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In this lesson, students learn the importance of being present and valuing the time that they spend with friends, family, and engaging in the activities they enjoy. There are so many different distractions that can prevent students from focusing on the people and things that are important to them. They might find that texting on their phones, scrolling through social media, or watching television pulls their attention away from the present moment. If they are always distracted by outside input, they will miss out on enjoying the things they are doing and the people they are spending time with. Staying present can help students strengthen their connections with others and help them fully appreciate the moment that they are experiencing. In the movie GOAT, Lenny and Olivia’s humorous reflections illustrate how common and easy it is to live in a constant state of distraction.
Develop methods for fully engaging in the present moment.
Recognize the value of taking a break from social media.
Understand that being present can contribute to feelings of well-being.
Watch the videos that accompany this lesson.
Create your own example project that you will share with students.
Have lesson handouts printed and writing utensils available for each student to do the warm-up activity. In addition, provide materials to create physical collages, such as construction paper, magazines, newspapers, scissors, glue.
Dr. Neha Chaudhary explains why it is important to pay attention to the people we are with and to find balance between technology use and focusing on the important people in our lives.
“Roarball Roundup”: An Exclusive Interview with the Vineland Thorns
Lenny and Olivia’s interview segment from Roarball Roundup.
Example of What You Could Say:
“Today we are going to learn from Lenny and Olivia’s interviews in the “Roarball Roundup” video. I could really relate to them because they seemed to be distracted and in need of a reminder to pay attention to the people around them!
Being distracted means that you are focusing on something other than what you are doing in the present moment – your body is in the room, but your mind isn’t really there noticing what is happening. Sometimes our minds wander. For example, you might notice that while hanging out with your friends, you start thinking about a big game you have later or a test you need to study for. Getting distracted is a normal part of daily life. Our minds just wander sometimes and start to think about things that aren’t happening right in front of us.
There are many different types of technology that can make it even harder for us to pay attention to the people and things around us. Maybe when you are playing a video game, watching a television show or movie, or scrolling on social media, you don’t notice that someone is talking to you. You can see this in the “Roarball Roundup” video when Lenny has his headphones on during the interview. He is so absorbed in his music that he doesn’t notice what’s happening around him and doesn’t answer when Chuck and Rusty are speaking to him. He is not trying to be rude, but he is not paying attention to them while he is listening to his music. Have you noticed that this is true for you too? Many of us can relate to this. When we’re really absorbed in our music or with our phones, we may unintentionally ignore the people we are with and get so distracted that we are not present with them. This is something that I find happens to me a lot.
(Share your own personal age-appropriate experience with feeling distracted – when you wish you had been present with people but instead found your mind was focused on technology.)
I really liked when Olivia said “When you are online as much as I am, you learn to have balance. Social media is a part of my life. Not my whole life.” But even though that was her intention, it was actually very hard for her to resist being impacted by a negative comment online or to stay focused and be in the present moment. Did you notice that too? Social media can take our attention away from the people around us. It can also have an impact on our emotions- making us feel upset or angry. And that affects our ability to really focus on the people we are spending time with and be present when we are with them.
We are going to play a video where an expert in this field talks to us about how easy it is to get distracted when we have a tablet or phone in our hands. This is hard for adults too – this is something we all struggle with, and it’s so important to be aware of this problem.”
Dr. Neha Chaudhary explains why it is important to pay attention to the people we are with and to find balance between technology use and focusing on the important people in our lives.
Describe that our senses are one tool we can use to help us stay present in the moment.
Invite students to choose a memory from their life when they felt fully present and not distracted. Write down words that represent what they remember from their surroundings during that memory, using their five senses as a guide.
Example of What You Could Say:
“This video helped me reflect on my own habits, and I plan to use these strategies to be more present with the people I care about in my life. Something I have noticed is that when I am fully present and not distracted, I am more likely to remember that moment and the details about it later. I want to tell you about a time in my life of a memory where I was very present, and I can still remember some of the details from that day (Give students an example from your life- maybe it was a graduation ceremony, a wedding, a wonderful vacation that you took, or your child’s birthday?)
Now, I want you to think about a moment when you were really present in your own life. This is a time when you weren’t distracted and were really paying attention to what was happening around you. Using the handout, I want you to try to remember as many details as you can about that moment. Use your five senses to describe what that moment was like- try to write down as much as you can remember.”
(Give students five minutes to brainstorm whatever they can remember about that moment.)
Explain that making art can help us pay attention to the present moment.
Invite students to make a collage to represent a moment when they were really present.
Example of What You Could Say:
“Now, using your brainstorm sheet, you are going to make a collage to represent that moment from your life when you were very present. Are you able to remember the details of that moment? Was there music playing or was it quiet? What were the sights around you? Were you with other people or alone? Were you eating food? Listening to music? What was the weather? Think of your five senses to help you recall the details of this memory. This memory is going to become a story in your collage.
Try to add as many details as you can remember. You are going to use (educator to choose what works for images including magazines or printed images from online resources, photos from home, drawings on construction paper) for your collage, but don’t worry if you aren’t able to find the exact images or words you are looking for. If you don’t have supplies for a collage, the students can draw their image. For example, maybe there isn’t a picture that perfectly matches the location of this memory. But, can you find a few images that represent the colors or the sights that were around you? You won’t have any pictures of the real people or things that were there with you, but you can add images to your collage that feel similar to what you were experiencing.”
Students work on their collages for about ten to fifteen minutes. Feel free to play music as they work.
Highlight the value of being present with the people and experiences that we love.
Ask students to share their collages and to reflect on the connection between creating memories and being present with the people we love.
Example of What You Could Say:
“I am curious about the moments you chose to represent in your collage and some of the memories you included. Would anyone like to share their collage and describe the moment they were recreating?
(Invite a few students to share their collage.)
I loved hearing about your moments and seeing your collages. Something I noticed as I was listening was that these were moments that you were able to remember many details about, and I want to remind us that when we choose to put our attention on the people we are spending time with, it can help us to really make an important memory with them. It also allows us to have stronger connections with people we love and enjoy the things we do even more. How did it feel to remember this moment and create your collage?
(Invite a few students to share the way the activity felt for them.)
Let’s end by looking at the bigger picture. Sometimes daydreaming can be fun, and we do not have to be present all of the time – it’s nice to allow our minds to wander. However, the trick is that it’s all about balance. We can enjoy television, video games and technology. But, hopefully today reminded us that it is important to balance these activities with spending time and paying attention to our loved ones. This is how we create really strong and positive relationships. And these good relationships can help us to feel happy in our lives, and to feel a sense of belonging and community.”
Additional activities to practice mindfulness that you can give as “at-home activity assignments” or do throughout the day with your students:
Slow down your breath – set a timer and breathe deeply in and out for one minute.
Use physical movement to ground yourself – take breaks to move around, even if it’s in your chair or the room you’re working in.
Plan a phone-free lunch with your friends or family.
Silence your phone when you want to focus your attention on a person or project.
Students can take a walk outside and pay attention to all five of their senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste), and write about what they noticed.
Helping Kids Focus | Headspace Breathers – This video is a mindfulness lesson from Headspace that helps kids focus by using their breath.
Guided Meditation and Mindfulness Practices from PBS Kids – PBS Kids partnered with The Center for Healthy Minds to create free resources to teach mindfulness to kids.
Cosmic Kids provides an online resource that guides kids through meditation to notice their thoughts and emotions. Using breath as a tool for becoming present can be useful for kids to anchor their focus in the present moment.
Invite students to make a seasonal “Bucket List” for summer, fall, winter, and spring. It’s helpful for students to have a list of activities that they can do when they feel bored instead of reaching for their phones. Students can brainstorm and decorate a bucket list of 5–10 activities they want to try or things that they can do when they need a break from their technology. The educator should share their examples before students create their own “Bucket List.” A few ideas: start a new book, volunteer in the community, cook or bake something new with a family member, find a coloring book with images that are interesting to you, learn how to knit or crochet, do an arts and crafts project, try a new sport, decorate a pot and plant a flower.
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.