Level Up Lesson Plan Level Up Your Truth
Facilitation Guide
Tier 3 Intervention
Objective
Student will understand what constitutes a lie (including omission/partial truths) and identify strategies to avoid catastrophizing when things go wrong.
Why This Matters
This lesson helps students recognize honesty and manage emotional responses. By using a video game theme, we leverage the student's high-interest area to make abstract social concepts more concrete and engaging.
Lesson Specs
Duration: 25 Mins
Audience: 3rd Grade (Autism)
Approach: Multi-modal
Materials Needed:
Video on Honesty
Truth Quest Worksheet
Discussion Cards
Game-Themed Prompts
Prep Level: Easy (10 Mins)
1 Review video on lies and catastrophizing for student appropriateness.
2 Print "Truth Quest Worksheet" and "Honest Boss Battle" discussion guide.
3 Prepare gaming examples (e.g., claiming to beat a boss you haven't yet).
4 Verify all tech is working for video playback.
Mission Timeline
5
Intro & Start Screen
Introduction and Video
Greet the student: "Ready to level up your truth today?"
Introduce the two big concepts: Honesty and Big Thinking vs. Real Thinking .
Play the selected video.
10
Multiplayer Chat
Discussion
Ask: "What happened in the video? Was that character telling the 100% truth?"
Explore Partial Truths : Not saying the whole story is still a lie.
Discuss Catastrophizing : Use the term "Game Over Thinking" (thinking one mistake ruins everything).
Use video game examples: "If you lose a heart, is the whole game over? No!"
5
Side Quest
Worksheet Activity
Provide the Truth Quest Worksheet .
Guide through the examples. For ASD support, use visual cues or scribe if needed.
Relate to game characters (e.g., Mario, Sonic, or Roblox characters).
5
Saving the Progress
Conclusion
Recap: Honest = the whole truth. Small mistakes â Game Over.
Positive Reinforcement: "You earned the Honest Hero badge today!"
Truth Quest Worksheet Truth Quest
Player:
Date:
Level: 3rd Grade
1
The Truth Trap
Sometimes people don't tell the whole truth. This is called a lie. Can you think of a time when someone might not tell the whole truth?
Write or draw your answer above
Video Game Logic
Imagine a character says they have a Legendary Special Power , but they really don't. Is this a lie? Why do you think they might say that?
2
Game Over Thinking
Catastrophizing is when we think something is MUCH worse than it really is. Can you think of a time when you felt like this?
Write or draw your answer above
Coding a New Thought
In a game, a character loses a level and says, "I'll NEVER win! The whole game is ruined!"
Is this catastrophizing? What could they say instead?
3
Final Save Point
Your Achievements:
What is one thing you learned about lies and catastrophizing today?
Great job! You finished the Truth Quest!
Honest Boss Battle Discussion Guide Honest Boss Battle
Discussion Guide
Facilitator Resource
Facilitator Guidelines
Safe Space: Encourage the student to express thoughts freely without fear of "losing."
Visual Language: Use gaming terms like "Save Point," "NPC," or "Lag" to explain social delays.
Concrete Examples: ASD students thrive on specific scenarios over abstract definitions.
Positive Reinforcement: Reward participation with verbal "EXP" or "Level Up" praise.
Level 1
The Truth Quest
Primary Question:
"Can you tell me what you think a lie is? Why do you think someone might tell one?"
đŽ Video Game Follow-up:
"Imagine a character says they have a special power but they don't. Why might they say that? Are they trying to look 'cool' or just scared of losing?"
đŽ Personal Connection:
"Have you ever played a game where a character didn't tell the truth? How did it make you feel when you found out?"
Level 2
Defeating "Game Over Thinking"
Primary Question:
"Can you think of a time when you thought something was really bad, but it wasn't so bad after all?"
đŽ Re-framing the Glitch:
"In a game, if you lose a level and say 'I'll never win,' that's Game Over Thinking. What could you say instead to keep playing?"
đŽ Losing a Life:
"Think about a time you lost a match. How did you feel? What can we say to our 'inner player' to try one more time?"
Victory Screen (Conclusion)
RECAP
Ask the student to share one thing they learned about truths or big feelings today.
LOOT
Provide specific praise. "I loved how you used your [Specific Example] logic today. You leveled up your honesty skill!"
Truth Quest Answer Key Quest Answer Key
For Teacher Reference
Truth Quest Exemplars
Mission 1: The Truth Trap
1. What is a Lie? (Example Scenarios)
"I finished my homework" (When they only did one page).
"I didn't eat the cookie" (When they hid it under the napkin).
"I'm not mad" (When their face is red and they are stomping).
2. Video Game Example (Power Lie)
Is it a lie? Yes. Even if it's "just a game," pretending to have something you don't to gain an advantage is not the whole truth.
Why? To look cool, to scare other players, or to feel more powerful than they really are.
Mission 2: Game Over Thinking
3. What is Catastrophizing? (Example Scenarios)
"I lost my pencil, now I'm going to fail 3rd grade!"
"Nobody wants to play tag right now, so I have no friends."
"I dropped my ice cream, my whole birthday is ruined."
4. Re-framing the Character's Thought
Is it catastrophizing? Yes. Using words like "Never" and "Ruined" over one lost level is thinking too big.
Better Thoughts:
"That level was hard! I'll try a different strategy next time."
"I lost a life, but I still have 2 more. I can keep going."
"I'll take a break and try again when I'm calm."
Mission 3: Reflection Goals
Look for the student to identify that Honesty = the whole truth and Big feelings can be made smaller by using real-thinking instead of game-over thinking.
Truth Quest Slides Level Up Your Truth
TRUTH QUEST
Press Start to Begin
Mission Briefing
01
Honesty Master
Learn how to tell the 100% truth (even the hard parts!).
02
Cool Reframes
Stop "Game Over Thinking" and stay in the game.
Cutscene Time
Watch the lesson video here!
(Teacher: Insert video link here)
What is a Lie?
Is it just saying something that isn't true?
"Leaving out part of the truth is still a lie!"
Game Over Thinking
"I missed one jump... THE WHOLE GAME IS RUINED!"
Catastrophizing
â
Real Thinking
Code a New Thought
Error Thought
"I'll never win. I'm the worst at this game."
Patched Thought
"That jump was tough. I'll take a deep breath and try again."
SIDE QUEST!
Truth Quest Worksheet
Complete the worksheet to earn your "Honest Hero" badge!