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What Makes CBT Tick?

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Lesson Plan

CBT Foundations Roadmap

Students will grasp how thoughts shape emotions and behaviors, practice identifying cognitive distortions, and apply basic cognitive restructuring in real-life scenarios.

Understanding CBT empowers students with tools to recognize and challenge unhelpful thoughts, fostering emotional regulation and promoting mental well-being.

Audience

9th Grade Class

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, slide review, role-play, and reflection.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: Think-Feel-Do Icebreaker

5 minutes

  • Divide students into pairs
  • Distribute Think-Feel-Do Icebreaker handouts
  • Have pairs share a recent event, then identify the thought, feeling, and behavior associated with it
  • Briefly discuss observations as a class

Step 2

Introduction to CBT

5 minutes

  • Present a concise definition of CBT: how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors interconnect
  • Pose guiding questions: “What happens if we change our thoughts?”
  • Highlight real-life benefits (stress reduction, improved mood)

Step 3

Slide Deck Integration

10 minutes

  • Display the Unpacking Thoughts and Feelings Slide Deck
  • Walk through key concepts: cognitive distortions, automatic thoughts, and the CBT model
  • Pause for quick checks: ask students to identify distortions in sample statements

Step 4

Activity: Cognitive Restructuring Role-Play

15 minutes

  • Form small groups and distribute scenario cards for the Cognitive Restructuring Role-Play
  • Each group acts out the scenario, identifies distorted thoughts, and practices reframing them
  • After each role-play, groups share their reframed thoughts and discuss different approaches

Step 5

Cool-Down & Assessment: Reflect & Write Exit Ticket

10 minutes

  • Hand out the Reflect & Write Exit Ticket
  • Students write one thought they’d like to challenge, their alternative thought, and how it might change their feelings or actions
  • Collect exit tickets to assess understanding and provide feedback
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Slide Deck

Unpacking Thoughts and Feelings

An Introduction to the CBT Framework

How our automatic thoughts influence emotions and behaviors.

Welcome students! Today we'll dive into how our thoughts, feelings, and actions connect. Use this slide to kick off the lesson and set expectations.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the CBT model (thoughts ⇆ emotions ⇆ behaviors)
• Identify common cognitive distortions
• Practice reframing unhelpful thoughts in real scenarios.

Review the goals so students know what they’ll learn.

The CBT Triangle

Thoughts ⇄ Emotions ⇄ Behaviors

• Thoughts shape feelings
• Feelings drive actions
• Actions reinforce thoughts

Explain the CBT Triangle. You can draw arrows live to emphasize the cycle.

Automatic Thoughts

• Quick, involuntary interpretations of events
• Often unexamined and habitual

Example: “I failed the quiz; I’m so stupid.”

Define automatic thoughts and give a quick example.

What Are Cognitive Distortions?

• Systematic patterns of negative thinking
• They warp reality and reinforce unhelpful emotions

Key idea: spotting distortions helps us challenge them.

Introduce distortions as common thinking errors.

Common Distortions

  1. Overgeneralization: “I didn’t do well once, so I’ll always fail.”
  2. All-or-Nothing Thinking: “If I’m not perfect, I’m a total failure.”

Highlight two frequent distortions with examples.

Activity: Identify the Distortion

Statement A: “If she doesn’t text me back immediately, she must hate me.”
Statement B: “I got one bad grade, so I’m terrible at school.”

Which distortion is each?

Prompt students to identify distortions. Use think-pair-share.

Cognitive Restructuring Steps

  1. Notice the Automatic Thought
  2. Identify the Distortion
  3. Challenge with Evidence
  4. Create a Balanced Alternative Thought

Explain the four-step restructuring process.

Practice: Reframe the Thought

Thought: “I always mess up presentations.”

• Identify the distortion
• Gather evidence against it
• Write a more balanced thought

Have students work in pairs or small groups.

Key Takeaways & Next Steps

• Thoughts directly influence how we feel and act
• Spotting distortions is the first step to change
• Next: Apply this process in everyday scenarios (exit ticket)

Summarize and connect to next lesson or exit ticket.

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Warm Up

Think-Feel-Do Icebreaker

Instructions:

  • Work in pairs and choose a recent event or situation one of you experienced.
  • Take turns sharing the event, then together identify and record:
    1. The automatic Thought you had
    2. The Feeling that followed
    3. The Behavior or action you took
  • Briefly discuss how the thought led to the feeling and behavior.

Event:



Thought:



Feeling:



Behavior:


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Activity

Cognitive Restructuring Role-Play

Instructions:

  1. Form groups of 3–4 students.
  2. Assign roles: one reader (reads the scenario), one recorder (writes responses), and one actor (role-plays the reframed thought). Rotate roles for each scenario.
  3. For each scenario:
    a. Read the situation aloud.
    b. Identify the automatic Thought.
    c. Spot the Cognitive Distortion (e.g., all-or-nothing, overgeneralization).
    d. Challenge the thought with evidence: What facts support or refute it?
    e. Create a balanced Alternative Thought.
    f. Role-play the scenario twice: first using the original thought, then using the reframed thought. Notice changes in tone, emotion, and behavior.
  4. After each role-play, share your alternative thought and what felt different.

Scenario 1: The Forgotten Homework

You realize you forgot to turn in your homework. Your teacher calls on you and asks why.

Automatic Thought:


Distortion:


Evidence For/Against Thought:





Alternative Thought:


Scenario 2: The Ignored Wave

You wave to a friend in the hallway, but they don’t wave back and keep walking.

Automatic Thought:


Distortion:


Evidence For/Against Thought:





Alternative Thought:


Scenario 3: The Low Social Media Response

You post a photo online and only a couple of people ‘like’ it.

Automatic Thought:


Distortion:


Evidence For/Against Thought:





Alternative Thought:


Debrief Questions:

  • How did shifting your thought change how you felt or acted?
  • Which distortion was most common across scenarios?
  • How can you apply this process in everyday life?
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Cool Down

Reflect & Write Exit Ticket

Instructions:

  • Think of a recent situation that triggered a strong emotion or reaction.
  • Complete the prompts below to practice cognitive restructuring.
  1. Situation:


  2. Automatic Thought:


  3. Cognitive Distortion:


  4. Evidence For / Against This Thought:





  5. Balanced Alternative Thought:


  6. How My Feeling or Behavior Might Change:





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What Makes CBT Tick? • Lenny Learning