Subject TemplateElementary · Middle School · High School

SEL Lesson Plan Template

A social and emotional learning template built around the CASEL framework's five competencies — self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

Best for

SELAdvisoryMorning MeetingHealth

Grade bands

Elementary, Middle School, High School

The Flip Perspective

Social-Emotional Learning is most effective when explicitly taught and practiced in a safe environment. This template focuses on community building and the direct application of emotional skills. Flip's AI suggests relevant scenarios and reflection prompts that resonate with students' daily experiences.

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When to use this template

  • Dedicated SEL or advisory/morning meeting time
  • When addressing specific social and emotional challenges
  • To build classroom community at the beginning of the year
  • When integrating SEL skills into academic content
Example topicSEL — Grade 4: Managing Frustration

Template sections

SEL Competency Focus

Identify the CASEL competency and specific skill.

Competency: (Self-Awareness / Self-Management / Social Awareness / Relationship Skills / Responsible Decision-Making)

Specific skill: ...

Learning Objective

State what students will know, feel, or be able to do.

Students will be able to... Students will understand that...

Community Building / Check-In

5–8 min

Open with a check-in activity that builds trust.

What check-in activity? (e.g., rose/thorn/bud, feelings wheel, thumb-ometer)

Introduce & Model

5–8 min

Name the SEL skill explicitly and model it.

How will you introduce the skill? What story, scenario, or example?

Practice Activity

12–15 min

Students practice the skill through a structured activity.

What activity gives hands-on practice? (role-play, partner practice, scenario cards, journaling)

Debrief & Reflection

5–8 min

Process the experience and connect to daily life.

What reflection questions? How will students apply this skill?

Transfer & Application

2–3 min

Plan how students will apply this beyond the lesson.

How will you reinforce this skill throughout the week?

About the SEL framework

Social and emotional learning (SEL) isn't a separate subject — it's woven into everything students do. But explicit SEL instruction helps students develop the language, awareness, and strategies they need to manage emotions, build relationships, and make responsible choices.

The CASEL framework: This template is built around the five CASEL competencies: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making.

Why explicit SEL instruction matters: Research shows that dedicated SEL lessons are most effective when they are sequenced, active, focused, and explicit — the SAFE framework from CASEL.

Creating psychological safety: SEL lessons only work when students feel safe enough to be vulnerable. The template includes prompts for establishing norms and creating a supportive climate.

Developmentally appropriate practice: SEL looks different at every age. Elementary students need concrete language for emotions. Middle schoolers need strategies for social complexity. High schoolers need genuine reflection spaces.

This template helps you plan focused, engaging SEL lessons that build specific competencies with age-appropriate activities.

Elementary

Designed for K–5 classrooms with age-appropriate pacing, transition cues, movement breaks, and scaffolding — because young learners need more structure, shorter segments, and hands-on engagement.

Simple

A clean, no-fuss lesson plan template with just the essentials: objective, materials, procedure, and assessment. Perfect for quick planning or teachers who prefer minimal structure.

UDL

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) builds flexibility into every lesson by providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and action & expression — so every student can access the learning.

Want more than a template?

Want a complete lesson plan, not just a template?

Our AI builds a curriculum-aligned SEL lesson plan tailored to your subject, grade, and topic in under 60 seconds — complete with objectives, activities, and assessment ideas.

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Frequently asked questions

A SEL lesson plan explicitly teaches social and emotional skills like emotional regulation, empathy, and decision-making. Based on the CASEL framework, it targets one of five competencies through structured activities.
The five CASEL competencies are: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making.
Analyze character emotions in ELA, practice collaborative problem-solving in math, examine ethical decisions in social studies. Name the SEL skill explicitly when it comes up.
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