Lesson Plan
Detective Emotions Plan
Students will learn to recognize and describe basic emotions by examining facial expressions and body language, then apply this knowledge to identify feelings in themselves and peers.
Building emotion-recognition skills fosters empathy, social awareness, and positive peer relationships by giving students tools to understand and connect with others.
Audience
1st Grade Class
Time
40 minutes
Approach
Interactive detective-themed activities.
Materials
Prep
Teacher Preparation
10 minutes
- Review the Clue-Finding Slides to familiarize yourself with key facial and posture cues.
- Print and cut out the Emotion Picture Cards.
- Prepare any props or costume pieces for the Guess the Feeling Game.
- Copy or display the Emotion Journal Sketch templates for each student.
- Arrange seating for whole-class carpet time and partner work.
Step 1
Launch the Detective Mission
5 minutes
- Gather students on the carpet and introduce them as “Emotion Detectives.”
- Explain detectives look for clues in faces and bodies to identify feelings.
- Project the first three slides from Clue-Finding Slides.
- Ask: “What clues do you see? How is this person feeling?”
Step 2
Clue-Finding Slide Investigation
10 minutes
- Continue projecting emotion images on Clue-Finding Slides.
- For each slide, prompt: “What facial or posture clues do you notice?”
- Record responses on the board under headings: Happy, Sad, Angry, Surprised, Scared.
- Highlight vocabulary: expression, posture, clue.
Step 3
Partner Picture-Card Detective Work
8 minutes
- Pair students and give each pair a stack of Emotion Picture Cards.
- One student silently shows a card; the describer gives 2–3 clues about the face or posture.
- The partner guesses the emotion, then they switch roles.
Step 4
Whole-Class Guess the Feeling Game
10 minutes
- Explain the Guess the Feeling Game: volunteers act out an emotion without words.
- Class detectives identify the feeling based on face and body cues.
- Rotate volunteers; award Detective Badges (stickers) for correct group guesses.
- Observe students’ vocabulary use and understanding of emotion cues.
Step 5
Cool-Down & Assessment: Emotion Journal Sketch
7 minutes
- Distribute the Emotion Journal Sketch sheets.
- Students draw a face showing how they feel now and write a one-word label below.
- Invite volunteers to share their sketches and explain the clues they used.
- Collect sketches to assess each student’s ability to identify and label emotions accurately.
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Slide Deck
Emotion Detectives: Clue-Finding
Welcome, Emotion Detectives! Today we’ll examine faces and bodies to find clues about how someone is feeling. Ready to start our investigation?
Student Notes: ________________________________
Welcome the students enthusiastically. Introduce yourself as Chief Detective and explain they’ll learn to spot emotion clues today.
Happy Clues
Look at this picture of someone feeling happy. What clues do you see?
• Mouth shape (smile?)
• Eye shape (squint or sparkle?)
• Posture (relaxed, open?)
Student Notes: ________________________________
Show a clear, smiling photo. Point out the lifted corners of the mouth and twinkling eyes. Encourage students to point to those features.
Sad Clues
Here’s someone who looks sad. What clues give it away?
• Mouth (turned down?)
• Eyes (droopy or teary?)
• Posture (slumped shoulders?)
Student Notes: ________________________________
Display an image of a sad child. Highlight the downturned mouth and drooping shoulders. Ask students to mime a sad face.
Angry Clues
Detectives, check out this angry face. What clues tell us they’re angry?
• Eyebrows (down and together?)
• Mouth (tight or frowning?)
• Posture (stiff, clenched fists?)
Student Notes: ________________________________
Use a picture of an angry face. Point to furrowed brows and tight lips. Invite one volunteer to show an angry expression.
Surprised Clues
What clues show surprise here?
• Eyebrows (high and arched?)
• Eyes (wide open?)
• Mouth (open in an “O”?)
Student Notes: ________________________________
Show a surprised expression photo. Emphasize raised eyebrows and open mouth. Ask students to practice a surprised face quietly.
Scared Clues
This person looks scared. What clues do you spot?
• Eyes (wide or looking away?)
• Mouth (lips pressed or open small?)
• Posture (hunched or backing away?)
Student Notes: ________________________________
Display a scared face. Note wide eyes and tense posture. Encourage students to freeze as if they’re scared.
Detective Practice: Guess the Feeling
Now it’s your turn! I’ll show a mystery face. Tell me: 1) What clues do you see? 2) Which emotion is it? Let’s solve these cases together!
Student Notes: ________________________________
Use a mystery image (rotate through emotions). Invite detectives to shout out clues and guess the feeling. Praise all contributions.
Activity
Emotion Picture Cards
These printable cards feature child faces showing five basic emotions. Use them for partner detective work to practice identifying feelings by facial cues and body language.
Materials:
- Printout of all Emotion Picture Cards (one card per student pair)
- Scissors
- Optional: Cardstock or laminate for durability
Layout for Each Card (Front)
• Large image of a child’s face and upper body depicting one emotion
Layout for Each Card (Back)
Emotion: [Emotion Name]
Clue Prompts:
- Mouth: _______________
- Eyes: _______________
- Posture: _______________
Cards Included
-
Happy
Face: Broad smile, lifted mouth corners, relaxed shoulders -
Sad
Face: Downturned mouth, drooping eyelids, slumped shoulders -
Angry
Face: Furrowed brows, tight lips, clenched fists or stiff posture -
Surprised
Face: Raised eyebrows, wide open eyes, open mouth in an “O” shape -
Scared
Face: Wide eyes, tense mouth, hunched or leaning away posture
Teacher Instructions
- Print and cut each card along the border.
- (Optional) Laminate or mount on cardstock for durability.
- Shuffle the deck and distribute one stack per pair.
- Students take turns showing a card to their partner without naming the emotion.
- The describer gives 2–3 clues from the prompts on the back.
- The partner guesses the emotion, then they switch roles.
Use these cards during the “Partner Picture-Card Detective Work” step in the Detective Emotions Plan to reinforce students’ ability to spot emotion clues.
Game
Guess the Feeling Game
Overview:
In this charades-style game, student volunteers act out one of the five basic emotions (happy, sad, angry, surprised, scared) using only facial expressions and body language. The rest of the class, serving as “emotion detectives,” watches carefully for clues and makes their best guess.
Materials:
- A set of Emotion Cue Tokens (small cards or tokens labeled with each emotion)
- Detective Badges or stickers for correct guesses
- Optional: Costume props (hats, scarves) to make acting more fun
Instructions:
-
Explain the Rules (2 minutes)
• No words or sounds—only faces and bodies.
• Class detectives watch quietly until the actor freezes.
• When they think they know the emotion, they raise a silent detective finger and wait for the signal. -
Select an Actor (1 minute)
• Pull one Emotion Cue Token from a bag or hat.
• The token tells which emotion the volunteer will act out. -
Acting Time (1–2 minutes per round)
• The volunteer steps into the “detective spotlight.”
• The volunteer shows the emotion on their face and with their posture.
• The teacher times 30–60 seconds for the performance. -
Detective Guess (1 minute)
• On the teacher’s cue, detectives point to one of the five emotion posters or hold up a matching token.
• The teacher calls on a few students to explain the clues they saw.
• Reveal the correct emotion by showing the token. -
Reward & Rotate (1 minute)
• Award Detective Badges or stickers to students who guessed correctly.
• Invite a new volunteer and repeat until time is up or all emotions have been acted out.
Teacher Tips:
- Encourage students to use big, clear expressions and gestures.
- Model one or two emotions yourself to set expectations.
- Praise effort: every detective contribution is valuable.
- Link vocabulary: remind students of the clue words from the Clue-Finding Slides.
- Use this game as a bridge between Partner Picture-Card Detective Work and the Emotion Journal Sketch.
Cool Down
Emotion Journal Sketch
Purpose:
This cool-down helps students reflect on and label their own emotions using the clues they’ve learned.
Instructions:
- Draw a face that shows how you feel right now in the box below.
- Write one word below the drawing to name your emotion.
- In the lines provided, describe two clues (mouth, eyes, posture) you used to decide your emotion.
Your Sketch:
(Use the box below to draw!)
Emotion Label: ________________________________
Clue 1 (e.g., mouth): __________________________________________
Clue 2 (e.g., eyes or posture): _________________________________
Invite volunteers to share their sketches and explain which clues they noticed in their own faces or bodies.