Life Strategies for Teens Unit | ELA High School Life Skills & SEL Curriculum | PDF Instant Download

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Life Strategies for Teens Unit | High School Life Skills & SEL Curriculum

Fully Updated and Expanded August 2026 | 180-Page PDF | 40 Daily Lesson Plans

Meticulously designed, used, and revised over several years by a veteran ELA, AP LIT, and SPED teacher—me!

This eight-week unit will save you countless—seriously countless—hours of planning time, and your students will be genuinely engaged, enjoying, and learning from the daily lessons and activities.

This comprehensive high school life skills, ELA, and social-emotional learning curriculum is based on Jay McGraw’s nonfiction book Life Strategies for Teens.

Important: Required Book

Students will need access to Jay McGraw’s Life Strategies for Teens. I have always found used copies of his book on Amazon for around a dollar.

Designed for grades 9–12, this engaging eight-week unit combines meaningful literacy instruction with reflection and discussion about self-awareness, healthy habits, personal responsibility, relationships, goal setting, resilience, forgiveness, decision-making, emotional intelligence, and personal growth. This makes it a great unit for high school ELA or a secondary Life Skills class.

Students do more than read about these concepts. They write, analyze, discuss, reflect, and consider how each idea applies—or may not apply—to their own choices and experiences.

The curriculum includes 40 standards-aligned daily lesson plans, flexible pacing guides, student activities and printable worksheets, journal prompts, nonfiction reading and reflection activities, writing instruction, grammar and mechanics practice, video resources, assessments, presentation materials, teacher keys, and more.

IN THIS 180-PAGE EIGHT-WEEK UNIT YOU WILL RECEIVE:

SECTION 1: Teacher Resources

Before You Begin Unit Overview
Flexible 8-Week Unit Overview/Pacing Guide
Blank Pacing Guide Template (Print and Create Your Own Pacing Guide)

SECTION 2: Daily Lesson Plans: 40 Daily Lesson Plans Aligned With ELA CCSS Grades 9-12

SECTION 3:

Video Library: Links to YouTube videos that align with each of the ten Life Laws

(+ teacher summaries)

SECTION 4: Student Activities and Handouts

Pre & Post Assessment (pgs. 71-75)
Video Summary Paragraph Handout (pg. 76)
Video Summary Rubric (pg. 77)
Video Response Graphic Organizer (pg. 78)
Life Law Reflection Wheel (pg. 79)
Anticipation Activity (pgs. 80-81)
Exit Ticket (pg. 82)
Think-Pair-Share Activity (pgs. 83-84)
Reflection Activity: The Habit Loop (pg. 85)
Love Language Reflection (pg. 86)
Article: “How Self-Love Shapes the Way We’re Treated by Others” (pgs. 87-89)
Article Comprehension Questions: “How Self-Love ...” + Answer Key (pgs. 90-93)
Goals in Action Handout (for Life Law 7) (pg. 94)
Forgiveness is Freedom Handout (for Life Law 9) (pg. 95)
Reflective Essay Rubric (pg. 96)
Article: “The Science of Happiness” (pgs. 97-101)
Happiness Habits Daily Trackers/Checklists (pgs. 102-105)
8 x 11 Printable Life Laws Posters (pgs. 106-107)
Comprehension & Reflection Journal Prompts for Each Life Law (pgs. 108-141)
Text Reflection Questions (pg. 142)
Reflective Essay Rubric (pg. 143)
Essay Structure Guides (pgs. 144-147)
Exemplar Reflective Essay (pgs. 148-152)
Clause Handout (pg. 153)
Student DOL (Daily Oral Language Grammar and Mechanics Exercises) (pgs. 154-163)
DOL Teacher Key (pgs. 164-172)

SECTION 5: Presentation Resources: Guidelines, Rubrics, Brainstorming Pages (pgs. 173-179)

Each lesson is designed for approximately 70–90 minutes but can easily be shortened, extended, combined, or adapted. Use the complete curriculum for an eight-week unit, spread it across a quarter or semester, or select individual lessons to complement an existing program.

Ideal for:

High school ELA classes
Social-emotional learning and SEL programs
Life skills and personal-development courses
Advisory and homeroom
Health and character education
Guidance and school counseling groups
Career-readiness programs
Special education and intervention settings
High school homeschool curriculum
Homeschool co-ops and teen discussion groups

About McGraw's text and this unit:

Life Strategies for Teens presents practical life principles in an accessible, teen-friendly format. Jay McGraw uses candid language, relatable examples, and real-life situations to explore ten “Life Laws” addressing topics such as personal responsibility, self-awareness, behavior, relationships, forgiveness, goal setting, and taking action.

The conversational style of the text makes complex ideas about choices, habits, mindset, relationships, and personal growth approachable for secondary students, including students who may be reluctant readers or who do not typically connect with traditional academic texts.

Jay McGraw is the son of psychologist and television personality Dr. Phil McGraw, and he originally wrote Life Strategies for Teens specifically for a teenage audience, adapting many broader personal-development concepts to the experiences and challenges young people face.

Throughout this unit, students are encouraged not simply to understand the ten Life Laws, but to question them, discuss them, connect them to their own experiences, and consider how these principles might—or might not—apply to their lives.

This curriculum is an engaging option for teachers and homeschool families searching for healthy habits for teens, seven habits activities, positive habits lesson plans, student success habits, or a high school habits curriculum. Rather than asking students simply to memorize a set of rules, the unit encourages them to examine their choices, identify behavior patterns, build effective habits, and take greater responsibility for their goals, relationships, and personal growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the book required?
Yes. Students need access to Jay McGraw’s Life Strategies for Teens to complete the reading-based lessons and activities. I usually find used copies on Amazon for around a dollar.

Can homeschool families use this curriculum?
Absolutely. The flexible lesson plans, reflection activities, writing assignments, and discussion prompts work well for individual high school students, homeschool co-ops, and small learning groups.

What grades is the unit designed for?
The curriculum was created for grades 9–12 and can be adapted for different reading levels and secondary settings. I've included CCSS on every lesson plan.

How long does the curriculum take?
The resource contains 40 daily lessons designed for an eight-week unit. Depending on scheduling and activity selection, it can also fill a quarter or extend across a semester.

What subjects can use this resource?
It works especially well in ELA, SEL, life skills, advisory, homeroom, health, guidance, character education, career readiness, and special education.

How does Life Strategies for Teens compare with The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens?

I’ve taught both books to high school students over the years, and honestly, they're both great. In my experience, Life Strategies for Teens feels a little less formal and more conversational. McGraw uses candid language, relatable real-life examples, and situations that feel relevant to teenagers. This approachable style can make the book especially engaging for reluctant readers and students who don’t typically connect with traditional academic texts. If you want a casual, teen-friendly option that encourages honest reflection and discussion, Life Strategies for Teens is an excellent choice.

Questions? email me at anamcaracat@aol.com

I'm a real person and usually at my desk!