Addressing Anxiety Through Social Emotional Learning

Anxiety, worry, and stress related to academic pressures, the pandemic, political, and other issues are broadly covered under the “self-awareness” and “self-management” competencies by CASEL. These domains also include topics such as identifying emotions, self-regulation, and stress management. 

PATHS Program LLC has a number of resources that teachers can use to address these issues. There are explicit emotions lessons, which teachers can use to help students work through their feelings associated with current events attached to these complex issues, as well as explicit lessons in each of the topics as indicated below. 

Teachers are encouraged to use the flexibility built into the PATHS® and Emozi™ programs to use current events as teachable moments.

From the PATHS® program Introduction to the Curriculum p.17: “For example, if an event occurs in your classroom, school or community that elicits a strong emotional response in your students, but that feeling is not formally introduced until later in the curriculum, consider teaching the relevant lesson earlier. The ‘teachable moment’ will go a long way to facilitate children’s understanding.” 

The biographies and novel studies in grades 4 and 5 of PATHS or the Socratic Seminars in Emozi explore many themes related to these topics. 

As always, educators know their students best and will know how to address these issues in the classroom in a way that is developmentally appropriate and meaningful. 

Grades PK/K

• Emotions Lessons: Sad (L7), Mad or Angry (L10), Scared or Afraid (L11), Frustrated (L32), Embarrassed (L33), Worried (L35), Disappointed (L36), Furious (L38) 
• Lessons 14-15: Do Turtle

Grade 1

• Emotions Lessons: Scared or Afraid (L17), Safe (L17), Mad or Angry (L18), Worried (L20), Confused (L32), Embarrassed (L33), Frustrated (L35), Disappointed (L36), Hate (L45)
• Lesson 11: Three Steps for Calming Down 
• Lessons 22-24: Self-Control 
• Lesson 37: Handling Frustration and Disappointment 

Grade 2

• Emotions Lessons: Scared or Afraid (L13), Safe (L13), Mad or Angry (L14), Worried (L16), Frustrated (L24), Disappointed (L39), Fair/Not Fair (L41), Malicious (L45)
• Lesson 7: Steps for Calming Down
• Lesson 8: Learning Self-Control 
• Lesson 28: Tolerance 
• Lesson 29: Different Points of View 
• Lesson 46: Rejected, Included 

Jump Start Lessons

For students in Grades 3-5, the following Jump-Start Lessons to help students discuss and manage feelings:

• Lesson 3: Sad
• Lesson 5: Scared or Afraid
• Lesson 6: Mad or Angry
• Lesson 7: Worried
• Lesson 9: Disgusted
• Lesson 11: Disappointed 

Grade 3

• Lesson 4: The Golden Rule
• Lessons 6-8: Self-control 
• Lesson 11: Recognizing and Controlling Anger
• Lesson 12: Tense
• Lesson 26: We are all Unique
• Lesson 27: Respecting Others
• Lesson 37: Coping with Difficult Problems 

Grade 4

• Lesson 5: The Golden Rule
• Lesson 8: Recognizing and Controlling Anger
• Lesson 9: Tense
• Lesson 31: Managing our Feelings
• Lesson 32: Forgiving/Resentful 
• Lesson 35: Stereotypes and Discrimination

Grade 5 

• Lesson 4: Ways to Calms Down
• Lesson 5: Tense
• Lesson 6: Ways to Cope with Stress
• Lesson 25: Respecting Others When You Disagree
• Lesson 26: Conflict
• Lesson 27: Solving Conflicts
• Lesson 32: Managing Anxiety

Grade 6, Unit 1

• Lesson 5: Pressure and Stress
• Lesson 6: Mindfulness Matters
• Lesson 10: Decision-Making

Grade 7, Unit 1

• Lesson 5: Flexible thinking
• Lesson 7: Stress
• Lesson 11: Conflict

• Lesson 3: Balancing Your Body Budget
• Lesson 4: Problem Solving
• Lesson 12: Kindness and Compassion

Additional Resources

• Anti-Defamation League: Teaching About Elections
• Common Sense Media: 17 Tips to Steer Kids of All Ages Through the Political Season
• PBS LearningMedia: The Election Collection 
• Teaching Tolerance: Voting and Elections: Resources for a Civil Classroom 

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