This creative research project documents the design, implementation, and preliminary assessment of Emotion in Motion, a ten-week curriculum designed to implement physical activity that aligns with SHAPE national standards with core SEL principles using the Zones of Regulation Framework and Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). This project was implemented at the Boys and Girls Club of the Chippewa Valley with youth aged 7-11 to explore how movement-based activity can foster emotional regulation in youth outside of a school setting.This project was created to bridge the gap in current research of SEL integration outside of schools as well as create a practical curriculum model that can be implemented anywhere that demonstrates alignment with SHAPE national standards focused on increasing emotional regulation skills in youth in a unique way.Implementation included backwards design, breaking down core CASEL components into bi-weekly units and daily SEL goals. Movement-based activities were then developed based on the SEL goal and designed to align with SHAPE standards. Pre- and post-emotional regulation and emotional lability were scored for participants using the Emotional Regulation Checklist (ERC).This project creates a replicable curriculum that is practical for youth-serving organizations looking to implement social and emotional skills into movement-based programming.
