Emotion Toolkit Lesson PlanMy Emotion Toolkit Lesson Plan Individual Tier 3 Support • Grade 6 Total Time 30 min Why This Matters Understanding and managing emotions helps students build positive relationships, communicate effectively, and feel more in control of their actions and feelings in school. Objective Student will identify personal triggers, learn and practice two calming strategies, and understand the impact of reactions on peers and adults. Session Preparation Review all generated toolkit materials. Setup a quiet, distraction-free space. Have blank paper and coloring supplies ready. "Focus on creating a safe environment where the student feels comfortable discussing specific triggers without judgment." Required Materials Emotion Toolkit Slide Deck Emotion Toolkit Script Emotion Triggers Worksheet Emotion Toolkit Journal Cool Down Reflection Instructional Steps Step 1 Warm-Up: Checking In 5 Minutes Teacher says: "Welcome! Today we're going to build your very own 'Emotion Toolkit' to help you feel more in control of your feelings... How are you feeling right now?" Engage in brief discussion about current emotional state. Introduce the idea that all emotions are signals. Step 2 Understanding Emotions & Triggers 10 Minutes Activity: Use Slide Deck (Slides 2-3) to discuss emotions and body signals. Define "triggers" (things that push our buttons). Complete the Emotion Triggers Worksheet together. Identify school-specific triggers (peers, adults, academics). Step 3 Building Calming Strategies 10 Minutes Teacher says: "These are like your superpowers!" (Slide 4) Model Deep Belly Breathing: Inhale slowly, belly rises, hold, slow exhale. (3-5 times). Model Counting Backwards: Count 10 to 1 slowly. Discuss when to use these (before speaking to a teacher, during group work breaks). Step 4 Reflect and Apply 5 Minutes Activity: Role-play a hypothetical school scenario. Distribute Emotion Toolkit Journal for future use. Complete the Cool Down Reflection (Slide 6). Ending encouragement: "Practice makes progress!"
Emotion Toolkit Slide DeckLevel Up! My Emotion Toolkit Learning to master your feelings and reactions at school. You've got this! Session Start Emotions are Signals! They tell us something is important. Question for you: What are some emotions you feel often? How do different emotions feel in your body? 😊 😠 😢 😰 😤 🤔 What Pushes Your Buttons? Triggers are things that make our emotions strong. Think about school... What are some things that make you feel upset, angry, or frustrated? Who are you usually with when these feelings happen? (Peers? Adults?) My Go-To Calming Strategies 🌬️ Deep Belly Breaths Inhale slowly through your nose. Feel your belly rise. Hold, then exhale. 🔟 Count to 10 Slowly count from 1 to 10 (or 10 down to 1) in your head. 🚶 Take a Break Ask to step away for a minute. Get a drink or walk to the hall. Putting My Toolkit to Work! How can you use these tools when you feel strong emotions at school? Scenario A When a peer says something mean? Scenario B When an adult asks you to do something you don't want to do? You've Got This! Practice makes progress! Your emotion toolkit is growing with every try. You are becoming a master of your moods!
Emotion Toolkit ScriptInstructional Script My Emotion Toolkit: Level Up! 1. Introduction 0-2 Minutes "Hi [Student's Name]! Thanks for coming today. We're going to work on something really important that can help you have even better days at school." "We're going to build your very own 'Emotion Toolkit'! This toolkit will have some powerful tools to help you understand and manage your feelings, especially when they get really big. How are you feeling right now?" Pause for response. Listen actively and validate their feelings. "That's a great way to put it. Today is about giving you more control over how you feel and react, which can make things smoother with your friends and teachers." 2. Understanding Emotions & Triggers 10 Minutes CUE: SLIDE 2 ("Emotions are Signals!") "Emotions are like messages or signals. They tell us something important is happening inside us or around us. They're not good or bad, they just are. What are some different emotions you know?" Pause for student list. Prompt: happy, sad, angry, frustrated, excited, worried. "Great! And how do some of those emotions feel in your body? For example, when you're angry, where do you feel it? Maybe in your stomach, or your fists?" CUE: SLIDE 3 ("What Pushes Your Buttons?") "Now, sometimes certain things can make our emotions get really strong, really quickly. We call these 'triggers.' It's like something that pushes a button and makes a big feeling start." "Think of it like this: if you have an allergy to peanuts, peanuts are a trigger for an allergic reaction. For emotions, a trigger might be a situation or a comment." WORK THROUGH THE "EMOTION TRIGGERS WORKSHEET" NOW. 3. Building Calming Strategies 10 Minutes CUE: SLIDE 4 ("My Go-To Calming Strategies") "The good news is, we can build a toolkit of strategies – like superpowers – to help you manage those big feelings before they take over." "One really effective tool is Deep Belly Breaths. Let's try it together. Put one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly. When you breathe in slowly through your nose, try to make your belly rise, not your chest. Let's do 3 together." Lead student in 3 breaths. Ask: "How did that feel?" "Another tool is to Count to 10. When you feel big emotions starting, just stop and slowly count in your head. It gives your brain a chance to catch up." 4. Putting My Toolkit to Work! 5 Minutes
Emotion Triggers WorksheetEmotion Triggers Worksheet What Pushes Your Buttons? Name: ___________________________ Date: ___________________________ Sometimes, certain situations or things can make our emotions feel really strong. These are called triggers. Understanding our triggers is the first step to managing our reactions. Part 1: My Emotions & How They Feel Think about times you feel really strong emotions at school. How do they feel in your body? 1. Emotion: ____________________________ How it feels in my body (e.g., hot face, tight chest, shaky hands): 2. Emotion: ____________________________ How it feels in my body: 3. Emotion: ____________________________ How it feels in my body: Part 2: My School Triggers What specific things trigger these strong emotions? Who are you usually with? 1. Trigger: When... ____________________________________________________ Who is usually around? Which emotion comes up? 2. Trigger: When... ____________________________________________________ Who is usually around? Which emotion comes up? 3. Trigger: When... ____________________________________________________ Who is usually around? Which emotion comes up? Part 3: My Toolkit Preview My first calming tool: __________________________________________________ How I will try to use it:
Emotion Toolkit Journal SpacesMy Emotion Toolkit Journal Name: ___________________________ Date: ___________________________ Reflecting on My Emotions Journal Prompt: Today, we talked about emotions as signals and learned some calming tools. Think about a time recently when you felt a strong emotion at school. How might using one of your new toolkit strategies (like deep breathing or counting) have changed how that situation played out? What do you hope to achieve by practicing these new skills? My Growing Toolkit What are the calming strategies we talked about that you want to remember? List them here. You can also add new strategies you discover! 1 2 3 4
Cool Down ReflectionCool Down Reflection Session Wrap-Up Name: Date: 1 One new thing I learned today about my emotions or how to manage them is: 2 One calming strategy I want to try this week is: 3 On a scale of 1 to 5, how confident do I feel about using a calming strategy when a strong emotion comes up? 1 Not at all 2 A little 3 Somewhat 4 Pretty 5 Very 4 One question I still have (or something I want to talk more about next time): Session Complete! Great Work Today.
