Lesson Plan
Emotional Thermometer Check-In
Students will learn to identify and communicate their feelings using a visual 'emotional thermometer,' understand the intensity of different emotions, and explore basic coping strategies for managing those feelings.
Fostering emotional literacy at an early age helps students develop self-awareness, improve communication, and build a foundation for healthy emotional regulation, which are crucial skills for both academic and social success.
Audience
Kindergarten to 3rd Grade Students
Time
45-60 minutes
Approach
Interactive learning and guided practice.
Materials
Whiteboard or projector, Emotional Thermometer Slide Deck, Emotional Thermometer Worksheet, Markers or pens, and Optional: Art supplies for the Feeling Faces Activity
Prep
Teacher Preparation
20 minutes
- Review the Emotional Thermometer Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the talking points.
- Print copies of the Emotional Thermometer Worksheet for each student.
- Gather any optional art supplies for the Feeling Faces Activity.
- Ensure whiteboard or projector is ready for use.
- Review all generated materials as needed for understanding and clarity.
Step 1
Introduction: What Are Feelings?
10 minutes
- Begin with a warm-up question: "Who can tell me what a 'feeling' is?" Allow students to share their initial thoughts.
- Introduce the concept of an emotional thermometer using the Emotional Thermometer Slide Deck (Slide 1-2). Explain that just like a regular thermometer measures temperature, an emotional thermometer helps us measure how strong our feelings are.
- Ask students to think about different feelings they know (happy, sad, angry, calm).
Step 2
Introducing the Emotional Thermometer
15 minutes
- Display Slide 3-5 of the Emotional Thermometer Slide Deck which illustrates the thermometer with different emotion levels (e.g., green for calm, yellow for a little worried/frustrated, red for angry/very upset).
- Go through each level, discussing what it might feel like to be at that level and giving examples of situations that might lead to those feelings.
- Engage students with questions like: "What does your body feel like when you're super happy? Where would that go on our thermometer?"
- Introduce the Feeling Faces Activity to further explore and express emotions associated with different levels.
Step 3
Practicing with the Thermometer
10 minutes
- Distribute the Emotional Thermometer Worksheet.
- Guide students through the worksheet, asking them to identify emotions and place them on their personal thermometers.
- Encourage students to draw or write about a time they felt a certain way and where it would fit on the thermometer.
- Circulate and provide individual support and feedback.
Step 4
Coping Strategies Check-In
10 minutes
- Transition to coping strategies using Slide 6-7 of the Emotional Thermometer Slide Deck.
- Discuss simple strategies for managing feelings at different levels (e.g., taking deep breaths for yellow, talking to an adult for red).
- Ask students for their own ideas of how they calm down when they feel upset or excited.
- Emphasize that it's okay to feel all emotions, and the thermometer helps us understand how to respond constructively.
Step 5
Wrap-Up and Reflection
5-10 minutes
- Conclude by reiterating the importance of recognizing and communicating feelings.
- Have students do a quick "emotional check-in" using their fingers or a thumbs-up/down to show how they are feeling right now.
- Review a key takeaway: "Our emotional thermometer helps us understand our feelings, not just hide them!"
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Slide Deck
What's Your Feeling Temperature?
Today we're going to explore our feelings and learn how to check in with ourselves!
Introduce the lesson by asking students about feelings. What does it mean to feel something? Explain that today we're going to talk about feelings and how to understand them better.
Feelings & Thermometers
What are feelings?
What does it mean to be happy, sad, or excited?
What is a thermometer?
It tells us how hot or cold something is.
Today, we'll use a special thermometer for our feelings!
Ask students: "What are feelings?" (Happy, Sad, Angry, Calm, etc.) "What is a thermometer used for?" (Measuring temperature). Connect these ideas: we can measure our feelings like a thermometer measures temperature!
The Emotional Thermometer: Green Zone
Green Zone: Calm, Happy, Peaceful
- How it feels: Relaxed body, smiling, easy breathing.
- When you might feel this: Playing with friends, reading a favorite book, feeling safe.
Introduce the green zone. This is a good place to be! Ask students to think about what makes them feel calm or happy. How does their body feel?
The Emotional Thermometer: Yellow Zone
Yellow Zone: A Little Worried, Frustrated, Annoyed
- How it feels: Tense muscles, furrowed brow, a little fidgety.
- When you might feel this: When a toy breaks, waiting for your turn, trying something new that's hard.
Introduce the yellow zone. These feelings are a little stronger. What might make us feel a bit worried or frustrated? How do our bodies feel when we're in the yellow zone?
The Emotional Thermometer: Red Zone
Red Zone: Angry, Very Upset, Out of Control
- How it feels: Fast heartbeat, loud voice, want to stomp or yell.
- When you might feel this: Someone takes your things, feeling unfairly treated, very tired or hungry.
Introduce the red zone. These are big, strong feelings. It's okay to feel this way, but we need tools to help us. What makes us feel really angry or upset? How does our body react?
Using Our Tools: Calm Down Strategies
What can we do when our feelings get strong?
- Take a deep breath: Breathe in slowly through your nose, hold, and blow out slowly like a candle.
- Count to five: Slowly count to five in your head.
- Get a drink of water: Sometimes a small break helps!
Explain that when we notice our feelings going up the thermometer, we can use tools to help. Ask students to share ideas.
More Calm Down Strategies
More Ways to Help:
- Talk to a trusted adult: Share how you feel with a teacher or parent.
- Draw or write: Express your feelings through art or words.
- Take a break: Find a quiet space for a few minutes.
Continue with more strategies. Emphasize that different strategies work for different people and feelings.
You Got This!
Remember:
- All feelings are okay to have.
- Your emotional thermometer helps you know how strong your feelings are.
- You have tools to help you when your feelings get big!
Reiterate the main message: all feelings are okay, and our thermometer helps us understand them so we can choose how to respond. Ask students to do a quick check-in.
Activity
Feeling Faces Activity
Objective: To visually represent and identify emotions at different levels of the emotional thermometer.
Materials:
- Construction paper or blank sheets
- Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
- Optional: Craft sticks, glue, yarn, other decorative materials
Instructions:
-
Introduce the Activity (5 minutes):
- Remind students about the Emotional Thermometer Slide Deck and the different zones (Green, Yellow, Red).
- Explain that they will create "feeling faces" that match each zone.
-
Green Zone Face (10 minutes):
- Ask students: "What kind of face would you make if you were feeling calm, happy, or peaceful?" (Green Zone)
- Guide them to draw a face that shows these emotions on one piece of paper or a section of their paper.
- Encourage them to think about eye shape, mouth expression, and even simple hair or accessories that show the feeling.
-
Yellow Zone Face (10 minutes):
- Next, ask: "What face would you make if you were feeling a little worried, frustrated, or annoyed?" (Yellow Zone)
- Have them draw this face, paying attention to how the expression changes from the Green Zone.
-
Red Zone Face (10 minutes):
- Finally, discuss the Red Zone: "What face would you make if you were feeling angry, very upset, or out of control?"
- Guide them to draw this face, emphasizing that even when we feel big emotions, we can still show them in a way that helps others understand.
-
Share and Discuss (5 minutes):
- Invite students to share one of their feeling faces with a partner or the class.
- Ask: "What does your face show? What kind of feeling is it? Where does it fit on our emotional thermometer?"
- Reinforce that it's okay to have all these feelings and that recognizing them is the first step.
Differentiation:
- Support: Provide pre-drawn face outlines for students who struggle with drawing. Offer specific examples of facial expressions for each zone.
- Challenge: Encourage students to add details like thought bubbles showing why the person might feel that way, or to draw a small action they might do when in that zone.
Worksheet
My Emotional Thermometer Check-In
Name: ________________________
Date: _________________________
Instructions:
Draw a face or write a feeling word in each section of the thermometer to show how strong different feelings are.
❤️ Red Zone: Big, Strong Feelings! (Angry, Very Upset, Out of Control)
💛 Yellow Zone: Medium Feelings (A Little Worried, Frustrated, Annoyed)
💚 Green Zone: Calm, Happy Feelings (Calm, Happy, Peaceful)
Let's Reflect:
- Draw or write about a time you felt green (calm/happy). What were you doing?
- Draw or write about a time you felt yellow (a little worried/frustrated). What happened?
- Draw or write about a time you felt red (angry/very upset). How did you handle it, or how could you handle it next time?