he was young and was still
learning to acquire a skill, and received guidance from an adult
Students will be able to relate the experience to their own lives in a time where they
may have felt like giving up while learning to acquire a skill (riding a bike, learning to
swim, etc)

Bridge-In (Focus student attention)

(Possibly) Re-read/re-show The Very Clumsy Click Beetle and our beetle activity from
last class
Procedure (Main content: ideas, information, concepts, principles, procedures and examples)
1. The counselor will explain that we will keep on working on our click beetles from last
class
2. Hand back the beetles and explain that we will be gluing the clothespins and google
eyes to make it look like a beetle
3. Once the craft is done, the counselor will show the students how to flip the click beetle
4. Explain that while it may take a few tries, if you persevere, you will be able to flip the
click beetle
5. Prompt the students to make a connection between flipping the click beetle and
overcoming obstacles/not giving up (Turn and Talk)
6. Students can give a name to their beetle
7. Ask, Why are we taking this beetle home? When can we use the beetle to help
ourselves feel better? (Turn and Talk)
8. The beetle will be in a place where you can see it so that if you ever get frustrated,
remember his struggle and how we can persevere

Guided Practice (Application of knowledge: classroom activities for students, problem to

solve, etc.)
Students will apply their knowledge of perseverance and relate it to how the click
beetle never gave up
Students will relate this to one of their own frustrating experiences in life

Reflection (Recap key concepts, helps students consolidate knowledge)

Ask, What is the best thing about not giving up? (Turn & Talk)
Ask, How does it feel? (Turn & Talk)

Check for Understanding (What questions will you ask and when to determine students
understand?)
How did the click beetle achieve his goal of flipping over?
Have you ever had a similar experience?

Assessment (Product, Reflect on Learning Outcomes)

Students will answer questions about perseverance
Students will finish creating their own click beetles