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Mental & Emotional Wellness

Eighth graders learn that mental and emotional wellness matters just as much as physical health — understanding that all feelings are normal, practicing healthy coping and self-care, staying connected, and knowing that asking for help is a sign of strength.

Grade 8Mental & Emotional Health45 minutes1 class periodSHAPE / Skills-BasedExplicit teaching4 StandardsSHAPE
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain emotional wellness.
  • ✓Use healthy coping & self-care.
  • ✓Value connection.
  • ✓Know how to ask for help.
Essential Question

We take care of our bodies — but what about our minds? Emotional wellness means caring for your feelings, and knowing everyone needs support sometimes. How do you take care of your mental health?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The Wellness Explorer

Project this and tap each idea. Have students explore emotional wellness, healthy coping, connection, and asking for help.

💛 Explore mental & emotional wellness — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Health & PE Flow (Warm-Up · Learn · Practice · Apply · Cool-Down)

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Caring for Your Mind

5 min

We care for our bodies — what about our minds and feelings?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask what wellness means.
  • Set a caring tone.
  • Get ready.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Reflect.
  • Consider.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Emotional Wellness

11 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Wellness Explorer.
  • Note healthy coping.
  • Note asking for help.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Note them.
  • Reflect.
3

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • List healthy coping strategies.
  • Name a self-care activity.
  • Identify trusted people.

🎒 Student Actions

  • List them.
  • Name one.
  • Identify them.
4

Apply — Apply

11 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Make a personal wellness plan.
  • Name who you can talk to.
  • Plan one self-care habit.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Make it.
  • Name them.
  • Plan it.
5

Cool-Down — Cool-Down

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a healthy coping strategy.
  • Say who you can ask for help.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Say who.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to SHAPE America National Health Education Standards.

SHAPE
HE.1

Comprehend concepts of mental and emotional health.

SHAPE
HE.7

Practice behaviors that support wellbeing.

SHAPE
HE.4

Use communication skills to ask for help.

SHAPE
HE.3

Access valid support and resources.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Coping-strategy cards.
  • Sentence frame: “A healthy way to cope is ___.”
  • Discuss trusted adults.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with one coping strategy.
  • Use pictures.
  • Name one trusted person.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Build a full wellness plan.
  • Research support resources.
  • Explain the mind-body link.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 📓Reflection journals
  • 💻The Wellness Explorer
  • 💛A wellness-plan template
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

mental wellnessa healthy state of mindemotional wellnessunderstanding and caring for feelingscopinghandling stress or hard feelingsself-careactivities that keep you healthyconnectionstaying close to people who caresupporthelp from otherstrusted adulta grown-up who helps youcounselora professional who helps with feelings
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Name one healthy way to cope with heavy feelings.
Move your body, do something you enjoy, rest, practice calm breathing, or talk to someone.
QUESTION 2
Who is someone you could talk to when you’re struggling?
A trusted adult — like a parent, teacher, or school counselor.
QUESTION 3
Is asking for help a sign of weakness?
No — reaching out for help is a sign of strength.

Cool-Down: your wellness plan.

Have students list two self-care habits and one trusted person they can talk to when they need support. A printable wellness sheet is in the PE & Health library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Mental & Emotional WellnessFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Mental & Emotional WellnessQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Mental & Emotional WellnessPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: connection, coping, counselor, emotional wellness, mental wellness, self-care, support, trusted adult
  1. a grown-up who helps you
  2. a professional who helps with feelings
  3. understanding and caring for feelings
  4. help from others
  5. staying close to people who care
  6. activities that keep you healthy
  7. a healthy state of mind
  8. handling stress or hard feelings

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name one healthy way to cope with heavy feelings.
  2. Who is someone you could talk to when you’re struggling?
  3. Is asking for help a sign of weakness?
Answer key — Part A: 1) trusted adult · 2) counselor · 3) emotional wellness · 4) support · 5) connection · 6) self-care · 7) mental wellness · 8) coping
Part B: 1) Move your body, do something you enjoy, rest, practice calm breathing, or talk to someone. 2) A trusted adult — like a parent, teacher, or school counselor. 3) No — reaching out for help is a sign of strength.