Unit Plan 20 (Grade 3 Counselor): My Coping Plan

Focus: Help students build a personal coping plan for common school stressors. The counselor reviews coping tools such as slow breathing, positive self-talk, drawing, movement, taking space, journaling, asking for help, and using problem-solving steps. Students select strategies they are most likely to use and identify which situations each strategy might fit best.

Grade Level: 3

Subject Area: School Counseling (Coping Tools • Self-Management • Help-Seeking)

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

I. Introduction

This Grade 3 counseling lesson helps students create a personal coping plan they can use when school feelings or problems become stressful. Students review coping tools they have practiced throughout the year, including slow breathing, positive self-talk, drawing, movement, taking space, journaling, problem-solving steps, and asking for help. The counselor emphasizes that coping plans work best when students choose tools that fit the situation and feel realistic to use.

Students think about common Grade 3 stressors, such as feeling nervous before a test, getting frustrated with hard work, feeling embarrassed after a mistake, feeling left out, arguing with a friend, being corrected, or worrying about a repeated peer problem. They choose coping strategies that help them calm down, think clearly, solve problems, or ask for support. The goal is for students to leave with a simple plan they can use when feelings become strong.

Essential Questions

• What is a coping plan, and how can it help students?
• How can students choose coping tools that fit different feelings and situations?
• What coping tools help students calm their bodies, change thoughts, solve problems, or ask for help?
• When should students use a coping strategy, and when should they ask a trusted adult for support?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Identify coping strategies that can help with common school stressors.
2. Match coping tools to different feelings and situations.
3. Choose personal coping tools they are likely to use in school settings.
4. Explain when a coping tool may help and when trusted adult support is needed.
5. Create a simple coping plan that includes preferred strategies, situations where they fit, and support options.
6. (Optional Session) Practice using the coping plan with realistic Grade 3 scenarios.

Standards Alignment — Grade 3 (ASCA-based Custom)

• C:S2.3b — Choose Coping Strategies for Different Situations
  • Select and practice coping tools such as breathing, positive self-talk, taking a break, movement, journaling, problem-solving, or asking for help.
  • Example: A student chooses to use positive self-talk and slow breathing before sharing in front of the class.
• C:S2.3c — Recognize When Support Is Needed
  • Identify when a feeling, worry, peer issue, or safety concern is too big to handle alone and choose an appropriate trusted adult for support.
  • Example: A student says, “If someone keeps bothering me after I ask them to stop, I should tell my teacher or counselor.”

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can name coping tools that help with strong feelings.
• I can choose coping strategies that fit different situations.
• I can make a coping plan I can actually use.
• I can tell when I should ask a trusted adult for help.
• I can use my plan to calm down, think clearly, and choose a helpful next step.