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Words That Matter

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Lesson Plan

Words That Matter Lesson Plan

Students will identify how words and actions impact others, practice empathy, and learn self-control strategies like Stop–Think–Choose through interactive discussion, a worksheet, and a playful game.

This lesson helps a student with a communication impairment build social awareness, develop empathy, and gain practical strategies to manage emotions and communicate positively, enhancing peer relationships and self-regulation.

Audience

7th Grade Student with Communication Impairment

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive visuals, guided practice, and a playful game

Materials

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

Step 1

Introduction & Visual Warm-Up

5 minutes

  • Greet the student and show emotion icons (happy, sad, angry)
  • Ask: “How do words make you feel when someone says something kind or hurtful?”
  • Use picture cues and gestures to support expression
  • Introduce the lesson goal: noticing how words and actions affect feelings

Step 2

Slide Deck Presentation

6 minutes

  • Use Words That Matter Slide Deck to show two scenarios: kind vs. hurtful words
  • Pause on each slide to check understanding with yes/no or pointing responses
  • Reinforce vocabulary with visual symbols and sentence starters (e.g., “I feel ___ when ____.”)

Step 3

Worksheet Activity

6 minutes

  • Hand out Empathy Scenario Worksheet
  • Read each scenario aloud; support with visuals
  • Student identifies the character’s emotion and writes or points to a kinder response
  • Use communication supports (choice boards or sentence strips) as needed

Step 4

Kind Words Game

10 minutes

  • Introduce Kind Words Game Board and Emotion Charades Activity Cards
  • Take turns drawing a card: act out or name an emotion
  • Respond with a kind phrase or action to calm or cheer up the character
  • Award a token for empathetic responses; play until tokens are collected

Step 5

Reflection & Self-Control Strategy

3 minutes

  • Review the Stop–Think–Choose steps with visuals:
    • Stop: pause before speaking
    • Think: consider how words affect feelings
    • Choose: pick a kind response
  • Have the student practice one scenario using Stop–Think–Choose
  • Close by praising their thoughtful communication
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Slide Deck

Words That Matter

Understanding how our words affect others

Greet the student and show emotion icons (happy, sad, angry). Introduce the topic: Words That Matter. Explain that today we will explore how words can make people feel.

Kind vs Hurtful Words

  • Kind Words:
    • “Thank you for helping me.”
    • “You did a great job!”

  • Hurtful Words:
    • “You’re really dumb.”
    • “No one likes you.”

Show the two columns. Read each example aloud, pointing to the kind vs hurtful words. Pause and ask the student: “Which words sound kind? Which words might hurt someone’s feelings?”

How Words Make Us Feel

  • Kind words → 😊 Happy, supported
  • Hurtful words → 😢 Sad, hurt, angry

Display emotion icons next to each category. Ask: “How do kind words make you feel? How do hurtful words make you feel?” Encourage pointing or yes/no responses.

Sentence Starters

Use this frame to share feelings:

“I feel ___ when ___”

Examples:

  • “I feel happy when you share.”
  • “I feel sad when you ignore me.”

Introduce the sentence starter frame. Show visuals or sentence strips for “I feel ___ when ___.” Model filling in the blanks with simple, kind statements.

Stop–Think–Choose

  1. STOP ✋ Pause before you speak
  2. THINK 🤔 How will my words affect others?
  3. CHOOSE 👍 A kind, helpful response

Review the Stop–Think–Choose strategy with simple icons: stop sign, thinking face, and thumbs-up. Explain each step and link back to choosing kind words.

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Worksheet

Empathy Scenario Worksheet

Scenario 1

Alex borrowed Maya’s colored pencils. When Alex returned them, they were broken.

  1. How do you think Maya feels? (Circle or write)






  1. What kind words or actions could Alex choose to help Maya feel better?











Scenario 2

Jordan made a joke about Taylor in front of the class. Taylor looked hurt and stopped talking.

  1. How do you think Taylor feels? (Circle or write)






  1. What kind words or actions could Jordan choose to help Taylor feel better?











Sentence Starter Practice

Use this frame to share feelings or apologies:

“I feel ___ when ___.”

Examples:

  • “I feel sad when I lose my favorite pencil.”
  • “I feel sorry when I hurt your feelings.”

Now you try:







Remember: Stop–Think–Choose before you speak!

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Activity

Emotion Charades Activity Cards

Instructions

  • Print and cut out the cards along the dashed lines.
  • Place cards face down in a pile.
  • Student draws one card and acts out the emotion without speaking.
  • Teacher or partner guesses the emotion.
  • Then ask: “What kind words or actions could help someone feeling [Emotion]?”
    • Student practices a kind response using Stop–Think–Choose.
Happy 😊
Sad 😢
Angry 😠
Scared 😨
Excited 🤩
Embarrassed 😳
Frustrated 😤
Nervous 😬
Proud 😌
Surprised 😮
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Game

Kind Words Game Board

Objective: Move your token from Start to Finish by rolling a die. Follow each space’s prompt to practice kindness and empathy.

How to Play

  1. Player rolls one die and moves their token that number of spaces.
  2. Follow the prompt on the space you land on:
    • Kind Word Challenge: Practice a kind phrase or sentence.
    • Emotion Stop 🎭: Draw a card from Emotion Charades Activity Cards. Act out or name the emotion, then offer a kind response using Stop–Think–Choose.
    • Move Ahead: Advance extra spaces as indicated.
    • Lose a Turn: Wait and use Stop–Think–Choose on your next turn.
  3. Award yourself a token for each successful response. Keep them on a separate pile.
  4. First to Finish wins! Or whoever has the most tokens if you play until time is up.

Board Layout

Start1. Kind Word Challenge
(Say something kind about a friend.)		2. Emotion Stop 😢
(Draw & respond.)		Move Ahead 1
Lose a Turn5. Kind Word Challenge
(List two kind words.)		6. Emotion Stop 😠
(Draw & respond.)		Move Ahead 2
Move Ahead 19. Emotion Stop 😨
(Draw & respond.)		10. Kind Word Challenge
(Use “I feel ___ when ___”.)		Lose a Turn
Emotion Stop 😊
(Draw & respond.)		Move Ahead 1Kind Word Challenge
(Give a compliment.)		Finish

Visual Supports

  • Place emotion icons and sentence starter strips on the board.
  • Use choice boards or picture cards for responses.

Remember: STOP ✋ → THINK 🤔 → CHOOSE 👍 before you speak!

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