Indiana Social Studies P.5.3

Social StudiesGrades 9–12Personality, Assessment, and Stress

The Standard

Describe and distinguish between eustress and distress.

2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students tell apart stress that helps a person meet a challenge from stress that feels overwhelming and gets in the way. They look at how the person responds, not just what happened.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can explain why a prepared speaker feels nervous but focused, while another speaker feels so overwhelmed that they cannot begin. They can name the first response eustress and the second distress.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think all stress is harmful or that eustress means feeling calm. They may also label an event, such as a test, as eustress or distress without considering the person's response.
How to Assess It: Give students this prompt: Two students have a test tomorrow. One feels alert and starts reviewing; the other feels overwhelmed and cannot sleep. Label each response and explain your choice.

Lesson moves

Give pairs four scenario cards and two labeled folders; have them sort each card by the person's response and point to a clue.
Ask students to write two sentences explaining how a school play audition could motivate one student but overwhelm another.
Play a quick matching game: students pair stress-response cards with labels, then defend one match using a clue on the card.
Show a mock summer job interview notice; ask students to name one preparation step and one sign that stress has become overwhelming.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to P.5.3, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

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