Seniors 11/15

Grade: 12

Title: Gratitude

Goal Statement: Students will gain an understanding of how gratitude effects the brain/level of happiness.

Materials:

• • Slide Show Below

Procedures:

1. Share the following statistics about gratitude:

• • • • Gratitude improves physical health. Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and they report feeling healthier than other people, according to a study published in Personality and Individual Differences.

      • Gratitude improves psychological health. Gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, ranging from envy and resentment to frustration and regret. Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., a leading gratitude researcher, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being. His research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.

      • Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression. Grateful people are more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, even when others behave less kind, according to a research study by the University of Kentucky.

      • Grateful people sleep better. Writing in a gratitude journal improves sleep, according to a recent study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. Spend just 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before bed, and you may sleep better and longer.

      • Gratitude improves self-esteem. A 2014 study published.

      • Grateful people sleep better. Writing in a gratitude journal improves sleep, according to a study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. Spend just 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before bed, and you may sleep better and longer.

      • Gratitude improves self-esteem. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology found that gratitude increased athlete’s self-esteem, which is an essential component to optimal performance.

2. View The Science of Gratitude 2:07

3. Have students think of their "top 3" things that they are grateful for and share with a partner or share out as a group. If time allows, do Thanksgiving Trivia below. Answers are below questions.