Social Emotional Stories: Lessons and Learning from Plants and Animals - Paperback

by Barbara A. Lewis (Author)

Make social emotional learning fun and engaging with 24 ready-to-use lessons about phenomenal plants and astonishing animals.

Storytelling is a learning device used by humans for centuries, and for good reason: storytelling is one of the best ways to increase critical thinking skills and social emotional learning (SEL). The award-winning Social Emotional Stories combines storytelling with thought-provoking lessons and activities to help elementary students improve their self-esteem, increase their engagement with school, and give them a sense of empowerment.

The book contains 24 individual lessons that include:

• An SEL objective with specific keywords like "inner strength," "problem solving," and "responsibility"
• An engaging story that focuses on a distinctive quality of either a plant (like the inner strength of bamboo) or an animal (like the courage of a pig)
• Multiple activities that are quick, easy, and require few supplies to help kids identify and dive deeper into the specific SEL concepts represented

Educators can use these lessons individually with students, in small groups, or with an entire class. The lessons are interdisciplinary and flexible, with only minimal prep time required, allowing educators to adapt them for their situation. Extensive digital content supports the lessons with reproducible forms and a full-color photo of each plant and animal.

Author Biography

Barbara A. Lewis is a national award-winning author and educator who teaches kids how to think and solve real problems. Her students at Jackson Elementary School in Salt Lake City, Utah, initiated the cleanup of hazardous waste, improved sidewalks, planted thousands of trees, and fought crime. They instigated and pushed through several state laws and an amendment to a national law, garnering ten national awards. They have also been recognized in the Congressional Record three times.

Barbara has been featured in/on many national newspapers, magazines, and news programs, including Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, Family Circle, CBS This Morning, CBS World News, and CNN. She has received many awards for teaching and writing, including Professional Best Leadership Award (Learning Magazine), Distinguished Alumnus Award (University of Utah), the Annemarie Roeper Global Awareness Award (NAGC). She is the author of What Do You Stand For? For Kids, What Do You Stand For? For Teens, The Kid's Guide to Service Projects, The Teen Guide to Global Action, and Social Emotional Stories. Her books for Free Spirit Publishing have garnered many honors, including being on the VOYA Nonfiction Honor List and being selected for the YALSA's Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults.

Barbara has lived in Indiana, New Jersey, Switzerland, Belgium, Utah, and Poland. She and her husband, Lawrence, currently reside in Park City, Utah. They have four wonderful children and ten perfect grandchildren. They live in a forest among shy deer, bold moose, scolding squirrels, and feathered friends.