CASEL competency

Self-awareness activities for high school classes

Understanding your own emotions, thoughts, values, and strengths, and how they shape what you do. Here are 263 activities that build self-awareness inside the content you already teach.

Spanish

Spanish 1

• ¿Cómo estás de verdad? Self-awarenessStudents learn greetings and practice giving an honest answer instead of an automatic "bien".
• Mi nombre, mi historia Self-awarenessStudents introduce themselves and share one true story about their name.
• Las emociones tienen nombre Self-awareness"Estar" for feelings teaches that a feeling is a state, not who you are.
• Mis fortalezas Self-awarenessStudents describe themselves with "ser" and name strengths a classmate sees in them.
• Lo que me importa Self-awarenessStudents connect what they like to do with what they value.
• Más difícil de lo que parece Self-awarenessStudents predict in Spanish how long they can hold their arms out, test it, and compare: "es más difícil de lo que parece".
• Algo difícil que logré Self-awarenessStudents tell the story of a school, sports, or hobby challenge they got through, real or imagined, in the preterite.
• Cómo he cambiado Self-awarenessStudents describe who they were as kids and how they have grown.
• Mis talentos y mi futuro Self-awarenessStudents match their talents to careers and name one next step.
• Mi año en español Self-awarenessStudents look back at how their Spanish and they have grown.

Spanish 2

• ¿Quién soy este año? Self-awarenessStudents reintroduce themselves with stem changing verbs and write one thing they want from this year.
• Tan fuerte como tú Self-awarenessStudents compare their activities without comparing their worth, using "tan como" to see strengths side by side.
• Lo que soy y cómo estoy Self-awareness"Ser" and "estar" show students that a hard day, "estoy triste", is a state and not who they are, "soy fuerte".
• ¿Adónde fuiste ayer? Self-awarenessStudents tell where they went yesterday with "fui" and name one moment when they felt good.
• Cuando era niño Self-awarenessStudents describe what they were like as children in the imperfect and notice which parts of that child still live in them.
• Reflexión del semestre Self-awarenessStudents use the preterite and imperfect to look back on the semester and name how they have grown as learners.
• ¿Qué estabas haciendo? Self-awarenessStudents describe what they were doing when a strong emotion arrived and notice what that emotion was telling them.

Spanish 3

• Un día inolvidable Self-awarenessStudents introduce themselves by narrating one unforgettable day and naming what it revealed about who they are.
• Era una noche tranquila Self-awarenessDescribing a desert night with the imperfect, students notice how setting and mood shape what they remember.
• El arte que me habla Self-awarenessStudents describe a Frida Kahlo painting with "ser" and "estar" and name the emotion it awakens in them.
• Un retrato de mí Self-awarenessStudents create a simple self-portrait collage and present it in Spanish, practicing brave self-expression.
• Reflexión del semestre Self-awarenessStudents narrate their semester in the past and give themselves subjunctive advice for the next one.
• Los misterios de los mayas Self-awarenessStudying Mayan astronomy at "Chichén Itzá", students notice how wonder and uncertainty feel and why curiosity matters.
• Es posible que yo cambie Self-awarenessStudents write about what is possible for themselves with "es posible que" and challenge one limiting belief.

Spanish 4 and AP

• ¿Quién soy y cómo me ven? Self-awarenessStudents compare how they see themselves with how others see them and present a short spoken self-portrait.
• Bilingüe y orgulloso Self-awarenessStudents read testimonies of bilingual Californians and use the subjunctive of emotion to express how language shapes belonging.
• Las tradiciones que guardamos Self-awarenessStudents describe a family tradition and reflect with "ojalá" on what they hope to keep alive and why it matters to them.
• Los viajes que transforman Self-awarenessStudents read a travel "crónica" from Peru and reflect on how leaving a comfort zone changes the way a person sees themselves.
• Reflexión del semestre Self-awarenessStudents write a semester reflection with "si" clauses about what they would do differently and what they are proud of.
• La belleza en lo cotidiano Self-awarenessStudents describe the beauty they notice in the desert at sunrise and name how it affects their mood.
• Mi papel en el mundo Self-awarenessStudents reflect on how they would like to contribute to the world and connect it to who they have become.

Heritage Spanish

• Mi español, mi historia Self-awarenessStudents write a language autobiography and name the feelings, pride or insecurity, attached to their Spanish.
• Mi nombre con tilde Self-awarenessStudents write their names with correct accents and explain why their name deserves to be spelled and pronounced correctly.
• Spanglish y cambio de código Self-awarenessStudents reflect on when they switch languages and what feelings or audiences drive the switch.
• Reflexión del semestre Self-awarenessStudents compare their first writing sample to a recent one and name their growth in accents, spelling, and register.
• Odas de Neruda Self-awarenessStudents analyze a Neruda ode and write their own oda to an ordinary object that brings them comfort.
• Orgullo latino Self-awarenessStudents create a pride map of people, foods, and places in their heritage and name what makes them proud.
• Carta a mi yo futuro Self-awarenessStudents write a letter to their future self in academic Spanish about the language and identity they want to keep.

French

French 1

• Bonjour, c'est moi ! Self-awarenessStudents greet classmates and introduce themselves with "je m'appelle" plus one word that describes how they arrive in class today.
• Ça va ? Self-awarenessStudents go beyond "ça va bien" by naming their real feelings in French and learn that every honest answer is welcome.
• Je suis, tu es Self-awarenessStudents use "être" to describe the many identities they hold at once, "je suis élève", "je suis artiste", "je suis californien".
• J'ai, tu as Self-awarenessUsing "avoir", students list things they have that money cannot buy, like "j'ai une bonne amie" or "j'ai un talent".
• Plus difficile que ça en a l'air Self-awarenessStudents predict in French how long they can hold their arms out, test it, and compare: "c'est plus difficile que ça en a l'air".
• Bilan du semestre Self-awarenessStudents write "je peux" sentences about what they can now say in French and set one goal for the next semester.
• Mes émotions en couleurs Self-awarenessStudents choose colors for their emotions with agreeing adjectives and practice describing a feeling without judging it.
• Au revoir et à bientôt Self-awarenessStudents say goodbye in French, name how they have grown this year, and use the "futur proche" to share one hope for next year.

French 2

• Me revoilà ! Self-awarenessStudents reintroduce themselves and use the "futur proche" to say what they are going to try this year.
• Mon été Self-awarenessStudents narrate their summer in the "passé composé" and highlight one moment they are grateful for.
• Je me sens Self-awarenessStudents learn "je me sens, je m'inquiète", and "je me calme" to name a feeling and the step that helps it pass.
• Quand j'étais petit Self-awarenessStudents describe themselves as children in the "imparfait" and notice which strengths they have carried with them.
• Bilan du semestre Self-awarenessStudents look back on the semester in the "passé composé" and "imparfait" and name how they have grown as learners and classmates.
• Mon corps me parle Self-awarenessStudents describe where they feel stress in the body with "avoir mal à" and connect physical signals to emotions.
• Avant et maintenant Self-awarenessStudents write "avant" and "maintenant" sentences that show how a fear or habit has changed and celebrate that growth.
• À l'année prochaine Self-awarenessStudents tell the story of their year in the past tenses and use the "futur proche" to name what they will carry into French 3.

French 3

• Qui je suis devenu Self-awarenessStudents tell how they changed over the summer, contrasting background in the "imparfait" with turning points in the "passé composé".
• Les métiers de demain Self-awarenessStudents read about careers in Québec's green energy and video game sectors and identify which match their own strengths and interests.
• Bilan du semestre Self-awarenessStudents look back on the semester in the past tenses and use the "futur" simple to set a goal for the spring.
• L'endroit où je respire Self-awarenessStudents describe a place "où" they feel at peace and name the details dont they need to feel calm and safe.
• Le slam Self-awarenessStudents study how a slam poet turns hardship into art and write a short slam with "qui", "que", and "où" about something that shaped them.
• Je suis content que tu sois là Self-awarenessStudents express feelings about others' actions with the subjunctive and notice how naming feelings strengthens relationships.
• Au revoir, à bientôt Self-awarenessStudents present a two minute farewell that tells their year in the past, names a feeling with the subjunctive, and shares a hope in the future.

French 4 and AP

• Mes communautés, mon identité Self-awarenessStudents map the communities they belong to and present which ones shape who they are, opening the year by naming their roots.
• Ce qu'ils avaient vécu Self-awarenessStudents use the "plus-que-parfait" to recount what an older person they know or imagine had done or learned before they were born and reflect on what it reveals about themselves.
• Plurilingue et fier Self-awarenessStudents read testimonies of multilingual young people in Montréal, Bruxelles, and Abidjan and express how speaking several languages shapes their identity.
• Le patrimoine qui parle Self-awarenessStudents study Gorée and Old Québec as heritage sites that hold painful and proud memories and reflect on which memories a real or imagined family chooses to preserve.
• Bilan du semestre Self-awarenessStudents write an AP style reflection on the semester, using "si" clauses to name what they would have done differently and what they will keep.
• Le temps libre Self-awarenessStudents examine how teens in Montréal and Marseille spend free time and identify which activities truly restore them.
• Adieu ou au revoir ? Self-awarenessStudents give a farewell presentation that tells the story of their French journey, honors those who helped, and states a hope with "je souhaite que".

English

English 9

• Who Tells My Story? Self-awarenessStudents choose a meaningful moment and draft the opening of a personal narrative with a clear point of view.
• What Lies Under the Surface Self-awarenessStudents cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support inferences about characters' emotions.
• Slowing Down a Moment Self-awarenessStudents use pacing and precise sensory details to slow down the most important moment of a narrative.
• Words with Weight Self-awarenessStudents analyze nuances in word meanings, including connotation, and use context clues to determine meaning.
• What the Story Teaches Self-awarenessStudents determine a theme and analyze how it develops over the course of a text.
• Harder Than It Looks: When Evidence Talks Back Self-awarenessStudents make a claim about themselves, test it with a simple hold or a quick word recall task, revise the claim when the evidence disagrees, and then make the same move with a character in the current text.
• Midyear Letter to Myself Self-awarenessStudents write a reflective letter with clear purpose, organization, and style for an audience of their future self.
• Poetry of Feeling Self-awarenessStudents analyze the cumulative impact of word choices on a poem's meaning and tone.
• Stories Built on Stories Self-awarenessStudents analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material from an earlier work.
• My Reader Portfolio Self-awarenessStudents reflect on the texts they read and the writing they produced, citing evidence of growth.

English 10

• Where I Come From Self-awarenessStudents write a where I am from poem or vignette honoring the places and people that shaped them.
• The Hero's Journey and Mine Self-awarenessMapping the hero's journey in a text and in a challenge students faced.
• Symbols That Carry Meaning Self-awarenessSymbols in literature and objects that carry personal meaning.
• Semester Reflection Self-awarenessReflective letter on growth and goals.
• Pride and Humility Self-awarenessAnalyzing pride in a tragic hero and practicing humility.
• Monologue: My Inner Voice Self-awarenessWriting a monologue for a character facing a decision.
• Bilingual and Multilingual Voices Self-awarenessHow writers use more than one language and code switching as identity.
• Allusion and Archetype Self-awarenessArchetypes across cultures and the roles students play.
• Memoir and Truth Self-awarenessHow memoirists shape true events into meaning.
• Writing Personal Essays Self-awarenessDrafting a personal essay that reflects on growth.
• Portfolio and Growth Self-awarenessReflecting on a year of reading and writing.

English 11

• The American Story and My Story Self-awarenessPersonal narrative about where students fit in the American story.
• Transcendentalism and Self Reliance Self-awarenessSelf-reliance and the balance between independence and community.
• Dialect and Identity Self-awarenessHow dialect expresses identity and challenges language bias.
• The Harlem Renaissance Self-awarenessPoetry of pride, pain, and joy in the Harlem Renaissance.
• Semester Reflection Self-awarenessReflective letter on growth and goals.
• Death of a Salesman and Success Self-awarenessRedefining success beyond money and status.
• Chicano and Latino Literature Self-awarenessIdentity, family, and belonging in Chicano and Latino literature.
• College Essay: Who I Am Self-awarenessDrafting a personal statement that shows values.
• The Future of America Self-awarenessEnvisioning the country students want and their role in it.
• Portfolio and Growth Self-awarenessReflecting on a year of reading and writing.

English 12

• Senior Year Intentions Self-awarenessNarrative reflection on intentions for the final year.
• Epic Heroes and Everyday Courage Self-awarenessEpic heroes and the courage of ordinary life.
• Guilt and Conscience Self-awarenessHow guilt shapes characters and how we handle our own mistakes.
• Identity and Belonging Self-awarenessCharacters caught between cultures.
• Semester Reflection Self-awarenessReflective letter on growth and goals.
• The Modern Hero Self-awarenessAntiheroes and complicated heroes in modern literature.
• Resumes That Tell a Story Self-awarenessTurning experiences into a resume that reflects strengths.
• Spoken Word Self-awarenessWriting and performing spoken word about identity.
• Letters Across Time Self-awarenessLetters to their younger and future selves.
• Commencement Speeches Self-awarenessAnalyzing famous commencement speeches.
• My Commencement Speech Self-awarenessWriting their own two minute commencement speech.
• Portfolio and Growth Self-awarenessReflecting on four years of reading and writing.

Math

Integrated Math I

• My Math Story Self-awareness
• The Story in a Graph Self-awareness
• Midyear Growth Check Self-awareness
• Data About Us Self-awareness
• How Far Off Were We? Self-awareness
• My Growth Function Self-awareness

Integrated Math II

• Back to the Starting Line Self-awarenessStudents review exponents and expressions while setting intentions for the year.
• The Shape of a Parabola Self-awarenessStudents interpret vertex and intercepts on a parabola tracking the arc of a hard week.
• When There Is No Real Answer Self-awarenessComplex solutions; sitting with questions that do not have easy answers.
• Semester Reflection Self-awarenessChoose your challenge review and measure growth.
• Right Triangle Ratios Self-awarenessDiscovering sine, cosine, and tangent through measurement patterns.
• My Growth Curve Self-awarenessModeling personal growth across the year with a curve.

Integrated Math III

• Where I Am, Where I Am Going Self-awarenessCourse launch activity: functions review and goals for the final year of the sequence.
• Polynomial Personalities Self-awarenessStructure in polynomial expressions; the parts that make up a whole person.
• Radical Functions Self-awarenessSquare root growth that slows but never stops.
• Semester Reflection Self-awarenessChoose your challenge review and growth measurement.
• The Unit Circle Self-awarenessRadians and the unit circle; returning to where you started, changed.
• Amplitude and Midline Self-awarenessEmotional highs and lows around a steady midline.
• Math and My Future Self-awarenessModeling college or career costs and earnings over time.
• My Growth Story Self-awarenessModeling three years of math growth.

Calculus

• What Changes, and How Fast? Self-awarenessAverage rate of change on smaller and smaller intervals, and noticing how confident each step feels.
• The Derivative as a Limit Self-awarenessFrom average to instantaneous rate of change, finding the derivative as a limit and noticing which steps feel strong.
• Implicit Differentiation Self-awarenessFinding slopes on curves like circles, and noticing where my own mistakes tend to happen.
• The Mean Value Theorem Self-awarenessChecking conditions before claiming a theorem applies, and knowing how sure you are.
• Accumulation: Area Under a Rate Self-awarenessEstimating total change from a rate table with Riemann and trapezoidal sums, and noticing how sure we feel.
• Slope Fields Self-awarenessReading slope fields and comparing a first guess with what the slopes show.
• Looking Back: My Calculus Year Self-awarenessOne function can show all 4 big ideas of calculus: limits, change, analysis of functions, and accumulation, and naming where you grew builds self-awareness.

Science

Living Earth

• Who Gets to Be a Scientist? Self-awarenessStudents map the questions they already ask about the desert around them and name the scientist identity they bring into Living Earth.
• Sunlight Into Sugar Self-awarenessModeling photosynthesis as an energy transformation and naming what refuels students' own energy.
• Clues in Shared Ancestry Self-awarenessComparing anatomical and DNA evidence for common ancestry and reflecting on the family and community roots students share.
• Semester Reflection: My Growth as a Scientist Self-awarenessStudents explain how the factors of evolution changed a real population, contrast that with how they grew as learners this semester, and set goals for the spring.
• The Code Inside Us Self-awarenessExplaining how DNA codes for proteins and reflecting on which traits are inherited and which are chosen.
• Systems Inside the Body Self-awarenessModeling interacting body systems and mapping where emotions show up in the body.
• When Ecosystems Change Self-awarenessArguing whether the Salton Sea ecosystem can recover and noticing how hope and worry both shape our thinking.
• Reflecting on Living Earth Self-awarenessStudents revisit their week one scientist map and explain how their thinking and confidence have changed.

Chemistry in the Earth System

• My Chemistry Story Self-awarenessStudents list the chemistry they already see in kitchens, fields, and cars and name the strengths they bring as scientists.
• Energy in Bonds Self-awarenessModeling the energy released and absorbed when bonds form and break, and noticing what drains or fuels students' own energy.
• Inside Earth's Engine Self-awarenessModeling convection in Earth's mantle and noticing what drives students' own inner motion.
• The Periodic Table as a Map Self-awarenessUsing the periodic table to predict properties and mapping personal patterns that predict good and hard days.
• Semester Reflection: Elements of Me Self-awarenessStudents build a personal element card showing their growth, bonds, and goals for the spring semester.
• Greenhouse Gases Self-awarenessModeling how greenhouse gases trap energy and naming the feelings that climate news brings up.
• Oceans Absorb Carbon Self-awarenessModeling carbon cycling between air and ocean and noticing what we absorb from the people and media around us.
• Reflecting on Chemistry Self-awarenessStudents revisit their chemistry story and explain how their understanding and confidence transformed like reactants into products.

Physics of the Universe

• The Physicist in Me Self-awarenessStudents list the motion questions they wonder about, from skateboards to dust devils, and name the scientist identity they bring.
• Electric Charges Self-awarenessModeling attraction and repulsion between charges and reflecting on what attracts and repels us in hard situations.
• Energy Is Conserved Self-awarenessCalculating energy changes in a system and tracking where students' emotional energy goes during a school day.
• Semester Reflection: My Energy Story Self-awarenessStudents write an energy conservation story of their semester, showing where their effort went and what it built.
• Atoms That Change Self-awarenessModeling radioactive decay and reflecting on which parts of ourselves change and which stay stable.
• Waves Carry Energy Self-awarenessCalculating relationships among frequency, wavelength, and speed and noticing the ups and downs in students' emotional waves.
• The Sun's Engine Self-awarenessModeling fusion in the Sun's core and naming what fuels students' own inner light.
• Reflecting on the Universe Self-awarenessStudents revisit their week one questions and explain how their sense of place in the universe has grown.

Earth and Environmental Science

• Scientist of This Place Self-awarenessStudents map the land, water, and people that shape their lives and name the kind of environmental scientist they want to become.
• Where Our Water Comes From Self-awarenessTracing valley water from the Colorado River and the aquifer to the tap and reflecting on what we take for granted.
• Reading Climate Clues Self-awarenessAnalyzing ice core and tree ring evidence of past climates and noticing the feelings that arise when data points to change.
• Semester Reflection: Footprint and Handprint Self-awarenessStudents reflect on how their thinking about the environment changed and set a spring goal for a positive handprint.
• Soil Is Alive Self-awarenessInvestigating how water and organisms build soil and reflecting on what helps students put down roots in a new semester.
• Living on a Fault Self-awarenessExplaining how the San Andreas Fault shapes where people live and naming the feelings that natural hazards bring up.
• Reflecting on Our Place Self-awarenessStudents revisit their week one place map and explain how their understanding of themselves and the valley has changed.

History

World History

• Becoming a Historian Self-awarenessStudents meet ancient thinkers in Athens, Rome, and Jerusalem who asked what a person owes others, then name the questions and curiosity they bring to history as young historians.
• Ideas That Start Revolutions Self-awarenessStudents connect the ideas of Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Jefferson, and Bolívar to the revolutions they inspired and name the beliefs that drive their own choices.
• Why Empires Expanded Self-awarenessStudents analyze how markets, resources, national rivalry, and beliefs of superiority drove the new imperialism and examine assumptions about who is better than whom.
• Mapping Colonial Rule Self-awarenessStudents study maps of Africa and Asia before and after colonial rule and name the feelings that arise when borders are drawn by outsiders.
• A Lost Generation Makes Art Self-awarenessStudents explore how writers and artists after the war expressed grief and disillusionment and use a quick sketch or poem to name a feeling of their own.
• Why People Followed Dictators Self-awarenessStudents analyze how disillusionment, economic despair, and fear opened the door to fascist and communist dictators and name how their own need to belong can be used by others.
• Counting the Human Cost Self-awarenessStudents trace the war's turning points and the staggering civilian and military losses across many nations and take a quiet moment to honor the people behind the numbers.

US History

• Becoming a Citizen Historian Self-awarenessStudents explore the Enlightenment ideas behind the nation's founding and name the questions about belonging and fairness they bring to the American story.
• Americanization and Identity Self-awarenessStudents examine the Americanization movement's pressure on immigrants to give up language and customs and reflect on the parts of their own identity they carry proudly.
• Social Darwinism or Social Gospel Self-awarenessStudents compare Social Darwinism and the Social Gospel as explanations for poverty and success and examine their own beliefs about why some people struggle.
• Fear and Civil Liberties Self-awarenessStudents analyze the Palmer Raids, the Ku Klux Klan, and immigration quotas alongside the responses of the ACLU, NAACP, and Anti Defamation League and learn to recognize fear driven thinking in themselves.
• Harlem Renaissance Voices Self-awarenessStudents read poems by Langston Hughes and work by Zora Neale Hurston and use writing to express an emotion and an identity of their own.
• Women's Rights and Differing Views Self-awarenessStudents compare differing perspectives on the roles of women, from Stanton and Anthony to activists and opponents in the 1960s and 1970s, and reflect on the expectations that shape their own choices.
• Watergate and Public Trust Self-awarenessStudents examine the constitutional crisis of Watergate and how the press, courts, and Congress responded, then reflect on choosing integrity when no one is watching.

Government

• Who Is a Citizen Here? Self-awarenessStudents map the communities they already belong to and name the civic identity they bring into Principles of American Democracy.
• Power in the Executive Self-awarenessExamining how President Kennedy and his advisers weighed options during the Cuban Missile Crisis and noticing how fear and pressure shape students' own choices.
• Parties, Polls, and Persuasion Self-awarenessExamining how campaigns from every party use polls and advertising to stir emotion and practicing how to notice when a message is pulling on one's feelings.

Economics

• Thinking Like an Economist Self-awarenessStudents list the choices they already make with limited time and money and name the economist identity they bring into class.
• Why Jobs Pay Differently Self-awarenessUsing supply, demand, and productivity to explain differences in wages and mapping the skills students want to grow next.
• The Fed and Your Wallet Self-awarenessExplaining how the Federal Reserve influences interest rates and applying the idea of delayed reward to personal saving.
• Reading the Economy's Pulse Self-awarenessCalculating unemployment and inflation rates and comparing nominal with real data, then checking in on students' own emotional indicators.

Geography

• Where I Am From Self-awarenessStudents sketch a map of the places that matter to them and name the geographer identity they bring to understanding the valley.
• The Land of the Cahuilla Self-awarenessLearning how the Cahuilla people used palm oases, springs, and seasonal movement to thrive in the desert, and honoring knowledge rooted in a place.
• Earth Shapes the Valley Self-awarenessExplaining how the San Andreas Fault and erosion shaped the Coachella Valley and naming body signals of fear so students can respond calmly in an emergency.
• Trade Networks and Our Food Self-awarenessTracing how Coachella Valley grapes, dates, and peppers travel through global trade networks and recognizing how interdependence connects students to strangers far away.

Ethnic Studies

• The Stories I Carry Self-awarenessStudents create an identity map of the names, languages, places, and traditions they choose to share and name the historian identity they bring to the course.
• Stereotypes and the Single Story Self-awarenessAnalyzing how stereotypes form in media and older textbooks and noticing the quick judgments our own minds make about people we do not know.
• Black Californians Building Community Self-awarenessExploring the life of Biddy Mason, who won her freedom in a Los Angeles court in 1856 and became a landowner and philanthropist, and naming the goals that motivate students.

Fine Arts

Art 1

• I Am an Artist Self-awarenessStudents sketch a visual map of the places, people, and images that shape them and name the artist identity they bring into Art 1.
• Line and Mood Self-awarenessStudents draw lines that express calm, anger, and joy and connect how the body feels each emotion to the marks they make.
• Color and Feeling Self-awarenessStudents test how color palettes shift mood and question whether color meanings are universal or cultural.
• Symbols of Who We Are Self-awarenessStudents design a personal symbol drawn from family, language, or place and explain the feelings it holds.
• Semester Reflection Self-awarenessStudents lay out their semester work, write about how their skills and feelings toward art have changed, and name what they are proud of.
• Emphasis and Being Seen Self-awarenessStudents create a composition with a clear focal point and reflect on when they want to be the focal point and when they prefer the background.
• Writing an Artist Statement Self-awarenessStudents draft a short artist statement that names their intentions, influences, and the feelings behind one piece.
• Looking Back at My Growth Self-awarenessStudents compare their week one identity map with their portfolio and describe how they have grown as artists and as people.

Art 2

• My Artistic Voice Self-awarenessStudents revisit a past artwork, name what still feels true about it, and formulate a new creative problem that grows from their own voice.
• Material and Mood Self-awarenessExperimenting with an unfamiliar material, students notice how its texture and resistance change their mood and their marks.
• Research Through Art Self-awarenessStudents use observation and experimentation to investigate an unfamiliar desert subject and record the questions and feelings it raises.
• Semester Reflection Self-awarenessStudents review their semester work and write about the risks, growth, and feelings that shaped their artistic voice.
• Beauty in the Everyday Self-awarenessStudents sketch overlooked beauty around campus and describe the feelings it stirs.
• Building the Portfolio Self-awarenessStudents critique and select works for a portfolio and explain how each choice represents their growth.
• Artist Statement Self-awarenessStudents reflect on their personal artistic vision and write an artist statement that names the feelings and ideas behind their body of work.
• My Year as an Artist Self-awarenessStudents compare their first creative problem of the year with their final work and reflect on how their voice and confidence grew.

Photography

• My Life Through a Lens Self-awarenessStudents take five photos that show who they are and name the feelings behind each choice.
• Framing and Attention Self-awarenessUsing a paper viewfinder, students frame the same scene several ways and notice what they choose to include and leave out.
• Light and Mood Self-awarenessStudents photograph one subject in direct sun, shade, and backlight and describe how light changes the feeling of the image.
• Self Portrait Without a Face Self-awarenessStudents create a self-portrait using objects, hands, or shadows and describe the emotions they chose to reveal.
• Filters and Real Faces Self-awarenessStudents compare filtered and unfiltered images and discuss how edited beauty standards affect the way they see themselves.
• Semester Reflection Self-awarenessStudents review their semester images and write about how their eye, their skills, and their confidence have changed.
• Building a Series Self-awarenessStudents select and sequence images into a cohesive series and explain the feeling they want viewers to leave with.
• Photographer Statement Self-awarenessStudents document how their series developed and write a short statement about the intentions and emotions behind it.
• Looking Back Through the Lens Self-awarenessStudents compare their week one photos with their final series and describe how they have grown as photographers and as people.

Theatre 1

• Me on Stage Self-awarenessStudents share one meaningful object and a short story about it and name what excites and worries them about performing.
• Voice and Emotion Self-awarenessStudents read one neutral line with different emotions and notice how breath, pitch, and pace carry feeling.
• Body Language Self-awarenessStudents explore how posture and gesture communicate status and emotion and notice what their own body says without words.
• Semester Reflection Self-awarenessStudents reflect in writing on their growth as performers and ensemble members and name a moment they are proud of.
• Performance Day Self-awarenessStudents perform for an audience and journal about their emotions before, during, and after.
• Talkback Self-awarenessStudents lead a talkback with audience members, listen to their responses, and reflect on what landed.
• Looking Back Self-awarenessStudents revisit their week one object story and describe how theatre has changed the way they see themselves and others.

Choir

• My Voice, My Story Self-awarenessStudents share a song that matters to them and name the feelings singing brings up, from joy to nervousness.
• Music and Emotion Self-awarenessStudents listen to a choral work, name the emotions it stirs, and point to the musical elements that create them.
• Composing a Feeling Self-awarenessStudents improvise and compose a short melody that expresses a chosen emotion.
• Semester Reflection Self-awarenessStudents reflect in writing on how their voice, confidence, and place in the ensemble have changed this semester.
• Expressive Choices Self-awarenessStudents interpret the text of a choral piece and decide on dynamics and phrasing that express its meaning.
• Concert Reflection Self-awarenessAfter the concert, students evaluate the performance with their criteria and name the emotions they felt on stage.
• My Year in Choir Self-awarenessStudents revisit the song they shared in week one and write about how their voice and confidence have grown.

Dance 1

• My Moving Story Self-awarenessStudents create a short gesture phrase from moments in their lives and reflect on how they feel about moving in front of others.
• Listening to the Body Self-awarenessStudents learn alignment basics and a body scan and notice where emotions and tension live in their bodies.
• Energy and Emotion Self-awarenessStudents analyze how movement qualities such as sharp, smooth, and heavy express emotion and try each quality in their own bodies.
• Folklórico and Family Self-awarenessStudents learn about the regional roots of ballet folklórico and reflect on the dances that live in their own families.
• Semester Reflection Self-awarenessStudents reflect in writing on how their skills, confidence, and comfort moving in front of others have changed this semester.
• Artistic Statements Self-awarenessStudents write a short artistic statement for an original dance study that names the feeling and intent behind it.
• Every Body Dances Self-awarenessStudents analyze how dance media portrays bodies and write affirmations about what their own bodies can do.
• Reflecting on Performance Self-awarenessStudents watch a recording of their concert, discuss its artistic expression, and name the emotions they felt while performing.
• Looking Back Self-awarenessStudents revisit their week one gesture phrase and describe how their movement and confidence have grown.

Physical Education

PE Course 1

• Who Am I as a Mover? Self-awarenessStudents rotate through a movement sampler of jogging, dancing, throwing, and balancing stations, then journal about which movements feel most like them and why.
• Five Components, My Way Self-awarenessStudents move through stations for cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility and privately note which ones energize them and which feel hard, without comparing to anyone.
• Reading My Heart Rate Self-awarenessStudents take their pulse at rest, after a jog, and after slow breathing, then journal how heart rate and feelings rise and fall together.
• Nerves and Performance Self-awarenessStudents attempt a target throw once calmly and once under a loud countdown, then analyze how nerves changed their focus and technique.
• Dance as Self Expression Self-awarenessSmall groups build an eight count sequence that expresses a feeling of their choice and journal how movement can say what words cannot.
• Looking Back on Semester One Self-awarenessStudents repeat a favorite activity from the first weeks and journal how their skills, confidence, and goals have changed since then.
• How I Have Grown as a Mover Self-awarenessStudents revisit their week one movement sampler and journal how their identity as a mover has changed this year.

PE Course 2

• My Story as a Mover Self-awarenessStudents try a short activity sampler, then sketch a movement timeline of activities they have loved and how their preferences have changed.
• Assessing Myself Privately Self-awarenessStudents complete self-assessments in the components of health related fitness, record results only in their own journal, and note feelings that came up.
• Harder Than It Looks Self-awarenessStudents predict how long they can hold their arms straight out, test it, and compare the prediction with what their body tells them.
• Balance Under Pressure Self-awarenessStudents hold balances of increasing difficulty and notice how wobbles in the body match wobbles in focus or emotion.
• Listening to My Body Self-awarenessStudents use body awareness and partner feedback to refine a gymnastics skill and journal the difference between healthy challenge and pain.
• Looking Back on Semester One Self-awarenessStudents revisit their fitness and skill goals, repeat a favorite early activity, and journal how they have grown and what they will refine next.
• Knowing My Limits Self-awarenessPartners practice the tap and release signal and journal about recognizing their own limits and respecting a partner's.
• Two Years of Moving Self-awarenessStudents revisit the movement timeline from week one of their first PE course and add how their preferences, confidence, and goals have changed over two years.

Health

• The Weather Inside Self-awarenessStudents use a weather report metaphor to sort an imagined student's stressors into home, school, and peer categories and name the feelings each one might bring.
• Why I Reach for That Snack Self-awarenessStudents sort the internal and external influences behind an imagined teen's food choices across a day and notice how mood, hunger, and surroundings shape eating.
• Safe Moves Playbook Self-awarenessStudents notice the feelings that can lead to risky choices in sports, social events, and cars, then build a playbook of injury prevention moves for each setting.

RoseThread Connect activities are drafted with the help of AI and shaped by educators. Students never have to share anything personal. Our five SEL skills are informed by CASEL's SEL Framework; RoseThread Learning is not affiliated with or endorsed by CASEL.