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Positive Thought Quest

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Lesson Plan

Session 1 Plan

Adrian will identify examples of his own negative self-talk and practice replacing them with positive or neutral statements in at least 2 of 4 guided opportunities during a fun detective-style game.

Recognizing and reframing negative self-talk builds Adrian’s self-awareness, resilience, and emotional regulation, leading to improved focus and peer interactions.

Audience

3rd Grade Student

Time

20 minutes

Approach

Interactive game with guided practice.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

5 minutes

Step 1

Introduction & Check-In

3 minutes

  • Greet Adrian and briefly review the goal: understanding and changing self-talk.
  • Ask Adrian how he’s feeling today and note any recent challenges with thoughts or feelings.

Step 2

Thoughts-Feelings-Behavior Link

5 minutes

  • Explain how our thoughts affect feelings and actions with simple examples (e.g., "I can’t do this" → frustration → giving up).
  • Use the Self-Talk Worksheet to show a sample thought and trace its impact.

Step 3

Recognizing Negative Self-Talk

4 minutes

  • Read two sample statements on the worksheet (one negative, one neutral).
  • Ask Adrian to identify which is negative self-talk and why.
  • Encourage him to think of one negative thought he’s had recently.

Step 4

Thought Detective Game

6 minutes

  • Explain rules: Adrian draws a Thought Detective Card with a statement, identifies if it’s negative self-talk, then picks a Positive Statement Prompt Card to replace it.
  • For each round, Adrian practices aloud and you offer prompts as needed (up to two prompts).
  • Use the timer to keep each turn under one minute; aim for four rounds.

Step 5

Reflection & Closure

2 minutes

  • Ask Adrian to share one negative thought he replaced today and how it makes him feel.
  • Praise his detective work and set a simple self-talk goal (e.g., catch one negative thought before tomorrow’s class).
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Game

Thought Detective Game Overview

In this simple card game, Adrian plays the role of a “Thought Detective” to practice spotting negative self-talk and transforming it into positive or neutral statements.

Objective

  • Identify negative self-talk statements on cards.
  • Replace each with a positive or neutral self-statement.

Materials

Setup

  1. Shuffle the Thought Detective Cards and place them face down.
  2. Shuffle the Positive Statement Prompt Cards and place them face down.

How to Play (4 Rounds)

  1. Adrian draws one Thought Detective Card and reads the statement aloud.
  2. Adrian decides: Is this negative self-talk?
    • If yes, he selects a Prompt Card and uses it to turn the statement into a positive or neutral one.
    • If no, he explains why it’s already positive/neutral.
  3. Counselor offers up to two prompts if Adrian gets stuck.
  4. Aim to complete each round in under 1 minute.
  5. Repeat for four rounds.

Examples

  • Thought Detective Card: “I always mess up.”
    Positive Prompt Card: “I can try by thinking…” → “I can try again and learn from my mistakes.”

  • Thought Detective Card: “I’m not good at math.”
    Positive Prompt Card: “I am getting better when…” → “I am getting better when I practice a little every day.”

Follow-Up Questions

  • How did changing the thought make you feel?


  • Which positive statement sounds most believable to you?

  • Can you think of a situation today where you might use this new way of thinking?





Note: Encourage Adrian’s detective work and celebrate each successful reframing! Feel free to adjust difficulty by choosing simpler or more complex cards based on his progress.

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Worksheet

Thought Detective Cards

Cut apart each of the following statements and use them in the Thought Detective Game. Shuffle well before playing!

Negative Self-Talk Cards

  • “I always mess up.”
  • “I’m just not good at this.”
  • “Nothing ever goes right for me.”
  • “Everyone else is better than me.”
  • “I’ll never get this right.”
  • “I’m so stupid.”
  • “No one likes me.”
  • “I can’t do anything right.”

Neutral/Positive Self-Talk Cards

  • “I can try again and learn from my mistakes.”
  • “This is hard, but I can get better with practice.”
  • “I can ask for help when I need it.”
  • “I did my best today.”
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