Emotion Match Lesson Plan Emotion Match Lesson Plan
Life Skills: 7th-8th Grade • 30 Minutes
LEVEL: SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL
Learning Objective
Students will be able to match specific emotions (e.g., irritated, terrified) to the corresponding problem size (0-5) on the scale with 100% accuracy during guided practice.
Materials Needed
Emotion Link Slides
Feeling Swap Cards (Laminated & Velcro)
Desk Scale Reference sheets
Mirror Mirror Guide
Handheld mirrors (one per student)
Giant Floor Thermometer (Tape/Poster)
INSTRUCTIONAL ARC
5 MIN
Warm-Up: Face Yoga & Mirroring
Script & Facilitation:
"Welcome, everyone! Grab your mirrors. We're starting with 'Face Yoga.' I want you to look in your mirror and make the tightest face possible—scrunch up your eyes, nose, and mouth like you just ate a whole lemon. Now, release! Stretch your jaw wide. This is how our bodies show our internal feelings."
Have students practice 'Neutral,' 'Surprised,' and 'Annoyed' faces.
Focus on the micro-expressions: eyebrows, mouth corners, and forehead.
10 MIN
Explicit Teaching: The 0-5 Connection
Key Vocabulary:
LEVEL 1: IRRITATED
LEVEL 3: SCARED
LEVEL 5: TERRIFIED
"Feelings are like volume knobs. You can be a little 'annoyed' (Level 1) or 'enraged' (Level 5). We use numbers to help others understand how big our feeling is. If I lose my pencil, is that a Level 5 'Terrified' moment? No, that’s an 'Irritated' Level 1."
5 MIN
Visual Modeling: Floor Thermometer
Place the Giant Floor Thermometer in the center. Pick up the 'Terrified' card. "If I'm terrified, my heart is racing, I might be frozen. Where does that go? It's the highest heat!" Model placing the card on 5 . Invite a student to place 'Irritated' on 1 .
7 MIN
Guided Practice: Desk Scales
Students use their Desk Scale Reference and Feeling Swap Cards . "I'm going to give you a scenario. You find the emotion card that fits, and stick it on your desk scale at the right number."
Scenario: You see a giant spider on your pillow right before bed. (Students should match Scared/Terrified to 4 or 5).
3 MIN
Mastery Check: High Stakes Match
Quick Fire: "Everyone, hold up the card that matches Level 5: A life-threatening emergency." Check for 'Terrified' or 'Enraged' cards.
Designed for Life Skills Curriculum • Emotion Match Lesson Plan
Emotion Match Slides How Big is My
Feeling?
Matching Emotions to the Scale
Today's Goal
I can match specific emotions like irritated or terrified to the correct level (0–5) on the problem scale.
#LifeSkills #EmotionalIntelligence
Warm-Up: Face Yoga
🍋
The Sour Lemon
Scrunch every muscle in your face as tight as possible!
🦁
The Roaring Lion
Open your eyes and mouth as wide as they can go!
Mirror Mirror
Look into your handheld mirror and try to make these faces:
Neutral
Surprised
Annoyed
Feelings are like Volume Knobs
Some feelings are "whispers" (Level 1).
Some feelings are "shouts" (Level 5).
We match the size of the feeling to the size of the problem.
5 - TERRIFIED
4 - SCARED
3 - WORRIED
2 - NERVOUS
1 - IRRITATED
0 - CALM
LEVEL 1
😒
Irritated
"You can't find your favorite pen, or someone is clicking their pen next to you."
Small Problem → Small Feeling
LEVEL 3
😟
Scared / Worried
"You have a big presentation in class and you didn't practice enough."
Medium Problem → Medium Feeling
LEVEL 5
😱
Terrified
"There is a major emergency or you are in real danger."
Big Emergency → Big Feeling
Floor Thermometer
Let's practice! We're going to place our emotion cards on the giant scale on the floor.
Your Turn
1
Look at the scenario on the screen.
2
Pick the best matching emotion card.
3
Stick it on your desk scale!
"You spilled juice on your homework, but you can still read it."
Quick Match!
Which emotion matches Level 5: A life-threatening emergency?
Irritated?
Worried?
Terrified!
Feeling Swap Cards Feeling Swap Cards
Cut these out to use with your Desk Scale. Add Velcro to the backs!
😌
Calm
LEVEL 0
🙂
Content
LEVEL 0
😒
Irritated
LEVEL 1
😑
Annoyed
LEVEL 1
🤨
Nervous
LEVEL 2
😕
Unsure
LEVEL 2
😟
Worried
LEVEL 3
😰
Anxious
LEVEL 3
😨
Scared
LEVEL 4
😠
Frustrated
LEVEL 4
😱
Terrified
LEVEL 5
😡
Enraged
LEVEL 5
Custom Emotions Desk Scale Reference Desk Scale Reference
Match your feelings to the size of the problem.
Name:
Date:
0
1
2
3
4
5
Stick Level 0 Emotion Here
Level 0: No Problem
Stick Level 1 Emotion Here
Level 1: Glitch / Tiny Problem
Stick Level 2 Emotion Here
Level 2: Small Problem
Stick Level 3 Emotion Here
Level 3: Medium Problem
Stick Level 4 Emotion Here
Level 4: Big Problem
Stick Level 5 Emotion Here
Level 5: Emergency
Pro Tip: When you have a big feeling, check your scale. If the problem is a Level 1, try to find your Level 1 emotion (Irritated). Matching the size of the feeling to the problem helps us stay in control!
Mirror Mirror Guide Mirror Mirror Guide
Warm-Up Activity: Face Yoga & Mirroring
1 Face Yoga Routine
🍋
The Sour Lemon
Scrunch every single muscle in your face toward your nose. Tighten your eyes, mouth, and forehead!
🦁
The Roaring Lion
Open your mouth as wide as possible. Stretch your eyebrows up and stick out your tongue!
2 Mirror Challenges
Look in your mirror and try to hold these expressions for 5 seconds:
😐
Neutral
😯
Surprised
😒
Annoyed
Check Your "Body Volume"
What do you notice about your eyebrows when you're SCARED?
How does your mouth feel when you're ENRAGED (tight or loose)?
"Your face is a window. Even if you don't say a word, your expressions tell others exactly what level you're at!"
