Lesson Plan
Anger: Your Remote Control
Students will be able to identify personal anger triggers and apply at least two constructive strategies to manage anger without resorting to verbal or physical aggression.
Learning to manage anger is a crucial life skill that empowers students to maintain healthy relationships, make thoughtful decisions, and improve their overall emotional well-being.
Audience
10th Grade Students
Time
20 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, self-reflection, and practical skill-building.
Materials
- Anger: Your Remote Control Slide Deck, - Anger Triggers Worksheet, - Calm Down Toolbox Activity, and - Whiteboard or projector
Prep
Prepare Materials
5 minutes
- Review the Anger: Your Remote Control Slide Deck and ensure all slides are in order.
- Print copies of the Anger Triggers Worksheet (one per student).
- Prepare materials for the Calm Down Toolbox Activity, such as small slips of paper or index cards.
- Ensure projector/whiteboard is ready.
Step 1
Warm-Up: What is Anger?
3 minutes
- Begin with a quick discussion: 'What comes to mind when you hear the word 'anger'?' (1 minute)
- Display Slide 2 of the Anger: Your Remote Control Slide Deck.
- Ask students to share one word or short phrase. Write responses on the board or use a quick poll tool. (2 minutes)
Step 2
Understanding Your Triggers
7 minutes
- Transition to Slide 3: 'Anger Triggers - What pushes your buttons?' (1 minute)
- Distribute the Anger Triggers Worksheet. (1 minute)
- Instruct students to quietly reflect and list personal triggers on their worksheets. Emphasize that this is for personal reflection and they do not have to share. (3 minutes)
- Discuss generally: 'Are there common themes in what triggers us?' (e.g., feeling disrespected, injustice, frustration). Reinforce that triggers are personal. (2 minutes)
Step 3
The Calm Down Toolbox
7 minutes
- Introduce Slide 4: 'The Calm Down Toolbox - Your go-to strategies.' (1 minute)
- Brainstorm with students a variety of healthy coping mechanisms for anger (e.g., deep breathing, counting, walking away, talking it out, listening to music, writing). Write ideas on the board. (3 minutes)
- Introduce the Calm Down Toolbox Activity. Have students choose 2-3 strategies they will commit to trying and write each one on a separate slip of paper to add to their 'toolbox' (can be a designated spot in their notebook). (3 minutes)
Step 4
Wrap-Up: Take Control
3 minutes
- Display Slide 5: 'You're in Control!' (1 minute)
- Reiterate the main takeaway: 'You can't always control what makes you angry, but you can control how you respond.'
- Ask students for one final thought or question on anger management. (2 minutes)
- Collect Anger Triggers Worksheet if desired for completion points, or allow students to keep for personal reflection.
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Slide Deck
Anger: Your Remote Control!
Taking Charge of Your Reactions and Responses
Are you ready to grab the remote?
Welcome students and introduce the topic of anger management. Emphasize that this lesson is about gaining control over reactions, not eliminating anger entirely. Explain the title: like a remote control, we can choose what 'channel' our anger takes.
What Comes to Mind When You Hear 'Anger'?
• Frustration
• Red face
• Yelling
• Conflict
• Energy
• Warning sign
Ask students to think for a moment. Then, invite them to share one word or a short phrase that comes to mind when they hear 'anger.' Write responses on the board or use a digital tool for a quick word cloud. Encourage a variety of responses, positive or negative, without judgment.
Understanding Your Triggers
What Pushes Your Buttons?
- What situations or comments make you feel angry?
- What specific actions or behaviors of others upset you?
- What thoughts often run through your head when you start to feel angry?
Think about external events AND internal feelings/thoughts.
(Complete your Anger Triggers Worksheet)
Explain that identifying triggers is the first step to managing anger. Distribute the 'Anger Triggers Worksheet' (noting it is a separate generated material) and give students time to reflect and list their personal triggers. Reassure them this is for personal insight and they don't have to share specifics unless they want to. Facilitate a brief, general discussion about common themes without pressing for individual details.
The Calm Down Toolbox
Your Go-To Strategies for When Anger Strikes
- What can you DO when you feel anger building?
- What helps you calm down?
- What helps you think clearly before reacting?
Let's brainstorm together! Then, choose your top 2-3 to add to your personal toolbox.
(Complete your Calm Down Toolbox Activity)
Introduce the idea of a 'Calm Down Toolbox.' Brainstorm healthy coping mechanisms with the class. Write their suggestions on the board. Examples might include: deep breathing, counting to ten, walking away, listening to music, talking to a trusted person, writing in a journal, exercising. Then, transition to the 'Calm Down Toolbox Activity' (a separate generated material) where they choose and record their personal strategies.
You're In Control!
You can't always control what makes you angry, but you can control how you respond.
- Identify your triggers.
- Build your calm-down toolbox.
- Choose your response wisely.
Practice makes progress!
Conclude by reinforcing the main message: students have the power to choose their response. Ask for one final thought or question. Emphasize that practice is key and it's okay to make mistakes, as long as they learn from them.
Worksheet
Anger Triggers: What Pushes Your Buttons?
Understanding what makes you angry is the first step to managing your reactions. Take some time to reflect on the situations, words, or feelings that often lead to you feeling angry.
Part 1: Identifying Your Triggers
Think about the last few times you felt angry. What happened right before you started to feel that way? Be specific.
- Situations/Events: What specific events or circumstances tend to make you angry? (e.g., being falsely accused, feeling left out, traffic, someone breaking a promise)
- Words/Comments: Are there certain phrases, tones of voice, or types of comments that trigger your anger? (e.g., being criticized, sarcastic remarks, someone yelling)
- Feelings/Internal States: What internal feelings or states might make you more prone to anger? (e.g., feeling tired, hungry, stressed, anxious, disrespected, misunderstood)
- People/Relationships: Are there specific people or types of interactions with people that often lead to anger? (e.g., a sibling, a peer who always interrupts, authority figures)
Part 2: Early Warning Signs
How do you know you're starting to get angry? What are the physical or emotional signs you notice in yourself before you act on your anger?
(e.g., clenched jaw, racing heart, sweating palms, feeling hot, tense shoulders, irritated thoughts)
Reflection
Looking at your triggers and warning signs, what is one new thing you learned about your anger today?
Activity
The Calm Down Toolbox: Your Personal Strategies
When anger starts to build, having a plan can make all the difference. This activity will help you create your own personal 'Calm Down Toolbox' – a collection of strategies you can use to manage your anger constructively.
Instructions:
- Reflect: Think about the strategies we brainstormed as a class (e.g., deep breathing, counting, walking away, listening to music, talking it out, writing in a journal, exercising).
- Choose Your Tools: From the list or any other healthy strategies you know, select 2-3 strategies that you believe will work best for you when you feel angry. These should be things you can realistically do in different situations.
- Create Your Toolbox Items: On separate slips of paper or index cards (provided by your teacher), write down each of your chosen strategies clearly. For example:
*