Lesson Plan: Unexpressed Emotions

Materials Required: 4 balloons (1 red, 1 white, 1 yellow, 1 blue)
Activity Time: 30-60 minutes
Concepts Taught: Introduce need to express feelings. Ways to express emotions.

NEW VOCABULARY: resilient

Intended Learning Outcomes:
The purpose of this lesson is to demonstrate how unexpressed emotion can be self- destructive; also, to understand the need to find outlets for expressing feelings constructively. Each student will identify and learn management skills to deal with their personal emotional style.

Instructional Procedures:
Students need to understand how reactions to an event can cause feelings of stress. If the energy produced in the body is not released, the energy build-up continues and causes problems for us and others.

Balloon Demonstration

1. Blow white balloon up fully. Tie it off. Handle balloon with care. Why? Discuss. (It may pop!)

2. Blow red balloon up until it pops. Describe what happened and why?

3. Blow yellow balloon up fully but do not tie it off. Now take fingers off balloon and let it go. You have no control over what happens.

4. Blow blue balloon up all the way. Tie it off. Now toss it around room. Balloon can withstand interaction and won't break.

Discussion points for teachers:

White balloon: Handle with care-energetic-looks good-can't take much more.

Red balloon: Too much energy-point of no return-irreparable damage-no fun.

Yellow balloon: Out of control-okay at appropriate times and places-because it's not tied off, it's flexible (can add or release air before letting go)-before a person lets go their emotions can be managed.

Blue balloon: Withstands additional pressure-is resilient-more fun, worry free

CLOSURE (Wrap-Up and Extension)

1. Identify personal style. Which balloon represents you and why?

2. Which emotional style would you prefer, and how can you achieve that preference?