Menu
*This lesson may bring up topics and stories that require additional support from your school counselor or social worker. We recommend sharing the lesson with the appropriate school staff before you teach it, and reaching out if students write about a topic that shows that the student may need additional support.
In “Roarball Roundup,” Modo and Archie help students view anger from a new perspective- as an emotion that is a normal part of the human experience that can be understood in a healthy way. Rather than ignoring anger or reacting impulsively, students will learn how to pause and identify the emotions that may lie beneath their initial reaction of anger. Once students recognize that anger is often a mask for something deeper, they can use this as helpful information.
Integrate stress management methods to help students navigate feelings of anger.
Reflect on the different feelings and emotions that may be underneath or connected
to anger.
Watch the videos that accompany this lesson.
Create your own example project that you will share with students.
Have lesson handouts printed and colored pencils, crayons, or markers available for each student.
Optional: Have scissors available for students to cut their mask, or the educator could have the handouts cut ahead of time.
Dr. Neha Chaudhary describes the way other emotions often hide beneath the emotion of anger and teaches methods for managing these feelings of anger.
“Roarball Roundup”: An Exclusive Interview with the Vineland Thorns
Modo and Archie’s interview segment from Roarball Roundup.
Introduce the idea that the first step to managing anger is to notice the emotion and express it in a healthy way.
Explain that anger is often connected to other emotions that need to be recognized and honored.
Example of What You Could Say:
“Today, we are going to explore a topic that comes up often in life: What should we do when we feel angry with someone or mad about something that is happening? I know that anger is something I experience in my own life, and in the movie GOAT, we saw that a few characters really struggled to manage their anger. Jett, Modo, and Archie all lost their temper and reacted with anger at some point during the movie.
I am going to say something that might be surprising: Feeling angry and getting mad about something is a totally normal part of being human. Everyone feels anger; actually, anger can be a healthy response when we’re upset about something. I’m going to pause for a second so we can let that sink in, as it might be a new idea you’ve never heard before. This is really important: being angry is a part of being human, and it’s totally okay to feel angry and upset. However, today I want to talk about the idea that even though anger is a healthy and normal part of being human, it’s what we do next, once we feel the anger, that is important.
The first step when you feel angry is to stop and notice how you are feeling. Stop and think to yourself: “I’m feeling angry.” This might not seem like an important step, but it is actually very important! Pausing and noticing how you feel will slow you down and help keep you from acting in a way that you might later wish you could take back.
The next step is to express the anger in a healthy way. Just like Modo said in “Roarball Roundup,” “I don’t bottle emotions.” He then he gives examples of what he does to express his anger: he goes outside to scream at the sun or he writes in his journal. These are his tools for releasing his anger in a positive way.
The other thing that Modo does that is really important is that he asks, “Anger is just the crust, but what’s underneath?” This is my favorite line from Modo because, after we have paused to notice our anger, and while we are expressing our anger in a healthy way, it is important for us to understand that there are other emotions beneath the anger.
When we feel angry, there is often sadness or fear hiding underneath it. For example, you might be angry at a friend because they didn’t invite you to their house, but maybe you are also feeling sad and left out because they didn’t include you. If you get a bad grade from a teacher, you might feel angry at them, but maybe there is also fear that you aren’t going to do well in the class. The reason why it is important to understand the other emotions underneath the anger is because it allows us to acknowledge and express those feelings as well.
We are going to watch a video where an expert in this field talks to us about anger and the emotions that are often beneath it. She will also share a few ideas for handling these moments when you feel very angry.”
Dr. Neha Chaudhary describes the way other emotions often hide beneath the emotion of anger and teaches methods for managing these feelings of anger.
Using the Modo Mask handout, students think of a situation from their lives that made them feel angry, and color the front of the mask to represent those feelings of anger. They are invited to use colors, lines, and patterns to represent those feelings of anger.
Next, students create a drawing that represents the feelings that are underneath their anger. They can also include words to represent those emotions- sadness, fear, loneliness.
Example of What You Could Say:
“I really liked that video: it gave me some new ideas that I want to try out the next time I’m feeling frustrated or angry. Now, we are going to do a creative activity that will help illustrate the feelings we have underneath our anger.
I find that drawing is a tool that helps me honor how I am feeling and express myself in a way that won’t hurt anyone else. I am going to hand out a piece of paper with a mask of Modo on it, and we are going to do a drawing activity together. While I am passing out the paper, I invite you to think about something that you have felt angry about.
We are going to color and draw on the mask of Modo to represent the anger we were feeling. What colors could you use to represent anger? Let’s use both colors and patterns in our drawing.
(Give students five minutes to color the front of their mask.)
Now, I want you to turn your mask over and color the back of the mask to represent those emotions that are hiding underneath the anger. What else did you feel when you were angry? Looking back, can you see that you were possibly sad, afraid, lonely, or disappointed? Let’s take Modo’s advice from “Roarball Roundup.” Remember how he explained the way he handles anger? He pauses and asks himself what is under the feeling of anger. He says, “Why do I feel this way?” and then, “Give yourself permission to dig, and you might find treasure.”
Let’s now choose different colors to represent these other feelings underneath our anger. You may also want to write the word for the emotion that is hiding underneath your anger.
For example, if you were angry at a friend for not being invited somewhere, maybe underneath it you felt ‘sad’ that they didn’t want to spend time with you or ‘worried’ that they didn’t want to be friends anymore.”
Remind students of the importance of thinking about the emotions underneath their anger.
Remind students to reach out to a teacher or trusted adult in their lives if they want support with their feelings of anger.
Encourage students to use breathing as another tool to manage their feelings.
Example of What You Could Say:
“I see a lot of colorful masks around the classroom, and I love seeing the difference between the two different drawings. This is a great reminder for us to think about what is beneath our anger when we feel it, and to get into the practice of noticing some of the other emotions that are present, instead of just the anger at the top.
We are going to do one more activity today! Modo talks about how he ‘whispers kind things to the sky,’ as his way of calming himself down. Another way to calm ourselves down when we feel angry is through a breathing activity. Remember, we can always use the breathing activity you learned from Dr. Chaudhary to help us feel better after we have expressed our angry feelings in a safe way.
We have learned a few tools today that can help us when we feel angry: writing, drawing, using a breathing activity, or reaching out for support to a teacher or trusted adult.
Remember, I am here to listen if you just want someone to talk to about a situation that makes you angry. I can also help you reach out to the school counselor.”
In addition to the creative activity from the lesson, you can also help students practice the learning goals from today’s lesson by guiding them through one of these extension activities:
Remind students to pause throughout the day and notice how they feel. You can model this for them by sharing your own reflections on your feelings. This frequent practice will help them remember to pause when they feel a strong emotion in the future, even if you aren’t there to prompt them.
Take breaks during the school day and have the class move their bodies. This practice can help them physically release various types of strong emotions.
Encourage drawing and doodling by creating time for students to take a quick break and express their feelings in this healthy way.
Have students relax their bodies by taking deep, slow breaths. Encourage them to inhale to the count of four and exhale to the count of six or eight.
“How to Help Your Child Regulate Their Emotions”: This article from Dr. Becky Kennedy provides a step-by-step approach to helping children navigate difficult emotions like anger.
The Kevin Love Fund is a fiscally sponsored fund of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (Federal Tax ID number 95-1644609). EIF is a Charity Navigator 4 Star Charity that meets all 20 BBB Charity Standards and carries the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency.