Feelings Thermometer Lab Facilitation Guide Feelings Thermometer Lab
Teacher Facilitation Guide
Tier 1 Lesson
Objective
Students will be able to label four core feelings (happy, sad, angry, calm) and match each to a helpful self-management strategy using the Feelings Thermometer scale.
Logistics
Time: 30 minutes
Audience: 3rd Grade
Approach: Discussion & Activity
The "Why"
Understanding and managing emotions is crucial for a child's social-emotional development. This lesson provides practical tools for students to build self-awareness and emotional regulation skills through a visual "temperature" scale that makes abstract feelings concrete.
Preparation Checklist
Required Tasks Est. Time: 15m
Review the Lab Coach Script and all linked materials to ensure smooth delivery.
Print and cut the cards for the Thermometer Card Sort Activity (one set per small group or pair).
Prepare the Emotions Heat Map Slides on a projector or whiteboard.
Instructional Sequence
05
min
Mindful Check-in
Begin with a brief mindful check-in. Ask students to silently consider how they are feeling in the moment. Use the first slide to welcome "Emotion Scientists."
Slides 1
10
min
Teach Feelings Scale
Introduce the "Feelings Thermometer." Connect feelings to four zones (Green, Yellow, Orange, Red) and discuss how these emotions feel physically in the body.
Slides 2-3 Script Sec 2
10
min
Card-Sort Lab Practice
Students work in small groups to sort Feeling Cards into zones and match them with helpful Strategy Cards. Circulate to provide support and prompt discussion.
Main Activity
05
min
Share & Wrap-up
Bring the class together to share one strategy they found helpful. Reiterate that all feelings are okay and manageable.
Reflective Closing
Lab Inventory
Heat Map Slides
Lab Coach Script
Card Sort Kit
Emotions Heat Map Slides Feelings Lab
Welcome,
Lab Scientists!
Today, we're going to explore our amazing feelings!
TEACHER NOTES: Welcome students and set a calm tone. Ask them to close their eyes if comfortable and just notice how their body feels. Then ask them to think about what emotion might be linked to that feeling.
The Feelings Thermometer
RED ZONE ORANGE ZONE YELLOW ZONE GREEN ZONE
Green Zone
Calm, happy, peaceful
Yellow Zone
A little worried, frustrated, silly
Orange Zone
Annoyed, nervous, excited
Red Zone
Angry, scared, overwhelmed
TEACHER NOTES: Introduce the idea of a 'feelings thermometer.' Explain that just like temperature, our feelings can range from cool/calm to hot/intense. Introduce the four core feelings.
Where Do You Feel It?
Think about where you feel different emotions in your body:
Happy?
Maybe a warm fuzzy feeling in your chest!
Sad?
Perhaps a heavy feeling in your stomach.
Angry?
Maybe a hot feeling in your face or hands.
Calm?
A relaxed feeling all over.
TEACHER NOTES: Explain that different feelings might feel different in our bodies. Ask students to consider where they might feel 'happy' in their body, for example.
Lab Coach Script Facilitator Script
Lab Coach Script
Feelings Thermometer Lab • 3rd Grade SEL
SESSION: 30 MIN
Scientific Protocol #01
Lab Phases
Phase 01
The Check-In
Phase 02
The Scale
Phase 03
The Experiment
Phase 04
The Takeaway
5 MIN
Introduction
"Good morning, aspiring emotion scientists! Welcome to our Feelings Thermometer Lab! Before we begin our important work today, let's take a moment to check in with ourselves."
"I want everyone to find a comfortable position. You can close your eyes if you feel comfortable, or just soften your gaze. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and a slow breath out through your mouth. Do this a couple more times."
"Now, without judgment, just notice how you are feeling right now. Is your body feeling energetic, tired, calm, squirmy? What emotion might be connected to that feeling? You don't need to share it out loud, just notice it within yourself."
"Open your eyes when you are ready. Great job, everyone. It's so important to notice how we're feeling before we even start our day."
10 MIN
Teach Feelings Scale
DISPLAY SLIDE 2: THE FEELINGS THERMOMETER
"Just like a weather thermometer tells us how hot or cold it is outside, we can think of our feelings as having different temperatures or 'zones.' Some feelings feel really calm and cool, while others can feel hot and intense!"
"On our Feelings Thermometer today, we're going to think about four main zones."
"Our Green Zone is when we feel calm, happy, or peaceful. It's like a cool, pleasant day. What are some things that make you feel like you're in the green zone?"
"Our Yellow Zone might be when we feel a little worried, frustrated, or even super silly and excited! It's like the sun is getting a bit warmer. What might make you feel a little yellow?"
"Our Orange Zone is when feelings start to get hotter. Maybe we feel annoyed, nervous, or very excited and full of energy! How might your body feel if you're in the orange zone?"
"And then there's the Red Zone . This is when our feelings are really hot! We might feel angry, really scared, or totally overwhelmed. These are big feelings. What does it feel like in your body when you're in the red zone?"
DISPLAY SLIDE 3: WHERE DO YOU FEEL IT?
"Now, let's think about where we feel these emotions in our bodies. When you're happy, maybe you feel a warm, fuzzy sensation in your chest... It's different for everyone, but noticing these body clues can help us understand what we're feeling!"
Thermometer Card Sort Activity Lab Card Sort Kit
Project: Feelings Thermometer
Cut along
dotted lines
Student Instructions
Work with your group to cut out all the cards below.
Identify which cards are Feelings and which are Strategies .
Sort the Feeling Cards into the correct zone on your thermometer mat.
Match at least one Strategy Card to each zone or specific feeling.
Part A
Feeling Cards
Happy
Calm
Peaceful
Excited
Silly
Worried
Frustrated
Annoyed
Nervous
Angry
Scared
Overwhelmed
Sad
Joyful
Part B
Strategy Cards
Take 3 Deep Breaths
Talk to a Trusted Adult
Count to 10
Draw a Picture
Go for a Walk
Listen to Music
Ask for Help
Think of Something Happy
Squeeze a Stress Ball
Take a Break
Practice Positive Self-Talk
Play a Game
Feelings Thermometer Mat
Sort your cards into the zones below
Cool Mild Warm Hot!
Red Zone
Angry, Scared, Overwhelmed
Orange Zone
Annoyed, Nervous, Excited
Yellow Zone
Worried, Frustrated, Silly
Green Zone
Happy, Calm, Peaceful