Trait Detectives Teacher Guide Teacher Resource
Trait Detectives
Instructional Facilitation & Lesson Guide
Special Education
Target: Internal Traits
Objective
Students will identify 3 internal traits (Kind, Helpful, Brave ) using explicit visual cues and behaviors.
Core Focus
Simplifying abstract concepts into highly concrete, observable actions with direct visual symbols.
Materials
• Visual Anchor Chart
• Detective Organizer
• High-contrast Passage
The Three Target Traits
KIND
"Filling someone's heart."
Sharing, smiling, giving high-fives, saying soft words.
HELPFUL
"Lending a hand."
Cleaning up, carrying heavy boxes, holding open doors.
BRAVE
"Doing it even if scared."
Trying new things, raising a hand, standing tall.
Step-by-Step Lesson Sequence (Pages 1 & 2)
1
The Hook: "The Detective Hat" (5 mins)
Introduce
Begin by putting on a "Detective Hat" (physical prop recommended) or displaying a magnifying glass. Tell students they are now Trait Detectives .
Verbal Script: "Detectives look for clues! Today, we aren't looking for keys or toys. We are looking for Heart Clues . How does a character act? Are they Kind, Helpful, or Brave?"
2
Direct Modeling: Anchor Chart (10 mins)
I DO
Present the Trait Detectives Anchor Chart . Point directly to the picture cues (Heart, Hands, Shield) while modeling gestures.
• KIND: Put hands over your heart. Smile warmly. Ask students to copy your action.
• HELPFUL: Reach hands forward as if holding a heavy box. Mimic picking up toys.
• BRAVE: Stand tall, hands on hips like a superhero, and take a deep breath.
Unit: Social-Emotional Literacy Page 1 of 2 Trait Detectives Lesson Bundle
Teacher Resource
Trait Detectives
Instructional Facilitation & Lesson Guide
Special Education
Target: Internal Traits
3
Guided Practice: Co-Detective Reading (10 mins)
WE DO
Distribute the Practice Passage: "Ben the Brave" . Read aloud slowly, pointing out characters and key pictures.
Scaffolding Clues:
Read Sentence 1: "Ben sees a little cat stuck in a high tree." Ask: "Look at the picture. Is that high up? Yes!"
Read Sentence 2: "Ben is scared of heights, but he climbs anyway." Ask: "He is scared. But is he stopping? No! What trait is that?" (Brave - prompt students to hold up the Shield gesture/card).
4
Independent Application: Graphic Organizer (10 mins)
YOU DO
Distribute the Printable Graphic Organizer . Students will trace or write the character's name and draw/write the trait clues.
• Provide physical/visual word cards for students with dysgraphia to stick onto the organizer instead of writing.
• Have students circle the pre-printed picture cues (Heart, Hand, Shield) to identify the trait.
Accommodations & Sensory Modifications
For Non-Verbal Students
Use visual "Point-to-Identify" cards. Print out the icons from the Anchor Chart on cardstock. When asking "How was Ben acting?", students point to the Heart, Hand, or Shield card rather than speaking.
For Fine-Motor Needs
For the Graphic Organizer, prepare precut printed word boxes ("BEN", "KIND", "BRAVE") with velcro backings or glue sticks so students can participate fully without handwriting barriers.
Quick Check For Understanding
At the end of the lesson, hold up one of the picture cards (e.g., the Heart). Say, "Show me with your body how a kind person looks." Look for smiles or holding hands near the heart. This offers immediate, non-verbal assessment of conceptual understanding.
Unit: Social-Emotional Literacy Page 2 of 2 Trait Detectives Lesson Bundle
Trait Detectives Anchor Chart TRAIT DETECTIVES
Clues to find who we are inside!
Heart
KIND
KIND
Filling Hearts
How do they act?
Sharing with friends
Saying nice words
Helping a sad friend
Giving a smile
HELPFUL
HELPFUL
Lending Hands
How do they act?
Cleaning up toys
Holding the door
Carrying heavy books
Working together
BRAVE
BRAVE
Standing Tall
How do they act?
Trying new things
Speaking up for help
Doing it even if scared
Raising your hand
💡 Detective Body Gestures
Kind Gesture
Hands over heart & smile
Helpful Gesture
Reach hands forward to give
Brave Gesture
Stand tall, hands on hips
Trait Detectives Graphic Organizer Case File Worksheet
Trait Detective Case File
Name:
Date:
1
Who is the character?
Trace or write the name of the character below:
2
What is their main internal trait?
Circle the trait card that matches your character:
KIND
HELPFUL
BRAVE
3
My Detective Evidence
Write down the action or draw what the character did:
Trait Detective Squad
Classroom Photocopy Permitted
Trait Detectives Practice Passage Reading Passage
Ben the Brave
Name:
Date:
Read slowly with a teacher:
Level A
1 Ben sees a little kitten. The kitten is stuck high in a tall tree. The kitten is crying, "Mew! Mew!"
2 Ben is scared of high trees. His hands shake. But he wants to help the kitten. He climbs up.
3 Ben gets the kitten down safely. He wraps it in his soft jacket. The kitten purrs.
Answer the Questions
Q1. Why is Ben BRAVE in the story?
He ate lunch.
He climbed even if scared.
Q2. What trait did Ben show by wrapping the kitten in his jacket?
Kind
Mad
Case Clues & Reading Task
Page 1 of 1
Feelings Detectives Teacher Guide Teacher Resource
Feelings Detectives
Instructional Facilitation & Lesson Guide
Special Education
Target: Feelings & Features
Objective
Students will identify 3 primary feelings (Happy, Sad, Mad ) using visible facial clues and body language.
Core Focus
Connecting direct facial features (smiling, crying, frowning) to corresponding feeling words.
Materials
• Face Cue Anchor Chart
• Feeling Match Worksheet
• Visual Story Passage
The Three Target Emotions
HAPPY
"Upward Curves"
Smiling mouth, crinkly eyes, laughing, waving hands.
SAD
"Downward Curves"
Crying tears, drooping shoulders, quiet voice, looking down.
MAD
"Squeezed Lines"
Crossed arms, squeezed eyebrows, stomping, loud voice.
Step-by-Step Lesson Sequence (Pages 1 & 2)
1
The Hook: "Mirror Mimic" (5 mins)
Introduce
Pass out small handheld plastic safety mirrors (or use front-facing tablets). Ask students to make a funny face, then mimic specific emotions with you.
Verbal Script: "Look in your mirror. Let's make a giant smile! How do your cheeks feel? Squeezed up! That is a Happy Clue . Let's make our eyebrows go down. That is a Mad Clue !"
2
Modeling Face Clues: Anchor Chart (10 mins)
I DO
Present the Feelings Detectives Anchor Chart . Highlight the high-contrast facial expressions and color-coded boxes.
• HAPPY (Gold): Point to the smile. Have everyone trace a circle in the air for "Happy."
• SAD (Blue): Point to the tear. Have everyone touch their cheek where tears fall.
• MAD (Red): Point to the stomping feet. Have everyone stomp their feet lightly on the floor.
Unit: Social-Emotional Literacy Page 1 of 2 Feelings Detectives Lesson Bundle
Teacher Resource
Feelings Detectives
Instructional Facilitation & Lesson Guide
Special Education
Target: Feelings & Features
3
Guided Case Reading: "Molly's Bad Day" (10 mins)
WE DO
Distribute the Practice Passage: "Molly's Day" . Read aloud slowly, guiding physical responses to character actions.
Feelings Detectives Anchor Chart FEELINGS DETECTIVES
Clues to find feelings on faces!
Face
HAPPY
HAPPY
Up curves
Look closely! What do you see?
Smiling mouth
Bright crinkly eyes
Laughing sound
Open waving hands
SAD
SAD
Down curves
Look closely! What do you see?
Frowning mouth
Wet tears
Quiet soft voice
Drooping shoulders
MAD
MAD
Squeezed Lines
Look closely! What do you see?
Squeezed eyebrows
Crossed arms tight
Loud stomping
Red hot face
💡 Quick Detective Clue Rules
HAPPY = YELLOW
Curves go up! (mouth and cheeks)
SAD = BLUE
Curves go down! (frown and tears)
MAD = RED
Hard tight lines! (squeezed brows)
Feelings Detectives Graphic Organizer Feeling Case File
Feelings Detective File
Name:
Date:
1
Who is the character?
Trace or write the name of the character:
2
What is their main feeling?
Circle the face card that matches how they feel:
HAPPY
SAD
MAD
3
Face Clue Draw
Draw the eyes, mouth, or eyebrows that show this feeling:
Draw face here
Feelings Detective Squad
Classroom Photocopy Permitted
Feelings Detectives Practice Passage Reading Passage
Molly's Bad Day
Name:
Date:
Read slowly with a teacher:
Level A
1 Molly is building a tall tower with red blocks. Suddenly, her dog runs by and knocks the tower down!
2 Molly stomps her foot hard on the floor. She squeezes her eyebrows together. She crosses her arms.
3 Her teacher gives her a soft hug. Molly takes a deep breath. Her face softens and she smiles.
Answer the Questions
Q1. Why did Molly squeeze her eyebrows and stomp her foot?
She was MAD
She was HAPPY
Q2. How did Molly feel at the very end of the story?
She was SAD
She was HAPPY
Face Clues & Reading Task
Page 1 of 1
Motive Detectives Teacher Guide Teacher Resource
Motive Detectives
Instructional Facilitation & Lesson Guide
Special Education
Target: Character Motives
Objective
Students will identify basic motives (Hungry, Cold, Tired ) as reasons why characters act, using visual thought bubbles.
Core Focus
Making the internal concept of "Why" visible by translating internal thoughts into concrete physical actions.
Materials
• Thought Bubble Anchor Chart
• Motive Organizer Case File
• Reading Passage & Questions
The Three Target Motives (Why?)
HUNGRY
"Why eat?"
Rubbing belly, hearing tummy rumble, reaching for food.
COLD
"Why get coat?"
Shivering, teeth chattering, hugging self to stay warm.
TIRED
"Why sleep?"
Yawning, rubbing eyes, heavy eyelids, laying head down.
Step-by-Step Lesson Sequence (Pages 1 & 2)
1
The Hook: "The Why Game" (5 mins)
Introduce
Model a dramatic action, like shivering. Ask students: "Why am I shivering?" Guide them to connect physical behaviors with internal motivations.
Verbal Script: "Look at my body. (Shiver) Brrr! Why am I doing this? Is it because I want a cookie? No! It is because my body is COLD . Cold is the 'WHY' clue!"
2
Modeling Thoughts: Anchor Chart (10 mins)
I DO
Present the Motive Detectives Anchor Chart . Highlight the thought bubbles directly above each character's head.
• Explain that a Thought Bubble is like a secret TV inside our minds that displays our motives (why we do things).
• Point to each icon: Cookie (Hungry), Snowflake (Cold), Sleep Clock (Tired).
Unit: Social-Emotional Literacy Page 1 of 2 Motive Detectives Lesson Bundle
Teacher Resource
Motive Detectives
Instructional Facilitation & Lesson Guide
Special Education
Target: Character Motives
3
Guided Case Reading: "Leo's Cold Morning" (10 mins)
WE DO
Distribute the Practice Passage: "Leo's Motive" . Read slowly, checking understanding of cause and effect.
Scaffolding Clues:
Read Paragraph 1: "Leo wakes up early. Brrr! The bedroom wind is cold. He hugs his arms." Ask: "What is his body feeling?" (Cold).
Motive Detectives Anchor Chart MOTIVE DETECTIVES
Clues to find the "WHY" behind our actions!
Thought
HUNGRY
HUNGRY
"Why eat?"
Look closely! What do they do?
Rubbing stomach
Reaching for snacks
Tummy rumbling
Opening the fridge
COLD
COLD
"Why get coat?"
Look closely! What do they do?
Shivering & shaking
Wearing warm coat
Rubbing hands tight
Saying "Brrr!"
TIRED
TIRED
"Why sleep?"
Look closely! What do they do?
Rubbing sleepy eyes
Yawning loud
Laying head down
Low quiet energy
💡 Cause & Effect Detective Rule
1. THE ACTION
Character grabs an apple.
2. THE QUESTION
"Why did they do that?"
3. THE MOTIVE
Because they were Hungry!
Motive Detectives Graphic Organizer Motive Case File
Motive Detective File
Name:
Date:
1
Who is the character?
Trace or write the name of the character:
2
What is their main motive (Why)?
Circle the motive card that matches what they want:
HUNGRY
COLD
TIRED
3
What is in their Thought Bubble?
Draw a picture of what they are thinking about inside the thought bubble:
Draw their secret thought
Motive Detective Squad
Classroom Photocopy Permitted
Motive Detectives Practice Passage Reading Passage
Leo's Cold Morning
Name:
Date:
Read slowly with a teacher:
Level A
1 Leo wakes up early. Brrr! The morning wind is cold. Leo starts to shiver and shake his hands.
2 Leo thinks, "I need to get warm." He walks over to the closet. He grabs his big fuzzy blue blanket.
3 Leo wraps the warm blanket tight around his shoulders. He stops shaking. He is warm now!
Answer the Questions
Q1. Why does Leo shiver and shake at the beginning?
He is COLD
He is HUNGRY
Q2. What is Leo's motive (reason) for getting the blue blanket?
To go to sleep
To stay warm
Thought Clues & Reading Task
Page 1 of 1
