Grieving processes
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain some common processes of grief and how I can get support.
Key learning points
- Grieving is not linear - people may move through stages in different orders.
- Common grieving stages include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
- There is no time limit for grief.
- Coping strategies include talking, writing, art, and time alone.
- Ongoing support can help manage long-term grief.
Keywords
Bereavement - the experience of losing a person that is important and significant to us
Grief - a physical and emotional response to a loss or bereavement
Common misconception
Someone should be 'over it' after a few weeks.
Grief has no set timeline; it’s normal to feel ups and downs over time, even years later.
Teacher tip
Reinforce the importance of empathy and non-judgement in peer conversations.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Why is grief described as personal?
Q2.What emotion might someone feel during grief, besides sadness?
Q3.How can culture or beliefs affect how someone grieves?
Q4.Grief is a natural and response to loss.
Q5.After the family dog dies, Priya feels sad for weeks but later starts drawing pictures of her pet to remember the good times. What does this show about her grief?
Q6.After his grandad dies, Leo sometimes feels angry at small things, then guilty for feeling that way. What does this show about grief?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the term to the definition.
Q2.What does it mean when people say grieving is not linear?
Q3.Which of these is one of the common stages of grief?
Q4.What is true about the time it takes to grieve?
Q5.Which of these can be a healthy coping strategy for grief?
Q6.Ongoing can help someone manage long-term grief.
To help you plan your 10 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Grieving processes, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Grieving processes, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 RSHE (PSHE) lessons from the Healthy relationships: How do separation and change affect relationships? unit, dive into the full secondary RSHE (PSHE) curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.