12th Grade Back to School Unit Plans

Mental Health Curriculum 8th - 12th Grade

By Sign with me TOD

This product focuses on the following areas:

This mental health curriculum includes suggested activities and tips to support mental health education and instruction for students in 8th through 12th Grade. Depending on students ability levels, this product could be used in 6th and 7th grade as well.

What's in this product:

Positive Self Talk - This product includes a brief teacher guide that discusses the importance of promoting self-care for mental health and overall well-being, suggestions are provided for short mindfulness exercises for teenagers, emotional responses to various situations that may arise - both positive self-talk and negative self-talk, the importance of being unable to change the situation, but changing the way we think about something and how we feel and act, students will take time to reflect on a time they felt upset about something and what happened when they used both negative and positive-self talk, the importance of our mental health, mood, and motivation are shared, examining unhealthy thinking styles, and recognizing negative-self talk in given situations that relate with jumping to conclusions, personalization, catastrophizing, shoulding, overgeneralization, labelling, emotional reasoning, magnification and minimization (the definition of each is provided along with examples). Students will then write down ways that they would challenge and change their negative self-talk in order for it to become positive self-talk to help improve mental health, mood, and motivation.
Resiliency Activities - This product emphasizes resiliency and how it is important for students to learn from adversity and become a stronger, wiser person and recover quickly from challenges, 7 activities that can be carried out with small groups or the entire class are included in this product - these 7 activities include a teacher's guide, tips, and templates (as required are included) to go along with the teacher's guide are also included in this product. Feelings are also discussed in this product. a feelings journal template is included in this product that allows students to document how they are feeling regarding each prompt that is asked each day. A blank template is also included in this packet if you want students to complete a free-write journal entry each day.

Communication Styles Adapted Notes and Review - This product provides students with skills to support effective communication skills, explore the importance of both verbal and nonverbal communication skills, identify the principles of effective communication, and learn the difference between the 4 communication styles - passive, passive aggressive, aggressive, and assertive. Students will answer short answer comprehension questions that compare the 4 communication styles. Students will learn about passive, passive aggressive, aggressive, and assertive communication, what each communicate style entails, how they differ from each other, what passive, passive aggressive, aggressive, and assertive communicators will do (body language, facial expression, etc.), the impact of each communication style in individuals is reviewed, what each communicator may believe and say to others, and tips on how to communicate with individuals who use the 4 kinds of communication styles to communicate.

Emotional Awareness - In this product, students will identify how powerful positive and negative words are and for students to build empathy. Students will talk about words and actions that can hurt someone's heart/feelings. Students will learn the power of words and how they impact others, students will discuss the meanings of words: bullying, cattiness, discrimination, gossiping, self-esteem, and teasing, a list of hurtful words and actions, and helpful words and actions are provided, and students will be required to add onto all of these lists, students will talk about the effects of hurtful words on the heart, when students are frustrated what they can do to feel better, and how to better handle situations in the future when someone uses a hurtful word or you go to use a hurtful word.

Mental Health Stigma Activities - This product provides students with information regarding stigma. Students will answer questions regarding technology and social media and how they can affect our ability to show compassion to others, why people forget to take care of themselves and show compassion for themselves, how to stop negative thoughts from happening. Students will review the meaning for stigma, stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination. Students will also review what negative things they have heard about people with mental illness, along with positive things. Talking about how others are different and that's what makes them unique, and how others are stigmatized based on how they look, act, etc. Examples of possible stigmas are presented. The meaning of self-stigma and what examples of self-stigma are presented. Students will also review health conditions or social differences that were stigmatized throughout history, and ways to reduce stigma to eliminate negative feelings.

Throughout this product, students will answer comprehension questions and will also be presented with social scenarios that they may encounter where they are asked how they would feel or what they would do. An attitude survey regarding mental health that contains 10 questions is also included in this product. Students will compare their results when they are finished and will go over the correct answers.

Gratitude Activity – Students will complete a gratitude scavenger hunt, where will they look for things in their environment that they are grateful for and students will answer questions about what they are grateful for such as something that they are thankful for that shows a vibrant color, something that makes them feel strong, something that they recently learned/discovered, etc. students will write about experiences in for which they feel gratitude and expand upon that experience.

Stress Response Adapted Notes - This product provides students with information regarding stress. Students will complete a stress test and reflect on what may cause them stress. Fight/flight/freeze response is also reviewed in this product and how it relates with stress. Once students have taken the stress test, they will analyze their results. Students will work in groups and complete the packet regarding the effects of stress. Students will answer questions such as how they felt when they were feeling stressed, etc. Students will review the effects of stress charts provided that include what happens when the body is in fight or flight compared to when it is relaxed. Students will also learn about the emotional, physical, and mental effects of stress and see how they differ from one another. Students will learn what stress and stressors are when they discuss coping with stress. Healthy and unhealthy strategies to cope with stress are included in this product. Students will take time to reflect on a time when they were stressed or if they were stressed and answer questions regarding making healthy or unhealthy choices to cope with stress.

Throughout this product, students will answer comprehension questions and will also be presented with social scenarios that they may encounter where they are asked how they would feel or what they would do. An attitude survey regarding mental health that contains 10 questions is also included in this product. Students will compare their results when they are finished and will go over the correct answers.

If you aren’t interested in this bundle, you may be interested in each product that is included in this bundle:

Positive Self Talk:

https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Positive-Self-Talk-Activities-and-Tips-9822221

Resiliency Activities:

https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Resiliency-Activities--9826305

Communication Styles Adapted Notes and Review:

https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Communication-Styles-Adapted-Notes-and-Review-9837662#show-price-update

Mental Health Stigma Activities:

https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Mental-Health-Stigma-Activities-9844604

Gratitude Activities:

https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Gratitude-Activities-9753926

Stress Response Adapted Notes:
https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Stress-Response-Adapted-Notes-and-Activities-9848108

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$15.00