Social Story Unit | Keeping My Cool | Anger Management & Calming Strategies

Social Story Unit | Keeping My Cool | Anger Management & Calming Strategies is a hands-on social skills resource for preschool, Pre-K, kindergarten, special education, autism classrooms, speech therapy, school counseling, and behavior support. This interactive unit helps students learn self-regulation, calming strategies, and positive ways to manage anger and frustration at school.

This printable set includes 1 interactive adapted book, 1 sorting activity, 1 matching activity, 1 set of Think and Chat Cards, and 10 Keeping My Cool coloring pages for extra reinforcement. It works especially well in small groups, social skills lessons, calm-down areas, counseling settings, and independent workstations where students need support with coping skills, emotional regulation, and problem solving.

This unit works well as a small group activity and especially with social skills groups because the activities are designed to foster conversations about self-regulation and staying calm at school.

The adapted book provides a fun and interactive way for students of all abilities to participate in learning strategies for staying calm.

Sample Text:

"When I'm mad, my face turns red

and angry thoughts are in my head.

I want to scream and yell and shout,

and get those angry feelings out.

I want to kick and hit and throw,

and say mean things to kids I know.

I want to push and shove and fight,

and do things that are not polite.

But I won't....

I'll take deep breaths,

count down from ten.

I'll write my feelings down again......."

After the teacher or therapist has read the book with students, students can complete the sorting and matching activities to discuss them as a group.

There is also a set of "Think and Chat Cards," that are designed to foster discussions about staying calm. For example one card reads,

"Think of a time when you saw somebody throw a tantrum. What did it look like? What could they do instead?"

Another card reads:

"Think of a time when your friend pushed you. How did it make you feel. What could they do instead?"

In addition to these activities, there are 10 Keeping My Cool coloring pages. Each page illustrates a good strategy for "keeping cool," along with a rhyme.

For example:

"When anger creeps into my head,

I can take deep breaths instead."

or

"When anger creeps into my head,

I can take a walk instead."

If your students enjoy these activities, there are many more adapted books in my collection. Please see the complete adapted book collection below.

Complete Adapted Books Collection

For more hands-on emotions activities, please see the following link:

Hands-On Emotions Activities

For more social skills activities, please see the link below:

Social Skills Activities

For more hands-on behavior activities, pleas see the following link:

Hands-On Behavior Activities