My Strengths Across Time and Contexts
Students learn to identify signature strengths using multi-source evidence, set a short-term academic goal anchored to a strength, use their strengths to coach a peer, connect strengths to areas for growth, and curate a portfolio that documents a strength in action.
Lesson Overview
What students will be able to do after this lesson: Students will be able to name three signature strengths using evidence from multiple sources, set a short-term academic goal with clear success criteria that maps their strength to specific steps, coach a peer using a strength and describe what changed for that person, connect a strength to a stretch area and track real progress over the week, and curate a portfolio of selected artifacts with captions that make a clear argument for a strength.
Skill segments at a glance:
| Segment | Segment name | Primary standards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naming My Strengths and Setting a Goal | SA-STR-5-1 · SA-STR-5-2 |
| 2 | Coaching a Peer with Your Strength | SA-STR-5-3 |
| 3 | Tracking Growth and Building My Portfolio | SA-STR-5-4 · SA-STR-5-5 |
Supporting standards reinforced:
| Code | Why it connects |
|---|---|
| SA-REF-5-5 | Connecting a strength to a stretch area and tracking progress uses the same planning and monitoring logic as building a Personal Playbook — notice, plan, adjust |
| SM-GOL-5-2 | Mapping a strength to specific steps in a goal plan (SA-STR-5-2) reinforces the skill of making goals meaningful by connecting them to something the student is already capable of |
| SoA-EMP-5-2 | Coaching a peer (SA-STR-5-3) requires noticing what the other person actually needs — which activates compassionate, perspective-aware understanding |
Key Vocabulary
- signature strength — a personal strength that shows up consistently across different settings and situations — not something you just like, but something that actually appears in your work and in how others experience you
- multi-source evidence — proof that comes from more than one place — such as your own observations, what peers say, what teachers notice, and what your work shows — rather than relying on your opinion alone
- success criteria — a specific, concrete description of what reaching your goal will look like — so you know when you have actually gotten there
- stretch area — a skill or area where you have real room to grow — not a weakness to criticize yourself for, but a direction to develop
- curate — to carefully select pieces of evidence to tell a specific story or make a specific argument — choosing what best proves a point, not just collecting everything you have
Materials
- Whiteboard or chart paper + markers (for the evidence-building model in Segment 1, the two-part coaching observation in Segment 2, and the tracker grid in Segment 3)
- Three-column tracker grid drawn on the board before Segment 3 begins: columns labeled Day · What I tried · What I noticed — students see the format before working with it
- Before the week begins: Post your unit anchor chart and I Can Statement where students can see them — you’ll reference both throughout the week.
How this lesson is structured: Each skill segment below has an I Do (teacher models the skill with a realistic scenario) and a We Do (class practices together with your guidance). Independent practice — the You Do — lives in the practice resources that go alongside this lesson.
What Students Need Before This Lesson
- What’s inside
- What students should already be able to do
- Helpful to have in place
- 4 quick set-ups before the I DoEvidence vs. opinion — why “I think I’m good at this” isn’t enough · The strength-goal connection must map to specific steps — not just say “it will help” · Coaching impact means what changed for the other person — not what you did · A tracker captures what actually happened — not what you plan to do. And a portfolio is a curated argument — not a collection of your best grades.
- Rescue planIf students are significantly behind
This section opens when Grade 5 launches.
Introducing the Skill
- What’s inside
- Opening hook
- What we’re learning
- Why it matters
- Core sentence frameThe frame students use all week
This section opens when Grade 5 launches.
Naming My Strengths and Setting a Goal
- What’s inside
- I do: 4 teacher modelsSA-STR-5-1: Textbook example — three-source evidence claim with explanation of why it’s reliable · SA-STR-5-1: Wrong version → fix — single-source claim upgraded to multi-source · SA-STR-5-2: Textbook goal-mapping — strength connected to specific steps with success criteria (positive, ordinary scenario) · SA-STR-5-2: Wrong version → fix — vague strength-goal claim upgraded to mapped plan with success criteria
- We do: 4 guided scenariosWith sentence frames, pacing notes and what to watch for
- Coaching in the momentWhat to say when students get stuck
This section opens when Grade 5 launches.
Coaching a Peer with Your Strength
- What’s inside
- I do: 3 teacher modelsSA-STR-5-3: Textbook coaching observation — both parts present · SA-STR-5-3: Wrong version → fix — stops at describing actions, no impact observation · SA-STR-5-3: Ordinary positive coaching scenario — helping a peer improve something both enjoy
- We do: 4 guided scenariosWith sentence frames, pacing notes and what to watch for
- Coaching in the momentWhat to say when students get stuck
This section opens when Grade 5 launches.
Tracking Growth and Building My Portfolio
- What’s inside
- I do: 4 teacher modelsSA-STR-5-4: Textbook tracker — strength connected to stretch area, with real entries · SA-STR-5-4: Wrong version → fix — intentions vs. actual tracker entries · SA-STR-5-5: Textbook portfolio — curated selection making an argument · SA-STR-5-5: Wrong version → fix — random collection vs. curated argument
- We do: 4 guided scenariosWith sentence frames, pacing notes and what to watch for
- Coaching in the momentWhat to say when students get stuck
This section opens when Grade 5 launches.
Closing the Week
- What’s inside
- 3 partner-share roundsOne for each segment, with the frame students say together
- Round 1 — Segment 1: Strengths backed by evidence and goals
- Round 2 — Segment 2: Using a strength to help someone else
- Round 3 — Segment 3: Tracking a stretch area and building a portfolio
- Land the key idea
This section opens when Grade 5 launches.
Practice for every skill segment
Each lesson comes with independent practice — the “you do” — for each of its 3 skill segments, in print and digital.
Printable practice
Ready-to-copy practice pages for each segment.
- View and print in your browser
- Answer keys for quick checking
Digital activities
Share one link — students open it on any device, and you see their answers.
- Works on Chromebooks, tablets and phones
- Students just type their name to start
While you wait: from the SEL Resource Library
Self-Awareness resources for Grade 5, ready to use today.
