Activity Idea: Make an Anger Thermometer
Help your kids (aged 5-12) cope with their frustrations before conflicts arise.
Post an Anger Thermometer in your program space!
How does it work?
- Draw
an outline of a thermometer on a large sheet of paper.
Instead of
degrees, list the different stages of anger from lowest
to highest up
the scale (i.e. annoyed, irritated, angry, furious, enraged, etc.).
- Ask
kids to explain the degrees of anger, and discuss
how different events
can trigger anger responses. Ask questions about what
makes them angry
and, as they talk about their feelings, point to the
corresponding
words on the chart.
- Post
the Anger Thermometer on a wall in your program space.
Give kids a way
to talk about their feelings by encouraging them to
point to the
Thermometer when they feel angry or frustrated.
The Standards Connection
With so many
things to focus on in the day-to-day, it can be hard to see how
behavior guidance activities relate to California State
Content
Standards. But they do!
The Standards
for History and Social Science correlate directly to
children’s
behavior, especially for grades K-3. Here are some examples:
- Understand that being a good citizen involves acting
in certain ways (K).
- Describe the rights and individual responsibilities
of citizenship. (1)
- Understand the importance of individual action and
character. (2)
- Understand the role of rules and laws in our daily
lives. (3)
Special thanks to Pam Brasher of Santee School District
Project SAFE for her input on activities and Content
Standards.
The Anger Thermometer was adapted from Adventures in
Peacemaking by William J. Kreidler and Lisa Furlong.
