Lesson Plan
Superpower Mapping Lesson Plan
Students will be able to identify and define CASEL's five social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies, and recognize their own strengths and areas for growth within these competencies through self-discovery activities.
Understanding SEL competencies helps students develop crucial life skills for managing emotions, building relationships, and making responsible decisions, leading to greater well-being and academic success.
Audience
4th Grade Class
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion and self-reflection.
Materials
Discover Your SEL Powers Slides](#discover-your-sel-powers-slides), Strengths Sorting Challenge, My SEL Superpower Reflection, and Power Pledge Exit Ticket
Prep
Prepare Materials
15 minutes
- Review the Discover Your SEL Powers Slides to familiarize yourself with the content.
- Print copies of the Strengths Sorting Challenge for each student.
- Print copies of the My SEL Superpower Reflection for each student.
- Print copies of the Power Pledge Exit Ticket for each student.
- Ensure projector and computer are set up for the slide deck.
Step 1
Introduction: What Are Superpowers?
5 minutes
- Begin by asking students: "If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?" (Allow a few students to share).
- Transition by explaining that today, they will discover their real-life superpowers – their SEL superpowers. Introduce the Discover Your SEL Powers Slides.
Step 2
Unveiling CASEL's 5 SEL Competencies
15 minutes
- Use the Discover Your SEL Powers Slides to introduce each of CASEL's five competencies: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making.
- For each competency, provide a brief explanation and a relatable example. Encourage students to think about how these skills show up in their own lives.
- Facilitate a brief class discussion after each competency is introduced, asking questions like "When have you shown great self-awareness?" or "How do you use relationship skills on the playground?"
Step 3
Strengths Sorting Challenge Activity
15 minutes
- Distribute the Strengths Sorting Challenge worksheet to each student.
- Explain that they will sort various strengths into the five SEL competency categories.
- Circulate around the room to provide support and clarification as students work individually or in pairs.
- After a few minutes, bring the class back together and review the answers, discussing why certain strengths fit into particular categories.
Step 4
My SEL Superpower Reflection
5 minutes
- Distribute the My SEL Superpower Reflection journal prompt.
- Instruct students to choose one SEL competency they feel is their strongest "superpower" and one they want to grow.
- Encourage them to write a short reflection on why they chose these and how they can use their superpower and improve their growth area.
Step 5
Power Pledge Exit Ticket
5 minutes
- Distribute the Power Pledge Exit Ticket.
- Ask students to write down one thing they will do to use their SEL superpower or work on a growth area this week.
- Collect the exit tickets as students leave, reinforcing their commitment to developing their SEL skills.
Slide Deck
What's Your Superpower?
If you could have ANY superpower, what would it be and why?
Welcome students and get them thinking about superpowers. Allow a couple of students to share their imaginative superpowers before transitioning to real-life SEL superpowers.
Your Real-Life Superpowers!
🌟 Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) skills are like real-life superpowers!
🌟 They help us understand ourselves and others.
🌟 They help us make good choices and build strong friendships.
Introduce the idea of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) as real-life superpowers. Explain that these are skills we all have and can develop.
Superpower #1: Self-Awareness
🦸♀️ Knowing Yourself!
- Understanding your feelings.
- Knowing your strengths and what you're good at.
- Understanding what makes you unique.
Think: When have you shown great Self-Awareness?
Introduce Self-Awareness. Give examples like knowing your feelings, strengths, and what makes you unique. Ask students for their own examples.
Superpower #2: Self-Management
💪 Managing Yourself!
- Controlling your feelings and actions.
- Setting goals and working towards them.
- Staying focused even when things are tough.
Think: How do you manage your emotions when you're frustrated?
Introduce Self-Management. Give examples like controlling impulses, setting goals, and staying focused. Ask students for their own examples.
Superpower #3: Social Awareness
🤝 Understanding Others!
- Being able to understand how others feel (empathy).
- Seeing things from different points of view.
- Respecting people who are different from you.
Think: How can you show social awareness to a new student?
Introduce Social Awareness. Give examples like empathy, understanding different perspectives, and respecting others. Ask students for their own examples.
Superpower #4: Relationship Skills
👯 Working With Others!
- Communicating clearly with friends and family.
- Working well in a team.
- Solving disagreements peacefully.
Think: What makes a good friend, using relationship skills?
Introduce Relationship Skills. Give examples like communicating clearly, working in teams, and resolving conflicts. Ask students for their own examples.
Superpower #5: Responsible Decision-Making
🧠 Making Good Choices!
- Thinking about what might happen before you act.
- Making safe, fair, and helpful choices.
- Solving problems in a way that helps everyone.
Think: When did you make a responsible decision recently?
Introduce Responsible Decision-Making. Give examples like thinking about consequences and making safe, ethical choices. Ask students for their own examples.
Time to Discover YOUR Superpowers!
Now that we know the 5 SEL Superpowers, let's see how they show up in our everyday lives!
Transition to the activity, explaining that students will now sort different strengths into these categories to practice identifying them.
Activity
Strengths Sorting Challenge
Instructions: Read each strength listed below. Decide which of the five SEL Superpowers it best fits under: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, or Responsible Decision-Making. Write the strength under the correct superpower category.
The 5 SEL Superpowers:
- Self-Awareness: Knowing your feelings, strengths, and what makes you unique.
- Self-Management: Controlling your feelings and actions, setting goals, and staying focused.
- Social Awareness: Understanding how others feel, seeing things from different points of view, and respecting differences.
- Relationship Skills: Communicating clearly, working well in a team, and solving disagreements peacefully.
- Responsible Decision-Making: Thinking about consequences, making safe and fair choices, and solving problems.
Strengths to Sort:
- Listening to a friend when they are sad
- Knowing you feel frustrated when something is difficult
- Taking a deep breath before reacting when you are angry
- Working with your group to build a tower
- Thinking about whether a choice is fair to everyone
- Understanding why someone might be quiet today
- Setting a goal to read more books
- Telling a teacher if you see something unfair happening
- Knowing what you are good at in school
- Apologizing when you hurt someone's feelings
Self-Awareness
Self-Management
Social Awareness
Relationship Skills
Responsible Decision-Making
Journal
My SEL Superpower Reflection
Think about the five SEL Superpowers we discussed today:
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Management
- Social Awareness
- Relationship Skills
- Responsible Decision-Making
My SEL Superpower (My Strongest Skill):
Which one of these SEL Superpowers do you think is your strongest? This is your main SEL Superpower! Why do you think this is your superpower? Give an example of when you used it.
My Growth Superpower (Skill I Want to Grow):
Which one of these SEL Superpowers would you like to work on and make stronger? This is your growth area. What is one small step you can take to make this superpower even better?
Cool Down
My SEL Power Pledge
Instructions: Before you leave, write down one thing you will do this week to either use your strongest SEL Superpower or work on the SEL Superpower you want to grow. Make it a promise to yourself!
I pledge to...
My SEL Superpower choice is: (Circle one)
Self-Awareness | Self-Management | Social Awareness | Relationship Skills | Responsible Decision-Making