Middle schoolers are living on an emotional roller coaster, and a few lectures on mental health won’t cut it. This 3-week Mental Health & SEL unit was created with a child psychologist to help 6–8th graders better understand their emotions, identify their needs, and learn realistic coping skills to manage them.
Over 13 days, students will discuss, role-play, analyze scenarios, speak with trusted adults and peers, and dig deeper into what it takes to live a balanced and mentally healthy life.
 
Here’s the breakdown of the unit:
 
Week 1: Mental Health 101
FUN mental health bell ringers.. gifs included :p
Mental health simulation game about charging your “batteries”
Lesson on identifying feelings, facts, and needs
Stress lesson and card game
Parent interview on emotional resilience
Comfort vs. challenge lesson on true happiness
Self-harm & suicide prevention lesson + webquest
Week 2: Tech and Mental Health
World café discussion on social media’s impact on mental health
Mental health and AI lesson
Hero’s Journey film project prep
Week 3
Talking to friends about mental health role-plays
Hero’s Journey film project presentations
Take a look at the preview to see the full unit scope and sequence.
 
Includes:
Day-by-day unit guide with NHES standards
Editable Google Slides lessons
Worksheets and student activities
WebQuests
Interactive project-based assessment
Parent interview activity
Grading rubrics
Discussion activities
Mental health bell ringers