What Makes Me Angry - 1
Basic
Lesson Plan
Goal: Given a visual and/or verbal prompt, the student will use a coping strategy to manage his/her anger in 8 out of 10 observable opportunities, as measured by a teacher assessment tool.
Objectives:
1. Recognize anger.
2. Identify activities and/or situations that may cause the student to feel angry.
3. Identify his/her anger by using a rehearsed phrase (such as “I am angry now.”, “I am angry because…”).
Standards: Click on the appropriate link below to view Language Arts standards included in this lesson.
Definitions of Key Terms: Anger is a feeling people get when something unfair, painful, or bad happens; it is a feeling of displeasure.
Discussion Points
- Everyone feels anger.
- It’s ok to feel angry.
- Controlling your anger is what is most important.
- You can learn ways to feel and express anger that don't hurt others or their feelings.
Discuss with students what anger is. Review the discussion points with the students.
Sample Questions to Guide Discussion:
- Have you ever felt anger?
- Did you tell anyone when you were angry or did they see it by the way you acted?
- Did you do anything to get the feeling of anger to go away?
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 teams’ 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: Examples of Anger Situations
As a group, discuss situations that might cause you to become angry. Discuss any events that students may have experienced in the past that had them feeling angry. Record students' answers on the chalkboard/Smartboard or chart paper.
- Chart paper or interactive board
- Student Activity Sheet A - 1 Per Student
- Pencil for Each Student
Develop a list of signs our body gives us to let us know we are getting angry. Examples:
- Your heart may pound faster
- Your body temperature can rise-often making your face red
- Your breath may become fast
- Your hands can make fists
- Your hands can make fists or you may shake your finger or jab your finger toward someone
- You may start to shake or tremble
- You may start to raise your voice
Allow students time to complete Student Activity Sheet A. If time allows, ask for volunteers to share their answers. Assure students it is ok to feel anger. It is important to learn not to hurt others by getting angry.
Student Activity Sheet A
Directions: Think of a time when you were angry. Draw a picture or write a sentence showing what happened to cause you to feel that way.
Activity 2: Stand Up, Sit Down
Read each statement. Instruct the students to stand if the statement makes them angry. If they disagree with the statement, they should remain seated. At the conclusion of the activity, lead the students to discuss that everyone can feel anger at times, for similar or different reasons.
- Statements-on cards or a sheet of paper that the teacher will read from
- Being teased, for example, for hair color or the way your name is said
- Not getting to do what I want; for example, you asked for a particular item at the store but the adult with you didn’t buy it
- When the room gets too noisy
- Unfair rules: a friend was allowed to do something that you were not allowed to do
- Schoolwork: an adult told you the work had to be done before you could play with a friend or watch TV
- A sibling took something from you without your permission
- Not being first
- Losing a game
Activity 3: Coping Cards
Explain to students that coping skills are strategies or actions that we use to help us calm down. The teacher may share 1-3 different actions he/she takes when he/she begins to feel anger. The teacher may also share 1-2 different actions he/she took when feeling anger that led to someone else getting hurt or feeling hurt.
- Student Activity Sheet B - 1 Per Student
- Blank paper- 1 sheet per student
- Colored pencils, crayons or markers for each student
- Scissors for Each Student
- Optional: Tape, Lanyard
Review the coping skills on Student Activity Sheet B.
Allow students to select the coping strategies they feel will help them or that they believe they could use to calm down when they are angry. Students may also want to share other actions or ways to cope that they have used when feeling angry.
Students should be encouraged to cut out the strategies and keep them somewhere they can easily get to them when they become angry. Possible options include: taping them onto a student’s desk, attaching them to a lanyard, or creating visual cues/pictures to remind students when or how to use the coping skill.
Coping cards can be found here: SiLAS Coping Cards
Student Activity Sheet B
Directions: Choose the coping skills/actions that help you calm down when angry. Create and color three of your own coping cards.
Lesson Extension: Listening Comprehension
Explain that a script is a form of dialogue writing between characters in a movie, play, or broadcast. Using Immersive Reader, students should listen carefully as the example scripts below are being played. 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
If you prefer not to use Immersive Reader, you may have students role-play the script for the class.
In advance of listening to the script together, prepare a few comprehension questions at your students’ level in order to assess their understanding of the script.
After students have finished and if time allows, ask students to partner together to role play the script.
Example Script: Dealing with Anger Appropriately:
Tori: Hey Anya! I really wish I could be first in line today.
Anya: I’m sorry, it’s my day to go first.
Tori: (counts backwards from 10) Ok, maybe I can go first tomorrow.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mouse Was Mad | Cheri J. Meiners | K-3 | AD530L |
| I Was So Mad | Mercer Mayer | Pre K-2 | AD430L |
| When I Feel Angry | Cornelia Maude Spelman | Pre K-1 | AD520L |
| When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry | Molly Bang | Pre K-4 | AD340L |
Student Activity Sheet C
Directions: After listening to an example script, draw a comic to match what was said.
Application Activity
In small groups, have the students create scripts demonstrating how to handle anger both appropriately and inappropriately. Use the script sheet to create the script for each group.
- Script Sheet for Each Group
- Pencil for Each Student
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: Dealing with Anger Appropriately
Tori: Hey Anya I really wish I could go first in line today.
Anya: I’m sorry, it’s my day to go first.
Tori: (counts backwards from 10) Ok, maybe I can go first tomorrow.
Example Script: Dealing with Anger Inappropriately
Tori: Hey Anya I really wish I could go first in line today.
Anya: I’m sorry, it’s my day to go first.
Tori: (visibly angry) No, I want to go first! (shoves Anya out of the way)
Topic Checkout
Review key points from previous activities with the students. Ask students to complete the Student Topic Checkout. Discuss answers when all have finished.
- Student Topic Checkout - 1 Per Student
- A pencil for each student
Allow students time to complete the student lesson review. When finished, discuss the answers with students.
Student Topic Checkout
Directions: Complete the questions.
1. is the feeling people get when something unfair, painful, or bad happens; feeling of displeasure.
| Excitement | Anger | Joy | Worry |