Using information from the MindUp Program, (and some other resources), I incorporated mindfulness activities into different parts of the curriculum.
We learned “Brain Science”, which involved learning about the different parts of the brain and their “jobs”. We learned that the prefrontal cortex takes care of executive functions, such as thinking, planning, reasoning, problem-solving, decision-making, and impulse control; the hippocampus is in charge of memory and helps us remember what we learn; the amygdala (the brain's security guard) controls our “fight, flight, or freeze” response, helping to protect us from danger, and determines whether there the situation is positive and/or safe, or dangerous and/or fear provoking (from The Mind Up Curriculum: Grade Pre-K-2).
We also learned that our amygdala does not always respond appropriately to stimuli, and can misread incoming stimuli, causing us to feel unnecessary fear and anxiety. A calm amygdala helps the information be transferred to the prefrontal cortex, where we can make a rational decision on how to proceed. This is where mindfulness and calm breathing comes in, to help us make better, more rational decisions about what we experience.
I made a model of the amygdala using a two litre pop bottle, water, sand, and glitter. This was to visually illustrate what happens in our amygdalas when confronted with anxiety provoking stimuli; the bottle is shaken up, and the time it takes for the sand and glitter to settle at the bottom represents the time it takes our amygdala to settle enough to make a rational decision in a given situation (from The Mind Up Curriculum: Grade Pre-K-2). The students really engaged with this model and began to understand that when we are upset or anxious, our brains need time to calm down before reacting or making decisions. They began to relate to the science behind our mindfulness activities; they started to understand the purpose.
We engaged with a variety of other mindfulness activities incorporated into the curriculum as well. As we did with the bucket filling, we journalled about mindfulness, such as “Mindful Me” and “Unmindful Me” detailing experiences where the students demonstrated mindful and unmindful behaviours.
We also learned that our amygdala does not always respond appropriately to stimuli, and can misread incoming stimuli, causing us to feel unnecessary fear and anxiety. A calm amygdala helps the information be transferred to the prefrontal cortex, where we can make a rational decision on how to proceed. This is where mindfulness and calm breathing comes in, to help us make better, more rational decisions about what we experience.
I made a model of the amygdala using a two litre pop bottle, water, sand, and glitter. This was to visually illustrate what happens in our amygdalas when confronted with anxiety provoking stimuli; the bottle is shaken up, and the time it takes for the sand and glitter to settle at the bottom represents the time it takes our amygdala to settle enough to make a rational decision in a given situation (from The Mind Up Curriculum: Grade Pre-K-2). The students really engaged with this model and began to understand that when we are upset or anxious, our brains need time to calm down before reacting or making decisions. They began to relate to the science behind our mindfulness activities; they started to understand the purpose.
We engaged with a variety of other mindfulness activities incorporated into the curriculum as well. As we did with the bucket filling, we journalled about mindfulness, such as “Mindful Me” and “Unmindful Me” detailing experiences where the students demonstrated mindful and unmindful behaviours.
We also did mindful hearing, mindful smelling, and mindful seeing exercises (from The Mind Up Curriculum: Grade Pre-K-2). We discussed the value of mindfulness in various aspects of life and career, and I emphasized that mindfulness is not “for today”, that it is a skill for life. Our spelling lists included words related to mindfulness; we watched videos and I read aloud story books (see Resources) about mindfulness, empathy, kindness, etc.; the students participated in role plays where they would act out realistic situations that may occur on the playground or in the class that they could act out in both mindful and unmindful ways; and we even incorporated mindfulness into our Gym time, with co-operative games and physical listening/watching activities. When we did group or partner work, the students were asked to be mindful of their contributions and the contributions of others, and to peer and self-assess that and hand it in to me; I was asking them to be mindful and reflect on this, which over time helped them be better co-contributors.
As I attempted to find the time in the day to do these mindfulness activities, it forced me to teach in a more cross-curricular way with the other subjects we were learning. This allowed for more time to be dedicated to mindfulness activities. It required a great deal of thought and planning, but it worked.
In this TEDxAmsterdamED Talk, "Mindfulness in Education, Learning from the Inside Out", teacher Amy Burke discuss the importance of mindfulness for students...and for teachers:
In this TEDxAmsterdamED Talk, "Mindfulness in Education, Learning from the Inside Out", teacher Amy Burke discuss the importance of mindfulness for students...and for teachers:
Resources/Materials I Used
MindUp Curriculum/Materials:
I have the MindUP curriculum for grade 3-5, and I borrowed the K- grade 2 version from a colleague. The premise and activities are much the same, just adapted for the different ages. For me, it was worth buying- it helps to explain what happens in our brains and bodies, so that kids can understand the purpose of mindfulness, thus engage with it more genuinely. If your teaching assignment changes from year-to-year and you're not sure what grade you will be teaching (but know it's elementary), I would recommend getting the grade 3-5 book, as you can adapt the activities for older or younger kids fairly easily.
I used many of the activities/ideas from MindUP- some I adjusted to suit my class better, but the ideas are good. We learned about the brain and which parts of our brains were used during different activities; I made a "model" of the amygdala to explain what happens in our brains when we get upset; we used "mindful" language; we did mindful hearing exercises (I turned off the lights, they closed their eyes, I made different sounds and they had to write down what it sounded like and what they thought was making the sound); we did mindful seeing exercises (one was where I gave them each a penny and they had to examine it for details, then we put them all together and they had to find their penny amongst the rest); mindful movement (how we feel after exercise, body breaks); we talked about mindful eating (and read the book How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?) we categorized mindful ad unmindful behaviours; made sensory webs about our observations; discussed what jobs and daily activities (like driving) would require mindfulness; we wrote about mindfulness in our Journals; we discussed acts of kindness and how one kind act can create a ripple effect; and more...
I haven't included copies of pages/worksheets we used from the MindUp book due to copyright law.
We used these statements in conjunction with determining what parts of the brain do what:
MindUp Curriculum/Materials:
I have the MindUP curriculum for grade 3-5, and I borrowed the K- grade 2 version from a colleague. The premise and activities are much the same, just adapted for the different ages. For me, it was worth buying- it helps to explain what happens in our brains and bodies, so that kids can understand the purpose of mindfulness, thus engage with it more genuinely. If your teaching assignment changes from year-to-year and you're not sure what grade you will be teaching (but know it's elementary), I would recommend getting the grade 3-5 book, as you can adapt the activities for older or younger kids fairly easily.
I used many of the activities/ideas from MindUP- some I adjusted to suit my class better, but the ideas are good. We learned about the brain and which parts of our brains were used during different activities; I made a "model" of the amygdala to explain what happens in our brains when we get upset; we used "mindful" language; we did mindful hearing exercises (I turned off the lights, they closed their eyes, I made different sounds and they had to write down what it sounded like and what they thought was making the sound); we did mindful seeing exercises (one was where I gave them each a penny and they had to examine it for details, then we put them all together and they had to find their penny amongst the rest); mindful movement (how we feel after exercise, body breaks); we talked about mindful eating (and read the book How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?) we categorized mindful ad unmindful behaviours; made sensory webs about our observations; discussed what jobs and daily activities (like driving) would require mindfulness; we wrote about mindfulness in our Journals; we discussed acts of kindness and how one kind act can create a ripple effect; and more...
I haven't included copies of pages/worksheets we used from the MindUp book due to copyright law.
We used these statements in conjunction with determining what parts of the brain do what:
brain_jobs.pdf | |
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References
The Hawn Foundation. The Mind Up Curriculum: Grades Pre-K-2. (2011). New York, New York: Scholastic.
The Hawn Foundation. The Mind Up Curriculum: Grades Pre-K-2. (2011). New York, New York: Scholastic.