Unit Plan 29 (Grade 4 Counselor): Trusted Adults and Reporting Concerns

Focus: Review trusted adults and clarify when students should report concerns. The counselor distinguishes between tattling to get someone in trouble and reporting to keep someone safe or stop repeated harm. Students practice reporting language for unsafe behavior, repeated teasing, boundary violations, strong worries, or peer problems that do not stop.

Grade Level: 4

Subject Area: School Counseling (Trusted Adults • Reporting Concerns • Help-Seeking)

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

I. Introduction

This Grade 4 counseling lesson helps students understand when and how to seek help from trusted adults. Students learn that some problems can be handled with coping tools, respectful words, walking away, or problem-solving steps, but other concerns should be reported to an adult because they involve safety, repeated harm, strong worries, boundary violations, or peer problems that do not stop.

The counselor teaches the difference between tattling and reporting in a developmentally appropriate way. Tattling is often meant to get someone in trouble for a small problem that students can try to solve. Reporting is meant to keep someone safe, protect learning, stop repeated harm, or get support when a problem is too big to handle alone. The goal is for students to feel confident naming trusted adults and using clear reporting language when support is needed.

Essential Questions

• Who are trusted adults, and how can they help students?
• What is the difference between tattling and reporting?
• When should students report unsafe behavior, repeated teasing, boundary violations, strong worries, or peer problems that do not stop?
• What clear words can students use when they need adult support?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Name trusted adults at school and explain how they can help with learning, friendship, feelings, safety, and repeated concerns.
2. Distinguish between tattling for small problems and reporting to keep someone safe or stop repeated harm.
3. Identify concerns that should be reported, including unsafe behavior, repeated teasing, boundary violations, bullying concerns, strong worries, threats, or peer problems that do not stop.
4. Practice clear reporting language that explains what happened, where it happened, who needs help, and whether it keeps happening.
5. Recognize when a worry, conflict, unsafe situation, or strong emotion is too much to handle alone.
6. (Optional Session) Practice reporting concerns through scenario sorting, role-play, or trusted adult help-seeking plans.

Standards Alignment — Grade 4 (ASCA-based Custom)

• C:S2.4c — Recognize When Support Is Needed
  • Identify when a worry, conflict, unsafe situation, or strong emotion is too much to handle alone and choose an appropriate trusted adult for support.
  • Example: A student recognizes that repeated teasing should be reported to a teacher, counselor, or trusted adult.
• C:S6.4a — Identify Trusted Adults and Appropriate Help-Seeking
  • Name trusted adults at school and explain when to seek help for themselves or others.
  • Example: A student knows to tell a teacher, counselor, nurse, principal, or playground supervisor about unsafe behavior, repeated conflict, strong worries, or bullying concerns.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can name trusted adults at school who can help me or someone else.
• I can explain the difference between tattling and reporting.
• I can identify problems that should be reported to an adult.
• I can use clear words to report a concern.
• I can ask for help when a problem is unsafe, repeated, harmful, overwhelming, or too big to handle alone.