Lesson Plan
Building Emotional Vocabulary
Students will expand their emotional vocabulary, enabling them to identify and articulate a wider range of feelings with precision.
Understanding and expressing a wider range of emotions helps students improve self-awareness, enhance communication, and build stronger relationships.
Audience
7th and 8th Grade
Time
50 minutes
Approach
Interactive activities and guided reflection.
Materials
Building Emotional Vocabulary Slide Deck, Emotion Charades Activity, Emotional Vocabulary Worksheet, Whiteboard or projector, and Markers or pens
Prep
Teacher Preparation
15 minutes
- Review the Building Emotional Vocabulary Lesson Plan and all linked materials.
- Print and cut out the emotion cards for the Emotion Charades Activity.
- Ensure projector/whiteboard is ready for the Building Emotional Vocabulary Slide Deck.
- Make copies of the Emotional Vocabulary Worksheet.
Step 1
Warm-Up: How Are You Feeling?
5 minutes
- Display a simple prompt on the board: "How are you truly feeling right now, and what's one word to describe it?"
- Ask students to reflect silently for a minute.
- Invite a few students to share their word and a brief explanation (e.g., "I'm feeling 'anticipatory' because I'm excited about the weekend.").
Step 2
Introduction: Beyond Happy, Sad, Mad
10 minutes
- Use the Building Emotional Vocabulary Slide Deck to introduce the concept of emotional nuance.
- Discuss why having a rich emotional vocabulary is important for understanding ourselves and others.
- Show examples of different words for common emotions (e.g., 'mad' can be 'frustrated,' 'irritated,' 'furious').
Step 3
Activity: Emotion Charades
20 minutes
- Explain the rules for the Emotion Charades Activity.
- Divide students into small groups.
- Have each group act out emotions from the provided cards, with other groups guessing the specific emotion.
- Encourage discussion about the subtle differences between similar emotions.
Step 4
Guided Reflection & Worksheet
10 minutes
- Hand out the Emotional Vocabulary Worksheet.
- Guide students through the reflection questions, encouraging them to think about how they can apply new vocabulary.
- Facilitate a brief whole-class discussion about their insights from the activity and worksheet.
Step 5
Wrap-Up: One New Word
5 minutes
- Ask students to share one new emotional word they learned or a word they plan to use more often.
- Reiterate the importance of emotional literacy.
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Slide Deck
Building Your Emotional Vocabulary: Express Yourself!
How well can you truly describe how you feel?
Welcome students and introduce the day's topic. Ask a few students to share their initial thoughts on what 'emotional vocabulary' might mean.
Why Does it Matter?
More than just 'happy' or 'sad':
- Understand yourself better
- Communicate feelings clearly
- Build stronger relationships
- Navigate challenging situations
Discuss the importance of being able to name specific emotions. Explain how it helps with self-understanding and clearer communication.
Beyond Happy, Sad, Mad
Think about feelings you experience often.
Can you think of more specific words for:
- Happy?
- Sad?
- Mad?
Engage students by asking for common emotions and then prompting them for more specific words related to those emotions.
Examples of Nuanced Emotions
Instead of...
- Happy: Try ecstatic, content, joyful, amused, hopeful
- Sad: Try dejected, melancholic, wistful, disappointed, lonely
- Mad: Try frustrated, irritated, furious, resentful, annoyed
- Scared: Try anxious, terrified, wary, nervous, insecure
Present a few common emotions and then expand on them with more precise vocabulary. Encourage students to think of their own examples.
Get Ready for Emotion Charades!
It's time to act it out!
- Work in small groups.
- Act out a specific emotion.
- Other groups guess the emotion.
- Pay attention to the subtle cues!
Explain the upcoming charades activity. Emphasize observation and thoughtful guessing.
Reflect and Grow
Time to put your new words to use!
- Complete the Emotional Vocabulary Worksheet.
- Think about how these words connect to your experiences.
- Share your insights with your group or the class.
Introduce the worksheet and explain that it's a chance to reflect on the activity and apply what they've learned.
Your Emotions, Your Words
A richer emotional vocabulary empowers you to:
- Better understand your inner world.
- Express yourself more authentically.
- Connect more deeply with others.
Keep exploring your feelings with new words!
Summarize the lesson's main point and encourage continuous use of a broader emotional vocabulary.
Activity
Emotion Charades Activity
Objective
To practice identifying and expressing a wider range of emotions through non-verbal communication.
Instructions
- Form Groups: Divide into small groups of 4-5 students.
- Prepare Cards: The teacher will provide a set of emotion cards. Place them face down in a pile.
- Take Turns: One student from a group will pick a card without showing it to their teammates.
- Act it Out: That student will then act out the emotion written on the card using only body language, facial expressions, and gestures. No talking or sounds!
- Guess the Emotion: Their teammates (and other groups, if the teacher allows) will try to guess the specific emotion. Encourage them to use descriptive emotional vocabulary rather than just basic terms.
- Discuss Nuance: After a correct guess, briefly discuss with the group what cues helped them identify the emotion and how it might differ from a similar, but less specific, emotion.
- Rotate: Continue taking turns until all cards are used or time runs out.
Emotion Cards (Cut these out for the activity)
Card 1: Frustrated
Card 2: Delighted
Card 3: Anxious
Card 4: Relieved
Card 5: Annoyed
Card 6: Enthusiastic
Card 7: Melancholy
Card 8: Apprehensive
Card 9: Content
Card 10: Disappointed
Card 11: Grateful
Card 12: Irritated
Card 13: Hopeful
Card 14: Overwhelmed
Card 15: Curious
Card 16: Mortified
Card 17: Serene
Card 18: Exasperated
Card 19: Pensive
Card 20: Jaded
Worksheet
Emotional Vocabulary Worksheet
Name: ________________________
Date: ________________________
Part 1: Reflecting on Emotion Charades
-
During the "Emotion Charades" activity, which emotion was the most challenging to act out or guess, and why do you think that was?
-
Can you think of a time recently when you felt one of the more nuanced emotions from the activity (e.g., frustrated, content, anxious, melancholic)? Describe the situation and how that specific word fits your feeling better than a basic one.
-
How did observing your classmates act out different emotions help you understand those feelings better?
Part 2: Expanding Your Personal Vocabulary
-
From today's lesson, list three new emotional words you learned or words you want to start using more often.
- Word 1: ________________________
- Word 2: ________________________
- Word 3: ________________________
-
Choose one of the words from question 4. Describe a hypothetical situation where you might feel this emotion. Why is using this specific word important in that situation?
-
Why is it helpful to have a wide range of words to describe how you and others are feeling? How might this improve your communication?
Part 3: Personal Application
- Think about a time you tried to tell someone how you felt but struggled to find the right words. How might having a richer emotional vocabulary help you in a similar situation in the future?