Techniques Kids Can Use to Take Charge of Their Moods

Objectives

Recognize that feelings and emotions create one's mood.

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

Negative thinking is something that troubles everyone, but it can be hardest on kids. Kids simply don’t realize that they have a choice in how they respond to their thoughts. Instead, they start to see negative thinking as absolute truths. This lesson can help them see how to take charge of mood instead.

Read the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. Give kids time to really think about the book and share their thoughts.

To use this with your students click here.

Captivate

Read to Find out a Character's Mood

Read aloud the excerpt from Judith Viorist's book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

Ask students to supply words from your classroom word bank that describe Alexander's feelings.

Educate

Think About Moods

Explain that when Alexander says, “I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day,” he's letting his feelings put him in an “I won’t” mood. Discuss how Alexander’s mood influences his choices. He needs to recognize his mood so he can manage it! Read aloud the examples of how to manage an “I won’t” mood.

Activate

Discover "I Won't" and "I Will" Moods

Point out that to know your mood is to recognize that feelings and emotions influence your willingness to make healthy choices. Mood is either “I won’t make a fit choice” or “I will make a fit choice.”

Share the Feelings Check-In handout for students to use to identify choices they can make to turn an “I won’t” mood into an “I will” mood.

Close the Lesson

Get your kids ready to investigate what influences our moods by asking them how to think about the value of mistakes, using Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day as common background.

Why does Alexander get upset when his teacher tells him he is making mistakes?
Is it bad to make a mistake?
How do we know when we are making mistakes?
Can mistakes be good sometimes?
Is it possible to fix mistakes? How?

Grade: K-2

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

Extend the Lesson

Play the fitGame, Emotion Commotion.