Unit Plan 34 (Grade 5 Counselor): Positive Leadership Before Middle School

Focus: Help students understand leadership as responsibility, empathy, integrity, and positive influence. Students discuss examples such as including others, refusing peer pressure, helping a group stay focused, reporting unsafe behavior, apologizing sincerely, and using respectful words during conflict. Each student chooses one leadership behavior they want to practice before leaving elementary school.

Grade Level: 5

Subject Area: School Counseling (Leadership • Responsibility • Middle School Readiness)

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

I. Introduction

This Grade 5 counseling lesson helps students think about leadership as they prepare to leave elementary school and move toward middle school. Students learn that leadership is not only being in charge, being popular, or speaking first. Leadership can mean making responsible choices, including others, using respectful words, refusing peer pressure, helping a group stay focused, reporting unsafe behavior, and repairing harm when mistakes happen.

Students reflect on their personal strengths, values, leadership qualities, and growth areas. They examine realistic school scenarios where a student can use positive influence to build trust, support belonging, and help the community. The lesson ends with each student choosing one leadership behavior to practice before the end of Grade 5.

Essential Questions

• What does positive leadership look like in Grade 5?
• How can students use strengths, values, and responsibility to influence others in helpful ways?
• How do words, choices, attitudes, and actions build belonging, respect, inclusion, and trust?
• What leadership behavior can students practice before transitioning to middle school?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Define positive leadership as using influence responsibly to support safety, respect, belonging, learning, and trust.
2. Identify personal strengths, values, leadership qualities, and growth areas connected to middle school readiness.
3. Recognize leadership actions such as including others, refusing peer pressure, reporting unsafe behavior, helping a group stay focused, apologizing sincerely, and using respectful words.
4. Explain how personal words, choices, attitudes, and actions can contribute to a respectful and inclusive school community.
5. Choose one realistic leadership behavior to practice before leaving elementary school.
6. (Optional Session) Create a leadership action plan and reflect on how the chosen behavior supports self, peers, and the school community.

Standards Alignment — Grade 5 (ASCA-based Custom)

• C:S1.5b — Recognize Strengths, Interests, Values, and Growth Areas
  • Identify personal strengths, interests, values, leadership qualities, and areas for continued growth.
  • Example: A student says, “I am good at helping others stay calm, but I am working on speaking up when I need help.”
• C:S1.5c — Contribute to a Respectful and Inclusive School Community
  • Recognize how personal words, choices, attitudes, and actions can support belonging, respect, inclusion, trust, and leadership.
  • Example: A student notices a classmate being left out of a group and helps create a role so the classmate can participate.
• C:S5.5a — Practice Organization, Attention, and Responsibility
  • Use school-success behaviors such as organizing materials, managing time, following directions, participating, completing tasks, and preparing for transitions.
  • Example: A student uses a planner, checklist, folder system, or routine to keep track of assignments and materials.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can explain what positive leadership means.
• I can identify one strength or value that can help me be a leader.
• I can name leadership choices that build respect, belonging, safety, and trust.
• I can explain how responsibility and attention help prepare me for middle school.
• I can choose one leadership behavior to practice before leaving elementary school.