Lesson Plan
Faces & Feelings Fun!
Students will be able to match the facial expressions for 'happy' and 'sad' to the corresponding feeling word.
Understanding emotions helps children build empathy and self-awareness, crucial for social-emotional development.
Audience
Kindergarten
Time
20 minutes
Approach
Interactive activities and visual aids.
Materials
Whiteboard or projector, Markers or digital pen, Slide Deck, Mirror (small, individual or one larger class mirror), Feelings Mirror Game, Emotion Matching Worksheet, and Crayons or pencils
Prep
Preparation
10 minutes
- Review the Slide Deck and practice the script.
- Gather materials: whiteboard/projector, markers, a mirror (or instruct students to use their camera on a device if remote), and print copies of the Emotion Matching Worksheet.
- Cut out the feeling words and faces from the Feelings Mirror Game if not already prepared.
- Ensure access to crayons or pencils for the worksheet.
Step 1
Welcome & Feeling Check-in
3 minutes
- Greet students warmly.
- Ask students to show, with their faces, how they are feeling today. Briefly discuss a few examples. (e.g., "I see some happy faces, some calm faces...")
- Transition to the lesson: "Today, we're going to learn more about how our faces show our feelings, especially happy and sad!"
Step 2
Introduce the Big Idea
5 minutes
- Present the Slide Deck.
- Slide 1: Title Slide - Faces & Feelings Fun!
- Slide 2: Our Faces Show How We Feel!
- Read the title aloud. "Did you know your face is like a secret code for how you're feeling?"
- Slide 3: Happy Face!
- Show the happy face. "What do you see here? A big smile! Eyes that crinkle! This is a happy face!"
- Ask students: "When do you feel happy? Show me your happy face!"
- Slide 4: Sad Face!
- Show the sad face. "What do you notice about this face? Downturned mouth, maybe some frown lines. This is a sad face."
- Ask students: "When do you feel sad? Show me your sad face."
- Emphasize: "It's okay to feel happy and it's okay to feel sad. Our faces help us show others how we feel!"
Step 3
Let's Practice Together: Feelings Mirror Game
7 minutes
- Introduce the Feelings Mirror Game.
- "Now, let's play a game called the Feelings Mirror Game! You'll need a mirror, or you can just look at your hands or a friend's face (if allowed)."
- Guide students through mimicking the happy and sad faces from the game cards. For each card:
- "This card shows a happy face. Everyone, make a happy face in your mirror! What do you see?"
- "This card shows a sad face. Now, make a sad face in your mirror! How does it feel?"
- Encourage discussion about what makes their faces look happy or sad (mouth shape, eyes, eyebrows).
Step 4
Show What You Know: Emotion Matching Worksheet
5 minutes
- Distribute the Emotion Matching Worksheet.
- Explain the instructions clearly: "On this worksheet, you'll see some faces and some words. Your job is to draw a line from the face to the word that matches how it feels."
- Circulate and provide support as students work. Observe if they are correctly identifying and matching the expressions.
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Slide Deck
Faces & Feelings Fun!
How do our faces show how we feel?
Welcome students and introduce the topic of feelings and facial expressions.
Our Faces Show How We Feel!
Your face is like a secret code for your feelings! It helps others know if you're happy, sad, or something else.
Explain that faces are like a secret code for feelings.
Happy Face!
What do you see? A big smile! Eyes that sparkle!
This is a happy face!
When do you feel happy? Show me your happy face!
Show a happy face. Ask students to identify it and share when they feel happy.
Sad Face!
What do you notice? A downturned mouth? Maybe a little frown?
This is a sad face.
When do you feel sad? Show me your sad face!
Show a sad face. Ask students to identify it and share when they feel sad.
Game
Feelings Mirror Game
Objective: Students will practice making happy and sad facial expressions and connect them to the feeling words.
Materials:
- Small, individual mirrors (or a larger classroom mirror, or have students use their hands to feel their faces).
- Optional: Cards with simple illustrations of a happy face and a sad face, and separate cards with the words "Happy" and "Sad".
Instructions:
-
Introduce the Game: "Today, we're going to play a game called the 'Feelings Mirror Game.' We'll use our mirrors (or our hands) to see how our faces change when we make different feelings!"
-
Happy Face Practice (3 minutes):
- Teacher says: "Let's all make a happy face! Look in your mirror (or feel your face with your hands). What do you notice?"
- Teacher prompts: "Where is your mouth? Are your eyes wide open or a little bit crinkly?"
- Encourage students to exaggerate their happy faces. "That's a wonderful happy face!"
-
Sad Face Practice (3 minutes):
- Teacher says: "Now, let's try a sad face. Look in your mirror (or feel your face with your hands). What changes on your face?"
- Teacher prompts: "Is your mouth going up or down? What about your eyebrows?"
- Emphasize that it's okay to feel sad sometimes and our faces show it. "Great sad faces, everyone. Thank you for showing me."
-
Matching (Optional, 1 minute):
- If using cards: "I'm going to show you a picture of a face. When you see it, make that face in your mirror!"
- Show a happy face card, then a sad face card.
- Then, show the word "Happy" and ask students to make a happy face. Do the same for "Sad."
Discussion Prompts:
- "What was easy about making these faces? What was a little tricky?"
- "How did your face feel when you made a happy face? How did it feel when you made a sad face?"
- "Why do you think it's important to know about happy and sad faces?"
Worksheet
Emotion Matching Worksheet
Name: _____________________________
Directions: Draw a line from each face to the word that matches how it feels.
Faces
-
Happy Face
(Picture of a face with a big smile, upward curved mouth, and bright eyes)
-
Sad Face
(Picture of a face with a downturned mouth, possibly a slight frown, and downward-sloping eyebrows)
Words
-
Happy
-
Sad
Game
Feelings Mirror Game
Objective: Students will practice making happy and sad facial expressions and connect them to the feeling words.
Materials:
- Small, individual mirrors (or a larger classroom mirror, or have students use their hands to feel their faces).
- Optional: Cards with simple illustrations of a happy face and a sad face, and separate cards with the words