Eighth graders build self-management by learning healthy ways to calm down and reset when things feel stressful — breathing, talking to someone they trust, moving, and writing — and telling those apart from strategies that make things worse.
Students will be able to…
Everyone feels stressed sometimes — middle school is busy! The key is having healthy ways to calm down. Which strategies really help, and which make it worse?
Project this and sort each strategy into helps you calm down or makes it worse.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
Middle school is busy — what really helps you calm down?
Students learn.
Students practice.
Students apply.
Students close.
Aligned to the CASEL 5 Social & Emotional Learning Competencies.
Use healthy stress-management strategies.
Regulate emotions.
Recognize stress.
Build a coping toolkit.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students choose two healthy calming strategies to try the next time they feel stressed. A printable calming sheet is in the SEL library. If a student is struggling with stress, encourage them to talk with a trusted adult or school counselor.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.