Week 4 Lesson Plan SEL Weekly Lesson Plans3.amazonaws.com/inee-assets/resources/Leb_SEL_Week_4_Lesso…Week 4 Lesson Plan SEL Weekly Lesson Plan Feel your whole body warm and relaxed.

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

Grade: Ages 6 – 13 Subject: SEL

Time: 2 – 55 minute session 4 – 10 minute sessions

Competency: Emotion Regulation

Title: Managing My Emotions

Week 4 Objectives: Students will be able to…

Identify situations that require the use of emotion-management strategies

Understand that emotions are linked to behavior

Identify appropriate ways to express a range of feelings

Identify and demonstrate belly-breathing as a calming down technique

Identify and demonstrate “stop” and name your feeling as a calming down technique

1. 55 MINUTE SEL SESSION: Aim: How can we manage our feelings? Materials: Feelings flash cards, paper, markers, tape Time: 55 minutes Activities:

PARACHUTE OPENING 5 min Open the Parachute INTRODUCTION 5 min Mindfulness Activity

ACTIVITY 1 10 min Why We Calm Feelings

ACTIVITY 2 10 min Create a Calming Feelings Toolkit ACTIVITY 3 10 min Brain Building: Belly Breathing

CONCLUSION 10 min Turn and Talk PARACHUTE CLOSING 5 min Close the Parachute

PARACHUTE OPENING Time: 5 minutes Materials: None

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

INTRODUCTION: MINDFULNESS Time: 5 minutes Materials: None

[NOTE: Read the following very slowly, calmly and gently. Pause between sentences.]

1. SAY: Grow your back longer and taller, reaching your head to the sky.

Breathe calmly. Continue to breathe slowly for one minute. If it is comfortable, you can close your eyes.

2. SAY: Today we will focus our mindfulness on tensing and releasing our

bodies. Grow your back longer and taller, reaching your head to the sky. Breathe in deeply. Exhale slowly and let yourself relax. Squeeze up your toes, and release them, feeling heat come out of your toes. Squeeze the muscles in your legs and knees, now let them fully relax and feel the heat coming out of your legs. Squeeze up your bottom and then let the heat warm up your chair as your relax. Pull your tummy muscles in, then release them and feel the warmth radiate out. Feel your chest tighten up, and then relax, releasing heat. Shrug your shoulders up to your ears, then relax your shoulders down your back, feeling the heat come out. Tense up your arms, then relax them and let the heat come out of your fingertips. Feel the heat come up your neck and wrap around your head.

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

Feel your whole body warm and relaxed.

3. DO: Allow the children to sit silently for 30 seconds to a minute, depending on their ability to sit still.

4. SAY: Now bring your awareness back into your body. Notice how your body feels. Wiggle your fingers and your toes. Make small circles with your wrists. Stretch your arms up to the sky and then shake them out. If your eyes are closed, slowly, gently open them.

ACTIVITY 1: Why We Calm Our Feelings Time: 10 minutes Materials: None

1. SAY: We are going to talk about calming our feelings today. 2. SAY: Sometimes people need to calm their strong feelings.

3. ASK: Can you show an appropriate way to show you are happy by

demonstrating it with your bodies and faces? Example answer: smiling and standing tall.

4. DO: Show you are happy along with the students.

5. ASK: Can you show a way to show you are happy that would not be acceptable in the classroom by demonstrating it with your bodies and faces?

Example answer: jumping up and down and screaming.

6. DO: Go through steps 2 through 4 for the other feelings (sad, scared, angry, excited, proud).

7. SAY:

Sensitivity Tip It is important you do not threaten disciplinary actions if the students do not calm their feelings. This exercise is to allow them to reflect on when it is and is not okay to show feelings.

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

Sometimes even good feelings need to be calmed. Appropriate ways to show feelings are those which do not harm you and others around you, and may make the situation and the feeling better. It lets others know how you are feeling without harming them or making them feel bad in any way.

8. ASK: When is it okay to show a strong feeling?

Example Answer: When you see your caregiver making you a plate of your favourite food and you are excited and surprised and happy and you jump for joy; when someone very close to you is gone and you cry.

9. SAY: In certain situations, calming your feelings can help make things better for you. Sometimes when we have very strong feelings, it can be difficult to move forward. By calming your feelings, it can help you to feel better.

10. SAY: Think of a time when calming your feelings would have helped you feel better. You will not share, just think about the scenario in your head for one minute.

11. ASK: What are some ways to show happiness that are not okay? Example answer: hit someone, jump up and down and make noise in a quiet place because it will distract others, scream for joy if it will scare others.

12. ASK: When do you think you need to calm your feelings? Example answer: When they will hurt someone else, when it is too strong, when it is bad

13. ASK: Does anyone want to volunteer to share a personal example of when you need to calm your feelings and how you do it?

ACTIVITY 2: CALMING FEELINGS TOOLKIT Time: 10 minutes

Age Adaptation If your students are very young and might be confused by the exception of when it is okay to show strong feelings, only talk about why they need to control their feelings.

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

Materials: Marker, Flipchart paper, paper and markers for all students

1. SAY: We will be learning different ways to calm our feelings. By the end of the week, we will have a “Calming Feelings Toolkit”.

2. DO: Write “Calming Feelings Toolkit” on a flipchart paper.

3. SAY: You will create your own “Calming Feelings Toolkit” using the tools you learn in class and some you come up with on your own.

4. DO: Pass around paper and markers to the students.

5. SAY: Create and decorate your “Calming Feelings Toolkit” on your paper in a way that will make you calm.

6. DO: Let students decorate their Toolkits for two (2) minutes

7. SAY: As you learn new strategies, you will add them to your toolkit.

ACTIVITY 3: BRAIN BUILDING: BELLY BREATHING Time: 10 minutes Materials: None

1. SAY: Now let us start to talk about strategies.

2. ASK: Do you remember anything that you learned in week one that could help you to calm your feelings?

Sensitivity Tip If a student is unable to draw due to a disability, have them use the buddy system and pair them with another student who can draw with them.

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

3. SAY: Many focusing attention strategies can be used to calm feelings, especially belly-breathing.

4. ASK: Can we have a volunteer come to teach the class how to belly-breath? DO: If they do not remember, use the following prompts: SAY: Sit up tall, and put one hand on your belly. Slowly breathe in, feeling your belly blow up like a balloon for four (4) seconds. Then hold your breath for two (2) seconds. Finally, slowly breathe out of your mouth for four (4) seconds.

5. ASK: Do you feel your bellies rising into your hands?

6. DO: Demonstrate belly-breathing, with your hand on your belly and your hand out in front of you with the learners for five (5) breaths.

CONCLUSION: TURN AND TALK Time: 10 minutes Materials: None

1. SAY: Think to yourself about what you learned today.

2. SAY: TURN AND TALK to a neighbor and share what you learned today

and how you will use it.

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

3. DO: Summarize some of the ways you overheard students saying they would use the strategies, and invite them to share others if they would like.

PARACHUTE CLOSING Time: 5 minutes Materials: None

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

2. 55 MINUTE SEL SESSION: Aim: Practicing managing our feelings. Materials: paper, markers, tape Time: 55 minutes Activities:

PARACHUTE OPENING 5 min Open the Parachute

INTRODUCTION 10 min Mindfulness Activity ACTIVITY 1 5 min Brainstorming Calming Feeling Strategies

ACTIVITY 2 10 min Practicing Calming Feeling Strategies

ACTIVITY 3 5 min Adding Strategies to Calming Feelings Toolkits

ACTIVITY 4 10 min Using Calming Feeling Strategies CONCLUSION 5 min Discussion

PARACHUTE CLOSING 5 min Close the Parachute

PARACHUTE OPENING Time: 5 minutes Materials: None

INTRODUCTION: MINDFULNESS Time: 10 minutes Materials: None

1. SAY: When we are happy and sad, our body takes on different shapes.

If we can be mindful of the shape of our body, can we change our mood, emotions, and ability to act?

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

Start by standing with your feet apart, arms at your sides, with your palms facing in toward your thighs. Take as long as you need to center yourself. Take a deep, slow breath in through your nose like you are smelling a flower and want the smell to last as long as possible. Exhale deeply and slowly out of your mouth. Slowly feel your belly expand as you breathe deeply into your bellies. As you exhale, feel your bellies deflate.

Become aware of your hands. As you continue being aware of your hands, slowly raise them in front of you, and turn your palms up toward the sky. Take a few breaths here. Think to yourself – how does your mood change as you raise your hands?

Return your hands to your sides. Take a deep breath in and out, settling yourself.

Round your shoulders forward and drop your chin to your chest. Take a few breaths here. Think to yourself – how does your mood feel in this position?

Roll your shoulders back and bring your head back to center. Take a deep breath in and out, settling yourself.

Lift your chin toward the sky, allowing your head to fall backwards. Make sure to keep your shoulders down. Take a few breaths here. Think to yourself – how do you feel in this position?

Return your head to center. Take a deep breath in and out, settling yourself.

Now try something a little bit subtler. Try tightening all of the muscles around your eyes. Stare very hard at something. Think to yourself – how does this make you feel?

Now soften your eyes, maybe even close them lightly. Take a few breaths here. Think to yourself – how does this make you feel?

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

As we’ve experienced, the shape of our bodies can change how we feel. In our lives, we can be mindful of the shapes we make with our bodies and how that influences our feelings and actions.

2. ASK: How do you feel? Do you feel any different than before the

activity?

ACTIVITY 1: BRAINSTORMING CALMING FEELING

STRATEGIES Time: 5 minutes Materials: None

1. SAY: Today we are going to talk about the different strategies we use and have learned to calm our feelings.

2. ASK: What strategies do you use or what have you already learned that could help you to calm your feelings?

3. DO: Write what the students brainstorm on a flipchart or board.

Include the following, mentioning them if students do not: a. Belly-breathing b. Counting to 5 or 10 (depending on age of the children). c. Using a Calming Object d. Humming a Tune

4. SAY: Today we will learn and practice four of these strategies: belly-

breathing, counting to 5, using a calming object and humming a tune.

ACTIVITY 2: PRACTICE CALMING FEELING STRATEGIES Time: 10 Materials: None

Sensitivity Tip Change the names and description of any of these tools if they are culturally inappropriate, particularly with self-talk as it might be associated with mental illness.

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

1. SAY: We are going to practice our different calming feeling

strategies now.

2. ASK: Who will volunteer to teach each strategy?

[NOTE: If students do not volunteer, or teach it incorrectly, use the instructions below]

Counting to Five

3. ASK: Who can show us how to count to 5?

4. SAY: Counting to 5 can help us to calm our feelings if we count slowly and calmly. We will practice counting to 5 to calm our feelings together.

5. DO: Lead the class in slowly counting to 5, taking a breath between

each number.

6. SAY: Slowly, breathe – one – breathe – two – breathe – three – breathe – four – breathe – five.

7. ASK: Why do you think counting to five can help to control

feelings? Example Answers: It allows us to take a few seconds away from what is making us have strong feelings, it forces us to breathe, gives us perspective on what is happening to cause us the strong feelings.

8. DO: Review students’ answers:

9. ASK: When you would use counting to five? Calming Object

Age Adaptation If your students do not already know how to count to five, remove this strategy or have them hold one hand up and put down a finger after taking a breath.

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

10. SAY: When you have strong feelings, an object in the room can help to calm down those feelings.

11. DO: Give a personal example of an object that you use to calm

down. For example, when I begin to feel anxious, I will hold onto a pen. The smoothness helps me to feel calm.

12. SAY: Quietly think of an object in the classroom that can help you to be calm.

13. If there is enough space, SAY: Walk calmly to your object. 14. If there is not enough space, SAY: Sit and think about your object

and then tell the person sitting next to you what your calming object is.

15. DO: Look around the room to see what they go to or touch to help calm down.

16. ASK Who would like to share which object they chose with the

class? 17. SAY: Remember which object in the classroom is your calming

object so that when you start to feel strong feelings you can go there.

Humming a Tune

18. SAY: Sometimes strong feelings happen when we are alone. In this situation you can use another strategy.

When you are alone and will not distract other people, quietly singing or humming a song can be a way to calm down.

19. SAY: Think of a song that can help keep you calm.

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

20. ASK: Who will sing the song they would sing or hum to keep calm?

21. SAY: If anyone else in the class knows the song, you can hum or

sing along

ACTIVITY 3: ADDING STRATEGIES TO CALMING FEELINGS TOOLKITS Time: 5 minutes Materials: Students’ Calming Feelings Toolkits, markers, tape

1. SAY: Now we are going to review our new calming feelings strategies

and add them to our Toolkits.

2. ASK: Can you name the strategies we learned to calm ourselves down?

Example Answers: Belly-breathing; Counting to 5 or 10 (depending on age of the children); Using a Calming Object; Humming a Tune

3. SAY: Draw or write the strategies we learned today in your Calming Feelings Toolkit.

4. SAY: You can make pockets where each strategy will stay, tape the strategies on, or draw them directly on the toolkit.

ACTIVITY 4: USING CALMING FEELINGS STRATEGIES Time: 10 minutes Materials: None

1. SAY: Now we are going to stand in a big circle.

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

2. SAY: As a class we will pretend to create a very strong feeling, by getting our heart rate up. Then we will practice the strategies we learned for calming down.

When I say STOP! You should stop moving. I will call out a calming feeling strategy for us to practice.

3. DO: Lead students through jumping jacks, or other physical activity

like running in place, for one minute.

4. SAY: STOP! Now let’s take five big belly-breaths.

ASK: How do you feel right when you stopped moving? ASK: How do you feel now that you have belly-breathed?

5. DO: Repeat jumping jacks (or other physical activity) for one minute.

6. SAY: STOP! Now let’s slowly count to five.

ASK: How did you feel right when you stopped moving?

ASK: How do you feel now that you have counted to five?

7. ASK: Which calming feeling strategy should we use next?

8. SAY: Ok, we are going to move for one more minute.

9. SAY: STOP! Now let’s use the calming feeling strategy we chose.

10. ASK: How did you feel after you used the last strategy?

CONCLUSION: DISCUSSION Time: 5 minutes Materials: None

Sensitivity Tip If there is a student with a disability in your group, you should adjust this exercise so everyone can participate.

Age Adaptation If the students are older or more advanced, ask them to also think about when and how they would need to use one of the calming strategies.

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

1. SAY: We are going to review what we learned and how we felt about using the new strategies.

2. ASK: a. Which calming strategy worked best for you? How could you tell?

b. Does everyone have the same favorite strategy? Is that ok? c. Why is it important to know more than one (1) strategy?

3. SAY: Now we know many different strategies for calming ourselves down.

4. SAY: Please hand in your Calming Feelings Toolkit before you leave so it can

stay safe in the classroom.

PARACHUTE CLOSING Time: 5 minutes Materials: None

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

3. 10 MINUTE SEL REVIEW SESSION: Objective: To understand which calming feelings strategies you would use in

different scenarios

Aim: How do we know how to calm our feelings?

Materials: Calming Feelings Toolkits, tape, pictures of scenarios, tape

Time: 10 minutes

Activities:

1. DO: Before class starts, hang up four or more pictures and descriptions

of different scenarios. These scenarios can be based on what would be commonly stressful circumstances for your students. Choose from these examples or create scenarios that are relevant for your students:

a. Fighting with siblings or friends; b. Having a lot of homework; c. Feeling lonely; d. Seeing something scary; e. Not getting what you want; f. Missing something fun; g. Your favorite toy breaks; h. Someone steps on your foot.

2. SAY: We are going to try and identify which calming strategies we will

use for different situations.

3. DO: Pass out students’ Calming Feelings Toolkits

4. SAY: You are going to walk around to each of the scenarios and tape/write the feeling calming strategy you would use in that situation.

Age Adaptation If students are able to read, include short descriptions on the pictures of scenarios

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

5. DO: Read out the scenarios that you hung around the room.

6. DO: Review the strategies students have learned by using the Calming Feelings Toolkit.

7. ASK: Why would you use different strategies in different scenarios? Example Answer: Sometimes there are different resources available to calm feelings, and other times one needs to be quiet or reserved in calming your feelings.

8. SAY: Now we know we need to use different calming feeling strategies

for different scenarios.

Age Adaptation For younger children, ask when they would use each strategy, going through them one-by-one.

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

4. 10 MINUTE SEL REVIEW SESSION: Objective: Identify situations that require the use of emotion-management

strategies; Identify and demonstrate calming down techniques

Aim: How and when do we need to calm our feelings?

Materials: None

Time: 10 minutes

Activities:

1. SAY: We are going to work together to match calming strategies to

situations.

2. SAY: Pairs will have 1 - 2 minutes to think of scenarios where you would need to calm your feelings. Each pair will have 30 seconds to act out a feeling situation without saying any words. The rest of the class will try to guess what the situation and feeling are.

3. DO: Break students into pairs. Give the students 1-2 minutes to think of their scenarios.

4. DO: Bring the class back together. Have each pair come and present their scenario and the class will guess what the situation is and what feeling they are showing.

5. ASK: a. How did it feel to guess the situation and feeling? b. Why was it challenging? c. How can this help you in life?

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

5. 10 MINUTE SEL ASSESSMENT SESSION: Objective: Identify situations that require the use of emotion-management

strategies

Aim: How would you feel and calm your feelings in different scenarios?

Materials: Paper; marker, students’ Calming Feelings toolkits

Time: 10 minutes

Assessment Scoring:

Rating Meaning Details

1 Unsatisfactory Student does not appropriately match strategies to situations

2 Needs Improvement

Student appropriately matches 1 strategy out of the 4 situations

3 Meets Expectations

Student appropriately matches 2 strategies out of the 4 situations

4 Exceeds Expectations

Student appropriately matches 3 strategies out of the 4 situations

5 Exceptional Student appropriately matches 4 strategies to 4 situations

1. SAY: We are going to match our calming strategies to situations.

2. SAY: You will now draw four scenarios when you think you would need

to calm your feelings. Select strategies from your Calming Feelings Toolkit and match them to the four scenarios you draw.

3. DO: Pass out paper and markers and students’ own Calming Feelings Toolkits.

Week 4 Lesson Plan

SEL Weekly Lesson Plan

4. DO: Give students five (5) minutes to draw their scenarios and match the calming feeling strategies to the scenarios.

5. SAY: Now we are going to share our ideas with the group.

6. ASK: Who will volunteer to share what strategies they would use in different situations?

7. SAY: We now know when we need to use calming feeling strategies and which strategies to use in different situations.

8. SAY: Please turn in your drawings to me for grading.