Grade: Elementary
Subject: other

#1609. Stress - Eustress vs, Distress

, level: Elementary
Posted Tue Nov 7 08:02:02 PST 2000 by Brandy Hans (HBrandyLynn@aol.com).
IUP student, Butler, Pennsylvania
Materials Required: 12' Balloons, Pencils
Activity Time: 45 minutes
Concepts Taught: Talks about stress

LESSON PLAN

GRADE FOUR HEALTH: 45 MINUTES

Topic: Stress - Eustress vs. Distress

Resources: student computers (optional), teacher's computer (optional), Internet connection (optional), digital projection unit (optional), worksheet on Eustress vs. Distress, 12' Balloons for the entire class, pencils


Rationale:
I think this lesson is very good for students to know so they can determine what stress is and how to cope with it early in their life. So when it occurs more and more throughout there life it won't cause problems for them. I also think that they should know that stress is not only bad/negative but it can also be good/positive.


Objectives:

BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES:

v Cognitive Objective: After the completion of a lecture on stress, the fourth grade students will be able to determine the difference between eustress and distress by completing a worksheet, with 90% accuracy.

v Affective Objective: After learning the definition of stress, the fourth students will be able to determine how much stress they have in their life by typing a short paragraph about the most stressful event that has happened to them.

v Psychomotor Objective: After completing the lesson, the fourth grade students will be able to get up in front of the class and talk about their most stressful event that has occurred during their life, by writing a short speech and being able
to speech about it for 5 minutes.


Procedures:


v The teacher will describe stress and the difference between eustress and distress. (10 minutes)
v Have the students do the worksheet on Eustress vs. Distress. (5 minutes)
v Have the students write down their most stressful event that has occurred in their life and give them the opportunity to share it with the class. (10 minutes)
v Play the Balloon Game (10 minutes)
v Ask the students of things they feel they can do to reduce stress. (5 minutes)


Lesson Activity:

The Balloon Game:

v Everyone receives a balloon.
v The teacher will name many different types of stressors.
v If the students feel it is a strong stressor, they will give a hard blow into the balloon.
v If the students feel it is a weak stressor, they will give an easy blow into the balloon.
v They will keep going until the balloon is ready to burst, but before it does let the students give a way they feel they can reduce stress.
v If they give a correct answer they can let their balloon go and let the air out; if they get it wrong they must tie the balloon to see how stress can build up.

Evaluation:

v Objective 1: The students will complete a worksheet determining the difference between eustress and distress.

v Objective 2: The students will write down what they feel is the most stressful event in their life.

v Objective 3: The students will make a brief statement to the class about the most stressful event in their life.


Notes:


Worksheet on Eustress vs. Distress:

Ex: EUSTRESS DISTRESS
__________ _________ Making a new friend
__________ _________ Doing bad on a test
__________ _________ Losing a Game
__________ _________ Playing a Game

*** Have at least 10 questions***

Links to help understand Stress:
http://216.89.239.49/dpec/courses/str/a0101.htm
http://www.globalserve.net/~sairam/youth/equal.html
http://www.homestead.com/selfhelpsolutions/stressoverload.html
http://www.richland2.org/rnh/HealthStressG4/Whatisstress.htm
http://chppm.www.apgea.army.mil/dhpw/bhealth/PPTlesson1/sld004.htm

MORE NOTES:

What Is Stress?

Stress is the combination of psychological, physiological, and behavioral reactions that people have in response to events that threaten or challenge them. Stress can be good or bad. Sometimes, stress is helpful, providing people with the extra energy or alertness they need. Stress could give a runner the edge he or she needs to persevere in a marathon, for example. This good kind of stress is called eustress. Unfortunately, stress is often not helpful and can even be harmful when not managed effectively. Stress could make a salesperson buckle under the pressure while trying to make a sales pitch at an important business meeting, for example. Moreover, stress can increase the risk of developing health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and anxiety disorders. This bad kind of stress is called distress, the kind of stress that people usually are referring to when they use the word stress.

A convenient way to think about stress is in terms of stressors and stress responses. Stressors are events that threaten or challenge people. They are the sources of stress, such as having to make decisions, getting married, and natural disasters. Stress responses are psychological, physiological, and behavioral reactions to stressors. Anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and muscle tension are all examples of stress responses.

The connection between stressors and stress responses, however, is not as straight forward as it may seem. Mediating processes, for instance, stand in between stressors and stress responses. Whether stressors lead to stress responses depends on mediating processes like how people appraise potential stressors and how well people are able to cope with the negative impact of stressors. Furthermore, a number of moderating factors, such as personality traits and health habits, influence the links between stressors and stress responses. These mediating processes and moderating factors help determine whether people experience stress-related problems like burnout, mental disorders, and physical illness and are the focus of many stress management techniques that emphasize cognitive-behavioral approaches, relaxation, exercise, diet and nutrition, and medication.

Everyone experiences stress!

There are two types of Stress:

Eustress: Positive, Good Stress. It arises from situations that are enjoyable. (ex: winning a game doing well on a test)

Distress: Negative, Bad Stress. It can be harmful to the body. (ex: doing bad on a test, getting in a fight with a friend)

Your body responds to both types of stress the same way!