Wellness & Safety Teacher Resources

Find balance in your life and encourage your class to do the same with our comprehensive set of instructional ideas and activities on wellness and mind/body well-being. Understanding the mind-body connection is key to a person’s successful development. Help young learners focus on every aspect of their personal health, whether it’s mental, emotional, physical, social, or spiritual health, with Lesson Planet’s teacher-curated resources.

First, introduce class members to the idea of whole-body health with elementary, middle school, and high school lessons on wellness. For younger learners, a short video helps them understand how to stay healthy, and older students can watch a video on Gilbert Ryle’s The Concept of Mind about the ways emotions can affect behavior.

The negative consequences of how mental and emotional health can affect physical health can be dire. Discuss the risk factors for drug addiction with a series of case studies, and follow up with a lesson on the ways to recover from addiction to prescription or other drugs.

Maintaining learners’ self-esteem can be tricky amidst puberty, peer pressure, and daily stress. Help them reflect on their self-worth with a workbook on several challenging situations, and a lesson that focuses on keeping a healthy body image. When discussing lifestyle changes, use a resource that examines how small daily improvements can contribute to long-term success.

Students need all the support they can get when it comes to their mental and emotional health. It’s your job to help support them—and it’s our job to support you and your curriculum needs.

Showing 361 resources
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AP Test Prep
College Board

2018 AP® Psychology Free-Response Questions

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
What mental health conditions could affect a student's performance while auditioning for a play? How do stress levels correlate with student absences? Scholars examine case studies to learn more about the mind and mental health or to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teen Domestic Abuse and Violence

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Inform your class about teen dating abuse. This resource lays out a comprehensive plan for helping teens become aware of the signs of abuse. The lesson is complete with vocabulary, worksheets, a PowerPoint presentation, and videos....
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Being Mindful Of Sadness In "The Scarlet Ibis": Theme And Characterization

For Teachers 9th Standards
James Hurst's short story "The Scarlet Ibis" provides readers with an opportunity to consider how they can support others who are experiencing distress. Participants learn self-care tips and connect to the short story's characters. They...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Treatment Works!

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students consider the goals of a treatment plan for persons who have had the way they think, feel, or behave changed because of mental illness. PET images are utilized to support the evidence of changes in the activity and functioning of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Stigma Within

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers role play the part of someone with a mental illness and the families they are members of. They act out the scenes from cue cards and other students can state their questions and comments.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Economy's Stuck, but Business is Booming at Therapists' Offices

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners explore the concept of the economy and mental health. In this economy and mental health lesson, students read an article about how the mental health community is booming due to the poor economy. Learners discuss ways to deal...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Interests

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders discover what mental health is. They discuss examples and draw pictures of themselves taking care of their mental health. They write a story about a time when they felt good about themselves.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Human Organism

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students discuss human emotions and mental health. In this mental and emotional health lesson, students write a short story regarding the "think and share" choice. Students include emotion, the connection between feelings and conflict...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exposes in Different Eras: The Work of Dorothea Dix and Burton Blatt

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discover that Dorothea Dix was the first to make the pubic aware of the terrible living conditions of people with mental illness in the 1800's. They evaluate the influence of citizen action on public policy.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Striking Out Stress- A "Gallery Walk" Activity

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students discuss ways to cope with stressful situations. In this mental health lesson, students identify stressful situations and how they would respond to them. Students discuss their feelings.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Autism Help Through PowerPoint

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students investigate the effects of autism by creating a slide-show presentation.  For this special needs lesson, students define autism and the mental health problems it can cause young people afflicted with it.  Students create a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Health (General Wellness)

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders explore their personal health by completing a worksheet.  In this healthy living lesson, 7th graders examine the health triangle and research ways to prevent at risk behavior.  Students complete a health survey based on...
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Unit Plan
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IRISS

Exploring Self-Esteem 1: What Is Self-Esteem?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Adolescents explore self-esteem and the various factors that influence a person's sense of self in this four-part lesson series. Through a combination of whole class instruction, small group discussions, and independent work, students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Personal Development (Safety and Injury Prevention)

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Demonstrate an ability to make informed choices about the prevention of injury with your class and others. Through class discussion, observational studies, simulation, and the creation of a handbook, high schoolers will understand the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Can I Do?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students discuss feelings and ways to deal with problems. In this conflict resolution lesson, students identify their feelings and learn ways to resolve conflicts with others.
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PPT
Curated OER

Feelings Are Very Important

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Here are some ways you can help your students understand and cope with their feelings. This presentation provides ways to deal with anger and sadness through calm times, self talk, daily affirmations, and replacement thoughts. Note: This...
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PPT
Curated OER

Transitions and Managing Change

For Teachers 6th
Intended to help sixth graders move on to middle school or junior high, this presentation discusses ways to cope with stress caused by change. While this cute and friendly format may invite good healthy discussions, it may not appeal to...
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Organizer
Curated OER

Countering Negative Thoughts

For Students 8th - 12th
Encourage your class to think positively! In order to counter negative thoughts, it can be useful to think of rational and positive counter statements. This worksheet asks learners to read a few negative thoughts and practice countering...
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Lesson Plan
HealthTeacher

Get More Sleep

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Help learners identify habits that interfere with sleep and to understand the importance of adequate rest and its impact on not only physical health, but also emotional wellbeing.
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Unit Plan
Bolton Healthy Schools

Deal with Poetry

For Teachers 7th - 12th
The stated goal of this unit is to use poetry to "improve the emotional health of young people." Budding poets read and then supply their own lines for poems that deal with alienation, loneliness, and rejection.
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Instructional Video3:17
FuseSchool

Anorexia and Eating Disorders

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
How does someone develop an eating disorder? Explore the link between health and body image with a video from a larger biology series. Content includes the symptoms and effects of eating disorders, reasons that eating disorders go...
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Lesson Plan
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Health Smart Virginia

Tinkle Times

For Teachers 8th
The big idea in the last lesson in the Health Smart series is that individuals must practice emotional first aid, that just as we take care of physical injuries, we must take care of emotional injuries. Scholars watch a short video and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's Wrong?

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students analyze case studies to explore similarities and differences among illnesses. PET images are examined to explore how scientists investigate the changes in the way the brain functions during depression.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Depression

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students review what they know about clinical depression. In this personal health lesson plan, students research depression and treatments for it. Students then create information posters that feature factual information about depression.