Jolts of Joy SEL Unit Study | New Year Positive Emotions Lessons for K–12 & Special Education

January is the perfect time for classrooms, students, staff, and families to set the tone for a positive, connected, emotionally healthy year. The wellbeing skill, Jolts of Joy, can help us intentionally notice, feel, and share uplifting emotions like joy, gratitude, hope, serenity, awe, and amusement. 

These quick moments of positivity strengthen emotional regulation, deepen relationships, and boost overall wellbeing. A strong start in January often shapes the classroom atmosphere for the rest of the year.

In this unit study, students explore their emotional world through interactive lessons, sorting cards, reflections, and creative activities centered on 10 key positive emotions.

Learning Objectives

1. Students learn to receptively and expressively identify 10 positive emotions.

2. Students learn to identify the physiological responses (e.g., smiling, increased heart rate) associated with

positive emotions in themselves.

3. Students are able to identify activities/experiences/thoughts that induce each of the 10 positive emotions.

Here’s what you’ll get

An entire Jolts of Joy unit, including, 

• Student instruction and lessons in Google Slides format
• Teacher's guide and speaker notes
• Printable worksheets, activities, and materials that you can also share with families
• Answer keys for all lesson activities

Activities 

Activity 1: Introduction to Emotions and Our Brains

Activity 2: Deep Dive into Positive Emotions

Activity 3: Spot Emotions in Pictures and Videos

Activity 4: Create a Jolts of Joy Class Poster

Activity 5: Design Your Own Jolts of Joy List

Activity 6: Jolts of Joy Reflection

Integration into Current Instruction:

Bringing wellbeing to the forefront doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your classroom routine. By integrating happiness skills into what you’re already teaching, you can help students learn and practice happiness in simple, meaningful ways. From morning meetings and check-ins to reading, writing, and relationship-building, there are countless ways to make wellbeing part of everyday learning.

1. Are your students learning how to keep appointments? Practice Jolts of Joy by scheduling a Jolt of Joy appointment every day.
2. Are your students learning how to interact with their peers? Learn about a peer’s Jolt of Joy and deliver it to them.
3. Are your students learning to identify and self-regulate their emotions? Include the 10 positive emotions and their own jolts of joy in their learning.
4. During shared reading, label the positive emotions that characters are feeling, such as Awe when reading about a professional athlete and their ability or Amusement when someone tells a joke and others find it amusing.

Why you’ll love this activity

• Builds emotion vocabulary, self-awareness, and regulation skills
• Offers a mix of visual, written, and creative tasks for all learning styles
• Provides a complete, ready-to-teach SEL unit for January and beyond

Ways to use

• Weekly SEL lessons or advisory periods
• Small-group counseling, SEL centers, or pull-out support
• Classroom morning meeting, homeroom, or wellbeing Wednesdays 

What is Jolts of Joy? 

Don’t wait for joy to come to you, go get more of it! Science shows that joy-inducing activities transform the way we think, perform and respond. Jolts of Joy are small, intentional actions that inject positive emotions into our day and help us take control of our wellbeing moment to moment. The overall goal is to have greater control over the ratio of positive to negative emotions you experience each day. By unleashing the power of positive emotions with intention, you and your students can jolt yourself into joy!

Science of Positive Emotions

Positive emotions create opportunities for growth and healing, mentally and physically. The Broaden and Build theory is based on the notion that positive emotions enable us to develop new and creative ways of thinking to enhance wellbeing and promote resilience. Scientific evidence finds that even little moments of joy throughout the day add up to greater physical and mental wellbeing. People who experience positive emotions think better, perform better, and feel better. 

BENEFITS

Experiencing positive emotions regularly can:

• Open our eyes and minds
• Increase creative thinking
• Expand our visual field
• Allow for global thinking and diversity
• Prevent depression and anxiety
• Undo the physiological effects of negative emotions
• Improve cardiac functioning
• Increase healthy sleep

Learn more about the science of happiness and positive emotions

Looking for more SEL resources? 

Explore the free full lesson plans and unit studies on the skills of happiness at our Skill Center. All units include teaching slides, additional worksheets and activities, and even IEP and BIP recommendations tailored specifically to students with autism. 

Proof Positive’s resources are and will always be free. Be well!