Lesson Plan
Cool Heads Lesson Plan
Students will learn and practice three strategies—controlled breathing, positive self-talk, and scenario planning—to manage anger and anxiety during exams, building confidence and focus for improved test performance.
Test anxiety and anger can undermine students’ focus, performance, and well-being. Teaching emotional regulation empowers 7th graders to stay calm, think clearly, and feel more confident during exams.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Review Materials and Setup
10 minutes
Step 1
Introduction to Exam Emotions
5 minutes
Step 2
Breathing Technique Practice
5 minutes
Step 3
Positive Self-Talk Strategy
5 minutes
Step 4
Application in Scenarios
10 minutes
Step 5
Personal Reflection
5 minutes
Lesson Plan
Calm and Conquer Lesson Plan
Students will practice three emotion-regulation strategies—controlled breathing, positive self-talk, and scenario-based application—to manage anger and anxiety before and during exams, building confidence and focus for better test performance.
Unmanaged anger and test anxiety can impair focus, reduce confidence, and lower scores. Teaching Tier 1 strategies empowers all 7th graders to self-regulate emotions, stay calm under pressure, and improve exam outcomes.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Review and Setup Materials
10 minutes
Step 1
Introduction to Exam Emotions
5 minutes
Step 2
Breathing Technique Practice
5 minutes
Step 3
Positive Self-Talk Exploration
5 minutes
Step 4
Scenario Application
10 minutes
Step 5
Reflection and Assessment
5 minutes
Slide Deck
Calm and Conquer
Lesson Objectives
Why Manage Emotions?
Identifying Exam Emotions
Controlled Breathing: Box Breathing
Positive Self-Talk Strategy
Self-Talk Prompt Cards
Scenario Activity
Reflection and Action Plan
Recap & Next Steps
Worksheet
Worksheet
Worksheet
Warm Up
Cool Down
