Standards Alignment
- TEKS.HEALTH.3.03A primary
communicate needs, wants, and emotions in healthy ways; - TEKS.HEALTH.3.03B primary
describe strategies for assessing thoughts and applying calming and selfmanagement practices; - TEKS.HEALTH.3.03C primary
discuss and explain how the brain develops through maturation;
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Lesson Overview
This lesson for Grade 3 Health Education focuses on helping students communicate their needs, wants, and emotions in healthy ways. It also introduces strategies for assessing thoughts and calming oneself, as well as explaining how the brain develops through maturation. The lesson supports students in developing socio-emotional health, self-regulation, and healthy relationships, aligned with TEKS standards for mental health and wellness.
Learning Objectives
- Communicate needs, wants, and emotions in healthy ways.
- Describe strategies for assessing thoughts and applying calming and self-management practices.
- Discuss and explain how the brain develops through maturation.
Success Criteria
- Students can express their needs, wants, and emotions using respectful and clear language.
- Students can identify and use calming strategies to manage their thoughts and feelings.
- Students can explain basic ways the brain grows and matures as they get older.
Prerequisite Knowledge
Students should have a basic understanding of feelings and be able to recognize simple emotions such as happy, sad, angry, or scared.
Key Vocabulary
- Needs
- Wants
- Emotions
- Calming strategies
- Self-management
- Brain development
- Maturation
Materials and Resources
- Chart paper or whiteboard
- Markers
- Emotion cards or pictures
- Calming strategies handout or poster
- Brain development diagram or simple illustration
Teacher Preparation
- Prepare emotion cards or pictures representing different feelings.
- Create or gather examples of calming strategies suitable for third graders (e.g., deep breathing, counting to ten).
- Prepare a simple diagram or illustration showing brain development stages appropriate for children.
- Plan role-play scenarios to practice communicating needs and emotions.
Detailed Lesson Notes
Communicating Needs, Wants, and Emotions
Communicating needs, wants, and emotions means telling others what we feel or what we need in a way that is respectful and clear. Needs are things we must have to be healthy and safe, like food or help. Wants are things we would like to have but are not necessary, like a toy. Emotions are feelings such as happiness, sadness, anger, or fear. Teaching students to express these helps them build healthy relationships and solve problems peacefully.
Strategies for Assessing Thoughts and Applying Calming Practices
Assessing thoughts means noticing what we are thinking and how it makes us feel. Sometimes, our thoughts can make us upset or worried. Calming strategies help us manage these feelings so we can think clearly and act kindly. Examples include taking deep breaths, counting slowly to ten, or thinking of a happy place. Teaching these strategies helps students practice self-regulation and reduces conflicts or stress.
Brain Development Through Maturation
The brain grows and changes as children get older. This process is called maturation. As the brain matures, students become better at controlling their emotions, making decisions, and solving problems. Understanding that their brain is still growing helps students be patient with themselves and others as they learn new skills and manage feelings.
Worked Examples
Worked Example 1
Scenario
A student feels sad because they want to play with a toy but someone else is using it. How can the student communicate this feeling and want in a healthy way?
Explanation
The student can say, "I feel sad because I want to play with the toy too. Can I have a turn when you are finished?" This expresses the emotion (sadness) and the want (to play with the toy) clearly and respectfully, which helps others understand and respond kindly.
Answer Guide
"I feel sad because I want to play with the toy too. Can I have a turn when you are finished?"
Worked Example 2
Scenario
If a student feels angry because a friend took their pencil without asking, what calming strategy could they use before talking to the friend?
Explanation
The student could take deep breaths or count slowly to ten to calm down. This helps reduce anger so they can talk calmly and solve the problem without arguing.
Answer Guide
Take deep breaths or count to ten to calm down before speaking.
Worked Example 3
Scenario
Explain how the brain helps you control your emotions as you grow older.
Explanation
As the brain matures, it improves the ability to manage feelings and make good choices. This means that over time, children get better at calming themselves and solving problems peacefully.
Answer Guide
The brain grows and helps me control my feelings better as I get older.
Engage
Teacher Activity
Begin by showing pictures of different emotions and ask students to name them. Share a simple story where a character needs to express a feeling or want something.
Student Activity
Students identify emotions in the pictures and share times when they felt those emotions or needed something.
Explanation
This activity activates prior knowledge about emotions and introduces the importance of expressing needs and feelings.
Examples
- Students can name common emotions.
- Students relate personal experiences with feelings and needs.
Explore
Teacher Activity
Present scenarios where a child needs to communicate a need, want, or emotion. Guide students in role-playing how to express these in healthy ways.
Student Activity
In pairs or small groups, students practice role-playing the scenarios using respectful and clear language.
Explanation
Role-playing helps students practice communication skills in a safe environment and understand how to express themselves appropriately.
Examples
- Students use polite and clear language to express needs and emotions.
- Students listen and respond respectfully during role-play.
Explain
Teacher Activity
Introduce calming strategies by demonstrating deep breathing and counting to ten. Discuss how these help when feeling upset.
Student Activity
Students practice the calming strategies together and share which ones they think would help them.
Explanation
Teaching calming strategies equips students with tools to manage their emotions and thoughts effectively.
Examples
- Students participate in calming exercises.
- Students can name at least one calming strategy.
Elaborate
Teacher Activity
Show a simple diagram of brain development and explain how the brain grows and helps us control emotions and make decisions.
Student Activity
Students discuss how their brain helps them learn and manage feelings as they grow.
Explanation
Understanding brain maturation helps students realize that managing emotions is a skill that develops over time.
Examples
- Students connect brain growth with improving self-control.
- Students express understanding that learning to manage emotions takes time.
Evaluate
Teacher Activity
Ask students to share or demonstrate how they would communicate a need or emotion and use a calming strategy if upset.
Student Activity
Students role-play or explain their communication and calming strategy use.
Explanation
This assessment checks students’ ability to apply communication and self-management skills learned in the lesson.
Examples
- Students clearly express needs or emotions.
- Students demonstrate or describe a calming strategy.
- Students show understanding of brain development related to emotions.
Classroom Activity
In pairs or small groups, students practice role-playing the scenarios using respectful and clear language.
Guided Practice
Guided Practice 1
Prompt
Name two emotions you might feel during the day.
Teacher Answer Guide
Happy and sad.
Guided Practice 2
Prompt
How can you tell a friend you want to play with them without being rude?
Teacher Answer Guide
You can say, "Can I play with you, please?" using a polite voice.
Guided Practice 3
Prompt
Describe a calming strategy you can use if you feel upset at school.
Teacher Answer Guide
I can take deep breaths to help me feel calm.
Guided Practice 4
Prompt
Why is it important to communicate your needs and emotions in healthy ways?
Teacher Answer Guide
Because it helps others understand you and prevents misunderstandings or hurt feelings.
Guided Practice 5
Prompt
Explain how understanding brain development can help you be patient with yourself when learning to manage your emotions.
Teacher Answer Guide
Knowing that my brain is still growing helps me realize that it takes time to get better at controlling my feelings, so I can be patient and keep trying.
Independent Practice
- Foundational: Name two emotions you might feel during the day.
- Developing: How can you tell a friend you want to play with them without being rude?
- Application: Describe a calming strategy you can use if you feel upset at school.
- Analysis: Why is it important to communicate your needs and emotions in healthy ways?
- Challenge: Explain how understanding brain development can help you be patient with yourself when learning to manage your emotions.
Independent Practice Teacher Answer Key
- 1. Happy and sad.
- 2. You can say, "Can I play with you, please?" using a polite voice.
- 3. I can take deep breaths to help me feel calm.
- 4. Because it helps others understand you and prevents misunderstandings or hurt feelings.
- 5. Knowing that my brain is still growing helps me realize that it takes time to get better at controlling my feelings, so I can be patient and keep trying.
Guiding Questions
- What are some ways to tell someone how you feel?
- Why is it important to stay calm when upset?
- How does your brain help you control your feelings?
- What can you do if you feel frustrated or angry?
- How can you tell if someone understands your needs?
Common Misconceptions
- Expressing emotions means you are being rude or mean.
- Calming strategies are only for adults or older children.
- The brain is fully developed in young children and does not change much as they grow.
Differentiation
Support and Intervention
Use emotion cards with pictures to help students identify feelings. Provide sentence starters for communicating needs and emotions. Model calming strategies multiple times with clear steps.
English-Language Learner Support
Use simple, clear language and visuals to explain emotions and calming strategies. Pair ELL students with peers for role-play practice. Use gestures and facial expressions to support understanding.
Advanced and Extension
Encourage students to explain why certain calming strategies work. Have students create their own scenarios for practicing communication. Discuss more detailed brain development concepts appropriate for advanced learners.
Assessment
- Observe students during role-play to check for respectful communication.
- Ask students to demonstrate calming strategies in class.
- Use questioning to assess understanding of brain development.
- Write or tell one way you can calm yourself when upset.
- Name one emotion and how you can tell someone about it.
- Explain why it is good to share your feelings with others.
- Create a short poster showing how to communicate a need or emotion.
- Write a story about a time you used a calming strategy.
- Explain how your brain helps you learn to manage your feelings.
Answer Guide
- Name two emotions you might feel during the day.
Answer: Happy and sad. - How can you tell a friend you want to play with them without being rude?
Answer: You can say, "Can I play with you, please?" using a polite voice. - Describe a calming strategy you can use if you feel upset at school.
Answer: I can take deep breaths to help me feel calm. - Why is it important to communicate your needs and emotions in healthy ways?
Answer: Because it helps others understand you and prevents misunderstandings or hurt feelings. - Explain how understanding brain development can help you be patient with yourself when learning to manage your emotions.
Answer: Knowing that my brain is still growing helps me realize that it takes time to get better at controlling my feelings, so I can be patient and keep trying.
Real-Life Application
Encourage students to talk with their family members about their feelings and practice calming strategies together at home. Families can also discuss how their brains grow and help them manage emotions.
Homework or Home Connection
- Encourage students to talk with their family members about their feelings and practice calming strategies together at home. Families can also discuss how their brains grow and help them manage emotions.
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, students learned how to communicate their needs, wants, and emotions in healthy ways using respectful language. They practiced calming strategies like deep breathing to manage their feelings and explored how their brains develop and help them control emotions as they grow. These skills support healthy relationships and emotional wellness.
Teacher Notes
Use the exact standards alignment and retrieved-source provenance stored with this enrichment.