Session 1 Script: Becoming Emotion Explorers

Welcome and Introduction (2 minutes)

Teacher (smiling, with energy):
“Good morning, Emotion Explorers! Please come sit in our circle. I’m so excited to see you today. Today we are going to be emotion explorers! That means we’re going to learn all about two big feelings: happy and sad. Can you say ‘happy’? (pause for response) And can you say ‘sad’? (pause) Wonderful!”

Teacher (holding up the title slide):
“Look at our first slide! It says, Emotion Explorers: Happy & Sad. Whenever you see this picture, it means we’re going to talk about feelings. Are you ready to explore feelings with me? (pause for cheers) Let’s go!”

Reading and Discussion (4 minutes)

Teacher (showing Happy and Sad Story Cards one at a time):
“Here is our first story card. Listen carefully. ‘Anna is at the park. She is swinging high and laughing. Her eyes sparkle, and she shouts, ‘Weee!’’”
Teacher (pointing to Emotion Chart Poster):
“Anna is on the swing, and she’s smiling big. Do you think she feels happy or sad? Show me by pointing to happy or sad on our chart.”

Teacher (listening to guesses):
“That’s right—Anna is happy! When was a time you felt happy? (Pause. If no volunteers, say:) I felt happy when I got a new puppy!”

Teacher (showing next card):
“Here is our second card. ‘Luis dropped his ice cream cone on the ground. He looks down and his face feels tight.’ How does Luis feel? Happy or sad?”

Teacher (after responses):
“Yes, sad! I remember feeling sad when I lost my favorite toy. Who wants to share a time they felt sad?” (Accept 1–2 short responses.)

Teacher:
“Great listening, Explorers. We now know two feelings: happy and sad!”

Activity: Emotion Faces Craft (4 minutes)

Teacher (showing materials: construction paper, markers, Emotion Faces Craft Materials):
“Friends, we get to make our own happy and sad faces. I will give each of you two pieces of paper. On one, you will draw or glue happy features: a big smile, bright eyes, maybe rosy cheeks. On the other, you will make a sad face: a frown, droopy eyes, maybe teardrops.”

Teacher:
“Go ahead and pick up your paper, markers, and glue. When you finish one face, start the second. I’ll walk around to cheer you on!”

(As children work, circulate and say:)

• “I love that big curved smile—very happy!”
• “Your sad face droopy eyes show sadness so well.”

(After about 3 minutes)

Teacher:
“Okay, Explorers, let’s finish our faces. Great job!”

Game: Emotion Charades (3 minutes)

Teacher (displaying Emotion Charades Game Set):
“Now we will play a quick game of charades. I’m going to show you how it works. Watch me act happy—I’ll jump up and down and smile big. (Demonstrate silently for 5 seconds.) That was happy! Now watch me act sad—I’ll slump my shoulders and frown. (Demonstrate silently.)”

Teacher:
“I need two volunteers to come up and pick a card. When I say ‘go,’ you will act out the feeling on your card without talking. The rest of us will guess: ‘Happy!’ or ‘Sad!’ Ready? (Choose 2–3 children.)”

(Each volunteer acts, class guesses, teacher praises:)
“Great guess, everybody! And great acting, (Child’s name)!”

Cool Down: Breathing Rainbow (2 minutes)

Teacher (gathering children back in circle, holding Breathing Rainbow Guide):
“You all did such amazing work exploring feelings. Now let’s do a Breathing Rainbow to help our bodies feel calm.”

Teacher (demonstrating tracing rainbow in the air):
“Hold your hand up like this, and we will breathe in slowly as our hand moves up the rainbow’s arch. Breathe in—1, 2, 3. (Trace hand up.) Now breathe out slowly tracing back down—1, 2, 3.”

Teacher (leading 2–3 breaths):
“Ready? Breathe in... and breathe out... Breathe in... and breathe out...”

Teacher (lowering hand):
“Feel how calm you are? You all did a fantastic job today being emotion explorers. Next time, we will learn two new feelings! Have a happy rest of your day!”

Session 1 Story Cards

Card 1: Happy Anna
Anna is at the park. She is swinging high and laughing. Her eyes sparkle, and she shouts, “Weee!”

Card 2: Sad Luis
Luis dropped his ice cream cone on the ground. He looks down, his shoulders slump, and he feels sad.

Card 3: Happy Mia
Mia just finished drawing a rainbow. She beams with pride and says, “Look what I made!”

Card 4: Sad Jayden
Jayden’s block tower fell over. He watches it tumble and his lip trembles as he feels sad.

Session 1 Discussion

Discussion Guidelines

• Raise your hand and wait your turn.
• Listen respectfully to your classmates.
• Share kind words and support each other.

Discussion Questions

1. Look at the first card in our Session 1 Story Cards.

   • How do you think Anna feels? How did you know?
     
     
     
     

2. Think about a time you felt happy like Anna.

   • Can you share your happy moment with the group?
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

3. Now look at the second card in our Session 1 Story Cards.

   • How does Luis feel and what happened to make him feel that way?
     
     
     
     

4. How can we help a friend who feels sad like Luis?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

5. Which emotion is easier for you to show on your face: happy or sad? Why?
   
   
   
   

6. If a classmate feels sad, what are some kind things you could say or do to help them feel better?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Wrap-Up Questions

• What are the two feelings we learned today?
  
  
  
  
• Which activity was your favorite and why?
  
  
  
  

Great job sharing, Emotion Explorers!

Session 1 Emotion Faces Craft

Materials (per student):

• 2 sheets colored construction paper (one for happy, one for sad)
• Washable markers or crayons
• Glue sticks
• Safety scissors (optional, if pre-cut shapes are not provided)
• Googly eyes, pom-poms, foam shapes, or felt scraps for decoration

Instructions:

1. Give each child two papers. Explain that one will become a happy face and the other a sad face.
2. Demonstrate on a sample:
   • For the happy face, draw or glue on big curved smile, bright eyes (use googly eyes), and rosy cheeks.
   • For the sad face, draw a frown, droopy eyelids, and optional teardrops.
3. Invite students to decorate their faces using markers and craft materials. Encourage them to choose colors that match each emotion (e.g., yellow for happy, blue for sad).
4. Circulate and offer prompts: “Show me how big your smile is!” or “Can you make your eyebrows droopy?”
5. Once finished, have each child hold up both faces and name the emotion shown.

Teacher Tips:

• Pre-cut shapes for younger learners to glue if fine motor is still developing.
• Offer one-on-one support for children with IEP/504 plans needing extra assistance.
• Celebrate creativity: “Great job using those pom-poms for cheeks!”

Session 1 Emotion Charades Game Set

Overview:
A fun, active game where students silently act out “happy” or “sad” and classmates guess the emotion.

Materials:

• 8 charade cards (4 with a smiling face labeled Happy, 4 with a frowning face labeled Sad)
• Container or bag to hold cards
• Optional: timer or bell to signal end of turn

Setup (1 minute):

1. Shuffle the charade cards and place them face-down in a bag or box.
2. Clear a small acting space in the center of your circle.

How to Play (3 minutes):

1. Invite one child to pick a card from the bag—without showing it.
2. The child silently acts out the emotion on the card (e.g., big smile and jumping for happy, shoulders slumped and frown for sad).
3. Classmates call out their guess: “Happy!” or “Sad!”
4. The actor holds up the card to reveal the answer.
5. Cheer for the actor and the guessers!
6. Repeat with 2–3 more volunteers or until time is up.

Teacher Tips:

• Model each emotion once before starting so children understand.
• Encourage clear body movements and facial expressions.
• Offer prompts or simpler cards for students needing extra support (IEP/504).
• Keep turns short to maintain engagement.

Extension:
In future sessions, add new emotion cards (e.g., angry, surprised) to build vocabulary and challenge students.

Session 1 Breathing Rainbow

Purpose: A simple guided breathing exercise to help children calm down by visualizing a rainbow and using slow, deep breaths.

Materials:

• A printed or digital Breathing Rainbow Guide image showing a rainbow with a clear start and end point.

Instructions:

1. Gather students in a circle and hold up the rainbow image so everyone can see it.
2. Explain: “We will pretend our finger is a marker tracing the rainbow. Breathe in as we move up the rainbow; breathe out as we move down.”
3. Demonstrate: place your pointer finger at one end of the rainbow. Inhale slowly while you trace your finger along the top arc, counting “1…2…3…” in a calm voice.
4. When you reach the other side, trace back along the bottom arc as you exhale slowly, counting “1…2…3….”
5. Guide students to follow along with their own finger in the same way. Lead the group through 3 full breath cycles.
6. After the last exhale, pause and ask: “How does your body feel now?” Encourage a few quiet responses or simply notice the calm.

Teacher Tips:

• Use a large, colorful rainbow graphic to keep students engaged.
• Model smooth, even tracing; encourage students to match their breath to the movement.
• If three counts feels too long for some, allow two-count breaths: “It’s okay to breathe at a speed that feels comfortable.”
• Incorporate this exercise as a cool-down at the end of each session or anytime students need a moment to reset.