Flight, Fight, Freeze SEL Lesson using “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros

Item description

This social emotional learning lesson uses Sandra Cisneros’s short story Eleven. During this SEL lesson, students read the short story, view a YouTube video, and reflect on their own stress responses. There are journal entries and opportunities for small and large group discussions as well.

This resource could easily be used by a substitute.

This lesson has always been a favorite of my middle school students. The topic is enlightening for kids who have felt stress responses without understanding what is really happening in their brains and bodies (pretty much all kids). Eleven is a fantastic story to use when learning about stress response because readers are often frustrated by the way the main character responds to the stressor she faces. This is a great way to integrate SEL into an English class.