Practicing Mindfulness in Times of Stress

Title of Project: Practicing Mindfulness in Times of Stress

Schools and Teachers

Bethpage High School Teacher: Jillian De Napoli

ENL Proficiency Level | ENL Program | Standards | Technology

Emerging, Transitioning | Stand-Alone | 9-10W4, 9-10R4, 9-10SL1c | Jamboard, Flocabulary

Assessments

Formative: Meet with students to proofread their writing before publishing their Jamboard slide.

Summative: Assess students’ Jamboard slides based on teacher provided guidelines.

Description

Students participated in a mini-unit that began with learning vocabulary and doing a close reading of the lyrics of the Flocabulary song, “Mindfulness and Meditation”. After, they created a Jamboard that illustrated a time when they felt stressed or anxious, and they explained what they could do in a similar situation in the future after learning the tools from the song.

Content

I can create a presentation relating to a theme or personal experience.

Language

I can determine the meaning of words and phrases in a song and use new language.

Technology

I can use Jamboard to create a digital representation of a time when I felt stressed or anxious and include ways that I can be more mindful in a similar situation in the future.

Student work

Procedure

This took multiple days to complete.

First, students brainstormed situations that cause them to feel stress. After having a discussion about this, I pre-taught the vocabulary words that students would later encounter in the Flocabulary song, “Mindfulness and Meditation”. Some of the vocabulary words included mindfulness, accept, anxiety, focus, judge, meditate, self-awareness, adjustment, and triumphant. Students participated in vocabulary activities to practice the new words, including filling in the blanks of teacher-created sentences and utilizing the vocabulary cards and games on Flocabulary. Over the next few days, students did a close reading of the lyrics of the song, “Mindfulness and Meditation”. We continued to have discussions about the strategies they learned to use when they find themselves in a situation where they feel stressed or anxious. We reviewed the five senses and meditative breathing, which are some of the tools to use while practicing mindfulness. For the final activity, students created a Jamboard slide using the model that I shared with them, which included words and images. The slide included a time when they felt stressed and what they could do to help themselves to feel calm in a similar situation in the future. Students added pictures or animated gifs that illustrated these ideas. After students proofread their slides, they each presented their work and shared their strategies. The listeners participated by sharing their thoughts about a similar situation they have experienced, and they complimented each other’s work.

Resources and Other Materials

Reflection

This lesson integrated technology through both Flocabulary and Jamboard. My students enjoyed listening to the song and learning about ways to be more mindful. It also helped to show students that they are not alone when they are feeling stressed or anxious, as this is something that their peers feel too. They seemed relieved and even chuckled at how they could relate so much to the situations their classmates brought up in our discussions and their presentations. The students enjoyed using Jamboard and finding pictures and animations to include on their slides. They also appreciated their classmates’ presentations, and it was a fun way to share about mindfulness strategies while also practicing their language skills.