Bistro Guide Lesson Plan Bistro Guide: Your Coping Menu
Teacher Facilitation Guide โข 6th Grade SEL
30 Minutes
Why This Matters
This lesson helps students develop practical strategies for managing their emotions and stress, promoting their well-being and resilience through a personalized, relatable "menu" metaphor.
Our Approach
Through discussion, brainstorming, and guided practice, students will create their own coping skills menu, transforming abstract emotional management into a concrete, usable tool.
Preparation
Review the Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the coping categories.
Print copies of the Coping Menu Template for each student.
Prepare the Ideas Brainstorm Game Cards (cut out individual cards).
Ensure projector is ready and gather optional art supplies (colored pencils).
Toolkit
โข Whiteboard / Projector
โข Slide Deck: Your Coping Menu
โข Markers / Pens
โข Coping Menu Worksheet
โข Brainstorm Game Cards
โข Optional: Art Supplies
Today's Special (Objective)
Students will be able to explain the purpose of a "coping menu" and list at least three initial skills they can add to it.
Service Plan (Instructions)
5m
Connect and Warm-Up: What Helps?
Greet students and ask: "What do you usually do when you feel stressed, sad, or overwhelmed?" (e.g., listen to music, talk to a friend, draw).
Facilitate a brief class share, emphasizing that everyone has different ways of coping.
Introduce the lesson: "Today, we're going to learn about creating our own 'coping skills menu' โ a personalized list of things that help us feel better."
10m
Introduce and Model: The Coping Menu
Use the Slide Deck to define coping skills and explain what a 'coping menu' is (a collection of healthy strategies to manage emotions).
Show examples of different coping skills (e.g., deep breathing, going for a walk, writing in a journal, listening to music).
Model: Share 1-2 personal examples of healthy coping skills you use. This builds trust and normalizes the practice.
Key Insight: Explain that coping skills are not about avoiding feelings, but about managing them in a healthy way so they don't take over.
10m
Practice and Apply: Building Your Menu
Distribute the Coping Menu Template Worksheet .
Instruct students to start brainstorming and writing down coping skills they already use or new ones they'd like to try.
Encourage them to think about different categories: Physical, Creative, Social, or Calming.
Activity Option: Facilitate the Ideas Brainstorm Game to help students generate more ideas. Circulate and provide support, prompting with questions like: "What makes you feel calm?" or "What do you enjoy doing when you need a break?"
5m
Share and Reflect: My Go-To Skills
Ask students to share one or two coping skills from their menu that they are excited to try or use more often.
Discuss the importance of varietyโdifferent situations might need different "dishes" from the menu.
"Remember, your coping menu is your personal tool for feeling strong and resilient!"
Your Coping Menu Slides Your Coping Menu
Tools for Tricky Feelings
Teacher Notes: Welcome students and introduce the topic of feelings and how we handle them. Ask the warm-up question to get them thinking about their current strategies.
What Are Coping Skills?
Things we do to help us feel better when we're stressed, sad, or overwhelmed.
Healthy ways to manage our big emotions.
They help us calm down, focus, or feel more positive.
Table Talk:
What's a healthy way you deal with a big emotion right now?
Teacher Notes: Transition from the warm-up into the core concept of coping skills. Define what they are simply and provide some relatable examples. Emphasize that these are healthy ways to deal with feelings, not ignore them.
Why Do We Need a Menu?
Life can be stressful!
Gives us choices when we need them.
Helps us feel in control.
It's like having a restaurant menu for your feelings!
Teacher Notes: Explain why having coping skills is important for their overall well-being. Connect it to resilience and being prepared for life's challenges. Use an analogy if helpful, like an emotional "tool belt."
Your Personal Coping Menu
1 A personal list of healthy skills.
2 You choose what works for you.
3 Your go-to guide for a boost.
4 The more options, the better!
Chef's Specials
Deep Breathing Calm
Music Session Vibe
Nature Walk Fresh
"Your recipe for resilience"
Teacher Notes: Introduce the idea of a "coping menu" as a personalized, accessible list of strategies. Highlight that everyone's menu will look different.
What's on the Menu? (Categories)
Calming
Deep breaths, meditation, quiet music, aromatherapy.
Active
Going for a walk, sports, dancing, stretching.
Creative
Drawing, writing, playing music, building stuff.
Social
Talking to friends, playing with pets, family time.
Mindful Distraction
Reading a book, doing a puzzle, watching a funny clip, organized chores.
Teacher Notes: Provide a variety of examples across different categories to inspire students. Encourage them to think broadly beyond just one type of activity. You can invite a few student suggestions here if time permits, but keep it brief to move to the activity.
Time to Build!
Coping Menu Worksheet Table No: ________ Chef: ____________________________ Date: ________
My Coping Skills Menu
Your coping menu is a personalized list of healthy things you can do to manage your emotions. It gives you choices and helps you feel better and more in control.
1 Appetizers: What I Already Do
List healthy things you already do to feel better or calm down.
2 Daily Specials: Things I Want to Try
What new ideas did you learn today that you'd like to experiment with?
The Full Course: Organized Skills
Calming
Active & Physical
Creative
Connecting
My Top 3 "Go-To" Dishes
Signature Dish #1
Signature Dish #2
Signature Dish #3
"Your personal recipe for feeling strong and resilient."
Ideas Brainstorm Game Cards Coping Skills Idea Deck: Teacher Instructions
Option 1: Small Group
Distribute a few cards to each group. Have them discuss if they've tried the skill and how it helped.
Option 2: Whole Class
Pick a card and ask for a thumbs up/down if students have tried it. Discuss when it's most useful.
Option 3: Sorting
Have students match cards to the categories on their worksheet (Calming, Active, etc.).
Print on cardstock for better durability. Cut along the dotted lines.
๐ฌ๏ธ
Take 3 deep breaths
๐ง
Listen to favorite music
๐จ
Draw or doodle
๐ถโโ๏ธ
Go for a short walk
๐ฌ
Talk to a trusted friend
โ๏ธ
Write in a journal
๐ง
Drink a glass of water
๐
Read a book
๐พ
Play with a pet
๐งโโ๏ธ
Stretch your body
๐งฉ
Do a puzzle
๐ฎ
Play a calming game
๐ก
Squeeze a stress ball
๐
Watch a funny video
๐ค
Help someone else
๐งน
Do a quick chore
๐ฏ๏ธ
Light a scented candle
๐
Take a warm bath
๐
Look at nature pictures
๐ค
Sing along to a song
๐
Make a gratitude list
๐ธ
Play an instrument
๐ชด
Do some gardening
๐โโ๏ธ
Practice mindfulness
๐งฑ
Build something with LEGO
๐ณ
Cook or bake something
๐
Call a family member
๐ค
Get a hug
๐ณ
Observe nature outside
๐๏ธ
Color in a coloring book
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Exercise
๐๏ธ
Organize your space
๐
Plan something fun