Coping Skills - 2
Foundational
Lesson Plan
Goal: When the student is in a social situation, he/she will choose a learned coping strategy in 8 out of 10 observable opportunities, as measured by a teacher assessment tool.
Objectives:
1. Create a list of coping skills and strategies that could be used in various social situations.
2. Choose a coping skill/strategy from the student identified/created list when in a social situation.
3. Inform a trusted adult about the social situation.
Standards: Click on the appropriate link below to view Language Arts standards included in this lesson.
Definitions of Key Terms: Coping skills help us handle challenging life situations successfully. A coping skill is an action that you can take to lessen a stressful situation or react more positively.
Discussion Points
- We all have ways we try to cope with strong feelings.
- Some coping approaches are successful and some are not.
- Talking to someone you trust, like a parent or an adult, can help when you feel strong emotions.
Discuss these points or consider sharing some of your own experiences with students. If sharing your own, examples can include a time where you used a coping skill in a hard situation and had either a positive or negative outcome/result.
Possible activities to review the discussion points or use your own:
Think. Pair. Share: The teacher will pose questions related to the discussion points. Explain to students that the purpose of the activity is to think about the question and activate prior knowledge. The teacher will model the procedure to facilitate student understanding.
- T (Think): Teacher begins by asking a specific question using the discussion topics.
- P (Pair): Each student should be paired with another student, small group or work with a teacher. Pairs write brief answers on sticky notes or scrap paper.
- S (Share): Students share their thinking with their partner. Teacher then leads a whole-group conversation using students’ answers.
SEL Categories Activity:
- Ask students to create a list of words associated with the topic (give them 2-5 minutes to complete).
- Once time is up, ask each student to share a word or thought from their list.
- Other students must cross that word or thought off their list.
- Continue the process until all words or thoughts have been listed.
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: Coping Strategies
Ask students to raise their hand if they have ever had a bad day. Be sure to have them describe the situation, how they felt, and how they reacted. Ask students to share how they handle bad days. List the responses on chart paper or the board.
- Coping strategies terms on chart paper or interactive board
- Chart paper or interactive board
Explain to students that there are three types of coping strategies. They are:
- Helpful: Allows you to regain emotional control. You feel better about yourself and you are respectful to yourself and others.
- Harmful: Does not allow for emotional control. You may be physically and verbally aggressive towards yourself, others, or property.
- Time-out: Allows you to calm down. It is temporary and should be used with a positive strategy.
Discuss each strategy and what they mean.
Using the list that students generated on how they handle bad days, ask students to identify which type of coping strategy they used in a given situation.
Activity 2: Coping Strategies Sort
Review the discussion points and key ideas from Activity 1.
Using the list that students generated in Activity 1, review the type of coping strategy that was used in each situation on the list. Ask students to think about how each situation could have been handled differently. Ask them which coping strategy may have been a better choice.
- Student Activity Sheet A - 1 per group
- Red, green and blue crayon, colored pencil, or highlighters per group
Divide the students into small groups or pair them together. Distribute a copy of Student Activity Sheet A to each group or pair. Ask students to work together to complete the activity sheet. When all groups/pairs have finished, select groups or pairs to share their answers.
Student Activity Sheet A
Directions: As a group, look at each coping strategy. Determine if it is a positive coping strategy, negative coping strategy, or time-out strategy. Circle the respective strategy with the following colors:
- Helpful coping strategy - red
- Harmful coping strategy - green
- Time-out strategy - blue
| Hit someone | Go to a peaceful place |
| Talk with a trusted adult | Hurt myself |
| Become silent | Take deep breaths |
| Cry | Glare at people |
| Be with friends | Exercise |
| Stomp feet | Stretch |
| Go for a run | Get a drink |
| Kick someone | Throw objects |
| Take a walk | Scream |
| Cuss | Sleep |
| Think of things that make you happy | Run away |
Activity 3: Comic Strip Worksheet
Review the key points from Activities 1 and 2. Review the list of coping strategies. Ask students to think of 3-5 items from that overall list that they would like to use in future situations.
- Student Activity Sheet B - 1 per student
- Pencil for each student
Distribute a copy of Student Activity Sheet B to each student. Ask students to complete the activity sheet. When students are finished, ask for any that are willing to share their list of coping skills they will be using in the future.
Student Activity Sheet B
Directions: For each number below, write a coping strategy/skill that you would be comfortable using in a stressful situation in the future. Try to get 5, but it is okay if you only have 3.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Lesson Extension: Listening Comprehension and Grammar Review
Explain that a script is a form of dialogue writing between characters in a movie, play, or broadcast. Students should listen carefully as the teacher plays the example scripts from the immersive reader. Replay the script if needed. Allow students time to answer the questions on Student Activity Sheet C.
- Student Activity Sheet C - 1 per student
- Pencil for each student
- Student Activity Sheet D - 1 per student
- Red and purple colored pencil or colored highlighters
Once students have finished Student Activity Sheet C, review the answers with them.
After completing the listening comprehension portion of this activity, provide students a copy of Student Activity Sheet D. Point out to students the features of script text that indicate which character is talking. Remind students that this is a dialogue between characters.
Allow students time to complete Student Activity Sheet D.
Display the script using the immersive reader and highlight the nouns in the script. Students should self-check their work to determine if they correctly named two nouns. Repeat the process for verbs, and adjectives/adverbs.
If time allows after completing and discussing both student activity sheets, the students may pair up to role play the script.
Example script demonstrating helpful coping skills:
Chris: Hi Donny, how are you today?
Donny: I’m very worried about my dog. She is sick.
Chris: That’s so sad. Have you tried some helpful coping strategies?
Donny: I’ve been thinking about things that make me happy, like ice cream!
Example script demonstrating harmful coping skills:
Chris: Hi Donny, how are you today?
Donny: I’m very worried about my dog. She is sick.
Chris: That’s so sad. Have you tried some helpful coping strategies?
Donny: (Yelling) Coping strategies are stupid. They don’t help me at all.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| How Do Dinosaurs Say I’m Mad? | Jane Yole and Mark Teague | Pre K-1 | AD450L |
Student Activity Sheet C
Directions: Think about the script read/played for the class and complete the questions below.
Student Activity Sheet D
Directions: In the scripts below circle the nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Use a different color for each.
Remember:
A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea.
A verb names or describes an action, a state, or an occurrence.
An adjective describes a noun.
An adverb describes a verb.
Example script demonstrating helpful coping skills:
Chris: Hi Donny! How are you today?
Donny: I’m very worried about my dog. She is sick.
Chris: That’s so sad. Have you tried some helpful coping strategies?
Donny: I’ve been thinking about things that make me happy, like ice cream!
Example script demonstrating harmful coping skills:
Chris: Hi Donny! How are you today?
Donny: I’m very worried about my dog. She is sick.
Chris: That’s so sad. Have you tried some helpful coping strategies?
Donny: (Yelling) Coping strategies are stupid! They don’t help me at all.
Application Activity
Review and discuss example scripts from the lesson extension.
In small groups, have the students create scripts demonstrating helpful and harmful coping skills/strategies. Use the script sheet to have students create their group’s script.
- Script sheet for each group
- Pencil for each student
Have students record their scripts using SiLAS software for social skills. Remind students to name and save their work. 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 dialogue with a phone or other recording device
Topic Checkout
Review the key points from previous activities with the students. Ask students to complete the Student Topic Checkout. When all students have finished, review their answers as a group. Remind the students of the list each student made of coping strategies to use.
- Student Topic Checkout
- Pencil for each student