Standards Correlations

R.1, R.3, R.4, R.6, R.7, W.2, SL.1, L.4, L.6

Learning Objective

Students will analyze a problem and solution in a text about a teen living with anxiety.

Key Skills

problem and solution, text features, vocabulary, interpreting text, cause and effect, inference, making a personal connection, informational writing

Complexity Factors

Purpose: The text describes how a teen used her experience with an anxiety disorder to help others.

 

Structure: The story is told from the first-person point of view.

 

Language: The language is conversational.

 

Knowledge Demands: No prior knowledge is needed.

Levels

Lexile: 600L-700L 

Guided Reading Level: T 

DRA Level: 50

SEL Connection

This article and lesson promote social awareness and self-management skills.

Lesson Plan: Moving for Mental Health

Essential Questions

  • How can we use our negative experiences to create positive change?
  • What is mental health? How can we promote mental health and wellness?

Literature Connection

  • Graphic memoir: Guts by Raina Telgemeier
  • Novel: Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella 

1. Preparing to Read 

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

Guide students to locate the article in the magazine or online. Then preview the text features by asking the following question:

  • Read the article’s title and subtitle (the text beneath the title). How would you define anxiety? What do you think is the difference between feeling anxious sometimes and having an anxiety disorder? Answers will vary. Students might say that anxiety is a state of nervousness, unease, or even panic. They might suggest that feeling anxiety in certain situations—such as before a performance—is normal, but having an anxiety disorder might involve uncontrollable or unpredictable anxiety that disrupts your life.
  • Look at the photos of Jillian that are included in the article and read their captions. What do they tell you about her? The photos and captions tell you that Jillian loves to dance and run, that her sister Kameron is a source of inspiration for her, and that she has many badges and awards from the Girl Scouts.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Point out the vocabulary box. Read the words (anxiety disorder, traumatic, vulnerable, liberating, panic attacks) aloud and discuss their definitions
  • Play the Vocabulary Slideshow. 

Make a Plan for Reading

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan:

  • Set a purpose for reading: Tell students that after reading, they’ll analyze a problem and its solution in the story. Point out the activity at the end of the story. 
  • Encourage students to pause at the end of each section so they can monitor their comprehension. Prompt them to take note of sentences they think tell them important ideas in each section, as well as any words or sentences they don’t understand.

2. Reading and Unpacking the Text

Read the article. (Higher- and lower-Lexile versions are available on the Story page at Action Digital. Click Presentation View to access an audio read-aloud.) Then discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

  • Jillian describes her mind as “noisy.” What does she mean by this? Use details from the story to support your explanation. (interpreting text) Jillian doesn’t literally mean that she hears noises in her head. She means that she sometimes has problems managing her thoughts and feelings. She sometimes reacts strongly when things don’t go the way she expects, such as when dinner plans change or she gets a lower grade than she had hoped for.
  • Which two activities helped Jillian cope with anxiety when she was younger? How did they help her? (cause and effect) Joining the Girl Scouts and taking dance classes helped Jillian cope with anxiety when she was younger. They gave her something to look forward to. Dancing also quieted her mind by forcing her to focus on her body.
  • Why did Jillian want to create a dance and movement room at her school? (inference) Jillian had the chance to solve a problem in her community as part of her Gold Award project for Girl Scouts. She used the opportunity to create a dance and movement room because she knew how helpful movement could be in dealing with challenging emotions. She had found relief and joy in dance, and she wanted others to experience that as well.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

  • Why do you think Jillian says it was “liberating” to share her experiences with her mental health struggles? (inference) In the last line of the story, Jillian suggests that having a mental health disorder can feel lonely. Maybe the disorder is hard for others to understand, or maybe it’s hard for the person with the disorder to open up about because they worry about how people will react. We often try to hide the things that make us different. Sharing her story was probably freeing for Jillian because she no longer had any reason to hide her mental health issues.
  • Do you ever feel anxious? If so, what does that feel like for you? What triggers it? What helps you cope? (making a personal connection) Answers will vary.

3. Skill Building and Writing

  • Assign students to work in small groups to complete the Spotlight Skill Workout: Cause and Effect activity.
  • Go further: Use our Sequence of Events Skill Builder, available in higher and lower level versions.  (Click here to view all your Skill Builders.)
  • Writing prompt: Create a flyer that Jillian might post around her school to let her peers know about the new dance and movement room. Explain what the purpose of the room is, who might want to use it, and how. Try to use an informative and inviting tone on the flyer and consider including an illustration to get people’s attention.

Learn Anywhere Activity

An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey at home or in the classroom

Think About Coping Strategies

To cope with something challenging means to handle or deal with it. In the article, Jillian mentions some ways she copes with her anxiety disorder: through dancing, music, journaling, and therapy.  Check out our slideshow “Coping With Anxiety” for some suggestions from experts on dealing with stress and worry. 

After viewing the slideshow, make an additional slide that you could add to it. Think about something you do (or could do) to deal with a big, difficult emotion. Is there a song that helps you feel calm and focused? Is there a place in your home or neighborhood where you feel especially safe and comfortable? Is there a person you like to talk with when you’re stressed?

On paper or a Google slide, answer these questions:

  • What’s your strategy called? (For example, “Play the Piano,” “Cuddle My Dog,” or “Call My Sister.”)
  • When do you use the strategy? (For example, “I use this strategy when I’m so worried about a test that I can’t focus on studying.”)
  • How effective is it? (For example, “It works most of the time.”)

Add an image to illustrate your slide. If you feel comfortable, share the slide with your class. You might help someone find a great way to deal with difficult feelings!

Language-Acquisition Springboard

Review “feelings words” to help students discuss the article.

In the article, Jillian tells readers how she felt at several key points in her life. After reading, ask the following questions about how Jillian felt. Tell students they can answer with words from the article or with their own words. Encourage them to volunteer words from their native languages and even to act out the words to help clarify the meanings. Have fun!

  • Growing up, how did Jillian feel when dinner plans were changed? (anxious, upset)
  • How did dancing make Jillian feel? (calmer)
  • How did Jillian feel when she learned that her high school’s dance team shared a small room with other teams? (disappointed)
  • How did Jillian feel before presenting her project to the board of education? (nervous)
  • How did Jillian feel when the new dance room was ready? (excited, happy)

Looking for more ELL support? Download our full lesson plan and scroll to p. 5 to find questions that will help your ELLs respond to the text at the level that’s right for them.


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