Emotion Wheel Blueprint Lesson Plan Emotion Wheel Blueprint
Tier 1 Social-Emotional Learning • 3rd Grade
30 Minutes
Why This Matters
Building emotional literacy helps students understand and manage feelings, fostering self-awareness, empathy, and a supportive classroom environment.
Objective
Enable students to identify, label, and express a range of emotions by creating a personalized emotion wheel and sharing their feelings with peers.
Prepare Materials (5 min)
Review the lesson blueprint and objectives.
Print copies of Build Your Wheel and Emotion Matching .
Queue up the Feelings at a Glance slide deck.
Gather colored pencils/markers and scissors.
Arrange seating for the Sharing Circle.
Resource Checklist
Feelings Slide Deck Build Your Wheel Sheet Prompt Cards Matching Worksheet Art Supplies
Instructional Sequence
5m
Introduction
Greet the class and explain today’s focus on emotions.
Ask students to name how they feel right now and record responses on the board.
Briefly introduce the term “emotions” and discuss why identifying them matters.
8m
Feelings at a Glance
Display the Feelings at a Glance slide deck.
Present 6–8 common emotions with images and simple definitions.
Invite students to share examples of times they felt each emotion.
10m
Build Your Wheel
Hand out the Build Your Wheel activity and art supplies.
Instruct students to divide their wheel into segments, label emotions, draw faces, and color.
Circulate and support students in selecting and labeling emotions appropriately.
5m
Sharing Circle
Invite students to the circle with their completed emotion wheels.
Use the Sharing Circle Prompt Cards to facilitate discussion.
Encourage respectful listening and affirming feedback.
2m
Emotion Matching Wrap-Up
Distribute the Emotion Matching worksheet for a quick check.
Pair students to match emotion words with facial expressions.
Review answers as a class and reinforce key emotion concepts.
Feelings at a Glance Slide Deck Feelings at a Glance
Let's explore how we feel!
😊 Happy
😢 Sad
😠 Angry
😨 Scared
😮 Surprised
😌 Calm
Welcome students! Today we’ll explore six common emotions together.
Happy & Sad
😊
Happy
Feeling joy or excitement
A big smile when things go well
😢
Sad
Feeling unhappy or down
Tears or a frown when things are tough
"What makes you feel happy? What makes you feel sad?"
Angry & Scared
😠
Angry
Feeling upset or mad
Tense muscles and furrowed brow
😨
Scared
Feeling frightened or worried
Shaky feeling in your tummy
"What might make you feel angry? What might make you feel scared?"
Surprised & Calm
😮
Surprised
Feeling amazed or startled
Raised eyebrows and open mouth
😌
Calm
Feeling peaceful and relaxed
Soft smile and slow breathing
"When have you felt surprised? When have you felt calm?"
Build Your Wheel Activity Sheet Build Your Emotion Wheel
Create a map of your feelings!
Name:
Date:
How to Make Your Wheel
1 Cut out the large circle along the solid outer line.
2 Draw three straight lines through the center point to make 6 slices.
3 Choose 6 emotions (Happy, Sad, Angry, Scared, Surprised, Calm).
4 Write the name of one emotion at the top of each slice.
5 Draw a face or symbol and Color each section.
6 Keep it flat and ready for the Sharing Circle !
Cut on solid line • Divide into 6 slices
"Your feelings are like colors on a palette—each one is important!"
Sharing Circle Prompt Cards Discussion Guide Sharing Circle Prompt Cards
Guidance for a safe and respectful discussion about emotions.
Circle Guidelines (Read Aloud)
One person speaks at a time.
Listen with your eyes and heart.
It’s okay to pass if you’re not ready.
What is shared stays in the circle.
Card 1
Name & Wheel Slice
“Please say your name, point to one slice on your wheel, and tell us which emotion it shows.”
Follow-up: “Why did you choose that color or drawing for this emotion?”
Card 2
When & Where
“Share a time you felt this emotion. Where were you and what happened?”
Follow-up: “How did your body feel when this emotion showed up?”
Card 3
Coping & Calming
“When you feel this way, what helps you feel better or stay calm?”
Follow-up: “Who can you ask for help when you feel this?”
Card 4
Empathy Check
“Can anyone else share a similar time they felt this emotion?”
Follow-up: “What did you do then?”
Teacher Facilitation Tips
• After each share, nod or say “Thank you for sharing.”
• Summarize common themes (e.g., “Many of us feel calm when breathing deep”).
• Encourage peers to ask one kind question to the speaker.
• Reinforce: All emotions are OK and we can learn from them.
Emotion Matching Worksheet Assessment Emotion Matching
How well do you know your feelings?
Name:
Date:
Step 1: Match the Words
1
Happy
2
Sad
3
Angry
4
Scared
5
Surprised
6
Calm
🙂 A
🙁 B
😠 C
😨 D
😮 E
😌 F
Reflection Question
Which facial expression was the hardest to match? Why?
"Every face tells a story. What's yours today?"
Emotion Matching Answer Key Teacher Resource Answer Key
Emotion Matching Assessment • Teacher Resource
FOR TEACHER USE
Correct Pairings
1. Happy
🙂 A
2. Sad
🙁 B
3. Angry
😠 C
4. Scared
😨 D
5. Surprised
😮 E
6. Calm
😌 F
Grading Notes
This assessment is formative. The goal is to gauge students' ability to connect vocabulary with visual cues.
1 point for each correct match (Total /6).
Full credit for the reflection question if the student provides a logical explanation, regardless of which emotion they found difficult.
Misconception Check
"Surprised vs. Scared"
Students may confuse these as both involve wide eyes. Clarify that Surprised is often neutral/amazed, while Scared involves worry/fear.
"Calm vs. Happy"
Calm is low energy and peaceful; Happy can be high energy and excited. Use breathing as a differentiator.