Self-Expression as a Way to Address Anxiety and Depression in Middle School Students

7th Grade ICT

Ms. Diana Monteleone

DMonteleone@schools.nyc.gov

INTRODUCTION

Langston Hughes wrote, “Perhaps the mission of an artist is to interpret beauty to people - the beauty within themselves”.

Our third module has focused on the Harlem Renaissance and how this period of African American creative expression emerged in the 20th century. This was a time when African Americans were finally able to express themselves through art, fiction, poetry and music. This was a time when they used these outlets to express themselves and their own emotional pain that the black community had experienced during post slavery America.

Today, many students are suffering with social emotional issues, such as anxiety and depression with limited resources for creative outlets in school. Students can use their class activities as a way to express themselves to deal with the mental health issues they are facing.

TASK

With your group, you will research how our schools currently address students' social emotional issues and possible ways we can use literature and creative processes to allow for more self-expression during class time.

● Create a google slide presentation to:

1. Teach your school community about how social emotional learning is important for academic success in our schools.

2. Explain to your school community why creative expression is important for schools to incorporate into classes to address student’s emotional needs.

3. Develop a specific solution for how schools can give students more freedom to express themselves through school work while still following the curriculum and standards.

PROCESS AND RESOURCES

Using the PPA Process, you will follow the six steps to solving the problem of students needing more creative outlets to express their social-emotional needs.

The six steps of the PPA are:
1.define the problem

2. gather the evidence

3. identify the cause

4. evaluate the existing policy

5. develop a solution,

6. select the best solution.

**Model PPA Slides for your reference: PPA: Equal Pay For Women

Day 1: Define the problem & Gather the evidence

● You and your group will do research on teen’s social emotional needs and how they relate to academics.

● Complete your google slides using slides 1 & 2

You may use the following links to gather some evidence:

Four Ways to Support Teens’ Social-Emotional Development at School

How Does Anxiety Affect Kids in School?

Middle and High School Students Need Social Emotional Learning, too. Are They Getting It?

Mayor Eric Adams promises mental telehealth support for all NYC high school students

Day 2: Identify the cause & Evaluate the existing policy

● Complete your google slides using slides 3 & 4

Yesterday, you researched how social-emotional learning needs are affecting students’ academic progress.

● Today, you will work with your group to identify what is causing students to suffer with mental health issues and you will research the existing policies that the NYC Department of Education has in place to address these needs.

You may use the following links to gather some evidence:

Social-emotional Learning (NYC DOE)

Federal Government Guidance for Supporting Students’ Social Emotional Needs

Day 3: Develop a solution & Select the best solution

● Complete your google slides using slides 5 & 6

● Today, you will work with your group to develop solutions to the problem and what we can do to address students’ social emotional needs as they relate to academic progress.

● Then, you will select what the best solution may be from the possible solutions that you identified.

Evaluation

Rubric

Conclusion

You and your group have worked collaboratively to come up with effective solutions as to how we can address anxiety and depression in middle school students through self-expression techniques in your classroom activities. Now it is time to take all of your findings and write an evidence-based paragraph using a writing template to respond to the prompt of how your classes can incorporate social emotional learning by giving students the option for self-expression in relation to their literature curriculum?

Next Generation Learning Standards

Reading/Writing:

STANDARD 1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient

STANDARD 6: Gather relevant information from multiple sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

History and Social Studies: RH7: Integrate and evaluate visual and technical information (e.g., in research data, charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.