Health Smart Virginia Sample Lesson PlanGrade 9 – Unit 1

Grade 9 Sample Lesson Plan:

SOLs
 9.1.L Identify signs, symptoms, and sources of stress and anxiety at home, at
school, and with peers.
 9.1.M Describe the positive and negative impacts of social networking.
 9.1. N Identify signs and symptoms of depression, risk factors for suicide, and
risk factors for other self-destructive behaviors.
 9.1.O Explain the relationship between body image and eating disorders.
 9.2.Q Develop a personal system for coping with distress and stress.
 9.2.R Identify appropriate coping and resiliency strategies to manage symptoms
of stress, anxiety, loss, and depression.
 9.2.T Explain the importance of community mental health services.
 9.2.U Discuss the causes, symptoms, harmful effects, and treatment of eating
disorders.
 9.3.I Create strategies to manage deadlines.
 9.3.J Discuss ramifications of sharing personal information through electronic
media.
 9.3.K Identify school and community mental health resources.
 9.3.L Determine how to help a friend exhibiting signs of depression, anxiety,
disordered eating, or other self-harming behavior.

Objectives/Goals
 The following activity ideas and lesson and information resource links address
these SOLs and support the social and emotional development of students. The
Health Smart Virginia website provides a bank of more detailed lesson plans to
meet the Grade 9 Social Emotional SOLs in the Related Resources listing under
this document on the website. To directly access these on their source sites,
click the web links below.

 The contribution teachers make to the social and emotional development

and emotional regulation skills; supportive interaction with students by

 Lastly, these SOLs should be addressed in concert with the other SOLs, -
e.g., healthy relationships and violence prevention, ATOD, and health
promotion - that address components of social and emotional
development of students – i.e., their ability to experience, express and
manage their emotions; to communicate, collaborate, resolve conflicts;
and to otherwise develop and maintain positive, supportive relationships
with others.

Procedure
 Implement the lessons identified in the resource section.
 Ask students to research and present on the signs and symptoms of depression
and suicide and other mental health concerns and available helpful resources
including the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-TALK.
 Contact the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health Services to bring a Mental
Health First Aid Program to your school.
 Set up a class role-play where students can practice talking to friends who may be
exhibiting symptoms of depression, anxiety, disordered eating, or other self-
harming behavior and encouraging them to seek help.
 Have students compile a comprehensive list of school and community mental
health resources.
 Reduce the Stigma! Campaign - Discuss stigma, mental health, and substance
abuse and have students develop a campaign to promote awareness, acceptance,
and help seeking.
 Split the class into pro and con groups to debate the good of social networking.
 Ask students to research and write a persuasive essay about the benefits and/or
disadvantages of social networking.
 Research and identify resources for helping someone who is exhibiting self-
harming behaviors.
 Have students identify stressors and set goals to that will reduce stress.
 Encourage students to talk to trusted adults about disappointments, loss and
grief. Talk to them about helpful school and community resource people. When
Grief Enters the Classroom is a resource that provides good background and
strategies for educators on addressing grief across various developmental ages.
 Communication undergirds social emotional development. Implement the class
activity, Communication Drawing. Pair up students and give them 4 blank pieces
of paper and drawing instruments. Have the students sit back to back. Give the
Health Smart Virginia Sample Lesson PlanGrade 9 – Unit 1

first student in each pair 2 minutes to draw a picture on the paper. These
students will slowly describe their drawing to their partner and the partner
should follow their instructions try to replicate the original drawing – no
questions are allowed! Once this is done, the students should compare the two
drawings. Discuss what was helpful or challenging in communicating
 without seeing the drawing. Repeat the activity, but instead have the partner’s
switch roles. In this second round, however, the second student can also ask the
partner questions (but only questions that have a yes/no answer) to clarify how
their partner is telling them to draw. Have the students compare the pictures and
discuss. Were the second set of drawings closer to the original? What may have
contributed to this? Was additional communication helpful? How so?
 Self - Esteem/ My Positive Traits - Students work together to create a class
social media or Instagram account with pictures and captions that reflect
their positive traits.
 Striking Out Stress – A Gallery Walk Activity
The teacher puts up several posters around the room. After an interactive
discussion about the definition of stress and the impact of the “fight or flight”
response on health, students walk around the room and jot down answers to
each poster. The teacher and students then discuss the responses and identify
positive and negative stressors. When the students return to their seats, the
class brainstorms strategies for coping with stress. Following are sample
poster headings:
o Situations that make me angry.
o Situations that make me frustrated.
o Situations that make me worry.
o Situations that make me happy.
o Situations that take a lot of time.
 Situations that take money

References
 An Adolescent Mental Health Curriculum = A Starter Kit for Schools
 Canadian Mental Health Association- Mental Health and High School
Curriculum Guide
 CDC Healthy Relationships Talking Points
 CDC Healthy Communication Skills Teachers Guide
 The Cool Spot
 Cross the Line Similarities and Differences Activity
 Discovery - Depression Lesson Plan
 Eating Disorders
 KidsHealth.org Teacher’s Guides for Grades 9-12:
o Conflict Resolution
o Depression
Health Smart Virginia Sample Lesson PlanGrade 9 – Unit 1

o Empathy
o Eating Disorders
o Getting Along
o Healthy Relationships
o Peer Pressure
o Self Esteem
o Stress
o Suicide Prevention
 Mental Health First Aid
 Mental Health and High School Curriculum Guide, Canadian Mental Health
Association
 Mental Health HS Curriculum Guide – Teen Mental Health
 NC Schools – Mrs. Kelly’s Health and PE Mental Health Lessons
o Identify responses to stress and coping
o Methods to deal with anxiety
o Identify Causes and Symptoms
o Design Help Seeking Strategies
 Mindful Schools – Lesson- Introduction to Mindful Bodies and Listening
 Mindful Schools
 Mindful Teachers Site - numerous activities including:
o Human Camera to Engage the Senses
o A Cooperative Game for Teaching Mindfulness
o Pebble Meditation to Cultivate Peace
o Rainbow Walk to Move the Body and Rest the Mind
o A Seated Walking Practice
o A Mindful Way to Handle Annoyance
o THINK Before You Speak
o THINK Before You Speak 2
o Developing Mindfulness of Feelings
o Facing Challenges
o Labeling Thoughts, Emotions
o Abdominal Breath Stress Reduction
o Awareness of the Present Moment
o Recognizing and Learning From Mistakes
 NIDA CDC What Does Respect Mean To You
 Scholastic - Teens and Decision Making - Teachers Edition and Student Magazine
 Open Up Magazine, Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health –
It’s All in Your Viewpoint
 PBS- Overview of Mindfulness
 PBS – Its My Life
 PBS- In the Mix: "Dealing with Death"
 PBS – Its My Life – Death
 PBS - Its My Life Dealing with Anger Journal
 PBS - Its My Life Depression Journal
 PBS - In the Mix, Violence and SE Lesson Plans and Discussion Guides
 PE Central lessons
Health Smart Virginia Sample Lesson PlanGrade 9 – Unit 1

o Emotions in Motion
o Sounds of Music (Stress Management)
 ProCon.org- Social Networking
 Reach Out - Asking students if they are okay
 Rossier USC - Creating Safe Spaces – Social Emotional Lessons
 Samaritans Developing Emotional Awareness and Listening (DEAL) Teaching
Resources
 Scholastic Mind Up Curriculum – brain centered teaching strategies
 Scholastic - Social and Emotional Learning: Essential Lessons for Student
Success
 Screening for Mental Health- depression, suicide, and self-injury:
 Signs of Suicide and ACT
 Social Networking
 Striking Out Stress: A “Gallery Walk” Activity
 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
 Suicide Prevention Resource Center
 Teen Mental Health- Mental Health & High School Curriculum
 Virginia Department of Behavioral Health Services
 “Walk in Our Shoes” Lesson Plan
 Wall Street Journal - Overview of Mindfulness
 We Are Teachers: Resources for Social and Emotional Learning
 Welcoming Schools Guide – Bias, Bullying, Bystanders
 When Grief Enters the Classroom