Lesson Plan
Your Secret Superpower: What is SEL?
Students will be able to define Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and identify the five core competencies of the CASEL model.
Understanding SEL is crucial for personal growth and building a positive school community. It equips students with essential life skills to navigate challenges, manage emotions, and foster healthy relationships.
Audience
7th Grade Students
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Through direct instruction, personal reflection, and group discussion.
Materials
Prep
Teacher Preparation
15 minutes
- Review the Your Secret Superpower: What is SEL? Lesson Plan and all generated materials.
- Prepare presentation technology for the What is SEL? Slide Deck.
- Print enough copies of the My SEL Goals Worksheet for all students.
Step 1
Welcome & Check-in
5 minutes
- Greet students as they enter the classroom.
- Begin with a quick check-in question: "What's one positive thing you're looking forward to today?" (Students can share with a partner or silently reflect).
Step 2
Introduce SEL & CASEL 5
15 minutes
- Present the What is SEL? Slide Deck to introduce Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and the five core CASEL competencies.
- Use the script provided within the slide deck notes to guide the discussion.
- Define SEL as
Step 3
Personal Reflection Journal
10 minutes
- Distribute the My SEL Goals Worksheet.
- Instruct students to silently reflect and complete the worksheet, focusing on how each SEL competency relates to their own lives and setting one personal SEL goal.
Step 4
Group Discussion: Why SEL?
10 minutes
- Facilitate a brief class discussion based on the prompts in the What is SEL? Slide Deck and the My SEL Goals Worksheet.
- Ask questions like: "Why do you think SEL is important for students your age?", "Which competency resonates most with you and why?"
- Encourage students to share their reflections (voluntarily) and insights.
Step 5
Closing & Goal Setting
5 minutes
- Summarize the main points of SEL and the CASEL competencies.
- Remind students that developing SEL skills is an ongoing journey.
- Collect the My SEL Goals Worksheet or have students keep it for personal reference, encouraging them to review their goals throughout the week.
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Slide Deck
Your Secret Superpower!
Unlocking Your Inner Strengths
Today, we're going to explore something that can help you succeed in school, at home, and with your friends. It's like having a superpower that helps you understand yourself and the world around you!
Welcome students to class. Briefly explain that today's lesson is about understanding themselves and others better, which is a 'secret superpower' they all have.
Quick Check-in:
What's one positive thing you're looking forward to today?
(Think to yourself or share with a neighbor!)
Ask students to take a moment to reflect on the check-in question. They can write it down, think about it, or share with a partner. Emphasize that there are no right or wrong answers, just personal reflection.
What is SEL?
SEL stands for Social-Emotional Learning
It's how we learn to:
- Understand and manage our emotions
- Set and achieve positive goals
- Feel and show empathy for others
- Build and maintain healthy relationships
- Make responsible decisions
Introduce the term 'SEL'. Explain that it's a way of learning important skills for life. Ask students if they've heard of it before or what they think it might mean.
The CASEL 5 Competencies
A Framework for Growth
CASEL is an organization that helps schools teach SEL. They have identified 5 core competencies, or main areas, that are super important for everyone to develop.
Explain that SEL isn't just a random idea; there's a framework from CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) that helps organize these skills into five main areas, or competencies.
1. Self-Awareness
Knowing Yourself
- Recognizing your own emotions, thoughts, and values
- Understanding your strengths and weaknesses
- Having a growth mindset
Example: Knowing when you're frustrated and why.
Introduce Self-Awareness. Provide relatable examples for 7th graders, such as recognizing when they're feeling stressed before a test, or understanding what makes them happy.
2. Self-Management
Handling Your Emotions & Actions
- Managing your emotions and behaviors
- Setting and working towards goals
- Controlling impulses and stress
Example: Taking a deep breath when you feel angry instead of yelling.
Introduce Self-Management. Connect it to self-awareness – once you know how you feel, how do you handle it? Give examples like staying calm when something goes wrong or staying focused on homework.
3. Social Awareness
Understanding Others
- Showing empathy for others
- Understanding different perspectives and cultures
- Recognizing social cues and norms
Example: Noticing that a classmate looks upset and wondering if they need help.
Introduce Social Awareness. Emphasize understanding others' perspectives and feelings. Examples: recognizing when a friend is sad, or understanding different viewpoints in a group project.
4. Relationship Skills
Building Strong Connections
- Communicating clearly and listening actively
- Building healthy relationships
- Working cooperatively and resolving conflicts
Example: Working with a partner on a project and listening to their ideas.
Introduce Relationship Skills. Talk about building positive connections. Examples: working well in a group, resolving conflicts peacefully, communicating effectively.
5. Responsible Decision-Making
Making Good Choices
- Considering the consequences of your actions
- Making ethical and constructive choices
- Problem-solving
Example: Thinking about how your actions affect yourself and others before doing something.
Introduce Responsible Decision-Making. Explain it's about making good choices after considering consequences. Examples: choosing to study instead of playing video games, or thinking before posting something online.
Your Own SEL Journey
Time for Reflection
Now that you know the 5 CASEL competencies, let's think about how they show up in your life and how you can grow them!
You'll get a My SEL Goals Worksheet to guide your thinking.
Transition to the worksheet. Explain that students will now have a chance to think about these competencies in their own lives and set a personal goal. Hand out the 'My SEL Goals Worksheet' here.
Let's Discuss!
Why is SEL important for YOU?
- Why do you think Social-Emotional Learning is important for students your age?
- Which of the 5 CASEL competencies do you feel is most important for you right now?
- Can you think of a time when using an SEL skill helped you?
(Share with the class!)
After students have had time to work on their worksheets, facilitate a discussion. Encourage voluntary sharing and reinforce the idea that everyone is on their own SEL journey. Use these prompts to get the conversation going.
Keep Growing!
Your Secret Superpower is Always with You!
- SEL skills are like muscles – the more you use them, the stronger they get!
- Keep practicing self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
- You've got this!
Conclude the lesson by reiterating the value of SEL and encouraging students to continue practicing these skills. Collect or have them keep their worksheets.
Worksheet
My SEL Goals Worksheet
Name: ____________________________
Date: ____________________________
Reflecting on Your Superpower: Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
Think about the 5 CASEL competencies we discussed. How do they relate to your life? What do they look like in action?
1. Self-Awareness (Knowing Yourself)
- When do you feel your emotions most strongly (happy, sad, angry, excited)? What usually causes these feelings?
- What are two of your greatest strengths?
- What is one area you'd like to improve about yourself?
2. Self-Management (Handling Your Emotions & Actions)
- Describe a time when you successfully managed a challenging emotion (like anger or frustration).
- What is one goal you have for yourself this week (it can be academic, personal, or social)? How will you work towards it?
3. Social Awareness (Understanding Others)
- How can you tell when someone else is feeling happy, sad, or upset? What cues do you look for?
- What is one way you can show empathy or understanding to a classmate today?
4. Relationship Skills (Building Strong Connections)
- Think about a positive relationship you have (with a friend, family member, teacher). What makes that relationship strong?
- How do you typically resolve disagreements with others?
5. Responsible Decision-Making (Making Good Choices)
- Describe a time you had to make an important decision. What steps did you take to make that choice?
- What is one thing you can do this week to make a responsible choice that benefits yourself and others?
My SEL Goal
Based on your reflections, choose ONE CASEL competency you want to focus on and improve this week. Write down your goal and how you plan to achieve it.
My SEL Goal is to improve my: (Circle one)
Self-Awareness | Self-Management | Social Awareness | Relationship Skills | Responsible Decision-Making
My Goal:
How I will work towards my goal: