Unit Plan 21 (Grade 1 Counselor): When I Feel Worried or Scared

Focus: Help students talk about worry and fear in a safe, age-appropriate way. The counselor uses a story about a character who feels nervous and then uses a coping strategy or asks for help. Students learn that worry is a normal feeling, that they can use calming tools, and that trusted adults can help when worries feel too big.

Grade Level: 1

Subject Area: School Counseling (Worry • Fear • Coping and Help-Seeking)

Total Unit Duration: 1–2 weeks, 30 minutes per session

I. Introduction

This Grade 1 counseling lesson helps students understand worried and scared feelings in a safe, gentle, and age-appropriate way. Students learn that worry and fear are normal emotions that everyone feels sometimes. These feelings can show up when something is new, confusing, surprising, loud, hard, unsafe, or uncertain.

The counselor uses a story, puppet, picture cards, or simple scenarios to show a character who feels nervous or scared and then uses a coping strategy or asks a trusted adult for help. Students practice naming worried and scared feelings, noticing clues, choosing calming tools, and identifying adults who can help when a worry feels too big. The goal is not to make every worry disappear, but to help students know they have tools and people who can support them.

Essential Questions

• What does it mean to feel worried or scared?
• How can students recognize worry or fear in themselves and others?
• What calming tools can help when students feel worried or scared?
• When should students ask a trusted adult for help?
• Who are trusted adults at school who can help with big worries or scary problems?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Name and recognize worried and scared feelings in themselves, pictures, puppets, stories, or scenarios.
2. Identify clues that may show someone feels worried or scared, such as wide eyes, quiet voice, tight stomach, fast heartbeat, holding something tightly, or wanting to stay near an adult.
3. Explain that worry and fear are normal emotions that can happen to everyone.
4. Practice calming tools for worried or scared feelings, such as slow breathing, positive self-talk, counting, asking for help, or staying near a safe adult.
5. Recognize when a worry, fear, or problem feels too big to handle alone.
6. Name trusted adults at school and explain when to ask them for help.
7. (Optional Session) Apply worry and fear coping skills through a story response, puppet scenario, trusted adult match, calming tool practice, or picture-card sort.

Standards Alignment — Grade 1 (ASCA-based Custom)

• C:S2.1a — Name and Recognize Common Emotions
  • Identify common emotions in themselves and others, including happy, sad, mad, worried, scared, excited, embarrassed, proud, and calm.
  • Example: A student looks at a picture and says, “He looks worried because his eyebrows are up and he is holding his backpack tightly.”
• C:S2.1c — Know When and How to Ask for Help
  • Recognize when a feeling or problem is too big to handle alone and identify a trusted adult who can help.
  • Example: A student says, “If I feel really scared on the playground, I can tell the teacher on duty.”
• C:S6.1a — Identify Trusted Adults and Helping Roles
  • Name trusted adults at school and explain when to ask them for help.
  • Example: A student identifies the teacher, counselor, nurse, principal, or playground supervisor as adults who can help.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can name worried and scared feelings.
• I can notice clues that someone might feel worried or scared.
• I can use a calming tool when I feel worried or scared.
• I can tell when a worry feels too big to handle alone.
• I can name trusted adults who can help me.
• I can use clear words to ask for help.