How to Handle My Emotions - Calm Down Jar Craft

Students often have trouble naming and dealing with their emotions, especially during challenging and uncertain times. This lesson will identify and name several emotions along with outlining several techniques for dealing with their feelings through the use of fun videos and practice. 

The first thing we will do is create a calm down jar for students to use during their most stressful or upsetting times. Then, we will work on some different techniques students can use to control their emotions, such as breathing and manipulative strategies, through the help of some videos. Students will have time to practice these techniques and talk about the pros and cons of each. Finally, we will work on naming our feelings and students will have the opportunity to talk about the emotion, naming some experiences during which they felt these emotions if they choose to share. 

Since this lesson relies on student participation and student-prompted discussion, we may have some extra time. If this is the case, I have several videos set up with even more techniques for handling emotions that we can go over and practice together. The pace of this class will be up to the learners and so will be what does, or does not, get accomplished. It's the most important for the students to have a safe space to learn about emotions and how to handle them, as well as create the fun calm down jar.

Here are some helpful videos I have found. Some we will be using in class, others may be a good resource for parents and students to use at home!

https://youtu.be/bRkILioT_NA (go noodle - bring it down breathing technique)
https://youtu.be/O29e4rRMrV4 (go noodle -rainbow breaths technique)
https://youtu.be/1ZP-TMr984s (go noodle - turn off stressful energy technique)
https://youtu.be/bYlRFIzl4WA (go noodle -find peace technique- short video)
https://youtu.be/IVZuyjS7Iv4 (go noodle -let things go technique -short video)
https://youtu.be/KhfkYzUwYFk (go noodle - “cant stop this feeling” Trolls move it video - exercise technique)

Book List:
Nina in That Makes Me Mad! (TOON Level 2) By: Steven Kroll
Illustrated by: Hilary Knight
A Kid's Guide to Feelings: Feeling Excited By: Kirsty Holmes
A Kid's Guide to Feelings: Feeling Embarrassed By: Kirsty Holmes
Hoggy Went-A-Courtin' By: Ethan Long
A Kid's Guide to Feelings: Feeling Mad By: Kirsty Holmes
A Kid's Guide to Feelings: Feeling Lonely By: Kirsty Holmes
A Kid's Guide to Feelings: Feeling Jealous By: Kirsty Holmes
A Kid's Guide to Feelings: Feeling Happy By: Kirsty Holmes
A Kid's Guide to Feelings: Feeling Afraid By: Kirsty Holmes
A Kid's Guide to Feelings: Feeling Sad By: Kirsty Holmes
Posie the Pika By: Paige Braddock Illustrated by: Blythe Russo
Stop, breathe, think - kids meditation
Story Bots - "emotions" story based video - long video
Hunter & Eve- "keep calm" story based video

Videos:
Do Animals Feel Emoitons?
Smile and Learn: Empathy
Smile and Learn: Emotions
Kids Vocabulary: Feelings