4th Grade Stress Group Outline
Age Group: 4th graders (7 to 8 students)
Time Length: 4 sessions for 20 minutes
Session One:
During the first session, the students went around the room and introduced themselves. After everyone introduced themselves, they said what they thought that stress was. The counselor leading the group wrote whatever the children’s responses were on a large sheet of paper on the marker board. The children were allowed to pass, but the counselor eventually came back to the ones who skipped. The counselor then showed a video tape about what exactly stress was and the different things that may cause stress. The counselor then led a discussion to clarify exactly what stress is and their reactions to the video.
Session Two:
During the second session, the counselor helped the students go over the definition they created about stress and brought the sheet created from last session. After they summarized their last session, they talked about the different things that caused them stress. The counselor added to the sheet of paper a different section and added all of the things that caused them stress. She then showed them a video tape of different scenarios that caused the kids in the video to become stressed. After the video, the counselor led a discussion about their reactions to the video and how they would react if some of those things happened to them.
Session Three:
The counselor brought in the sheet used from the past two group sessions. They talked about their stressors that week. The counselor then led a discussion about exactly what stress causes them to do. The counselor divided another sheet into two parts and added responses from the children about where they feel stress in their mind and in their bodies. The children came up with things that happened to them, such as becoming nauseous, nervous, etc., and the different reactions they had to stress. They then watched a video tape of the types of reactions that other children have when they experience their own stress.
Session Four:
During the last session, the counselor summarized their self-made definition, causes, and effects of stress. After they discussed this, the counselor led a discussion about how they handle their stress. The children each made a list of the things that they do when they’re feeling stressed and what makes them feel better when it’s happening. After the students came up with their own list, the counselor gave them some other things that might help them with their stress. The counselor then gave them all stress balls and told them how and when to use them. They summed up the group by watching the end of the video tape about how to handle stress effectively.
Time Length: 4 sessions for 20 minutes
Session One:
During the first session, the students went around the room and introduced themselves. After everyone introduced themselves, they said what they thought that stress was. The counselor leading the group wrote whatever the children’s responses were on a large sheet of paper on the marker board. The children were allowed to pass, but the counselor eventually came back to the ones who skipped. The counselor then showed a video tape about what exactly stress was and the different things that may cause stress. The counselor then led a discussion to clarify exactly what stress is and their reactions to the video.
Session Two:
During the second session, the counselor helped the students go over the definition they created about stress and brought the sheet created from last session. After they summarized their last session, they talked about the different things that caused them stress. The counselor added to the sheet of paper a different section and added all of the things that caused them stress. She then showed them a video tape of different scenarios that caused the kids in the video to become stressed. After the video, the counselor led a discussion about their reactions to the video and how they would react if some of those things happened to them.
Session Three:
The counselor brought in the sheet used from the past two group sessions. They talked about their stressors that week. The counselor then led a discussion about exactly what stress causes them to do. The counselor divided another sheet into two parts and added responses from the children about where they feel stress in their mind and in their bodies. The children came up with things that happened to them, such as becoming nauseous, nervous, etc., and the different reactions they had to stress. They then watched a video tape of the types of reactions that other children have when they experience their own stress.
Session Four:
During the last session, the counselor summarized their self-made definition, causes, and effects of stress. After they discussed this, the counselor led a discussion about how they handle their stress. The children each made a list of the things that they do when they’re feeling stressed and what makes them feel better when it’s happening. After the students came up with their own list, the counselor gave them some other things that might help them with their stress. The counselor then gave them all stress balls and told them how and when to use them. They summed up the group by watching the end of the video tape about how to handle stress effectively.