Emotions Lesson Plan Expressing Emotions Effectively
4th Grade • Tier 1 Social-Emotional Learning
10 MIN
Objective
Students will learn and practice effective ways of expressing being upset through identifying, naming, and reflecting on their emotions.
Prep & Materials
Video: "Tools for Managing Your Emotions"
Discussion Guide: Expressing Emotions
Display board/Slide deck
Why This Lesson Matters
This lesson equips students with essential emotional regulation skills, fostering better communication and emotional intelligence. By learning tools to express being upset healthily, students can navigate conflict and internal stress more effectively.
Instructional Steps
01
Introduction
1 MIN
Briefly introduce the topic of emotions and why it's important to express them in healthy ways.
Explain that today we'll learn some tools to help us express our emotions, especially when we're upset.
02
Video Viewing
2 MINS
Show the video Tools for Managing Your Emotions.
Encourage students to pay attention to the specific "tools" mentioned in the video.
03
Guided Discussion
5 MINS
Ask students to share what they learned from the video.
Discuss the importance of naming and rating emotions, talking about them, and reflecting on emotional experiences.
Use the provided Discussion Guide to deepen the conversation.
04
Closure
2 MINS
Summarize the key points: Name it, Rate it, Talk it out, Reflect.
Encourage students to practice these tools when they feel upset.
Remind them that it's okay to feel upset—expressing it is what keeps us healthy.
Emotions Discussion Guide Expressing Emotions
Discussion Guide for Facilitators
Use these questions to facilitate a conversation with your students about effectively expressing emotions, particularly when they feel upset. These questions are designed to build on the concepts introduced in the video "Tools for Managing Your Emotions."
1
What are some tools mentioned in the video for managing emotions?
Teaching Tip:
Encourage students to recall the specific tools such as naming and rating emotions, talking about them, and reflecting on them.
Teacher notes / student responses
2
Why is it important to talk about your emotions with someone you trust?
Teaching Tip:
Discuss how talking can help put complex feelings into words and open up a dialogue about shared experiences. It helps us feel less alone in our big feelings.
Teacher notes / student responses
3
How can reflecting on your emotions help you understand them better?
Teaching Tip:
Guide students to think about how reflection—looking back at a situation once they are calm—can help them learn more about themselves and their typical emotional responses.
Teacher notes / student responses
Emotions Lesson Slides Expressing Emotions Effectively
Tools for Your Emotional Toolbelt
Why Share Our Feelings?
"Sharing your feelings helps you stay in control and makes hard situations easier to handle."
Helps others understand us
Lowers stress levels
Builds stronger friendships
Video Presentation
Tools for Managing Your Emotions
Click to view video
presidio-school.lennylearning.org/view/tools-for-managing-your-emotions
Watch closely for the four tools mentioned!
Tool #1
Name It
When you're upset, try to give your feeling a specific name.
Instead of "bad":
Frustrated Lonely Overwhelmed Anxious
Tool #2
Rate It
How big is the feeling on a scale of 1 to 10?
1 (Small Spark) 5 (Steady Heat) 10 (Full Fire)
"Rating helps us decide if we need a big tool or a small tool."
Tool #3
Talk It Out
Find a trusted person and tell them what's going on.
Try saying:
"I'm feeling [Name] at a level [Rate]. Can we talk?"
Who is a trusted adult at school?
Tool #4
Reflect
Once you're calm, think back on what happened.
What triggered the feeling?
Did my tools work well?
What can I do next time?
"Reflection makes us emotional experts!"
Healthy Hearts, Clear Minds
Expressing your emotions isn't just okay—it's powerful.
Practice Today!
Emotional Toolbelt Handout Name:
Date:
My Emotional Toolbelt
4 Tools to Manage Big Feelings
When you feel upset or overwhelmed, reach for your toolbelt! Use these four steps to help you understand and express your emotions healthily.
1 Name It
Give your feeling a specific name.
Frustrated Lonely Worried Overwhelmed
My feeling is:
2 Rate It
How big is the feeling? (1-10)
Small Medium Big
3 Talk It Out
Tell a trusted person about it.
"I'm feeling ______ at a level ____. Can we talk?"
A trusted person I can talk to:
4 Reflect
Learn from the experience.
What triggered the feeling?
What tool worked best?
What can I do next time?
Practice Your Tools
Think of a time you were upset recently. What happened?
What tool would you use first?
Who could you talk to?
"Expressing your feelings makes you an emotional expert!"
