Objectives
- Recognize one's mood and make a healthy (fit) choice.
Lesson Plan
This unit introduces mood. Students will learn that their feelings and emotions put them in a mood and that their mood influences their choices. For example, feeling bored or grumpy can lead to an “I won’t” mood, while feeling cheerful or content can lead to an "I will" mood. An "I will" mood can make it easier to make a fit choice; however, an “I won’t” mood needs to be motivated (turned around) for someone to make a fit choice.
Four essential concepts form an understanding of mood:
- Mood (along with recharge) is a key influencer of fit choices.
- Mood is your motivation. Mood is either "I will" (I will make a fit choice) or "I won't" (I won't make a fit choice).
- You can motivate an “I won’t” mood to an “I will” mood and make a fit choice.
- Your mood can change throughout the day.
Set The Stage
When you are feeling a negative emotion, like anger or loneliness, it can be difficult and counter intuitive to make a healthy choice. It is well-known that making one healthy choice can help you motivate your mood. Thus, leading you to make additional healthy choices. In this lesson, you’ll help kids get really good at identifying their own moods and other people’s moods, which can help them make healthy choices every day.
To use this with your students click here.
Captivate
Identifying Feelings
Students partner with a friend. One selects a feeling word from the class word bank and acts it out. The partner guesses the feeling, then they both decide if the feeling influences an “I will” mood or an “I won’t” mood. Switch roles and play again.Educate
Identifying How Feelings Affect Mood
Children identify a feeling and mood for each scenario. Encourage children to talk about times when they turned an “I won’t” mood around to “I will.” Examples of fit choices include doing a physical activity, eating healthy snacks (for energy, not to feed boredom), stretching, resting, and/or relaxing.Activate
Encourage Talk About Feelings
Encourage kids to play mood-guessing games with their friends and family members to practice the skill of turning an “I won’t” mood around to “I will” and making a fit choice.Close the Lesson
Remind kids that when they stop and think about their feelings and emotions, they are more aware of their mood and can make better choices. One fit choice leads to another!
Grade: 3-5
Time: 20 Minutes
What You'll Need
Resources
Materials
- Feelings Chart
- Markers
- Poster Board or White Board
- Slideshow
Health Education Standards
- Standard 1: Core concepts-Express feelings in a healthy way
- Standard 4: Interpersonal Communication
- Standard 5: Decision-Making
Social and Emotional Learning Competencies
- Self-Awareness
- Responsible Decision-Making