Perseverance
A Backwards Design Module
Essential Question: What does it mean to persevere when faced with a challenge?
Throughout this backwards design unit, you will participate in interactive read-alouds, read appropriately leveled texts, and engage in meaningful conversations in order to effectively explain in writing what it means to persevere when faced with a difficult challenge.
Bridging Conversations
Mini-Task 1: Socratic Seminar
Have a discussion with classmates.
What does it mean to persevere? How do people come together to persevere?
Task 2: The Human Knot
o How did it feel to be in the human knot?
o What did you do to untangle the human knot?
o What challenges were you faced with during the human knot?
o What strategies did you use to overcome the obstacles?Then respond to the prompt in writing: “How did you persevere during the human knot challenge?”
The Reading Process
Mini-Task 1: The Little Engine That Could
Prompt: After listening to The Little Engine that Could through an interactive read aloud, explain the theme of perseverance by answering the following questions:
o How did the Little Engine overcome the challenges in the story?
Mini-Task 2: "It Can Be Done"
http://www.users.ch/tio.family/page91.html
Mini-Task 3: President Obama's Back to School Speech
What difficulties have you faced and in what ways have you demonstrated perseverance?
Mini-Task 4: "Flash of Genius"
Think about the difference between persevering and perseverating
Mini-Task 5: "Thank You, Mr. Falker" by Patricia Pollaco
Prompt: After listening to Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Pollaco through an interactive read aloud, respond to the following prompt: Describe Trisha’s feelings toward learning and how she was able to achieve success.
Mini-Task 6: "Beatrice's Goat" by Page McBrier
Prompt: After listening to Beatrice’s Goat by Page McBrier through an interactive read aloud, respond to the following prompt: Describe the connection between Mugisa and how she helps Beatrice achieve her dream.
Mini-Task 7: "Wangari's Trees of Peace" by Jeanette Winter
Prompt: After listening to Wangari’s Trees of Peace by Jeanette Winter through an interactive read aloud, respond to the following prompt: Explain how Wangari’s passion for nature inspired change and encouraged others to persevere.
Transition to Writing
Mini-Task 1: Quick Write
What strategies might you use to ensure your information is accurate?
Mini-Task 2: Connect to a Quote
Prompt: After reading several quotations about perseverance:
o “To be nobody but yourself — in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else — means to fight the hardest battle any human being can fight, and never stop fighting.”— EE Cummings (American poet and playwright)
o “This thing that we call “failure” is not falling down, but the staying down.” — Mary Pickford
o “Many of life’s failures are people who do not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” —Thomas Edison
o “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” -Unknown
o “Fall seven times, stand up eight” –Japanese Proverb
o “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” –Albert Einstein
o Perseverance is not a long race; It is many short races one after another.” –Walter Elliot
o “Don’t be discouraged, it’s often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.” – Unknown
Choose a quote you identify with and explain how it connects to your life and/or experiences in talking and in writing.The Writing Process
Mini-Task 1 Initiation of Task
Think about what you have learned and experienced throughout the module!
Mini-Task 2 Planning
Work with your partner and be sure to dive back into your perseverance folders to use your notes as a tool for creating your outline!
Mini-Task 3 Development
Mini-Task 4 Revision
Work with your writing partner for edits and revisions.