LESSON PLAN: BACK-TO-SCHOOL ANXIETY
Updated: Feb 13
The parent/teacher and child will:
Read Mistake’s story of the month about Alina and her monster, Anxiety. PreK thru 2 read aloud with a parent. 3rd thru 5th, silent read independently.
Have the child identify the main idea of the story (tell in their own words what the story was about.)
Ask your child, when does Anxiety grow bigger and when does it shrink?
A follow-up question – why is it important to introduce Anxiety to people who care about us?
Have your child think of one time when they experienced anxiety and share how they felt.
Discuss at least 5 of the 10 vocabulary words below with your child.
Have your child re-tell the definitions of 5 vocab words in their own word.
VOCABULARY
Anxiety: a feeling of worry, nervousness, unease.
Effort: a determined attempt to do something.
Overwhelmed: a strong emotional effect.
Determined: having made a firm decision.
Deny: refusing to admit the truth or existence of something.
Destructive: causing great harm or damage.
Pounding: rhythmical beating or throbbing.
Articulate: speak fluently and coherently.
Trembling: sshaking or quivering.
Insistently: in a continuous or repetitive way.
Follow-up/Enrichment Activity:
Follow Up lesson # 1 – Introduce Your Anxiety:
Imagine what your anxiety monster would look like and create it with playdough.
You can create more than one version of your anxiety monster.
Follow Up lesson # 2 – Calm Your Anxiety:
Brainstorm with the child and create a list of things to do when they feel anxious.
Divide the list into thoughts and behaviors. Example:
- Thoughts: I can do it, I will get through it, I am strong, etc.
- Behaviors: breathe slowly, meditate, make art, listen to relaxing music,
talk to a friend, etc.
CASEL COMPETENCIES
Self-Awareness:
Identifying one’s emotions
Demonstrating honesty and integrity
Linking feelings, values, and thoughts
Experiencing self-efficacy
Having a growth mindset
Social Awareness:
Demonstrating empathy and compassion
Understanding and expressing gratitude
Identifying diverse social norms, including unjust ones
Recognizing situational demands and opportunities
Responsible Decision-Making:
Identifying solutions for personal and social problems
Reflecting on one’s role to promote personal, family & community well-being
Evaluating personal, interpersonal, community, and institutional impacts
Self-Management:
Managing one’s emotions
Identifying and using stress-management strategies
Relationship Skills:
Communicating effectively
Resisting negative social pressure
ELA COMPETENCIES
Key Ideas and details:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it.
Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
Craft and Structure:
Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
Read and comprehend complex literary texts independently and proficiently.