Lesson Plan
Session 1 Plan
Students will learn “grief” by hearing a gentle story, naming emotions, and beginning to create and decorate their own Memory Box to store personal drawings and notes.
Providing individual Memory Boxes empowers each child with a private, tangible outlet for expressing and honoring their grief, building emotional safety and resilience.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Material Setup
10 minutes
Step 1
Warm-Up
5 minutes
Step 2
Lesson Introduction
8 minutes
Step 3
Activity – Drawing Emotions
7 minutes
Step 4
Game – Emotion Charades
5 minutes
Step 5
Cool-Down
3 minutes
Step 6
Project Introduction
2 minutes
Warm Up
Project Guide
Lesson Plan
Session 2 Plan
Students will share items from their own Memory Boxes, learn simple coping strategies, and practice them through guided movement and games with individualized support.
Individual Memory Boxes give each child a safe, personal space to remember loved ones and share memories, while coping activities build emotional regulation skills.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Material Setup
10 minutes
Step 1
Warm-Up – Box Memory Share
5 minutes
Step 2
Lesson Introduction – Personalized Coping Strategies
8 minutes
Step 3
Activity – Movement Coping Practice
7 minutes
Step 4
Game – Mini Freeze Dance with Coping
5 minutes
Step 5
Cool-Down – Guided Breathing and Reflection
3 minutes
Step 6
Project Integration – Coping Reminder Drawing
2 minutes
Lesson Plan
Session 3 Plan
Students will deepen their connection to cherished memories by exploring a favorite moment and creating a personalized memory token to represent it.
Reflecting on meaningful memories and crafting tangible tokens supports emotional processing, honors loved ones, and strengthens coping skills in a safe, small-group environment.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Material Setup
10 minutes
Step 1
Warm-Up – Box Reflection
5 minutes
Step 2
Lesson Introduction – Memory Depth Discussion
8 minutes
Step 3
Activity – Create Memory Tokens
7 minutes
Step 4
Game – Memory Token Relay
5 minutes
Step 5
Cool-Down – Guided Holding and Breathing
3 minutes
Step 6
Project Integration – Boxing the Token
2 minutes
Lesson Plan
Session 4 Plan
Students will reflect on how their individual Memory Boxes have grown and add new comforting memories or thoughts to continue honoring loved ones.
Reviewing each child’s personal Memory Box reinforces emotional processing progress and adding positive memories builds resilience and hope.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Material Setup
10 minutes
Step 1
Warm-Up – Reflecting on Growth
5 minutes
Step 2
Lesson Introduction – Growth Discussion
8 minutes
Step 3
Activity – Add Comforting Memories
7 minutes
Step 4
Game – Comfort Share Toss
5 minutes
Step 5
Cool-Down – Breathing with a Memory
3 minutes
Step 6
Project Integration – Boxing New Memories
2 minutes
Lesson Plan
Session 5 Plan
Students will reinforce coping strategies by creating personalized coping cards and adding them to their Memory Boxes, practicing skills to manage feelings of grief.
Creating tangible reminders of coping tools empowers children to self-regulate and encourages continued use of strategies when they feel sad or miss someone.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Material Setup
10 minutes
Step 1
Warm-Up – Memory Box Check-In
5 minutes
Step 2
Lesson Introduction – Strategy Spotlight
8 minutes
Step 3
Activity – Create Coping Cards
7 minutes
Step 4
Game – Coping Charades
5 minutes
Step 5
Cool-Down – Breath with Box
3 minutes
Step 6
Project Integration – Boxing Coping Cards
2 minutes
Lesson Plan
Session 6 Plan
Students will celebrate their journey by reflecting on key memories and coping skills, decorate their boxes for continued use, and receive a certificate of completion.
A closing celebration reinforces children’s growth in emotional resilience, honors their sharing, and encourages ongoing use of personalized coping tools.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Material Setup
10 minutes
Step 1
Warm-Up – Celebration Circle
5 minutes
Step 2
Lesson Introduction – Highlights Discussion
8 minutes
Step 3
Activity – Decorate for Celebration
7 minutes
Step 4
Game – Treasure Find
5 minutes
Step 5
Cool-Down – Box Hug Breathing
3 minutes
Step 6
Project Integration – Seal Your Box
2 minutes
Activity
