Lesson 218: Consequences of choices

❤️ SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING (40 Lessons) • 🟡 C. Making Good Choices

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Objective

I can notice that my choices have consequences (what happens after). I can think about whether a choice will help or hurt before I decide what to do.

Materials

Mini-lesson — Choices and consequences

A choice is something we decide to do or say. Every choice has consequences, which means what happens after.

Consequences can be helpful or hurtful

  • Helpful consequences: people feel safe, happy, and calm.
  • Hurtful consequences: people may feel sad, scared, or upset.
  • Some consequences happen right away, others happen later.

Example 1 — Sharing vs. grabbing

  • Choice: you share a toy.
  • Consequence: your friend smiles, you both play happily.
  • Choice: you grab the toy.
  • Consequence: your friend cries, you might need to say sorry or lose the toy.

Example 2 — Doing homework vs. ignoring it

  • Choice: you do your homework.
  • Consequence: you feel proud, the teacher is pleased, you learn new things.
  • Choice: you ignore your homework.
  • Consequence: you might feel worried later, work might pile up.

Example 3 — Safe play vs. risky play

  • Choice: you play safely on the playground.
  • Consequence: your body stays safer and others feel calm.
  • Choice: you push or climb where you should not.
  • Consequence: someone could get hurt, an adult may stop the game.

Thinking about consequences before choosing

  • Ask: "What might happen if I do this?"
  • Ask: "Will this help or hurt?"
  • Choose the action that is safe and kind.

Adults can say out loud: "Let's think about what might happen next if you choose this."

Picture strip: "Two paths, two consequences"

Guided Practice — Choice and consequence pairs

You and an adult will match simple choices with their consequences and talk about what helps and what hurts.

  1. On a notebook page, draw three big arrows pointing to the right. On the left of each arrow, write or draw a choice. On the right, write or draw the consequence.
  2. In arrow 1, the adult helps you write or draw a choice like sharing toys. On the right, add the consequence: "We both play and feel happy."
  3. In arrow 2, use a choice like shouting at someone. On the right, add the consequence: "They feel sad or scared. I may need to say sorry."
  4. In arrow 3, use a choice like looking both ways before crossing the street. On the right, add the consequence: "I stay safer."
  5. For each arrow, say together: "This choice is helpful" or "This choice is hurtful". Mark helpful consequences with a star.
  6. Let the child create one more choice and consequence of their own. Help them decide if it is helpful or hurtful.
Tracing Pad
Tracing snapshot for print
Tip: As you trace, say a sentence such as "My choices have consequences."

Practice — Help or hurt? Sorting consequences

Use this practice to help your child think about how choices affect people.

  1. On a new page, draw two big boxes or circles and label them: "Helps" and "Hurts".
  2. With the child, think of everyday choices (for example, sharing, shouting, helping clean up, pushing in line, saying sorry, telling the truth, lying).
  3. For each choice, ask: "What might happen after this?" Draw a tiny picture or write a short sentence for the consequence.
  4. Help the child decide if the consequence goes in the "Helps" box or the "Hurts" box.
  5. Talk together: "How do people feel after helpful consequences?" and "How do they feel after hurtful consequences?"
  6. Choose one helpful choice the child wants to practise this week. Put a star next to it and keep the page where they can see it.

Quick Check — Consequences of choices

Answer each question about choices and what happens after.

1) What is a consequence?

A consequence is what happens after a choice.

2) You choose to share your crayons. What is a likely consequence?

Sharing often leads to happy, helpful consequences.

3) You shout at a classmate and call them a mean name. What might be a consequence?

Hurtful words often bring hurt feelings and need repair.

4) You choose to tell the truth when you break something. What is a good consequence?

Telling the truth helps people trust and fix problems.

5) Which sentence shows you are thinking about consequences?

You are thinking ahead about what might happen.

6) You choose to ignore your homework every day. What is a possible consequence?

Ignoring work can bring tricky consequences later.

7) You choose to help clean up after a game. What is a likely consequence?

Helping often brings positive, thankful consequences.

8) Why is it important to think about consequences before you choose?

Thinking ahead helps you choose better actions.

9) When should you ask an adult to help you with choices and consequences?

Adults can help you think through hard or unsafe choices.

10) What is one big goal of this lesson?

The goal is to notice consequences and choose helpful actions.

Assessment (parent/teacher)

Exit ticket (student)

Next time I will practise…

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