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Feeling the Change

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Lesson Plan

Feeling the Change Lesson Plan

Students will identify and name end-of-year emotions, practice expressing their feelings, and learn simple coping strategies to support a smooth transition into summer break.

This lesson builds social-emotional awareness by helping first graders, including multilingual learners, recognize and communicate feelings. UDL supports and language scaffolds ensure all students can participate and develop resilience during transitions.

Audience

1st Grade Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive story, visual supports, and guided journaling.

Materials

Digital Slide Deck: End-of-Year Emotions Slide Deck, Social Story: Goodbye in Color Social Story, Emotion Cards: Emotion Emoji Cards, and Journaling Worksheet: Feelings Journal Worksheets

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Welcome and Warm-Up

5 minutes

  • Greet students in a circle and introduce today’s topic: end-of-year feelings and summer transition.
  • Display a sample card from the Emotion Emoji Cards.
  • Model the sentence frame: “I feel ___ when ___.”
  • Provide picture supports and bilingual labels for key words.

Step 2

Read Aloud and Discussion

8 minutes

  • Share the Goodbye in Color Social Story via projector and slide deck.
  • Pause after key pages to ask: “How do you think they feel?”
  • Use visuals and ask simple yes/no and “what” questions for comprehension.
  • Encourage students to connect the story to their experiences.

Step 3

Emotion Identification Activity

7 minutes

  • Spread out the Emotion Emoji Cards on the floor.
  • Ask each student to choose a card matching how they feel today.
  • Students share: “I feel ___.” Use sentence frames and peer support.
  • Offer bilingual vocabulary strips for multilingual learners.

Step 4

Journaling and Coping Strategies

8 minutes

  • Distribute the Feelings Journal Worksheets.
  • Model how to draw a face and write a word or sentence about a feeling.
  • Introduce one coping strategy from the slide deck (e.g., deep breaths).
  • Provide word bank and picture icons to support writing.

Step 5

Closing Reflection

2 minutes

  • Invite volunteers to share one feeling and one coping idea.
  • Reinforce: “All feelings are okay, and we have ways to help ourselves.”
  • Lead a quick breathing exercise from the slide deck to end on a calm note.
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Slide Deck

Feeling the Change

End-of-Year Emotions and Summer Transition

Welcome students to the lesson. Use a sky-blue background. Greet each student, introduce today’s topic: end-of-year feelings and summer transition.

How Are You Feeling?

😀 Happy / Alegre 😢 Sad / Triste 😮 Surprised / Sorprendido(a) 😟 Worried / Preocupado(a)

Point to each emoji, read the English and Spanish labels aloud. Invite students to echo.

I Feel ___ When ___

I feel ______ when ______.
Yo me siento ______ cuando ______.

Model filling in the blanks. Provide a volunteer example: “I feel happy when I play with friends. / Yo me siento alegre cuando juego con amigos.”

Read Aloud: Goodbye in Color

Let’s read our story together.
Vamos a leer nuestra historia.

Project the [Goodbye in Color Social Story]. Pause at key pages to ask comprehension questions.

Story Talk

How did the character feel? / ¿Cómo se sentía el personaje?
• Happy / Alegre • Sad / Triste

Ask: “How did the character feel?” Show thumbs up for happy or thumbs down for sad. Encourage short answers.

Pick Your Feeling

Choose an emoji card that shows how you feel.
Elige una tarjeta de emoji que muestre cómo te sientes.

Spread emoji cards on the floor. Guide each student to choose a card and stand by it.

Coping Strategy: Deep Breaths

  1. Breathe in slowly / Inhala despacio
  2. Hold / Sostén
  3. Breathe out slowly / Exhala despacio

Demonstrate deep breaths. Use breathing icon visuals. Count aloud in English then Spanish.

Coping Strategy: Stretch and Smile

  1. Reach arms up / Estira los brazos
  2. Stretch to the side / Estírate de lado
  3. Smile / Sonríe

Lead students through each stretch slowly. Use simple commands in both languages.

My Feelings Journal

Draw a face for how you feel.
Dibuja una cara de cómo te sientes.
Write or draw one coping idea.
Escribe o dibuja una idea para calmarte.

Distribute the Feelings Journal Worksheets. Circulate to support drawing and writing with word bank.

Closing Reflection

Share one feeling and one coping idea.
Comparte un sentimiento y una idea para calmarte.
Take a deep breath together.

Invite 2–3 volunteers to share a feeling and coping idea. Lead the class in one final deep-breathing exercise.

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Reading

Goodbye in Color / Adiós en Colores

Page 1: A Bright Classroom / Un Salón Brillante

Today is the last day of school.
Hoy es el último día de clases.

I see my friends and feel excited.
Veo a mis amigos y me siento emocionado(a).

Page 2: Happy and Sad / Feliz y Triste

Some of us feel happy and some feel a little sad.
Algunos nos sentimos felices y otros nos sienten un poco tristes.

😀 Happy / Alegre 😢 Sad / Triste

“I feel ___ when I think about summer.”
“Me siento ___ cuando pienso en el verano.”






Page 3: Painting Memories / Pintando Recuerdos

We paint pictures of our favorite moments.
Pintamos recuerdos de nuestros momentos favoritos.

🎨 Colors remind us of feelings:
• Red means excited / emocionado(a)
• Blue means calm / tranquilo(a)
• Yellow means happy / alegre
• Green means peaceful / en paz

Page 4: Waving Goodbye / Saludando Adiós

I hold my art and wave goodbye to the year.
Sostengo mi dibujo y digo adiós al año.

"Goodbye, school! Hello, summer!"
"¡Adiós, escuela! ¡Hola, verano!"

Discussion Prompts / Preguntas para Compartir

  1. What color is your feeling today?
    ¿De qué color es tu sentimiento hoy?






  2. Share one thing you will do this summer.
    Comparte una cosa que harás este verano.






  3. Turn and talk: “I feel ___ when ___.”
    Gira y comparte: “Me siento ___ cuando ___.”

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Activity

The Emotion Emoji Cards have been updated with clear labeling, printing guidance, and usage notes to support the Emotion Identification Activity:

• Eight colorful emoji cards with English/Spanish labels (Happy/Alegre, Sad/Triste, Surprised/Sorprendido(a), Worried/Preocupado(a), Angry/Enojado(a), Scared/Asustado(a), Tired/Cansado(a), Loved/Amado(a))

• Print instructions: print on cardstock, cut along dotted lines, laminate for durability

• Usage: students pick a card matching their feeling and share “I feel ___” using the bilingual labels and sentence frames

These supports ensure accessibility and engagement for all learners, including multilingual students. Feel free to print and integrate them during the 7-minute emotion identification segment!

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Warm Up

Warm-Up: Emoji Check-In

Time: 3 minutes

Instructions:

  • As students enter, have them sit in a circle around the Emotion Emoji Cards spread out in the center.
  • Invite each student to pick one card that matches how they feel today and hold it up for the group to see.
  • Model the sentence frame: “I feel ___ today. / Me siento ___ hoy.”
  • Call on volunteers to share their feeling one at a time.
  • Encourage students who prefer nonverbal responses to simply show or point to their card.

UDL & Language Supports:

  • Bilingual labels on each card (English/Spanish).
  • Sentence strips with the frame “I feel ___ today. / Me siento ___ hoy.”
  • Picture icons and word bank from the Feelings Journal Worksheets for reference.
  • Peer buddy support for multilingual learners.

Goal: Quickly gauge the class’s mood, build community, and introduce the language structure for expressing feelings.

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Cool Down

Cool-Down: Calm Breaths

Time: 2 minutes

Instructions:

  1. Invite students to sit or stand comfortably and place one hand on their belly and one on their chest.
  2. Display the “Coping Strategy: Deep Breaths” slide from the End-of-Year Emotions Slide Deck.
  3. Lead the group through three slow breaths in English and Spanish:
    • Breathe in slowly for 3 counts / Inhala despacio contando hasta 3.
    • Hold for 1 count / Sostén por 1 segundo.
    • Breathe out slowly for 3 counts / Exhala despacio contando hasta 3.

  4. Use a balloon visual (hands expand on inhale and deflate on exhale) to guide timing.
  5. After the breaths, whisper: “You did great. I am proud of you for sharing your feelings. / Lo hicieron muy bien. Estoy orgulloso(a) de ustedes por compartir sus sentimientos.”

Goal: Reinforce a calm breathing strategy so students leave feeling centered and ready for their next activity.

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Worksheet

Feelings Journal & Discussion Worksheet

Name: _______________________ Date: ___________________

1. How I Feel Today / Cómo me siento hoy

Draw a face or choose an emoji that shows how you feel.
Dibuja una cara o elige un emoji que muestre cómo te sientes.












2. Color of My Feeling / El color de mi sentimiento

Choose a color that shows your feeling:

  • 🔴 Red / Rojo = Excited / Emocionado(a)
  • 🔵 Blue / Azul = Calm / Tranquilo(a)
  • 🟡 Yellow / Amarillo = Happy / Alegre
  • 🟢 Green / Verde = Peaceful / En paz

Circle or color your choice: 🔴 🔵 🟡 🟢






3. My Feeling Sentence / Mi oración de sentimiento

I feel ______ when ______.
Yo me siento ______ cuando ______.






4. Summer Plans & Emotions / Planes de verano y emociones

Share one thing you will do this summer and how it makes you feel.
Comparte una cosa que harás este verano y cómo te hace sentir.












5. My Coping Strategy / Mi estrategia para calmarme

Draw or write one thing you can do to feel better.
Dibuja o escribe algo que puedas hacer para sentirte mejor.












6. Helping a Friend / Ayudando a un amigo

What can you do if a friend feels sad or worried?
¿Qué puedes hacer si un amigo se siente triste o preocupado?












Word Bank / Banco de Palabras

  • 😀 Happy / Alegre - 😢 Sad / Triste - 😮 Surprised / Sorprendido(a)
  • 😟 Worried / Preocupado(a) - 😡 Angry / Enojado(a) - 😱 Scared / Asustado(a)
  • 😴 Tired / Cansado(a) - ❤️ Loved / Amado(a) - 🎉 Excited / Emocionado(a)
  • 🌊 Calm / Tranquilo(a) - 🌱 Peaceful / En paz

Remember: All feelings are okay!
¡Todos los sentimientos están bien!

Take a deep breath and be proud of sharing your feelings.
Respira profundo y siéntete orgulloso de compartir tus sentimientos.

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