Lesson Plan
Mapping My Grief Journey
Students will identify and understand the physical and emotional sensations associated with grief, normalizing their experiences and validating their feelings.
This lesson fosters emotional literacy and creates a supportive classroom environment where students feel safe to express their feelings.
Audience
6th Grade Students
Time
50 minutes
Approach
Through guided discussion, interactive activities, and reflective practices.
Materials
Your Body's Language of Loss (slide-deck), Feeling Thermometer Check-in (warm-up), Body Scan for Emotions (activity), and Sharing Our Comfort Zones (discussion)
Prep
Preparation Steps
15 minutes
- Review the Mapping My Grief Journey Lesson Plan, Your Body's Language of Loss Slide Deck, Feeling Thermometer Check-in Warm-up, Body Scan for Emotions Activity, and Sharing Our Comfort Zones Discussion materials.
- Ensure projector or interactive whiteboard is ready for the slide deck.
- Prepare any necessary writing supplies for students (pens, paper, etc.).
- Arrange classroom seating to facilitate small group discussions.
Step 1
Warm-up: Feeling Thermometer Check-in
10 minutes
- Begin with the Feeling Thermometer Check-in Warm-up to gauge students' current emotional state.
- Encourage students to share their responses if they feel comfortable, emphasizing that there are no right or wrong feelings.
- Transition by explaining that today's lesson will explore how grief can show up in our bodies, and how understanding these feelings can help us cope.
Step 2
Introduction: Your Body's Language of Loss
10 minutes
- Present the Your Body's Language of Loss Slide Deck, starting with a discussion about what grief is and how it's a natural response to loss.
- Guide students through slides that introduce the idea of physical sensations associated with emotions, specifically grief.
- Ask open-ended questions to prompt initial thoughts and experiences (e.g., 'Have you ever felt a 'knot' in your stomach when you were nervous?').
Step 3
Activity: Body Scan for Emotions
15 minutes
- Lead students through the Body Scan for Emotions Activity.
- Instruct them to gently notice any physical sensations in different parts of their bodies without judgment.
- Afterwards, have students jot down or draw what they noticed, connecting these sensations to potential emotions, especially those related to grief or loss.
- Emphasize that these are normal responses and everyone's experience is unique.
Step 4
Discussion: Sharing Our Comfort Zones
10 minutes
- Facilitate the Sharing Our Comfort Zones Discussion.
- Create a safe space for students to share some of their observations from the body scan, focusing on common themes rather than personal details if students prefer.
- Discuss healthy coping mechanisms and the importance of self-compassion and seeking support.
- Reiterate that feeling grief in different ways is okay and a sign of healing.
Step 5
Cool Down: Reflection
5 minutes
- Conclude by asking students to briefly reflect on one new thing they learned about grief or themselves today.
- Encourage them to remember that their feelings are valid and there are people who care and can support them.
- Distribute a brief cool-down slip asking students to write one word that describes how they feel after the lesson and one coping strategy they might try.
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Slide Deck
Your Body's Language of Loss
How Do Our Bodies Talk to Us About Feelings?
Our bodies often tell us how we are feeling, even without words!
Welcome students and introduce the topic of feelings. Ask them to think about how their body feels when they are happy, sad, or nervous.
What is Grief?
Grief is a natural response to loss.
It's how our hearts and minds react when something or someone we care about is no longer there or has changed.
- Loss can be many things: a pet, a friend moving away, a change in family, or someone passing away.
Explain that grief is a normal feeling when we experience a loss. It can be losing a pet, moving to a new school, or saying goodbye to someone.
Grief in Your Body: Common Feelings
Have you ever felt these when you were sad?
- Aches and Pains: Headaches, stomach aches, muscle tension.
- Tiredness: Feeling drained, even after sleeping.
- Knots: A tight feeling in your stomach or chest.
- Changes in Appetite: Not wanting to eat, or eating more than usual.
- Restlessness: Feeling fidgety or having trouble sitting still.
Discuss some common physical sensations associated with grief. Ask students if they have ever felt any of these, or other sensations, when they were sad or worried.
Everyone Grieves Differently
There's no "right" or "wrong" way to grieve.
- Your feelings are YOUR feelings.
- It's okay to feel sad, angry, confused, or even nothing at all.
- What one person feels, another might not, and that's perfectly normal.
Emphasize that everyone experiences grief differently and that all feelings are valid. This helps normalize their experiences.
Listening to Your Body
Your body is an expert at telling you how you feel.
- Learning to listen to these signals can help you understand your emotions.
- A Body Scan is like taking a quiet journey through your body to notice what's there.
Introduce the idea of a 'body scan' as a way to check in with their physical feelings. Explain that the next activity will guide them through this process.
Supporting Ourselves
It's okay to ask for help!
- Talk to a trusted adult: parent, teacher, counselor.
- Spend time with friends.
- Do activities you enjoy.
- Remember, taking care of yourself is important when you are grieving.
Conclude by reiterating the importance of self-compassion and seeking support. Briefly mention what they will do in the next activity.
Warm Up
Feeling Thermometer Check-in
Take a moment to check in with how you are feeling right now. Think of a thermometer, but instead of temperature, it measures your feelings.
On a scale of 1 to 5, where are you right now?
- 1 - Chilly: Feeling calm, relaxed, or a little bored.
- 2 - Cool: Feeling okay, steady, or a bit thoughtful.
- 3 - Mild: Feeling neutral, a bit unsure, or just present.
- 4 - Warm: Feeling a bit restless, nervous, or a little sad.
- 5 - Hot: Feeling strong emotions like anger, intense sadness, or overwhelming worry.
Circle the number that best describes how you are feeling:
1 2 3 4 5
Optional: In one sentence, describe why you chose that number (you don't have to share if you don't want to).
Activity
Body Scan for Emotions
Sometimes our emotions show up in our bodies as different sensations. This activity will help you notice what your body is telling you.
Instructions:
- Find a comfortable position. You can sit in your chair with your feet on the floor, or if comfortable, gently close your eyes.
- Take a few deep breaths. Inhale slowly through your nose, and exhale slowly through your mouth.
- Start at your head. Gently bring your attention to the top of your head. Do you notice any sensations there? A tingling? A tightness? Just observe, no need to change anything.
- Move down to your face and neck. Notice your jaw, your temples, your shoulders. Are they relaxed or tense?
- Continue down your arms and hands. How do your hands feel? Are they warm or cool?
- Bring your attention to your chest and stomach. Do you feel any butterflies? A lightness or heaviness? A knot?
- Scan your back. From your upper back to your lower back, what sensations are present?
- Finally, move to your legs and feet. Notice your thighs, knees, calves, and feet. Are they relaxed? Tingly?
- Take one more deep breath. When you are ready, gently open your eyes or shift your attention back to the room.
Reflection:
After the body scan, use the space below to write or draw what you noticed. Try to connect any physical sensations you felt to possible emotions. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers, just observations.
My Body Scan Observations:
-
Where did I feel something? (e.g., "My stomach felt a little tight," "My shoulders felt heavy")
-
What might that feeling be telling me? (e.g., "The tightness in my stomach might be nervousness," "The heaviness in my shoulders might be sadness")
Discussion
Sharing Our Comfort Zones
It takes courage to talk about our feelings, especially when they are difficult. This discussion is a safe space for us to share and learn from each other. Remember, you only share what you are comfortable with.
Discussion Guidelines:
- Listen actively: Pay attention when others are speaking.
- Respect differences: Everyone's experience is unique and valid.
- Speak from your own experience: Use "I" statements (e.g., "I noticed...").
- No pressure to share: It's okay to pass if you don't want to speak.
Discussion Prompts:
- From our Body Scan for Emotions Activity, did anyone notice a common sensation in their body, even if you don't want to say what emotion it was connected to? (e.g., a feeling in their chest, hands, etc.)
- What does it mean to have a "comfort zone" when it comes to talking about feelings? How can we make our classroom a comfort zone for everyone?
- What are some healthy ways you or others you know cope when they are feeling sad, worried, or experiencing loss? (Think about things like listening to music, talking to someone, drawing, playing outside, etc.)
- Why do you think it's important to understand how grief can feel in our bodies, and to know that these feelings are normal?
- What is one thing you learned today about grief or about yourself that you might carry with you?