Lesson Plan
Stop, Think, Act!
Students will be able to identify situations requiring impulse control and practice a
Developing impulse control helps students make thoughtful choices, avoid hasty reactions, and get along better with others, both in school and at home.
Audience
1st Grade Students (Small Group)
Time
15 Minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, modeling, and practice.
Materials
Stop, Think, Act! Slide Deck, Impulse Control Story Cards Activity, and Impulse Control Worksheet
Prep
Prepare Materials
5 minutes
- Review the Stop, Think, Act! Slide Deck to familiarize yourself with the content.
- Print and cut out the Impulse Control Story Cards Activity.
- Have copies of the Impulse Control Worksheet ready for each student.
- Ensure you have markers or pencils for students.
Step 1
Introduction & Warm-Up (2 minutes)
2 minutes
- Greet students and introduce the topic of impulse control. Ask: "Have you ever done something super fast without thinking and then wished you hadn't?"
- Use the Stop, Think, Act! Slide Deck to introduce the
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Slide Deck
Welcome! Ever Act Too Fast?
Have you ever done something super fast without thinking and then wished you hadn't?
Welcome students and start with a quick question to gauge their understanding of acting quickly. This also serves as a warm-up. Connect to the idea of sometimes doing things without thinking first.
What is Impulse Control?
It's about stopping before you act!
It helps you make smart choices.
Introduce the concept of impulse control in a simple, relatable way. Emphasize that it's about making smart choices.
Our Strategy: Stop, Think, Act!
This is a super strategy to help us make great choices!\n\n1. STOP 🛑\n2. THINK 🤔\n3. ACT ✅
Introduce the
Step 1: STOP 🛑
What does STOP mean?\n\n* Freeze!
- Don't say it!
- Don't do it!
Explain the 'STOP' step. Give examples relevant to 1st graders, like stopping when you want to blurt out an answer or grab a toy.
Step 2: THINK 🤔
What does THINK mean?\n\n* What are my choices?
- What will happen if I do X?
- What will happen if I do Y?
- What's the best choice?
Explain the 'THINK' step. Guide them to consider consequences or better options.
Step 3: ACT ✅
What does ACT mean?\n\n* Do your best choice!
- Be proud of your good decision!
Explain the 'ACT' step. Reinforce that after thinking, they can proceed with a good choice.
Let's Practice! 💪
We're going to try out our Stop, Think, Act! strategy together using some story cards!\n\nGet ready to make some smart choices!
Transition to the activity. Explain that they will practice using the strategy. Mention the Impulse Control Story Cards Activity.
You're Impulse Control Superstars!
Remember our steps:\n\nSTOP 🛑, THINK 🤔, ACT ✅\n\nUse this every day to make awesome choices!\n\nNow, let's reflect on what we've learned with our worksheet.
Conclude the lesson by reviewing the strategy and encouraging them to use it. Introduce the Impulse Control Worksheet as a cool-down/reflection.
Activity
Impulse Control Story Cards Activity
Instructions for Students: Read each story card. Think about what you would do. Then, use the "Stop, Think, Act!" strategy to decide the best way to handle the situation. Discuss your ideas with your group.
Story Card 1: The Exciting Answer
Your teacher asks a question, and you know the answer! You really want to shout it out right away!
STOP! What do you need to stop yourself from doing?
THINK! What are your choices? What might happen if you shout it out? What might happen if you raise your hand?
ACT! What is the best choice?
Story Card 2: The Awesome Toy
Your friend brings a super cool new toy to school for show-and-tell. You really, really want to grab it and play with it! It looks so fun!
STOP! What do you need to stop yourself from doing?
THINK! What are your choices? What might happen if you grab it? What might happen if you ask politely?
ACT! What is the best choice?
Story Card 3: The Yummy Snack
It's snack time, and you see your classmate has a snack you love. You didn't bring that kind of snack, and you feel really hungry for it! You want to just take a piece.
STOP! What do you need to stop yourself from doing?
THINK! What are your choices? What might happen if you take a piece without asking? What might happen if you wait for your own snack, or ask if they would share?
ACT! What is the best choice?
Story Card 4: The Annoying Noise
Someone in your group is making a silly noise, and it's making it hard for you to concentrate. You feel like yelling at them to stop!
STOP! What do you need to stop yourself from doing?
THINK! What are your choices? What might happen if you yell? What might happen if you politely ask them to stop, or tell the teacher?
ACT! What is the best choice?
Story Card 5: The Fun Game
You are playing a game with your friends, and you lose. You feel really frustrated and want to throw the game pieces!
STOP! What do you need to stop yourself from doing?
THINK! What are your choices? What might happen if you throw the pieces? What might happen if you take a deep breath and say, "Good game!"?
ACT! What is the best choice?
Worksheet
Impulse Control Worksheet: My Super Choices!
Name: ____________________________
Today we learned about Stop, Think, Act! This helps us make great choices!
1. What does STOP mean to you? Draw a picture or write a sentence.
2. What does THINK mean to you? Draw a picture or write a sentence.
3. What does ACT mean to you? Draw a picture or write a sentence.
4. Tell about a time you used Stop, Think, Act! (or a time you wish you had!).
Script
Stop, Think, Act! Script
Introduction & Warm-Up (2 minutes)
Teacher: "Hi everyone! I'm so happy to see you all today. We're going to talk about something super important that helps us make good choices. Has anyone ever done something super fast without really thinking first, and then maybe wished they hadn't? Like blurting out an answer, or grabbing a toy without asking? (Pause for student responses, affirm their sharing.) It happens to all of us! Today, we're going to learn a secret strategy to help us make really smart choices."
(Transition to Stop, Think, Act! Slide Deck - Slide 1: Welcome! Ever Act Too Fast?)
Introduce Impulse Control (2 minutes)
Teacher: "On our slide, it asks, 'Ever Act Too Fast?' Sometimes, our brains want to do things really quickly without hitting the 'pause' button. That's where something called impulse control comes in! Impulse control is about stopping ourselves before we do something we might regret. It helps us make smart choices that make us and others feel good."
(Transition to Stop, Think, Act! Slide Deck - Slide 2: What is Impulse Control?)
Introduce the