Emotions in Motion: Creative Movement Workshop

Elizabeth Swible

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Emotions in Motion: Creative Movement Workshop

Students engage in creative movement activities to express and interpret emotions, enhancing emotional intelligence and empathy.

This lesson enables students to skillfully articulate and recognize emotions through non-verbal expression, supporting their social-emotional development.

Audience

Grades 1-5

Time

45-60 minutes

Approach

Interactive, hands-on movement exercises.

Materials

Emotions in Motion Lesson Plan, and - Emotions in Motion Slide Deck

Prep

Preparation and Review

10 minutes

Review all provided materials including the Emotions in Motion Lesson Plan and Emotions in Motion Slide Deck.
Ensure the classroom space is safe and cleared for movement activities.
Prepare any additional props or music if needed.

Step 1

Warm-Up

10 minutes

Begin with a quick stretch and simple movements to get the students physically engaged.
Introduce the idea of expressing feelings through movements and ask students to share how they feel today using a simple gesture.

Step 2

Main Activity: Emotions in Motion

25 minutes

Divide students into small groups and present them with different emotion scenarios (e.g., happiness, sadness, excitement).
Encourage each group to create a short movement sequence that conveys the given emotion without speaking.
Allow groups to present their sequences to the class and discuss the emotions expressed.

Step 3

Cool-Down and Reflection

10 minutes

Guide students through slow, calming movements and deep breathing exercises to relax.
Facilitate a brief class discussion on how their movements felt and what emotions they intended to convey.
Encourage sharing of thoughts on how they interpreted others' movements.

Slide Deck

Welcome to Emotions in Motion!

Today we will explore how to use our body movements to express different emotions. Let's get ready to move and share our feelings!

Introduce the workshop, set expectations, and briefly explain the objective of expressing emotions through movement. Emphasize fun and creative expression.

Warm-Up

Let's stretch, move, and share! Show us a little gesture of how you're feeling this morning.

Explain the warm-up routine. Encourage students to do basic stretches and movements, and prompt them to share in a simple way how they feel today.

Main Activity: Emotions in Motion

In groups, you'll create a small movement sequence to show a specific emotion. Think about how movements can tell a story without words!

Introduce the main activity where students will break into groups. Provide emotion scenarios (e.g., happiness, sadness, excitement) and guide students in creating movement sequences that express these emotions without speaking.

Cool-Down & Reflection

Take slow, deep breaths and relax. Then, share your feelings: What emotion did you express? What did you see in others’ movements?

Guide the students to cool down by doing slow, calming movements and deep breathing exercises. After the activity, discuss with students what emotions they were expressing and observing.

Thank You & Wrap-Up

Great job today! Remember, your movements can tell a powerful story. Keep exploring how you feel and what you share.

Wrap up the session by summarizing the activity and reinforcing how expressing emotions through movement can help us understand our feelings better.