Object Lesson
Patience Object Lesson Ages 7-12 © Jenny Jenkins 2015 https://sites.google.com/site/valueslessons
Preparation: a pack of cards. Find these cards: King, Queen, and Jack (or knave) of Hearts.
The picture may be printed out or downloaded ready for the lesson.
Perhaps have a child colour it for you, or print them out for all the students to colour..
It is found at: https://mrsstewartsclassroom.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/queen.gif
An audio sample of the rhyme is found at: http://nurseryrhymescollections.com/lyrics/the-queen-of-hearts.html
Read the rhyme to the students or play the song on the audio-sample, holding up the three playing cards as they are mentioned. Then read it together or sing it together with the first 40 seconds of the audio sample.
1. Hold up the pack of cards and ask; 'What has patience to do with playing cards? (Patience is the name of a card game where the one player attempts to place the cards in the correct order.)
2. What are the names of the 3 picture cards? (King, Queen and Jack or knave ) We can learn about patience from these cards.
3. (Hold up the King of hearts) This is King William the Conqueror. He was King of England a thousand years ago. We'll call him 'King Will' for short. He teaches us that our will is the most important part of us, because we can use our will to conquer our weaknesses. Our will is the part of us that helps us keep making right choices when we feel like giving up. Like our muscles, our will power gets stronger with exercise. Every time we do what is right, even though we are tempted not to, we strengthen our will-power. (Get the students to make a muscle) It becomes easier and easier to do the right thing, until it becomes a habit. So let's use our powerful 'King Will' (hold up the King) and choose to be patient each time we begin to feel annoyed with someone.
4. (Hold up the Queen) The Queen of Hearts teaches us that the next most important part of us is our heart. We can choose to have a heart full of love, putting other people's needs first, or a selfish heart that takes and never gives back. Which of the two hearts do you want to have, loving or selfish? Which heart is going to show the most patience? Why?
5. (Hold up the Jack) This is the Jack, or Knave of Hearts. He was hungry and too impatient to wait for lunch. He smelt the tarts that the Queen had baked, and his will-power was too weak to resist. What did he do? (Stole the tarts) and what happened to him then? (He got a beating.) When he vowed to steal no more, what part of himself did he give instructions to? (His will-power) We too need to tell our will power to (Point to the words on the logo) Practise Patience!' Who knows, one day it might even save us from a beating!