Stress and the Brain

Erika Morris

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Stress and the Brain Overview

Students will learn how stress affects the brain and body, and explore simple strategies to manage stress effectively.

Understanding stress at an early age empowers students to build resilience and adopt healthy coping mechanisms.

Audience

3rd Grade Class

Time

35 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, multimedia presentation, and a quiz.

Materials

Stress and the Brain Overview, Brain and Stress Presentation, and Understanding Stress Quiz

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

Review the Stress and the Brain Overview document.
Familiarize yourself with the Brain and Stress Presentation to guide the discussion.
Check the Understanding Stress Quiz for assessment alignment.
Prepare interactive questions for student engagement.

Step 1

Introduction to Stress

5 minutes

Explain what stress is in simple terms.
Use examples students can relate to (e.g., feeling nervous during a test).
Introduce the idea that stress affects both our brains and bodies.

Step 2

Multimedia Presentation

15 minutes

Show the Brain and Stress Presentation.
Pause throughout to ask questions and ensure understanding.
Highlight how stress can change how our brain works and affects our body.

Step 3

Interactive Quiz

10 minutes

Administer the Understanding Stress Quiz to review key concepts.
Discuss the answers as a group and encourage students to share their thoughts.
Emphasize strategies to manage stress effectively.

Step 4

Wrap-Up Discussion

5 minutes

Review what was learned about stress and its impact.
Summarize key strategies for managing stress.
Encourage students to ask questions and share personal experiences with stress management.

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Slide Deck

Brain and Stress Presentation

Welcome! Let's explore how stress affects our brain and body.

Introduce the lesson with excitement. Explain to the students that today they will learn about how our brain and body work when we feel stress. Remind them that stress is a normal feeling that everyone experiences.

What is Stress?

Stress is a normal feeling that happens when we are excited, worried, or nervous. It helps our body get ready to face challenges.

Explain what stress is in simple terms. Use examples like feeling nervous before a test or during a big game. Ask a few students to share times when they felt stressed.

How Does Stress Affect Us?

When we feel stress:

Our heart beats faster.
Our brain sends signals to help us react quickly.
Our body gets ready to face challenges.

Discuss how stress affects the body and the brain. Mention that when we feel stress, our heart beats faster and our brain works a bit differently. Use simple language and engaging visuals if possible.

Managing Stress

Ways to manage stress:

Take deep breaths
Talk to someone you trust
Take a little break to calm down
Share how you feel

Present some strategies the students can use to handle stress (deep breathing, talking to someone, taking a break). Encourage interaction by asking them which strategy they might like to try.

Wrap-Up

Today we learned:

What stress is
How it affects our brain and body
Ways to manage stress

Great job learning about stress!

Wrap up the presentation by summarizing the key points covered. Ask the students if they have any questions or if they can recall one thing they learned today about stress.