Emotional Adventure Lesson Plan Tut's Emotional Adventure
Lesson Facilitation Guide
30 Minutes
6th Grade (Tier 1)
SEL Focus
The "Why"
Connecting an engaging historical narrative to students’ own feelings fosters empathy, perspective-taking, and respectful collaboration—key social-emotional skills for academic and life success.
Objectives
Students will explore empathy, self-awareness, and teamwork through King Tut’s story by identifying emotions, role-playing perspectives, and reflecting collectively.
Preparation
Print and cut King Tut Emotion Cards (1 set per pair)
Print copies of Perspective-Taking Worksheet
Display Teamwork Reflection Poster on a wall or board
Gather chart paper, markers, and pencils
Review King Tut’s brief emotional storyline to guide discussion
Required Materials
Emotion Cards
Worksheets
Large Poster
Markers/Pencils
Slide Deck
Chart Paper
Instructional Steps
Step 1
Warm-Up Discussion
5 MIN
Briefly introduce King Tut and his sudden rise to pharaoh at age 9.
Ask students: “How might a young king feel facing new responsibilities?”
Note responses on chart paper to highlight diverse emotions (excitement, fear, pride).
Step 2
Emotion Sorting Activity
7 MIN
Distribute King Tut Emotion Cards to pairs of students.
Have pairs sort cards into two piles: “Likely for King Tut” and “Likely for Me.”
Invite volunteers to share one card from each pile and explain their reasoning. Look for shared emotions!
Step 3
Perspective-Taking Role Play
10 MIN
Give each pair a Perspective-Taking Worksheet .
Assign roles: Partner A is King Tut, Partner B is a Royal Advisor.
Students role-play a scenario (e.g., making a difficult royal decree) using the worksheet prompts.
Partners swap roles and repeat for the second scenario.
Step 4
Group Debrief and Reflection
8 MIN
Bring class together and display the Teamwork Reflection Poster .
Discussion prompts: “What strategies helped us understand King Tut’s feelings?” and “How did teamwork improve our role-play?”
Record key insights on the poster and encourage students to apply empathy in their daily lives.
Emotional Adventure Slides Tut's Emotional
Adventure
A 30-minute SEL journey exploring empathy, self-awareness, and teamwork through the lens of history.
Teacher Notes: Welcome students and introduce today’s focus on empathy, self-awareness, and teamwork through the story of King Tut. Set a friendly tone and explain that we’ll step into the shoes of an ancient pharaoh to explore feelings and perspectives.
Our Mission
Identify emotions and feelings
Practice perspective-taking
Collaborate respectfully as a team
Teacher Notes: Briefly explain the objective and why we use King Tut as our story. Emphasize how connecting to historical figures can help us understand our own feelings.
Today's Agenda
Phase 1
Warm-Up Discussion
5 Minutes
Phase 2
Emotion Sorting
7 Minutes
Phase 3
Perspective Role Play
10 Minutes
Phase 4
Group Debrief
8 Minutes
Teacher Notes: Outline the flow of the lesson. Keep students aware of time and transitions.
Warm-Up Discussion
Who was King Tut?
At age 9, Tutankhamun became pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Imagine having that much responsibility as a student!
How might a young king feel about his sudden new duties?
Teacher Notes: Display chart paper and record student responses. Ask prompting questions: “What makes you feel excited or nervous?” Relate answers back to King Tut’s new responsibilities.
Emotion Sorting
1
Sort cards into “Likely for King Tut” vs. “Likely for Me.”
2
Discuss reasons for each choice with your partner.
3
Share one example from each pile with the class.
Team Task
Look for emotions that appear in BOTH piles!
Teacher Notes: Distribute King Tut Emotion Cards (each pair gets a set). Circulate to guide pairs as they sort and justify their choices. Invite 2-3 volunteers to share.
Perspective Role Play
The Roles
👑 Partner A: King Tut
📜 Partner B: Royal Advisor
The Task
Use your worksheet prompts to debate a royal decision. Then, SWAP ROLES!
Think: How does it feel to "be" someone else for a moment?
Teacher Notes: Hand out Perspective-Taking Worksheets. Assign roles and give prompts (e.g., a royal decree dilemma). Encourage expressive role-play and respectful listening. After 5 minutes, swap roles.
King Tut Emotion Cards Activity King Tut Emotion Cards
Activity Component: Emotion Sorting
Instructions
Cut out the cards along the dashed lines.
In pairs, read each card together.
Sort the cards into two piles: "Likely for King Tut" and "Likely for Me."
Some cards might belong in both! Discuss why.
Goal
To identify emotions in historical scenarios and find common ground between your life and the life of a young Pharaoh. Practice Self-Awareness and Empathy .
Excited
King Tut Scenario
Preparing for his coronation and exploring the grand royal palace for the first time.
Me Scenario
Waking up on the first day of a new school year with a new backpack and fresh supplies.
Nervous
King Tut Scenario
Walking into the Great Hall to lead his very first council meeting with elder advisors.
Me Scenario
Standing at the front of the classroom to present a project you worked hard on.
Overwhelmed
King Tut Scenario
Managing dozens of royal duties and making endless decisions about the empire in one day.
Me Scenario
Realizing you have a mountain of homework, sports practice, and chores all on the same night.
Curious
King Tut Scenario
Discovering hidden chambers and mysterious artifacts deep within a royal tomb.
Me Scenario
Cracking open a brand new mystery book and wondering what the main character will do next.
Lonely
King Tut Scenario
Missing his family while living in the quiet, isolated royal palace surrounded by servants.
Me Scenario
Moving to a brand new town where you don't know anyone yet and miss your old friends.
Proud
King Tut Scenario
Seeing the beautiful decorations completed for a grand festival honoring the kingdom's history.
Me Scenario
Finally finishing a massive art or science project and showing it to your family.
Confused
King Tut Scenario
Trying to decipher ancient, complex hieroglyphs left by ancestors thousands of years ago.
Me Scenario
Staring at a challenging new math concept on the board and trying to figure out the first step.
Anxious
King Tut Scenario
Waking up early to prepare for a major public speech to thousands of Egyptian people.
Perspective Taking Worksheet Perspective-Taking Worksheet
Tut's Emotional Adventure
Name:
Date:
"Empathy is like wearing someone else's crown for a day. It helps us understand the weight of their decisions and the feelings in their heart."
PART 1
Role-Play: King Tut
Scenario 1: The Festival Dilemma
You must decide whether to hold a grand festival for the gods or conserve resources for the upcoming harvest. As King Tut, what worries and hopes do you have?
Scenario 2: The Ritual Change
Your advisor suggests changing daily rituals to please the gods. As King Tut, how would you respond to this major change?
PART 2
Role-Play: The Royal Advisor
The Advisor's Counsel
Swap roles with your partner. As the Royal Advisor, what counsel (advice) would you give King Tut regarding one of the scenarios above? Explain your reasoning.
PART 3
Personal Reflection
1. What strategies helped you understand your partner’s perspective during the role-play?
2. How did taking on another person’s role affect your understanding of empathy?
PART 4
Creative Vision
Draw a scene showing King Tut and the advisor working together. Label at least three emotions you see on their faces.
Teamwork Reflection Poster Teamwork Reflection
Capturing our class insights about empathy, perspective-taking, and collaboration.
1
Strategies We Used
What techniques helped us understand King Tut’s feelings and work together?
2
Insights About Empathy
What did we learn about seeing things from someone else’s perspective?
3
Teamwork in Action
In what ways did collaborating make our role-play scenarios stronger?
Our Action Plan
The Plan
The Action
Tut's Emotional Adventure
Empathy • Awareness • Teamwork
