Lesson 6.4: Controlling Your Emotions

Overview

This lesson focuses on learning how to control your emotions and provides opportunities to practice emotional control.

Learning Targets

  • Explain what impulsiveness means and give an example.
  • Identify five examples of impulsive behaviors.
  • Give an example of how groupthink might result in impulsive behavior.
  • Give three examples of ways you can manage emotions effectively.

Preparation

For the Warm-Up Activity: Write the journal question on the board, or identify (and copy as needed) the worksheets you plan to use:

For the Content Focus: Open the Lesson 6.4 PowerPoint slides, or make copies of the Lesson 6.4 Note-Taking Guide.

For the Lesson Focus: Copy the Lesson 6.4 Practicing Emotional Control Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet.

Warm-Up Activity

Select a warm-up activity to help get your class focused and on task.

  • Journal Question: When was the last time you felt really angry or frustrated? What did you do about it?
    • Option: Write or project the question, and have students respond in their journals as they enter class.
    • Option: Have students discuss the question with a partner or in a small group.
  • Vocabulary Review: Have students work individually, in partners, or in small groups to complete the Lesson 6.4 Vocabulary Review Worksheet.
  • Quiz: Have students complete the Lesson 6.4 Quiz to assess their prior knowledge.
    • Option: Collect the quizzes, and use them alongside posttests to demonstrate student learning.
    • Option: Have students share their answers with a partner and then go over the answers together as a class.

Lesson Content

Review the content from the textbook lesson.

Option: Use the Lesson 6.4 PowerPoint slides to review the chapter content.

Option: Have students use the Lesson 6.4 Note-Taking Guide to review chapter content. Ask students to work alone, in pairs, or in small groups. Review the questions as a class if time permits.

Lesson Focus: Practicing Emotional Control

  1. Have students work individually or with a partner to complete the assigned task.
  2. Give each student or pair of students a copy of the Lesson 6.4 Practicing Emotional Control Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet.
  3. Have students work on the scenarios. They will identify strategies for emotional control and possible outcomes associated with the different situations.
  4. After a reasonable amount of time has passed, have the students share their responses with another student or group.
  5. Consider listing all of the different strategies the students used on the board, and then encourage them to each identify one they will try the next time they are feeling like they might lose control of their emotions.
  6. As time allows, you can also have students write up their own scenarios based on a recent experience they had.

Challenge Activity

Have students who need an additional challenge work on the following critical-thinking task.

Exercise can help people manage their emotions better. Research the emotional and mental health benefits of exercise and make a list of the benefits you find.

Reflection and Summary

Review the critical content from today’s lesson. Review the learning targets, and ask students to answer each question posed.

Can you…

  • Explain what impulsiveness means and give an example?

    Impulsiveness is when you act suddenly while ignoring the consequences of the decision or behavior. Ask for examples, such as breaking a rule or making a quick decision, acting out, saying something you regretted, or buying something you didn’t need.

  • Give five examples of impulsive behavior?

    Examples include stealing, cyberbullying, running away, being dishonest, breaking rules, or hitting or punching a wall.

  • Give an example of how groupthink might result in impulsive behavior?

    Group think happens when you make decisions in a group in a way that discourages individual responsibility. Group decisions can make you feel like no one is responsible for the outcome.

  • Give three examples of ways you can manage emotions effectively?

    Breathe and pause, collect your thoughts, express yourself calmly, take time out, stop your thoughts, distract yourself, listen actively and carefully, practice empathy, do regular physical activity, focus on solving the problem, forgive and let go, try to laugh, keep a journal, or seek help.

Assessment

Complete one or more of the following assessment tasks for this lesson.

  • Quiz: Have students take the Lesson 6.4 Quiz.
  • Vocabulary Review: Collect the Lesson 6.4 Vocabulary Review Worksheets, and evaluate them for accuracy.
  • Note-Taking Guide: Collect the completed Lesson 6.4 Note-Taking Guides, and spot check one or more items for completion and accuracy.
  • Skill-Building Worksheet: Have students submit the Lesson 6.4 Practicing Emotional Control Skill-Building Challenge Worksheets, and use the Practicing Healthy Behaviors Holistic Rubric to evaluate their skill development.
  • Journal Question: Ask students to respond to the journal question again, adding information they learned from today’s class. Require a one-paragraph response that uses proper grammar.

Take It Home

Reach out to someone in your life whom you might have mistreated because you weren’t in control of your emotions. Explain to them what you did and apologize for your actions. Be sure to listen if they want to tell you how it made them feel.