To Our Spokane Area Friends
This is a challenging time for schools and communities in Eastern Washington. You are not alone.
When you are ready, here are elementary and secondary resources you can use to navigate this time together. At the bottom of this page, find additional materials from CharacterStrong to help support your students and staff.
Elementary
Access the Slides
Use these slides to help students name and regulate their emotions through a variety of engaging activities. Choose what best meets your needs!
Elementary CharacterStrong Lessons:
Emotion Regulation Strategies
- 3-2-1 Grounding (1st Grade, Gratitude, Week 4) – notices scared/frustrated feelings, uses grounding to calm
- Moving Emotions (Kindergarten, Gratitude, Week 2) – learns the Emotion Elements, names happy/sad feelings
- Balloon Breathing (2nd Grade, Gratitude, Week 4) – breathing strategy to regulate big emotions
Stress and Coping
- Moving the Scale to Gratitude (3rd Grade, Gratitude, Week 4) – finds reasons for gratitude in disappointing situations
- Circle of Control (5th Grade, Perseverance, Week 3) – identifies what is/isn't in their control to overcome obstacles
- Grounded and Ready! (5th Grade, Gratitude, Week 4) – creates a personal grounding plan for stress
Empathy and Connection Building
- Emotions and Teamwork (3rd Grade, Cooperation, Week 4) – how feelings shift perspective; practicing cooperation
- Read the Cues (3rd Grade, Empathy, Week 3) – recognizing cues to understand others' feelings
- I-Statements (4th Grade, Empathy, Week 3) – communicating feelings and needs clearly
- Trusted Adults (Pre-K, Empathy, Week 4) – identifying trusted adults who can help with big problems
- Talking to Trusted Adults (2nd Grade, Honesty, Week 4) – when/how to ask a trusted adult for help with big emotions
Additional Elementary Resources:
The Temperature Check
Elementary Coping Strategies
Coloring Sheet
Trinka and Sam - The Big Fire (FREE Book + Resources)
Secondary
Download the Lesson Plan
Resources designed to assist teachers in creating an immediate and thoughtful response to a crisis while fostering emotional safety and community support. Start with reviewing the lesson plan.
Access the Slides
Use this flexible slide deck in a way that works best for you and your students. You can follow it step-by-step or adapt the content to suit your needs and priorities.
We also suggest any of the following Tier 1 Core sessions as potential stand-alone lessons to equip students with strategies to meet more specific needs during this challenging time or any time. These sessions can be taught outside the recommended scope and sequence and to any grade level.
Emotion Regulation Strategies
- Grade 6 Regulating Emotions - Contact Points
- Grade 7 Practicing Emotion Regulation - 5,4,3,2,1 + Deep Slow Breathing
- G️rade 8 Practicing Breathing to Regulate Emotions - Diaphramatic Breathing + Box Breathing
Stress and Coping
- Grade 7 Stress and Coping Strategies - Circle of Control + 4 coping strategies
- Grade 7 Applying Well Being Strategies - Behavioral Activation
Empathy and Connection Building
- Grade 10 Power of Perspective
- Grade 11 Power of Gratitude
- Grade 9 Helpful Supports - offering meaningful help to others
- Grade 12 Practicing Selflessness - identify and meet a need in the commnunity
