Grades 4 - 6 Sample Lesson: Mindful Moments

• A student with a hearing impairment who uses hearing aids. The student is sensitive to loud noises and echoes in the gymnasium.
  • Consideration: Ensure full participation of the student with a hearing impairment. 

• A small group of Multilingual Learner (MLL) students who are Korean and prefer to converse in Korean.
  • Consideration: Provide language support for MLL. 

• A large group of students with an East-Asian background (Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese).
  • Consideration: Support students with an East-Asian background in making connections to and incorporating their experiences. 

• 1 mat per student 

• 1 Sensory Scavenger Hunt list per pair 

• 1 See, Think, Wonder Chart per student (consult Teaching Strategy Descriptions) 

• Appendix: Stretches 

• Teacher Resource: Recordable Anecdotal Recording Chart  

• Begin in the indoor activity space. 

• Have students form a semi-circle and lead them through a brief mindfulness exercise, focusing on deep breathing and relaxation to centre their mind and body on the present moment. 

• Pair students based on compatibility and comfort levels, ensuring each pair has a balanced dynamic. 

• Explain to students that this activity will help them build trust and cooperation and a greater awareness of their body.  

• Use Appendix: Stretches to guide pairs through a series of partner stretches, beginning with a simple one, then progressing to more challenging ones that require balance and coordination. 

• Encourage students to mirror their movements with their partner, communicating with verbal cues, facial expressions, and gestures while face-to-face offering support and feedback as they explore each movement together. Allow students the option of communicating with their partner in their preferred language. 

• Emphasize the importance of being in tune with their body and respecting their partner's abilities. 

• Have students remain in their pairs (or form new pairs) to help them continue to build on healthy relationships (e.g., teamwork, communication, and relationship skills). Continue to allow students the option of communicating with their partner in their preferred language. 

• Share and clarify the learning goals with students. Explain that the next activity will help them engage their sense of sight and touch while being mindful of their environment.  

• Provide each pair with a list of sensory descriptions (e.g., soft, smooth, rough). Instruct them to find and collect natural items from their surroundings that match each description. 

• Transition to the outdoor environment. 

• Use visual markers to establish clear boundaries for the scavenger hunt area. Remind students to stay within the designated area for safety. 

• Encourage students to work together to explore the outdoor environment, while engaging their senses of sight, touch, and smell (e.g., look at the leaves, touch some rocks, smell flowers).  

• Take the opportunity to teach and model an attitude of kindness for all living things. Remind students to leave the natural objects where they find them. 

• Offer guidance and support as needed, encouraging students to communicate and collaborate effectively with their partner. 

• Allow sufficient time for students to complete the scavenger hunt and gather their objects. 

• Play calm and relaxing music (optional), turning off the music when providing instructions. 

• Before beginning the relaxation activity, provide students with the choice to engage in the activity or to lie silently and quietly on their mat.  

• Have students position their mat away from other students and possible distractions. 

• Have students lie on their back on their mat, positioning their arms beside their body, palms up. Students may close their eyes or focus their gaze on the ceiling.    

• Guide students through the following movements, using short verbal and non-verbal cues, visuals, and gestures:
  • Ask students to visualize their body and feel the heaviness of it as it relaxes into the floor.
  • Direct students to let their thoughts go down to their feet.
  • Encourage students to feel the heaviness of their feet and how their feet are supported by the floor.
  • Move from the feet up to each body part, encouraging students to feel how heavy and relaxed each body part feels as it is supported by the floor.
  • After focusing on the neck and head, have students remain in position. Using the following teacher prompt, engage them in a guided imagery:

Teacher Prompt: “Close your eyes and let your thoughts drift. Today’s relaxation is going to take you to your special place where you feel calm, a sense of peace, and where you feel your heart centre overflowing with love. Picture your special place as vividly as you can. Imagine everything you can see, hear, smell, and feel. Feel the temperature in this place. Notice your surroundings. Is it a warm beach? Is it a wooded place? As you lie down in your relaxing place, feel the sun begin to rise, feel the warmth on your skin, as you begin to relax even further. The sun shines on your toes and they relax. The sun shines on your shins and your legs and they relax. The sun shines on your stomach and it relaxes. The sun shines on your hands and arms and they relax. The sun shines on your face. You can feel the warmth and your face relaxes.” 

• Have students remain in this relaxed pose for a predetermined amount of time. With a transition cue, such as a shoulder tap, have students wiggle their fingers and toes, and then stretch their body from head to toe. 

• Direct students to roll over onto their side, and using their arm as a pillow, take several slow and calming breaths. 

• Encourage students to slowly sit up when they are ready. 

• Have students write or draw in journals to describe and reflect on their sensory experiences. 

• Incorporate Mirror Movements into additional lessons to reinforce learning related to cooperation, mind/body connection, and overall well-being. 

CRRP and Disability-Centred Movement Strategies Embedded in the Lesson 

• Class formations for instruction (e.g., semi-circle) ensures the student can see the teacher's face to facilitate lip-reading and visual communication. 

• Incorporating visual supports (e.g., diagrams, images, and boundary makers), using both verbal and non-verbal cues, and modelling instructions enhance the student’s understanding, communication, and participation. 

• Activities and the location are selected to provide a sensory-friendly environment that minimizes distractions and background noises. 

• Instructions are provided in a quiet environment before transitioning outdoors to minimize distractions and background Noises. 

• visual aids (e.g., diagrams, images, boundary markers) 

• gestures 

• simplified language and clarifying key concepts and terms as needed 

• vocabulary cards with translated word terms 

• intentional pairing for peer support with bilingual peers 

• option for pairs to converse in their preferred language 

• Through whole group and small group discussion, students make connections between physical activities they enjoy which can motivate them to be active and their background and prior experiences. This approach creates opportunities for their experiences to be affirmed and valued. 

• The use of images of different cultural landscapes or having students share a place they feel connected to enables students from a wide range of backgrounds to see themselves reflected in the curriculum. 

• Encouraging students to share their cultural experiences and language through their interactions with one another and the environment builds healthy relationships and a respect for diversity.