Magnifying Glass Match-Up

Objective: Students will practice observing facial expressions and situational clues by matching scenario cards to the correct emotion cards with at least 80% accuracy.

Materials:

• Sets of 10–12 Scenario Cards (each shows a simple picture and brief description of an emotional situation)
• Sets of 10–12 Emotion Cards (each shows a face drawing and the emotion word: happy, sad, angry, surprised, disgusted)
• Paper or plastic magnifying glasses (one per group)
• Small group mats or trays for sorting

Prep:

1. Print and cut out equal numbers of Scenario Cards and Emotion Cards. Mix them together in a stack.
2. Place one magnifying glass and one mat/tray at each group table.
3. Briefly review each card yourself so you can prompt students with clues.

Setup:

• Divide the class into groups of 3–4 students.
• Give each group:
  • 1 magnifying glass
  • 1 mat/tray
  • A shuffled pile containing both Scenario Cards and Emotion Cards

How to Play:

1. Explain: “You are detective teams! Use your magnifying glass to look closely at each Scenario Card’s drawing and description. Then find the matching Emotion Card that shows the feeling.”
2. Demonstrate with one example:
   • Show a Scenario Card (e.g., "Emma is blowing out birthday candles and smiling").
   • Invite a student to identify clues (smiling mouth, bright eyes).
   • Find the Emotion Card labeled “happy” and place it next to the scenario.
3. Teams work together:
   • They pick one scenario at a time.
   • Use the magnifying glass to examine facial features and context.
   • Search through the pile to find the matching emotion face and word.
4. Once matched, they lay pairs in a row on their mat/tray.
5. Continue until all scenario cards have a matching emotion card.
6. When finished, raise your magnifying glass to show you’re done!

Teacher’s Role:

• Circulate and ask probing questions:
  • “What clues helped you know that Sam is sad?”
  • “Why did you choose the disgusted face for Lee?”
  • “Can you describe the clues in your own words?”
• Check each group’s matches. Award a “Detective Expert” sticker if they get at least 80% correct.

Extensions & Variations:

• Time Challenge: See which group can correctly match all cards first.
• Memory Match: Flip cards face down and play a classic memory game, matching scenario to emotion.
• Create-a-Card: Have students draw their own Scenario Card and exchange with another group.

Time: 8 minutes
Players: Groups of 3–4

Good luck, Detectives! Ready your magnifying glasses and put on your detective hats to uncover every feeling clue.

Emotion Detective Script

Activate Prior Knowledge (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning, detectives! Put on your detective hats and badges. Today, we have an important mission: we will become Emotion Detectives. Our job is to look for clues that tell us how people feel."

Teacher: "First, let’s think: How can we tell how someone is feeling?"
(Wait for responses.)

Teacher: "Yes, we can look at their faces—their eyes, mouth, and eyebrows. We can also look at what’s happening around them."

Teacher: "I need two volunteers. One of you will make a happy face, and the other will make a surprised face. Ready?"
(Choose volunteers. Invite classmates to guess.)

Teacher: "Great job! You just used your detective eyes to spot feelings."

Scene Analysis in Slides (7 minutes)

Teacher: "Now, detectives, let’s look at our Clue Scenes. I will show you a picture, and you will tell me what you see and how the person is feeling."

Teacher: "Slide 1: What do you notice in this picture?"
(Wait for responses: cake, candles, big smile.)

Teacher: "Exactly! Alex is holding a cake and smiling. How do you think Alex feels? What clues helped you decide?"
(Encourage pointing to the mouth, eyes, and candles.)

Teacher: "Let’s try the next slide."
(Proceed through scenes, asking: “What’s happening? How does the person feel? What clues did you notice?”)
(If students struggle, prompt: “Look at the eyes—are they bright or droopy?”)

Small-Group Clue Hunt (8 minutes)

Teacher: "Excellent work, detectives. Now it’s time for our Magnifying Glass Match-Up. You will work in teams of three or four. Each group gets a magnifying glass and a pile of cards."

Teacher: "Use your magnifying glass to look at the scenario cards. Then find the emotion card that matches. Talk with your teammates: Which clues helped you decide?"

Teacher: "I’ll walk around to see your detective work and ask questions like, ‘Why did you choose that face?’ Raise your magnifying glass when you’re finished!"

Detective Badge Quiz (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Detectives, grab a blank badge and a pencil. It’s time for the Detective Badge Check. I will read a short scenario, and you will draw the face and write the emotion word."

Teacher: "Scenario 1: Alex at the birthday surprise. Draw how Alex feels and write the word. Ready?"
(Give students time to draw and write.)
(Repeat for each scenario.)

Teacher: "Show me your badges! If you got 4 out of 5 correct, you earn your special detective badge. Well done!"

Celebrate Detectives (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Detectives, stand up with your badges. Let’s have a Detective Parade around our classroom!"
(Lead parade.)

Teacher: "You did amazing work. High five!"

Teacher: "One last question: What did you learn about noticing how others feel?"
(Allow students to share.)

Teacher: "Remember, detectives, you can use your detective eyes every day to help friends and family understand each other. Great job!"