It is crucial for elementary students to learn how to understand and manage their feelings. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) can help children develop self-awareness, self-management, and empathy for others. In this blog post, we will explore a no-prep activity that educators can use to teach students how to recognize their feelings and learn strategies to calm down when they feel stressed or angry. We will also discuss related skills and provide next steps for further exploration of SEL.
No-Prep Activity: The Feeling Thermometer
Introduce the concept of a “Feeling Thermometer” to your students. The Feeling Thermometer is a metaphorical tool that helps students visualize their emotions on a scale from 0 (calm and relaxed) to 10 (extremely upset or angry). Explain that when they feel stressed or angry, their thermometer level goes up, and their body might feel hot or their stomach might feel upset.
Ask your students to think of a time when they felt stressed or angry, and have them share what their thermometer level was at that time. Then, guide them to think of strategies they can use to lower their thermometer level and calm down. Some examples include taking deep breaths, counting to ten, or asking for a break.
Encourage students to use the Feeling Thermometer throughout the day to check in with themselves and recognize when they need to use calming strategies.
Discussion Questions
- Why is it important to recognize our feelings and know when we are getting upset?
- What are some signs that your Feeling Thermometer level is rising?
- What strategies can you use to lower your thermometer level and calm down?
- How do our actions and emotions affect the people around us?
- What can we do to support our friends when they are feeling stressed or angry?
Related Skills
Understanding and managing feelings is just one aspect of Social-Emotional Learning. Other related skills that can help students develop emotional well-being include:
- Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
- Active listening: Paying full attention to what others are saying and showing that you care about their feelings and thoughts.
- Conflict resolution: Finding a peaceful solution to disagreements or problems.
- Assertiveness: Expressing your feelings and needs in a respectful and confident manner.
Next Steps
If you found this activity helpful and would like to explore more strategies and materials for teaching Social-Emotional Learning, we encourage you to sign up for free samples of our resources at Everyday Speech. By incorporating SEL into your teaching, you can help your students develop the skills they need to understand and manage their feelings, leading to a more positive and supportive classroom environment.
