Course Overview
This course covers the Health outcome USC4.6, which focuses on assessing healthy stress management strategies (e.g., relaxation skills, stress control skills, guided imagery, expressing feelings, exercising).
- Develop and use respectful language to talk about stress and to describe the intensity of feelings
- Explore the responses one may experience as a result of stress
- Recognize potentially stressful situations and examine possible reactions to the experience.
- Describe strategies for managing stress
- Assess healthy stress management strategies
I am providing this Grade 4 Health unit (stress strategies) in a blended learning format to ensure my students have all the resources they might need & are able access to them when or if needed (this could also be on their own time). I also believe that using online platforms provide students with a sense of privacy (ability to post or comment anonymously from their peers) and provides them the opportunity to further explore deeper understandings & research.
Photo & Resource of Student Meditation Practices
Learner Personas
Grade 4 students (lots of strong students & strengths, but a few students who are weak in reading & writing, as well as some learning disabilities). My classroom has a diverse range of students, some being pulled for extra support, with EA support, missing school, etc. Using a blended learning approach will provide my students with the opportunity to catch up & learn on their own time, when they have missed, or if they need to go back & review.
Technology adds a helpful piece when an assignment or reading can be read out loud to the student & they are given the opportunity to use voice to text (struggle to write or type) or text to voice (struggle to communicate or speak). Grade 4 is also the first grade in our division where they receive one-to-one technology within the classroom & it is encouraged to provide our students with the opportunity to better their skills & understanding on the Chromebook & more specifically within Google Classroom.
Learning Environment
Opportunities
- Students will have variety on their assignments & choices
- Students will have privacy & the chance to explore on their own
- Students will become more familiar with technology & how to properly navigate it
- The teacher will have the chance to see their work in a diverse range of ways
- Stress is a big health outcome at this grade level & finding stress strategies is a huge part of life
- Every student will have access to their own chromebook at this grade level
Limitations
- Students might need further instruction regarding either the lesson or the technology element
- Teachers need to turn this into an online course, likely with limited time & support
- Ability to ensure every student is up to speed on how to properly use the technology
- Limited tech help or support when a chromebook is not working, broken, etc.
Instructional Approach & Course Layout
Lesson 1- What is Stress?
Discuss many of these terms, descriptions, and emotions in a group setting (face-to-face & Jamboard)
Lesson 2- Stress Strategy Exploration
Explore & experiment with many stress strategies (face-to-face & online)
Lesson 3- How to Tame My Anxiety Monster
Book/read aloud to pause & replay at their own needs (Google Classroom)
Create a “Worry Monster” to practice throwing away our stressors (choice of Google Document or paper)
Lesson 4- Is Stress Always Negative?
Deeper exploration on why stress happens, why it differs between each person, & why it isn’t necessarily a negative thing (face-to-face discussion & Jamboard)
Lesson 5- Mindfulness Makes Me Stronger
Book/read aloud to pause & replay at their own needs (Google Classroom)
Guided Meditation (Google Classroom)
Lesson 6- Stress Strategy Sharing
Choose the stress strategy they find most beneficial for themselves from all the strategies we have previously been exploring & share their stress strategy to create a team built stress strategy document (Google Slides)
Lesson 7- Stress Check in
Daily reflection/check in on their stress & mental health (Google Doc)
A group Kahoot to deeper their understandings & broaden their strategies
Lesson 8- What Would YOU Do?
Stress strategy word problems to reflect what their personal choice would be (Google Slides)
Lesson 9- A Little Calm Spot
Book/read aloud to pause & replay at their own needs (Google Classroom)
Art creation of their ideal calm spot
Lesson 10- Stress Show What You Know
Personal reflection on what the students have learned through this course (Google Form)
Photo & Resource for Stress Management Tips for Students
Assessment
There will be ongoing formative assessment throughout each class & lesson.
I will be using my Assessment Rubric for this outcome to help my summative assessment.
The following assessment pieces will help to ensure I am reaching my triangulation of observation & properly assessing all areas.
- Personal exploration of stress strategies (observation throughout the unit)
- Students properly expressing their emotion & feelings regarding stressors & strategies (conversations throughout the unit)
- Google form to reflect on their personal learning & understanding (product)
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