Middle School Grades 6 to 8
Character Under Construction
TM
Self-Control The 20-Minute Lesson Set
8 scripted, literacy-based lessons for ELA and Advisory · Grades 6 to 8 Aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
Lesson Plan
Texas
English Language Arts · CASEL · Grades 6 to 8 OPEN
READ
TALK
WRITE
3 min
5 min
7 min
5 min
20 minutes a week. Near-zero prep. Word-for-word scripts. Built on CASEL, Character. org, and the research on willpower, impulse control, and staying calm under pressure. READ THIS FIRST
How to Use This Guide
One lesson a week. Twenty minutes. No prep beyond printing the lesson page. Every lesson uses the same four-part rhythm, shown by the same four labels, so you and your students learn it once and it runs itself. The short reading text is printed inside each lesson, so you need nothing else. Each lesson notes the matching page in the Self-Control magazine. OPEN
READ
TALK
WRITE
3 min
5 min
7 min
5 min
IN ELA Use the reading and writing each lesson lists. Exit tickets ask students to cite evidence, build a claim, or write a quick narrative. Standards are named in every lesson.
IN ADVISORY Lean on Open, Talk, and Close. Keep the read-aloud, since the shared text makes discussion honest and specific. Students can answer out loud if time is tight.
Why this works (short version). The design follows gradual release of responsibility: you model, students practice together, then try it alone. CASEL calls effective lessons SAFE: sequenced, active, focused, explicit. Think-pair-share gives every student a chance to talk before they write. These short cycles rehearse the habit while the room is calm.