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Social Emotional Learning Through Literature
Class Experience
US Grade 6 - 9
Beginner Level
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum
When students came back into the classroom in the fall of 2020, I noticed a need for increased social and emotional learning. As a public school classroom teacher, I didn't have much time for focus on understanding emotions or social interactions because I needed to cover 7th and 8th grade English standards. Because I am passionate about both English instruction and psychology, I began to combine the two in my lessons. That is where social emotional learning through literature was born. Two...
5 units//20 lessons//10 Weeks
Unit 1Self-AwarenessSelf-Awareness4 lessons2 WeeksWeek 1Lesson 1Defining Self-AwarenessStudents will learn the definition of self-awareness. Students will think about the benefits of improving self-awareness. Students will learn about the texts and discussion points for the week.Lesson 2"Eleven" by Sandra CisnerosStudents will discuss the short story "Eleven." They will think about the ways the short story relates to self-awareness. Students will also learn about the flight, fight, freeze response and discuss recognizing their own emotions.Week 2Lesson 3"Fish Cheeks" by Amy TanStudents will discuss the short story "Fish Cheeks." They will think about the ways the short story relates to self-awareness. Students will discuss how they can better embrace their own differences.Lesson 4"If-" by Rudyard KiplingStudents will discuss the poem "If-." They will think about the ways the poem relates to self-awareness. Learners will contemplate what characteristics they value in themselves and others. They will mimic Kipling's poem and use repetition. We will wrap up the unit focused on self-awareness at the end of this lesson.Unit 2Self-ManagementSelf-Management4 lessons2 WeeksWeek 3Lesson 5Defining Self-ManagementStudents will learn the definition of self-management. Students will think about the benefit of improving self-management. Students will learn about the texts and discussion points for the week.Lesson 6"Seventh Grade" by Gary SotoStudents will discuss the short story "Seventh Grade." They will think about how the short story relates to self-management. Students will discuss how they can appropriately align their actions with their goals.Week 4Lesson 7"The Necklace" by Guy de MaupassantStudents will discuss the short story "The Necklace." They will think about how the short story relates to self-management. Students will discuss the potential consequences of failing to manage emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.Lesson 8"The Rose That Grew from Concrete" by Tupac ShakurStudents will discuss the poem "The Rose That Grew from Concrete." Students will think about how the poem relates to self-management. We will wrap up the unit focused on self-management at the end of this lesson.Unit 3Responsible Decision-MakingResponsible Decision-Making4 lessons2 WeeksWeek 5Lesson 9Defining Responsible Decision-MakingStudents will define responsible decision-making. Students will think about the benefits of improving responsible decision-making. Students will learn about the texts and discussion points for the week.Lesson 10"A Sound of Thunder" by Ray BradburyStudents will discuss the short story "A Sound of Thunder." They will think about how the short story relates to responsible decision-making. Students will discuss their decision-making processes and the importance of thinking about how their actions will affect others.Week 6Lesson 11"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. JacobsStudents will discuss the short story "The Monkey's Paw." They will think about how the short story relates to responsible decision-making. Students will discuss how to make responsible decisions even when their emotions are high.Lesson 12"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert FrostStudents will discuss the poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" Students will think about how the poem relates to responsible decision-making. We will wrap up the unit focused on responsible decision-making at the end of this lesson.Unit 4Relationship SkillsRelationship Skills4 lessons2 WeeksWeek 7Lesson 13Defining Relationship SkillsStudents will learn the definition of relationship skills. Students will contemplate the benefit of improving relationship skills. Students will learn about the texts and discussion points for the week.Lesson 14"Thank You, M'am" by Langston HughesStudents will discuss the short story "Thank You, M'am." They will think about how the short story relates to relationship skills. Students will discuss building trust with the people in their lives.Week 8Lesson 15"The Paper Menagerie" by Ken LiuStudents will discuss the short story "The Paper Menagerie." They will think about how the short story relates to relationship skills. Students will discuss communicating effectively and resolving conflicts.Lesson 16"I, Too" by Langston HughesStudents will discuss the poem "I, Too" Students will think about how the poem relates to relationship skills. We will wrap up the unit focused on relationship skills at the end of this lesson.Unit 5Social AwarenessSocial Awareness4 lessons2 WeeksWeek 9Lesson 17Defining Social-AwarenessIn this lesson, students will learn to define social-awareness. They will think about the benefits of improving social-awareness. Students will learn about the texts and discussion points for the week.Lesson 18"All Summer in a Day" by Ray BradburyStudents will discuss the short story "All Summer in a Day." They will think about how the short story relates to social-awareness. Students will discuss the cause and effect relationship between their actions and the people around them.Week 10Lesson 19"They're Made Out of Meat" by Terry BissonStudents will discuss the short story "They're Made out of Meat." They will think about how the short story relates to social-awareness. Students will discuss how detrimental it can be to exclude people.Lesson 20"Mother to Son" by Langston HughesStudents will discuss the poem "Mother to Son." Students will think about how the poem relates to social-awareness. Students will discuss the importance of empathizing and taking the perspective of others. We will wrap up the unit focused on social-awareness at the end of this lesson.
- Students will be able to define the core competencies of social emotional learning.
- Students will be able to identify ways in which the core competencies apply to their own lives.
- Students will be able to write a structured six-sentence paragraph response using textual evidence to support their claim.
- Students will be able to identify ways in which they can better demonstrate the core competencies of social emotional learning.
- Students will be able to understand cause and effect relationships within a text.
- Students will be able to read and comprehend classic literature.
I am a licensed English teacher for students in grades 5-12 in the state of Minnesota. I was a classroom teacher for 4 years before switching to Outschool in 2022. I have a Master's of Education in Educational Psychology from the University of Missouri.
2 - 4 hours per week outside of class
Assignments
Frequency: 1-2 per weekFeedback: as neededDetails: Students will receive about 2 assignments per week. One assignment will accompany each piece of literature. If students submit their work, they will receive feedback from the teacher.Grading
Frequency: 7 or more throughout the classDetails: Whenever a student submits their work to me, I will provide written feedback detailing what they did well and what they can work on in the future. If you would like a letter grade or certificate of completion at the end of the course, please let me know as early as possible.
Students need to be able to read at a 6th grade level because they will be reading the short stories on their own. Students do not need any prior knowledge about social and emotional learning.
All handouts and videos will be provided by the teacher. Links will be provided to the classic stories, but they can also be searched and easily found online.
Please read through the titles included in this course's syllabus or sources and ensure that they are appropriate for your learner. All short story and poems are typically taught at the middle school level. I am not a licensed therapist and this course does not offer therapy for students. Students are welcome to share their feelings related to the literature we read and the social emotional learning competencies we discuss.
"Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros "Fish Cheeks" by Amy Tan "If-" by Rudyard Kipling "Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant "The Rose That Grew from Concrete" by Tupac Shakur "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes "The Paper Menagerie" by Ken Liu "I, Too" by Langston Hughes "All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury "They're Made out of Meat" by Terry Bisson "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes
Teacher expertise and credentials
Minnesota Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Master's Degree in Education from University of Missouri
Hello! My name is Shannon Johnsen, and I am a licensed English teacher for students in grades 5-12. I am passionate about teaching reading and writing skills. I even think grammar is FUN! I love to discuss literature, so I look forward to hearing...
Reviews
Group Class
$32
weekly or $320 for 20 classes2x per week, 10 weeks
45 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-14
4-8 learners per class