Lesson 1: Independent Activities

1. Have students keep a journal and record instances of how they handle their own anger in a COLD or HOT way after someone has broken a promise or frustrated them in some way. Instruct them to record the LOOKING, THINKING AND ACTING elements of their responses.
• Have students bring their journals to class to discuss the negative consequences or benefits of their COLD, HOT and COOL responses and to roleplay these responses.
• In cases where they reacted in a COLD or HOT way, have students roleplay the alternative COOL response and identify its benefits. This will help them learn from their experiences and become effective in consistently using the COOL response.
• As before, when students report successfully using the COOL response in a real-life situation you may want to reward these students in some fun, creative way-for instance, with an "I’m cool" certificate, badge, book cover, stick-on insignia, T-shirt, etc. Or you may wish to purchase "BeCool sunglasses," available from the publisher.
2. Have students discuss TV shows, movies, or real-life situations they've witnessed where people reacted to self-anger with a COLD, HOT or Cool response. Have students:
• Identify the LOOKING, THINKING AND ACTING elements of these responses.
• Roleplay these situations.
• Identify the negative consequences or benefits in each case.
3. Have students form small groups and make up a rap song about real-life or fictional self-anger due to a broken promise with the theme of BeCool. If possible, have them try to compose separate verses about the COLD response, the HOT response and, finally, the COOL response.

For students with special needs:

1. Match these students with the higher-functioning students in the above exercises so they can benefit from peer tutoring. Have the students practice breathing deeply, calming down and using the 4-Step Assertion Plan.
2. Have students cut out pictures from magazines, newspapers or comic books of people who look COLD, HOT or COOL. Have students create three classroom collages of these pictures. Use these collages as a reference during discussion and roleplay of COLD, HOT and COOL responses.
3. Have students cut out pictures from magazines, newspapers or Comic books of people who look angry with another person. Have students make up stories relating the anger to a broken promise, then have students discuss and roleplay how a BeCool response can be effective in dealing with the anger.