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Tune Into You

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Kari Schiltroth

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Session 1 Lesson Plan

Introduce students to interoception by defining internal body signals and guiding them to identify and record two common sensations in a simple chart.

Building interoception awareness helps students recognize internal cues (like hunger or stress), fostering self-awareness and early emotional regulation skills in daily life.

Audience

3rd Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Direct teaching, hands-on charting, and group reflection.

Materials

  • Interoception Introduction Slide Deck, - Body Signals Chart Worksheet, - Feeling Thermometer Poster, - Chart paper and markers, - Student journals or plain paper and crayons, and - Classroom timer

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

  • Review the Interoception Introduction Slide Deck to familiarize yourself with key definitions and visuals.
  • Print enough copies of the Body Signals Chart Worksheet for each student.
  • Post the Feeling Thermometer Poster in a visible area of the classroom.
  • Gather chart paper, markers, student journals (or plain paper and crayons), and timer.

Step 1

Warm-Up Discussion

5 minutes

  • Use chart paper to record student responses.
  • Ask: "How do you know when you're hungry or thirsty?"
  • Encourage three volunteers to share a time they noticed a body sensation.

Step 2

Direct Instruction: What is Interoception?

10 minutes

  • Display the Interoception Introduction Slide Deck.
  • Define “interoception” as noticing internal body signals.
  • Highlight three examples: hunger, heartbeat changes, muscle tension.
  • Refer to the Feeling Thermometer Poster to illustrate intensity levels.

Step 3

Activity: Body Signals Chart

10 minutes

  • Distribute the Body Signals Chart Worksheet.
  • Instruct students to draw or write two body signals they notice when they feel happy and when they feel upset.
  • Set the timer for seven minutes for individual work.
  • Circulate to support and prompt students as needed.

Step 4

Reflection and Share

5 minutes

  • Invite two to three students to share one entry from their chart.
  • Ask: "How might noticing this feeling help you during the day?"
  • Reinforce how interoception supports self-awareness and emotional regulation.
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Slide Deck

Tune Into You: What Is Interoception?

In this series, we’ll learn how to notice signals from inside our bodies—like hunger, a fast heartbeat, or a tummy ache—and use them to understand our feelings.

Welcome students to the “Tune Into You” series! Introduce the word “interoception” and explain that it’s just a fancy word for noticing feelings inside our bodies. Tell students they will learn how to spot these signals and use them to feel better each day.

What Is Interoception?

Interoception means paying attention to internal body signals, such as:
• A rumbling tummy
• A racing heart
• Tight muscles
• Butterflies in the stomach

Define interoception clearly. Emphasize that everyone has these signals all the time, but most of us don’t stop to notice them. Use a gesture (e.g., place a hand on your chest or belly) to help students feel connected to the concept.

Common Body Signals

• Hunger or thirst
• Heartbeat speed
• Muscle tension or relaxation
• Stomach “butterflies”
• Breathing changes

Show simple icons or drawings for each example if possible. Ask the class for one more example of a body signal they’ve noticed and add it to the board.

Using a Feeling Thermometer

Rate how strong a body signal feels:
1 (small) 2 3 4 5 (very strong)

Example: If your heart is beating a little fast, you might choose 2 or 3.

Introduce the Feeling Thermometer poster. Explain that low numbers mean a small signal and high numbers mean a big signal. Ask students to rate how strong their heartbeat feels right now on a 1–5 scale.

Why Notice Body Signals?

• Understand how you feel
• Calm down when upset
• Ask for help when your body needs something
• Make better choices each day

Discuss why interoception helps us. Relate each bullet to a real-life classroom situation: noticing hunger before getting hangry, sensing a fast heartbeat before feeling nervous, and so on.

Let’s Practice Noticing

  1. Close your eyes (or soften your gaze)
  2. Take three slow, deep breaths
  3. Notice where you feel the breath—chest, belly, or throat
  4. Give a thumbs-up when you’re done!

Guide students through a quick mindfulness activity. Count breaths aloud and remind them to focus on how their chest or belly moves. After three breaths, invite volunteers to share what they noticed.

Coming Up Next

In our next session, we’ll learn to record body signals in a chart and talk about how noticing them can help us each day. Think of one signal you’ll look for!

Preview Session 2 by telling students they will learn to track these signals. Ask them to think of one body signal they’ll notice today and be ready to share next time.

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Worksheet

Body Signals Chart Worksheet

Instructions: Draw or write two body signals you notice in each situation. Use words or pictures to show how your body feels.

When I’m Happy

Signal 1:





Signal 2:





When I’m Upset

Signal 1:





Signal 2:






 
 
Keep this chart to remember how your body talks to you!

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Game

Feeling Thermometer Poster

Use this poster to rate how strong your internal body signal feels from 1 (small) to 5 (very strong). Place the poster in a visible spot so students can quickly check in with their sensations.

1 😊 Small signal

2 🙂 Faint signal

3 😐 Noticeable signal

4 😟 Strong signal

5 😫 Very strong signal

How to use:

  • When you notice a body signal (like a rumble in your tummy or racing heart), look at the chart.
  • Point to or call out the number that matches how strong you feel it.
  • Use this number to decide what to do next (take a break, get water, ask for help, etc.).
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