Coping with Divorce Session 1

Grade Level: 6-8

Time: 30 minutes
Purpose: Introduce the purpose of the group, the rules, and get to know each other.
VSCA Standards:
MP5. Demonstrate appropriate skills for interactions with adults and developing and
maintaining positive peer relationships,
MP6. Use appropriate communication and conflict resolution skills with peers and
adults
Measurable Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Understand the purpose of the group
2. Understand the rules of the group
Materials:
Group Rules
Jenga
Cards for Jenga
2 pocket folders
markers
(7 minutes) Anticipatory Set: Since this is our first meeting, I will explain
confidentiality and go over our rules. I will ask each student to read a rule & then
explain it in detail. We will do short introductions by saying our name. I will also
explain that we are hear to discuss divorce and how it relates to each of your personal
situations. In this group you will be able to talk about your family and hear about other
families. I will explain that they may not tell anyone else what a friend has said, this is a
confidential space and they need to respect that.
(5 minutes) Activity 1: Add name to your folder and you may decorate if you wish. We
will receive handouts, and I will keep them until the end of our sessions, then they will be
able to take them home.
(15 minutes) Activity 2: We will play Jenga to get to know each other. They will say
their name before they start, and after successfully pulling a block, they have to read and
answer a question. If the question is too personal or too difficult to answer, they may
skip that one, but they will have to answer another one.
(5 minutes) Closure: I hope they feel they got to know each other better, and let them
know that next week we will get deeper into discussing divorce. I wanted to spend this
week letting them get to know each other and feel more comfortable together.

CONFIDENTIALITY
What you say in here, stays in here.
Unless, someone wants to hurt you, you want to hurt someone else, or you want
to hurt yourself.
Group Rules
1. Be here
2. No over talking or put downs
3. Be respectful
4. Care for self and others
5. What is said in here, stays in here

Coping with Divorce Session 2

Grade Level: 6-8
Time: 30 minutes
Purpose: Gain insight into students personal thoughts about their families.
VSCA Standards:
MP5. Demonstrate appropriate skills for interactions with adults and developing and
maintaining positive peer relationships,
MP6. Use appropriate communication and conflict resolution skills with peers and
adults
Measurable Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Examine their own families and how close they are
2. Reflect upon how they view their family
Materials:
Review Group Rules
Blank paper
Pencils
Students folders
(5 minutes) Anticipatory Set: Have students grab their folders as they arrive. I will
quickly review the group rules. Each student will say their name and say a joy or sorrow
for the week.
(2 minutes) Guided Practice 1: Introduce the activity by saying every family dynamic
is different. We may have similarities such as there are three kids in my family and three
in yours, but for me the two youngest are close to Mom and the oldest is close to Dad.
Or my Dad is the softee in my family, and my Mom is the strict one. My parents are still
married, but my husbands parents are divorced. All families are different and their
dynamics are different.
(10 minutes) Activity 1: Hand out the paper and pencils, and tell student to use circles
to draw a picture of your family. Each circle will represent each family member. In each
circle, write the initials of the person that circle represents. If you believe family
members have a close relationship, draw their circles close to each other. If you believe
family members are not close, draw their circles farther apart. At the bottom of the
paper, write three words that describe your mother, your father, and yourself. If time
allows, you may do this for other family members too. (I will show an example of my
family to demonstrate)
(10 minutes) Discussion 1 (optional): Ask the students if they would like to display or
just talk about their family. If people say yes, then go ahead and begin. If no one wants
to, that is fine. Since it is only the second session they may not be ready to share and I
will move onto the alternative activity.
(10 minutes) Alternative Activity 1: Pass out a bag of M&Ms. They can each take 5,
they may not eat them yet. They will say the statement corresponding with the color of
their M&M:
Red: Tell us briefly about your house. Do you like where you live?
Orange: What have you done in your life that is bold & adventurous?

Yellow: Who is your oldest friend? Are you still close?

Green: What big decision did you face in your life?
Brown: What is one of your favorite books or movie?
Blue: Tell us something unusual or surprising about you.
(3 minutes) Closure: Ask each member to think about their genogram they made today,
and see if their thoughts change about it during the week. Put these in their folders.

Coping with Divorce Session 3

Grade Level: 6-8
Time: 30 minutes
Purpose: Have students evaluate their feelings about their parents divorce.
VSCA Standards:
MP5. Demonstrate appropriate skills for interactions with adults and developing and
maintaining positive peer relationships,
MP6. Use appropriate communication and conflict resolution skills with peers and
adults
Measurable Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Think about their feelings relating to different challenges that occur during
divorce
2. Have students address their thoughts/emotions about the divorce
Materials:
Feeling Cube for Divorce
Incomplete Sentences worksheets
Pencils
(10 minutes) Anticipatory Set: Have students grab their folders as they arrive. Ask the
students to form a circle. Each student will take a turn rolling the Feelings Cube into the
center of the circle. Look at the word showing on the top of the cube, then describe a
time you had that feeling. If the student cannot think of anything to say, allow him/her
to roll the cube again.
Problems
Changes
Legal worries
Step-families
Parents new partners
Caught in the middle
(5 minutes) Guided Practice 1: Often people dont reflect upon their feelings and how
to cope with them during all the issues that occur during separation, divorce, and
remarriage. Not addressing these emotions (or bottling them up) can cause even more
damage. Often parents dont realize how difficult things are on their son or daughter if
their child doesnt express how they are feeling. This next worksheet is designed to
make you really think about some issues can be difficult, and also think about if you want
to discuss any of this with your parents.
(10 minutes) Activity 1: Have students look fill out Incomplete Sentences. This activity
will take a while if the students are serious. If they finish early, they can choose a piece
they want to discuss with everyone. At the end collect these to put in their folders.
(5 minutes) Closure: Check in to see if students are doing OK. This worksheet may take
a toll on them emotionally, so hand out lollipops at end.

INCOMPLETE SENTENCES
1. My parents have been divorced/separated (how long)
2. I live with
3. I am not okay with
4. The holidays are

5. My friends think

6. Something that I would like to change is

7. Something that I like about the divorce/separation is

8. Something that I dislike about the divorce/separation is

9. My mom

10. My dad

11. I am sorry

12. Sometimes Im afraid that

13. I often worry

14. I think

15. My dream is

GRAB BAG GUIDANCE 2005 MAR*CO PRODUCTS, INC. 1-800-448-2197

Coping with Divorce Session 4

Grade Level: 6-8
Time: 30 minutes
Purpose: Have students evaluate their feelings about their parents divorce.
VSCA Standards:
MP5. Demonstrate appropriate skills for interactions with adults and developing and
maintaining positive peer relationships,
MP6. Use appropriate communication and conflict resolution skills with peers and
adults
Measurable Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Think about their feelings relating to different challenges that occur during
divorce
2. Have students address their thoughts/emotions about the divorce
Materials:
Folders
Difficult/Not Difficult Divorce Cards
Difficult/Not Difficult Sentences
(5 minutes) Anticipatory Set: Students grab their folders when they walk in. We will
do a quick check in from last week. Did you discuss anything you wrote with either
parent last week? How did it feel to think about things like that?
(5 minutes) Guided Practice 1: Today we are going to compare our reactions to things
that happen when our family changes. Some things you may find easy may be very
difficult for another person. Something you find difficult your friend thought was no big
deal. This is a good way to compare, and maybe find a new way to cope with some of the
problems during divorce.
(15 minutes) Activity 1: Hand out the Difficult/Not Difficult cards. Read each
sentence out loud and see how the students respond. If they are not starting discussions
on their own, start to ask them what they found so difficult or how they tried to handle
the situations.
(3 minutes) Activity 2: Give copies of the 99 Coping Skills. Let them know these are
ways to handle every day stress as well as when things can be really hard or difficult.
They can put these in their folders, but if they want to take them home today they can.
(2 minutes) Closure: Stress to students again that some issues are harder for some
people to cope with than others. Dont think worse of yourself if things are difficult on
you, everyone handles everything differently.

Coping with Divorce Session 5

Grade Level: 6-8
Time: 30 minutes
Purpose: Have students understand what they can control and cant control in divorcerelated situations.
VSCA Standards:
MP5. Demonstrate appropriate skills for interactions with adults and developing and
maintaining positive peer relationships,
MP6. Use appropriate communication and conflict resolution skills with peers and
adults
Measurable Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Understand what they can & cant control
2. Analyze the best and worse things about their family changes
Materials:
Folders
Things I Worry About worksheets
Family Changes worksheets
Pencils
Paper Hearts
(5 minutes) Anticipatory Set: Have the students grab their folders on the way in.
Today before we start, I want to know what song or type of music they like to listen to
when they are stressed or upset.
(7 minutes) Guided Practice 1: Think about a situation where you have absolutely no
control. Like peace in the Middle East. Does it still worry you? Why do you think that
is?
Now think about things in your own house. Are there things that you worry about that
you have no control over?
Does it help to worry about things over which you have no control? No, but do you
think you can stop worrying about it? Probably not, because you care about the situation
and wish you could change it.
If you cant stop worrying about something you cant control, what is the best thing you
can do? (Be concerned, but realize you that what ever happens you cant control it.)
Tell the students that when they start to worry they should think about whether they
have any control over the situation that is worrying them. If they have control over the
situation, tell them to take appropriate action. If they do not have control over the
situation, tell them to realize that even though they may worry, the end result is out of
their hands.
(7 minutes) Activity 1: Pass Things I Worry About. Ask them to write down things
they worry about since the divorce. After they write things down, ask if they are out of
their control, if so, put an X in the box.
(8 minutes) Activity 2: Hand out the hearts. Tell students to divide it in half, and write
Good on one side, Bad on the other. List all the things that have gotten better since
the divorce/separation on the Good side, and all the things that have gotten worse on the

Bad side. After they have completed this, have them compare their list with a partner.
(3 minutes) Closure: Ask if they are surprised that there were any good things that
have occurred. Try to remember these next time you are upset about things that are out
of your control, maybe this can help you cope. Put both sheets in their folders.

THINGS I WORRY ABOUT

Coping with Divorce Session 6

Grade Level: 6-8
Time: 30 minutes
Purpose: Review and closure
VSCA Standards:
MP5. Demonstrate appropriate skills for interactions with adults and developing and
maintaining positive peer relationships,
MP6. Use appropriate communication and conflict resolution skills with peers and
adults
Measurable Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Review our topics and ask any follow up questions
2. Enjoy their last meeting
Materials:
Ending Questionnaire
Music
Treats for eating
(2 minutes) Anticipatory Set: Return folders to students, tell them they may take them
home, or if they dont want it I will shred it. I will tell them I will have them fill out a
quick form, then we will relax and enjoy our last group together!
(3 minutes) Guided Practice 1: Review all our topics:
Understand the purpose of the group
Examine their own families and how close they are
Reflect upon how they view their family
Think about their feelings relating to different challenges that occur during
divorce
Have students address their thoughts/emotions about the divorce
Understand what they can & cant control
Analyze the best and worse things about their family changes
(5 minutes) Activity 1: Hand out Ending Questionnaire and have them complete it
(20 minutes) Closure: Enjoy food and rest of time together!

ENDING QUESTIONNAIRE
1. The group was interesting.
Disagree

Somewhat

Agree

2. I understand why I was in this group.

Disagree

Somewhat

Agree

3. I thought more about my family dynamics (whom Im close to, whom I avoid).
Disagree

Somewhat

Agree

4. I have some ideas of how to handle the difficulties of changing families.

Disagree

Somewhat

Agree

5. I know whom to talk to when I need help with my family changes.

Disagree

Somewhat

Agree

6. I understand what to do when things are out of my control.

Disagree

Somewhat

Agree

7. I learned some coping skills for when I am feeling upset or stressed.

Disagree

Somewhat

Agree

8. I see some positives aspects with my family changes.

Disagree

Somewhat

Agree

References
Kirby, B. (2007). Grab Bag Guidance and Other Small-group Counseling Topics for Middle
School Students. Mar*co Products. Warminster, PA.
Do-it-Yourself Danielle. (2012, June 16). DIY Interactive Jenga Game [Web log
comment]. Retrieved from http://www.diydanielle.com/2012/06/diy-interactivejenga-game.html.