Lesson Plan
Feelings Detective Lesson Plan
Students will identify and label basic emotions and practice expressing how they feel using a detective-themed activity to build social-emotional awareness.
Early emotion recognition helps children communicate needs, develop empathy, and fosters a positive classroom community by giving them language to express feelings.
Audience
Kindergarten
Time
15 minutes
Approach
Detective role-play with visual emotion prompts.
Materials
Detective Hat, Emotion Cards, Feelings Chart Poster, and Detective Badges or Stickers
Prep
Prepare Materials
5 minutes
- Print and cut out Emotion Cards.
- Hang up the Feelings Chart Poster at child height.
- Gather detective hats and badges/stickers for all students.
- Review the faces and labels on the Emotion Cards so you can model each feeling.
Step 1
Introduction
2 minutes
- Welcome students and explain they are “Feelings Detectives” today.
- Show a detective hat and badge and invite a volunteer to model.
- Point to the Feelings Chart Poster and name a few emotions.
Step 2
Modeling Detective Work
3 minutes
- Hold up one Emotion Card at a time.
- Name the feeling, make the facial expression, and place the card under its matching picture on the chart.
- Ask students to watch closely and repeat the emotion word.
Step 3
Partner Practice
5 minutes
- Distribute detective hats and pair students.
- Give each pair a shuffle of Emotion Cards.
- Partners take turns drawing a card, naming the emotion, showing the face, and sharing a time they felt that way.
- Circulate to listen, prompt with questions, and offer praise.
Step 4
Share and Discuss
3 minutes
- Gather whole class and invite 2–3 pairs to share one emotion they discussed and why it’s important to talk about feelings.
- Reinforce emotion words and empathy: “That sounds like you felt happy when… Great job listening!”
Step 5
Closing Celebration
2 minutes
- Hand out detective badges or stickers to each student for their detective work.
- Review one more emotion from the chart and cheer together.
- Encourage students to use emotion words all day when they notice feelings.
Slide Deck
Feelings Detective
Today, we become detectives who discover and share our feelings!
Welcome students! Explain that today they are “Feelings Detectives.” Show a detective hat and badge. Invite one volunteer to model wearing them. Tell them you’ll be detectives who look for clues in faces and words to discover feelings.
Role of a Feelings Detective
A detective notices clues. We will notice clues in faces and words to learn about feelings.
Define the role: A detective notices clues to solve a mystery. In our class, the mystery is understanding our feelings. Explain that clues can be facial expressions, words, or actions.
Our Tools
- Feelings Chart Poster
- Emotion Cards
- Detective Hats & Badges
Show each tool one by one. Point to the Feelings Chart Poster and name 2–3 emotions. Hold up a few Emotion Cards. Show the detective hats and badges.
Modeling Detective Work
Watch me:
- Hold a card.
- Name the emotion.
- Make the facial expression.
- Match it on the chart.
Model the detective work step by step. Hold up one emotion card. Say its name, make the face, then place it under the matching picture on the chart. Encourage students to repeat each part.
Partner Practice
Put on your hat and work with your partner:
- Take turns drawing a card.
- Name and show the feeling.
- Share when you felt that way.
Distribute detective hats and pair students up. Give each pair a small stack of shuffled Emotion Cards. Circulate to listen, prompt with questions like “How did that feeling feel in your body?” and offer praise.
Share & Discuss
Let's hear from some detectives!:
- Which emotion did you pick?
- Why is it important to talk about feelings?
Gather the class back together. Invite 2–3 pairs to share the emotion they practiced and why talking about feelings matters. Reinforce empathy and the names of the emotions mentioned.
Closing Celebration
- Here's your detective badge/sticker!
- Review one emotion together.
- Keep using your emotion words!
Hand out detective badges or stickers to each student. Review one more emotion from the chart by having everyone say the word and make the face. Cheer together: “Great detective work!”
Worksheet
Feelings Emotion Cards
Print and cut along the grid to create emotion cards for your detective activity. Each card shows a facial clue and the emotion word. Use them in partner practice to name and act out the feeling!
| Happy 😊 | Sad ☹️ |
|---|---|
| Angry 😠 | Surprised 😲 |
| Scared 😨 | Calm 😌 |
| Excited 😃 | Love ❤️ |
Reading
Feelings Chart Poster
Feelings We Can Discover
| 😊 Happy | ☹️ Sad | 😠 Angry |
|---|---|---|
| 😲 Surprised | 😨 Scared | 😌 Calm |
| 😃 Excited | ❤️ Love |
Detective Clues:
- Look at the face and the word together.
- Notice how the mouth, eyes, and eyebrows give clues.
- Use this chart to help you talk about how you feel!
Keep it at eye level so every detective can see and use our emotion clues all day long!
Warm Up
Feelings Detective Warm-Up
Time: 3 minutes
Materials: Detective Hat (optional), Emotion Cards, Feelings Chart Poster
1. Case Introduction (1 minute)
- Put on your detective hat and say: “Detectives, we have a secret emotion to uncover!”
- Hold up one Emotion Card face-down so students can’t see the picture.
- Show just the eyes or mouth portion, ask: “What clue do you see? Which feeling could this be?”
- Invite 2–3 volunteers to guess before you flip the card and reveal the full face and word.
2. Mirror Detective (1 minute)
- Tell students: “Detectives use their eyes and mouths to read clues. Let’s practice!”
- Name one emotion (e.g., “surprised”), make the face while saying the feeling, then have everyone mirror you.
- Repeat with 2–3 different emotions, varying between happy, sad, and excited.
3. Quick Class Check-In (1 minute)
- Point to the Feelings Chart Poster.
- Ask: “Detectives, which feeling matches how you feel right now? Point to it silently.”
- Give students a few seconds to point, then call out a couple of volunteers to share why they chose it.
Transition: “Great work, detectives! Now that we’ve warmed up our clue-finding skills, let’s dive into today’s full activity.”
Cool Down
Feelings Detective Cool-Down
Time: 3 minutes
Materials: Feelings Chart Poster, Emotion Cards
1. Detective Reflection (1 minute)
- Pair up quietly with a friend.
- Whisper one new “feeling clue” you discovered today (for example, how you know someone feels surprised or calm).
2. Feeling Check (1 minute)
- Stand up and choose an Emotion Card that shows how you feel right now.
- Hold it up high and say the feeling word softly to yourself.
3. Closing Cheer (1 minute)
- Come back to the circle.
- Strike your best detective pose, and on the count of three, shout together: “Great detective work!”
- Give yourselves a big clap and smile.
Transition: “Thank you, detectives! Keep using your clue-finding skills to notice feelings in yourselves and others all day long.”