Lesson Plan
Emotion Storytellers
Students will be able to identify and describe various emotions in story characters and use emotion-rich language to create their own narratives.
Understanding emotions is crucial for social and emotional development. By exploring emotions through storytelling, students can develop empathy, improve their emotional vocabulary, and better understand themselves and others.
Audience
Elementary School Students
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Interactive storytelling, character analysis, and creative writing.
Materials
Short Story with Emotions (provided by teacher), Emotion Storytellers Slide Deck, Character Emotion Worksheet, My Emotion Story Journal, Emotion Discussion Questions, and Character Emotion Worksheet Answer Key
Prep
Review Materials
15 minutes
- Review the provided short story for emotional content.
- Review the Emotion Storytellers Slide Deck.
- Print copies of the Character Emotion Worksheet for each student.
- Prepare the My Emotion Story Journal prompts.
- Familiarize yourself with the Emotion Discussion Questions.
- Review the Character Emotion Worksheet Answer Key.
Step 1
Introduction & Hook
5 minutes
- Begin with a brief discussion about feelings. Ask students: 'What are some different feelings you've had today?'
- Introduce the idea that stories help us understand emotions. Use Emotion Storytellers Slide Deck Slide 1-2.
- Explain that today they will be emotion storytellers, exploring feelings in stories and creating their own.
Step 2
Read Aloud & Character Analysis
15 minutes
- Read a short story to the class (teacher-provided).
- Pause at key moments to discuss character emotions. Ask: 'How do you think [Character Name] is feeling right now? What clues in the story tell you that?' (Use Emotion Storytellers Slide Deck Slide 3-5).
- Distribute the Character Emotion Worksheet. Guide students to identify emotions and supporting evidence from the story.
Step 3
Creative Writing: My Emotion Story
15 minutes
- Introduce the concept of writing their own stories focusing on emotions. (Use Emotion Storytellers Slide Deck Slide 6-7).
- Provide prompts from the My Emotion Story Journal or allow students to choose their own emotional theme.
- Students begin writing their stories, focusing on showing emotions through character actions, thoughts, and dialogue.
Step 4
Share & Discuss
8 minutes
- Invite a few students to share a small part of their emotion story or a character they created.
- Facilitate a brief discussion using Emotion Discussion Questions. Ask: 'Why is it important for us to understand emotions in stories and in real life?' (Use Emotion Storytellers Slide Deck Slide 8).
Step 5
Wrap-up
2 minutes
- Briefly recap the importance of emotions in storytelling and empathy.
- Thank students for being amazing emotion storytellers!
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Slide Deck
Welcome, Emotion Storytellers!
What are some feelings you've had today?
How do stories make you feel?
Welcome students and get them thinking about their feelings. Connect emotions to how stories can make us feel.
Our Goal Today:
We will explore emotions in stories.
We will create our own stories filled with feelings!
Introduce the day's objective: exploring and creating stories rich with emotions.
Character Detectives:
How can we tell how a character is feeling?
Look for clues in their words, actions, and thoughts!
Introduce the idea of looking for clues about how characters feel. Encourage observation.
What's [Character Name] Feeling?
What clues help you know?
Is it their face? Their words? What they do?
Pause during the story to discuss a character's emotions and what clues helped identify them.
Your Turn! Character Emotion Worksheet
Find emotions and the clues that show them in our story.
Write down your ideas on your worksheet!
Transition to the worksheet. Explain that they will practice identifying emotions from the story they just heard.
Be an Emotion Storyteller!
Now it's your turn to write!
Create a story where feelings are important.
Introduce the creative writing part. Emphasize showing, not just telling, emotions.
My Emotion Story Journal
Use your journal to write your own emotion-rich tale.
Think about: Happy, Sad, Angry, Surprised, Scared, Excited!
Explain the journal activity and encourage students to use descriptive language for emotions.
Reflect & Share:
Why is it important to understand emotions in stories?
How does understanding emotions help us in real life?
Facilitate a brief discussion. Connect the lesson to real-world empathy.
Worksheet
Character Emotion Worksheet
Name: _____________________________
Story Title: _____________________________
Listen carefully to the story and pay attention to how the characters are feeling. For each character, try to identify an emotion they feel and what clues in the story (their words, actions, or thoughts) tell you that.
Character 1: _____________________________
What emotion did this character feel?
What clues in the story helped you know? (Describe what they said, did, or thought.)
Character 2: _____________________________
What emotion did this character feel?
What clues in the story helped you know? (Describe what they said, did, or thought.)
Character 3: _____________________________
What emotion did this character feel?
What clues in the story helped you know? (Describe what they said, did, or thought.)
Journal
My Emotion Story Journal
Name: _____________________________
Prompt 1: A Day of Surprise!
Write a story about a character who experiences a big surprise. What happens? How do they feel? What do they say or do when they are surprised?
Prompt 2: Feeling Brave
Write a story about a character who has to be brave. What challenge do they face? How do they feel before, during, and after they are brave? What helps them be brave?
Prompt 3: A Little Bit Grumpy
Write a story about a character who wakes up feeling grumpy. What makes them feel this way? What happens throughout their day? Does anything change their grumpy mood?
My Own Emotion Story Idea:
If you have your own idea for a story about emotions, write it here! What emotion will your story be about? What will happen?
Discussion
Emotion Discussion Questions
- What was your favorite part about exploring emotions in today's stories?
- Can you think of a time when a character in a book or movie felt an emotion that you also felt? What was it?
- Why do you think authors like to include different emotions in their stories?
- How can understanding a character's feelings help you understand the story better?
- How can understanding emotions in stories help us understand people in real life?
Answer Key
Character Emotion Worksheet Answer Key
This answer key provides a general framework for assessing student responses. Specific answers will depend on the short story chosen by the teacher.
General Approach:
- Emotion Identification: Look for student responses that accurately name or describe a feeling (e.g., happy, sad, angry, surprised, scared, excited, frustrated, proud).
- Clue Identification: Students should connect the identified emotion to specific details from the story. These clues can be:
- Words/Dialogue: What the character said.
- Actions: What the character did.
- Thoughts/Feelings: What the character was thinking or internal sensations described.
Example Structure for Evaluation:
Character 1: [Teacher will insert character name from story]
Expected Emotion Examples: Joyful, worried, curious, annoyed.
Expected Clue Examples (based on a hypothetical story):
- Joyful: "The character skipped down the path and hummed a happy tune." (Action/Thought)
- Worried: "Their stomach felt fluttery, and they kept looking over their shoulder." (Internal feeling/Action)
- Curious: "They leaned closer to the mysterious box, wondering what was inside." (Action/Thought)
Character 2: [Teacher will insert character name from story]
Expected Emotion Examples: Brave, shy, determined, confused.
Expected Clue Examples (based on a hypothetical story):
- Brave: "Even though their knees were shaking, they stepped forward to help their friend." (Internal feeling/Action)
- Shy: "The character looked down at their shoes and spoke in a very quiet voice." (Action/Dialogue)
- Determined: "They wouldn't give up until they had solved the puzzle, trying every piece." (Action)
Character 3: [Teacher will insert character name from story]
Expected Emotion Examples: Peaceful, angry, excited, lonely.
Expected Clue Examples (based on a hypothetical story):
- Peaceful: "A soft smile touched their lips as they watched the sunset." (Action)
- Angry: "Their face turned red, and they stomped their foot hard on the ground." (Action)
- Excited: "They bounced up and down, barely able to sit still while waiting." (Action)
Teacher Note: Encourage students to use descriptive language for both the emotion and the clues. There might be multiple correct emotions and clues depending on interpretation. Focus on the student's ability to justify their reasoning with evidence from the story.