× Reflection Prompts Now Available in Spanish. Look for the "Reflection Prompts in Spanish" link on any lesson page.

Perseverance

Doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving

  • This workout takes approximately 10 Minutes
  • This workout is for students in Grades 9-12
  • Teacher Resources

Move

  • Type:  Strength
  • Excercise:  Wall Squat
  • Target:  Thighs
  • Equipment:  None
Workout guide

Steps

1. Stand in NaliniKIDS posture against a wall
2. Walk your feet forward a foot or two as you lower your body down against the wall (like you’re sitting into a chair)
3. Track your knees in line with your ankles (if you need to adjust your feet)
4. Make sure your thighs are parallel to the floor
5. Push your feet into the floor and your back into the wall
6. Keep your thighs and feet together, and cross your arms over your chest
7. Pull your abs in and squeeze your thighs as you hold this position (don’t forget to breathe!)

Sequence

– 1 minute hold

Modification

If there are no walls available:
– Lower down into a chair pose and maintain proper posture (see ANGRY exercise)

Icon of a body with vibration lines on the sides of it.

How does your body feel after completing the workout?

Icon of a profile view of a person’s head with a speech bubble where the brain would be.

How does your mind feel after completing the workout?

Icon of a question mark.

What does Perseverance mean to you in this moment?

Choose from the additional reflection prompts below to customize this lesson and meet the needs of your students and your time constraints. Create a unique workout experience every time you return to this lesson!

Self-Connection

Past

Describe a time when you had a challenge or setback in your life that you were able to persevere through.

Present

Think critically about the word PERSEVERANCE. What are some different ways that others might interpret this word?

Future

Consider a challenge you are looking forward to overcoming in the future. What have you learned about perseverance that you can apply to this particular future challenge?

Real-World Connection

Family

What have you learned from your family about perseverance?

Learning Environment

Describe a personal strength that helps you persevere when you face challenges in your schoolwork.

Community

Create a pamphlet highlighting the strengths of your community, preparing community members to persevere through challenges.

Academic Connection

ELA

What does the phrase, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” mean to you? Write a short essay describing a time when you used lemons to make lemonade.

Social Studies

How might overcoming the challenges of social distancing and remote learning and working lead to future opportunities in our society?

STEM

Create and distribute a survey to your classmates about what they think their personal strengths are. Collect and analyze the data, and draw one conclusion from your study.

Fun Fact

Many leaders throughout history have shown a great deal of perseverance, and did not always succeed on the first try at something. Abraham Lincoln lost five separate elections before he became President of the U.S.