Mirror My Mood Lesson Plan MIRROR MY MOOD
Foundational Emotional Literacy
Duration 30 MIN
THE OBJECTIVE
Students will identify and express four basic emotions—happy, sad, mad, and scared—by observing and mimicking facial cues in mirrors and peers.
WHY IT MATTERS
Building emotional literacy in Pre-K fosters self-awareness, vocabulary development, empathy, and peer connection, laying a foundation for healthy social-emotional skills.
SETUP MATERIALS
Handheld mirrors (one per student)
Feelings Faces Slides
Draw Your Feeling Sheets & Crayons
Teacher Script with Prompts
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
GO INSTRUCTIONAL STEPS
05 MIN
Warm-Up Emotion Song
Introduce a simple song naming the four emotions. Have students stand and make matching faces as you sing.
05 MIN
Modeling Faces
Model emotions in a mirror. Ask: "What do you notice about my mouth? My eyes?" Repeat for happy, sad, mad, and scared.
10 MIN
Student Mimic & Label
Students use handheld mirrors. Display slides and prompt them to look, mirror, and call out: "I'm sad!"
05 MIN
Partner Check-In
Pair students knee-to-knee. One shows an emotion; the other guesses. "You look scared because..." Switch roles.
05 MIN
Reflection & Drawing
Gather to share times they felt these emotions today. Distribute drawing sheets to capture one specific feeling.
Pro-Tip: Use mirrors at chest level during transitions to keep students focused.
Feelings Faces Slides Feelings Faces
Mirror Game
Let’s explore our emotions together!
HAPPY
😊
"What do you notice about my mouth? My eyes?"
Big smile and bright eyes!
SAD
😢
"What do you notice? My mouth is turned down."
Droopy eyes and a frown.
MAD
😡
"See how my eyebrows come together?"
Tight mouth and squished eyebrows.
SCARED
😨
"Look at these wide eyes and open mouth!"
Wide eyes and a big 'O' mouth.
Reflection Time
When did you feel HAPPY today?
When did you feel SAD today?
When did you feel MAD today?
When did you feel SCARED today?
Teacher Script with Prompts Teacher Script
Mirror My Mood Lesson Prompts
0-5 Minutes
Warm-Up Emotion Song
Teacher says:
“Good morning, friends! Today we are going to play a Mirror Game all about feelings. We’ll learn four important feelings: happy, sad, mad, and scared. To get us moving and warmed up, let’s sing a feelings song together!”
Song (Tune: Twinkle Twinkle)
"Happy, sad, mad, and scared—
Feelings that we all have shared.
When I say the feeling name,
Put on the matching face!
Happy, sad, mad, and scared—
Feelings that we all have shared."
Prompt children after each line:
"Show me your happy face!"
"Show me your sad face!"
"Show me your mad face!"
"Show me your scared face!"
5-10 Minutes
Modeling Faces
Happy
“When I feel happy, my mouth turns up in a big smile, my eyes shine. Watch me!”
Ask: “What do you notice about my mouth? And my eyes?”
Sad
“Now watch my sad face. My mouth turns down, my eyes look droopy.”
Ask: “How does my mouth look? How do my eyebrows feel?”
Mad
“Here’s my mad face. See how my eyebrows come together and my mouth is tight?”
Ask: “What do you see? Why do you think someone might look mad?”
Scared
“Finally, here’s my scared face. My eyes open wide and my mouth drops.”
Ask: “How would you describe this face?”
Student Practice & Reflection
Partner Check-In Stems
“Partner A, show a feeling in the mirror. Partner B, guess the feeling!”
“I think you’re feeling because...”
Final Reflection
“When did you feel happy today?”
“When did you feel sad today?”
“When did you feel mad today?”
“When did you feel scared today?”
“Great job exploring feelings today! Give yourself a big smile!”
Mirror Game Guide Facilitation Resource
MIRROR GAME
GUIDE
PREP & SETUP
01 Arrange Space: Clear a rug area. Ensure pairs can sit "knee-to-knee" without bumping.
02 Mirror Station: Have one mirror per child ready for distribution. Use a "helper" to hand them out.
03 Queue Tech: Have slides ready on the screen and the script handy (print or tablet).
MANAGEMENT
Mirror Rule:
Hold mirrors at chest level when walking or listening. Only "work" in the mirror when cued.
Transitions:
Use a chime or clap pattern (e.g., "Two claps, eyes on me") between activities.
Step-by-Step Facilitation
1
Warm-Up Song
Lead the song, pointing to each child. Pause after each emotion to check for matching faces and names. Confirm: "What feeling was that?"
2
Modeling Faces
Use your mirror. Point out specifics: "Notice my eyebrows come together when I'm mad." Keep observation questions quick and focused.
3
Mimic & Label
Display slides one by one. Cue: "Mirror it, then call out the feeling!" Circulate to give immediate, specific feedback.
4
Partner & Reflection
Prompt Partner A to show and Partner B to name + why. Gather for final share: "Who felt happy today?" Distribute drawing materials.
Differentiation
Language Learners: Use emoji picture cards alongside words.
Extra Help: Focus on Happy/Sad first before adding Mad/Scared.
Extension
Charades: Act out feelings with the whole body.
Story Link: Read The Way I Feel and mirror characters.
Draw Your Feeling Sheet Draw Your Feeling
Look in your mirror and draw your face!
Name: ______________________
Date: _______________________
HAPPY 😊
SAD 😢
MAD 😡
SCARED 😨
Tip: Draw your mouth, your eyes, and your eyebrows to show the feeling!