Calm Down Cue: "Smell the flower, blow out 5 candles on your fingers: Pffff!"
Emotion 4: SCARED (Slide 6) O-Mouth & High Brows
Script: "Now look at this! (Open eyes super wide, lift brows high, drop jaw into an 'O', pull hands to chest). My eyes are giant circles! My mouth made an 'O'! My hands want to protect my body. This is SCARED."
Safety Anchor: "When scared, we freeze, find a trusted adult, and say 'Help please!'"
Phase 3: Guided Practice — Emotion Charades (13:00 – 20:00) Charades Cards
How to Run: Draw 1 student volunteer. Whisper the secret emotion card or show the picture icon. Remind the class: "Detectives look for clues before blurting!"
Prompting the Actor: "Remember: No talking! Show me your eyebrows. Show me your mouth. What are your hands doing?"
Prompting the Detectives: "Detectives, what clue do you see first? Raise a quiet hand. (Student: 'His mouth is curved down!') Exactly! What feeling has mouth curved down? Yes—SAD!"
Do 3-4 rounds ensuring each of the 4 emotions is modeled by students.
Phase 4: Independent Practice — "Color the Feeling" (20:00 – 26:00) Worksheet
Transition Script: "Tiploe quietly back to your tables. You will get your 'Color the Feeling' sheet and 4 crayons: Yellow for Happy, Blue for Sad, Red for Mad, and Purple for Scared. Look at each face, trace the feeling word, and color the border! At the bottom, draw YOUR feeling today!"
Teacher Circulation: Kneel at eye level. Ask: "Tell me what clue you see on face #3. Why did you choose red?"
Phase 5: Reflect & Share Circle (26:00 – 30:00)
Chime & Regather: Return to circle holding worksheets.
Closing Chant: "My face can show, my words can say, how I feel every day! Happy, Sad, Mad, or Scared—all our feelings are welcomed and cared!"
Differentiation & Support Tips
ELL / Emerging: Use the picture avatar cards rather than written words; pair with hand gestures.
Sensory Sensitive: Provide a handheld mirror so students can explore their own facial cues safely.
Meet the Feeling Faces • Kindergarten SEL Facilitation Lesson Complete • 30 Minutes
Act it out: Give a high-five and beam proudly!
Sad Scenario 🎨
Your beautiful rainbow painting slipped off the drying rack and tore.
Act it out: Head down, mouth frowned, quiet sigh.
Sad Scenario 🎒
Your favorite play partner got picked up early and you have to play alone.
Act it out: Slump your shoulders, soft wave.
Mad Scenario 🖍️
You were coloring a sun and someone grabbed the yellow crayon without asking!
Act it out: Squeeze your fists, sharp V-brows!
Mad Scenario 💥
Someone runs by too fast and knocks down your neat block tower.
Act it out: Tight mouth line, stomp one foot!
Scared Scenario ⛈️
Dark clouds roll in outside and a huge loud rumble shakes the classroom window!
Act it out: Eyes wide like saucers, gasp "O!"
Scared Scenario 💡
The classroom lights click off suddenly during a storm and it's super dark!
Act it out: Hands hold cheeks, look around fast!
Meet the Feeling Faces • Scenario Prompt Cards Page 2: 8 Situation Cards
🌱
My Name
🎈
My Name
2. Individual Desk Mini-Mats (Cut in half along dashed center line)
Desk Mini-Meter Name: ___________
😊 HAPPY
😢 SAD
😡 MAD
😨 SCARED
Circle with dry-erase marker during work time!
Desk Mini-Meter Name: ___________
😊 HAPPY
😢 SAD
😡 MAD
😨 SCARED
Circle with dry-erase marker during work time!
Meet the Feeling Faces • Check-In Mats & Clip Tokens Page 2: Cut-Out Resources
Brows: Arched high up
Body: Hands guard chest
Action: Hold hand / adult
Meet the Feeling Faces • Educator Playbook Part 1: Instructional Framework →
Learning Centers • Universal Design • Observational Rubric
Playbook • Page 2
Classroom Implementation
Multilingual / ELL
Pair emotion words with home languages (feliz/triste/enojado/asustado). Rely on the color-coded visual tokens and physical charades gestures.
Sensory & Calming
Provide handheld mirrors so students can see their own face shapes. Allow students to point to cards instead of speaking if experiencing mutism or dysregulation.
Fine Motor Supports
Offer jumbo triangular crayons for the worksheet. For drawing, provide dot stickers or precut felt face features (brows, mouths) for students with grip barriers.
🎨 Art Center: Paper Plate Faces
Students glue yarn eyebrows and popsicle-stick mouths in curved/straight lines to build 3D emotion masks.
🎭 Dramatic Play: Emotion Doctor
Stuffed animals visit the "Feelings Clinic". Students identify why the bear is sad or tiger is mad and prescribe hugs or breaths.
🧱 Block Center: Feeling Towers
Build towers using emotion color blocks (Yellow = tall & sunny, Red = big and sturdy) and practice rebuilding after crashes.
📚 Cozy Corner: Feeling Library
Stock picture books about feelings (e.g. The Color Monster, Glad Monster, Sad Monster) with the Mood Meter nearby.
| Objective | Beginning (1) | Developing (2) | Secure (3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Identify Cues | Identifies emotion only with direct teacher pointing and 1-on-1 prompting. | Identifies happy and sad easily; mixes mad and scared cues occasionally. | Consistently identifies all 4 emotions by naming specific mouth/eyebrow cues. |
| 2. Self-Expression | Reluctant to share or points at random zone without reflection. | Selects a feeling zone on Mood Meter with verbal support from peers/teacher. | Independently places token on Mood Meter and explains feeling with body cue. |
| 3. Regulation Tool | Needs adult intervention to transition during big emotional states. | Attempts calming breath (flower/candle) when prompted by teacher. | Spontaneously initiates deep breathing or asks for assistance when upset. |
🏡 Family Connection Tip (Take-Home Note):
Send the completed "Color the Feeling" sheet home with a family prompt: "Ask your Kindergartener to show you their 'flower and candle breath' or make their silliest Happy Face before bedtime!"
Meet the Feeling Faces • Educator Playbook Complete Lesson Suite • Ready for Instruction
