Coping Skills Lesson Plan Tier 3 Individual Lesson Plan
Coping Skills: Your Superpowers!
Helping students build emotional resilience through simple, actionable tools.
Time
25 Minutes
Audience
1st Grade (Individual)
Objective
Identify & practice 2+ healthy coping skills.
Why This Matters
Learning coping skills is essential for managing daily stresses and big feelings. This lesson empowers students to handle challenges in a healthy way, promoting their emotional well-being and resilience.
Preparation
1
Review the Coping Skills Slide Deck and practice the script.
2
Print copies of the My Coping Skills Worksheet (one per student).
3
Gather colored pencils or crayons for the worksheet and creative expression practice.
Lesson Flow
Warm Up: How Do You Feel?
3 MIN
Begin with the Coping Skills Warm Up sheet.
Ask the student to share one feeling they are currently experiencing and a brief reason why.
Discuss how different feelings can impact our bodies and thoughts.
Introduction to Coping Skills
7 MIN
Use the Slide Deck to introduce "Coping Skills" as superpowers.
Introduce: Deep Breathing , Talking to a Trusted Adult , and Creative Expression .
Guide the student to briefly practice each skill (e.g., take 3 breaths).
Practice Time: Scenarios
10 MIN
Facilitate the My Coping Skills Practice Time activity.
Present 2-3 simple scenarios relevant to a 1st grader.
Guide the student to discuss which coping skill they would use and why. Act it out!
Student Worksheet
4 MIN
Distribute the My Coping Skills Worksheet .
Instruct the student to draw or write how they might use each skill.
Briefly review their responses to check for understanding.
Cool Down: One New Skill
1 MIN
Use the Cool Down sheet. Ask the student to reflect on which skill they will try this week. Emphasize that all feelings are okay!
Coping Skills Slide Deck Coping Skills:
Your Superpowers!
How do you handle your feelings?
Teacher: Welcome the student! Introduce the topic of feelings and how we handle them. Start with the warm-up activity.
What Are Coping Skills?
Healthy ways to feel better when you have big feelings!
They help us feel calm and safe.
They are good for our bodies.
Feelings Checklist:
😊 HAPPY: Jump and play!
😢 SAD: Feel quiet or want a hug.
😡 MAD: Stomp your feet.
😟 WORRIED: Tummy butterflies.
Teacher: Explain that everyone has feelings, and it's okay to feel them. Give simple examples like: "When you're happy, you smile!"
Skill #1: Deep Breathing
When you feel upset, worried, or super excited...
1 Breathe in like smelling a flower.
2 Hold for a little bit.
3 Breathe out like blowing a candle.
🌬️
Let's try it together!
Teacher: Guide the student through "smell the flower, blow out the candle". Emphasize this can be done anywhere!
Skill #2: Talk to an Adult
Sharing feelings makes them lighter!
Find someone you trust (teacher, mom, dad).
Tell them what's on your mind.
They can help you find a solution!
Teachers
Parents
Coaches
Grandparents
Who is your trusted adult?
Teacher: Discuss who a trusted adult might be. "It's like sharing a heavy backpack of feelings so it's not so heavy for just you."
Skill #3: Get Creative!
Let your feelings out through art!
🖍️ Draw or Color
🎵 Listen to Music
🎤 Sing or Hum
💃 Dance it Out
"Sometimes when we draw, our feelings can come out on the paper!"
Teacher: Explain that art and music are ways to show feelings without words.
Remember Your Superpowers!
🌬️
Deep Breathing
🗣️
Talk to an Adult
🎨
Get Creative
Which one will you try today?
Coping Skills Warm Up Activity Let's Start!
Session Warm-Up
How Do You Feel Today?
"Welcome! Today, we're going to talk about feelings and how we can be super helpers to ourselves when we have big feelings."
1
Think about your feelings...
Take a moment to think about how you feel right now. You can feel happy, silly, sleepy, or anything else!
What is one feeling you are having today?
Teacher: Student can write one word or draw a small face here.
2
The "Why" Behind the Feeling
If you feel comfortable, can you share why you feel that way? We can talk about how feelings impact our day.
Draw or write here
😊 😢 😡 😴
Coping Skills Practice Activity Guide Coping Skills Practice Time!
Teacher/Facilitator Guide for Scenario Practice
The Goal
Guide the student to apply their new "superpowers" to real-life situations. Encourage them to act out the skills or describe them in detail.
How to Practice:
1
Present a situation from the list below.
2
Ask: "What feeling might someone have?"
3
Ask: "Which superpower would you use? Why?"
Scenario Ideas:
🧃
You accidentally knock over your juice cup.
Focus: Handling mistakes & frustration.
🧸
Your favorite toy breaks.
Focus: Sadness & loss.
🌧️
You want to play outside, but it's raining.
Focus: Disappointment & flexibility.
🥳
You're so excited for a friend's house later!
Focus: High energy & calming down.
🫣
You feel shy when meeting someone new.
Focus: Anxiety & courage.
📢
It's hard to focus with loud noises outside.
Focus: Concentration & regulation.
Coping Superpowers Reminder:
Deep Breathing
Trusted Adult
Creative Expression
My Coping Skills Worksheet My Coping Skills Sheet
You are a coping skill champion!
Hero Name:
Date:
"Draw a picture or write one word to show how you can use each superpower!"
1. Deep Breathing
Smell the flower, blow out the candle...
2. Talk to a Trusted Adult
Who is an adult you can talk to?
3. Creative Expression
Draw, color, sing, or dance!
Coping Skills Cool Down Reflection Session Wrap-Up
Mission Complete!
"One New Superpower This Week"
You've learned three amazing skills. Which ONE superpower will you try to use this week?
Deep Breathing
Talk to a Trusted Adult
Creative Expression
Draw or tell me how you will use it:
"Remember: It's okay to feel your feelings! Coping skills help you manage them like a hero."
