11th Grade Stress Lesson Plan

Topic: Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences and its relationship with stress

Objectives & Outcomes:

• To understand the concept of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and its relation to the development of stress.
• To be able to identify stress triggers and develop effective prevention strategies.

Materials

• Handout on ACEs and stress
• Markers or pen
• Poster board or cardboard
• Scissors
• Glue or tape

Warm-up

• Ask the students to share any personal experiences with stress. Write their responses on the board.
• Ask the students to think of a time when they felt really stressed out. Ask them to share what happened and how they managed to cope.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the term "adverse childhood experience (ACE)". Explain that it refers to a set of experiences that can have a negative impact on development and health.
• Review the six types of ACEs:
• Physical abuse: the use of physical force against a child that results in injury
• Emotional abuse: the repeated emotional insults or threats that cause a child to feel fear, shame, or worthlessness
• Sexual abuse: any kind of sexual activity with a child that is not consensual
• Neglect: the failure to provide for a child's basic needs, including food, shelter, and protection from harm
• Abuse of substances: the use of drugs or alcohol by a caretaker in a way that harms the child
• Witnessing violence: the exposure to violence in the home or community
• Explain that the ACE questionnaire is a tool used to measure the level of exposure to ACEs in a person's childhood.
• Show an example of the ACE questionnaire and have the students complete it with you as a class.
• Discuss the results of the questionnaire as a class, noting any common themes or experiences.

Guided Practice

• Divide the class into small groups and give each group one of the six types of ACEs.
• Have the students discuss the impact of that type of ACE on development and health, including potential symptoms and risk factors.
• Have the students discuss the prevention strategies and resources available to survivors of that type of ACE.

Independent Practice

• Have the students complete the ACE questionnaire (https://www.aceindex.org/self-assessment-tool) to assess their own ACE scores, and compare their scores with their classmates.
• Have the students create a project-based presentation on one of the following topics:

•The impact of ACEs on their own health

•A prevention strategy or resource that they have found helpful

•A strategy for coping with stress in the present day

Closure

• Review the main points of the lesson, including the definition of stress, the relationship between ACEs and stress, and some stress prevention and coping strategies.
• Ask the students to share one thing they learned or found interesting about stress in their own words.
• End the class by reminding the students to take care of themselves and each other, and that there is always someone to talk to if they are feeling stressed.

Assessment:

• Observation of the students during the guided and independent practice activities
• Written reflection on the students' understanding of the concept of stress
• Written reflection on the students' one thing they learned or found interesting about stress