Unit Plan 29 (Grade 5 Counselor): Trusted Adults and Reporting Concerns

Focus: Review when students should seek help from trusted adults. Students distinguish between handling small problems independently, asking for support with medium problems, and reporting unsafe, repeated, or harmful problems right away. Students practice reporting language for bullying, threats, harassment, serious worries, digital harm, or peer conflict that does not stop.

Grade Level: 5

Subject Area: School Counseling (Help-Seeking • Safety • Problem-Solving)

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

I. Introduction

This Grade 5 counseling lesson helps students understand that asking for help is a responsible and mature choice when a problem is too big to handle alone. Students review the difference between small problems they may be able to manage with a coping tool or respectful words, medium problems that may need support, and serious problems that should be reported to a trusted adult right away.

Students examine realistic situations involving bullying, threats, harassment, serious worries, repeated peer conflict, digital harm, unsafe behavior, exclusion, and emotional overwhelm. The counselor helps students practice clear reporting language that explains what happened, where it happened, who was involved, how often it happened, and what help is needed. The goal is for students to know when, how, and whom to ask for help.

Essential Questions

• How can students tell when a problem is too big to handle alone?
• Who are trusted adults, and how can they help?
• What is the difference between handling a small problem, asking for support, and reporting a serious concern?
• What clear words can students use when they need to report bullying, threats, harassment, serious worries, digital harm, or repeated conflict?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Identify examples of small, medium, and serious problems.
2. Explain when a worry, conflict, unsafe situation, peer issue, or strong emotion is too much to handle alone.
3. Name trusted adults at school and explain which adults can help with different concerns.
4. Recognize situations that should be reported right away, including bullying, threats, harassment, serious worries, digital harm, unsafe behavior, or repeated peer conflict.
5. Practice clear reporting language that includes important details and asks for appropriate support.
6. (Optional Session) Role-play help-seeking and reporting conversations using realistic Grade 5 scenarios.

Standards Alignment — Grade 5 (ASCA-based Custom)

• C:S2.5c — Recognize When Support Is Needed
  • Identify when a worry, conflict, unsafe situation, peer issue, or strong emotion is too much to handle alone and choose an appropriate trusted adult for support.
  • Example: A student recognizes that ongoing exclusion, bullying, or unsafe online behavior should be reported to a trusted adult.
• C:S6.5a — 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 report bullying, threats, unsafe behavior, serious worries, harassment, or repeated peer conflict to a teacher, counselor, administrator, or trusted adult.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can tell whether a problem is small, medium, or serious.
• I can explain when a problem is too big to handle alone.
• I can name trusted adults who can help me or someone else.
• I can recognize problems that should be reported right away.
• I can use clear words to report a concern and ask for help.