Week Two - The Guard Dog

Classroom Grades 4 - 6

OPTIONAL Week Two Detailed Lesson Plan PDF

Subject: The Brain’s Radar for Threat - The Amygdala - The Guard Dog

Requirements: You will need internet access and a laptop, tablet or smartphone for accessing this content. You will need a wired or Bluetooth connection to a speaker to amplify the audio into the classroom. You DO NOT need a screen or projector as each lesson is audio only from your device and requires students to close their eyes and/or focus on their Belly Buddy.

Step One: The DIY Belly Buddy Crafting Project - The Guard Dog

As with last week, it is recommended that the children start this week’s lesson with the activity of making their own “Guard Dog” Belly Buddy. For the Classroom version of this program it is recommended that students draw their belly buddy animal on a sheet of paper. The finished drawing can be placed on the student’s desk and used as a focal point during the meditation. Teachers may choose to tie this drawing activity to Art Education Curriculum Expectations. Drawings can be placed in a duo tang and stored in students’ desks. A favourite tool to assist students with their artwork is Art For Kids Hub

Art for Kids Hub - Art Lessons - How to Draw for Kids

Cute Puppy

German Sheppard

As an alternative to drawing a picture, teachers may choose to have students create the toilet paper roll animal that is used during the bedtime version of the program. Click here for toilet paper animal template.

Step Two: Soundcheck - 30 seconds

Before beginning The Guard Dog Lesson and Meditation, play the Sound Check file below to ensure your speakers are working correctly and that all students can hear the audio effectively. This also serves as a way to get the students to settle down, be still, and prepare to listen.

Step Three: Discuss Last Week’s Mindful Challenge

Discuss with students their success and challenges with last week’s Mindful Challenge

Last Week’s Mindful Challenge: Practice Mindful Listening when you wake up and at bedtime.

The following questions may help you prompt the discussion:

  • Put up your hand if you remembered to practice Mindful Listening at home?

  • What type of noises did you notice?

  • Did you discover a favorite time or place to practice Mindful Listening?

  • What do you notice in your mind and body when you practice Mindful Listening?

Step Four: Play the Guard Dog Lesson & Meditation - 8 minutes

Now that the Sound Check is complete, you will play the Lesson below. Listen and learn with your students!

Step Five: Meditation Reflection - 5+ minutes

Here are some questions to drive follow up discussion. There are no wrong answers!

  1. Was the body scan difficult to do?  What made it difficult?

  2. In what part of your body did you notice the most feelings (feet, knees, head, hands)?  What feelings/sensations did you notice?

  3. Are there things which cause your brain’s Guard Dog/Amygdala to start barking/triggering?  What are the things during your day/week that cause you to become stressed or overwhelmed?

  4. When you are feeling afraid or stressed what feelings/sensations do you notice in your body (tingling in hands, feet, upset belly, red face, heart beating faster)?

  5. When you are stressed or feeling afraid, what kinds of things do you do to help yourself relax and calm the Guard Dog of your brain? (deep breathing, think of something funny or watch something funny, mindful listening, body scan…)

Step Six: Mindful Challenge

Remind students of this week’s Mindful Challenge: Practice the Body Scan Meditation and notice when your brain’s Guard Dog has been triggered and is barking.

Step Seven: Daily Meditation - 6 minutes - Various Times During the Week

With the audio lesson complete, you are encouraged to take time during the balance of the week to practice with students the guided meditation/s below (the Guard Dog Belly Buddy craft is not required for these practices). The ‘Daily Meditations’ are in support of each week’s lesson, but you can come back to them as often as you like. Typically they are 3 - 6 minutes each. These meditations are also included as a part of the Bedtime Program (accessed through the Bedtime Program students sign up for with their FREE Promo Code) and students are encouraged to practice one per night at bedtime. It is recommended that Parents/Guardians practice along with their child and then build onto this practice by participating in the Parent program.

This meditation is a useful tool to help settle students after a recess, lunch break, or physical activity.

Step Eight - Additional Activities (Optional)

JOURNAL

Write about a time when your brain’s Guard Dog was barking and what happened when it did. Did you do or say anything that you wished you could undo after you did it?

Name some of the things (stressors) that trigger your Amygdala or cause your brain’s Guard Dog to start barking?

Please name or identify a few of the things that help you to feel less stressed when your Amygdala has been triggered (talking to a friend or family member, going for a walk/run, watching a funny video, giving yourself a pep talk, mindful listening, mindful breathing, body scan……).

DEEP DIVE LEARNING QUESTIONS ( BASED ON YOUR STUDENTS’ READINESS, PLEASE SELECT FROM THE QUESTIONS BELOW TO PROMPT A MORE IN-DEPTH BRAIN SCIENCE CLASS DISCUSSION)

Q: Put up your hand if you have ever said something to someone or did something when you were feeling really stressed that you wished you could take back after you said or did it?

A: This is called “Amygdala Hijacking”.

Q: Can anyone tell me what hijacking means?

A: In movies sometimes we might see a villain or ‘bad guy’ take over a plane or car, this is called hijacking a plane or car.  When the ‘bad guy’ does this he takes the plane or car in a direction that we do not want it to go.  So hijacking means to take over something by force causing it to go in a less helpful or desirable direction.

Q: When our brain’s Guard Dog, the Amygdala, is triggered we can feel like we are being taken over  (we are hijacked by the emotional centre/Amygdala of our brain), we can feel like we have lost control (we are cut-off from the PFC/our brain’s wise leader), this happens to all of us.  For example, have you ever been lying in bed at night and heard a sound that startles you or wakes you up?  What feelings or sensations do you notice in your body when this happens?

A:  Common responses include, “my heart beats faster,” “my breathing becomes quickened,” my body temperature changes,” “my body feels tingly.”

Q: What causes these feelings in our body?

A:  When the Guard Dog/Amygdala senses a physical threat, the body’s response feels immediate or instantaneous.  When we feel that we are in danger our brain triggers the release of powerful chemicals into our blood and these chemicals cause our heart to pump more oxygen to the rest of our body (faster heart beat), causing more blood to flow into our body (tingling in hands and legs, red face), and shuts down digestion to free up energy for flight or fight (tummy feeling off).  One of the first chemicals that is released into the blood when our brain senses danger is Adrenaline.  Adrenaline helps prepare the body to fight, flight or freeze.  It gives us a burst of energy.  But when this chemical is released we are now under the control of our emotional brain and have limited access to the Prefrontal Cortex, the thinking part of our brain.  We are now experiencing an Amygdala Hijack. 

After approximately 6 seconds the flow of Adrenaline into your bloodstream will slow down or lessen, but if you are still feeling stressed or afraid the body will release another group of chemicals into your bloodstream, including one called Cortisol.  Cortisol helps to keep the body revved up in the fight, flight or freeze mode.  

Q: What are some of the things you can try to help calm the Guard Dog (Amygdala) of your brain so that you can stop or slow the release of these powerful chemicals into the body?

A:   If you can notice within the first 6 seconds that your Guard Dog has been triggered you can stop or slow down the release of the second group of chemicals into your blood (including Cortisol).  This will help your body to feel better and prevent it from going into a longer fight or flight period. Here are a few strategies you can use to help calm your brain’s Guard Dog after it has been triggered:

  • STOP - find your breath and take 3 slow deep breaths in and out

  • Try to focus on something pleasant or remember something funny

  • Focus on the sounds you can hear around you

  • Notice what you can feel in your body

  • Take a time out and excuse yourself from the situation until you can get hold of your emotions  

  • Go for a run or fast walk and focus on how it feels to move your body.

Once your body calms and relaxes, you will once again be able to more fully use your brain’s wise leader, the Prefrontal Cortex.  With the help of your brain’s wise leader, you can think more clearly and make better decisions about what you need to do to take care of yourself, others and the situation.

Q: Can your thinking make your fear worse or make it feel larger than it needs to be?  

A: Sometimes without realizing that we are doing it we end up feeding the barking Guard Dog of our brains with our thinking, for example, we might imagine the many scary things that could have made a noise, when in reality we have no idea what made the noise and it could be something simple like our pet knocking a plant over.  Our imagination can make the situation more difficult for ourselves and cause our fear to go on longer.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

Fight Flight Freeze - A Guide to Anxiety for Kids, YouTube, Anxiety Canada

Congratulations! You and your class have completed Week Two!