Lesson Plan
Discovering CASEL Competencies Plan
Introduce students to the five CASEL competencies and help them recognize why SEL matters through interactive games and reflection.
Building social-emotional literacy supports academic success, healthy relationships, and responsible decision-making by giving students language and strategies to understand and manage emotions.
Audience
3rd Grade
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Interactive games, guided discussion, and reflection
Prep
Prepare Materials
10 minutes
- Print and sort Emotion Charades Cards and Competency Matching Cards.
- Load CASEL Intro Slides onto the classroom projector.
- Review the flow and objectives in Discovering CASEL Competencies Plan.
- Make enough copies of Feelings Reflection Exit Ticket for each student.
Step 1
Warm-Up: Emotion Charades
5 minutes
- Divide students into groups of 4–5.
- One student selects an Emotion Charades Cards and silently acts out the emotion.
- Peers guess the emotion and explain their reasoning.
- Highlight how noticing facial expressions and body language builds social awareness.
Step 2
Introduction: CASEL Competencies
10 minutes
- Present the five competencies using CASEL Intro Slides.
- Define Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-Making with kid-friendly examples.
- Invite volunteers to share times they used any competency in class or at home.
Step 3
Activity: Competency Matching
15 minutes
- Hand out Competency Matching Cards to each group.
- Students match scenario cards to the correct competency.
- After matching, groups rotate cards with another group and review answers.
- Teacher facilitates, clarifies misunderstandings, and celebrates correct pairings.
Step 4
Discussion: Why SEL Matters
10 minutes
- Lead a whole-class discussion: “How do these skills help us in school and at home?”
- Prompt with questions: “Which competency helped you calm down when upset?” “How can understanding others’ feelings improve friendships?”
- Chart student responses for ongoing classroom reference.
Step 5
Cool-Down: Reflection Exit Ticket
5 minutes
- Distribute Feelings Reflection Exit Ticket.
- Students write one competency they feel confident in and one they’d like to grow.
- Collect tickets to inform future SEL support and celebrate growth areas.
Slide Deck
What Does SEL Mean?
An introduction to Social-Emotional Learning and the 5 CASEL competencies.
Welcome students. Ask: “What do you think SEL stands for?” Guide responses. Then reveal the slide title and explain today’s goal: meet the five CASEL competencies.
What is SEL?
SEL stands for Social-Emotional Learning. It’s about understanding and managing our feelings, building strong relationships, and making thoughtful choices.
Explain that SEL helps us understand feelings, build relationships, and make smart choices. Ask: “Which feelings can you name?” to engage.
Why SEL Matters
• Helps us understand our feelings
• Teaches us how to calm down
• Builds stronger friendships
• Guides us to make good decisions
Read each bullet. For “Helps us understand feelings,” ask for examples. For “Builds stronger friendships,” ask how kindness plays a part.
Self-Awareness
Recognizing our own feelings and thoughts.
Example: Noticing you’re excited before a fun event.
Define Self-Awareness. Ask students to name a time they felt nervous or excited and how they noticed it.
Self-Management
Managing our emotions and behaviors.
Example: Taking deep breaths when you feel upset.
Guide a brief breathing exercise: breathe in for 4 seconds, out for 4. Explain this is a self-management tool.
Social Awareness
Understanding how others feel.
Example: Seeing a friend looks sad and asking if they’re okay.
Explain Social Awareness. Invite students to share how they can show they notice a friend’s feelings.
Relationship Skills
Communicating and working well with others.
Example: Taking turns and listening when someone else speaks.
Discuss ways we work together. Ask: “What makes a good listener?” or “How do we take turns?”
Responsible Decision-Making
Making choices that are safe and respectful.
Example: Thinking before you act or speak.
Talk through the decision-making steps: stop, think, choose. Pose: “What would you do if you saw someone drop their lunch?”
Your Turn!
Think of a time you used one of these skills. Which competency was it and what happened?
Prompt students to turn to a partner and share one competency they use often.
Warm Up
Emotion Charades Warm-Up
Objective: Students recognize and label basic emotions by acting them out and observing peers’ facial expressions and body language.
Time: 5 minutes
Materials:
Instructions:
- Divide students into groups of 4–5.
- One student in each group quietly draws an Emotion Charades Cards.
- The student silently acts out the emotion (no words or sounds).
- Group members guess which emotion is being portrayed and explain their reasoning.
- Highlight how noticing facial cues builds Social Awareness.
- Rotate so each student gets a turn acting and guessing.
Activity
Competency Matching Cards
Objective: Reinforce understanding of the five CASEL competencies by matching real-life scenarios to the correct skill.
Materials (to be cut into individual cards):
Scenario Cards
- You're about to give a book report and you notice your heart beating fast.
- You take three deep breaths when you feel frustrated during a game.
- You see a classmate looking down and quietly ask if they’re okay.
- You help a friend pick up spilled art supplies without being asked.
- You stop to think before you say something that might hurt someone’s feelings.
- You name your feeling as “excited” when it’s your birthday.
- You count to ten before you react when someone bumps into you.
- You take turns speaking during group time so everyone is heard.
- You pay attention when a friend’s face looks upset and offer a tissue.
- You decide to tell the teacher honestly that you misplaced your homework.
Competency Cards
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Management
- Social Awareness
- Relationship Skills
- Responsible Decision-Making
Teacher Answer Key
Scenario → Competency
1 → Self-Awareness
2 → Self-Management
3 → Social Awareness
4 → Relationship Skills
5 → Responsible Decision-Making
6 → Self-Awareness
7 → Self-Management
8 → Relationship Skills
9 → Social Awareness
10 → Responsible Decision-Making
Cool Down
Feelings Reflection Exit Ticket
Name: _______________________ Date: _______________
- Which CASEL competency do you feel you did well with today? Why?
- Which competency would you like to practice more? How will you work on it?