Lesson Plan
Session 1 Plan
Introduce the Emotion Economy framework by mapping key emotions to currency values and exploring emotion roles through political analogies, enabling the student to start using spending/saving metaphors for managing big feelings.
This session leverages the student’s interests in money and politics to lower resistance toward talking about emotions. By creating familiar analogies, it builds engagement and provides a visual, structured framework for recognizing and managing big feelings.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Prepare Session Materials
5 minutes
Step 1
Engage: Introduce Emotion Economy
3 minutes
Step 2
Teach: Emotion Currency Mapping
5 minutes
Step 3
Explore: Emotional Government Roles
4 minutes
Step 4
Assess: Reflection & Check Understanding
3 minutes
Slide Deck
Emotion Economy: Session 1
What Is the Emotion Economy?
Emotion Currency Chart
Emotional Government Roles
How to Map Your Emotions
Reflection & Check Understanding
Worksheet
Activity
Lesson Plan
Session 2 Plan
Guide the student to use an ATM withdrawal metaphor to ‘withdraw’ calm currency through deep breathing and grounding exercises, reinforcing a practical coping strategy.
Building on the Emotion Economy framework, this session gives the student a hands-on, familiar analogy (ATM) to practice and internalize a simple deep-breathing and grounding routine, reducing fight/flight/freeze responses.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Prepare ATM Materials
5 minutes
Step 1
Engage: Revisit Emotion Economy
3 minutes
Step 2
Teach: Introduce ATM Withdrawal
5 minutes
Step 3
Practice: Withdraw Calm Currency
4 minutes
Step 4
Assess: Reflection & Check Understanding
3 minutes
Worksheet
Script
Lesson Plan
Session 3 Plan
Teach the student how to build an Emotion Savings Account by making regular “deposits” of coping skills, so they learn proactive strategies to boost resilience.
By framing coping skills as savings deposits, the lesson leverages the student’s interest in money analogies to encourage proactive emotion management and reduce reactive fight/flight/freeze responses.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Prepare Savings Materials
5 minutes
Step 1
Engage: Recap Emotion Economy
3 minutes
Step 2
Teach: Introduce Emotion Savings Account
5 minutes
Step 3
Practice: Make Your Own Deposits
4 minutes
Step 4
Assess: Plan for Future Withdrawals
3 minutes
Worksheet
Worksheet
Slide Deck
Emotion Economy: Session 3
What Is an Emotion Savings Account?
Emotion Savings Chart
Practice: Make Your Deposits
Reflection & Next Steps
Lesson Plan
Session 4 Plan
Teach the student to plan a daily Emotion Budget by allocating limited emotion currency across potential feelings and coping needs, fostering proactive self-regulation.
Allocating a set amount of “emotion money” each day leverages the student’s interest in budgets to encourage anticipatory planning, helping reduce impulsive fight/flight/freeze responses.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Prepare Budget Materials
5 minutes
Step 1
Engage: Revisit Emotion Economy & Budget Concept
3 minutes
Step 2
Teach: Introduce Emotion Budget Worksheet
5 minutes
Step 3
Practice: Complete Daily Emotion Budget Planner
4 minutes
Step 4
Assess: Review & Reflect on Budget Plan
3 minutes
Lesson Plan
Session 5 Plan
Teach the student to **invest** emotion currency in coping strategies—like positive self-talk, movement breaks, social support, and guided visualization—that yield positive emotional returns over time.
Building on savings and budgets, the investment metaphor helps the student diversify coping skills and understand how proactive “investments” can boost mood and resilience, reducing fight/flight/freeze reactions.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Prepare Investment Materials
5 minutes
Step 1
Engage: Introduce Emotion Investments
3 minutes
Step 2
Teach: Show Investment Chart
5 minutes
Step 3
Practice: Build Your Portfolio
4 minutes
Step 4
Assess: Reflect on Expected Returns
3 minutes
Lesson Plan
Session 6 Plan
Consolidate all Emotion Economy strategies into a personalized toolkit and set up a maintenance plan, so the student can independently pick and use coping skills when big emotions arise.
Reviewing and customizing strategies reinforces mastery and builds confidence, while a clear maintenance plan promotes consistent use and long-term self-regulation.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Prepare Consolidation Materials
5 minutes
Step 1
Engage & Quick Review
3 minutes
Step 2
Create Your Toolkit
5 minutes
Step 3
Plan Maintenance
4 minutes
Step 4
Assess & Celebrate
3 minutes
Worksheet
Worksheet
