Lesson Plan
Breathe Easy, Be You! Lesson Plan
Students will learn to identify feelings of worry and practice simple breathing techniques to manage them, empowering them to feel calm and confident.
Anxiety is a common emotion, and learning effective coping strategies early helps students build resilience, self-awareness, and emotional regulation skills, fostering a healthier learning environment and overall well-being.
Audience
3rd Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, demonstration, and guided practice.
Materials
- Breathe Easy, Be You! Slide Deck, - Worry Whiskers Warm-Up, - Mindful Mountain Breathing Activity, - Calm Cloud Cool-Down, - Whiteboard or projector for slide deck, and - Art supplies for warm-up (paper, crayons/markers)
Prep
Teacher Preparation
15 minutes
- Review the Breathe Easy, Be You! Lesson Plan and all linked materials.
- Familiarize yourself with the Breathe Easy, Be You! Slide Deck and the Breathe Easy, Be You! Script.
- Prepare art supplies (paper, crayons/markers) for the Worry Whiskers Warm-Up.
- Ensure a comfortable and quiet space for the breathing activity.
Step 1
Warm-Up: Worry Whiskers
5 minutes
Begin the lesson with the Worry Whiskers Warm-Up. Distribute paper and drawing tools. Ask students to draw a small 'worry monster' for a minor worry they might have. Facilitate a brief, light discussion about their drawings, emphasizing that everyone has small worries sometimes.
Step 2
Introduction: What is Worry?
5 minutes
Using the Breathe Easy, Be You! Slide Deck (Slide 2), introduce the concept of 'worry.' Ask students what worry feels like in their bodies (e.g., 'butterflies in my tummy,' 'fast heart'). Acknowledge these feelings as normal and introduce the idea of a 'calm superpower' (Slide 3).
Step 3
Activity: Mindful Mountain Breathing
10 minutes
Transition to the Mindful Mountain Breathing Activity (Slide 4). Guide students through the exercise, demonstrating how to breathe deeply, imagining their belly rising and falling like a mountain. Encourage slow, gentle breaths. Practice for several rounds together.
Step 4
Application & Discussion
5 minutes
Using the Breathe Easy, Be You! Slide Deck (Slide 5), lead a discussion on when students can use 'Mindful Mountain Breathing.' Provide examples (e.g., before a test, when feeling nervous about a new activity). Encourage students to share their own ideas. Reiterate that this is a tool they can use anytime, anywhere.
Step 5
Cool-Down: Calm Cloud Reflection
5 minutes
Conclude with the Calm Cloud Cool-Down (Slide 6). Ask students to imagine placing any remaining worries onto a floating cloud. Encourage a moment of quiet reflection before sharing their 'calm cloud' thoughts or drawings.
Slide Deck
Breathe Easy, Be You!
Finding your calm superpower!
Welcome students and introduce the topic of feelings and managing worries. Keep it light and positive.
What is a 'Worry'?
It's a feeling when we think something bad might happen, or when we feel a little nervous or uneasy. Everyone feels it sometimes!
Ask students what 'worry' means to them. Prompt them to describe how it feels in their body without judgment. Examples: 'Do you ever feel butterflies in your tummy?', 'Does your heart beat a little faster?', 'Do you think about things a lot?'
Our Inner Superpower: Calm Breathing
Your breath is like a secret tool! When you take deep breaths, you tell your body it's safe to relax.
Explain that we all have a natural way to help ourselves feel better. Introduce deep breathing as a 'superpower' we carry everywhere.
Mindful Mountain Breathing
Imagine you are a tall, steady mountain. Inhale: Your belly gently rises like the sun. Exhale: Your belly gently falls like the sun setting.
Guide students through the 'Mindful Mountain Breathing' exercise. Encourage them to sit up tall, close their eyes if comfortable, and focus on their breath. Emphasize slow, steady breaths.
When Can We Use This?
Before a test
When starting something new
If you feel nervous
Anytime you want to feel calm!
Discuss practical situations where they can use this technique. Ask for student examples to make it relatable. Reinforce that practice makes it easier.
You've Got This!
You have a powerful tool inside you to help you feel calm and confident. Practice your breathing, and remember: you are amazing!
End with an encouraging message, empowering students to use this skill. Remind them they are capable and strong.
Warm Up
Worry Whiskers Warm-Up
Sometimes, even small things can make us feel a little bit worried. It's like a tiny, harmless 'worry monster' sits on our shoulder. It's not really scary, just a little bothersome.
Think of something small that made you feel a tiny bit worried today – maybe a tricky math problem, wondering what's for lunch, or a game at recess.
On your paper, draw your 'worry monster' for that tiny worry. Give it silly features, not scary ones! Maybe it has big eyes, long eyelashes, or funny shoes. It doesn't have to be perfect, just get your worry out on paper.
Share & Discuss: When you're done, we'll share our worry monsters (if you want to!) and talk about how it feels to have these small worries.
Activity
Mindful Mountain Breathing
It's time to find our inner calm! We're going to learn a special breathing trick called "Mindful Mountain Breathing." It's super easy and you can do it anywhere!
Instructions:
- Find your mountain posture: Sit up tall in your chair or on the floor. Imagine your back is a strong, straight mountain, and your feet are roots connecting you to the ground.
- Place your hands: Gently place one hand on your tummy. You'll feel it move as you breathe.
- Breathe like a mountain:
- Inhale (breathe in slowly through your nose): Imagine the sun slowly rising over your mountain, filling your belly with calm air. Feel your tummy gently rise with your hand.
- Exhale (breathe out slowly through your mouth): Imagine the sun gently setting, releasing any wobbly feelings. Feel your tummy gently fall.
Let's try it together! We'll do 5 slow "Mindful Mountain Breaths." Focus on how your tummy moves and how calm you feel.
(Teacher will lead a guided breathing exercise for 3-5 minutes)
After Breathing Reflection:
How did that feel? Did you notice anything change in your body or your feelings?
Cool Down
Calm Cloud Cool-Down
Let's finish our lesson with a peaceful thought. You just learned a super useful trick to help you feel calm! Now, let's make sure those calm feelings stay with us.
Instructions:
- Get comfortable: Sit nicely in your seat. You can close your eyes if that feels good, or just softly look at the floor.
- Imagine your cloud: Imagine a big, fluffy, white cloud floating gently in the sky. It's soft and peaceful.
- Place your worries: Think about any tiny worries that might still be buzzing around. Gently imagine placing each one onto that soft cloud. See them settle there.
- Watch them drift: Now, watch your cloud slowly, gently drift far, far away, taking those worries with it. They are floating away, becoming smaller and smaller.
- Feel the calm: Notice the calm feeling that is left inside you.
When you're ready, slowly open your eyes.
My Calm Cloud Reflection:
What did your calm cloud look like? What feelings did it take with it? (You can draw your cloud or write about it.)
Script
Breathe Easy, Be You! Script
I. Warm-Up: Worry Whiskers (5 minutes)
Teacher: