Behavioral Intervention Quest

Avery Hower

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Behavioral Quest Plan

Students will learn to identify impulses and practice self-control strategies through a playful board game and targeted worksheet, aiming to enhance focus and decision-making skills.

Developing impulse control at an early age supports better attention, emotional regulation, and positive social interactions. By practicing in a fun, gamified setting, students build confidence in managing urges and applying strategies in real-life classroom situations.

Audience

Elementary School Students (Grades 2-4)

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Gamified tasks with guided reflection

Materials

Impulse Control Quest Board Game, * Self-Regulation Strategies Worksheet, * Timer, and * Reward Tokens (e.g., stickers or points)

Prep

Prepare Materials and Game Setup

10 minutes

Gather all game components: board, dice, player tokens, reward tokens
Print and photocopy the Self-Regulation Strategies Worksheet for each student
Set up playing areas and distribute materials evenly
Review the rules of the Impulse Control Quest Board Game to ensure smooth facilitation

Step 1

Introduction and Objective Overview

5 minutes

Welcome students and share the lesson goal: to learn impulse control through a fun quest
Introduce key vocabulary: impulse, self-control, focus
Briefly explain how today’s activities will help them manage their impulses

Step 2

Impulse Control Quest Game

10 minutes

Explain the rules of the Impulse Control Quest Board Game
Divide students into small groups and distribute game sets
Monitor gameplay, prompting students to use pause-and-think strategies when making moves
Encourage fair play and reflection at each turn

Step 3

Worksheet Activity

15 minutes

Distribute the Self-Regulation Strategies Worksheet
Instruct students to recall moments they felt impulsive and write or draw strategies they can use
Provide sentence starters: “When I feel like interrupting, I will…” and “If I’m distracted, I can…”
Circulate and support students with examples

Step 4

Group Reflection and Discussion

10 minutes

Reconvene as a whole class
Invite volunteers to share insights from the worksheet or game
Ask guiding questions: “What helped you pause and think?” and “Which strategy will you try tomorrow?”
Record student ideas on chart paper for future reference

Step 5

Closure and Formative Assessment

5 minutes

Recap the key strategies: deep breathing, counting, pausing to think
Hand out a quick self-assessment thumbs-up/thumbs-down to check understanding
Explain how students can earn reward tokens for practicing impulse control in the coming week

Game

Impulse Control Quest Game

Objective:
Help players practice recognizing impulses and using self-control strategies as they journey through the quest.

Components

1 Game board with a winding path of 30 spaces (mixed green, yellow, red)
4 Player tokens (different colors)
1 Die
30 Impulse Challenge cards (scenario prompts)
10 Focus Boost cards (bonus moves & praise)
Reward tokens (stickers or points)

Setup (5 minutes)

Place the board in the center.
Shuffle the Impulse Challenge cards face-down in a deck.
Shuffle the Focus Boost cards face-down in a separate deck.
Give each player a token and place it on Start.
Put reward tokens within reach.

Gameplay (20 minutes)

Players take turns rolling the die and moving their token forward.
After moving, follow the instruction on the space:
- Green Space: Safe zone. No card is drawn; take a deep breath and say one of your strategy words (e.g., “Pause,” “Count,” or “Breathe”).
- Yellow Space: Draw an Impulse Challenge card.
- Red Space: Draw a Focus Boost card.
Impulse Challenge Cards: Read the scenario aloud. The player must name or act out a self-control strategy before the next turn. If they do, they earn 1 reward token; if not, they stay on their next turn to “practice” (skip one roll).
Focus Boost Cards: These cards offer bonus moves or instant rewards. Examples:
- “You paused before speaking! Move ahead 2 spaces and take a reward token.”
- “You counted to five—great job! Roll again.”
Play continues until a player reaches the Finish space.

Sample Impulse Challenge Cards (12 of 30)

Scenario	Strategy to Try
You really want to shout the answer before raising hand.	Count silently to 5, then raise hand.
Your friend drops their pencil and you want to grab yours.	Stop and think “Whose thing is it?” then help.
You feel like tapping your pencil on the desk.	Place hands flat on lap and breathe in/out slowly.
There’s a funny joke you want to whisper.	Put finger to lips and smile.
You can’t stay seated; you want to stand up.	Press feet firmly on floor and wiggle toes.
You spot a toy in the corner of the room.	Keep eyes on your own desk until end of turn.

Winning the Game & Reflection (5 minutes)

The first to Finish gets to choose the final Reflection Question for the group.
All players count their reward tokens—every token = 1 point for practicing self-control.

Reflection Questions:

“Which strategy helped you the most?”
“When did you feel proud using deep breathing?”
“How can you use these skills tomorrow in class?”

Worksheet

Self-Regulation Strategies Worksheet

Name: _______________________ Date: _______________

1. Remember a Time You Felt Impulsive

Think of a moment when you felt like acting without thinking. Describe what happened:

2. Sentence Starters

When I feel like interrupting, I will…

If I’m distracted, I can…

3. Strategy List

List three self-control strategies you can try when you feel an impulse:

2. __________________________

3. __________________________

4. Draw Your Strategy

Draw yourself using one of the strategies above in class (e.g., counting, deep breathing):

5. My Plan for Tomorrow

Choose one strategy and write how you will use it in class tomorrow: