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Feelings Detective

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Marissa Castillo

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Feelings Detective Lesson Plan

Students will identify and label basic emotions in themselves and others and practice expressing their current feeling through drawing, fostering emotional awareness and communication.

Building emotional awareness helps kindergarteners recognize and manage their feelings, supports positive peer interactions, and lays a foundation for self-regulation and empathy.

Audience

Kindergarten

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Hands-on detective role-play with visual cues and personal expression.

Materials

Feelings Flashcards, Emotion Faces Chart, Detective Badges Printable, Drawing Paper, and Crayons

Prep

Prepare Detective Materials

5 minutes

  • Gather Feelings Flashcards and review each emotion’s expression
  • Print and cut out enough Detective Badges Printable for every student
  • Hang the Emotion Faces Chart where all students can see
  • Arrange drawing paper and crayons at a central table

Step 1

Introduction

2 minutes

  • Welcome students as “Feelings Detectives”
  • Show your own detective badge and explain: detectives look for clues, just like we look for feelings
  • Ask: “What is a clue?” and relate it to noticing expressions on our faces

Step 2

Warm-Up: Feelings Check-In

3 minutes

  • Have students sit in a circle
  • Hold up each flashcard from Feelings Flashcards one at a time and name the emotion
  • Ask each child briefly: “How are you feeling today?” and have them point to or hold up the matching flashcard

Step 3

Main Activity: Feelings Detective Investigation

7 minutes

  • Give each child a Detective Badges Printable to wear
  • Point to the Emotion Faces Chart and review the faces together
  • Show a single flashcard and ask students to find and point to that face on the chart
  • Invite volunteers to share a time they felt that way, using simple sentences (e.g., “I felt happy when…”)

Step 4

Cool-Down: Share & Reflect

3 minutes

  • Distribute drawing paper and crayons
  • Prompt students: “Draw a face that shows how you feel right now”
  • After drawing, invite 2–3 volunteers to share their picture and name their emotion
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Slide Deck

Feelings Detective

Welcome, Kindergartners!
Let’s put on our detective badges and look for clues about feelings.

Say: “Welcome, Feelings Detectives!” Show your own detective badge. Explain that today we will look for clues—like detectives—to understand feelings.

Becoming Feeling Detectives

  • Detectives look for clues.
  • Clues help us solve mysteries.
  • Today’s mystery: What feeling is someone showing?

Ask: “What is a clue?” Solicit a few answers. Emphasize that clues can be people’s faces, voices, and bodies.

Feelings Check-In

  • Sit in a circle.
  • I’ll show a flashcard from Feelings Flashcards and name the feeling.
  • You show me how you feel by pointing to or holding up the matching flashcard.

Hold up each flashcard from Feelings Flashcards one at a time. Name the emotion and ask each child: “How are you feeling today?”

Detective Investigation

  • Wear your Detective Badges Printable.
  • Look at the Emotion Faces Chart.
  • I’ll show a flashcard; find and point to that face on the chart.
  • Volunteers share: “I felt _____ when…”

Distribute Detective Badges Printable. Point to the Emotion Faces Chart and review. Show a flashcard; have students point to that face. Invite 1–2 volunteers to share a time they felt that way.

Share & Reflect

  • Take a paper and crayon.
  • Draw a face showing how you feel right now.
  • 2–3 detectives share their drawings and name the feeling.

Hand out drawing paper and crayons. Prompt: “Draw a face showing how you feel right now.” After drawing, invite 2–3 students to share their picture and name the emotion.

Great Detective Work!

You found lots of feeling clues today.
Keep looking for feelings in your friends and family!

Praise the class for their detective work. Remind them: “Keep using your clues to understand feelings every day!”

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Worksheet

Detective Emotion Chart

Use this chart during your detective work to help you identify how someone is feeling by looking at their face.

EmotionClue: Face
Happy😃
Sad😢
Angry😠
Surprised😮
Scared😨
Calm😊
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lenny

Activity

Feelings Flashcards

Cut out each card along the dotted lines to create 6 separate flashcards. Students will hold up a card to show how they feel during the lesson.

😃 Happy

(When you feel joyful, pleased, or excited!)


😢 Sad

(When you feel unhappy, down, or disappointed.)


😠 Angry

(When you feel mad, frustrated, or upset.)


😮 Surprised

(When something unexpected happens!)


😨 Scared

(When you feel frightened or worried.)


😊 Calm

(When you feel relaxed, peaceful, or content.)

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lenny

Activity

Detective Badges Printable

Print and cut out the badges along the dotted lines. Each badge has a magnifying glass icon and a line for students to write their name. Students can color and decorate their badge before wearing it during the lesson.

🔍 Detective Badge 🔍
Name: ____________________________



🔍 Detective Badge 🔍
Name: ____________________________



🔍 Detective Badge 🔍
Name: ____________________________



🔍 Detective Badge 🔍
Name: ____________________________


---
Tip: Print on cardstock for durability. Cut along the dotted lines and punch a hole at the top to attach a string.

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Cool Down

Draw & Share Reflection

Instructions:

  1. Take your reflection sheet and crayons.
  2. Draw a face showing how you feel right now:










  3. On the line below, write or dictate your emotion word:

    Emotion: ____________________________

Share:

  • Invite 2–3 “Feelings Detectives” to show their drawing and name their emotion.
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lenny