Lesson Plan
All-Process Station Plan
Students will engage in six rotating stations to practice each ACT process—cognitive defusion, acceptance, mindfulness, self-as-context, values clarification, and committed action—and consolidate learning with a group reflection game.
This lesson builds psychological flexibility and emotional resilience by immersing 6th graders in hands-on, evidence-based ACT strategies, fostering mindfulness, values awareness, and commitment skills.
Audience
6th Grade Class
Time
55 minutes
Approach
Hands-on station rotations plus a reflection game.
Materials
Station Rotation Cards (#station-rotation-cards-activity), ACT in Action Overview Slide Deck (#act-in-action-overview-slide-deck), Flexibility Bingo Game (#flexibility-bingo-game), and Station Debrief Answers Answer Key (#station-debrief-answers-answer-key)
Prep
Teacher Preparation
15 minutes
- Review the ACT in Action Overview 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 Debrief Answers.
- Arrange six distinct station areas in the classroom, labeling each with the ACT process name.
Step 1
Introduction
5 minutes
- Project the ACT in Action Overview 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.
Step 2
Station Rotations
36 minutes
- Divide students into six groups; each group starts at one station as per the Station Rotation Cards.
- 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.
- Station tasks include guided mindfulness exercises, value-sorting challenges, defusion drawing prompts, self-as-context storytelling, acceptance discussions, and committed-action planning.
Step 3
Flexibility Bingo Game
10 minutes
- 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.
Step 4
Debrief and Reflection
4 minutes
- Reconvene as a whole class and distribute the Station Debrief Answers.
- Invite volunteers to share one insight or challenge from any station.
- Highlight key takeaways and encourage application of these skills beyond the classroom.
Activity
Station Rotation Cards
Description: Set of six cards numbered 1–6 for assigning student groups to rotating ACT stations. Each card lists the station name and clear instructions for that station’s activity.
Card Layout (print, cut out, and distribute one card per group):
-
Cognitive Defusion Station
• 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. -
Acceptance Station
• 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. -
Mindfulness Station
• 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. -
Self-as-Context Station
• 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 and feelings differently. -
Values Clarification Station
• Review the list of values words provided (e.g., kindness, creativity, honesty).
• Circle the three values that feel most important to you right now.
• Write a short goal that connects each chosen value to a real-life action. -
Committed Action Station
• 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 with a partner and get one piece of encouraging feedback.
Slide Deck
ACT in Action Overview
A dynamic whole-class activity to practice the six core ACT processes through rotating stations.
Welcome, everyone! Today we’re launching our ACT in Action session. Briefly introduce yourself and invite students to engage fully in each station.
Session Objectives & Agenda
Objectives:
- Experience all six ACT processes hands-on
- Build mindfulness, values, and commitment skills
- Reflect on what you learn and how to apply it
Agenda (55 minutes):
- Introduction (5 min)
- Station Rotations (36 min)
- Flexibility Bingo Game (10 min)
- Debrief & Reflection (4 min)
Read through the Objectives and Agenda so students know what to expect.
Emphasize participation and curiosity.
What Is ACT?
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based approach that helps us:
- Accept thoughts and feelings without struggle
- Become mindful of the present moment
- Clarify what matters most (our values)
- Take committed actions toward meaningful goals
Define ACT in simple terms and stress the why behind today’s stations.
Check for understanding by asking a quick question.
Process 1: Cognitive Defusion
- Observe thoughts as just words, not absolute truths
- Technique: Precede thoughts with “I’m having the thought that…”
- Aim: Reduce the power of unhelpful or stuck thoughts
Explain cognitive defusion and give a quick live demo: say “I’m having the thought that…” and share a common thought.
Process 2: Acceptance
- Allow unpleasant thoughts and feelings to be present
- Technique: Notice where a feeling lives in your body, say “Hello” to it
- Aim: Increase willingness to experience difficult emotions
Guide students to notice a physical sensation (e.g., shoulders tensing) as an example of acceptance.
Process 3: Mindfulness
- Pay non-judgmental attention to the here and now
- Technique: Notice details of an object (color, texture, shape)
- Aim: Strengthen present-moment awareness and focus
Invite everyone to do a 30-second mindfulness exercise (focus on your breathing or an object).
Process 4: Self-as-Context
- See yourself as the observer of thoughts and feelings, not defined by them
- Technique: Imagine watching a movie of your day; label the watcher vs. the actor
- Aim: Foster perspective-taking and psychological distance
Draw the movie-screen metaphor on the board and ask a volunteer to describe their “watcher.”
Process 5: Values Clarification
- Identify personal values that guide your life
- Technique: Circle top three values, write one goal for each value
- Aim: Connect actions to what matters most to you
Display a list of values words and ask students to think of real actions tied to their own top values.
Process 6: Committed Action
- Turn values into concrete steps toward goals
- Technique: Break a goal into three small steps with deadlines (today, this week, this month)
- Aim: Build momentum through doable, value-driven actions
Model breaking a goal (e.g., “be kinder”) into smaller steps with timelines.
Station Rotation Instructions
- You have 6 stations, 6 minutes each
- Grab your Station Rotation Card to find your first station
- Clockwise rotation on my signal (watch the timer)
- Work collaboratively and follow each station’s instructions
- After rotations, we’ll play Flexibility Bingo and debrief
Explain the rotation process in detail and point out where students can find timers and materials.
Game
Flexibility Bingo
Objective: Reinforce the six ACT processes in a fun, interactive way by marking off strategies students have practiced during stations.
Materials:
- Custom bingo cards (5×5 grid) with ACT prompts in each square
- Markers, chips, or crayons for covering squares
- Caller’s list of prompts (below)
How to Play:
- Distribute one bingo card and a marker to each student.
- Explain that the center square is a FREE space (students automatically cover it).
- The teacher (or a student volunteer) reads out prompts one at a time from the caller’s list.
- If a student has practiced that prompt (or sees it on their card), they cover the corresponding square.
- The first student to cover five squares in a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) calls out “Bingo!”
- The winner explains at least one of the strategies they marked and how it helps them.
Sample Bingo Card Layout:
| I’m having the thought… | Noticing my breathing | Free Space | Saying “Hello” to a feeling | I wrote a value goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drawing a stuck thought | Listing 3 new details | Free Space | Breaking goal into steps | Imagining the ‘watcher’ |
| Describing body sensation | Observing an object | FREE | Circling top 3 values | Partner feedback |
| Practicing defusion phrase | Mindful of my senses | |||
| Sharing my observation | Writing a values goal |
Caller’s Prompt List (select at least 20 for a varied game):
- “I practiced saying, ‘I’m having the thought that…’”
- “I drew an image of a stuck thought.”
- “I described where a feeling lives in my body.”
- “I said ‘Hello’ to an unpleasant sensation.”
- “I spent time noticing details of an object.”
- “I listed three new things I saw.”
- “I imagined watching myself like a movie.”
- “I labeled the watcher vs. the actor.”
- “I circled my top three personal values.”
- “I wrote a goal for one of my values.”
- “I broke a goal into three small steps.”
- “I assigned timelines to my steps.”
- “I shared my plan with a partner.”
- “I gave someone encouraging feedback.”
- “I covered the FREE space (celebrate!).”
- “I noticed a thought without believing it.”
- “I welcomed a feeling instead of pushing it away.”
- “I focused on my breathing for two minutes.”
- “I used mindfulness to stay in the present.”
- “I connected my action to what matters most.”
Variation Tips:
- Create multiple card versions by shuffling prompt placement.
- Encourage students to explain any marked square for deeper processing.
- Offer small rewards (stickers, praise) for each Bingo winner to boost engagement.
Answer Key
Station Debrief Answer Key
This key provides guiding points and exemplar reasoning to help teachers debrief students’ work at each station. Use these prompts to encourage reflection and to evaluate whether students grasped the core ACT process.
1. Cognitive Defusion Station
Debrief Questions:
- What thought did you choose to work with?
- How did adding “I’m having the thought that…” change how you experienced it?
- What does your doodle represent about the thought?
Answer Guide:
- Thought Selection: Look for a recurring, sticky thought (e.g., “I always mess up,” “What if I fail?”).
- Defusion Phrase: Student should precede the thought with “I’m having the thought that…” to create distance.
• Exemplar insight: “It felt less overwhelming because I reminded myself it’s just a thought.” - Doodle Representation: The drawing should symbolize the thought’s qualities (e.g., heavy cloud for worry, tangled lines for confusion).
• Exemplar reasoning: “I drew storm clouds because my thought felt dark and relentless until I noticed it."
2. Acceptance Station
Debrief Questions:
- Which feeling or sensation did you observe?
- Where and how did you feel it in your body?
- What happened when you said “Hello” to it?
- Did the sensation change? How?
Answer Guide:
- Sensation Identification: Should be an uncomfortable but tolerable sensation (e.g., tightness in chest, butterflies in stomach).
- Body Mapping: Student describes location (e.g., “It was a knot in my stomach”) and qualities (size, shape, color).
- Greeting Exercise: Saying “Hello” signals openness.
• Exemplar insight: “When I said ‘Hello’ it felt like I could breathe around it instead of squeezing it away.” - Observation of Change: Note any shift in intensity, quality, or neutrality of the feeling.
• Student might say, “It stayed the same but felt less scary.”
3. Mindfulness Station
Debrief Questions:
- What object did you choose to focus on?
- List three details you noticed that you hadn’t before.
- How did this focused noticing feel?
Answer Guide:
- Object Selection: Any classroom item (pencil, poster, plant).
- New Details: Look for sensory observations (shades of color, texture, small markings).
• Exemplar details: “I saw faint scratches on the pencil, a slight sheen, and a tiny logo I’d never noticed.” - Present-Moment Awareness: Student should report increased calm or clearer attention.
• Exemplar insight: “I felt more settled and realized how often I rush past details.”
4. Self-as-Context Station
Debrief Questions:
- How did you draw the “watcher” and the “actor”?
- What labels did you use?
- In one sentence, describe how the watcher sees your thoughts and feelings differently.
Answer Guide:
- Movie Metaphor: Watcher drawn outside the “screen,” actor inside.
- Labeling: Must label the outside figure “You” and the inside figure “Me.”
- Perspective-Taking Insight: Look for awareness that the self is observing—not defined by—internal experiences.
• Exemplar insight: “The watcher notices my worry but isn’t the same as the worry itself.”
5. Values Clarification Station
Debrief Questions:
- Which three values did you circle and why?
- What goal did you write for each value?
Answer Guide:
- Value Selection: Values should be meaningful (e.g., kindness, honesty, creativity).
• Exemplar rationale: “I chose ‘helpfulness’ because I like supporting my friends.” - Goal Construction: Goals should connect directly to values and be concrete.
• Exemplar goal: “For ‘creativity,’ I will draw one new sketch each day after school.”
6. Committed Action Station
Debrief Questions:
- Which value-based goal did you pick?
- What are your three mini-steps and their timelines?
- What encouraging feedback did your partner give?
Answer Guide:
- Goal Selection: Should match one goal from Values Clarification.
- Step Breakdown: Steps must be specific, doable, and time-bound (today, this week, this month).
• Exemplar steps:- Today: Research ideas for my art piece.
- This week: Sketch three concepts.
- This month: Complete one final drawing.
- Partner Feedback: Look for constructive encouragement (“I love your timeline; it feels realistic and motivating.”).
Use these guiding points to assess students’ understanding of each ACT process and to fuel a rich whole-class discussion about applying these skills beyond today’s activity.