In-Classroom Lessons & Resources
While it is crucial that you, as an educator, can speak openly about mental health in the classroom, it is also important that your students are equipped with the tools and knowledge to navigate their own feelings. Here you will find an assortment of lesson plans and resources designed to actively teach students about mental health at an appropriate level for their understanding.
CASEL: Advancing Social and Emotional Learning
HPS Social-Emotional Scales 2022-2023
A document outlining an overview of social-emotional benchmarks for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Overview 2022-2023
An infographic showcasing the 5 major competencies of SEL and goals for 2022-2023
Social Emotional Sample Unit and Lesson Plans
A document with sample units and lessons with targets, scales, and resources for instruction
Community Meeting Sample Lesson
A presentation demonstrating the Conscious Discipline model with SEL skill instruction
Community meeting sample (Conscious Discipline model with SEL skill instruction)
Social Emotional Resource for Goal-setting Conferences
A document for facilitating discussion of behavior during goal-setting conferences with families
Elementary Resources
Self-Awareness Sample Lesson (K)
A presentation centered around understanding emotions and stress for kindergarten students
Self-Awareness Sample Lesson (K-1)
A presentation for learning emotions through interactive activities for lower elementary students.
Emotional Development | Sesame Street (Pre-K/K)
A collection of videos and interactives about emotions for pre-K and kindergarten students
Zones of Regulation Sample Lesson (K-5)
A presentation explaining the uses of “zones” as a self-regulation tool for elementary students
Junior High Resources
Self-Awareness Sample Lesson (6-8)
A presentation for understanding and talking about emotions and stress for grades 6-8.
Walk in Our Shoes (Grades 4-8)
A teacher’s facilitation guide with lessons aimed at teaching grades 4-8 about mental illness
High School Resources
Mental Health Literacy Lessons (Grades 9-12)
A collection of lessons designed to enhance mental health literacy for high school students.
Toolkit to Use with Students
Understanding Emotions
A document that helps students learn how to identify different types of emotions and how to distinguish our thoughts from our feelings.
Thoughts Feelings Behaviors
A simple worksheet on how to reframe thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
5 Steps to Self-Regulation
Use these icons to help guide students through the five-step self-regulation process.
Feelings Wheel
A color wheel of different emotions to help pinpoint specific feelings.
CBT Thinking Error
A document focused on techniques to shift unhealthy, reactive thoughts into healthy perspectives.
CBT for Kids
A guide and practice sheets to help children solve problems through understanding the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and actions.
A.N.T.s Buddies
This document helps students identify different kinds of automatic negative thoughts (A.N.T.s) and how they can catch and question them.
I-Statements
A collection of practice sheets to learn how to take responsibility for our actions, express our feelings, and practice assertive communication skills.
Further Resources
Michigan Model for Health
A wide range of resources, lesson plans, and curriculum for teaching about mental health
Mental and Emotional Health | PBS LearningMedia
A collection of videos for young people centered around personal, mental, and emotional health
Coping Skills Checklist
A worksheet of different coping skills to aid with calming your students
Learning to Control Impulsive Behavior
A document outlining a sample teaching routine for helping students control impulsive behavior
Sample teaching routine – Learning to control impulsive behavior
