Script: Feeling Words

Introduction (Warm-up)

Teacher: "Good morning, everyone! Let's start our day by checking in with our feelings. Can you silently think of one word that describes how you are feeling right now? When I call on you, please share your word with the class. I'll write them on the board."

(Call on 5-7 students, write their words on the board.)

Teacher: "Wow, look at all these different words! Even though we might all be sitting in the same room, we can have so many different feelings. Sometimes, when we're trying to tell someone how we feel, we might just say 'happy' or 'sad.' But guess what? There are so many more words we can use to describe our feelings, and using those words can help us understand ourselves and others even better!

Today, we're going to become 'emotion detectives' and discover new words to describe our feelings! We're going to go 'Beyond Happy and Sad.'"

(Transition to Beyond Happy and Sad Slide Deck - Slide 1)

Exploring Nuanced Emotions (Using Slide Deck)

Teacher: "Take a look at our first slide: 'Feeling Words: Beyond Happy and Sad.' We're going to dive deeper into our emotional vocabulary."

(Advance to Beyond Happy and Sad Slide Deck - Slide 2)

Teacher: "We all love to feel happy, right? But sometimes 'happy' isn't quite enough to describe how we feel. It's like saying 'I like food' instead of 'I love pizza!' There are many different ways to feel happy. What are some other words that mean a kind of happy?"

(Allow a few student responses. Acknowledge and affirm them.)

(Advance to Beyond Happy and Sad Slide Deck - Slide 3)

Teacher: "Here's one: Joyful! Can everyone say 'Joyful'? Joyful means feeling or causing great delight! It's a big, bright happy feeling, like when you get a surprise gift or see your best friend after a long time. When do you feel joyful?"

(Encourage 2-3 students to share brief examples.)

(Advance to Beyond Happy and Sad Slide Deck - Slide 4)

Teacher: "Another word is Content. Say 'Content'! Being content means feeling satisfied and at ease. It's a calm, peaceful happy, like when you're reading a good book or snuggled up in your bed. When do you feel content?"

(Encourage 2-3 students to share brief examples.)

(Advance to Beyond Happy and Sad Slide Deck - Slide 5)

Teacher: "Just like happy, 'sad' can have many different shades. Sometimes we feel just a little bit sad, and other times we feel very, very sad. What are some other words for sad, or different ways we might feel when we're not happy?"

(Allow a few student responses.)

(Advance to Beyond Happy and Sad Slide Deck - Slide 6)

Teacher: "Here's a word we might feel sometimes: Disappointed! Can you all say 'Disappointed'? Disappointed means feeling let down when something isn't as good as you expected, or when a hope doesn't come true. Like when you thought you were going to the park, but it starts raining. When have you felt disappointed?"

(Encourage 2-3 students to share brief examples.)

(Advance to Beyond Happy and Sad Slide Deck - Slide 7)

Teacher: "Another important feeling word is Frustrated. Say 'Frustrated'! Frustrated means feeling annoyed or upset because you can't change something or achieve something. Like when your toy isn't working right, or you can't figure out a puzzle. What makes you feel frustrated?"

(Encourage 2-3 students to share brief examples.)

(Advance to Beyond Happy and Sad Slide Deck - Slide 8)

Teacher: "And sometimes we feel Worried. Say 'Worried'! Worried means feeling anxious or troubled about problems that might happen, or are happening. Like when you have a big test, or you're waiting for something important. When do you feel worried?"

(Encourage 2-3 students to share brief examples.)

(Advance to Beyond Happy and Sad Slide Deck - Slide 9)

Teacher: "Great job exploring these new words! Now, why do you think it's important to have so many different words for our feelings? Why not just stick to 'happy' and 'sad'?"

(Listen to student responses and guide the discussion to the points on the slide.)

Teacher: "That's right! Having more feeling words helps us understand ourselves better, tell others exactly how we feel, and helps others understand and even help us!"

(Advance to Beyond Happy and Sad Slide Deck - Slide 10)

Feeling Word Web Activity

Teacher: "Now it's your turn to be an emotion detective! I'm going to give each of you a Feeling Word Web Worksheet. In the middle of the web, you'll see a big circle. I want you to choose one of our general feelings like 'Happy,' 'Sad,' or 'Mad' to write in that circle.

Then, around that main feeling, you're going to write all the other more specific feeling words that relate to it. You can use the new words we learned today, or any other feeling words you know! You can even draw little pictures or symbols next to your words to help you remember what they mean. I'll do an example on the board: if I choose 'Happy,' I might write 'Joyful,' 'Content,' 'Excited,' and 'Proud' around it."

(Model on the board. Distribute the Feeling Word Web Worksheet and art supplies.)

Teacher: "I'll be walking around to see your amazing feeling webs. If you get stuck, I'm here to help you think of more words!"

(Circulate, providing support and prompts. After 10-12 minutes, bring the class back together.)

Share and Reflect

Teacher: "Alright, emotion detectives, let's share some of your incredible work! Who would like to share their feeling word web and explain some of the words they chose?"

(Invite 3-4 students to share their worksheets.)

Teacher: "Fantastic shares! Now, let's think about this for a moment. Why do you think it's so helpful to have many different words to describe our feelings? How might knowing and using these words help you in your friendships, with your family, or even just when you're by yourself?"

(Facilitate a short discussion, encouraging students to connect vocabulary to real-life situations.)

Cool-down: Emotion Adjective Relay

Teacher: "To wrap up our lesson on feeling words, we're going to play a quick game called the Emotion Adjective Relay. I'm going to divide you into small groups. Each group will get a set of Emotion Adjective Relay Activity Cards.

Here's how it works: One person will pick a card without showing it to their group. They will either act out the emotion or describe a situation where they would feel that emotion, without saying the word itself. The rest of the group will guess the emotion. Once they guess correctly, the next person picks a card. We'll play for about 5 minutes, and this will be your exit ticket!"

(Organize students into groups, distribute cards, and monitor the activity.)

Teacher: "Excellent job today, emotion detectives! You've all done a wonderful job expanding your feeling vocabulary. Remember to use these new words when you're talking about your feelings!"

Feeling Word Web

Name: ____________________________

Instructions:

1. In the big circle in the middle, write a general feeling word (like Happy, Sad, or Mad).
2. In the smaller circles around it, write other words that describe that feeling in a more specific way. You can use words we learned today or other feeling words you know!
3. You can also draw a small picture or symbol next to each word to help you remember what it means.

(Worksheet layout: A large central circle with lines radiating out to several smaller circles around it. The circles will be blank for students to fill in.)

Emotion Adjective Relay

Objective:

To practice identifying and expressing nuanced emotions through active engagement.

Materials:

• Emotion Adjective Relay Activity Cards (cut out)

Instructions:

1. Divide the class into small groups (3-4 students per group).
2. Give each group a shuffled set of Emotion Adjective Relay Activity Cards.
3. Round 1: Act It Out!
   • One student from the group picks a card without showing it to others.
   • They must act out the emotion written on the card using only their face and body (no talking or sounds).
   • The other group members guess the emotion. The first person to guess correctly gets a point for their team.
   • Continue taking turns until all cards are used or time is called.
4. Round 2: Describe the Situation! (Optional, if time allows)
   • Reshuffle the cards.
   • One student picks a card and describes a situation where someone might feel that emotion, without saying the emotion word itself.
   • Example: For "Frustrated," the student might say, "I was trying to build a tall tower, but it kept falling down!" The group guesses "Frustrated."
   • The first person to guess correctly gets a point. Continue taking turns.

Differentiation:

• Support: For students who need more support, allow them to draw a picture of the emotion or describe it using simple sentences.
• Challenge: For students who need a challenge, encourage them to use more complex scenarios or descriptions for their chosen emotion.

Teacher Tip:

• Encourage students to use the new vocabulary words they learned in the lesson.

Emotion Adjective Relay Activity Cards

(Cut along the dotted lines to create individual cards.)

Joyful

Content

Disappointed

Frustrated

Worried

Excited

Grateful

Confused

Shy

Proud

Curious

Annoyed