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Behavior Busters

rachel.sewell

Tier 2
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Trigger Tracker Plan

Students will identify personal emotional triggers and practice self-regulation strategies through peer discussion and activities, culminating in a personalized Positive Action Pledge.

Building self-awareness and coping skills reduces classroom disruptions, fosters empathy, and empowers 5th graders to manage emotions constructively.

Audience

5th Grade Group

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, role-play, and reflection.

Materials

Behavior Busters Presentation, Trigger Talk Discussion Guide, Emotion Charades Game Kit, My Trigger Map Worksheet, and Positive Action Pledge Template

Prep

Prepare Materials and Space

15 minutes

  • Review Behavior Busters Presentation to familiarize with slides and talking points
  • Preview Trigger Talk Discussion Guide and plan pair-share prompts
  • Check Emotion Charades Game Kit to ensure emotion cards are complete
  • Print enough copies of My Trigger Map Worksheet and Positive Action Pledge Template for each student
  • Arrange chairs in a circle to promote open discussion

Step 1

Introduction and Norm Setting

5 minutes

  • Welcome students to the session and explain the goal: understanding triggers and self-regulation
  • Establish group norms: confidentiality, respect, active listening
  • Display the session objective on the screen from Behavior Busters Presentation and review briefly

Step 2

Trigger Identification

8 minutes

  • Distribute My Trigger Map Worksheet
  • Ask students to list 3–5 situations that typically trigger strong emotions for them
  • Pair students and provide each pair with the Trigger Talk Discussion Guide
  • In pairs, students share one trigger and how it makes them feel; partners offer supportive feedback

Step 3

Emotion Charades Activity

7 minutes

  • Introduce Emotion Charades Game Kit
  • Divide students into small groups; each student draws an emotion card and acts it out without words
  • Group members guess the emotion and discuss what might trigger that feeling
  • Rotate roles so multiple students participate

Step 4

Strategy Brainstorm

5 minutes

  • Reconvene as a whole group and list self-regulation strategies on the board (deep breathing, counting, walking away)
  • Prompt students to connect strategies to their personal triggers from the worksheet
  • Encourage sharing of any strategies that have worked for them in the past

Step 5

Positive Action Pledge

5 minutes

  • Hand out Positive Action Pledge Template
  • Ask each student to write one specific action they will take when they notice a trigger (e.g., "When I feel angry, I will take three deep breaths")
  • Invite volunteers to share their pledge aloud to reinforce commitment
lenny

Slide Deck

Behavior Busters

• A 30-minute Tier 2 group session for 5th graders
• Recognize emotional triggers
• Practice self-regulation with peer support

Welcome the students and set a positive tone. Introduce yourself and the session name. Mention the color palette (#F6D6AD, #E7C398, #D8B06C) will appear across the slides to create a warm, supportive environment.

Session Objective & Agenda

Objective:
• Identify triggers and practice self-regulation strategies

Agenda:

  1. Norm Setting (5 min)
  2. Trigger Identification (8 min)
  3. Emotion Charades (7 min)
  4. Strategy Brainstorm (5 min)
  5. Positive Action Pledge (5 min)

Frame today’s journey. Read the objective aloud and briefly explain how each activity helps reach it.

Group Norms

• Confidentiality: What’s shared here, stays here
• Respect: Listen without interrupting
• Support: Encourage each other
• Honesty: Share your real experiences
• Participation: Everyone’s voice matters

Ask students to help generate the norms. Write any additional ideas on the board.

Trigger Identification

  1. Complete your trigger map:
    – List 3–5 situations that spark strong feelings
  2. Pair up and use Trigger Talk Discussion Guide:
    – Share one trigger and describe how you feel
    – Partner offers one supportive idea

Distribute My Trigger Map Worksheet. Model one example (e.g., feeling upset when someone cuts in line). Then have students list their top 3–5 triggers.

Emotion Charades

• In small groups, draw a card from Emotion Charades Game Kit
• Act out the emotion silently
• Group guesses the emotion
• Discuss: What situations might trigger this feeling?

Introduce the game kit and divide students into small groups. Emphasize fun and learning how others express emotions.

Strategy Brainstorm

• List self-regulation techniques:
– Deep breathing
– Counting to 10
– Taking a short walk
– Positive self-talk
• Connect each to a personal trigger

Bring everyone back together. Record strategies on a visible board or chart. Encourage quick sharing.

Positive Action Pledge

  1. Write one specific action:
    “When I feel ___, I will ___.”
  2. Examples:
    – “When I feel angry, I will take three deep breaths.”
    – “When I feel anxious, I will count to five.”
  3. Share with the group to reinforce commitment

Hand out Positive Action Pledge Template. Encourage concrete, specific pledges. Invite a few volunteers to share.

Thank You & Next Steps

• Great work today!
• Use your pledge when you notice a trigger
• Share success and challenges next time
• Keep supporting each other

Thank students for their honesty and participation. Remind them to use their pledges during the week and discuss progress in future sessions.

lenny

Discussion

Trigger Talk Discussion Guide

Purpose: Help students share and explore personal emotional triggers in pairs, offering supportive feedback and building empathy.

Time: 8 minutes total

Materials

  • My Trigger Map Worksheet
  • Trigger Talk Discussion Guide (this handout)

Setup (1 minute)

  1. Ask students to choose a partner.
  2. Assign roles: Speaker and Listener. They will switch roles halfway through.
  3. Remind pairs of group norms: confidentiality, respect, active listening.

Pair Discussion (6 minutes)

Round 1 (3 minutes)

  • Speaker:

    1. Choose one trigger from your worksheet.
    2. Describe the situation in detail: What happened?
    3. Share how your body felt (e.g., “My heart raced,” “My face got hot”).
    4. Explain what you thought or what was going through your mind.
    5. Say how you typically react when you’re triggered.

  • Listener:

    1. Listen without interrupting.
    2. Restate what you heard to show understanding (e.g., “So you felt upset when ___ happened…”).
    3. Ask one supportive question or offer one idea for coping (e.g., “What could help you calm down next time?”).

Switch roles after 3 minutes.

Round 2 (3 minutes)

Repeat the steps above with roles reversed.

Group Reflection (1 minute)

  • Bring everyone back together.
  • Ask volunteers:
    • “What did you learn about a friend’s trigger?”
    • “What new coping idea did you hear?”


      Extension (if time allows):
  • Invite pairs to discuss a second trigger.
  • Brainstorm an additional strategy together.

End of Trigger Talk Discussion Guide.

lenny
lenny

Game

Emotion Charades Game Kit

Objective: Help students recognize and label emotions non-verbally and discuss potential triggers and coping strategies.

Time: 7 minutes

Materials

  • A set of shuffled Emotion Charades cards (e.g., Happy, Sad, Angry, Frustrated, Excited, Scared, Embarrassed, Calm)
  • Timer or stopwatch

Setup

  1. Divide students into small groups of 3–4.
  2. Place the deck of emotion cards face down in the center of each group.

Instructions

  1. Draw & Act

    • One student draws a card without showing it to the group.
    • They silently act out the emotion using facial expressions and body language.

  2. Guess

    • Group members take turns guessing the emotion.
    • Actor nods for correct guesses or shakes head for incorrect ones.

  3. Discuss Trigger

    • Once guessed, ask: “What situations might trigger this emotion for you?”
    • Each student shares a quick example.

  4. Share Strategy

    • Discuss one self-regulation strategy that could help when experiencing this emotion (e.g., deep breathing, positive self-talk).

  5. Rotate

    • Pass the deck to the next student and repeat so multiple students act out different emotions.

Reflection (2 minutes)

  • Reconvene as a whole group and ask:
    • “Which emotion was hardest to act or guess?”
    • “Which coping strategy stood out to you?”

End of Emotion Charades Game Kit.

lenny
lenny

Worksheet

My Trigger Map Worksheet

Objective: Identify personal emotional triggers and reflect on your physical sensations, thoughts, and typical reactions.

Part 1: List Your Triggers

Write at least three situations that usually spark strong emotions for you.

  1. _________________________________


  2. _________________________________


  3. _________________________________


  4. _________________________________


  5. _________________________________


Part 2: Explore One Trigger in Detail

Choose one trigger from your list above.

Trigger Chosen: _______________________________

1. Physical Sensations

How did your body feel when this happened? (e.g., heart racing, sweaty palms)





2. Thoughts

What thoughts went through your mind at that moment?





3. Typical Reaction

What do you usually do or say when you feel this emotion?





Part 3: Identify Patterns

What themes do you notice among your triggers? (e.g., friendships, tests, noise)






Part 4: Draw Your Trigger Map

In the space below, draw a mind map with your chosen trigger in the center. Then branch out to include your physical sensations, thoughts, and reactions. Use words or simple symbols.




















When you’ve finished, we’ll use your map in the Trigger Talk and Strategy Brainstorm activities.

lenny
lenny

Cool Down

Positive Action Pledge

Purpose: Commit to a specific self-regulation action when you notice an emotional trigger.

Instructions: Complete the sentence below and add why this action will help you.

When I feel _______________________________




I will _______________________________




Why this will help me:




Student Name: _______________________ Date: ____________

lenny
lenny