Feeling Check-In!

Instructions: Think about how you are feeling right now. Choose the emoji that best shows your feeling and be ready to share why.

😊 Happy

😔 Sad

😠 Angry

😨 Scared

🤔 Confused

If you'd like, draw your own feeling face here!

Feelings & Friendships: Teacher Script

Warm-Up: Feeling Check-In (5 minutes)

(Teacher): Good morning, everyone! Let's start our day with a quick check-in. Look at the Feeling Check-In on the board or your paper. Think about how you are feeling right now. Which emoji best shows your feeling today? Take a moment to pick one or even draw your own if you'd like.

(Teacher): Would anyone like to share how they are feeling and why? Remember, there are no right or wrong feelings! It's good to know how we're feeling.

(Allow a few students to share. Affirm their feelings.)

Introduction to Emotions (7 minutes)

(Teacher): Great job sharing! We all have many different feelings, and they change all the time. Let's look at our Feelings & Friendships Slide Deck to learn more about them. (Transition to Slide 2: What Are Feelings?)

(Teacher): As you can see, there are so many feelings! Happy, sad, angry, surprised, excited, nervous... How do these feelings show up in your body? For example, when you're happy, maybe you feel light and want to smile. When you're angry, maybe your fists clench or your face gets hot. What do you notice in your body for different feelings?

(Allow students to share. Transition to Slide 3: Name That Feeling!)

(Teacher): Let's play a game! Can you guess this feeling? I'll give you some clues or show you a picture. (Show an emoji or describe a scenario.) What feeling do you think this is?

(Go through a few examples, encouraging students to identify the emotion.)

Understanding Conflict (5 minutes)

(Teacher): Knowing our feelings is super important, especially when we're with friends. Sometimes, even the best friends don't always agree, and that's totally normal! (Transition to Slide 4: Friends Sometimes Disagree)

(Teacher): Has anyone ever had a disagreement with a friend? It happens! But the big question is, how can we fix it without making things worse?

(Teacher): We're going to learn three steps to become peaceful problem-solvers! (Transition to Slide 5: Step 1: What's the Problem?)

(Teacher): Step one is to figure out What's the Problem? Before you can fix something, you need to know what's broken, right? The most important thing here is to stay calm. Take a deep breath. And then, use your words to say how you feel. You can say, "I feel [feeling] when [what happened]." Can someone give me an example?

(Allow a few students to share examples. Transition to Slide 6: Step 2: Listen Up!)

(Teacher): Great ideas! Now for Step Two: Listen Up! It's not just about your feelings; the other person has feelings too. It's super important to listen carefully to what they say. Why do you think listening is so important when there's a problem?

(Facilitate a short discussion on active listening. Transition to Slide 7: Step 3: Find a Solution!)

(Teacher): Fantastic! And our last step, Step Three, is to Find a Solution! This is where you work together to make things better. You can share, compromise, apologize, or take turns. Can you think of a time when one of these helped solve a problem?

(Encourage students to share personal or hypothetical examples.)

Peaceful Role-Play Activity (5 minutes)

(Teacher): You're all becoming amazing problem-solvers! Now, let's practice with a Peaceful Role-Play Activity! I'd like you to pair up with a partner. You'll see some scenarios on the board (or on your paper). Choose one, and take turns acting out the problem and then using our three peaceful problem-solving steps to find a kind solution. Remember to stay calm, use your words, listen up, and find a solution together. I'll be walking around to see your amazing problem-solving in action!

(Circulate, providing support and gentle guidance. After about 4 minutes, bring the class back together.)

Peaceful Problem Solving Worksheet (6 minutes)

(Teacher): Wonderful role-playing everyone! I saw some great teamwork and kind solutions. Now, let's put our new problem-solving skills to the test even more with our Peaceful Problem Solving Worksheet. (Distribute worksheets.)

(Teacher): On this worksheet, you'll see some common problems that friends might have. Your job is to think about our three steps—What's the Problem?, Listen Up!, and Find a Solution!—and write down how you would solve these problems peacefully and kindly. I'll walk around to help if you have questions.

(Circulate, providing support and answering questions. Encourage students to think about both people's feelings.)

Wrap-Up: Sharing Solutions (2 minutes)

(Teacher): Wonderful work everyone! Who would like to share one of their peaceful problem-solving ideas from their worksheet? Don't be shy!

(Invite a few students to share their solutions. Praise their thoughtful responses.)

(Teacher): Remember, understanding your feelings, using kind words, listening to others, and finding solutions together are key to being a great friend and a peace-maker! Thank you all for participating in our Feelings & Friendships lesson today!

Peaceful Problem Solving Worksheet

Name: _________________________

Directions: Read each problem. Then, use our 3 steps to think of a peaceful and kind way to solve it!

Problem 1: Sharing Toys

Your friend wants to play with your favorite toy, but you are still playing with it and don't want to share right now.

Step 1: What's the Problem?

How do you feel? How might your friend feel?

Step 2: Listen Up!

What could you say to your friend? What might your friend say to you?

Step 3: Find a Solution!

What is a peaceful way you and your friend could solve this problem? (Hint: Think about sharing, taking turns, or playing together!)

Problem 2: Different Game Ideas

You and your friend want to play different games outside. You want to play tag, and your friend wants to play hide-and-seek.

Step 1: What's the Problem?

How do you feel? How might your friend feel?

Step 2: Listen Up!

What could you say to your friend? What might your friend say to you?

Step 3: Find a Solution!

What is a peaceful way you and your friend could solve this problem? (Hint: Think about compromising or taking turns!)

Problem 3: Accidental Hurt

Your friend accidentally bumps into you and makes you drop your snack, and now it's all on the floor.

Step 1: What's the Problem?

How do you feel? How might your friend feel?

Step 2: Listen Up!

What could you say to your friend? What might your friend say to you?

Step 3: Find a Solution!

What is a peaceful way you and your friend could solve this problem? (Hint: Think about apologizing and helping!)

Peaceful Role-Play Activity

Instructions: With a partner, choose one of the scenarios below (or create your own!). Take turns acting out the problem and then using our 3 peaceful problem-solving steps to find a kind solution.

Scenario 1: The Last Crayon

You and your partner both want to use the last red crayon to finish your drawings. What do you do?

Problem-Solving Steps to Remember:

1. What's the Problem? (How do you both feel?)
2. Listen Up! (Hear each other out.)
3. Find a Solution! (Share, compromise, take turns?)

Scenario 2: Playground Push

Someone accidentally bumps into you on the playground, and you feel angry. How do you handle it?

Problem-Solving Steps to Remember:

1. What's the Problem? (How do you both feel?)
2. Listen Up! (Hear each other out.)
3. Find a Solution! (Apologize, explain, move on?)

Scenario 3: Different Story Ideas

You and your partner are writing a story together, but you both have very different ideas about what should happen next. How can you decide?

Problem-Solving Steps to Remember:

1. What's the Problem? (How do you both feel?)
2. Listen Up! (Hear each other out.)
3. Find a Solution! (Compromise, combine ideas, take turns choosing?)