Lesson Plan

Daily Mindfulness Routine

This 20-minute small-group session helps students practice self-awareness and self-management through guided mindfulness, breathing, and reflection. By the end, students will increase focus, recognize emotions, and apply techniques to calm themselves.

Developing mindfulness fosters focus, emotional regulation, and self-awareness, supporting academic and social success, reducing stress, and improving classroom engagement.

Audience

5th Grade Group

Time

20 minutes

Approach

Brief guided exercises, prompts, and reflection aligned with CASEL competencies.

Materials

Mindfulness Techniques, Guided Breathing Exercise, My Mindful Moment Prompts, and Mindfulness Participation Rubric

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Ensure digital or printed copies of all materials are ready: Mindfulness Techniques, Guided Breathing Exercise, My Mindful Moment Prompts, and Mindfulness Participation Rubric.
Arrange seating in a circle or semi-circle to foster connection.
Test any audio or timer tools needed for the breathing exercise.
Review each resource to familiarize yourself with key prompts and cues.

Step 1

Introduction and Settle In

2 minutes

Invite students to the circle and greet them warmly.
Remind the group of the purpose: to build focus and self-awareness through mindfulness.
Establish ground rules (respect, listening) using the Mindfulness Participation Rubric.

Step 2

Mindful Check-In

3 minutes

Ask each student to share one word that describes how they feel today.
Encourage active listening and use the rubric to note engagement.
Acknowledge feelings without judgment.

Step 3

Guided Breathing Exercise

5 minutes

Lead the group through the Guided Breathing Exercise.
Model steady, calm breathing; guide students through the steps (e.g., box breathing).
Observe posture and gently remind students to sit up straight and relax shoulders.

Step 4

Mindfulness Technique Practice

5 minutes

Use the Mindfulness Techniques slide deck to introduce a technique (e.g., body scan or mindful listening).
Demonstrate the technique and invite students to practice.
Encourage noticing any physical or emotional sensations without labeling them good or bad.

Step 5

Reflection and Journaling

3 minutes

Distribute or display the My Mindful Moment Prompts.
Prompt students to write a quick reflection: “What did you notice in your body or mind?”
Remind them this is private and there are no right or wrong answers.

Step 6

Sharing and Closing

2 minutes

Invite 2–3 volunteers to share one insight from their journal.
Reinforce that mindfulness is a personal practice and praise effort.
Remind students to practice daily and preview the next session’s focus.
Collect journals and use the participation rubric to note engagement.

Slide Deck

Mindfulness Techniques

Exploring two simple practices:

Body Scan
Mindful Listening

Welcome students! Today we'll learn two simple mindfulness techniques to help us focus and calm our minds. Introduce the idea that mindfulness means paying attention on purpose, without judging what we notice.

Technique 1: Body Scan

• Sit comfortably with feet on the floor and hands resting in your lap.
• Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
• Slowly shift your attention from your toes up to your head:
– Toes → Feet → Ankles → Calves → Knees → Thighs → Hips → Back → Shoulders → Arms → Hands → Neck → Face → Scalp.
• Notice any tightness or warmth without judging it.

Explain that a body scan helps us notice tension or sensations in different parts of our body. Model each step slowly so students can follow along.

Body Scan Practice

Let’s try it together:
• Take a deep breath in and out.
• Slowly bring attention to each body part as I name them.
• Notice how each area feels.

Lead the class through a 1-minute guided body scan. Use a calm voice and pause at each body part. Observe students’ posture and gently remind them to sit still.

Technique 2: Mindful Listening

• Sit quietly with eyes closed or gaze softened.
• Focus all your attention on the sounds you hear.
• Notice each sound for 30 seconds without labeling it good or bad.
• If your mind wanders, gently bring attention back to listening.

Introduce mindful listening as paying close attention to sounds around us. Emphasize that there’s no good or bad sound—just noticing what we hear.

Mindful Listening Practice

Let’s listen for 30 seconds:
• I'll ring the bell (or play a sound).
• Notice each layer of sound.
• When time’s up, open your eyes and stay quiet for a moment.

Play a short sound clip or ring a bell. Guide students to listen closely for 30 seconds, then invite them to share what they heard.

Tips & Next Steps

• Practice daily for 1–2 minutes.
• Notice without judging.
• Choose one technique to try today.
• Write down how it felt in your journal.

Reinforce that mindfulness takes practice. Encourage students to pick one technique to use when they feel stressed or distracted.

Activity

Guided Breathing Exercise

Objective: Students will practice box breathing to develop self-regulation, focus, and calm by controlling their breathing patterns.

Time: 5 minutes

Materials:
- Visual timer or stopwatch
- Quiet bell or chime (optional)

Prep (5 minutes):
- Choose a quiet spot at the start of the session.
- Prepare a visual timer or stopwatch on screen.
- Have a chime or bell ready to signal transitions.

### Instructions

1. Explain Box Breathing (1 minute)
- Tell students we’ll use “box breathing”: a 4-part cycle—inhale, hold, exhale, hold.
- Draw an imaginary square in the air; each side is one count of 4.
- Model one full cycle: inhale for 4 counts.

2. Guided Practice (3 minutes)
- Start your visual timer at 4 seconds per side.
- Lead the group through 4–5 cycles:
• Inhale through the nose (4 sec) – trace side 1 of the square.
• Hold breath (4 sec) – trace side 2.
• Exhale slowly through the mouth (4 sec) – trace side 3.
• Hold breath (4 sec) – trace side 4.
- Use a calm, steady voice; pause briefly between phases.
- Ring the bell or chime at the end of each cycle if available.

3. Reflection (1 minute)
- Ask: “How does your body feel after box breathing?”
- Prompt: “What did you notice in your mind or body during the practice?”
- Invite 1–2 volunteers to share briefly.

Use this exercise daily to help students center their attention, regulate emotions, and build self-awareness.

Journal

My Mindful Moment Prompts

After today’s mindfulness practice, choose one or more prompts to reflect on. Write in complete sentences and give detailed answers.

What did you notice in your body during today’s practice? Did you feel tension, warmth, or relaxation? Explain how your body felt.
What thoughts or feelings came to your mind while you were breathing or listening mindfully? Choose one thought or feeling and describe why it stood out.
Pick one of your senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell). Describe in detail what you noticed through that sense during the exercise. How did focusing on that sense affect your mindfulness?
If today’s mindfulness practice were an animal, a color, or a shape, what would it be? Explain your choice and how it connects to how you felt.
How can you use the mindfulness technique you practiced today when you face a stressful or challenging situation? Describe a specific plan for using it in your daily life.
(Optional) Draw or sketch a symbol that represents calm or focus for you. Then write a few sentences explaining your drawing and why it represents mindfulness.

Rubric

Mindfulness Participation Rubric

Purpose: Assess student engagement, respect, listening, and reflection effort during the Daily Mindfulness Routine. Use this rubric to provide objective feedback and guide growth in self-awareness and self-management (CASEL competencies).

Scoring Scale:
4 = Exemplary | 3 = Proficient | 2 = Developing | 1 = Beginning

Criteria	4 – Exemplary	3 – Proficient	2 – Developing	1 – Beginning
Engagement	Volunteers ideas, stays on task, and tries each activity fully.	Participates without prompting and generally stays focused.	Joins in when prompted but sometimes loses focus.	Rarely participates; often disengaged or distracted.
Respect & Collaboration	Listens to peers, encourages others, and follows group norms.	Listens respectfully; follows norms most of the time.	Occasionally interrupts or needs reminders about norms.	Frequently interrupts; does not follow group norms.
Active Listening	Maintains eye contact, responds to cues, and demonstrates understanding.	Follows instructions and responds appropriately most of the time.	Needs occasional reminders to stay focused on speaker or activity.	Does not follow instructions; often off-task during activities.
Reflection Effort	Completes journal prompt with detailed, thoughtful responses.	Completes prompt with clear responses.	Writes brief or incomplete responses.	Little to no response; avoids reflection.

Total Score: Add the four criteria scores (maximum 16).
Interpretation:

14–16 = Strong self-management and self-awareness skills.
10–13 = Growing competencies; needs occasional support.
6–9 = Developing awareness and focus; additional guidance recommended.
≤5 = Needs targeted support to build mindfulness skills.

Use: Refer to this rubric during each session to note strengths and areas for growth. Share score trends with students to celebrate progress and set goals for improvement.

Mindful Moments

Sydney Melby