Warm Up
What Is Grief?
Take a moment to reflect on the word 'grief'. What comes to mind? Write down 1-3 words or short phrases that you associate with grief. You can think about feelings, experiences, or even colors or images.
Lesson Plan
Healing Hearts: Understanding Grief
Students will be able to define grief, identify different types of losses that can lead to grief, recognize common emotions associated with grief, and explore healthy coping strategies.
Grief is a universal human experience, yet it often feels isolating. Understanding grief helps students normalize their feelings, develop empathy for others, and build essential emotional resilience to navigate life's challenges.
Audience
Middle School Students
Time
25 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, personal reflection, and collaborative activities.
Materials
Whiteboard or projector, Markers or pens, What Is Grief?, Healing Hearts: Understanding Grief Slide Deck, My Grief Journey Activity handouts, Grief Support Game cards/instructions, and Circle of Support Cool Down slips
Prep
Lesson Preparation
10 minutes
- Review the Healing Hearts: Understanding Grief Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the content.
- Print copies of the What Is Grief? for each student.
- Print copies of the My Grief Journey Activity handout for each student.
- Prepare the Grief Support Game cards/instructions (e.g., cut out prompt cards).
- Prepare Circle of Support Cool Down slips or a digital prompt.
- Ensure projector/whiteboard is set up.
Step 1
Warm Up: What Is Grief?
3 minutes
- Distribute the What Is Grief? warm-up.
- Instruct students to silently write down 1-3 words or short phrases they associate with grief.
- Briefly discuss a few responses as a whole class, without going into deep personal sharing.
Step 2
Introduction to Grief (Slide Deck)
5 minutes
- Present the initial slides of the Healing Hearts: Understanding Grief Slide Deck.
- Define grief and explain that it's a natural response to loss, not just death.
- Discuss different types of loss (pets, friendships, moving, dreams, etc.).
- Emphasize that everyone experiences grief differently and there's no 'right' way to grieve.
Step 3
Understanding Emotions: My Grief Journey Activity
8 minutes
- Distribute the My Grief Journey Activity handouts.
- Explain that grief can involve many emotions. Ask students to reflect on a time they experienced a loss (even a small one) and what emotions came up for them. They will draw or write about these emotions.
- Encourage them to think about how these feelings might change over time.
- Circulate to offer support and answer questions. Remind them they do not have to share anything they are uncomfortable with.
Step 4
Coping Strategies: Grief Support Game
6 minutes
- Introduce the Grief Support Game.
- Explain that students will work in small groups to identify healthy coping strategies.
- Distribute game cards/instructions and allow groups to play for a set time.
- Bring the class back together for a quick debrief, highlighting a few common healthy coping strategies.
Step 5
Cool Down: Circle of Support
3 minutes
- Distribute the Circle of Support Cool Down slips.
- Instruct students to reflect on the lesson and write down one person, activity, or place that helps them feel supported.
- Collect the slips as an exit ticket. Assure students these are private unless they choose to share.
Slide Deck
Healing Hearts: Understanding Grief
Navigating loss and finding strength. It's okay not to be okay, and it's okay to ask for help when you need it. We're all in this together.
Welcome students and introduce the topic of grief. Emphasize that it's a normal human experience and we'll learn about it together in a safe space.
Warm Up: What Is Grief?
What comes to mind when you hear the word 'grief'?
- Feelings?
- Experiences?
- Images or colors?
Write down 1-3 words or short phrases.
Guide students through the warm-up activity What Is Grief?. Give them a few minutes to write down their thoughts. Briefly ask for a few volunteers to share words or phrases, without diving deep into personal experiences at this stage. Connect their ideas to the broader concept of loss.
What is Grief?
Grief is a natural emotional response to loss.
It's not just about death. You can grieve many different kinds of losses:
- The loss of a loved one (family, friend, pet)
- The end of a friendship
- Moving to a new place
- Changes in your family
- Losing an important item
- Missing out on an experience or dream
Grief is personal and unique to everyone. There's no right or wrong way to feel.
Define grief clearly. Explain that it's not just about death, but any significant loss. Provide examples of different types of loss relevant to middle schoolers (pets, friendships ending, moving schools, losing a game/competition, changes in family structure, losing a dream/goal). Emphasize that everyone's experience is unique.
How Does Grief Feel?
Grief can show up in many ways:
- Emotions: Sadness, anger, confusion, guilt, anxiety, relief, numbness
- Physical: Tiredness, headaches, stomach aches, changes in sleep or appetite
- Mental: Difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, replaying memories
- Social: Wanting to be alone, withdrawing from friends, feeling irritable
All these feelings are normal.
Discuss how grief can show up in different ways – emotionally, physically, mentally, and socially. Give examples for each category. Ask students to think about how these might feel in their own bodies or minds.
Coping with Grief
It's important to find healthy ways to cope with difficult emotions.
This can include:
- Talking to someone you trust
- Expressing yourself creatively
- Spending time in nature
- Engaging in hobbies
- Taking care of your body (sleep, food, exercise)
We'll explore some of these more in our activity!
Introduce the idea of healthy coping strategies. Explain that finding ways to manage these feelings is important for healing. Transition to the next activity where they will explore these emotions.
Activity: My Grief Journey
Now, we're going to take some time to explore our feelings.
- You'll receive a handout called My Grief Journey Activity.
- Think about a time you experienced a loss (big or small).
- Draw or write about the emotions you felt.
- Reflect on how those feelings might have changed over time.
Explain the My Grief Journey Activity. Students will get a handout to express emotions related to loss. Remind them it's about their feelings and there's no pressure to share.
Game: Grief Support
Let's work together to build our 'Grief Support Toolkits'!
- We will play the Grief Support Game.
- In small groups, you'll discuss different scenarios and identify helpful coping strategies.
- This game helps us think about how to support ourselves and others who are grieving.
Transition to the Grief Support Game. Explain that this game will help them think about and practice identifying healthy ways to support themselves and others.
Remember: You're Not Alone
Grief can be tough, but you don't have to go through it alone.
- Reach out to trusted adults: parents, teachers, counselors.
- Talk to friends who understand.
- Be patient with yourself and others.
It's a process, and healing takes time. What's one thing you can add to your circle of support?
Conclude the lesson by emphasizing the importance of seeking support and reminding students of available resources (school counselor, trusted adults). Transition to the cool-down activity.
Activity
My Grief Journey: Emotions and Coping
## Part 1: Reflecting on Loss
Think about a time you experienced a loss. This could be anything significant to you – the loss of a pet, a friendship changing, moving to a new place, not making a team, or a big family change.
You do NOT need to share what you write or draw with others unless you want to.
Describe the loss you are thinking about (briefly):
## Part 2: Expressing Emotions
What emotions did you feel when you experienced this loss? And how did those emotions change over time? In the space below, draw or write about the different feelings you experienced. You can use colors, symbols, words, or small drawings to represent your emotional journey.
Think about:
* What was the strongest feeling at first?
* Did new feelings emerge later?
* How did your feelings change over days, weeks, or months?
## Part 3: What Helps?
What are some things that helped you cope with those feelings? Or, what do you think might help someone else cope with similar feelings?
Game
Grief Support Game: Building a Toolkit
Goal: Work together to identify healthy coping strategies and supportive actions for different scenarios involving grief.
Players: Small groups (3-4 students)
Materials: Scenario Cards (below), paper, and pens/pencils for each group.
Instructions:
- Divide into Groups: Form small groups of 3-4 students.
- Draw a Scenario Card: One student from each group picks a scenario card and reads it aloud.
- Discuss and Brainstorm (3 minutes per card): As a group, discuss the scenario.
- What kind of loss is described?
- What emotions might the person be feeling?
- What are 2-3 healthy coping strategies the person in the scenario could use?
- What are 1-2 ways friends/family could support this person?
- (Optional) What would be an UNHELPFUL thing to say or do in this situation?
- Share with Class (after 2-3 rounds): After discussing 2-3 scenario cards, each group will share one scenario and their brainstormed coping strategies and support ideas with the whole class.
Scenario Cards
Card 1: The Empty Leash
Your neighbor, Maria, is really sad because her dog, who she's had since she was little, just passed away. You see her looking out her window a lot and she hasn't been playing outside.
Card 2: Friendship Drifting Apart
Liam and his best friend, Sam, have been inseparable since elementary school. Lately, Sam has been hanging out with a new group and ignoring Liam. Liam feels really left out and confused.
Card 3: Moving Away
Sarah's family is moving to a new city next month, and she has to leave her school and all her friends behind. She's trying to act brave, but inside she's really scared and lonely.
Card 4: The Lost Game
David's basketball team lost the championship game by one point in the last seconds. He feels like it was all his fault, even though he played his best. He's really angry and disappointed.
Card 5: Family Changes
Javier's parents recently got divorced, and his dad moved out. Even though they said it wasn't his fault, Javier feels a mix of sadness, anger, and worry about what his family will be like now.
Card 6: The Unfulfilled Dream
Emily practiced for months to get the lead role in the school play, but someone else got it. She feels a huge sense of loss and disappointment, even though she knows she'll still be in the play.
Cool Down
Circle of Support
Think about today's lesson. What is one thing you learned or one feeling you had that you want to remember?
On the slips of paper provided, write down one person, activity, or place that helps you feel supported or brings you comfort when you are sad or struggling. This is your personal 'Circle of Support' item. You don't have to share it unless you want to.