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Weathering Change

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Lesson Plan

Weathering Change Lesson Plan

Students will identify and articulate emotions tied to family transitions, practice empathetic peer support, and develop personalized self-care coping strategies.

Adolescents facing parental divorce benefit from emotional literacy, peer connection, and concrete coping tools. This lesson fosters empathy, strengthens classroom bonds, and equips students with healthy self-care skills.

Audience

9th Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, paired strategy work, and reflective journaling.

Materials

Paper and Pens, Whiteboard and Markers, Emotion Cards, Coping Strategies Handout, and Self-Care Journal Template

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Emotions Check-In

5 minutes

  • Ask students to form a circle.
  • Distribute one Emotion Card to each student.
  • Each student names a moment they felt that emotion due to a family change.
  • Encourage brief sharing (30 seconds each).

Step 2

Supporting Peers and Coping Strategies

15 minutes

  • List common emotions from the check-in on the whiteboard.
  • Pair students and give each pair a copy of the Coping Strategies Handout.
  • Assign each pair one emotion to discuss three healthy coping strategies.
  • Pairs present one strategy to the class and explain its benefit.
  • Facilitate a discussion on showing empathy and offering support.

Step 3

Self-Care Reflection

10 minutes

  • Distribute the Self-Care Journal Template.
  • Students write 2–3 personal self-care actions they will practice this week.
  • Invite volunteers to share their self-care plans with the group.
  • Close with a short grounding exercise: three deep breaths together.
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Slide Deck

Weathering Change

Building Empathy & Coping Strategies
Tier 1 SEL Lesson | 9th Grade | 30 minutes

Welcome students. Introduce today’s theme: Weathering Change. Explain we’ll explore our emotions around family transitions like divorce and learn ways to support ourselves and each other.

Agenda

  • Emotion Check-In
  • Coping Strategies Activity
  • Self-Care Reflection
  • Grounding Exercise
  • Resources & Closing

Quickly review today’s flow so students know what to expect.

Lesson Objectives

  • Identify and express emotions tied to family changes
  • Practice empathetic peer support
  • Develop personalized self-care coping strategies

Read through each objective and confirm understanding. Emphasize the skills we’ll practice.

Emotion Check-In

  • Form a circle
  • Each student draws an Emotion Card
  • Name a moment you felt this emotion due to a family change
  • Brief sharing (30 sec each)

Ask students to form a circle. Hand out one Emotion Card per student. Model briefly sharing your own example. Keep shares to ~30 seconds each to stay on time.

Supporting Peers & Coping Strategies

  • List common emotions on the whiteboard
  • Pair up and grab a Coping Strategies Handout
  • Discuss 3 healthy coping strategies for your assigned emotion
  • Present one strategy and explain its benefit
  • Discuss empathy and how to support peers

List the emotions that came up on the board. Pair students, hand out the Coping Strategies Handout. Assign each pair one emotion and prompt them to brainstorm. Circulate to support and keep groups on task.

Self-Care Reflection

Distribute the Self-Care Journal Template. Encourage honest, realistic self-care actions. Invite 2–3 volunteers to share. Praise all contributions.

Grounding Exercise

Let’s take three deep breaths together:

  1. Inhale slowly for 4 counts
  2. Hold for 2 counts
  3. Exhale for 6 counts

Guide students through the breathing exercise slowly. Count aloud to keep everyone in sync.

Resources & Next Steps

  • School counselor contact info
  • Additional SEL materials in the counseling office
  • Encourage using coping strategies daily
  • Thank you for participating!

Wrap up by reviewing key takeaways. Share where students can find additional support and materials, including the school counselor.

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Worksheet

Emotion Cards

Print and cut along the grid lines to create individual emotion cards. Optionally, draw or paste an icon on each card.

SadnessAngerFear
ReliefConfusionLoneliness
HopeGuiltAnxiety
HappinessFrustrationRelief
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Worksheet

Coping Strategies Handout

Instructions: In pairs, discuss three healthy coping strategies for the emotion assigned to you. For each strategy:

  • Give it a name.
  • Describe how to do it.
  • Explain why it might help someone manage this emotion.

Emotion: ________________________________________

Strategy 1

Name: _________________________________



How to do it: ___________________________



Why it helps: ____________________________


Strategy 2

Name: _________________________________



How to do it: ___________________________



Why it helps: ____________________________


Strategy 3

Name: _________________________________



How to do it: ___________________________



Why it helps: ____________________________


Choose one strategy to present to the class
I choose Strategy ___ because _________________________________________________





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Worksheet

Self-Care Journal Template

Date: __________________________

  1. How am I feeling today?





  2. List 2–3 self-care actions you will practice this week:

  • Action 1: __________________________


  • Action 2: __________________________


  • Action 3: __________________________


  1. When and where will you practice these self-care actions?





  2. Why is this self-care action important to me?





  3. After practicing, reflect on how it helped you:










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