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When I Feel Angry

Materials Required:

  • 2 puppets
  • 2 toy cars for the puppet show
  • puppet theatre (optional)
  • visual schedule outlining the schedule for this session
  • rules board
  • crayons, markers or pencils (one per child)
  • scissors (one per child or enough for children to share)
  • glue (one per child or enough for children to share)
  • art activity sheets for “When I Feel Angry” (one per child)
  • “What I did in Social Skills Group” worksheets (one per child)
  • “When I Feel Angry” story books (one per child)

Schedule:

    1. Review the plan for today’s session by showing the children the visual schedule.
      • When reviewing the schedule, point to and name the pictures in order (e.g., first we will sing hello, have a puppet show, etc).
      • You may consider removing each picture as the activity is completed. You can create a pocket at the bottom/end of the schedule that represents “finished” or “all done”.
      • Place the schedule in a visible and accessible place where it can be referred to throughout the session.

Visual Schedule Pictures

    1. Each session begins with a song that welcomes all the children and teachers to the group. Here are a few suggestions:
      • Sing “Hello (child’s name), hello (child’s name), hello (child’s name), so glad you came today”. Repeat until everyone in the group has been greeted. Encourage the children to join in by waving hello and singing along.
      • If age appropriate, create name cards/tags for each child and teacher. Hold up each card while singing the “Hello Song” above. After singing the child’s name give them the name card to hold. Once the song is finished, ask the children to put their name cards behind them. The children can use the name cards later in the session when completing the worksheet.
      • You may also choose to use a “hello” or “welcome” song that you currently sing in your classroom.
    2. A rules board or a positive behaviour chart can help to provide a clear and consistent description of rules and expectations for the session. Decide on the main rules that will help the session run smoothly and help the children be successful in their learning. In our sample board, the rules are: raise your hand for a turn to speak, one person talks at a time, listen to others, sit on the carpet, keep your hands and feet to yourself, and have fun!Review the rules during each session. Have the children look at the rules, point to them and label them. Place the rules board in a visible and accessible place where it can be referred to during the session.

Group Time Rules

    1. OPTIONAL: Review the skill from last session. Ask the children if they remember what they learned in the previous social skills session. Can they recall the steps involved?For example, the previous skill was “Taking Turns” and the steps are:
      • My friend and I are playing a game.
      • My friend takes a turn.
      • I wait and watch my friend.
      • When my friend is finished, I take my turn.
      • We take turns until the game is all done.
    2. The puppet shows that you will be performing help to demonstrate the concept or skill for this session. At this time, you will be performing the ‘Appropriate Script’ which models the strategies to use when you feel angry.After the puppet show, have a brief discussion with the children about what they saw. Here are some sample questions you may want to ask:
      • How is Mona playing with her car? (She crashes her car into Jerome’s car.)
      • How do you think Jerome feels about Mona crashing into his car? (He does not like it.)
      • What does Jerome do with his feelings? Does he try to calm down? (He takes a deep breath.)
      • What does Jerome do next? (He asks Mona to stop crashing. Then he goes to talk to his teacher.)
      • What does the teacher suggest that Jerome do? (She suggests that he try talking to Mona again and tell her how he feels.)
      • Does Mona listen to Jerome? (Yes. Then they continue to play cars.)
      • How do you think Jerome feels now?

Puppet show script: When I Feel Angry

    1. At this point, you can introduce the social skill for this session by showing the strategies to use in how to ask a friend to play. Refer to the “Step by Step Visuals” and show them to the children.
      • I can think of safe ways to make my angry feelings go away.
      • I can take a deep breath.
      • I can squeeze something soft like a ball or a pillow.
      • I can stomp my feet.
      • I can count to 10.
      • I can tell someone that I feel angry.
      • I can remember to not hurt others, not hurt myself and don’t break things.

      We recommend keeping these visuals out so the children can refer to them during the puppet show that follows. For example, place them on the floor in the middle of the circle for all the children to see.

Step by step: When I Feel Angry

    1. This special activity is a fun way to practice the anger strategies. Ask the children to stand while you all sing a modified version of the song “If you’re happy and you know it”.
      • If you’re angry and you know it take a deep breath.
      • If you’re angry and you know it take a deep breath.
      • If you’re angry and you know and you really want to show it, if you’re angry and you know it take a deep breath.

      Repeat this verse by inserting other strategies into the song (see underlined part).

    2. The second puppet show that you will be performing is a scenario where one of the puppets does not follow the suggested steps for ‘when you feel angry’. At this time, you will perform the ‘Inappropriate Script’ for when I feel angry.After the puppet show, have a brief discussion with the children about what they saw. Here are some sample questions you may want to ask the children:
      • How is Mona playing with her car? (She crashes her car into Jerome’s car.)
      • How do you think Jerome feels about Mona crashing into his car? (He does not like it.)
      • What does Jerome do with his feelings? Does he try to calm down? (Jerome pushes Mona car. Then Mona pushes back.)
      • What does Jerome do next? (He screams, pushes Mona and takes the car and throws it away.)
      • Did Jerome remember some of the anger strategies?
      • How do you think Jerome feels?
      • How do you think Mona eels?
    3. The story helps to reinforce the steps and desired responses about ‘turn taking’. Read the story to the children. Let them know they will receive a copy of the story to look at later and/or to take home.

Book: When I feel Angry

    1. Here is a chance for the children to remember the anger strategies while playing a bingo game. See the ‘When I Feel Angry Bingo Game’.Prepare: Print out different Bingo cards for each child along with the caller’s cards. Cut out the caller’s cards and put them into a hat or bowl.

      Distribute: Hand out one Bingo card to each child along with the bingo chips/markers (e.g., foam pieces, bits of paper, lego blocks, etc.)

      Call: The caller should pull out one card (image), label it and show it to the children.

      Mark image: The children will then place bingo chips/markers on the called image if it is located on their individual cards.

      Winning: Once a predetermined pattern is made on a card, the child with that card calls out BINGO.

      anger bingo 1 , anger bingo 2

    2. OPTIONAL: The art activity focuses on the sequence of steps involved in expressing anger. You can include this activity as part of the session or use it as a follow up activity to be completed another day.Please refer to the Art Activity sheets.

Art activity: When I Feel Angry

    1. Distribute the “What I did at Social Skills Group” worksheets to each child along with a marker, crayon or pencil. Once the children have all the materials, review the worksheet and point out what needs to be completed in each section.For example,

      Worksheet

      a) Point to the title box and read this to the children.

      b) Ask the children to write their name on this line (point to the line at the top of the paper).

      c) Review the pictures in the “Group time activities” section by pointing to the each picture as you label it. Ask the children to circle the activities from this session.

      d) Here, ask the children to write the name of at least one other child they played or interacted with during the session.

      e) Have the children identify how they were feeling during today’s group session.

      * If you are using name cards or tags, ask the children to place them on the floor in front of them. The name cards can be used to help children to complete the worksheets by writing their own name, and the name(s) of a friend they played with during the session.

      Once the worksheets have been completed, collect the writing materials and ask the children to place the worksheets in front of them. Let the children know they can take the worksheets home to share with their family and friends.

Worksheet: When I Feel Angry

  1. Distribute “When I Feel Angry” books to each child. Let the children know that they can bring the story home to read with their parent(s), family and friends.You may want to include a copy of the story at the book centre in your classroom.
  2. Sing a goodbye song to conclude the social skills session.
    • Sing “Goodbye (child’s name), goodbye (child’s name), goodbye (child’s name), so glad you came today”. Repeat until everyone in the group has been greeted. Encourage the children to join in by waving goodbye and singing along.

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