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Are You Listening to Your Body?

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Lesson Plan

Listening In Wellness

Students will learn to detect and interpret bodily signals of hunger, stress, and fatigue through interactive activities, then practice responding with healthy choices.

Understanding internal cues builds self-awareness, emotional regulation, and healthier lifestyle habits. Tuning into bodily signals empowers students to make informed decisions about eating, rest, and stress management.

Audience

5th Grade Students

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Interactive activities and guided reflection

Materials

Body Signals Slides, Feel the Beat Warm-Up Guide, Body Language Charades Activity, Reflection Pause Script, Sticky Notes (one per student), Chart Paper and Markers, and Timer or Stopwatch

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: Feel the Beat

5 minutes

  • Distribute the Feel the Beat Warm-Up Guide to each student
  • Lead students through a 1-minute guided breathing and pulse-check exercise
  • Ask: “What did you notice about your heartbeat or body sensation?”
  • Record quick student observations on chart paper

Step 2

Introduction & Discussion

5 minutes

  • Explain: “Our bodies send signals when we’re hungry, stressed, or tired.”
  • Ask students for examples of times they felt hunger, stress, or fatigue
  • Note keywords on chart paper: hunger, stress, fatigue

Step 3

Slide Presentation: Body Signals

10 minutes

  • Display the Body Signals Slides
  • For each signal (hunger, stress, fatigue):
    • Define the signal
    • Show common physical cues (e.g., stomach growl, tense shoulders, yawning)
    • Ask students to share when they’ve experienced it
  • Summarize healthy responses to each cue (snack break, breathing exercise, rest)

Step 4

Activity: Body Language Charades

15 minutes

  • Divide students into small groups
  • Give each group a set of Body Language Charades Activity cards
  • One student at a time picks a card, acts out the signal without words (e.g., rubbing stomach for hunger)
  • Group guesses the signal and suggests a healthy response
  • Rotate until all students have participated

Step 5

Reflection: Reflection Pause

5 minutes

  • Invite students to sit quietly with eyes closed for 1 minute following the Reflection Pause Script
  • Ask them to notice any body signals they feel right now
  • On a sticky note, write one signal you noticed today and one healthy response you’ll try

Step 6

Closure: Signal Exit Ticket

5 minutes

  • Collect sticky notes as exit tickets
  • Quickly review responses aloud, reinforcing correct signal-response pairs
  • Encourage students to listen for these signals throughout the day
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Slide Deck

Body Signals: Listening to Your Body

Today we will learn to:
• Detect three body signals
• Identify common physical cues
• Practice healthy responses

Signals we’ll cover:
– Hunger
– Stress
– Fatigue

Welcome students to our lesson on listening to your body. Explain that our bodies send us signals to tell us what they need. Today, we will look at three common signals—hunger, stress, and fatigue—and learn how to recognize them and respond in healthy ways.

Signal #1: Hunger

Definition:
When your body needs fuel (energy) to function.

Common Cues:
• Stomach growling or rumbling
• Feeling lightheaded or weak
• Difficulty concentrating

Healthy Response:
Eat a balanced snack or meal (e.g., fruit and protein).

Introduce the concept of hunger. Define it, point out cues, and ask for student examples. Highlight that responding with a balanced snack or meal helps our bodies function well.

Signal #2: Stress

Definition:
When your body reacts to pressure or challenges.

Common Cues:
• Tense muscles or shoulders
• Butterflies in the stomach
• Racing heartbeat

Healthy Response:
Try deep breathing, stretching, or talking with a trusted friend or adult.

Explain stress as the body’s reaction to challenges. Describe cues, ask students when they feel stressed, and suggest a breathing exercise or talking with an adult as healthy strategies.

Signal #3: Fatigue

Definition:
When your body needs rest or more sleep.

Common Cues:
• Frequent yawning
• Heavy eyelids or droopy posture
• Trouble focusing or feeling sluggish

Healthy Response:
Take a short rest break, power nap, or aim for 8–10 hours of sleep at night.

Define fatigue and discuss why rest is important. Review cues, solicit student experiences, and recommend taking short breaks, power naps, or a good night’s sleep.

Your Turn: Share an Experience

Which signal do you notice most often?

• Hunger? • Stress? • Fatigue?

Turn and talk to a partner:

  1. Share when you felt this signal.
  2. Describe how you responded or will respond.

Engage students: ask them to raise hands for which signal they notice most often. Invite a few volunteers to share an example and their healthy response.

Summary: Healthy Responses

Signal       Healthy Response

Hunger      Eat a balanced snack or meal
Stress      Deep breathing, stretch, or talk it out
Fatigue     Rest, power nap, or get proper sleep

Remember: Listening to your body helps you stay healthy and energized!

Summarize the three signals and healthy responses. Reinforce that tuning into these cues helps us make better choices for our health and well-being.

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Warm Up

Warm-Up Guide: Feel the Beat

Overview:
A quick guided breathing and pulse-awareness activity to help students tune into their body’s signals by feeling their heartbeat and noticing physical sensations.

Steps:

  1. Have students sit comfortably at their seats and close their eyes.

  2. Instruct students to place two fingers on their wrist or neck to locate their pulse.

  3. Lead a guided breathing cycle:
    • Inhale slowly for 4 counts
      - Hold for 2 counts
      - Exhale for 4 counts
      - Repeat this cycle three times.

  4. Ask students to count their heartbeats for 30 seconds, then multiply by 2 to estimate their beats per minute.

  5. Encourage students to notice any changes in their heartbeat or body sensations (e.g., warmth in their hands, tingling, calmness).

Discussion Prompts (after exercise):

  • “What did you notice about your heartbeat?”

  • “How did your body feel after the breathing exercise?”

Materials:

  • Chairs or desks for seated position
  • (Optional) Stopwatch or timer
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Activity

Body Language Charades Cards

Print and cut out each of the cards below. In small groups, students take turns drawing a card, acting out the signal with no words, while their peers guess the signal and then suggest the healthy response. Once guessed correctly, the group reads aloud the healthy response.

Card 1
Signal: Hunger
Acting Prompt: Rub your stomach, pretend to sniff the air, look around eagerly for food.
Healthy Response (read after guessing): Eat a balanced snack or meal (e.g., fruit and protein).

Card 2
Signal: Hunger
Acting Prompt: Pat your belly, slump head down and look weak, pretend to hold your side as if you’re lightheaded.
Healthy Response (read after guessing): Eat a balanced snack or meal (e.g., whole grain crackers and cheese).

Card 3
Signal: Stress
Acting Prompt: Clench your fists, tighten shoulders up by your ears, and rub your temples or forehead as if you have a headache.
Healthy Response (read after guessing): Try deep breathing, stretching, or talk with a trusted friend or adult.

Card 4
Signal: Stress
Acting Prompt: Pretend your heart is racing—tap chest rapidly, bite your lip, look around anxiously.
Healthy Response (read after guessing): Pause for three deep breaths or do a quick stretch break.

Card 5
Signal: Fatigue
Acting Prompt: Yawn widely, drop your head as if it’s heavy, rub your eyes, and slump your shoulders.
Healthy Response (read after guessing): Take a short rest break, power nap, or aim for 8–10 hours of sleep at night.

Card 6
Signal: Fatigue
Acting Prompt: Pretend to fight staying awake—blink slowly, prop head up with your hand, sway side to side.
Healthy Response (read after guessing): Get some fresh air or a quick stretch, then rest when you can.

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Cool Down

Reflection Pause

Purpose:
A guided 1-minute quiet reflection to help students tune into their bodies and notice signals of hunger, stress, or fatigue.

Materials:

  • A gentle chime, bell, or timer (optional)
  • Sticky notes and pens (for exit ticket)

Teacher Script:

  1. Invite students to sit comfortably and close their eyes. Encourage them to rest their hands in their laps and soften their gaze (if eyes remain open).

  2. Say in a calm, slow voice:

    “Let’s begin by taking three deep breaths together. Inhale slowly through your nose…hold for a moment…then exhale through your mouth. Inhale again…hold…and exhale…one more time, inhale…hold…and exhale.”

  3. Continue with a gentle pause, then guide a body scan:

    “Now, bring your attention to your tummy. Notice if it feels empty, full, or even a little queasy. Next, move your focus up to your shoulders and neck. Do you feel any tightness or tension? Now shift to your chest—do you sense a calm rhythm, or is your heart beating quickly? Finally, notice your eyes and head—are they clear and alert, or heavy and tired?”

  4. Allow 20–30 seconds of silence for students to observe these sensations on their own. (If using a chime or timer, gently signal the end of the silence.)

  5. Gently invite students to open their eyes and take out a sticky note. Ask them to write:
    • One body signal they noticed during our reflection (hunger, stress, or fatigue)
    • One healthy response they will try next time they feel that signal






Transition back to the group by collecting sticky notes as exit tickets and briefly discussing common observations.

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