How Are You Feeling Today?

Think about how you're feeling right now. Are you happy, sad, excited, or maybe a little sleepy? Draw a picture of your feeling in the box below.











Now, can you think of why you're feeling that way? Write down one or two reasons.




Share your drawing and reason with a partner if you feel comfortable!

Teacher Script: Your Thoughts Shape You!

Warm-Up: How Are You Feeling Today? (5 minutes)

"Good morning, everyone! Let's start our day by checking in with ourselves. Take a moment to think about how you're feeling right now. Are you feeling happy, sleepy, excited, or maybe a little bit worried? On your How Are You Feeling Today? Warm Up paper, draw a picture of your feeling in the big box.

"Now, underneath your drawing, can you write down one or two reasons why you're feeling that way? For example, if you're happy, maybe it's because it's a sunny day! Or if you're sleepy, maybe you stayed up a little late.

"Take a minute to share your drawing and your reason with a partner next to you. If you don't want to share, that's okay too. Just think about it in your head."

(Allow students to share. Briefly bring the class back together to transition.)

Introduction to Thoughts, Feelings, and Actions (10 minutes)

"Thank you for sharing, everyone! Today, we're going to talk about something really interesting that connects to how we feel. It's about our thoughts!" (Point to Your Thoughts Shape You! Slide Deck - Slide 1)

"Has anyone ever wondered what thoughts are? Where do they come from?" (Allow a few responses)

"Let's look at our next slide." (Advance to Your Thoughts Shape You! Slide Deck - Slide 2)

"Thoughts are like little messages our brain sends to us all day long. Think of your brain as a super amazing message machine! It sends messages about everything: what you see, what you hear, what you remember, and even what you imagine. Sometimes these brain messages are really helpful, and they make us feel good. Other times, they can be a bit tricky, and make us feel not so good."

"Now, here's the super important part!" (Advance to Your Thoughts Shape You! Slide Deck - Slide 3)

"Our thoughts are like the boss! They tell our feelings what to do, and then our feelings tell our body how to act. It's like a chain reaction: Thoughts lead to Feelings, and Feelings lead to Actions."

"Let me give you an example: Imagine you are thinking, 'This is going to be fun!' (Write 'Thought: This is going to be fun!' on the board). How do you think that thought would make you feel?" (Expected: happy, excited)

"Yes! So your feeling might be happy or excited. (Write 'Feeling: Happy, excited'). And if you feel happy and excited, what might you do?" (Expected: play, smile, jump)

"That's right! You might play, smile, or even jump for joy! (Write 'Action: Play, smile'). See? Thought, then feeling, then action!"

"Now, what if you had a thought like, 'This is too hard!' (Write 'Thought: This is too hard!' on the board). How would that make you feel?" (Expected: frustrated, sad)

"Exactly! You might feel frustrated or sad. (Write 'Feeling: Frustrated, sad'). And if you feel frustrated or sad, what might you do?" (Expected: give up, frown, cross arms)

"You might give up or frown. (Write 'Action: Give up, frown'). Do you see how the thought changed everything?"

Reading: What Are Thoughts? (5 minutes)

"To help us understand thoughts even better, I have a short reading for you." (Distribute What Are Thoughts? Reading)

"I'm going to read this aloud. Follow along with me, and if you have any questions, raise your hand." (Read the What Are Thoughts? Reading aloud, pausing to answer questions and clarify)

Activity: Thought Detective (15 minutes)

"Okay, my super smart students! Now that we know what thoughts are and how they connect to feelings and actions, it's time to become Thought Detectives!" (Advance to Your Thoughts Shape You! Slide Deck - Slide 4)

"Just like a detective looks for clues, we can look for our own thoughts. Sometimes our brain messages are helpful – they make us feel good and do good things. Other times, they can be unhelpful – they might make us feel sad or mad, and make us do things we don’t really want to do."

"Let's try a scenario together." (Advance to Your Thoughts Shape You! Slide Deck - Slide 5)

"Imagine you are holding a delicious ice cream cone, and suddenly... SPLAT! It drops on the ground! Oh no!"

"What thought might pop into your head first? Shout out some ideas!" (Encourage various responses like "I'm so sad!", "This is terrible!", "I wanted that!")

"Great thoughts! Now, if you had that thought, how would that make you feel?" (Expected: sad, angry, disappointed)

"And if you feel sad or angry, what might you do?" (Expected: cry, stomp foot, get mad)

"Those are all natural reactions. But wait! Can we change our thoughts?" (Advance to Your Thoughts Shape You! Slide Deck - Slide 6)

"YES! We are the bosses of our brains! If we have an unhelpful thought like 'This is the worst day ever!' because of the dropped ice cream, we can try to change it into a more helpful thought."

"What's a more helpful thought you could have about the dropped ice cream?" (Guide students to suggest things like "It's okay, I can get another one later," or "At least I got to lick it once!")

"See? When we choose a helpful thought, we can feel a little better and even choose a different action, like asking for a napkin to clean up instead of crying."

"Let's try another one!" (Advance to Your Thoughts Shape You! Slide Deck - Slide 7)

"You are drawing a beautiful picture, and you accidentally draw a big scribble right in the middle! Oh no, a mistake!"

"What unhelpful thought might pop into your head?" (Expected: "My drawing is ruined!", "I'm not good at drawing.")

"How would that make you feel?" (Expected: frustrated, sad, angry)

"Now, what helpful thought could you choose instead? How could you turn that scribble into something new?" (Guide students to suggest things like "I can turn the scribble into a cloud!" or "It's okay, mistakes happen, I can try again.")

"Fantastic ideas! You are all becoming amazing Thought Detectives!" (Advance to Your Thoughts Shape You! Slide Deck - Slide 8)

Worksheet: My Thought Tracker (10 minutes)

"Now it's your turn to practice being a Thought Detective on your own! I'm going to give you this My Thought Tracker Worksheet."

(Distribute My Thought Tracker Worksheet. Explain each section.)

"On this worksheet, I want you to think about a time you had a thought that made you feel a certain way. Maybe it was a helpful thought, maybe it was an unhelpful one. Write down your Thought, then how it made you Feel, and what you Did or Could do."

"Then, if it was an unhelpful thought, try to write down a New Helpful Thought! I will walk around and help if you need ideas."

(Circulate and provide support as students work. Encourage them to be specific.)

Discussion: Feelings & Actions (5 minutes)

"Alright, Thought Detectives! Let's talk about what you discovered. What was it like to think about your thoughts and how they made you feel?" (Use Feelings & Actions Discussion Prompts to guide the conversation).

"Who would like to share an example of an unhelpful thought they had, and then the new helpful thought they came up with?"

"Did anyone find that changing their thought actually helped them feel better or act differently?"

Game: Thought Shuffle (5 minutes)

"To make sure our brains are really good at this, let's play a quick game called Thought Shuffle Game!"

(Lead the Thought Shuffle Game as described in its material.)

Assessment: CBT Basics Quiz (5 minutes)

"You've all done an incredible job today learning about your thoughts! To see what you remember, we're going to take a super quick CBT Basics Quiz."

(Distribute the CBT Basics Quiz and instruct students to complete it. Collect quizzes.)

"Also, for those who want to keep practicing being a Thought Detective, I have a special project! This is called the My Positive Self-Talk Project Guide. You can take it home and work on it, and here's a Positive Self-Talk Project Rubric to show you how to do your best work."

Cool-Down: One Good Thing (5 minutes)

"To wrap up our lesson, let's do our One Good Thing Cool Down."

(Guide students through the cool-down activity.)

"Great job today, Thought Detectives! Remember, you are the bosses of your brain!"

What Are Thoughts?

Hi there, awesome brain explorers!

Have you ever wondered what happens inside your head? All those ideas, pictures, and words swirling around? Those are called thoughts!

Think of your brain like a busy message center. All day long, it sends you little messages. These messages are your thoughts. They can be about:

• What you see (like a fluffy cloud or a speedy car).
• What you hear (like a bird singing or your friend laughing).
• What you remember (like your last birthday party).
• What you imagine (like flying to the moon or playing with a pet dragon).

Sometimes, these brain messages are really helpful. They make you feel happy, excited, or brave! For example, if you think, "I can do this!", you might feel strong and ready to try.

Other times, thoughts can be a little unhelpful. They might make you feel sad, mad, or worried. For example, if you think, "This is too hard!", you might feel frustrated and want to give up.

The cool thing is, you are the boss of your brain messages! You can learn to notice your thoughts and even change the unhelpful ones into helpful ones. This helps you feel better and have more fun!

So, remember: your thoughts are just brain messages, and you get to decide which messages you want to listen to most! Keep exploring your amazing brain! 👋

My Thought Tracker

Name: ____________________________

Being a Thought Detective means noticing your brain messages (thoughts) and how they make you feel and act! Let's practice!

Scenario 1: A Tricky Thought

Think about a time you had a thought that made you feel sad, mad, or worried. What was the thought?

My Thought:

How did that thought make you feel?

What did you do (or want to do)?

Now, how could you change that into a NEW Helpful Thought? (What's a kinder or more positive way to think about it?)

Scenario 2: A Helpful Thought

Think about a time you had a thought that made you feel happy, excited, or brave. What was the thought?

My Thought:

How did that thought make you feel?

What did you do?

Be a Super Thought Detective!

Draw a picture of your favorite way to change an unhelpful thought into a helpful one!

Thought Detective Activity: Case Files!

Objective: Students will identify thoughts, feelings, and actions in various scenarios, and practice re-framing unhelpful thoughts.

Instructions:

1. Divide students into small groups (3-4 students).
2. Present one scenario at a time (read aloud or display on screen).
3. Each group discusses the scenario and answers the following questions:
   • What thought might the character have?
   • How would that thought make the character feel?
   • What might the character do (action)?
   • If the thought is unhelpful: What new helpful thought could the character choose instead?
4. After a few minutes of discussion, bring the class back together and have groups share their ideas for each scenario.
5. Emphasize that there are no "right" or "wrong" answers, but rather more helpful or unhelpful ways of thinking.

Case File 1: The Wobbly Tower

Lily is building a tall block tower. She tries to put one more block on top, and CRASH! The whole tower falls down.

• What thought might Lily have?
• How would that make her feel?
• What might she do?
• What new helpful thought could Lily choose instead?

Case File 2: The Rainy Day Recess

It's recess time, and all the children are excited to go outside and play. But then the teacher announces, "Oh no, it's raining! Recess will be inside today."

• What thought might you have?
• How would that make you feel?
• What might you do?
• What new helpful thought could you choose instead?

Case File 3: Sharing Toys

Tom has a really cool new toy car he brought to school for show-and-tell. Another student, Sarah, asks if she can play with it during free time. Tom really wants to keep it to himself.

• What thought might Tom have?
• How would that make him feel?
• What might he do?
• What new helpful thought could Tom choose instead about sharing or playing together?

Feelings & Actions Discussion Prompts

Objective: To help students reflect on how thoughts influence their feelings and actions, and to share strategies for choosing helpful thoughts.

Instructions for Teacher: Facilitate a whole-class discussion using the prompts below. Encourage active listening and respectful sharing.

Discussion Prompts:

1. What was one interesting thing you learned today about your thoughts?
   
   
   
   

2. Can you share an example of a time when a thought made you feel really happy or excited? What was the thought, and what did you do?
   
   
   
   

3. Have you ever had a thought that made you feel sad or mad? What was it, and how did you try to change it?
   
   
   
   

4. Why do you think it's important to be the "boss" of our brains and choose helpful thoughts?
   
   
   
   

5. What is one way you can remember to be a "Thought Detective" when you have an unhelpful brain message?
   
   
   
   

6. How do you think choosing helpful thoughts can make your day better at school or at home?
   
   
   
   

Thought Shuffle Game!

Objective: Quickly identify unhelpful thoughts and transform them into helpful ones.

Materials: Index cards or small slips of paper with various unhelpful thoughts written on them (e.g., "I can't do it!", "No one wants to play with me," "This is boring," "I made a mistake," "They are better than me.")

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Cards: Before class, write down 10-15 common unhelpful thoughts on separate index cards or slips of paper. Keep them simple and relatable to 1st/2nd graders.
2. Explain the Game: "Alright, Thought Detectives! Let's play 'Thought Shuffle'! I have a stack of cards here, and on each card is an unhelpful thought. Our job is to shuffle that unhelpful thought and turn it into a helpful one!"
3. Demonstrate: Pick a card. "For example, if my card says, 'I can't do it!', an unhelpful thought. I can shuffle it to a helpful thought like, 'I can try my best!' or 'I will ask for help if I need it!'"
4. How to Play:
   • Students sit in a circle or at their desks.
   • The teacher holds the stack of unhelpful thought cards.
   • The teacher draws a card and reads the unhelpful thought aloud.
   • The first student (or group) who can loudly and clearly state a helpful thought to replace it gets a point (or gets to choose the next card).
   • Encourage participation from everyone. If a student struggles, prompt them or ask the class for ideas.
5. Variations:
   • Team Play: Divide the class into two teams. The team that comes up with a helpful thought first gets a point.
   • Pass the Thought: Students pass the card around, and each person adds a different helpful thought until time runs out or ideas run dry.

Examples of Unhelpful Thoughts for Cards:

• "I can't do it!"
• "This is too hard."
• "No one likes my drawing."
• "I'm going to get it wrong."
• "It's not fair!"
• "I don't want to try."
• "I'm not good enough."
• "They always get to go first."
• "I made a mistake."
• "This is boring."

CBT Basics Quiz & Test Answer Key

CBT Basics Quiz Answer Key

1. What are "thoughts"?

• Correct Answer: Brain messages
• Thought Process: The lesson defines thoughts as the internal messages our brain sends, making this the most accurate description.

2. If you have a thought like "I can do this!", how might you feel?

• Correct Answer: Brave
• Thought Process: The thought "I can do this!" is a positive, empowering thought, which would typically lead to positive feelings such as bravery, excitement, or confidence.

3. What is one thing you can do if you have an unhelpful thought?

• Correct Answer: Change it to a helpful thought / Be a thought detective / Think of something positive (Accept similar answers that reflect the core concept of thought re-framing).
• Thought Process: The central skill taught in the lesson is identifying unhelpful thoughts and actively choosing to change them into helpful ones.

4. Thoughts, Feelings, and Actions are like a chain. Which order is correct?

• Correct Answer: Thoughts -> Feelings -> Actions
• Thought Process: This is the core CBT model presented: our thoughts influence our feelings, and our feelings influence our actions.

5. Give an example of an unhelpful thought and then a helpful thought you could use instead.

• Correct Answer: (Answers will vary, but should clearly demonstrate an unhelpful thought and a re-framed helpful alternative. Examples from the lesson include:
  • Unhelpful: "This is too hard!" Helpful: "I will try my best!"
  • Unhelpful: "My drawing is ruined!" Helpful: "I can turn the scribble into a cloud!")
• Thought Process: This assesses the student's ability to apply the concept of thought re-framing to a specific example.

CBT Basics Test Answer Key

1. What are thoughts?

• Correct Answer: Messages our brain sends us
• Thought Process: Consistently defined in the lesson as internal brain messages.

2. Explain in your own words how your thoughts can make you feel a certain way.

• Correct Answer: (Answers will vary, but should convey the understanding that thoughts (brain messages) lead to emotions. E.g., "If my brain sends a message that something is scary, I will feel scared.")
• Thought Process: This open-response question assesses conceptual understanding of the thought-feeling connection.

3. If you are playing a game and you think, "I am going to win!", how might you feel?

• Correct Answer: Excited
• Thought Process: The thought is positive and anticipates a positive outcome, leading to positive emotions like excitement or confidence.

4. Imagine you spill juice on your shirt. What is an unhelpful thought you might have? What is a helpful thought you could choose instead?

• Correct Answer: (Answers will vary. Examples:
  • Unhelpful: "My day is ruined!" / "I'm so clumsy!"
  • Helpful: "It's just a spill, I can clean it up." / "Accidents happen, I can change my shirt.")
• Thought Process: This tests the application of identifying and re-framing thoughts in a new, relatable scenario.

5. I can identify my thoughts when I am having them.

• Correct Answer: Agree or Strongly Agree (Indicates self-awareness of internal thought processes).
• Thought Process: This Likert scale question assesses the student's self-perception of their ability to recognize their own thoughts.

6. I know how to change an unhelpful thought into a helpful one.

• Correct Answer: Agree or Strongly Agree (Indicates perceived mastery of the core skill taught).
• Thought Process: This Likert scale question assesses the student's self-perception of their ability to apply thought re-framing.

7. What is one new thing you learned about your brain today?

• Correct Answer: (Answers will vary, but should relate to thoughts, feelings, or actions, or the ability to change thoughts. E.g., "I learned that I can change my thoughts.", "I learned my thoughts are like brain messages.")
• Thought Process: This open-response question allows students to reflect on their key takeaway from the lesson.

My Positive Self-Talk Project Guide

Objective: To create a visual representation of how to use helpful thoughts (positive self-talk) to feel good and do your best.

What is Self-Talk? Self-talk is all those brain messages you send to yourself. Positive self-talk means choosing helpful, kind, and encouraging thoughts!

Your Mission:

Create a poster, a drawing, or a short comic strip that shows how positive self-talk can help you in a tricky situation.

Here are some ideas for what you can create:

1. Positive Thought Poster: Draw a big picture of yourself in a situation where you might have an unhelpful thought (like building a tower that falls down, or feeling shy to talk). Then, draw a thought bubble with a helpful, positive thought you could use. Around your main picture, draw or write other positive self-talk phrases.

2. "My Brain Power!" Comic Strip: Create a comic strip with 3-4 boxes.

   • Box 1: Show a situation where you have an unhelpful thought.
   • Box 2: Show the unhelpful thought (in a thought bubble) and how it makes you feel.
   • Box 3: Show yourself changing that thought into a helpful, positive thought.
   • Box 4: Show how the new helpful thought makes you feel better and what positive action you take!

3. Positive Self-Talk Jar/Box: Decorate a jar or box. On small slips of paper, write down many different positive self-talk phrases you can use when you need a helpful brain message. Keep this jar in your room and pull out a message whenever you need a boost!

What to Include:

• A clear picture or scene of a situation.
• At least one unhelpful thought (if doing the comic strip or showing a contrast).
• At least one clear helpful/positive thought.
• How the helpful thought makes you feel or what positive action you take.
• Your name on your project!

Timeline:

• Day 1: Brainstorm ideas for your project and the scenario you want to show.
• Day 2-3 (Homework/Optional): Work on drawing, writing, and decorating your project.
• Day 4 (Share Day): Share your amazing positive self-talk project with the class or a small group!

Have fun being creative and showing your positive brain power!

Positive Self-Talk Project Rubric

Student Name: ____________________________

This rubric will help you understand how your Positive Self-Talk Project will be graded. Do your best to show how helpful thoughts can make a big difference!

One Good Thing

Objective: Students will reflect on a positive aspect of the lesson or their day, reinforcing the concept of helpful thoughts.

Instructions:

1. "Alright everyone, we've learned so much today about being Thought Detectives! To end our lesson, let's take a moment for our 'One Good Thing' cool-down."
2. "I want each of you to think about just one good thing that happened during our lesson today, or one good thing that happened to you at school today, or even one good thing you are looking forward to after school."
3. "It could be something you learned, something fun you did, or a kind moment with a friend. It's your choice!"
4. "Now, turn to a partner or a small group, and share your 'one good thing'. Remember to listen respectfully to your classmates' good things too."
5. (Optional: Have a few students share their 'one good thing' with the whole class if time allows, or if the teacher wants to gauge overall positive sentiment.)

Bonus Challenge: As you go home today, try to notice if any unhelpful thoughts pop into your head, and then try to change them into helpful, positive thoughts! You are amazing Thought Detectives!