Lucile Bruner Classroom Guidance Curriculum – Coping Skills
School Counselor: Judy Pelto
School: Lucile Bruner Elementary
Lesson Title: The Three C’s: Control, Change and Cope
Date: October 2012 (Conder 10/1, Mulder 10/2, Wilson 10/4, Greenberg 10/17)
Unit: Coping Skills – Lesson 1
Grade: 3
Time Requirement: 30 minutes
ASCA Student Standards: Personal / Social Development
Standard B: Students will make decisions, set goals and take necessary action to achieve goals.
Competencies & Indicators Addressed:
PS:B1.3 Identify alternative solutions to a problem
PS:B1.4 Develop effective coping skills for dealing with problems
Materials:
Survival Backpack: Coping Skills Guide for Elementary Students (produced by Clark County School District)
Small container of Playdough for each student
One rock for each student
Summary Posters
Coping Skills Pretest
Activity:
Before beginning the lesson, administer the coping skills pretest to the students.
The counselor will start by discussing how counselors are here to help people deal with problems. Remind
students that a counselor cannot fix their problems, but helps them sort out details and feelings, so that they
can find a solution on their own or they can deal with the problems that we cannot change. Counselors help
students attack a problem. Say “Today we are going to discuss the three C’s of attacking a problem”.
Hand out a small container of Playdough to each student. Ask students to make something out of the
Playdough in 2 minutes time. Allow the students a few minutes afterwards to share with the whole group
what they made out of the Playdough. After listening to their ideas, tell students that by creating something
out of the Playdough, they were CONTROLLING it. On the board, write the word “control”. Explain that this is
one of our ways to attack a problem. Summarize the concept by saying that the first step when faced with a
problem, is figuring out if you can control the problem. Tell the students “the other 2 C’s will deal with
problems that you can control and problems you cannot control.”
Ask students whether the following problems are problems they can or cannot control: homework, divorce,
friends not getting along. Have students share their ideas on other problems they can control with the whole
group.
Ask students to now make something new out of the Playdough. Allow 2 minutes for them to complete. Allow
the students a few minutes to share with the whole group what they made out of the Playdough. After
2013 RAMP Application – Lucile Bruner Elementary
Lucile Bruner Classroom Guidance Curriculum – Coping Skills
listening to their ideas, tell students that by creating something new out of the Playdough, they were
CHANGING the Playdough. On the board, write the word “change”. Explain that this is one way to attack a
problem that can be controlled.
Ask students to think of problems that can be fixed by making a change. Give students examples of ‘if you
cannot see the board, you get glasses or if you have messy handwriting, you practice and take your time so it
is neat.’ Collect the Playdough and distribute a rock to each student.
Ask students to make something out of the rock. Tell them to keep trying when they automatically say they
can’t without trying. After a minute or two, explain that some problems are “Playdough problems” and can be
controlled by making a change. However, there are some problems that are “rock problems” that cannot be
changed no matter how hard we try. For these problems we must learn how to cope or how to deal. Write the
word “COPE” on the board as the third way to deal with a problem. Discuss with students the definition of
coping as “dealing with difficult things in an okay way”. Have students brainstorm some problems in which
they would have to cope (rock problems or problems that cannot be controlled).
Review with students the Three C’s of Dealing with a problem and how counselors can help them attack a
problem. Ask students how they have handled Playdough/rock problems in the past and what the
consequences were. Ask students how they foresee themselves handling these problems in the future. Leave
summary posters (Coping: Dealing with a Problem in an Okay Way and The Three C’s of Dealing with a
Problem) for the teacher. Ask the teacher to leave up the summary posters and use them as a reference when
conflicts or problems arise within the classroom.
Evaluation:
Process Data:
105 third grade students
Perception Data:
According to the Pretest Coping Skills survey, 12% of 3rd graders believe they know what coping skills are. 29%
believe they use good coping skills when they have a problem. 69% believe learning good coping skills will help
them do better in school.
Outcome Data:
Outcome data will be reported after three coping skills lessons have been taught and end of year office
discipline referrals have been analyzed.
How was the evaluation conducted?
Counselor made Coping Skills Pre/Post Test
Office Discipline Referral Forms
2013 RAMP Application – Lucile Bruner Elementary
Lucile Bruner Classroom Guidance Curriculum – Coping Skills
Coping Skills Pretest
1. I know what good coping skills are.
Yes
No
Unsure
2. I use good coping skills most of the time when I have a problem.
Yes
No
Unsure
3. I can control all of my problems.
Yes
No
Unsure
4. Saying “poor me” and giving up are good ways to cope
with a problem.
Yes
No
Unsure
5. My thoughts affect my attitude which affects my actions.
Yes
No
Unsure
6. Coping skills can be used at home and in school.
Yes
No
Unsure
7. Good coping skills are talking to someone, drawing, and exercising.
Yes
No
Unsure
8. Learning good coping skills will help me do better in school.
Yes
No
Unsure
1. I know what good coping skills are.
Yes
No
Unsure
2. I use good coping skills most of the time when I have a problem.
Yes
No
Unsure
3. I can control all of my problems.
Yes
No
Unsure
4. Saying “poor me” and giving up are good ways to cope
with a problem.
Yes
No
Unsure
5. My thoughts affect my attitude which affects my actions.
Yes
No
Unsure
6. Coping skills can be used at home and in school.
Yes
No
Unsure
7. Good coping skills are talking to someone, drawing, and exercising.
Yes
No
Unsure
8. Learning good coping skills will help me do better in school.
Yes
No
Unsure
Coping Skills Posttest
2013 RAMP Application – Lucile Bruner Elementary
Lucile Bruner Classroom Guidance Curriculum – Coping Skills
COPING:
DEALING WITH A
PROBLEM IN AN OKAY
WAY
2013 RAMP Application – Lucile Bruner Elementary
Lucile Bruner Classroom Guidance Curriculum – Coping Skills
THE THREE C’S OF DEALING
WITH A PROBLEM
CONTROL
CHANGE
COPE
2013 RAMP Application – Lucile Bruner Elementary
Lucile Bruner Classroom Guidance Curriculum – Coping Skills
School Counselor: Judy Pelto
School: Lucile Bruner Elementary
Lesson Title: Copping Out versus Coping Tic Tac Toe
Date: November 2012 (Conder & Wilson 11/1, Mulder 11/19, Greenberg 11/27)
Unit: Coping Skills - Lesson 2
Grade: 3
Time Requirement: 40 minutes
ASCA Student Standards: Personal / Social Development
Standard A: Students will acquire the knowledge, attitudes and interpersonal skills to help them understand
self and others.
Standard C: Students will understand safety and survival skills.
Competencies Addressed:
PS:A1.6 Distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate behavior
PS:A1.8 Understand the need for self-control and how to practice it
PS:A1.9 Demonstrate cooperative behavior in groups
PS:C1.10 Learn techniques for managing stress and conflict
PS:C1.11 Learn coping skills for managing life events
Materials:
Survival Backpack: Coping Skills Guide for Elementary Students (produced by Clark County School District)
Nine X’s and Nine O’s on card stock
Scenario cards (attached)
A Tic Tac Toe game board on poster board
Coping skills definition for display
“Copping Out” definition for display
Poster board
Timer
Activity:
The counselor will start by reviewing the topic of problem solving with the students from the previous coping
skills lesson. Remind students of the difference between Playdough and rock problems. Define what a coping
skill is for the students and write examples on poster board. (Dealing with difficult things in an okay way.) Ask
students to brainstorm ways to effectively solve a problem and write them on the poster board. This will
become an anchor chart to display coping skills within their classroom after the lesson.
Introduce the game TIC TAC TOE and explain the rules. Proceed to play the game as indicated in the following
directions. Divide the class into 2 groups: the X’s and the O’s. The counselor will pick a scenario card for the
first team. After the card is read aloud, students on the first team will have 3 minutes to discuss solutions to
the scenario. Students are encouraged to use positive coping skills to solve the problem scenario on the card.
Students will need to use teamwork to brainstorm an idea to provide as their team’s answer. The group
chooses who is going to present their solution to the scenario. The counselor, assisted by the other group,
determines if the presenting team has given a positive coping solution or copping out solution. If the solution
2013 RAMP Application – Lucile Bruner Elementary
Lucile Bruner Classroom Guidance Curriculum – Coping Skills
is a positive coping solution, a group member is chosen to place the team’s symbol (X or O) on the game
board. If the solution is copping out, the turn to study the same solution goes to the next team. In this case,
this next team will be first in line to solve the subsequent scenario. The previous steps are repeated for this
next team. The game continues in this fashion until the game is finished. Ties are allowed.
After the game is finished, the counselor reminds students that being in tough situations is common at times.
Discuss how students will need to know how to effectively deal with these situations in a positive way.
Compare manner in which the teams dealt with the game to coping skills (ex. winning vs. losing/teamwork)
Review with students what a positive coping skill is. Challenge students to question themselves, “Am I using
positive coping skills to solve my problem or am I just avoiding my problems?”
The positive coping skills poster created by the students is given to the teacher for students to reference daily
in the classroom.
Evaluation:
Process Data:
105 third grade students
Perception Data:
According to the Pretest Coping Skills survey, 12% of 3rd graders believe they know what coping skills are. 29%
believe they use good coping skills when they have a problem. 69% believe learning good coping skills will help
them do better in school.
Outcome Data:
Outcome data will be reported after three coping skills lessons have been taught and end of year office
discipline referrals have been analyzed.
How was the evaluation conducted?
Counselor made Coping Skills Pre/Post Test
Office Discipline Referral Forms
2013 RAMP Application – Lucile Bruner Elementary
Lucile Bruner Classroom Guidance Curriculum – Coping Skills
Copping Out versus Coping Tic Tac Toe Scenario Cards
You try to be nice to an unpopular student
when you are alone, but not when you are with
your friends. However, they see you and they start
teasing you for associating with the wimp.
Copping out vs. Coping Solution
You receive a bad grade on a test that you were
sure you would do well on. You know your parents
will be upset and your teacher is disappointed
because you rushed through it.
Copping out vs. Coping Solution
Your best friend since kindergarten is dumping
you and playing with other kids. You get mad
and ask him or her what's wrong. He or she
says: “Nothing.” Your birthday party is coming
up and you want to invite this friend but you
are mad at him or her.
Copping out vs. Coping Solution
A rumor was spread about you that was not true
and the people you thought were your friends
stopped talking and playing with you.
Copping out vs. Coping Solution
A student in your classroom appears to seldom
bathe or wash his or her clothes. You feel sorry for
this student but you do not want to associate with
him or her. This person wants to be your friend
and follows you at recess time.
Copping out vs. Coping Solution
A new student gives a funny answer in the
classroom and you start to giggle loudly. The
rest of the class laughs after you. The new
student thinks you were laughing at him and is
mad at you. He is throwing a pool party and not
inviting you.
Copping out vs. Coping Solution
You and your partner are working on a
computer research project in the classroom.
Your partner wants to hog the computer and
doesn’t want to give you a chance to work on
it.
Copping out vs. Coping Solution
One of your parents had to get a second job
because money is tight. You have been wanting a
new video game and are about to ask for money.
You told everyone at school you had the game
already.
Copping out vs. Coping Solution
2013 RAMP Application – Lucile Bruner Elementary
Lucile Bruner Classroom Guidance Curriculum – Coping Skills
School Counselor: Judy Pelto
School: Lucile Bruner Elementary
Lesson Title: A Matter of Attitude
Date: January 2013 (Mulder & Greenberg 1/8, Wilson & Conder 1/10)
Unit: Coping Skills -Lesson 3
Grade: 3
Time Requirement: 30 minutes
ASCA Student Standards: Personal / Social Development
Standard A: Students will acquire the knowledge, attitudes and interpersonal skills to help them understand
self and others.
Standard B: Students will make decisions, set goals and take necessary action to achieve goals.
Competencies Addressed:
PS:A1.2 Identify values, attitudes and beliefs
PS:A1.9 Demonstrate cooperative behavior in groups
PS:B1.2 Understand consequences of decisions and choices
Materials:
Survival Backpack: Coping Skills Guide for Elementary Students (produced by Clark County School District)
A picture of a glass filled halfway with water
3 pairs of sunglasses: 1 pair with red lenses, 1 pair with blue lenses, and 1 pair with yellow lenses.
Scenario cards (attached)
Activity:
The counselor will start by reviewing the topic of appropriate and inappropriate problem solving with the
students from the previous two lessons. Review with students Playdough/rock problems and coping vs.
copping out solutions.
Show the students a picture of a glass filled halfway with water. Ask students if the glass is half full or half
empty. Try to continue to pin students down to which is the right answer until one student reveals that it
depends on how you look at it or says both.
Ask the students to brainstorm what an attitude is and come up with a class definition. Offer this easy
definition after students share what they believe attitude can be defined as, “an attitude is how you act”.
Discuss with students that our thoughts create our attitude and that, just like the glass of water example, it is
all about how we see something.
Bring out the 3 pairs of sunglasses, one at a time. While wearing the red glasses, tell the students you will see
things with a fiery red attitude. A red attitude will blame everyone else for their problems and nothing is ever
their fault. Continue showing the different glasses and explaining each attitude that correlates with the color
of lenses. A blue attitude, which is paired with the blue glasses, is the “poor me” attitude. The people with this
attitude make mountains out of mole hills or make everything worse than it really is.
2013 RAMP Application – Lucile Bruner Elementary
Lucile Bruner Classroom Guidance Curriculum – Coping Skills
The yellow attitude looks for the good in a bad situation. This doesn’t mean that people with yellow attitudes
never have problems or only have good things happening to them, it means that when they do have a
problem, they don’t let it wreck their lives and they do something about it.
Ask student to think of the following situation and compare the different ways to handle it.
This morning, I woke up late for work. I hurry to get ready and I am still running a little late. I start driving to
work and realize I have just enough time to get here before I am late and a car driving 20 mph pulls out in front
of me to slow me down. Now I will be late!
Put on the red glasses and respond with a red attitude: “Hey! What do you think you’re doing? You are going
to make me late!!! How did you get a driver’s license!”
Put on the blue glasses and respond with a blue attitude: “Oh man, this always happens to me! I am going to
be late and my boss will be mad, and then I might lose my job! Why do I even try to have a good day, it was
ruined from the start.”
Put on the yellow glasses and respond with a yellow attitude: “Oh man, I can’t believe this happened right
when I thought I would be on time. Well, I guess I will just have to call work and explain what happened. I am
sure my boss will understand. After all, I will only be a few minutes late. Tomorrow I better set my alarm clock
a little earlier so I am not rushing.”
Discuss with students the possible behaviors that may occur due to the three different views of the running
late situation. Correlate thoughts, attitude and behavior for students.
Divide the whole group into 3 smaller groups in order to give the students a chance to practice responding
with each attitude. Give each group one of the pairs of sunglasses. The counselor will pick a scenario card for
all 3 groups to practice responding to. Explain to the students that each group will create a response that is
reflective of the attitude of the colored sunglasses their group was given. After the card is read aloud, students
will have 3 minutes to discuss responses to the scenario. Students will need to use teamwork to brainstorm a
response to provide to the whole group. The group chooses who is going to present their response to the
scenario. After each group presents their response, the sunglasses are rotated to the next group. Another
scenario card is read by the counselor and the groups repeat the process of creating a response. The activity
will continue in this manner until each group practices responding with all three sunglasses.
After the activity is finished, the counselor reminds students that there will always be problems
(Playdough/rock) for them to handle. Explain that their attitude about a problem will affect how they deal
with the situation (coping vs. copping out). Discuss how thoughts affect attitudes which affect actions. Ask
students to be observant of their attitude when dealing with future problems.
After lesson is complete, administer the coping skills posttest.
Evaluation:
Process Data:
105 third grade students participated in 3 coping skills guidance lessons
Perception Data:
According to the Posttest Coping Skills survey, 90% of 3rd graders believe they know what coping skills are.
69% believe they use good coping skills when they have a problem. 88% believe learning good coping skills will
help them do better in school.
2013 RAMP Application – Lucile Bruner Elementary
Lucile Bruner Classroom Guidance Curriculum – Coping Skills
Outcome Data:
Office discipline referrals amongst 3rd grade students decreased from 25% in 2011-2012 to 14% in 2012-13.
How was the evaluation conducted?
Counselor made Coping Skills Pre/Post Test
Office Discipline Referral Forms
2013 RAMP Application – Lucile Bruner Elementary
Lucile Bruner Classroom Guidance Curriculum – Coping Skills
A Matter of Attitude Scenario Cards
You strike out at bat.
Your parents let your brother
go out to the movies, but
when you ask to go out with a
friend they said no.
You don’t get picked as the
Someone is having a birthday
lead actor in the play. Instead, party that everyone seems to
someone you think is not as
be going to and you did not get
good as you gets picked.
an invite.
You studied really hard for a
Your coach says that you were
math test but you still failed it. not doing your best and
doesn’t play you in the game
as much as you wanted him to.
Your backpack rips on the way You didn’t clean your room
to school.
and now you can’t have free
time at home.
A student in your class won a A student is messing around at
prize in the class raffle and you lunch and spills their juice all
really wanted that prize.
over your lap.
2013 RAMP Application – Lucile Bruner Elementary