Power Up: Gamification Tools for Social and Emotional Learning

by Dr Jaime Dombrowski

The Power Up program brings gamification and fun classroom activities to the teaching of social and emotional learning skills.

Students will enjoy the challenge of earning skill icons and navigating the Power Up game board, all while practicing valuable self-awareness and relationship skills.

Power Up lessons cover each of the core areas of SEL: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

The fun, easy-to-use program offers step-by-step guidance on each lesson and the flexibility to tailor the program to your own students’ needs. You’ll find curricula for daily lessons, small groups, and virtual classrooms as well as all handouts and game materials. Power Up provides everything you need to introduce SEL skills:

• The program includes a complete curriculum for teaching the five core SEL skills in brief daily sessions across 30 lessons. As an alternate format, the included small group curriculum enables instructors to use the program to teach one skill domain in a concentrated six-to-eight-week period.
• The program offers scripts and adapted exercises for teaching the lessons virtually.
• Power Up sets up instructors for success, providing step-by-step guidance and classroom materials for all program curricula. Each lesson includes objectives and success criteria, handy lists of required materials, student handouts and game materials, and session outlines that provide instructors with suggested scripts, sequencing of activities, and teaching tips.
• You’ll find all game boards, icons, and classroom-display skill cutouts — all beautifully designed and ready to use.
• To help keep the sessions running smoothly, the program offers instructor materials for all versions of Power Up. Teacher supports include checklists, displayable lesson objectives, and sample permission forms and letters to parents and guardians — many available as downloadable files.
• The Introduction and Program Overview provides insight into the research informing Power Up as well as practical tips on implementation, further strengthening instructor confidence and program success.