Standards Correlations

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

Learning Objective

Students will identify problem-and-solution relationships in a text.

Key Skills

problem and solution, text features, vocabulary, central idea and details, cause and effect, key details, interpreting text, critical thinking, informational writing

Complexity Factors

Purpose: The text explains how Alejandra, a teen with anxiety and depression, created a jewelry business to spread kindness and raise awareness of mental health issues.

 

Structure: The text is written from the first-person point of view and includes problem-and-solution structures.

 

Language: The language is conversational.

 

Knowledge Demands: No prior knowledge is needed.

Levels

Lexile: 500L-600L 

Guided Reading Level: T 

DRA Level: 50

SEL Connection

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

Lesson Plan: A Message of Hope

Essential Questions

  • What is mental health? How can we take care of our mental health?
  • How can we use our negative experiences to create positive change? 

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 their magazines or at Action Online. Then preview the text features by asking the following questions:

  • Read the article’s title and subtitle (the text beneath the title). Look at the picture of Alejandra wearing multiple bracelets. What do you think the bracelets might have to do with Alejandra’s mental health? Make a prediction. Sample answer: Making or wearing the bracelets might be a way for Alejandra to manage her emotions. The bracelets might remind her of something important. The bracelets could also symbolize strength, connection, or calmness. The article might explain how making and giving these bracelets helps Alejandra deal with her struggles.
  • Look at the photo of Alejandra with her mom and sister and the caption about her family’s support. What do you notice about their expressions or body language? What can you infer about the role Alejandra’s family played in her mental health journey? Alejandra and her family are smiling, which suggests they are close and supportive of each other. From this, we can infer that her family has likely been a source of comfort and encouragement, helping her cope with her mental health struggles.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Point out the vocabulary box. Read the terms (test anxiety, excruciating, anxiety disorder, depression, cope, normalize) 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 problem-and-solution relationships 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 Online. Click Presentation View to access an audio read-aloud.) Then discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

  • Why was Alejandra bullied? What effect did the bullying have on Alejandra? (cause and effect) Alejandra was bullied for having test anxiety. The bullying made Alejandra feel sad and alone. It also led to severe stomach pains and worsening anxiety.
  • How did making bracelets help Alejandra cope with her struggles? (key details) Making bracelets helped Alejandra calm her mind and gave her a way to show kindness and support to others.
  • Why did Alejandra start the Hiya jewelry business? (cause and effect) Alejandra wanted to reach more people and spread kindness, using her jewelry to raise awareness about mental health.
  • Alejandra describes being in a “dark place” that led to her hospitalization. What do you think she means by being in a “dark place”? (interpreting text) By “dark place,” Alejandra is referring to a time when her anxiety and depression became so powerful that she felt she couldn’t manage them on her own.
  • How has Alejandra’s family helped her manage her mental health? (key details) Alejandra’s family supported her during her struggles: They helped her decide to seek help, and they visited her in the hospital. Her mom also helped her set up her website for Hiya.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

  • Alejandra started making bracelets to cope with her anxiety and depression. Why do you think creative activities, like making jewelry, can be helpful for someone dealing with mental health challenges? Why might sharing these creations with others be especially meaningful? Creative activities can be helpful because they give people a chance to focus their minds on something positive and satisfying, letting go of darker thoughts and emotions. Sharing these creations with others can be especially meaningful because it creates a sense of connection, and also because being kind to others can boost a person’s sense of purpose and well-being.
  • Alejandra’s jewelry business, Hiya, spreads kindness and raises awareness about mental health. How can small actions, like giving someone a bracelet, make a big impact on someone’s life? Why do you think these small acts of kindness are important in building a supportive community? (critical thinking) Small actions, like giving someone a bracelet, can make a big impact by showing that someone cares and is thinking about them, which can brighten their day and make them feel less alone. These acts of kindness are important in building a supportive community because they create a sense of connection and remind people that they are worthy.

3. Skill Building and Writing

  • Assign students to work in small groups to complete the Spotlight Skill Workout:Problem and Solution activity.
  • Go further: Use our Central Idea and Details Skill Builder, available in higher and lower level versions. (Click here to view all your Skill Builders.)
  • Writing prompt: Alejandra uses her jewelry to spread kindness and support others who are dealing with mental health struggles. Think of a small act of kindness you could offer to someone who is going through a tough time. How might this act help them feel better? Challenge: Turn your idea into a three-panel cartoon showing what happens when someone receives the act of kindness.

Learn-Anywhere Activity

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

Project the task below on your whiteboard or share it with students in your LMS.

How Do You Cope?

To cope with something challenging means to handle or deal with it. In the article, you learn that making bracelets is one way Alejandra copes with her depression and anxiety. She also says that a way to cope with strong feelings is by talking about them. 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 an activity (such as running, dancing, drawing, or writing in a journal) that makes you feel peaceful? 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,” “Pet My Dog,” or “Call My Aunt.”)
  • 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 well does it work? (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, Alejandra tells readers how she felt at several key points in her life. After reading, ask the following questions about how Alejandra 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!

  • How did Alejandra feel when she had to take a test in fourth grade? (anxious, stressed, scared)
  • How did being bullied make Alejandra feel? (sad, alone, depressed)
  • How does making bracelets make Alejandra feel? (calmer)

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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