TENSE!!!

Here are a few things I plan to use this year to help my students isolate those "tense" feelings. There are few more in my post titled - Essential Tools.

  Don't you get tense just thinking about a balloon popping? This game makes you so tense that even my 17 year old son would not stay in the room with me when I was testing it out. Actually, when the balloon pops, it is not overwhelming. The balloons that come with the game make a relatively gentle popping noise and the pieces of the balloon stay pretty contained within the frame of the game.

 This game is a take on the more common, Crocodile Dentist. The jaw will "SNAP" the student who finds the Lion's sore tooth. The Lion will roar as well. Very cool!

I plan to mix this in with other cans of nuts and food to increase the element of surprise.

 I plan to use this by having students take turns putting their pieces into the game. This will help develop team work - group success and failure.

This is another game that gives you that tense feeling. It is laborious to set-up, so I usually use it once and then just sweep the blocks to the side until after group. Thankfully I have a group of kiddos who love to stack them back into the box and readily volunteer.

Don't forget during all this fun, the real purpose of identifying the tense feeling is learning that the calm feeling is much more comfortable!
Make sure your kiddos are using their "practicing hands" and breathing techniques to reclaim their "calm."  

 Breathe!

Energy Harey

Here is a lesson plan for defeating Energy Harey. There is a book list at the end of the plan. The list includes many books that I did not use. They would be great for an older group of students.

Essential Question: What strategies will help us to defeat Energy Harey?

Powers: Energy Harey gives us too much energy which keeps us from learning. He makes us waste our energy.

Strategies: Use a wiggle fidget (I use a rock), do a Wiggle Dance, take a break away

Monday	Mindful Breathing using chime and space ball Discuss the characteristics of a learning body. How does this help us learn? Model both distracted and learning bodies. Have students practice their learning bodies. Introduce the Unthinkable –Energy Harey What do you think his powers are? What kind of energy do you think he has? Discuss wasted energy. Begin  the story – It’s Hard to be a Verb Mindful Breathing	Put Energy Harey into Louis’ brain.   Add Superflex to the book when Louis begins to think flexible. Make a list of Verbs T-chart One side – verbs that help you learn and verbs that interrupt your learning
Tuesday	Mindful Breathing using chime and space ball Finish reading – It’s Hard to be a Verb Discuss wasted energy. Practice getting the wiggles out – use Rock and Roll CD (I used Sugar Beats). Practice using a wiggle fidget Practice getting up from our desk and getting hand sanitizer Create a “Secret Sign” with their “Verb” to use to let students’ know they are wiggling and need to refocus Mindful Breathing	Three things to do with a waiting rock – 1. squeeze 2. the pass 3. the roll Practice what not to do: the throw the drop
Wednesday	Mindful Breathing using chime and space ball Read Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen Review what a listening body looks like and sounds like. How does Howard feel when he learns to listen? Discuss wasted energy. review the “Secret Signal” Do the Wiggle Dance Mindful Breathing	Play the Verb in a Bag game Have student take turns pulling a verb from a bag. Each student should act out the verb while the other students guess. Add each verb to the T-Chart Do the Wiggle Dance – Sugar Beats CD We Got the Beat
Thursday	Mindful Breathing using chime and space ball Read the Story – Mrs. Gorski, I Think I Have the Wiggle Fidgets This is a VERY long Book. Use  the “Secret Signal” Take a break at page 13 – Do the Wiggle Dance Finish the story and discuss David’s cure Discuss wasted energy. Mindful Breathing	Do the Wiggle Dance – Sugar Beats CD Walking on Sunshine
Friday	Mindful Breathing using chime and space ball Review the Verb T- Chart  and a listening body Practice using a waiting rock – see Tuesday plans Read- Listen Buddy  at page 17 Use  the “Secret Signal” Let students use their waiting rocks What do your parents expect you to hear when you listen? How about your teachers? Discuss wasted energy. Mindful Breathing
Monday	Mindful Breathing using chime and space ball Review the Verb T- Chart  and a listening body Check listening bodies, Does anyone need a waiting rock? Read-Why Should I Listen While you are reading: Use the “Secret Signal” on individual students Practice going to get a drink of water and coming back to the group Go back and discuss the consequences to not listening. What are the consequences at school for not listening? Mindful Breathing	Discuss wasted energy.
Tuesday	Mindful Breathing using chime and space ball Review the Verb T- Chart  and a listening body Check listening bodies, Does anyone need a waiting rock? Read-Sit Still While you are reading: Use the “Secret Signal” on individual students Practice going to get a drink of water and coming back to the group Go back and discuss the consequences to not listening. What are the consequences at school for not listening? Mindful Breathing	Review the strategies for defeating Energy Harey – Use a wiggle fidget Do the Wiggle Dance Take a break away

  

Energy Hare-y

Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen,  Howard Binkow

Shelley, The Hyperactive Turtle, Deborah Moss

Mrs. Gorski, I Think I Have the Wiggle Fidgets, Barbara Esham

Sit Still, Nancy Carlson

It’s Hard to be a Verb, Julia Cook

It’s Hard to Be a Verb Activity Book, Julia Cook

Why Should I Listen, Claire Llewellyn 

80HD, Dr. Trish Wood 

I Can’t Sit Still: Living With ADHD, Pam Pollack

Squirmy Wormy, Lynda Farrington Wilson

This is Gabriel, Hartley Steiner

Listen Buddy, Helen Lester

Some Kids just Can’t Sit Still, Sam Goldstein

Space Invader

Here is another lesson plan for defeating one of the Team of Unthinkables. Look for a book list at the end.

Essential Question: What is a strategy to stop Space Invader from attacking you?

Powers: Gets people to invade other peoples’ space.

Strategy to Defeat Space Invader: The One Arm Rule

Monday	Tense Body - Phlat Ball or Daddy Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball) Space Invader – New Unthinkable What powers might he have? Read Huggapotmus During reading discuss: Mom and Dad hugs – what do they look like and feel like? Comfortable/uncomfortable? How do Albert’s friends feel? Comfortable or uncomfortable. What can Albert do differently when he sees his friends next time. How did Albert defeat Space Invader? Practice teacher/school hugs and asking permission from students. Those who say no, ask if they want a High Five. Practice right and wrong way. Ask if student is comfortable or uncomfortable Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball)	Make a little brain w/ Space Invader in to put above Albert’s head. Use tape or sticky putty so you can remove them later.  Be sure to add Superflex to the story when Albert learns to use flexible thinking.
Tuesday	Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball) Tense Body - Phlat Ball or Daddy Review Huggapotamus and uncomfortable feeling Read pages 3-13 of: Personal Space Camp Were people around Louis comfortable or uncomfortable Read pages 14 – 19 Practice getting into a hoola hoop/ practice walking with hoola hoops Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball)
Wednesday	Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball) Tense Body - Phlat Ball or Daddy Read Too Many Chickens Discuss how the classroom felt when everyone’s personal space was being invaded. Brainstorm ways to keep this from happening in our own classroom Read pages 20-25 of Personal Space Camp Use the bubbles and discuss how we feel when someone pops our space bubble. Practice walking with the rope and knots. Introduce the strategy “One arm rule” Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball)
Thursday	Tense Body - Phlat Ball or Daddy Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball) Read: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Use a copy of the old lady and the animals and overlap them as you tape them onto her. Discuss how everyone is touching everyone else. Is this comfortable or uncomfortable? Read pages 26-28 of Personal Space Camp Begin making body traces Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball)
Friday	Tense Body - Phlat Ball or Daddy Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball) Finish body tracings and lay them out in the circle over lapping so that everyone would be uncomfortable. How can we fix this so that everyone has their own space? Finish reading Personal Space Camp Discuss the strategy: One Arm Rule – move tracings to one arm distance Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball)
Monday	Tense Body - Phlat Ball or Daddy Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball) Pop Corn Personal Space Camp Activity Book page 11 Discuss what will happen to the popcorn if everyone puts their hand into the bowl at once. Read: A Crowded Ride in the Countryside What happened to the animals? Was it safe? How can invading other people’s space be “unsafe?” Everyone pile into the bus tent. Discuss safety/comfort, etc… Much more comfortable when everyone has his or her own space. How does the One Arm Rule help us keep others comfortable? Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball)
Tuesday	Tense Body - Phlat Ball or Daddy Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball) Gold Fish Snack Personal Space Camp Activity Book page 17 Read: Bed Hogs, discuss how each of the pigs feels stuffed into that bed. Compare it to an assembly and discuss strategies for keeping ourselves calm when our bubble has to be smaller. Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball)
Wednesday	Tense Body - Phlat Ball or Daddy Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball) If the Shoe Fits Personal Space Camp Activity Book page 21 Read: There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball)	Use manipulative pics of each item and have students place each pic into a pic of the Old Lady.
Thursday	Tense Body - Phlat Ball or Daddy Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball) If the Shoe Fits Personal Space Camp Activity Book page 21 Read: There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball)	Use manipulative pics of each item and have students place each pic into a pic of the Old Lady.
Friday	Tense Body - Phlat Ball or Daddy Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball) Read: Room on the Broom Practice closing the circle and scooting and stretching the circle until everyone is “comfortable.” Mindful Breathing (chime and Space Ball)	Defeat Space Invader by putting him into jail. Add the "One Arm Rule" strategy to the Superflex Strategy Binder under the Space Invader Tab **I will post this pic once school starts.

Space Invader Book List

Huggapotamus, Steve Metzger

Too Many Chickens, Paulette Bourgeois

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Pam Adams
There Was an Old lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves, Lucille Colandro
There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat, Lucille Colandro
A Crowded Ride in the Countryside, Frank B. Edwards

Personal Space Camp, Julia Cook

Personal Space Camp Activity Book, Julia Cook

Room on the Broom, Julia Donaldson

Hugville, Court Crandall

When the Fly Flew In, Lisa Westberg Peters

Pigs A Plenty, Pigs Galore! David McPhail