Social and Emotional Awareness

304 Activities

Social and Emotional Awareness

Build emotional intelligence, empathy, and a strong sense of self. Through social-emotional learning and community-building activities, learners develop confidence and connection by exploring relationships, identity, and leadership.

Activities

Systems Where You Live

History and Society, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

Systems Where You Live

Mizzen Education, Inc.

6 - 8

45 Minutes

Every community functions because of the personal and professional relationships among its members and the systems that these people have built and continue to maintain. In this activity, students explore the community in which they live and identify the many physical systems that serve it.

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Systems Where You Live

History and Society, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

NBA Math Hoops Lesson 1: Demonstrating Sportsmanship

Social and Emotional Awareness, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades 3 - 8

NBA Math Hoops Lesson 1: Demonstrating Sportsmanship

Learn Fresh

3 - 8

45 Minutes

To start the NBA Math Hoops experience, all students are asked to sign a Sportsmanship Contract! Just like an NBA or WNBA player, this affirms their commitment to their team and league. An additional curriculum spotlight on sportsmanship asks them to reflect on the skills necessary to be a great competitor.

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NBA Math Hoops Lesson 1: Demonstrating Sportsmanship

Social and Emotional Awareness, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades 3 - 8

The Artist and The Describer (Team Building) Game

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 12

Video

The Artist and The Describer (Team Building) Game

!Mpact Players

3 - 12

25 Minutes

Artists will replicate masterpieces using only verbal descriptions from their partner!

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Video

The Artist and The Describer (Team Building) Game

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 12

Show Me How

Literacy, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 5

Show Me How

Mizzen Education, Inc.

3 - 5

45 Minutes

Public speaking can be challenging and overwhelming at first, but the more you practice, the easier it gets. Students get a taste of public speaking as they present a how-to project.

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Show Me How

Literacy, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 5

Get to Know You Bingo (Grades K-2)

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades K - 2

Get to Know You Bingo (Grades K-2)

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 2

45 Minutes

In this activity, children play a bingo game to get to know one another. They practice skills in drawing, communication, and relationship-building.

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Get to Know You Bingo (Grades K-2)

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades K - 2

Body Language

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades 3 - 5

Body Language

PBS

3 - 5

45 Minutes

Explore the power of body language in interviews! In this exciting lesson, students dive into the world of non-verbal communication. They play interactive games, watch videos, and create Body Language Stories to master the art of body language. By the end, they're equipped with the skills to convey messages beyond words.

This is lesson 14 in “Building a News Hour,” the second module from PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs’ module series.

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Body Language

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades 3 - 5

Get Centered!

Health and Wellness, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades K - 2

Get Centered!

kid-grit

K - 2

15 Minutes

In this ice breaker/opener, students ground themselves and learn how to use their breath to calm themselves down and self-regulate.

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Get Centered!

Health and Wellness, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades K - 2

Hidden Pictures

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 5

Hidden Pictures

Mizzen Education, Inc.

3 - 5

45 Minutes

In this activity, students work in teams to mask small icons on a larger piece of art by coloring, marking up, or decorating the page. Then they exchange the page and see if other students can find the hidden pictures.

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Hidden Pictures

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 5

Give One, Get One (Grades 3-5)

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades 3 - 5

Give One, Get One (Grades 3-5)

Mizzen Education, Inc.

3 - 5

45 Minutes

Students begin this activity reading One Green Apple, a story about a young immigrant girl on her first day of school in the United States. She does not speak English. As students listen to this story, they are faced with how it feels to be different and alone, even when surrounded by people. Students then discuss the story with one another, communicating both by writing and speaking.

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Give One, Get One (Grades 3-5)

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades 3 - 5

Relentless (Team Building) Game

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 12

Video

Relentless (Team Building) Game

!Mpact Players

3 - 12

20 Minutes

You only have seconds to design, destroy, and rebuild clay art as you swap seats working on a variety clay sculptures!

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Video

Relentless (Team Building) Game

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 12

Write a Letter to Your Local Representative

History and Society, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 5

Write a Letter to Your Local Representative

Mizzen Education, Inc.

3 - 5

55 Minutes

Students identify and research local issues they see in their community and write a letter to their local representative about what concerns them.

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Write a Letter to Your Local Representative

History and Society, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 5

Global Issues Collage

History and Society, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 9 - 12

Global Issues Collage

Mizzen Education, Inc.

9 - 12

45 Minutes

In this activity, students create collages based on a global issue and display them around the room to view and discuss with their peers.

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Global Issues Collage

History and Society, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 9 - 12

Collections

10 Activities

•

Grades 3 - 5

Opening and Closing Activities for Grades 3-5

Literacy, Social and Emotional Awareness

Playlist

Opening and Closing Activities for Grades 3-5

kid-grit

3 - 5

2 Hours

This collection of opening and closing activities encourages students to explore their thoughts, feelings, and choices while building habits that support reflection and growth. Opening activities use emojis, discussion prompts, and movement to help students connect with their emotions and set a tone of respect, curiosity, and readiness for learning. Closing activities invite students to slow down, look inward, and practice calming techniques as they reflect on their experiences and explore ways to shift habits and mindsets. Together, these moments bookend the day with purpose and self-awareness!

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Opening and Closing Activities for Grades 3-5

Literacy, Social and Emotional Awareness

10 Activities

•

Grades 3 - 5

Playlist

6 Activities

•

Grades 3 - 12

The kid-grit Pandemic Crisis Guide: Wellness for Students, Educators, and Families

Health and Wellness, Social and Emotional Awareness

Module

The kid-grit Pandemic Crisis Guide: Wellness for Students, Educators, and Families

kid-grit

3 - 12

6 Hours 15 Minutes

Welcome to kid-grit's SEL activities! Based on our partners’ request we have created a soulful guide filled with lessons, reflections, questions, and extended activities in response to the pandemic crisis that is happening around the world. We developed these activities in hope that its content will provide relief and support for our students and their families, educators, staff, and administrators.

All the activities have been designed to engage students in areas of personal development, social-emotional learning, character education, 21st-century skill-based inquiry, and global consciousness. These activities are built to have students think critically and share perspectives — focusing on topics such as tolerance, personal development, crisis situations, building positive communities, self-regulation, empathy, using breathing as a form of stress release. Students will be challenged to think outside the box and drive their own learning — they will learn by doing. Students will take on new ways of problem-solving and, in the process, create their own prescription for healthier mindsets, building resilience and grit.

You can use these activities in any order that works for your program or school environment. However, we recommend beginning with the activity, “Educating Myself for Peace of Mind,” as a starter activity to set the stage for the activities to follow.

Lastly, the following three activities are relevant for any crisis, “Educating Myself for Peace of Mind, Stop the Madness! and Fight or Flight.” Feel free to utilize them anytime and replace any COVID-19 reference to the existing event in your community, or national news or global occurrence.

NOTE: If your students are enjoying a lesson and you want to extend the time, please feel free, dive into deeper learning and enjoy!

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The kid-grit Pandemic Crisis Guide: Wellness for Students, Educators, and Families

Health and Wellness, Social and Emotional Awareness

6 Activities

•

Grades 3 - 12

Module

12 Activities

•

Grades K - 12

Strengthen Social and Emotional Learning with Johnny Crowder

Health and Wellness, Social and Emotional Awareness

Playlist

Strengthen Social and Emotional Learning with Johnny Crowder

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 12

Like learning algebra or how to ride a bike, social and emotional learning (SEL) calls for patience, compassion, and everyday practice. That’s what brain science and experience say, and it’s at the core of this playlist. Through activities that teach mindfulness meditation, how to identify your strengths and talents, and cultivating compassion through service, you’ll find practical experiences, resources, and tips for empowering youth while helping them navigate stress and build healthy relationships.

“I often wonder how much different my life would look if I was offered support earlier. Before I was struggling, before I withdrew, before I exhibited all sorts of behavioral health issues. The power of prevention is something we can’t waste. We need to use our own hindsight into what would have helped us when we were young to set this next generation up for the success we never had.” — Johnny Crowder

Johnny Crowder is a suicide/abuse survivor, TEDx speaker, touring musician, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, and the Founder & CEO of Cope Notes, a text-based mental health platform that provides daily support to youth and adults in nearly 100 countries around the world.

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Strengthen Social and Emotional Learning with Johnny Crowder

Health and Wellness, Social and Emotional Awareness

12 Activities

•

Grades K - 12

Playlist

3 Activities

•

Grades 6 - 8

Caring for Urban Forests

Social and Emotional Awareness, STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Module

Caring for Urban Forests

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

2 Hours

Our local ecosystems provide many ecosystem services that endow us with resources, opportunities for recreation and cultural expression, and support the safety quality of life for all living things, including humans. Street trees perform a number of ecosystem services for both humans and wildlife. They filter our air, provide passive cooling and heating, capture carbon, take up storm water (a vital aspect in cities prone to flooding due to climate change— see our Sustainable Cities module for more information on this topic), reduce noise, provide food, shelter, and provide abundant beauty.

In this module, students will learn about each type of ecosystem service: Provisioning, Regulating, Cultural, and Supporting, and research the ways they are being threatened in their local communities. They will also participate in air temperature to better understand the ecosystem services trees provide which are especially important in urban environments. This research will conclude with a service learning opportunity in which students will restore tree beds.

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Caring for Urban Forests

Social and Emotional Awareness, STEM, Nature and Wildlife

3 Activities

•

Grades 6 - 8

Module

3 Activities

•

Grades 6 - 8

Indicator Species

STEM, Social and Emotional Awareness, Nature and Wildlife

Module

Indicator Species

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

2 Hours

Indicator species are integral to evaluating the health of ecosystems. They are early indicators of changing environmental conditions that may prove detrimental to other species in the same region. Insects, including dragonflies, are climate sensitive species since much of their growth and development depends on temperature.

In this lesson, students will learn about dragonflies as indicators of climate change. They will become familiar with the life cycle of a dragonfly, learn to identify different species of dragonflies, and assess dragonfly biodiversity. At each of these learning milestones, students will engage in a discussion about how rapid changes in climate conditions can be detrimental not only to dragonflies but to the success and survival of wildlife around the world.

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Indicator Species

STEM, Social and Emotional Awareness, Nature and Wildlife

3 Activities

•

Grades 6 - 8

Module

8 Activities

•

Grades 3 - 8

MLS STEM Goals

Social and Emotional Awareness, STEM

Module

MLS STEM Goals

Learn Fresh

3 - 8

9 Hours 15 Minutes

MLS STEM Goals is an interactive, sports-based learning experience that connects math, strategy, and social-emotional learning through the game of soccer. Developed in partnership with Major League Soccer, this program combines a board game and curriculum to help students build essential skills through a hands-on experience. 

Across eight lessons, students analyze shooting percentages from team cards, track and calculate their own gameplay statistics, and apply concepts like mean, median, and mode to evaluate their performance. As the season progresses, students build strategic thinking skills by weighing risk and reward during gameplay and using data to drive their decisions. The program culminates in a championship tournament where students use powers of two to construct playoff brackets and compete as a class. 

Beyond STEM, the program reinforces sportsmanship, teamwork, and integrity through integrated bonus lessons and a Sportsmanship Contract, helping students navigate challenges and collaborate with their peers effectively. With an emphasis on social-emotional skills and critical thinking, students develop practical abilities that extend beyond the classroom.

MLS STEM Goals is designed for schools and out-of-school time programs, offering a free and accessible way to engage students in STEM learning through the lens of soccer. Educators should request their MLS STEM Goals games when preparing for Lesson 1 to ensure they receive them before reaching Lesson 3. Requests can be placed at this link or using the link found in Lesson 1.

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MLS STEM Goals

Social and Emotional Awareness, STEM

8 Activities

•

Grades 3 - 8

Module

8 Activities

•

Grades K - 8

10 Activities Exploring Black History Month

Social and Emotional Awareness, History and Society

Playlist

10 Activities Exploring Black History Month

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 8

7 Hours 30 Minutes

Explore our curated playlist of activities for Black History month in Mizzen. These activities span the topics of social justice, civil rights, the civil war, abolitionist leaders and more. Allow Mizzen to help with planning Black History Month for students and get started with these activities today.

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10 Activities Exploring Black History Month

Social and Emotional Awareness, History and Society

8 Activities

•

Grades K - 8

Playlist

12 Activities

•

Grades K - 8

Summer Camp Connection Activities and Team Building Games

Social and Emotional Awareness, Leadership and Teamwork

Module

Summer Camp Connection Activities and Team Building Games

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 8

7 Hours 10 Minutes

Build connection from day one with activities that help young people feel included, confident, and ready to participate. These icebreakers and team-building games build relationships, strengthen collaboration, and create a strong group culture from day one.

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Summer Camp Connection Activities and Team Building Games

Social and Emotional Awareness, Leadership and Teamwork

12 Activities

•

Grades K - 8

Module

10 Activities

•

Grades 3 - 5

Social and Emotional Learning Activities for 3rd-5th Grade at Home

Literacy, Social and Emotional Awareness