Self Control and Dignity
Year 2: Self control helps me make decisions which are better in the long run, even if they’re difficult now.
Core Story
Christopher Nibble by Charlotte Middleton. Guinea pig Christopher Nibble loves munching dandelion leaves. In fact, everyone loves eating dandelion leaves and one day there are none left! Christopher Nibble discovers the very last dandelion. Resisting the temptation to eat it, he nurtures the dandelion patiently until it has produced a perfect head of tiny seeds. Then he blows the seeds so that each dandelion seedling takes root and grows into a new plant until there is enough for everyone again.
Before reading the story to the class, set up Activity 1.
Drawing out the virtue
This story helps children to understand the concept of delayed gratification. Through the example of Christopher Nibble, children can understand the temptation to eat the dandelion for instant gratification. However, Christopher Nibble knows that if he can resist eating the dandelion now there will be much greater rewards later on. Through the activities, children are encouraged to understand that putting off something appealing in order to secure a greater goal is part of what it means to have self control. Examples of this could be doing their homework instead of watching television, practising the piano instead of going out with their friends.
Activity 1: The Marshmallow Experiment
Before reading the story, ask the class to sit in a circle and place a marshmallow in front of each child. Tell the children they can choose to eat their marshmallow while you are reading the story, or they can choose to wait until the end of the lesson. The children who wait until the end of the lesson will be given another marshmallow! This is a real test of their ability to control themselves in order to receive a greater reward later on.
Activity 2: 10,000 hours
Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours theory suggests that practising any skill for 1000 hours a year for 10 years is what it takes to be an expert in something. This video ‘Novak Djokovic Made by Determination’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VasWcH5vCTs describes how the Wimbledon champion grew up in Serbia, and despite living in very uncertain times, would dedicate hours to practising tennis skills against a wall. In the video Djokovic explains how he developed his ability with the help of a mentor – and motivated himself by making a pretend trophy which helped him to visualise his win. Although this video does talk about ‘talent’ the purpose is to show children that having the self control and determination to work hard now, pays off later in life.
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Sayings
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Good things come to those who wait.
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Library books
The Dog and His Reflection - Aesop’s Fable
Oh No George by Chris Haughton
The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers
The Bad Tempered Ladybird by Eric Carle
Little Beauty by Anthony Browne