SCHOOL COUNSELING LESSON PLANS

An integral part of every school counseling program is classroom guidance. Don’t reinvent the wheel every year! This bibliography is designed for elementary, middle and high school counselors to provide lesson plans on topics in the areas of academic development, career development and personal/social development.

“In the Mix” – Lesson plans and discussion guides that serve as companions to PBS series “In the Mix” – an award winning series for teens by teens. Lessons are designed for students in grades 7-12 and topics include: alcohol, college, dating, death, bereavement, depression, drug abuse, ethics, and media literacy. Episodes of the series air regularly on local PBS stations, can be purchased ($69.95 per copy) and/or can be taped and used for educational purposes up to one year from the time the episode is first taped. Many excellent lessons can be used without the series.

Date visited: 3/3/05

http://www.pbs.org/inthemix/educators/lessons/index.html

Lee’s Summit R7 School District – Links to lesson plans and other resources for counselors working with grades K-12. Topics include: careers, decision making, anger, bullies, conflict resolution, divorce, grief, friendship, mental health and much more. Visit the home page of this site for outstanding information about instructional technology. I checked out their web pages on developing WebQuests, preparing PowerPoint presentations and game templates.

Date visited: 3/3/05

http://its.leesummit.k12.mo.us/counseling.htm

Indiana Gold Star School Counseling – Hosted by Indiana State University this site provides schools with tools and professional development to support their school counseling program. Lesson plans are available for grades 6-12 in three areas: academic development, career development and personal/social development. There are many PowerPoint presentations which can be reproduced for educational purposes with proper citation. I viewed presentations on financial aid, test taking strategies and SAT preparation. Emphasis seems to be on academic and career development. There was only one lesson plan in personal/social development area.

Date visited: 3/4/05

http://asai.indstate.edu/goldstar/resources/lessons.htm

Minnesota State University - Lesson plans are developed by interns in the Professional School Counseling Program at Minnesota State University. Lessons are divided into three levels: elementary, middle and high school. Topics include: chemical abuse, stereotypes, communication, decision making and self esteem. The lessons are tied to Minnesota School Counseling Association’s model of guidance and counseling, but are transferable to other school districts. I liked that the lessons were divided between the three levels. This prevents having to wade through many “K-12” lessons to find something that is appropriate for your grade level.

Date visited: 3/4/05

http://www.coled.mnsu.edu/departments/csp/Resources/School/guidancelessons/GuidanceLessons.htm

Florida Department of Education - Lesson plans are aligned with standards/competencies in Florida’s School Counseling & Guidance Framework, but majority are generic and can be used by any school counselor. They are divided into four grade levels: K-3, 4-5, 6-8 and 9-12 and focus on career, academic and social development. There are also excellent lesson plans on community involvement and volunteering.

Date visited: 3/4/05

http://www.firn.edu/doe/programs/cd_lesson.htm

University of Wisconsin-Stout – Hosted by the School Counseling & Psychology Department. This site links to information relevant to many aspects of school counseling to include: associations, lesson plans, career information, periodicals and publishers.

Date visited: 3/4/05

http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/subjects/edschool.htm