Social and Emotional Learning in Action: Experiential Activities to Positively Impact School Climate

Social and Emotional Learning in Action(SELA) is an easy to use sourcebook facilitated by teaching and/or counseling practitioners primarily in school settings. The pedagogical basis for these lessons are shaped around the research findings of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), indicating that the inclusion of social and emotional development programs positively affect academic achievement. CASEL has identified five interrelated cognitive, affective, and behavioral competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. SELA will be address all five. SELA will provide a developmentally sequenced year-long/ modular flow or stand-alone lessons that integrate the benefits of experiential and social emotional learning (SEL) into the classroom. Each lesson (36 total) will offer step-by-step instructions along with a materials list.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Lessons: Lesson 1: Bumpity Bump Bump – Commonalities – Categories Lesson 2: Cross Town Connection – What’s in a Name – Have You Ever Lesson 3: Knee Tag – Comfort Zones – Full Value Concepts – Group Juggle Lesson 4: Full Value Speed Rabbit – The Being – Decision Thumbs Lesson 5: Look Up, Look Down – Robot – Paired Trust Walk – Sherpa Walk – FVC Debrief Lesson 6: Everybody’s Up – Trust Leans – Wind in the Willows – Pair Share Lesson 7: Hog Call – Trust Wave – Trust Run – Woofs & Wags Lesson 8: Moonball – On Target – Odometer Lesson 9: Elevator Air – Communication Breakdown – Nuggets Lesson 10: Creating a Feelings Chart – Emotion Charades – Balloon Trolleys – Group Reflection Lesson 11: Caught Ya’ Peekin – Lego Statue – Plus/Delta Lesson 12: Salt’n’Pepper – Turnstile – 1,2,3=20 – Pass the Knot Lesson 13: Silent Group Line Up – Warp Speed – Star Wars – Continuum Lesson 14: World Championship – Group Black Jack – Change Up – Deck of Cards Lesson 15: Whoa Am I? – Virtual Slideshow – Did Ya? Debrief Lesson 16: Gotcha FVC review – Stargate – The Being Revisited Lesson 17: Chicken Baseball – How Do You Do? – I’m OK, You’re OK? Tag – Goal Mapping – Gallery Walk of Goals Lesson 18: My Qualities – Stepping Stones – Small Group Questions Lesson 19: Velcro Circle – Hidden Polygon – Blind Polygon – One Word Whip Lesson 20: Protector – Balloon Frantic – Pair-Share Lesson 21: Everybody’s Up – Levitation – Trust Fall – Continuum Lesson 22: Psychic Handshake – Orient the Square – Negotiation Square – Human Camera Lesson 23: Goal Pair-Share – Mass Pass – Visioning Path – Bucket Full of Ideas Lesson 24: Car & Driver – Don’t Break the Ice – Leadership Pi Chart Lesson 25: Front/Back/Left/Right – Instigator – Pitfall – Minefield Object Lesson 26: Your Add – Key Punch – Plus/Delta Lesson 27: Circle the Circle – Portable Porthole – Passenger, Crew, Captain Lesson 28: Triangle Tag – Alphabet Soup-Fastback –Tic Tac Toe Lesson 29: Back to Back Draw – Bridge It – Headliners Lesson 30: Tarp Toss – Turn over a New Leaf – Concentric Circles Lesson 31: Team Tag – Knot My Problem – Pass the Knot Lesson 32: Thumb Wrestling – Rob the Nest/Share the Wealth – Hoop Scoot Lesson 33: Evolution – Toxic Waste – Pipe Cleaners Lesson 34: Transformer Tag – Pathways – Small Group Questions Lesson 35: Great Egg Drop – FVC debrief Lesson 36: Survival Kit – Warm Fuzzies – Letter to Self APPENDICES Appendix A – Have Your Ever Cards Appendix B – Odometer Dials Appendix C – On Target Rules Appendix D – Feelings Chart Appendix E – Warp Speed Rules Appendix F – ANCDE Decision Making Appendix G – SEL Skill Cards Appendix H – Goal Mapping Worksheet Appendix I – My Qualities Cards Appendix J – Key Punch Rules Appendix K – Plus/Delta Worksheet Appendix L – Back to Back Draw Appendix M – Orignal Source for previously Published Activities Appendix N – Reference List Appendix O – SELA Equipment Purchase Lists Appendix P – SELA Logic Model

About the Author :
Tara Flippo has worked with youth/students and administered experiential education programing since 1993. She is professor of Outdoor Education in the Department of Kinesiology, at the University of New Hampshire and Youth Director at The Browne Center for Innovative Learning.

Review :
This book fits a very specific need: sequenced lessons to teach and reinforce social and emotional competencies to secondary students. This progression of 36, hands-on lessons are well-designed for middle and high schoolers; teachers and other practitioners will be able to pick up this book and immediately put it into action, allowing students to experientially develop social and emotional skills. This book is an excellent resource for educators as they create learning opportunities that help students build social and emotional intelligence. Blending theory and standards for Social Emotional Learning with engaging and well sequenced experiential activities Social and Emotional Learning in Action provides the tools to develop a classroom community where everyone can realize their potential. Social emotional learning (SEL) provides a foundation for individual growth, relationships, and ethical decision making. This book supports educators to not only talk about skills and concepts with students, but provides activities from which to jumpstart relevant exploration and useful application of SEL. Our students - and ultimately our world - can only benefit from this active and vibrant approach to developing these skills and attitudes. Social-Emotional Learning in Action should be on the bookshelf of every teacher, counselor, and group facilitator. The activities are well sequenced, easy to implement, and powerfully designed to build group trust, respect, and efficacy. This book is a go-to resource for helping students of all ages become their best selves.