Self-Awareness Reading Passage – Session 1

Self-awareness is the ability to recognize and understand your own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. When you pay attention to what you’re feeling and why you’re acting a certain way, it’s like holding up a mirror to your mind. Developing this skill allows you to notice patterns—such as feeling stressed before a big test or becoming impatient with a friend—and gives you the power to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting on impulse.

Real-Life Examples

• A student named Maya realized she always felt anxious before history quizzes. By noticing her racing thoughts and sweaty palms, she discovered that studying in short, focused bursts helped calm her nerves.
• During a group project, James found himself interrupting others when he felt excited about an idea. Recognizing this habit, he practiced pausing and listening before speaking—improving team collaboration and showing respect for his classmates.

These examples show how recognizing your feelings and behaviors can guide you toward healthier choices.

The Benefits of Self-Awareness

1. Better Decision-Making: When you understand your strengths and weaknesses, you can choose goals and strategies that fit you best.
2. Stronger Relationships: Noticing your emotional triggers helps you communicate more clearly and resolve conflicts with empathy.
3. Academic & Personal Growth: Reflecting on what works (and what doesn’t) in study habits or friendships leads to continuous improvement.
4. Greater Emotional Regulation: Being aware of feelings like frustration or excitement gives you the chance to calm down, think logically, and act intentionally.

Self-awareness isn’t something you develop overnight; it grows each time you pause to ask yourself, “Why am I feeling this way?” or “What can I learn from this experience?” As you practice, you’ll find that knowing yourself becomes one of your most reliable tools for success—both in school and in everyday life.

Icebreaker Questions Cards

Use these prompts to get students talking and reflecting on themselves. Distribute one card per student during the Warm-Up activity.

1. Share something unique about you that no one else in class knows.
   
   
   
2. What’s a hobby or activity that makes you lose track of time?
   
   
   
3. Name one personal strength you’re proud of and explain why.
   
   
   
4. Describe a moment when you felt really confident.
   
   
   
5. What’s one personal goal you’d like to accomplish this year?
   
   
   
6. If you could instantly learn any new skill, what would it be and why?
   
   
   
7. Which emotion do you find hardest to explain or talk about?
   
   
   
8. What’s the last compliment you received, and how did it make you feel?
   
   
   
9. When do you feel most like your true self?
   
   
   
10. Share a small win you had this week and why it mattered to you.
    
    
    

Self-Awareness Reflection Worksheet – Session 1

Part A: Personal Strengths

Use your Personal Strengths Index Cards to complete the following.

1. Strength 1:
   
   
   
2. Strength 2:
   
   
   
3. Strength 3:
   
   
   

Why is each of these strengths important to you? Provide an example for each.

1. Strength 1 – Example:
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Strength 2 – Example:
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Strength 3 – Example:
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part B: Understanding Self-Awareness

Define “self-awareness” in your own words:

From the Self-Awareness Reading Passage – Session 1, summarize one example of self-awareness and its benefit:

Part C: Personal Reflection

Think of a recent situation where you experienced a strong emotion. Describe the following:

• The emotion you felt:
  
  
  
• How noticing this feeling influenced your actions:
  
  
  
  
  
  

Part D: Application & Goals

1. Write one paragraph about a time self-awareness helped you make a decision:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. How will you practice self-awareness this week? Describe one strategy you will use and why:
   
   
   
   
   
   

Complete this worksheet and be prepared to share your reflections in our next class discussion.

Emotion Charades

Objective

Students will practice recognizing and expressing a variety of emotions and reflect on how self-awareness helps in identifying and managing those feelings.

Materials

• A set of Emotion Cards (each card names one emotion)
• A hat, bag, or box to hold the cards
• A timer or stopwatch
• Optional: a scoresheet and whiteboard for reflections

Setup

1. Prepare one card per emotion (see list below) and place them face down in a hat or bag.
2. Divide the class into 3–4 small teams (4–5 students each).

Instructions

1. Choose one team to start.
2. A volunteer from that team draws an Emotion Card without showing others.
3. The volunteer has 30 seconds to silently act out the emotion (no words or sounds).
4. Their team tries to guess the emotion.
   • If they guess correctly within 30 seconds, the team earns 1 point and takes 30 seconds to discuss:
     • What physical cues (facial expressions, posture) helped you recognize this emotion?
     • How could self-awareness help you notice that feeling in yourself?
   • If they do not guess correctly, other teams may “steal” by calling out a guess. The first correct guess earns the point—and that team reflects on the cues and self-awareness question.
5. Rotate to the next team and repeat until all cards have been acted out or time runs out.
6. Tally points to determine the winning team (optional).

Emotions List

• Happy
• Sad
• Angry
• Nervous
• Excited
• Frustrated
• Proud
• Embarrassed
• Surprised
• Confused
• Bored
• Anxious

Follow-Up Reflection (Whole Class)

• Which emotion was easiest to act or guess? Why?
• Which was hardest, and what made it challenging?
• How does noticing your own emotional cues (heart racing, sweaty palms, tightening shoulders) help you decide how to respond in real life?
• Choose one emotion you experienced this week. How could you apply self-awareness to manage it effectively?

Use this game to build both empathic skills (reading others’ cues) and personal self-awareness (recognizing your own).

Core Values Reading Passage – Session 2

Core values are the fundamental beliefs and principles that guide your behavior and decisions. They shape the way you see the world and influence every choice you make. When you’re clear about what matters most, it’s easier to set goals, solve problems, and stay true to yourself—even when faced with challenges.

Real-Life Examples

• Maya values integrity. When she saw a classmate cheating on a test, she chose to speak up rather than stay silent, even though it was uncomfortable.
• Jamal values creativity. Instead of following the group’s usual presentation style, he suggested a short video project. His idea energized the team and led to a more engaging final product.
• Ana values kindness. She noticed a new student sitting alone and invited her to join their lunch table, helping the newcomer feel welcome.

These examples show how core values guide everyday actions and build trust, respect, and positive outcomes.

The Benefits of Knowing Your Values

1. Aligned Decisions: You choose paths that feel authentic, reducing regret and doubt.
2. Stronger Motivation: Pursuing goals tied to your values keeps you energized and committed.
3. Better Relationships: Shared values foster deeper connections and mutual respect.
4. Greater Resilience: When obstacles arise, your values serve as a compass, helping you stay focused and bounce back.

Reflect on your own experiences: which of these benefits resonates most with you, and why?

Values Reflection Worksheet – Session 2

Part A: Identifying Your Core Values

From your card sort, list your top three values below.

1. Value 1:
   
   
   
2. Value 2:
   
   
   
3. Value 3:
   
   
   

Explain why each value is important to you.

1. Value 1 – Why it matters:
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Value 2 – Why it matters:
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Value 3 – Why it matters:
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part B: Connecting to the Reading

From the Core Values Reading Passage – Session 2, choose one of the listed benefits that resonated with you most. Summarize it and explain why it stands out.

Benefit you chose:

Summary of this benefit:

Why it resonates with you:

Part C: Reflecting on a Real-Life Moment

Think of a time when one of your core values guided a choice you made. Describe the situation below.

• Situation description:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Which value guided you and how:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Outcome of your decision:
  
  
  
  
  
  

Part D: Application & Goal-Setting

1. How will you use your core values to guide a decision or action this week? Describe your plan:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Set one value-based goal for the next month. Clearly state the goal and how you’ll measure your progress:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Bring your completed worksheet to our next class discussion to share your reflections.

Values Auction Game Cards

Use these value cards for the Values Auction game in Session 2. Write each value on a separate card:

• Integrity
  
  
• Honesty
  
  
• Creativity
  
  
• Kindness
  
  
• Responsibility
  
  
• Courage
  
  
• Empathy
  
  
• Respect
  
  
• Perseverance
  
  
• Teamwork
  
  
• Fairness
  
  
• Loyalty
  
  
• Gratitude
  
  
• Humility
  
  
• Open-mindedness
  
  
• Innovation
  
  
• Optimism
  
  
• Justice
  
  
• Self-discipline
  
  
• Compassion
  
  

Session 2 Quiz Answer Key

Question 1 (Multiple-Choice)

Correct Answer: Fundamental beliefs and principles that guide your behavior and decisions

• Explanation: Core values are enduring beliefs—unlike temporary preferences or daily tasks—that shape decisions and actions.

Question 2 (Multiple-Choice)

Correct Answer: Maya speaking up when she saw a classmate cheating (integrity)

• Explanation: Maya’s decision to intervene reflects acting on her core value of integrity.

Question 3 (Likert Scale)

No “right” answer. This question gauges student confidence.
Scoring guidance (for teacher reflection):

• Strongly Agree/Agree: Student feels clear on today’s concepts.
• Neutral/Disagree/Strongly Disagree: May signal need for review or further discussion.

Question 4 (Open-Response)

Prompt: List your top three core values and briefly explain why each one matters to you.

Rubric (3 points total):
• 1 point for each clearly stated core value (up to 3 points).
• +1 point per value for a concise, specific explanation connecting the value to personal meaning or example (up to 3 points).

Full credit (6/6) example:

1. Integrity – I value honesty because speaking up when I see wrongdoing helps me stay true to myself and build trust with others. (2 points)
2. Creativity – I enjoy finding new solutions, like designing a unique poster for our class project, which makes work more engaging. (2 points)
3. Kindness – I feel fulfilled when I help classmates, such as tutoring them after school; it strengthens our relationships. (2 points)

Question 5 (Open-Response)

Prompt: Describe one way you will use your core values to guide a decision or action this week.

Rubric (2 points total):
• 1 point for describing a clear, concrete plan or action.
• 1 point for explicitly linking the plan to one of their core values.

Full credit example:
“I will use my value of responsibility by creating a weekly to-do list and checking off homework assignments each evening. This helps me stay organized and shows I’m committed to doing quality work.”

Total points possible (teacher-designed): Q1 (1), Q2 (1), Q3 (0 for grading), Q4 (6), Q5 (2) = 10 points
Adjust weightings as fits your grading scale.