2019-2020 Transition Discretionary Grant ~ Self-Advocacy and Social/Emotional Learning Units

The self-advocacy units found on this site were developed by the Northeast Education Services Cooperative in partnership with Lake Region Special Education through the 2019-2020 North Dakota Department of Public Instruction's Transition Discretionary Grant.

These units were created by special education teachers and community partners with the express purpose of explicitly teaching self advocacy strategies in the classroom. The lessons are structured as such that they can be used as-is, or adapted to meet the individual needs of students. They are also formatted with both in-person and distance education in mind. Resources for each unit are included below the unit plan.




In the Instructional Units you will find:

  • Explicit classroom instructional strategies/resources

  • Resources that encourage student practice of self-advocacy

  • Resources that encourage and suggest partnerships with local agencies to foster self-advocacy

  • Formative assessment strategies/resources

Click here to find lesson plans to support the growth of:

~Identifying Emotions~

~Recognizing Strengths~

~Self Confidence and Self Efficacy~

Click here to find lesson plans to support the growth of:

~Stress Management~

~Self Motivation~

~Goal Setting~

~Organizational Skills~

Click here to find lesson plans to support the growth of:

~Empathy and Perspective Taking~

~Respect for Others~

~Help Seeking~

Click here to find lesson plans to support the growth of:

~Communication: Social Media~

~Communication: Conflict Resolution~

~Communication: Daily/Friendly Conversation Skills~

~Teamwork~

Click here to find lesson plans to support the growth of:

~The Decision Making Process~

A special thank you to:

Nicole Johnson - Special Education Teacher, Devils Lake Public Schools

Rhandi Knutson - Director, Lake Region Special Education

Megan Berger - Special Education Teacher, Dakota Prairie Public Schools

McKenzee Aronson - Special Education Teacher, Dakota Prairie Public Schools

Jen Parisien - Quality Assurance Manager, Lake Region Corporation Devils Lake

Alicia Halle - Regional Administrator, Vocational Rehabilitation Devils Lake


...for the planning, development, collection, and curation of these units and resources.