Understanding Stress: Identifying Emotions and Connections Lesson Plan and Activity

Standards Addressed

Self-Awareness: Recognizing one's emotions and values as well as one's strengths and limitations.

Self-Management: The ability to demonstrate skills to manage stress and anxiety

Objective(s)

Students will be able to define stress, identify its signs and associated emotions, understand the connection between stress and feelings, and apply their understanding to real-life scenarios.

ASSESSMENT

Teamwork and station work

Participation in the What Could They Do game (optional) Closing discussion

LESSON KEY POINTS

Identifying emotions experienced during stressful situations

Reflecting on the connections between stress and feelings

PREPARATION

Set up four stations in the classroom. Each station will have a paper easel pad and markers. Stations 1 and 2 will also include devices to use to conduct a Google search and watch a video.

OPENING

Break students into four teams. Explain that each team will rotate through the stations and that the topic of the day is stress.

ACTIVITY

Station 1

Students will conduct a Google search for different definitions of stress. Students will discuss the answers they found and agree on a team definition to write on their easel pad.

Example definition: a state of worry or mental tension cause by a challenging situation; a natural human response to a challenging situation that can cause a feeling of emotional or physical tension.

Station 2

Students will watch the Stress Management Video and create a list of common signs of stress. After students watch the video, they will work as a team to write a list of the signs of stress.

Station 3

Students will create a list of feelings they connect with stress. Students will have a discussion about how stress can feel and create a list on their easel pad of feelings they have felt when stressed.

Examples: scared, tense, butterflies in their stomach, frustrated, overwhelmed, sad, lonely, excited

*Misconception to anticipate: Students may think stress is always negative, but it can also be a response to excitement.

Station 4

Students will answer the following question on their easel pad: What makes you stressed? Encourage students to think of situations within the school environment, at home, and with friends outside of school. Students will work together to write their answers on their easel pad.

Going Deeper (optional activity)

Each team will act out a real-life, stressful situation from their Station 4 list, depicting signs of stress and the emotions they would feel. Other teams will give suggestions for what the student can do to manage the stress.

Examples: Taking deep breaths, taking a walk, calming music, headphones, getting a drink of water, talking to a friend or teacher

Closing

After all stations have been completed, bring the class together to share and discuss the results.

Access the downloadable Understanding Stress: Identifying Emotions and Connections Lesson Plan and Activity here.

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Social Cipher combines an online SEL game with companion lessons that help students build and practice social-emotional skills for success in and beyond the classroom. Learn more for your school or therapy center.