Content Focus: Visual arts, social & emotional learning, social skills

Language Focus: speaking, listening

Vocabulary Focus: regulation, sensory tools, pinching, sculpting, scale (optional)

Standards:

• Visual Art National Standards
  • Create: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
  • 6th Grade VA:Cr2.3.6a : Investigate Design or redesign objects, places, or systems that meet the identified needs of diverse users.
  • Connect: Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
• Social & Emotional Learning Competencies — CASEL: Emotional Development – Self Management:
  • 1st-3rd: Learners will be able to, with adult guidance, demonstrate a variety of strategies to manage strong emotions.
  • 4th-5th: Learners will be able to, with minimal adult guidance, manage emotions (e.g., stress, impulses, motivation) in a manner sensitive to self and others
  • 6th-8th: Learners will be able to identify what triggers a strong emotion and apply an appropriate calming or coping strategy to defuse the emotional trigger.
  • 9th-10th: Learners will be able to consistently use appropriate calming and coping strategies when dealing with strong emotions.
  • 11th-12th: Learners will be able to predict situations that will cause strong emotions, and plan and prepare to manage those emotions.

 

Arts Integration: Sculpting, Visual Arts, Perspective, Architecture

Lesson Objectives: I am learning to identify strategies to help me manage strong emotions by designing a room that fits my needs in that state. I will know I’m successful when I can design a room that contains tools and strategies that can help me manage my emotions.

Activities: 

• Reflect on which regulation techniques have worked for you in the past. Identify any helpful tools or environments that help you regulate your body and mind.
• Create a space where you can go to regulate.

 

Engagement/Introduction:

• Design the room you would like to be in to regulate when you’re experiencing an uncomfortable emotion or when you’re dysregulated. Would you want privacy? Music? A place to jump and climb, a book to read, a weighted blanket?
• Lesson plan includes a short slideshow with examples of calming spaces and ideas for students.

 

Assessment Procedure: Students must point out elements of their space and how they can utilize it to help calm their body or mind when feeling upset. Students must use one sculpting technique (pinch, coil, add, subtract, smooth, etc.).

Materials: 

• cardstock paper, cut to ~3×5 (index cards work well) – each student will need 2.5 pieces of paper
• Colored pencils
• Hot glue gun
• Air dry clay OR Model Magic dough OR Play Doh

 

Modifications: This can be changed to incorporate scale/proportions if students need to work on those skills. Can be all pencil drawing if the clay/dough is not appropriate for student needs or is unavailable

Supporting Documents: Lesson Plan

Contact: Rachel Thurston (thurstonrachel@aasd.k12.wi.us)