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What Does SEL Mean?

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Shannon Stewart

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Discovering CASEL Competencies Plan

Third graders will identify and define the five CASEL social-emotional learning competencies through interactive games and group work, then reflect on their emotions to reinforce SEL concepts.

Introducing SEL early builds empathy, self-awareness, and communication skills—foundations for a positive classroom community and lifelong success.

Audience

3rd Grade Class

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Engaging charades, matching cards, slides, and reflection.

Materials

  • CASEL Intro Slides, - Emotion Charades Game, - Competency Matching Cards, and - Feelings Reflection Exit Ticket

Prep

Materials Review and Setup

10 minutes

  • Review CASEL Intro Slides to ensure slide order and animations work
  • Print and cut sheets for Competency Matching Cards (one set per group)
  • Prepare emotion prompts list for Emotion Charades Game
  • Print copies of Feelings Reflection Exit Ticket
  • Check projector or screen display for slide deck

Step 1

Emotion Charades Warm-Up

5 minutes

  • Students form a circle in an open area
  • Explain charades rules: silently act out an emotion, classmates guess
  • Teacher models with one emotion (e.g., excitement)
  • Invite 3–4 volunteers to act out and guess different emotions from the charades deck
  • Use Emotion Charades Game cards for prompts

Step 2

Introduction to CASEL

10 minutes

  • Project CASEL Intro Slides
  • Define social-emotional learning (SEL) and explain its importance
  • Introduce the five CASEL competencies: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-Making
  • Ask students: “Why do you think learning about feelings and relationships matters?”

Step 3

Competency Matching Activity

20 minutes

  • Divide class into five small groups
  • Give each group a shuffled set of Competency Matching Cards containing competency names and definitions
  • Students work together to match each competency to its correct definition
  • Once matched, groups choose one competency to share with the class, including an example of when they’ve used it

Step 4

Feelings Reflection Exit Ticket

10 minutes

  • Distribute Feelings Reflection Exit Ticket
  • Students circle one emotion they felt during today’s lesson and write one sentence about why SEL matters to them
  • Collect tickets as students leave to assess understanding
lenny

Slide Deck

What is SEL?

Social-Emotional Learning

Welcome everyone! Today we’re starting an exciting journey into SEL, which stands for Social-Emotional Learning. Let’s find out what it means and why it’s so important!

What Is Social-Emotional Learning?

SEL is learning how to:
• Understand and manage our feelings
• Set goals and solve problems
• Show empathy for others
• Build positive relationships
• Make responsible decisions

Read the definition aloud and invite students to think of a time they felt happy, sad, or proud. Explain that SEL is all about understanding and managing those feelings.

Why SEL Matters

• Helps us get along with friends
• Makes our classroom a caring place
• Builds confidence and kindness
• Prepares us for life’s challenges

Point to each bullet and give a quick kid-friendly example. For instance: solving a puzzle shows goal-setting, sharing shows empathy.

1. Self-Awareness

Knowing your own feelings, strengths, and thoughts.
Example: “I feel excited when I read a fun story.”

Explain Self-Awareness: noticing our feelings. Ask, “How do you know you’re excited?” Encourage a few responses.

2. Self-Management

Managing your emotions and behaviors.
Example: Taking deep breaths when you’re upset.

Discuss Self-Management: controlling impulses and handling stress. Ask, “What can you do when you feel angry?”

3. Social Awareness

Knowing how others feel and showing empathy.
Example: Helping a friend who is crying.

Introduce Social Awareness: understanding others’ feelings. Invite students to share how they know when someone is happy or sad.

4. Relationship Skills

Building healthy relationships and communicating.
Example: Taking turns during games.

Cover Relationship Skills: making friends and cooperating. Ask, “What makes a good friend?”

5. Responsible Decision-Making

Making safe, respectful choices.
Example: Returning a lost pencil to its owner.

Explain Responsible Decision-Making: choosing the right action. Give a scenario like finding lost money and ask what they would do.

Today’s Plan

  1. Emotion Charades Warm-Up
  2. CASEL Competencies Overview
  3. Competency Matching Activity
  4. Feelings Reflection Exit Ticket

Walk through today’s agenda so students know what to expect and stay engaged.

lenny

Warm Up

Warm-Up: Emotion Charades

Objective: Students will practice recognizing and expressing different emotions through a fun charades game, building emotional awareness and vocabulary.

Time: 5 minutes

Materials:

  • Printed emotion prompt cards (e.g., happy, sad, excited, angry, surprised, scared, proud)

Prep (5 minutes):

  • Print and cut out the emotion prompt cards
  • Place cards face down in a container or bag
  • Clear an open area so students can form a circle

Instructions:

  1. Have students stand or sit in a circle.
  2. Invite one volunteer to draw a card from the container without showing it to classmates.
  3. The volunteer silently acts out the emotion on their card using facial expressions and body language.
  4. Classmates raise their hands to guess the emotion.
  5. Once the emotion is correctly guessed, discuss briefly: “What clues helped you figure it out?”
  6. Repeat with 3–4 more volunteers, ensuring a variety of emotions are acted out.

This quick activity gets kids moving, tuned into feelings, and ready to dive into our SEL lesson on CASEL competencies!

lenny
lenny

Activity

Activity: Competency Matching Cards

Objective: Students will work in small groups to match each of the five CASEL competencies with its correct definition, reinforcing their understanding through collaboration and discussion.

Time: 20 minutes

Materials:

  • One set per group of printed and cut cards: 5 competency name cards and 5 definition cards (Competency Matching Cards)
  • Envelopes or small bags to hold each set

Prep (10 minutes):

  • Print and cut the competency name cards and definition cards
  • Place each set in an envelope or bag and shuffle
  • Prepare a workspace for each group (table or floor area)

Instructions:

  1. Divide the class into five small groups.
  2. Give each group one envelope containing the shuffled name and definition cards.
  3. Ask students to spread out all cards on their workspace, face up.
  4. Instruct groups to read each competency name card and find the matching definition card.
  5. Once all pairs are matched, groups should stack each matched pair together and double-check their matches.
  6. After matching, each group chooses one competency and prepares to share:
    • The competency name
    • Its definition in their own words
    • An example of when they have used it or seen it in action
  7. Invite each group to present their chosen competency and example to the whole class.

Discussion Questions / Follow-Ups:

  • Which competency was easiest or hardest to match? Why?
  • How might you use these competencies in our classroom or on the playground?
  • What new word did you learn today, and how will you remember its meaning?

This hands-on matching activity encourages teamwork, discussion, and deeper processing of SEL concepts.

lenny
lenny

Cool Down

Feelings Reflection Exit Ticket

Name: _________________________ Date: ____________

Part 1: Circle the emotion you felt most during today’s lesson.

Happy Sad Excited Angry Surprised Scared Proud

Part 2: In one sentence, explain why social-emotional learning (SEL) matters to you.





Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

lenny
lenny