Lesson Plan

Taming Tough Emotions Lesson Plan

Students will learn and practice three concrete coping strategies—deep breathing, positive self-talk, and movement breaks—to regulate anger, sadness, and frustration, and create a personalized toolbox for future use.

Middle schoolers often face overwhelming emotions without tools to manage them. This lesson equips 7th graders with practical techniques to boost self-regulation, resilience, and social–emotional well-being.

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

5 minutes

Step 1

Welcome & Check-In

5 minutes

Step 2

Introduce Emotion Thermometer & Strategies

5 minutes

Step 3

Group Discussion on Coping Techniques

7 minutes

Step 4

Create Personal Coping Toolbox

10 minutes

Step 5

Closing Reflection & Goal Setting

3 minutes

Slide Deck

Taming Tough Emotions

Welcome students and introduce the topic. Emphasize this is a safe space to explore emotions and coping tools.

Lesson Objectives

Read the objectives aloud and connect to why emotional skills matter.

Agenda

Briefly walk through the agenda so students know what to expect.

Welcome & Check-In

Distribute Feelings Cards and invite each student to share their card and rate intensity.

Emotion Thermometer

Show the Emotion Thermometer Worksheet. Model plotting an emotion at level 3, 4, and 5.

Coping Strategies Overview

Briefly describe each strategy; you’ll dive deeper in the next slides.

Deep Breathing

Guide the class through a 4-4-4 breathing demo.

Positive Self-Talk

Invite students to think of a phrase they’d say to themselves when upset.

Movement Breaks

Demonstrate a quick stretch or shake-out. Encourage creativity.

Group Discussion

Prompt students to discuss in small groups and jot notes on sticky notes.

Create Your Toolbox

Hand out the Coping Strategies Toolbox Template. Circulate and prompt detail.

Reflection & Goal Setting

Invite volunteers to share one goal. Reinforce that practice builds skill.

Lesson Plan

Taming Tough Emotions Lesson Plan

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

Step 1

Welcome & Check-In

Step 2

Introduce Emotion Thermometer & Strategies

Step 3

Group Discussion on Coping Techniques

Step 4

Create Personal Coping Toolbox

Step 5

Closing Reflection & Goal Setting

Slide Deck

Taming Tough Emotions

Lesson Objectives

Agenda

Welcome & Check-In

Emotion Thermometer

Coping Strategies Overview

Deep Breathing

Positive Self-Talk

Movement Breaks

Group Discussion

Create Your Toolbox

Reflection & Goal Setting

Worksheet

Worksheet

Activity

Cool Down

Taming Tough Emotions

Alyssha Walker