Bring Social and Emotional Learning to Your Classroom Without Added Lesson Prep
Implementing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in the classroom promotes positive mental health and also improves academic outcomes for students.
These benefits can be life-changing, but we know that planning and delivering SEL lessons can add a lot of work to your already full plate as an educator. To help combat this additional work (and stress) and support you to teach students social and emotional skills with ease, Smiling Mind created the Primary Classroom Curriculum.
Mapped to the Australian curriculum, the Primary Classroom Curriculum offers 20 pre-planned SEL lessons for each Year Level 1 to 6. It’s entirely digital, so you can ‘plug and play’ each lesson directly for your class.
Lessons follow a pedagogical approach, scaffolding learning so students have the best opportunity to develop social and emotional skills. The curriculum also comes with printable activities to integrate learnings.
Check out the first lesson in the Year 3 curriculum, ‘Awareness’. If you teach a Year 3 class, why not take them through it to see how it goes in the classroom?
Year 3. Awareness
Lesson 1
Learning Intention
We are learning:
to explore what awareness is
to build self-awareness by practising a body scan meditation
Learning Outcome
Students will be able to:
discuss mindfulness and practise mindful awareness of their body
Rationale
This lesson is designed to introduce students to awareness as a mindfulness concept. The meditation practice is a body scan, which helps each student become aware of their body. Learning mindfulness typically begins with body awareness. Mindfully paying attention to the body cultivates self-awareness.
Worksheets You Need
Lesson Plan
Learn - 5 - 7 mins
Ask
Have you heard the word ‘awareness’ before?
What kind of things can you be aware of?
Explain
Awareness is knowing about ourselves, others and the world around us
When we are aware, we are paying attention and focusing on what is happening now
Awareness (of ourselves and our surroundings) can be built through practising mindfulness.
Mindfulness involves learning how to pay attention to your breath and body.
When practising mindfulness you can pay attention to your body, your breathing, what you can see, what you can hear, and what you can taste. (your senses). You can also pay attention to what you are thinking and feeling.
Practising mindfulness helps us to be aware of ourselves and our surroundings, and to feel calm and think more clearly.
Awareness is part of mindfulness.
Mindfulness is:
being aware of ourselves and our surroundings
paying attention to what is happening now
Mindfulness helps us to:
be calm and focused
regulate our emotions
Practise - 5 - 7 mins
Meditation: The Bubble Journey
Debrief - 5 - 15 mins
Think, pair, share, individual reflection, small group discussion, or whole class discussion.
Debrief questions:
Share and describe your bubble.
Were you able to move your bubble to your different body parts?
What did you notice in your body? Describe how it felt.
Were you able to focus on your breathing?
What did you find easy/challenging/interesting about the body scan meditation?
Integrate - 5 - 15 mins
Take Home Activity: Ten deep breaths
Focussing on your breathing will help you to learn how to pay attention to your body and how you feel. Find a quiet space and sit down comfortably. Place your hand on your belly and take 10 deep breaths. Feel your hand move up and down with each breath. Write down how you feel afterwards. You can practise this whenever you need to, at home, on the bus or in the car.
Solidify - 10 - 15 mins
Classroom activity: Starfish Guided Breathing
Tell students: Spread your hand and stretch your fingers out like a star. Use your other hand to trace around the outline of your stretched out hand and fingers.
Place your pointer finger at the bottom of your thumb, and breathe in as you slide your finger up to the top of your thumb. Breathe out as you slide your finger down the inside of your thumb. Breathe in as you slide up your second finger, and breathe out as you slide down. Keep going until you have finished tracing your fingers and you have taken five slow breaths.
Ask students: How does your body feel now? Do you feel calm or would you like to take another five breaths with your starfish?
