Emotion Clue Hunt Activity Guide

Overview:
In this detective-style activity, the student will read or listen to short scenarios, hunt for emotional “clues,” and identify the likely feeling.

Materials Needed:

• Printed scenario cards (5)
• Worksheet for recording clues and emotion labels
• Pencil or marker

Instructions

1. Set Up (2 minutes)

• Place the scenario cards face-down in a row on the table.
• Give the student a copy of the worksheet.

2. Detective Clue Hunt (7 minutes)

• The student flips over one scenario card at a time and reads it aloud (or you read it).
• Ask the detective questions:
  • “What clues do you see or hear in this story?”
  • “Which facial expression or body signal might match?”
  • “What feeling do you think this person has?”
• On the worksheet, the student records:
  1. The scenario title or number
  2. Clues they noticed
  3. The emotion label
  4. A brief reason (“Why I think so”)

Scenario Cards

1. Scenario 1: Your friend shares their snack with you and gives you a big smile.
2. Scenario 2: You drop your ice cream cone on the sidewalk and watch it melt.
3. Scenario 3: A large dog barks loudly and runs toward you.
4. Scenario 4: Your teacher lifts up your drawing, smiles proudly, and gives you a thumbs-up.
5. Scenario 5: You arrive late to class and see everyone already seated without you.

Worksheet Template

Copy or print this for the student:

Scenario #: _______



Clues I Noticed:
- Facial/body signals:
- Words or tone I heard:





Emotion I Think It Is: _______



Why I Think This:

After all cards are completed, review each entry together. Celebrate correct detective work and gently correct any mis-matched clues.

My Feeling Case File

1. Case # and Date:

Date: ____________________
Case Number: ______________

2. Detective’s Observation: Describe the situation that led to your feeling.

3. Clue Collection: What clues did your face, body, or words give?

• Facial clues: ________________________________
• Body clues: _________________________________
• Words or tone: ______________________________
  
  
  
  
  
  

4. Emotion Identification: Which feeling did you discover?

Emotion Name: ____________________________

5. Strength of Feeling: On a scale of 1 (soft whisper) to 5 (shouting loud), how strong was it? Why?

Rating (1–5): __ Reason: _________________

6. Body Map: Where did you feel this emotion in your body?

(Head, chest, stomach, arms, etc.)

7. Detective’s Plan: What helped you calm down or feel better? Or what will you try next time?

8. Tomorrow’s Case Challenge:

Tomorrow, be an emotion detective. Notice one clue in yourself or a friend, and write it here:

Keep this case file to track your emotion discoveries and detective progress!

Detective Dialogue Prompts

Introduction and Theme Setup (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Hello Detective [Student Name]! Welcome to our top-secret mission. Today, we’re going to hunt for clues about how we feel.”


Teacher: “Detectives spot clues on faces, bodies, and in our words. Have you ever noticed clues your face or body gives about how you feel?”


Follow-up Prompts:

• “What kind of clues do you think your eyebrows or mouth might give?”
• “How does your heart or tummy feel when you’re excited or nervous?”

Emotion Exploration with Clue Board (10 minutes)

Teacher: “Let’s open our Clue Board of Feelings. This is our detective tool to investigate emotions!”

Feeling: Happy
Teacher: “Look at the Happy clue card. What do you notice about this smiling face and bouncy body?”


Follow-up Prompts:

• “Can you show me your happiest face?”
• “Tell me about a time you felt this way. What happened?”

Feeling: Sad
Teacher: “Here’s Sad. What clues do you see on the face and body?”


Follow-up Prompts:

• “What happens to your shoulders or voice when you’re sad?”
• “Can you remember a time you felt sadness? What clues did you notice?”

Feeling: Angry
Teacher: “Now we have Angry. What do you notice about the furrowed brow or tense chest?”


Follow-up Prompts:

• “Try stomping in place gently—where do you feel the anger in your body?”
• “What makes you feel angry sometimes?”

Feeling: Scared
Teacher: “Finally, Scared. What clues do you see in wide eyes or a shaky voice?”


Follow-up Prompts:

• “Take a deep breath—where do you feel tension?”
• “Can you think of a time you felt scared? What clues did you notice?”

Your Turn!
Teacher: “Pick an emotion you felt recently. Describe the facial and body clues you noticed and the situation that triggered it.”

Emotion Clue Hunt Activity (7 minutes)

Teacher: “Detective, it’s time for our Emotion Clue Hunt! I’ll read a scenario, and you’ll spot the clues.”

Teacher (reading Scenario 1): “Your friend shares their snack with you and gives you a big smile.”

Teacher: “What clues did you hear or see? What emotion is it?”


Follow-up Prompts:

• “Which facial expression matches?”
• “Why do you think it’s that feeling?”

Teacher: “Great! Let’s try Scenario 2…” (Continue through all five)

My Feeling Case File Reflection (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Fantastic clue-finding! Now let’s open your My Feeling Case File.”


Teacher: “Step 1: Write today’s date and case number.”
Teacher: “Step 2: Describe the situation that led to your feeling.”


Teacher: “Step 3: List the clues you noticed in your face, body, or words.”

Follow-up Prompts:

• “What did your face look like?”
• “How did your voice or body feel?”

Teacher: “Step 4: What emotion did you discover?”

Closing and Next Steps (3 minutes)

Teacher: “Excellent detective work today! You uncovered clues for happiness, sadness, anger, and fear.”


Teacher: “Keep practicing your emotion-detective skills every day. Tomorrow, notice one clue in yourself or a friend and write it down.”


Follow-up Prompt:

• “Which clue will you look for first?”

Teacher: “I’m proud of your hard work, Detective. See you at our next mission!”