Feeling Explorer Teacher Guide
What's My Feeling?
Individual Tier 3 Lesson Plan
30 Minutes
Audience: Kindergarten (Individual)
Why It Matters
Developing emotional literacy is crucial for young children to understand themselves and others, building a foundation for healthy social interactions and self-regulation.
Learning Objective
Students will be able to identify and name basic emotions (happy, sad, angry, scared) when presented with facial expressions and simple scenarios.
Prepare Materials
- Review the Feeling Faces Slide Deck and ensure all visuals are ready.
- Print and cut out the Emotion Matching Cards.
- Have a whiteboard or large paper and markers accessible.
- Ensure copies of My Feeling Journal are ready.
- Consider having a physical "feeling chart" or individual emotion cards available for the student to point to during discussions.
Materials Needed
- Whiteboard/Large Paper
- Feeling Faces Slide Deck
- Emotion Matching Cards
- My Feeling Journal
Instructional Steps
5 min
Warm-Up: How Are You Feeling?
• Greet the student and ask, "How are you feeling today?" Encourage them to point to their face, point to an emotion card/chart, or use a simple word/gesture.
• Briefly share your own feeling (e.g., "I'm feeling happy because I get to learn with you!").
• Introduce the idea that we all have different feelings and it's okay to feel them.
10 min
Introducing Emotions with Faces
• Use the Feeling Faces Slide Deck to show different emotion faces one by one.
• For each slide, ask: "What feeling do you see on this face?" and "What makes someone feel [emotion]?"
• Encourage student to point to cards, imitate the face, or use gestures.
• Discuss happy, sad, angry, and scared, focusing on facial cues and simple scenarios.
10 min
Emotion Matching Game
• Distribute the Emotion Matching Cards.
• Have the student match the emotion words to the corresponding feeling faces. Encourage them to point to the matched pairs.
• As they match, ask them to make the face of that emotion (if comfortable) and share a time they felt that way by pointing to a relevant picture or using gestures.
5 min
Cool-Down: My Feeling Journal
• Introduce the My Feeling Journal.
• Ask the student to draw a picture of a feeling they've had recently and try to label it with help (e.g., by pointing to an emotion card for the teacher to write the word).
• Discuss their drawing briefly, reinforcing that all feelings are okay and important to acknowledge.
Feeling Faces Slide Deck
What's My Feeling?
Let's explore feelings together!
Teacher Note: Welcome the student and explain that today we'll be looking at different feelings. Encourage them to share how they are feeling at the start, using gestures, pointing to a feeling chart, or simple words if possible.
Happy!
When you feel happy, you might:
- Smile a big smile!
- Laugh out loud!
- Feel excited inside!
What makes you happy?
Teacher Note: Ask: "What feeling do you see on this face?" Encourage the student to point to the face, imitate the expression, or use a yes/no head shake. Ask: "What makes you feel happy?" Can you make a happy face?
Sad...
When you feel sad, you might:
- Have tears in your eyes.
- Frown.
- Feel quiet or want a hug.
It's okay to feel sad.
What helps you when you're sad?
Teacher Note: Ask: "What feeling do you see on this face?" Encourage pointing/imitating. "What makes you feel sad?" Discuss coping strategies like a hug or talking to a grown-up.
Angry!
When you feel angry, you might:
- Frown or furrow your eyebrows.
- Feel hot or want to stomp.
- Feel frustrated.
Be safe when you feel angry.
What can you do?
Teacher Note: Ask: "What feeling do you see on this face?" Encourage imitation. Discuss safe ways to express anger, like stomping feet or deep breaths.
Scared!
When you feel scared, you might:
- Open your eyes wide.
- Want to hide or find a hug.
- Feel a little shaky.
It's okay to feel scared.
What helps you feel brave?
Teacher Note: Ask: "What feeling do you see on this face?" Discuss comforting actions like being with a grown-up or hugging a toy.
So Many Feelings!
Happy
Sad
Angry
Scared
All feelings are important!
How do you feel right now?
Teacher Note: Review the feelings. Reiterate that all feelings are normal. Ask the student to point to the feeling they relate to most right now or show the face for it.