lenny

Coping Champions

Lesson Plan

Catch Your Calm

Students will learn three practical coping skills for everyday stress and practice applying them in real-life scenarios, building a toolkit for emotional regulation.

Equipping 7th graders with coping strategies fosters emotional resilience, reduces anxiety, and improves focus, behavior, and overall well-being in and out of the classroom.

Audience

7th Grade (Middle School Students)

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, modeling, & scenario practice

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

15 minutes

Step 1

Introduction to Stress and Coping

10 minutes

  • On the whiteboard, define “stress” and “coping skill” with student input
  • Briefly discuss why managing stress matters for health and learning
  • Distribute the Coping Strategies Worksheet and preview its sections

Step 2

Teach Three Coping Strategies

15 minutes

  • Introduce Deep Breathing, Positive Self-Talk, and Progressive Muscle Relaxation
  • Model each strategy: use Deep Breathing Prompt Cards for a guided breathing demo
  • Ask volunteers to practice positive self-talk statements aloud
  • Lead students through a quick muscle-relaxation sequence

Step 3

Scenario-Based Practice

10 minutes

  • Divide students into groups of 3–4 and give each group a deck of Stress Scenario Cards
  • For each card, groups identify the best coping strategy and role-play its use
  • Circulate, prompt reflection, and guide choices

Step 4

Personal Reflection

5 minutes

  • Hand out the Personal Reflection Journal Template
  • Students write about a recent stressful moment and select one coping skill to try next time
  • Encourage honesty and remind of confidentiality

Step 5

Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket

5 minutes

  • Invite a few students to share which strategy they’ll use and why
  • Collect a brief exit ticket: name one stress trigger and one coping skill from today’s lesson
  • Remind students where they can practice these skills throughout the school day
lenny
0 educators
use Lenny to create lessons.

No credit card needed

Lesson Plan

Coping Champions

Students will learn and practice three evidence-based coping strategies and create a personalized plan to manage stress in real-life situations.

Building coping skills enhances emotional resilience, reduces anxiety, and supports academic focus and positive peer interactions for 7th graders.

Audience

7th Grade (Middle School Students)

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Interactive modeling, collaborative practice, and personal reflection

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

15 minutes

Step 1

Introduction to Stress & Coping

10 minutes

  • Ask students: “What is stress?” and “What do you think a coping skill is?” Record definitions on the whiteboard
  • Discuss common middle school stressors (tests, friendships, activities)
  • Explain the day’s goal: build a toolkit of strategies to handle stress healthily

Step 2

Demonstrate Three Coping Strategies

12 minutes

  • Deep Breathing: use Deep Breathing Prompt Cards to lead a 3-step guided breathing exercise
  • Positive Self-Talk: model affirmations (e.g., “I can do hard things”); invite volunteers to share their own statements
  • Progressive Muscle Relaxation: guide students through tensing and releasing major muscle groups
  • Check for understanding and clarify techniques as needed

Step 3

Scenario-Based Group Practice

10 minutes

  • Form groups of 3–4 and distribute a set of Stress Scenario Cards to each group
  • For each scenario, groups decide which coping strategy fits best and role-play its use
  • Circulate, provide feedback, and encourage quieter students with prompts like “How might deep breathing help here?”

Step 4

Develop Personal Coping Plan

8 minutes

  • Hand out the Coping Strategies Worksheet
  • Students select 2–3 strategies they found most helpful and write how they’ll use them in specific situations
  • Differentiate: advanced students list extra strategies or variations; provide sentence starters for students needing support (e.g., “When I feel ____, I will ____)"

Step 5

Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket

5 minutes

  • Distribute the Personal Reflection Journal Template
  • Students complete an exit ticket: name one current stress trigger and the strategy they plan to try next time
  • Collect exit tickets to assess understanding and identify students who may need additional support
  • Remind students where and when they can practice these skills throughout the school day
lenny

Slide Deck

Coping Champions

Tier 1 Lesson for 7th Grade | 45 minutes

Learn practical coping skills to manage stress, build resilience, and create your own coping plan.

Welcome students and introduce today’s topic: understanding and learning coping skills for stress management. Mention the lesson goals and structure.

What is Stress? What is a Coping Skill?

• Stress: A feeling of pressure or tension when demands feel greater than our ability to handle them.
• Coping Skill: A healthy strategy or tool we use to manage stress and calm our mind and body.

Ask students to share what comes to mind when they hear “stress.” Use their responses to build collaborative definitions on the board.

Why Manage Stress?

• Enhances emotional resilience
• Reduces anxiety and frustration
• Improves focus and academic performance
• Strengthens peer relationships

Explain why coping skills matter in school and life. Highlight benefits like better focus, improved mood, and stronger friendships.

Coping Strategy #1: Deep Breathing

  1. Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 seconds.
  2. Hold your breath for 2 seconds.
  3. Exhale slowly through your mouth for 6 seconds.

Use deep breaths to calm your body when you feel tense.

Lead a 3-step guided breathing exercise using the Deep Breathing Prompt Cards. Demonstrate slowly and invite students to follow along.

Coping Strategy #2: Positive Self-Talk

• Replace negative thoughts with encouraging statements.
• Examples:
– “I can handle this.”
– “I’ve overcome challenges before.”

Use when you catch yourself thinking “I can’t.”

Model positive self-talk by thinking aloud (e.g., “I’ve got this!”). Invite volunteers to share their own affirmation statements.

Coping Strategy #3: Progressive Muscle Relaxation

  1. Tense one muscle group (e.g., shoulders) for 5 seconds.
  2. Release and notice the relaxation.
  3. Move to the next group (arms, legs, face).

Great for releasing built-up physical tension.

Guide students through tensing and relaxing muscle groups. Start with shoulders and work down to toes. Encourage noticing the difference between tension and relaxation.

Group Practice Instructions

• Form groups of 3–4.
• Take turns drawing a Stress Scenario Card.
• Discuss and role-play which coping strategy fits best.
• Share reflections on how it felt to use the strategy.

Explain the group practice activity and circulate to monitor. Encourage students to refer to the Stress Scenario Cards and select the best strategy for each scenario.

Develop Your Personal Coping Plan

  1. Select 2–3 strategies from today’s lesson.
  2. Write down a specific situation when you’ll use each one.
  3. (Optional) List extra strategies or variations.

Use sentence starters if you need support: “When I feel ____, I will ____.”

Distribute the Coping Strategies Worksheet. Prompt students to choose their top 2–3 strategies and specify when and how they’ll use them.

Exit Ticket & Wrap-Up

  1. Name one current stress trigger you experience.
  2. Choose one coping strategy you’ll try next time.

Thank you for participating! Remember: you’re all Coping Champions.

Collect exit tickets to gauge understanding and identify students needing extra support. Reinforce that coping skills can be practiced anytime during the day.

lenny

Worksheet

Coping Strategies Worksheet

Part 1: List & Describe

  1. Deep Breathing
    In your own words, describe how you do deep breathing and why it helps:


  2. Positive Self-Talk
    Explain what positive self-talk is and write an example statement you could use:


  3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
    Describe the steps of progressive muscle relaxation and when you might use it:


Part 2: Rate & Reflect

For each coping strategy, circle how helpful you think it will be (1 = not helpful, 5 = very helpful) and then write one sentence explaining your choice.

Deep Breathing: 1 2 3 4 5
Explain:


Positive Self-Talk: 1 2 3 4 5
Explain:


Progressive Muscle Relaxation: 1 2 3 4 5
Explain:


Part 3: Create Your Personal Coping Plan

Choose two strategies from above. For each, describe:

Strategy 1: ____________________

  • When I feel ____________________________________, I will use this strategy by:





Strategy 2: ____________________

  • When I feel ____________________________________, I will use this strategy by:





Part 4: Identify Stress Triggers & Reminders

List two situations that stress you, and the coping strategy you plan to use next time:

  1. Trigger: ____________________
    Strategy: ____________________


  2. Trigger: ____________________
    Strategy: ____________________





    Good luck becoming Coping Champions! Use this worksheet to guide your practice throughout the week.

lenny
lenny

Reading

Stress Scenario Cards

Print and cut along the lines to create individual scenario cards. Students will draw a card, identify which coping strategy fits best, and role-play its use.

Scenario Card 1

You realize you have a big science test tomorrow and you haven’t had time to study because you were busy with after-school activities. You feel your heart racing and worry you’ll fail.

Scenario Card 2

A close friend is upset with you over a misunderstanding. You’ve tried to apologize, but they’re still not talking to you, and you feel anxious whenever you see them in class.

Scenario Card 3

You forgot to turn in your homework on the due date. Your teacher asked for it in front of the class, and now you feel embarrassed and tense.

Scenario Card 4

Your soccer coach just cut you from the starting lineup for the next game. You’re angry and disappointed, and you don’t know how to calm down before practice.

Scenario Card 5

You have a big presentation in English next period. Just thinking about speaking in front of the class makes you feel sweaty and nervous.

Scenario Card 6

Your parents are arguing at home, and it’s hard to focus on your homework. You feel stuck in the middle and worried about the tension.

Scenario Card 7

A social media post about you is going around, and some classmates are making fun of you. You feel upset and don’t know how to handle the teasing.

Scenario Card 8

You’ve been jockeying for a leadership role on the student council, but someone else got it. You feel frustrated and sad you didn’t get the position.

Scenario Card 9

Your daily schedule is packed—club meetings, sports practice, and family responsibilities. You feel overwhelmed and like you don’t have any free time.

Scenario Card 10

You stayed up late finishing a group project, and now you’re tired and stressed because you have to wake up early for school. You worry you’ll be too sleepy to learn today.

lenny
lenny

Journal

Reflection Journal

Thank you for being a Coping Champion today! Use this journal to think back on your experience, notice your feelings, and plan for next time.

1. Today’s Stressful Moment

Describe one moment during today’s lesson or your day when you felt stressed or tense. Be specific about what happened and how it made you feel.





2. Strategy You Used

Which coping strategy did you choose to try during that moment? Why did you pick it?





3. Feelings Check-In

How did you feel before using the strategy? How did you feel after? Write two short sentences—one for “before,” one for “after.”

Before: _________________________________________

After: __________________________________________

4. Plan for Next Time

Think of an upcoming situation that might stress you (e.g., a test, a game, a talk with a friend). Describe it and name the coping strategy you plan to use next time.

Situation: ___________________________________________________________

Strategy: ____________________________________________________________





5. Positive Reflection

End on a high note! Write one thing you’re proud of from today or one positive thought you’ll carry forward.





Keep this journal in a safe place and revisit it whenever you need a reminder of your strengths and strategies. You’ve got this, Coping Champion!

lenny
lenny

Activity

Deep Breathing Prompt Cards

Print and cut along the lines to create three individual prompt cards. Use each card in sequence for a guided breathing exercise.

Card 1: Inhale Calm 🌬️

  • Breathe in slowly through your nose for 4 seconds.
  • Imagine drawing in fresh air and calm energy.
  • Count silently: 1...2...3...4.

Card 2: Hold Peace ✨

  • Hold your breath gently for 2 seconds.
  • Notice how your body feels when you’re paused and still.
  • Count silently: 1...2.

Card 3: Exhale Stress 🍃

  • Exhale slowly through your mouth for 6 seconds.
  • Picture tension leaving your body with each breath out.
  • Count silently: 1...2...3...4...5...6.

Use these cards anytime you feel stressed or need a moment to reset. Repeat the three-step cycle 2–3 times for a full calming exercise.

lenny
lenny