2nd - 4th Grade Social Emotional Learning Lesson Plans

In this lesson, students will explore the meaning of integrity through the book Stand Tall!. They will also answer questions connected to making choices with integrity when faced with challenging situations.

In this lesson, students will listen to, discuss, and understand two perspectives on a difficult situation. They will flip a coin, with each side representing one side of the story, and role-play the perspectives and reach a resolution.

Students will read a story and listen to a song to explore the sound of silence, its meaning, and significance. They will share their experience and reflect on how and why silence or space can be important.

In this lesson, students will hear the story Lovely and work in small groups to create a book or a symbol of appreciation for others' differences. Students will consider how appreciating differences supports community and relationships.

We all have our own home of feelings inside, like a shell that we can tuck into when needed. This we learn from turtles, and now your students can too. This lesson helps students access that place inside full of feelings, emotions, and thoughts.

Unlike moving quickly, mindful movement is a wonderful way to slow down and bring kind attention to the present moment. In this lesson, students will experience mindful movement and will create a movie on the benefits of mindful movement.

Mindful movement can support calm and can also be fun! In this lesson, students will create their own animal pose to teach the class, then journal and draw a picture of themselves in their mindful movement animal pose.

In this lesson, students will read the story My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, and reflect on the many different feelings we may experience. They will use body maps to color in where they may feel different emotions in their body.

In this lesson, students will create a paper chain based on their greatest strengths and attributes. They will also work with peers to share and identify each other's strengths.

Communicating effectively during conflict is tough. In this lesson, students will practice mindful communication and discuss ways they may use these tools in their lives.

In this lesson, students will explore how to use mindfulness to reflect on, label, and express emotions. They will each help design a page for their classroom book on mindfulness of emotions, including tools to cope with strong emotions.

What makes an excellent leader? In this lesson, students will discuss leadership and design a video that informs others of what it means to be a positive leader.

What happens when students explore their senses on the inside? This lesson encourages students to look at, listen to, and feel what is happening on the inside through practicing mindfulness.

Owls hear so well that they can hunt in the dark. Have your students try on their owl ears! In this lesson, students open up their ears to all the sounds around them, close and far away, and go on a sound hunt.

Deep relaxation in school? Yes, it is possible! Through this process you will guide students to consciously focus on relaxing various body parts, leading to a visualization to help relax their full body mindfully.

Identifying and describing their feelings is an important part of the way children develop social skills. This lesson teaches your students how to identify feelings, and then elaborate on them by speaking and writing in complete sentences.

In this lesson, students will explore how sadness, loneliness, gratitude, connection, and love feel in their bodies. They will also learn about negativity bias and practice “soaking in the good” by savoring positive feelings.

Gabi Garcia's "Listening With My Heart" provides students with an opportunity to reflect on ways to extend themselves compassion all year long. This engaging lesson supports students in understanding what kindness is, as well as how to be kind to themselves and others in their daily lives.

On some level, all humans want to feel peace and to feel loved. In this lesson, students will practice sending peaceful thoughts to themselves and others and discuss how these practices can support peace in their lives and community.

Help your ELs practice identifying how their peers are feeling to develop emotions vocabulary and support comprehension. It can be used as a stand-alone lesson or a support lesson.

Performing acts of kindness and love can bring classrooms together! In this lesson, students will hear true stories of random acts of kindness and will perform kind deeds of their own in groups.

The Peace Corner is a space where students may practice cool-down methods such as mindful walking, deep breathing, and mindful listening. Students will work together in groups to create activities for their classroom peace corner.

In this lesson, students will learn the importance of nonviolent communication and listening to others in order to have a more supportive community.

Words can uplift others, but they can also cause harm. In this lesson, students will hear the story Desmond and the Very Mean Word, and they'll discuss the power of positive and negative words in friendships, school, and community.

Are you a bucket filler? Children with good social skills lift each other up with compliments and praise, instead of put downs and negative comments. Use this lesson to teach your students about bucket filling and how to compliment others.

Motivation, perseverance, and grit are all key in learning and in the classroom! In this lesson, students will explore the term "perseverance" and research ways they can stay motivated in school and in their lives.

The recipe for friendship includes kindness, honesty, and understanding, among other things! In this lesson, students will discuss the recipe for friendship, make a perfect pot of tea, and reflect on how to make upset friends feel better.

Being able to step into another's shoes can support healthy relationships and compassionate young people! Students will be able to define the word "empathy." They will discuss different scenarios and perform skits that illustrate empathy.

Group work can build cooperation and problem-solving skills inside and outside of the classroom! In this lesson, students will discuss cooperation and practice using cooperative techniques in human knot and tower-building activities.

Students will hear about the benefits of mindfulness from JusTme's rap song, "I'm Inspired", practice mindfulness and the STOP tool, and then write raps of their own, encouraging others to practice mindfulness and the STOP method.