Domain:
Student Agency & Self-Direction
Competency:
Adapt to challenges with persistence
🎂
7-9 year olds
⏰
25 to 30 minutes min
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Learning Objective
Students will learn to identify examples of courage and perseverance in Humpty Dumpty's journey to overcome his fear of heights.
Learning Resource Synopsis
In 'After the Fall' by Dan Santat, the story continues beyond the familiar nursery rhyme of Humpty Dumpty's fall. Humpty Dumpty, an avid bird watcher, loves being high up on the city wall, but his confidence is shattered after his fall. Now afraid of heights, he struggles to enjoy his favorite activities. The book follows Humpty's journey as he faces his fears and finds the courage to climb back up again. This beautifully illustrated tale encourages readers to understand that true growth begins when we get back up after falling.
Extended Learning Resources
| Resource & Author | Publication Info | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Brave Irene | Written by William Steig, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux | This story about a determined girl who braves a snowstorm to deliver a package teaches children about perseverance and courage. |
| The Most Magnificent Thing | Written by Ashley Spires, published by Kids Can Press | This book follows a young girl and her dog as they demonstrate creativity and persistence in overcoming challenges to invent the 'most magnificent thing.'. |
| Giraffes Can't Dance | Written by Giles Andreae, published by Orchard Books | This rhyming story about a giraffe who learns to dance in his own unique way encourages children to embrace their differences and keep trying. |
Vocabulary List
| Word | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Courage | The ability to do something difficult or scary, like trying again after falling. | Humpty showed courage when he decided to climb the wall again, even though he was afraid of heights. |
| Resilience | The strength to keep going and not give up, even when things are tough. | Humpty's resilience helped him keep trying to climb the wall, even after his big fall. |
| Perseverance | Continuing to try hard and not give up, even when it's hard. | With perseverance, Humpty practiced climbing a little bit every day until he felt ready to try the wall again. |
| Confident | Feeling sure about your abilities and yourself. | Humpty felt confident after he finally reached the top of the wall again and enjoyed watching the birds. |
| Fear | A feeling of being scared or worried about something that could happen. | Humpty felt fear when he looked up at the tall wall he used to love climbing. |
Prompt
Essential Question: "What can we learn about ourselves when we keep trying, even when things are scary or difficult?"
Today, we're going to explore how we can learn and grow when we face our fears and challenges. It's okay to feel a little scared or unsure sometimes, but what's important is how we choose to keep trying. Let's think about a time when you tried something difficult and what that taught you about yourself.
Anticipatory Set
- Start by asking students to close their eyes and think of a time when they were afraid to try something new or difficult. Encourage them to picture that moment in their mind.
- Next, play a soft, calming sound, like the gentle rustling of leaves or birds chirping, to help them visualize themselves in a peaceful setting where they feel supported and brave.
- Invite students to gently open their eyes and turn to a partner to share one thing they learned about themselves from facing their fear or challenge.
Teacher Tips
- Create a calming atmosphere by dimming the lights slightly or playing soft background music to help students feel safe and focused.
- Model the activity by sharing a personal example of overcoming a fear or challenge, using simple language to connect with the students.
- Encourage students to use sentence starters like 'I learned that I can..' to support their sharing and reflections with partners.
Learn
Today, we're diving into 'After the Fall' by Dan Santat. This story tells us what happens to Humpty Dumpty after his great fall. Let's see how he faces his fears and discovers something new about himself along the way.
Interactive Engagement
- As we read about Humpty's fall, let's think about how he might be feeling. Can you share a time when you felt a little scared, like Humpty might be feeling now?
- Humpty loves watching birds but is afraid to climb the wall. Why do you think it's hard for him to do what he loves? What would you do if you were in his place?
- Humpty is trying to climb the wall again. What do you think is giving him the courage to keep trying? Can you think of a time when you felt brave?
- Look at Humpty's face in this picture. How do you think he's feeling right now? How do the illustrations help us understand his emotions?
- Humpty finally reaches the top of the wall again. What lesson do you think he learns from this experience? How does it make him feel different?
Teacher Tips
- Pause frequently to check in with the students and allow them to share their thoughts and predictions.
- Use different voices and facial expressions to bring Humpty's journey to life and help students connect with the story.
- Encourage students to relate Humpty's experiences to their own lives, fostering personal connections and deeper understanding.
Ask
Now that we've journeyed with Humpty Dumpty as he faced his fears, let's take a moment to think about what this story teaches us about courage and perseverance. How can we learn from Humpty's experience when we face our own challenges?
Discussion Questions
- Think about a time when you felt scared to do something. What helped you to keep going, just like Humpty did?
- How do you think Humpty felt when he finally reached the top of the wall again? Why is it important to try again even when things are hard?
- What do you think Humpty learned about himself by facing his fear? How can you use that lesson in your own life when things seem difficult?
Teacher Tips
- Encourage students to share personal stories by modeling vulnerability; start with a short example from your life.
- Facilitate a safe space for sharing by emphasizing that all feelings and experiences are valid and valuable.
- Use gentle prompts to guide quieter students to participate, like asking if anyone has a similar experience or a different thought.
Navigate
Journey of Courage: Challenge Stations
This activity engages students in a series of interactive challenges that mirror Humpty Dumpty's journey to overcome his fear of heights. By tackling these challenges, students will explore themes of courage, resilience, and personal growth. Each station symbolizes a step in Humpty's journey, encouraging students to reflect on their own experiences with fear and perseverance.
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Teacher Tips
- Encourage students to focus on the process rather than the outcome.
- Remind students that it's okay to feel frustrated and that trying again is an important part of learning.
- Use guiding questions during the reflection discussion to help students articulate their feelings and experiences.
- Adjust the level of difficulty of each station to match the students' abilities, ensuring everyone can participate meaningfully.
Share
As we finish our journey with Humpty Dumpty in 'After the Fall,' let's take a moment to think about what we learned and how we grew. Together, we'll reflect on the courage and perseverance Humpty showed, and how these ideas connect to our own lives.
Reflection Questions
- What is one thing you learned about facing fears from Humpty Dumpty's story, and how might this help you the next time you feel scared?
- Think about a moment from the story that made you feel proud of Humpty. How did that moment make you feel about your own ability to overcome challenges?
- Imagine you're giving advice to a friend who's scared to try something new. What lesson from Humpty's journey would you share with them?
Teacher Tips
- Encourage students to share their thoughts with a partner or small group to help build confidence in expressing their ideas.
- Provide options for students to either speak, draw, or write their reflections, allowing them to choose how they best express themselves.
- Celebrate each student's insights by acknowledging the unique connections they make to the story and to their own experiences.
UDL Strategies
Representation
- Provide a visual storyboard of Humpty Dumpty's journey with images and simple text to illustrate the story's key points and challenges, helping students visualize the theme of courage and perseverance.
- Use auditory storytelling by reading the story of Humpty Dumpty aloud, emphasizing the journey and challenges he faces, to engage auditory learners.
- Incorporate tactile/kinesthetic activities, such as allowing students to manipulate clay or use building blocks to recreate scenes from Humpty Dumpty's story, enhancing comprehension through hands-on interaction.
- Offer guided questions at each station like, 'How would Humpty feel here?' or 'What might he be thinking?' to help students connect emotionally with the challenges.
- Differentiate content at each station by providing visual aids and simplified text-based instructions for younger or struggling students, while offering more complex story elements for advanced learners.
Action & Expression
- Allow students to demonstrate understanding through artistic expression, such as drawing or crafting a visual representation of how they felt during a particular challenge.
- Facilitate a verbal reflection session where students share their thoughts and experiences in a group discussion, enabling those who prefer speech to convey their understanding.
- Provide a written option for students to write a short story or diary entry from Humpty Dumpty's perspective, detailing how he overcame a challenge.
- Integrate physical expression by having students act out their response to a challenge or how they would support Humpty, accommodating kinesthetic learners.
- Offer a choice of expression methods, allowing students to communicate their understanding in a way that aligns with their strengths and comfort levels.
Engagement
- Start with a dramatic re-enactment or puppet show of Humpty Dumpty's story, using props and costumes to captivate students and draw them into the narrative.
- Allow students to choose the order of stations they visit, giving them autonomy and control over their learning experience, which can increase motivation.
- Implement a reward system, such as earning stickers or tokens for demonstrating perseverance at each station, to motivate students to complete the challenges.
- Encourage peer collaboration by forming small groups at each station, fostering a supportive environment where students can help and motivate each other.
- Create a quiet 'reflection corner' where students can take a break to journal about their feelings or discuss quietly with a teacher or assistant, ensuring introverted or overwhelmed students remain engaged.
Assessment Criteria
Formative Assessment
- During each station, observe students' problem-solving strategies and note examples of courage, such as trying new approaches or persisting despite challenges. Use a checklist to identify students who verbalize their thought process and who encourage peers, indicating their understanding of perseverance.
- Facilitate peer feedback sessions at each station by providing sentence starters like 'I appreciated when you..' or 'You showed courage by..'. Listen for students highlighting their partner's persistence and adapting strategies, which demonstrates their grasp of the lesson's themes.
Summative Assessment
- Have students complete a reflection journal entry post-activity where they describe a challenge they faced, the strategy they used to overcome it, and their feelings during the process. Ensure that they make connections to Humpty Dumpty's journey, showcasing their understanding of courage and perseverance.
- Assign a creative project where students illustrate their resilience and creativity through a medium of their choice, such as a drawing or performance. They should include examples of personal persistence and relate their experiences to Humpty Dumpty's story, demonstrating comprehension of the lesson's themes.
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