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Feelings Detectives

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Lesson Plan

Feelings Detectives Plan

Over six 30-minute sessions, students will build emotion awareness, practice self-regulation strategies, and demonstrate social skills through guided activities and cooperative games.

A multi-session unit supports gradual mastery of emotion recognition and calming skills, promoting empathy, conflict reduction, and positive peer interactions in Pre-K.

Audience

Pre-K Students

Time

6 sessions × 30 minutes

Approach

Sequential, hands-on activities with visual supports.

Materials

Prep

Daily Setup

5 minutes before each session

  • Review the session’s focus and gather relevant materials
  • Display the Emotion Chart Poster
  • Lay out today’s cards (Emotion or Calm Down) and detective badges
  • Check the Calm Corner is inviting and stocked

Step 1

Session 1: Meet the Feelings Detectives

30 minutes

  • Gather in a circle and introduce the unit theme: Feelings Detectives
  • Show the Emotion Chart Poster and name each emotion
  • Invite students to share a time they felt happy, sad, or excited
  • Award each child a badge to decorate and wear as a detective

Step 2

Session 2: Emotion Identification Practice

30 minutes

  • Pass out one Emotion Card to each child
  • Play “I Spy Emotion”: students look at the chart and find the face that matches their card
  • Take turns showing cards, naming the emotion, and making the face
  • Encourage classmates to celebrate correct ID with cheers

Step 3

Session 3: Deep Breathing Strategy

30 minutes

  • Introduce Deep Breaths using the glitter jar analogy from Calm Down Cards
  • Model three slow breaths; invite students to follow
  • Practice in pairs: one holds the jar, one breathes
  • Award detective stickers for effort

Step 4

Session 4: Squeeze Toy Strategy

30 minutes

  • Review Deep Breaths briefly; introduce Squeeze Toy from Calm Down Cards
  • Provide each child a fidget or soft object
  • Guide them through 5-second squeezes and slow releases
  • Pair share: how did your body feel? Give detective stickers

Step 5

Session 5: Cooperative Emotion Charades

30 minutes

  • Remind students of both strategies and the emotion chart
  • In small groups, take turns acting out an Emotion Card silently
  • Group guesses and checks on the Emotion Chart Poster
  • After each guess, the actor picks a calming card and models it for peers

Step 6

Session 6: Unit Review & Celebration

30 minutes

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Slide Deck

Feelings Detectives

Welcome, Detectives! Today we will explore our feelings and learn special tools to calm down when we have big emotions.

Welcome students warmly. Introduce yourself as the “Lead Feelings Detective” and explain that today you will explore emotions and ways to stay calm.

Meet the Emotion Chart

Look at our Emotion Chart! We see happy 😃, sad 😢, angry 😠, surprised 😮, and more. Let’s name each one together.

Point to each face on the Emotion Chart Poster. Name each emotion and invite students to echo the word and make the face.

Emotion ID: Show Your Card

Everyone gets an Emotion Card! Show your card, say the feeling word, and make the face. Ready, set, go!

Hand out one Emotion Card to each child. Call on volunteers to show their card, say the emotion, and make the matching face. Cheer for correct answers.

Calm Down Strategies

• Deep Breaths 🌬️ (Pretend you have a glitter jar)
• Squeeze Toy 🤲 (Use a fidget toy)

Let’s practice together!

Model each calming strategy: take three deep breaths using a pretend glitter jar and squeeze a fidget toy. Encourage students to follow along.

Game Time: Emotion Charades

Take turns acting out an emotion from a card. Friends guess the feeling and check the Emotion Chart to see if it's right.

Explain the rules of Emotion Charades. Let each child pick a card, act it out silently, and invite classmates to guess. Celebrate teamwork.

Detective Debrief

Which calm down trick will you use when you feel big feelings? Share your favorite! Remember, you can visit the Calm Corner any time.

Ask students: “Which calm down trick will you use next time you feel a big feeling?” Invite two volunteers to demo in the Calm Corner. Distribute detective badges using Feelings Detective Badge Templates.

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Worksheet

Emotion Chart Poster

Display this poster in your classroom!

EmotionFace
Happy😃
Sad😢
Angry😠
Surprised😮
Scared😨
Excited😆
Calm😌

Use this chart to help you identify and talk about how you’re feeling!

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Worksheet

Emotion Cards

Cut out each card along the dotted lines. Use these cards to show your feeling during our activities (Emotion ID and Emotion Charades).

😃 Happy
– – – – – – – – – – –
😢 Sad
– – – – – – – – – – –
😠 Angry
– – – – – – – – – – –
😮 Surprised
– – – – – – – – – – –
😨 Scared
– – – – – – – – – – –
😆 Excited
– – – – – – – – – – –
😌 Calm
– – – – – – – – – – –

(Teacher: After printing, cut along each dotted line to create individual emotion cards.)

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lenny

Worksheet

Calm Down Cards

Cut out each card along the dotted lines. Use these cards when you feel big feelings!

🌬️ Deep Breaths
Pretend you have a glitter jar in your hands. Take a slow, deep breath in, watch the glitter swirl, then breathe out with a soft whoosh. Repeat 3 times.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

🤲 Squeeze Toy
Grab a fidget toy or soft object. Squeeze it tightly for 5 seconds, then release slowly. Feel your body relax. Repeat 3 times.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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lenny

Worksheet

Feelings Detective Badge Templates

Cut out each badge along the dashed lines. Color and decorate your badge to show off your detective skills!

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| Feelings Detective |
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| Feelings Detective |
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| Feelings Detective |
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(Teacher: Print on cardstock for durability. After students color their badges, cut along the dashed lines and staple or tape to a ribbon or lanyard.)

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