Lesson Plan
Understanding Emotional Triggers
Guide the 1st grade student to recognize emotional triggers and use calming strategies to express feelings before they escalate into hitting.
This lesson is crucial in building emotional intelligence and self-regulation skills, helping the student prevent physical outbursts and promoting positive interactions.
Audience
1st Grade Student
Time
40 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, visual aids, and role-play.
Prep
Preparation and Review
10 minutes
- Review the Understanding Emotional Triggers lesson plan to align on core emotional regulation concepts.
- Familiarize yourself with the Managing Emotional Volcanoes slide deck to introduce key visuals.
- Prepare the Creating Emotion Thermometers materials as hands-on aids.
- Read through the Guided Emotion Regulation Practice to support the role-play segment.
Step 1
Introduction & Body Check-In
10 minutes
- Briefly introduce the concept of emotions using simple terms.
- Use the slide deck to explain what an 'emotional volcano' looks like before it erupts.
- Ask the student to share how they feel in simple words.
Step 2
Activity: Creating Emotion Thermometers
10 minutes
- Engage the student in a hands-on activity with the Creating Emotion Thermometers.
- Discuss what each color or level on the thermometer signifies in relation to their feelings.
Step 3
Guided Role-Play
10 minutes
- Use the Guided Emotion Regulation Practice to role-play common scenarios where emotions might escalate.
- Encourage the student to use the strategies learned to calm down before feelings turn into hitting.
Step 4
Wrap-Up & Reflection
10 minutes
- Review the key points of the lesson and discuss what worked well.
- Reinforce the idea that identifying emotions early can help prevent outbursts.
- Ask reflective questions to gauge understanding and comfort with the strategies.
Slide Deck
What is an Emotional Volcano?
Feelings can build up just like a volcano. When we don't express them, they might erupt! Let's learn how to notice our feelings early.
Introduce the concept of emotional volcanoes by explaining that sometimes our feelings build up like a volcano. Use simple language and colorful visuals to make the idea accessible. Ask the student to share a time when they felt really strong emotions.
Before the Eruption
When we feel our emotions start to grow (like a volcano), it's time to take a break and use calming strategies. How do you feel right now?
Explain the 'eruption' in simple terms. Use visuals to indicate rising emotions and ask simple reflective questions. Reinforce that identifying feelings early helps keep our volcano calm.
Cooling Down Strategies
- Take deep breaths
- Count slowly
- Talk to a friend or teacher
Visual: Imagine cooling colors (#FFCDD2 light, #EF9A9A medium, #E57373 dark) making the volcano calm.
Present clear, age-appropriate calming strategies as 'cooling methods'. Use the provided colors (#FFCDD2, #EF9A9A, #E57373) to illustrate calming levels.
Everyone Has a Volcano
It's okay to have big feelings. Using the cooling strategies can help you manage those feelings before they erupt!
Explain that everyone experiences strong emotions sometimes, and that's okay. Encourage the student to share how they use these strategies.
Your Turn!
What can you do when your feelings start to build? Let's talk about your ideas!
Encourage the student to reflect by asking questions and share their own methods for staying calm when emotions rise. Reinforce that these strategies are always available to help them.
Activity
Creating Emotion Thermometers Activity
This activity invites you to build your very own Emotion Thermometer. You will use colors to show how you feel, just like a thermometer shows temperature!
Materials Needed
- Paper (or cardstock)
- Crayons or markers in the colors: #FFCDD2 (light), #EF9A9A (medium), and #E57373 (dark)
- A pencil
Steps
- Draw the Thermometer:
- Draw a long rectangle on your paper. This will be your thermometer!
- Draw a long rectangle on your paper. This will be your thermometer!
- Divide into Levels:
- Draw three horizontal lines inside the rectangle so that you have four sections. Each section represents a level of feeling.
- Draw three horizontal lines inside the rectangle so that you have four sections. Each section represents a level of feeling.
- Assign Colors to Feelings:
- Color the bottom section with #FFCDD2 for calm feelings (like being happy or calm).
- Color the middle section with #EF9A9A for moderate feelings (like a little upset or nervous).
- Color the top section with #E57373 for big feelings (like very angry or frustrated).
- Label Your Thermometer:
- Write in the bottom section: "Calm"
- In the middle section, write: "A little upset"
- In the top section, write: "Very upset"
Reflection Questions
- Can you think of a time when you felt each of these feelings? Write a short sentence for each level about what happened.
- What could you do to help your feelings go from "Very upset" back to "Calm"? Write or draw your ideas below.
Student Work Space
Describe or draw a time when your emotions were like a volcano before they erupted:
Remember, making your Emotion Thermometer helps you understand your feelings, and it reminds you of the cool strategies you can use when you’re upset!
Script
Guided Emotion Regulation Practice
Hello there! Today, we're going to practice how to stay calm when your feelings start to build up—just like a volcano getting ready to erupt. Remember our cool strategies: deep breaths, counting slowly, and talking to someone. Ready to try?
Scenario 1: The Busy Playground
Teacher: "Imagine you're playing on the playground and lots of kids are running around. Suddenly, you start feeling a little upset because the noise is too loud. What do you feel?"
Teacher: "That's okay! Let's take a deep breath together. Now, count slowly to five with me: one, two, three, four, five. How do you feel now?"
Teacher: "Great job! When we feel a bit overwhelmed, taking deep breaths and counting helps cool down our angry volcano."
Scenario 2: The Unfair Turn
Teacher: "Now, imagine you're playing a game and someone takes your turn without asking. You might start to feel very upset. What do you do?"
Teacher: "Let’s try our calming strategy. First, take a deep breath. Then, think: What can I do to help me feel better? Maybe you can ask for a turn politely, or take a short break until you feel calm."
Teacher: "Let's practice saying: 'I need a moment to calm down.' Can you say that with me? Great!"
Reflection
Teacher: "How do you feel after practicing these steps? What strategies did you like best?"
Teacher: "Remember, it's always okay to use these calming strategies when your feelings start to build up. Talking about your feelings and taking deep breaths can make your emotional volcano much calmer. Thank you for practicing with me today!"