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Winter Winds of Change

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Lesson Plan

Winter Winds of Change

Foster emotional flexibility and resilience by helping students develop adaptability and coping strategies for life's inevitable changes, particularly during seasonal and holiday transitions.

Understanding and managing change is a critical life skill. This lesson equips students with emotional flexibility and healthy coping mechanisms, empowering them to navigate transitions with greater confidence and well-being.

Audience

5th-8th Grade Students

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Through storytelling, reflection, and group discussion.

Materials

Whiteboard or Projector, Markers or Pens, Slide Deck: Riding the Waves of Change, Activity: My Change Toolkit, Discussion: Sharing Our Seasons, and Worksheet: Navigating New Currents

Prep

Prepare Materials

15 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: Shifting Sands (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Begin by asking students to briefly share one small change they've experienced recently (e.g., a new routine, a change in weather, a different lunch period).
    - Discuss how these small changes made them feel. (Teacher Note: This helps activate prior knowledge and connect to the theme of change).
    - Introduce the lesson's main topic: adapting to changes, big and small, especially with winter and holidays approaching.

Step 2

Introduction: Riding the Waves of Change (10 minutes)

10 minutes

  • Use the Slide Deck: Riding the Waves of Change to introduce the concept of change and adaptability.
    - Share a brief, engaging story (or use an example from the slide deck) about navigating a significant change successfully.
    - Discuss the different emotions associated with change (excitement, fear, sadness, curiosity).
    - Emphasize that all feelings are valid.

Step 3

Activity: My Change Toolkit (15 minutes)

15 minutes

  • Distribute the Activity: My Change Toolkit worksheet to each student.
    - Explain the activity: students will brainstorm and identify personal coping strategies and support systems for dealing with change.
    - Encourage creative thinking and provide examples if needed (e.g., talking to a trusted adult, journaling, exercise, listening to music).
    - Circulate and offer guidance as students work.

Step 4

Discussion: Sharing Our Seasons (10 minutes)

10 minutes

  • Facilitate a group discussion using prompts from Discussion: Sharing Our Seasons.
    - Students can share one item from their 'Change Toolkit' and explain why it's helpful.
    - Encourage respectful listening and provide opportunities for students to affirm each other's ideas.
    - Guide the conversation to highlight the diversity of coping strategies and the importance of finding what works for each individual.

Step 5

Wrap-Up: Navigating New Currents (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Distribute the Worksheet: Navigating New Currents as an exit ticket or homework.
    - Briefly review key takeaways: change is constant, feelings are normal, and we have tools to adapt.
    - Reiterate the importance of practicing adaptability and using their 'Change Toolkit' in daily life.
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Slide Deck

Winter Winds of Change

Riding the Waves of Change: Adapting to New Seasons and Adventures

Sometimes life feels like the weather - constantly shifting and changing. How do we keep our balance?

Welcome students and prepare them for a lesson about change. Start with a quick warm-up to get them thinking about everyday changes.

What's Shifting Around You?

Think about a small change that has happened in your life recently.

  • Maybe your schedule changed?
  • Maybe the weather got colder?
  • Maybe a new activity started?

How did this small change make you feel?


Ask students to share a small change they've experienced recently. Examples: different routine, new teacher, change in weather. Encourage a few to share how it made them feel. Emphasize there are no right or wrong feelings.

Change Is Constant

Just like the seasons change from fall to winter, life is full of changes!

  • New school years
  • New friendships
  • New routines
  • Holidays and family gatherings

Some changes are big, some are small, but they all ask us to adapt.

Introduce the idea that change is constant. Connect it to the seasons and upcoming holidays. Explain that this lesson will help them learn to navigate changes with confidence.

How Do We Feel About Change?

Change can bring up lots of different feelings:

  • Excitement! (New adventures!)
  • Curiosity! (What will happen next?)
  • Nervousness... (Will I like it?)
  • Sadness. (Missing the old way.)
  • Frustration. (This is different!)

All of these feelings are normal and valid!

Discuss a range of emotions students might feel when facing change. Validate all feelings. Share a short personal anecdote or a hypothetical story about someone successfully navigating a change.

Building Our Change Toolkit

What do you do when you face something new or different?

We all have ways to cope, even if we don't realize it yet.

Today, we're going to build our very own Change Toolkit!

Introduce the concept of a 'Change Toolkit.' Explain that these are strategies and people that can help us when things change. This will lead into the activity.

Activity: My Change Toolkit

Now it's your turn to think about what helps you adapt.

We will be working on the Activity: My Change Toolkit to brainstorm:

  • Things you can do
  • People who can help
  • Places that make you feel safe

Explain the upcoming activity. Students will be brainstorming strategies. Encourage them to think broadly about what helps them feel better or adjust.

Sharing Our Seasons

Let's share some of the amazing tools and strategies you came up with!

  • What's one thing from your toolkit you're proud of?
  • How might it help you with a future change?

Transition to the discussion phase. Remind students to listen respectfully and share openly.

Navigating New Currents

Remember:

  • Change is a part of life.
  • It's okay to feel different emotions.
  • You have an amazing Change Toolkit inside you to help you adapt!

Let's reflect on what we learned today with our Worksheet: Navigating New Currents.

Conclude the lesson by reinforcing the main ideas: change is part of life, and everyone has the ability to adapt. Introduce the cool-down worksheet.

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Activity

My Change Toolkit: What Helps Me Adapt?

Life is full of changes, big and small! Sometimes change can feel exciting, and other times it can feel a little tricky. Just like a superhero has a utility belt, you have your own personal toolkit of things that help you when things shift and change.

Let's build your very own "Change Toolkit"!

Part 1: My Personal Coping Strategies

What are some things you can do when you face a new situation or when you're feeling overwhelmed by a change? Think about activities, actions, or thoughts that help you feel calm, happy, or strong.

  • Things I can do to help myself:













  • What kind of thoughts help me when things are changing? (e.g., "I can do this," "It's okay to ask for help")







Part 2: My Support System

Who are the people in your life who make you feel safe, understood, and supported during times of change? These are your helpers!

  • People who can help me: (e.g., family members, friends, teachers, counselors)










  • What places make me feel calm or safe when I need to adapt? (e.g., my room, a park, the library)







Part 3: Drawing My Toolkit

In the space below, draw a picture of your Change Toolkit! It could be a backpack, a toolbox, a treasure chest, or anything else you imagine. Fill it with symbols or small drawings representing the strategies and people you listed above.




















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Discussion

Sharing Our Seasons: A Discussion on Change

Now that you've thought about your own "Change Toolkit," let's share our ideas and learn from each other! Remember to listen respectfully and allow everyone a chance to speak.

Discussion Prompts:

  1. Toolkit Spotlight: What's one item from your "Change Toolkit" (either a coping strategy or a person/place) that you feel is super helpful? Can you explain why it works for you?

    • Follow-up: Has anyone else tried something similar? What was your experience?

  2. Small Shifts, Big Feelings: Think about a recent small change in your life (like a change in routine, or a new rule). How did you react to it? Did you use anything from your toolkit?

    • Follow-up: Did anyone surprise themselves with how they handled a change?

  3. Winter & Holidays: With the seasons changing and holidays often bringing new schedules and gatherings, what's one way you can use your Change Toolkit to help you adapt to these upcoming shifts?

    • Follow-up: What's one thing you're looking forward to, and one potential challenge, related to the colder weather or upcoming holidays?

  4. Learning from Others: What's something new you heard today from a classmate that you might consider adding to your own Change Toolkit?

    • Follow-up: Why does that particular idea resonate with you?

  5. Embracing the New: What does it mean to "embrace" change? How can we shift our mindset to see change as an opportunity, even when it feels difficult?

    • Follow-up: Can you think of a time when a change that seemed difficult at first actually led to something good?

Discussion Guidelines:

  • Be respectful: Listen actively when others are speaking.
  • One voice at a time: Wait for your turn to speak.
  • Share openly: It's okay to share personal experiences, but you don't have to if you're not comfortable.
  • No judgment: Everyone experiences change differently, and all feelings are valid.
  • Build on ideas: You can agree or disagree respectfully and explain why.
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Worksheet

Navigating New Currents: Reflecting on Change

Name: ____________________________
Date: ____________________________

We talked a lot today about how life is always changing, just like the weather or the seasons. It's important to know how to navigate these new currents with confidence!

Part 1: What Did You Learn?

  1. What is one important idea you learned today about change or adapting to new situations?






  2. What is one emotion you sometimes feel when something in your life changes?



  3. From your "Change Toolkit" activity, what is one strategy you are excited to try or use the next time you face a change?






Part 2: Applying Your Toolkit

Imagine a small change is coming up, like a new seating arrangement in class or a change in your after-school schedule.

  1. How might you feel about this change?



  2. What is one specific thing from your "Change Toolkit" (a strategy, a person, or a place) that you would use to help you navigate this change?






Part 3: Looking Ahead

Write one sentence about why it's important to be adaptable in life.







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Winter Winds of Change • Lenny Learning