All Process Station Plan ACT in Action
LESSON PLAN
Building psychological flexibility through hands-on station rotations.
Time
55 Minutes
Audience
6th Grade Class
Approach
Interactive Stations
Objective
Students will engage in six rotating stations to practice each ACT process—cognitive defusion, acceptance, mindfulness, self-as-context, values clarification, and committed action—consolidating learning with a group reflection game.
Why This Matters
This lesson builds psychological flexibility and emotional resilience by immersing 6th graders in hands-on, evidence-based ACT strategies.
Materials Required
ACT Action Slides
Station Rotation Cards
Flexibility Bingo Game
Station Answer Key
Timers (One for the room)
Drawing/Writing materials
Teacher Preparation (15 min)
Review the ACT Action Slides to familiarize yourself with each station’s goals.
Print and cut the Station Rotation Cards for assigning groups.
Print one Flexibility Bingo card per student.
Prepare debrief sheets using the Station Answer Key .
Arrange six distinct station areas in the classroom, labeling each with the ACT process name.
Instructional Sequence
5
Introduction
Project the ACT Action Slides and outline session objectives.
Briefly explain the six core ACT processes: cognitive defusion, acceptance, mindfulness, self-as-context, values, and committed action.
Describe the rotation procedure and assign initial groups using the Station Rotation Cards .
36
Station Rotations
Divide students into six groups; each group starts at one station.
Allocate 6 minutes per station for students to complete the designated ACT activity.
Signal rotations with a timer; groups move clockwise until all stations are completed.
Tasks include: mindfulness exercises, value-sorting, defusion drawing, self-as-context storytelling, acceptance discussions, and action planning.
10
Flexibility Bingo Game
Hand out Flexibility Bingo cards to each student.
Call out prompts related to the six ACT processes; students mark corresponding strategies they practiced.
The first student to complete a row shouts “Bingo!” and explains one strategy they marked.
4
Debrief and Reflection
Reconvene as a whole class and distribute the Station Answer Key (for student reference or teacher-led discussion).
Invite volunteers to share one insight or challenge from any station.
Highlight key takeaways and encourage application of these skills beyond the classroom.
Station Rotation Cards Activity Station Rotation Cards
Print, cut along the dotted lines, and place one at each station.
1
Cognitive Defusion
Think of a thought that often gets “stuck” in your head.
Precede it with: “I’m having the thought that…”
Write the full sentence on your sheet.
Draw an image or doodle that represents this thought.
2
Acceptance
Recall a feeling or sensation you’d rather avoid (e.g., worry, restlessness).
Describe where you feel it in your body and its qualities (size, shape, color).
Practice saying “Hello” to this sensation and allowing it to be there.
Write one sentence about how it changed (or didn’t) while you observed it.
3
Mindfulness
Sit quietly and pick an object in the room to focus on (e.g., pencil, poster).
Spend 2 minutes noticing every detail: color, texture, shape.
Close your eyes and list three new things you discovered about it.
Share one observation with your group facilitator.
4
Self-as-Context
Imagine you’re watching a movie of your day so far.
Draw a simple “you” outside the movie screen, watching yourself inside.
Label the watcher “You” and the actor “Me” .
Write one sentence about how the watcher sees your thoughts/feelings differently.
5
Values Clarification
Review values words (e.g., kindness, creativity, honesty).
Circle the three values that feel most important to you right now.
Write a short goal that connects each value to a real-life action.
6
Committed Action
Pick one goal you wrote at the Values station.
Break it into three small, doable steps .
Assign a timeline for each step (today, this week, this month).
Share your plan and get one piece of encouraging feedback.
ACT in Action Overview Slides ACT in
Action
A dynamic journey through the six core processes of psychological flexibility.
Tier 1 Classroom Lesson
Objectives & Agenda
What we'll do
Experience all six ACT processes hands-on
Build mindfulness, values, and commitment skills
Reflect on applying these skills daily
Our Timeline
1. Introduction 5 min
2. Station Rotations 36 min
3. Flexibility Bingo 10 min
4. Reflection 4 min
What Is ACT?
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based approach that helps us build psychological flexibility .
Acceptance
Allowing thoughts and feelings to be as they are.
Mindfulness
Staying focused on the present moment.
Commitment
Taking action toward things that matter to us.
Process 1
Cognitive Defusion
The Idea
Observe thoughts as just words or images, not absolute truths.
The Technique
“I’m having the thought that...”
Example: "I'm having the thought that I'm bad at math."
The Aim
Reduce the power of unhelpful or "stuck" thoughts.
Process 2
Acceptance
The Idea
Allow unpleasant thoughts and feelings to be present without fighting them.
The Technique
Notice where a feeling lives in your body. Say "Hello" to it.
The Aim
Increase willingness to experience difficult emotions.
Process 3
Mindfulness
The Idea
Pay non-judgmental attention to the here and now.
The Technique
Notice details of an object (color, texture, shape) as if seeing it for the first time.
The Aim
Strengthen present-moment awareness and focus.
Process 4
Self-as-Context
The Idea
See yourself as the observer of thoughts, not defined by them.
The Technique
The "Watcher" vs. the "Actor" . You are the screen, not the movie.
The Aim
Foster perspective-taking and healthy distance.
Flexibility Bingo Game Flexibility Bingo
Level up your psychological flexibility!
NAME: _____________________
DATE: ______________________
How to Play
The caller will read out prompts from the ACT stations.
If you practiced that prompt today, mark the square on your card.
Get 5 in a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) and shout "BINGO!"
Be ready to explain one strategy you marked to the class!
Bingo Bonus
Winner explains a strategy for extra credit!
<table class="w-full table-fixed border-collapse border-4 border-indigo-900 text-center"><tbody><tr class="h-28"><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I practiced saying, “I’m having the thought that…”</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I noticed my breathing for 1 minute</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I gave someone encouraging feedback</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I said “Hello” to an unpleasant feeling</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I wrote a goal for one of my values</td></tr><tr class="h-28"><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I drew an image of a "stuck" thought</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I listed 3 new details about an object</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I labeled the "Watcher" vs. the "Actor"</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I broke a goal into 3 small steps</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I imagined watching my day like a movie</td></tr><tr class="h-28"><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I described where a feeling lives in my body</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I spent time observing a classroom object</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-900 p-2 text-lg font-black bg-indigo-900 text-white"><div class="flex flex-col items-center justify-center"><i data-lucide="star" class="w-8 h-8 mb-1 fill-yellow-400 text-yellow-400"></i>FREE SPACE</div></td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I circled my top 3 personal values</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I shared my action plan with a partner</td></tr><tr class="h-28"><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I used a defusion phrase for a thought</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I used my senses to stay in the present</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I welcomed a feeling instead of fighting it</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I noticed a thought without believing it</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I assigned a timeline to my steps</td></tr><tr class="h-28"><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I shared a mindful observation with the group</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I wrote a specific action for a value</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I saw myself as the observer of my feelings</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I practiced focus for two full minutes</td><td class="border-2 border-indigo-200 p-2 text-sm font-bold bg-white leading-tight">I connected my action to what matters</td></tr></tbody></table>
Station Debrief Answer Key Station Debrief Guide
Teacher Resource
Facilitation prompts and exemplar responses for the ACT station rotation.
Use this guide to facilitate the final 4-minute debrief. These exemplar insights represent "ideal" 6th-grade level understanding. If students struggle, use the "Pro-tip" for each section to bridge the gap.
1. Cognitive Defusion Station
Debrief Questions
What thought did you work with?
How did the phrase change the experience?
What does your doodle represent?
Exemplar Insight
“It felt less overwhelming because I reminded myself it’s just a thought, not a fact.”
Pro-tip: Explain that thoughts are like "mental weather"—they pass through without needing to be followed.
2. Acceptance Station
Debrief Questions
Where did you feel the sensation?
What happened when you said “Hello”?
Did it change while you observed it?
Exemplar Insight
“When I said ‘Hello,’ it felt like I could breathe around it instead of trying to squeeze it away.”
Pro-tip: Remind students that "Acceptance" doesn't mean liking the feeling; it means making room for it.
3. Mindfulness Station
Debrief Questions
What three new details did you find?
How did this focused noticing feel?
Exemplar Insight
“I saw faint scratches on the pencil and a tiny logo I’d never noticed. I felt more settled.”
Pro-tip: Relate this to the "here and now"—noticing is a way to come back when our minds wander to the future/past.
4. Self-as-Context Station
Debrief Questions
How did you draw the "Watcher"?
How does the Watcher see things differently?
Exemplar Insight
“The Watcher notices my worry but isn’t the same as the worry itself. I am the screen, not the movie.”
Pro-tip: This is the hardest concept. Emphasize that there is a part of them that stays steady regardless of feelings.
5. Values Clarification Station
Debrief Questions
Which three values did you circle and why?
What goal connects to your top value?
Exemplar Insight
“I chose ‘creativity’ because it makes me happy. My goal is to sketch something new once a day.”
Station Work Log Worksheet ACT Station Log
Record your journey through the six stations.
NAME: _____________________
DATE: ______________________
1
Cognitive Defusion
"I'm having the thought that..."
2
Acceptance
3
Mindfulness
4
Self-as-Context
5
Values Clarification
Kindness • Creativity • Honesty • Bravery • Health • Learning • Friendship • Humor
6
Committed Action
Final Reflection
Which station was the most challenging for you? Why?
How can you use one of these "flexible skills" at home or with friends this week?
