Emotion Explorers

Bailee Lamgo

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Emotion Explorers Lesson Plan

Students will learn to recognize and name four basic emotions (happy, sad, angry, surprised), practice identifying them in themselves and others, and express their feelings through discussion and drawing.

Building self-awareness and empathy early helps first graders understand their own feelings, communicate effectively, and develop positive peer relationships and emotional regulation skills.

Audience

1st Grade

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Interactive emotion identification and expressive activities

Materials

Printable Emotion Faces Cards, - Feelings Chart Poster, - My Emotion Journal, and - Crayons or Colored Pencils

Prep

Prepare Materials

5 minutes

Print and cut out all Printable Emotion Faces Cards
Display the Feelings Chart Poster in a central location
Place one My Emotion Journal and crayons at each student’s desk
Review key emotion vocabulary and instructions

Step 1

Introduction

2 minutes

Greet students and explain that today they’ll be emotion explorers
Ask: “What is an emotion?” and list student responses
Point to the Feelings Chart Poster and briefly show each emotion

Step 2

Identify Emotions

5 minutes

Hold up each card from Printable Emotion Faces Cards
Ask the class to name the emotion shown
Discuss a quick example: “When might you feel this way?”

Step 3

Emotion Charades

5 minutes

Invite 3–4 volunteers to the front one at a time
Each volunteer picks a card and acts out the emotion without words
Class guesses the emotion and gives a thumbs-up when correct

Step 4

Reflection and Journal

3 minutes

Ask students to think quietly: “How are you feeling right now?”
In their My Emotion Journal, have them draw a face showing that feeling
Invite a few students to share their drawings if time allows

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Slide Deck

Emotion Explorers

Social-Emotional Learning for 1st Grade

Let’s learn about our feelings!

Welcome the students, introduce yourself as their guide on today’s emotion exploration journey.

Today’s Goals

• Recognize and name four emotions: happy, sad, angry, surprised
• Identify emotions in ourselves and others
• Express our feelings through discussion and drawing

Read the objectives aloud, pointing out each bullet. Emphasize that today we’ll talk, play, and draw.

Meet Our Emotions

😊 Happy
😢 Sad
😠 Angry
😲 Surprised

Display the Feelings Chart Poster. Point to each emotion and ask students to mimic the face.

Activity 1: Identify Emotions

I will show you a face card.
You name the emotion.
We talk about when we feel it.

Hold up each Printable Emotion Faces Card one at a time. Ask: “What emotion do you see?” Then prompt: “When might you feel this way?”

Activity 2: Emotion Charades

• Volunteers pick a face card and act it out silently.
• Class guesses the emotion and gives a thumbs-up when correct.

Invite 3–4 volunteers up front. Hand each a card without showing peers. Encourage acting without words and let the class guess.

Reflection & Journal

Think: “How am I feeling right now?”
In your My Emotion Journal, draw a face showing that feeling.
Share your drawing if you’d like!

Ask students to pause and think quietly. Distribute journals and crayons. Encourage quick drawings and share if time allows.

Great Job, Emotion Explorers!

Remember:
• All feelings are important.
• Talking about them helps us understand each other.
See you next time!

Congratulate the students for exploring emotions together. Encourage them to notice and share feelings throughout the day.

Worksheet

Emotion Faces Matching

Name: ______________________ Date: ______________________

Instructions: Draw a line from each emotion word on the left to the matching face on the right.

Emotion Words

Happy
Sad
Angry
Surprised

Emotion Faces

A. 😠

B. 😊

C. 😢

D. 😲

Journal

My Emotion Journal

Name: ______________________ Date: ______________________

How Do I Feel Today?

Draw a picture below showing your feeling.

Label Your Feeling

Write one word that describes your feeling today.

What Happened?

Describe (or draw) what made you feel this way.

What Can I Do?

What is one thing you can do to help yourself feel better or stay calm?

Remember: Every feeling is okay. Talking or drawing about how you feel can help you understand yourself and others.

Activity

Emotion Charades Cards

Instructions:

Print this page double-sided, or print faces and labels separately and glue them back-to-back.
Cut along the dotted lines to create four emotion cards.
Shuffle and use for the Emotion Charades activity—students pick a card, act out the face, and classmates guess the emotion.

😊
Back: HAPPY

😢
Back: SAD

😠
Back: ANGRY

😲
Back: SURPRISED

Reading

Feelings Chart Poster

Use this chart to help us learn and talk about our feelings!

😊 Happy

When you feel joy, you smile or laugh.
• You might feel happy when you play with friends, get a hug, or eat your favorite snack.

😢 Sad

When you feel unhappy or teary.
• You might feel sad when you miss someone, lose a toy, or get hurt.

😠 Angry

When you feel mad or upset.
• You might feel angry when someone breaks a promise, someone takes your turn, or things don’t go your way.

😲 Surprised

When you feel shocked or amazed.
• You might feel surprised when you get an unexpected gift, hear a loud noise, or see something new.

Remember: All feelings are important!
Point to how you feel and let someone know.