Teacher Background:

Many different things can change. As a result, there are different ways you can choose to respond. Responses to change can be appropriate as long as you are not hurting yourself, others, or the things around you. Follow this process to respond to change appropriately: 

  • Observe the situation
  • Examine your feelings
  • Evaluate the facts
  • Ask yourself: “Is this change happening to me or for me?”

Lesson Plan: 

  1. Invite students to help you think of things that change.
    1. Seasons, hair styles, favorite colors, favorite games, responsibilities, abilities, etc. 
    2. Ask students to tell you which changes they like and dislike and to explain why.
    3. Explain that it is good to recognize the emotions we feel about all situations.
  2. Read the background knowledge to students. 
  3. Write the steps to responding positively to change on the board:
    1. Observe the situation
    2. Examine your feelings.
    3. Evaluate the facts
    4. Ask yourself: “Is this change happening to me or for me?”
  4. Explain to students that:
    1. When you believe a change happens for you, you can still experience anger, sadness, and fear. However, you can identify, label, and communicate your emotions and move forward with the goal of keeping your well-being in balance. When you decide that change happens for you, you learn to adapt and are able to grow.
    2. When you believe a change happens to you, you may feel anger, sadness, fear, or all of them! You may feel like you have no power and there is nothing you can do to help you keep your well-being balanced.
  5. Discuss these questions:
    1. Do you believe it is our choice to decide which idea we want to believe? (Yes, it is! You get to decide what you want to think.)
    2. What does it mean if you choose to believe that change is happening for you? (We choose to believe that changes are an opportunity to learn and grow and adapt.)
    3. What does it mean if you choose to believe that change is happening to you? (We choose to think that we have no power to control what is happening. We believe that we do not have control of our response to a change.)
  6. Use the graphic organizer Responding to Change. The purpose of this organizer is to help students learn the order of the steps to help them respond positively to change.
Notes for Teacher:

Change can be particularly hard if the change is unexpected or unpredictable. Routines help to provide structure and a framework for positive response to change.

Think Deeply:

Why do you think it is important to examine how you feel about a change?

Well-Being Question:

How do you feel when you decide a change is happening for you rather than to you?

Let’s Write: 

Write down three benefits of responding positively to change.

Materials Used:

Graphic organizer: Responding to Change

Studies Weekly Responding to Change graphic organizer

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