How A Blank Piece of Paper Can Help Students Understand Emotional Resilience

It's the beginning of the year, so I thought I would share one of my favorite lessons. It's quick, easy, and powerful. You can leverage SEL learning in your room with nothing more than a piece of

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Social Emotional Learning (SEL) plays a crucial role in shaping well-rounded individuals, equipping them with essential skills to navigate life's challenges. How can such a complex idea be easily surmised in a quick and nearly cost-free activity? With a blank piece of paper.


LESSON: APOLOGY EXPERIMENT

Lesson Objectives:

  • Give students a metaphor to explore the profound impact of words and actions on others
  •  Foster the development of empathy and emotional resilience within themselves.

Lesson Overview:

The lesson is designed to be engaging and suitable for various age groups, providing educators with a flexible framework that can be adapted to different settings.

Materials Needed:
To begin the activity, each student requires a blank piece of paper.
If you don't want to do this activity individually, you can still demonstrate it with a single piece of paper in front of the class.

Warm-up Activity:

The lesson starts with a discussion on emotions, establishing a safe environment for students to share and express their feelings openly.

(You can tie art in by showing portrait paintings, or gifs, or memes, and asking students "What is this person feeling? Why?")

Main Activity: Emotional Experiment with Paper

Step 1: Say Something Mean

Students are NEVER told to be mean on purpose, so it's always fun to watch the confusion (and sometimes human sadistic joy at being mean,) spread through the room. 
I tell the students to think of something mean, that is ALSO school appropriate. I might even collect the ideas on a graphic organizer, ect.) After we've collected some mean comments, the students decide which one they are going to use.

Here are some examples:

- You smell bad.
- I don't like you.

Students finish this step by saying something mean to their paper.

Step 2: Crumble It Up 
Following their negative remarks, students visualize the consequences of their words as they physically crumple up their papers. This step prompts a powerful reflection on the lasting impact of hurtful actions. 


Step 3: Say Sorry & Try to Smooth It Out

Next, students are encouraged to apologize to their paper and attempt to smooth out the wrinkles. 
The point is that, although apologizing is the right thing to do, it doesn't always undo the damaged caused by the hurtful words.

Reflection Questions:

 Did Apology Smooth Paper?

Students are prompted to share their observations and discuss whether the apology was enough to completely erase the paper's wrinkles, drawing parallels to real-life scenarios.

Will Wrinkles Ever Go Away?

Through a group discussion, students explore the idea that some consequences of hurtful actions may be irreversible, fostering empathy and understanding.

Debrief and Group Discussion:

The class processes their emotions, discussing their experiences during the activity. Educators encourage empathy and compassion, reinforcing the importance of kindness.

Final Thoughts:

Being human is hard. As adults, we forget that the littles in our lives have feelings just as big as we do. They just don't know how to manage all of them yet. This activity helps them understand that what they say to each other, and to THEMSELVES, matters. 

Please share your favorite lessons in the comments below because we are all #BETTERTOGETHER 

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