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Emotion Explorers

Lesson Plan

Feelings Friends Lesson Plan

In this 30-minute small-group SEL session, kindergarteners will learn to identify and express four basic emotions, practice empathy through role-play, and reflect on their feelings: building emotional vocabulary and self-awareness.

Developing emotional literacy and empathy lays the foundation for positive peer interactions, self-regulation, and healthy social development in young learners.

Audience

Kindergarten

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive games, guided discussion, and reflection activities.

Materials

Prep

Lesson Preparation

10 minutes

  • Print and cut out Emotion Flashcards (happy, sad, angry, surprised).
  • Print enough Feelings Journal Pages for each student.
  • Gather a soft toy or plush for the sharing activity.
  • Arrange seating in a circle to facilitate group discussion.
  • Review the lesson flow and familiarize yourself with each emotion scenario.

Step 1

Warm-Up and Introduction

5 minutes

  • Welcome students to the "Feelings Friends" circle.
  • Pass the soft toy around: each student who holds it names their name and says one feeling word they know.
  • Teacher models: "My name is Ms. Lee, and I feel happy when I see my friends!"

Step 2

Emotion Identification

10 minutes

  • Show one Emotion Flashcard at a time.
  • Ask students: "What feeling is this?" and "How does your face look when you feel this way?"
  • Encourage kids to make the facial expression and name a situation that makes them feel that way.
  • Differentiation: For students needing extra support, pair them with a peer buddy or show a short video clip of the expression.

Step 3

Empathy Role-Play

8 minutes

  • Introduce simple scenarios (e.g., someone drops their toy, someone shares a snack).
  • In pairs, students take turns acting out the scenario and the partner practices responding empathetically.
  • Teacher circulates to support language and turn-taking.
  • Differentiation: Provide picture prompts or sentence starters ("I understand you feel __ because __").

Step 4

Reflection and Journaling

5 minutes

  • Distribute Feelings Journal Pages.
  • Ask students to draw a face showing their favorite emotion and write (or dictate) why they chose it.
  • Encourage coloring and personal expression.

Step 5

Closing and Assessment

2 minutes

  • Quick exit ticket: each student names one emotion they learned and gives a thumbs-up if they can recognize it on their own.
  • Note observations: who struggled vs. who excelled, to inform future support.
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Slide Deck

Feelings Friends

Today we will learn to identify and share four basic emotions: happy, sad, angry, and surprised. Let’s become Feeling Friends!

Welcome students with a warm greeting. Introduce the lesson name and invite curiosity about feelings. Emphasize that everyone’s feelings are important.

Warm-Up: Feelings Circle

• Sit in a circle
• Pass the soft toy around
• When you hold it, say your name and one feeling word you know

Explain the soft toy will travel around the circle. Model first: hold the toy, say name and one feeling word. Encourage enthusiastic participation.

Emotion Identification

  1. Look at this flashcard
  2. What feeling is it?
  3. Show me your face!
  4. Tell us when you feel this way

Display one flashcard at a time. Ask students to name the emotion, make the face, and share a time they’ve felt it. Offer extra support by pairing peers.

Empathy Role-Play

• In pairs, act out a scenario:
– Someone drops their toy
– Someone shares a snack
• Practice saying: “I understand you feel ___ because ___”

Introduce two simple scenarios and demonstrate with a volunteer. Emphasize kind responses. Provide sentence starters if needed.

Reflection & Journaling

• Draw a face showing your favorite emotion
• Write or dictate why you chose it
• Color and decorate your page

Hand out journal pages. Encourage creativity. Circulate to prompt students to explain why they chose their favorite emotion.

Closing & Exit Ticket

• Name one emotion you learned today
• Thumbs-up if you can recognize it on your own
• Teacher notes observations for next steps

Gather attention for a quick check. Invite each student to name one emotion they learned and give a thumbs-up if they recognize it.

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Activity

Emotion Flashcards

These printable flashcards help students identify and name four basic emotions. Each card features a simple cartoon face illustration along with the emotion label.

Materials:

  • Cardstock or heavy paper
  • Printer
  • Scissors or paper cutter

Preparation:

  1. Print the flashcards on cardstock, four cards per page.
  2. Cut along the borders to separate each card.
  3. Laminate (optional) for durability.

Flashcard Details:

  1. Happy






    Illustration: Smiling face with upturned mouth and open, curved eyes.

    Label: HAPPY
  1. Sad






    Illustration: Downturned mouth, teardrop by one eye, eyebrows slanted inward.

    Label: SAD
  1. Angry






    Illustration: Frowning mouth, furrowed eyebrows, slightly squinted eyes.

    Label: ANGRY
  1. Surprised






    Illustration: Round open mouth, wide open circular eyes, raised eyebrows.

    Label: SURPRISED

How to Use:

  1. Hold up one card at a time in front of the group.
  2. Ask students: “What feeling is this?”
  3. Encourage them to make the face and share a time when they felt that emotion.
  4. Shuffle and repeat, or play a memory matching game by laying them face down.

Link to use in lesson materials: Emotion Flashcards

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Journal

Feelings Friends Journal Pages

Name: ____________________ Date: ____________

  1. Draw a face showing your favorite emotion from today:











  1. Why is this your favorite emotion? (Write or dictate your answer.)






  1. Think about a time you felt this way. What happened?






  1. What can you do or say to help yourself or a friend when you feel this emotion?






Keep this page in your journal to remember how you feel and how you can support yourself and others.

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Warm Up

Feelings Circle Warm-Up

  • Have students sit in a circle on the floor.
  • Introduce the soft toy: “This is our Feelings Friend! When you hold it, you get to share.”
  • Teacher models first: hold the toy and say, “My name is Ms. Lee, and I feel happy because I see my friends!”
  • Pass the soft toy to the student on your right.
  • When a student receives the toy, they share:
    1. “My name is ___.”
    2. “I feel ___.”
  • Encourage each student to make a face that matches the feeling they name.
  • Continue passing until every student has had a turn or time is up.

Tips:

  • Offer positive praise: “Thank you for sharing, ___! That’s a great feeling.”
  • For students who are shy or need support, prompt with simple choices: “You can choose happy or sad.”
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Cool Down

Feelings Exit Ticket

Name: ____________________ Date: ____________

  1. Write or dictate one emotion you learned today:



  1. Draw a face that shows this emotion. You can look at the Emotion Flashcards to help you:











  1. Show a thumbs-up if you can recognize this emotion on your own. Show a thumbs-down if you need more help:



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