Identifying Anxiety - 1

by Jerome Cohen

Lesson Plan

Goal: In social situations, the student will identify anxiety in others in 8 out of 10 observable opportunities, as measured by a teacher assessment tool.

Objectives:
1. Recognize signs of anxiety in others (such as facial expressions, body language and/or vocabulary or tone used).
2. Identify possible triggers that may cause peers/adults to feel anxious.

Definition of Key Terms: Anxiety is a feeling of worry or nervousness; an uneasy feeling.

Discussion Points:

  • Anxiety is strong feelings of fear or worry.
  • Everyone feels anxiety.
  • It’s ok to feel anxiety.

Discuss the meaning of anxiety. Review the discussion points with the students. The teacher may want to share his/her own examples of when he/she felt anger.

Possible activities to review the discussion points:

  • The group should form a circle. Ask a question and allow students to toss a bean bag to those who would like to answer the question.
  • Play tic-tac-toe by dividing the group into teams. Write discussion questions on a sticky note and place them on the tic-tac-toe grid. Allow a representative from the team to select a post-it note and as a team develop an answer to the question. If they get it right, they may put their team's marker (x or o) on the grid.

Directions for In-Person or Virtual Learning: You have three options for students to complete this lesson.

  • Option 1: Print the Student Activity Sheet for each student. Complete the lesson as a group and assign the activity sheet to the students.
  • Option 2: Click the Student link to access the activity sheet electronically and post to your Learning Management System (if your school has one) or send the link to the student. The student may complete the activity sheet electronically within the classroom on a shared computer or device.
  • Option 3: Click the Student link to access the activity sheet electronically and send the link to the student. The student may access the link from a home computer, chromebook, iPad or other device.

Activity 1: What Does Anxiety Look Like?

Share the pictures below with students or gather pictures of your own to show. Ask students to identify any of the following: facial expression, where the person’s hands are, and/or how their body is positioned. Have the students work collaboratively or take turns to identify the clues that are helpful to determine someone has anxiety.

Materials Needed:
  • Picture Cards
  • Chart Paper or Interactive Board

Record answers on an interactive board or chart paper in the front of the group.

Activity 2: Situations

Asking the students to take turns or work with a partner, create a list of scenarios/activities that often make a person anxious. (Ex. Not knowing the babysitter that will stay with you while your parents go out.) Record the students’ answers on the chalkboard/Smartboard or chart paper in the front of the group.

Materials Needed:
  • Chart Paper or Interactive Board

Activity 3: Draw A Comic

Students should complete Student Activity Sheet A and then discuss their work when all are finished. If time allows, ask for volunteers to share their pictures. Assure students it is ok to feel anxious.

Materials Needed:
  • Student Activity Sheet A - 1 Per Student
  • Pencil for Each Student

Student Activity Sheet A

Directions: Draw a picture of someone who is anxious.

My character is anxious because...

Lesson Extension: Listening Comprehension

Explain that a script is a form of dialogue writing between characters in a movie, play, or broadcast. Utilizing the immersive reader students should listen carefully as the teacher plays the example scripts below. Replay the script if needed. Allow students time to answer the questions on Student Activity Sheet B.

Materials Needed:
  • Student Activity Sheet B - 1 Per Student
  • Pencil for Each Student
    •

After students have finished, allow those that want to share their comic do so or role play one of the example scripts.

Example Script: Identifying Anxiety
Mr. B: Good morning Silas. I see you are having trouble keeping still.
Silas: Yes, and my stomach hurts. I would really like to be alone.
Mr. B: Silas, I think you are feeling anxious. How about we take a walk?

Read Aloud Recommendations: Completing a read aloud with students is a great way to connect text with lesson content while incorporating reading and language practice. Below are suggested titles including, a YouTube link, Lexile and Grade Level information for books relating to the lesson.


Book Title Author Grade Level Lexile Level
Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears Emily Gravett Pre K-1 AD540L
Red Kite, Blue Kite Ji-Li Jiang K-3 AD430L

Student Activity Sheet B

Directions: Create a comic to match the script you listened to.

Application Activity

In small groups, have the students create scripts demonstrating how to identify anxiety. Use the script sheet to assist the groups in creating scripts.

Materials Needed:

Have students record their scripts using the SiLAS software. Remind students to name and save their recordings. Premiere the movies with the group members at the end of each session.


Script Extensions:

Click the following hyperlinks to have students choose their Characters, Background and Props prior to writing scripts. For examples of script writing accommodations, click Here.


Ideas for modifying this activity based on your students’ needs:

  • create a script as a class
  • pair or group students so that skill levels are varied and assign each a role or task that uses their skill
  • create the script by recording the dialog with a phone or other recording device.
    •

Example Script: Identifying Anxiety Appropriately
Mr. B: Good morning Silas. I see you are having trouble keeping still.
Silas: Yes, and my stomach hurts. I would really like to be alone.
Mr. B: Silas, I think you are feeling anxious. How about we take a walk?

Example Script: Identifying Anxiety Inappropriately
Mr. B: Good morning Silas. I see you are restless.
Mike: Yes, and my stomach hurts. I would really like to be alone.
Mr. B: I think you are just making it up. You are fine.

Topic Checkout

Allow students to complete the Student Topic Checkout. Discuss answers as a group when finished.

Materials Needed:
  • Student Topic Checkout - 1 Per Student
  • Pencil for Each Student
    •

Student Topic Checkout

Directions: Determine if the individual in the scenario is feeling anxious. Circle thumbs up if they are and thumbs down if they are not. Discuss why you selected the answer.


1. Tori is excited about getting a new bike for her birthday. She could not wait to tell Chris all about it.

2. Silas is worried about his upcoming math test. He begins picking at his fingernails.

3. Donny is worried that someone will take his pencil while he is at recess. He goes back to his desk many times to check to make sure it is where he has hidden it.

4. Chris shuts his finger in his locker door. He begins to cry in pain.