1. Emotions and Decisions
Advisory Lesson Plans
Westport Middle School

2. Icebreaker- The Company You Keep
Teacher will call out a category.
Students are to locate as quickly as possible all the people whom they would associate with the given category.
Examples:
Birthday Months
Handedness (Right, Left, Ambidextrous)
Favorite Season
Favorite Sport

3. Learning Target and Agenda
LT: I can identify how emotions can affect decisions.
Agenda:
Discussion- What are emotions and how do they affect decisions?
Video- Emotions and the Brain
Activity- Diagram of the Brain/Body (Worksheet)
Exit Slip- Tell about a time when your emotions affected your decision-making.

4. What are emotions?

5. How do emotions affect decisions?
Your emotions drive the decisions you make.
Your success in life depends upon your ability to understand and interpret your emotions.
When an emotion is triggered in your brain, your body responds by creating feelings and thoughts in your mind. 

6. Video- Emotions and the Brain

7. Activity- Diagram Worksheet
Expectations:
Use a voice level 1 or 2
Stay on task.
Stay in your seats.
Raise your hand if you need help.

8. Exit Slip
Tell about a time when emotions affected your decision-making. What happened? What were the consequences?

9. Icebreaker- Race For the Truth
Students stand on the starting line while the teacher lists off general facts. (For example, I have a dog.)
If the stated fact is true for any of the students, those students must move forward a step.
The first student who crosses the finish line wins.

10. Learning Target and Agenda
LT: I can learn to make good decisions even when I’m upset or angry though mindfulness.
Agenda:
Discussion- What is mindfulness?
Article and Questions- Mindfulness
Activity- Mini-Poster
Exit Slip- What is mindfulness and why is it important?

11. What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness occurs when we pay attention to what is happening in our brains and bodies in the moment.
We observe our emotions, our thoughts, our surroundings, before reacting to events.
We apply this same focus of attention to situations both good and bad..

12. Article and Questions
Expectations:
Use a voice level 1 or 2.
Stay on task.
Stay in your seats.
Raise your hand if you have any questions.

13. Mini-Posters With a partner, create a mini-poster about mindfulness.
Include the following:
Student-friendly definition of mindfulness.
What happens in the brain when we are/are not mindful.
Steps to being mindful.

14. Exit Slip
What is mindfulness?
Why is it important?