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What’s Your SEL Superpower?

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Maria Reynoso

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Superpower Mapping Lesson Plan

Students will identify and map their personal SEL strengths across CASEL’s five competencies and reflect on areas for growth through collaborative and individual activities.

By exploring their SEL superpowers, students build self-awareness, empathy, and community, laying a strong foundation for positive relationships and responsible decision-making.

Audience

4th Grade Class

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Interactive mapping, sorting, and reflection exercises.

Materials

Discover Your SEL Powers Slides, Strengths Sorting Challenge Activity, My SEL Superpower Reflection Journal, and Power Pledge Exit Ticket

Prep

Prepare Materials & Environment

10 minutes

  • Review and load the Discover Your SEL Powers Slides.
  • Print enough sets of the Strengths Sorting Challenge Activity cards for groups of 3–4 students.
  • Provide each student with the My SEL Superpower Reflection Journal.
  • Make copies of the Power Pledge Exit Ticket for each student.
  • Arrange tables or desks to support small-group sorting discussions.

Step 1

Introduction & Warm-Up

5 minutes

  • Ask: “If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?”
  • Explain that everyone already has SEL superpowers based on CASEL’s five competencies.
  • Briefly introduce CASEL’s competencies with slide visuals: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision-making.

Step 2

Superpower Mapping

15 minutes

  • Display slide for each competency on Discover Your SEL Powers Slides.
  • Students draw a simple chart in their journal with five headers (one per competency).
  • Under each header, students list examples of times they’ve used that SEL superpower.
  • Circulate to support and prompt deeper thinking with questions (e.g., “When have you shown empathy?”).

Step 3

Strengths Sorting Challenge

10 minutes

  • Divide students into groups of 3–4.
  • Give each group a shuffled deck of Strengths Sorting Challenge Activity cards describing behaviors tied to CASEL competencies.
  • Groups sort cards into three piles: “Superpower (Strength),” “Developing,” and “Not Yet.”
  • After sorting, each group shares one strength and one growth area they identified.

Step 4

Reflection Journal

10 minutes

  • Students complete prompts in their My SEL Superpower Reflection Journal:
    • Which SEL superpower am I strongest in and why?
    • Which superpower do I want to strengthen?
    • One action step I can take to grow that skill.
  • Invite a few volunteers to share reflections aloud.

Step 5

Power Pledge Exit Ticket

5 minutes

  • Distribute the Power Pledge Exit Ticket.
  • Students write one specific pledge to use or develop an SEL superpower this week.
  • Collect tickets as students leave.
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Slide Deck

What’s Your SEL Superpower?

Discover CASEL’s Five Social-Emotional Learning Competencies and explore the strengths you already have!

Welcome students! Today, we’ll discover our SEL superpowers—skills we use every day to understand ourselves and connect with others. Introduce the lesson title and get them excited.

What Is SEL?

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) helps us:
• Recognize and manage our feelings
• Set goals and solve problems
• Understand and care for others
• Build positive relationships
• Make responsible decisions

Explain that SEL stands for Social-Emotional Learning. Ask for examples of feelings or ways we manage our emotions.

Competencies: Self-Awareness & Self-Management

Self-Awareness: Knowing our thoughts, feelings, strengths, and challenges.
Self-Management: Using strategies to control impulses, handle stress, and stay focused on goals.

Describe self-awareness and self-management. Ask students to raise hands if they’ve ever noticed how they feel, then calmed themselves when upset.

Competencies: Social Awareness & Relationship Skills

Social Awareness: Seeing things from others’ perspectives and showing empathy.
Relationship Skills: Communicating clearly, listening, cooperating, and resolving conflicts respectfully.

Explain social awareness and relationship skills. Encourage examples of showing kindness to friends or classmates.

Competency: Responsible Decision-Making

Responsible Decision-Making: Making caring, ethical choices, considering consequences and safety for ourselves and others.

Describe responsible decision-making. Ask students to think of a recent choice they made at school and why.

Superpower Mapping Activity

  1. In your journal, draw five columns—one for each competency.
  2. Under each, write one or two times you’ve used that skill.
  3. Think quietly, then share one example with a partner.

Guide students through the mapping chart. Show an example chart with five columns drawn on the board.

Strengths Sorting Challenge

  1. In groups of 3–4, get your deck of behavior cards.
  2. Sort cards into “Superpower (Strength),” “Developing,” or “Not Yet.”
  3. Pick one strength and one growth area to share with the class.

Explain how to sort behavior cards. Remind groups to discuss and come to agreement on each card category.

Power Pledge Exit Ticket

Write one promise you’ll make this week to use or grow an SEL superpower.
Example: “I will take three deep breaths when I feel frustrated.”
Turn in your pledge as you leave.

Prompt students to write a specific pledge. Encourage creativity and realistic goals.

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Activity

Strengths Sorting Challenge Instructions

In this interactive activity, students will work in small groups to sort behavior cards based on how well they currently demonstrate each SEL competency. This helps them reflect on their strengths and growth areas.

Materials:

  • One deck of behavior cards per group (Strengths Sorting Challenge Activity)
  • Three sorting labels: Superpower (Strength), Developing, Not Yet

Steps:

  1. Divide students into groups of 3–4 and give each group a shuffled deck of behavior cards.
  2. In each group, take turns reading a card aloud.
  3. Discuss as a team whether the behavior is a current Superpower (Strength), something they are Developing, or Not Yet mastered.
  4. Place the card in the chosen pile.
  5. Continue until all cards are sorted.
  6. Each group selects one card from the Superpower pile and one from the Developing pile to share with the whole class:
    • “Our SEL superpower is: ___ because ___.”
    • “We want to grow this skill: ___, and our first step will be ___.”

Timing: ~10 minutes total

Use this challenge to spark discussion about personal strengths and realistic growth goals. Encourage students to be honest and supportive of one another’s reflections!







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Journal

My SEL Superpower Reflection

1. Which SEL superpower am I strongest in and why?







2. Which SEL superpower do I want to strengthen and why?







3. One action step I can take to grow that skill:







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Cool Down

Power Pledge Exit Ticket

Write one promise you’ll make this week to use or grow one of your SEL superpowers.

My SEL Power Pledge:







Turn in your pledge as you leave to show how you’ll put your superpower into action!

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