Objectives
- Recall that feelings and emotions put you in a mood.
- Recognize ways to motivate your mood.
Info to Know
This unit helps kids understand that feelings and emotions put them in a mood, and their mood influences their choices. The lessons in this unit will build awareness of what it means to “motivate your mood.” Download the Positivity Posters and Positive Self-Talk Coloring Pages to help your students understand the power of positive self-talk and choices they can make to motivate their mood, such as recharging their energy, getting active, doing a fun activity, or doing something with a friend.
Set The Stage
Get your kids ready for lessons about building a positive mindset with the It's a Good Day for a Good Day door kit! This kit contains everything you need to create a door display to promote a positive attitude.
As a class, brainstorm a list of 5 things that students usually don’t want to do. After creating the list, have kids turn and talk to a partner about motivating one of the I-don’t-want-to statements into a positive statement. (Example: "I don’t want to eat broccoli," becomes "Vegetables are healthy food choices.") This might be a difficult task! View the slideshow for more examples.
To use this with your students click here.
Captivate
Motivate Kids to Make Better Choices
After viewing the slideshow, ask students to think about the times they've said, "I don't want to..." What was their mood at the time?
Educate
Help Kids Make Healthy Choices
Discuss different feelings and emotions that impact mood and motivation. Remind students that by doing a fit-check (i.e., pausing to think about their energy and mood before making a choice), they can help themselves to make healthy choices.
Check for understanding: When might you be tempted to say "I don't want to"?
Activate
Help Kids Regulate Mood
Ask students to think about a time when they said, "I don't want to." If they were in the same situation again, what healthy choice could they make?
Close the Lesson
Today we talked about how your mood can make you think "I don't want to." Next, we will learn how self-talk can help you motivate your mood.
Grade: 3-5
Time: 20 Minutes
What You'll Need
Health Education Standards
- Standard 1: Core Concepts–Use self-control and impulse-control strategies to promote health.
- Standard 2: Analyze Influences
- Standard 4: Interpersonal Communication
- Standard 5: Decision-Making
Social and Emotional Learning Competencies
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Management
- Responsible Decision-Making
Extend the Lesson
- Play the fitGame, Motivation Stations.
- Read Breathing Techniques to Inspire Mindfulness in Kids to learn how you can help your students relax and become more mindful of their feeling and emotions.