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Feelings in Balance

Lesson Plan

Feelings in Balance: Group Plan

Enable 1st–3rd graders to identify, understand, and manage their emotions through eight structured 35-minute group sessions, building self-awareness and coping skills.

Early emotional regulation supports social skills, classroom readiness, and resilience. By learning to recognize and manage feelings now, students build a foundation for healthy relationships and improved focus.

Audience

1st–3rd Grade Students

Time

8 sessions × 35 minutes

Approach

Interactive activities, discussions, and guided reflections.

Materials

Emotion Flashcards, Feelings Wheel Poster, Feelings in Balance Reflection Journal, Calm-Down Coloring Sheets, and Mindful Breathing Script

Prep

Prepare for Group Sessions

20 minutes

Step 1

Session 1: Recognizing Emotions

35 minutes

  • Objective: Introduce core feelings (happy, sad, angry, scared)
  • Warm-Up: Show Emotion Flashcards and ask students to name each feeling
  • Activity: Pass the flashcards around; each student acts out the emotion they draw
  • Reflection: In journals, draw a time they felt one of these emotions
  • Share: Volunteers describe their drawings to the group

Step 2

Session 2: Understanding Triggers

35 minutes

  • Objective: Identify what causes different feelings
  • Review: Quick emotion naming with Emotion Flashcards
  • Discussion: Brainstorm situations (e.g., losing a toy, getting a compliment)
  • Activity: In pairs, match trigger cards to emotion flashcards
  • Reflection: Journal prompt—“What makes me feel ___?”

Step 3

Session 3: Expressing Feelings Safely

35 minutes

  • Objective: Practice healthy emotional expression
  • Warm-Up: Show an emotion and ask for safe vs. unsafe expressions
  • Role-Play: In small groups, act out scenarios using “I feel… because…” statements
  • Group Discussion: Why did those words help?
  • Reflection: Write one sentence in your journal about expressing a feeling

Step 4

Session 4: Calming Techniques I – Deep Breathing

35 minutes

  • Objective: Teach deep-breathing as a calming strategy
  • Introduce: Explain why breathing helps—refer to Feelings Wheel Poster
  • Demonstration: Follow the Mindful Breathing Script
  • Activity: Practice three rounds together; use hand-on-belly breathing
  • Reflection: Journal draw—how do you feel before and after breathing?

Step 5

Session 5: Calming Techniques II – Mindfulness

35 minutes

  • Objective: Introduce mindful observation
  • Warm-Up: Five-sense check-in (name one thing you see, hear, feel…)
  • Activity: Silent mindful listening to a bell or nature sounds
  • Discussion: How did noticing small things change your feeling?
  • Reflection: Journal prompt—“I noticed…”

Step 6

Session 6: Problem-Solving with Feelings

35 minutes

  • Objective: Use steps to solve feeling-driven problems
  • Teach: STOP, THINK, CHOOSE steps on board
  • Activity: Present simple dilemmas (e.g., two kids want same toy); practice steps in pairs
  • Group Share: Volunteers share how they’d solve a problem
  • Reflection: In journal, write a problem and your chosen solution

Step 7

Session 7: Empathy and Peer Support

35 minutes

  • Objective: Build empathy and supportive responses
  • Warm-Up: Show a sad face; ask “What might they need?”
  • Role-Play: In triads, one acts sad, one offers support, one observes
  • Debrief: Observer shares kind words they heard
  • Reflection: Journal—draw or write how you can help a friend

Step 8

Session 8: Putting It All Together

35 minutes

  • Objective: Review skills and set personal goals
  • Game: Emotion relay—students run to poster and name coping skill for a shown feeling
  • Reflection: Complete one page of Feelings in Balance Reflection Journal summarizing favorite strategy
  • Goal Setting: Each student shares one new habit they’ll try
  • Celebration: Group high-five and certificates of completion
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Slide Deck

Session 1: Recognizing Emotions

• Objective: Introduce core feelings (happy, sad, angry, scared)
• Warm-Up: Display each Emotion Flashcard and ask students to name the feeling
• Activity: Pass real flashcards; each child acts out the emotion they draw
• Reflection: In your journal, draw a time you felt one of these emotions
• Share: Volunteers describe their drawings to the group

Use large, colorful emotion flashcard images on the slide. Encourage students to shout out feeling words as you click through. Have real flashcards on hand to pass around.

Session 2: Understanding Triggers

• Objective: Identify what causes different feelings
• Review: Quick emotion naming with Emotion Flashcards
• Discussion: Brainstorm scenarios (e.g., losing a toy, getting a hug)
• Activity: In pairs, match trigger cards to emotion flashcards
• Reflection: Journal prompt – “What makes me feel ___?”

Display a simple chart of situations and feelings to scaffold brainstorming. Pair students deliberately so everyone has a partner.

Session 3: Expressing Feelings Safely

• Objective: Practice healthy expression
• Warm-Up: Show an emotion; ask: “What are safe vs. unsafe ways to show this feeling?”
• Role-Play: In small groups, use “I feel… because…” statements in scenarios
• Discussion: Which words helped calm or connect?
• Reflection: Write one sentence in your journal about expressing a feeling

Prepare scenario cards with safe vs. unsafe responses. Model one role-play first, asking students to notice the “I feel… because…” structure.

Session 4: Calming Techniques I — Deep Breathing

• Objective: Teach deep breathing
• Introduce: Why breathing helps (refer to Feelings Wheel Poster)
• Demonstration: Lead breathing using the Mindful Breathing Script
• Practice: Three rounds of hand-on-belly breathing together
• Reflection: Draw in your journal – how you feel before and after breathing

Show the Feelings Wheel Poster and point to how breathing shifts us toward calm. Guide a demonstration before students join in.

Session 5: Calming Techniques II — Mindfulness

• Objective: Introduce mindful observation
• Warm-Up: Five-sense check-in (name something you see, hear, feel, smell, taste)
• Activity: Silent mindful listening to bell or nature sounds
• Discussion: How did noticing small things change your feelings?
• Reflection: Journal prompt – “I noticed…”

Prepare audio of a single bell or nature sound. Teach the five senses check-in with a simple poster or handout.

Session 6: Problem-Solving with Feelings

• Objective: Solve feeling-driven problems
• Teach: STOP (pause), THINK (options), CHOOSE (best solution)
• Activity: In pairs, practice steps with simple dilemmas
• Share: Volunteers explain their solution process
• Reflection: In journal, write a problem you have and your chosen solution

Write STOP, THINK, CHOOSE on chart paper. Use easy dilemmas familiar to students: missing snack, playground disputes.

Session 7: Empathy and Peer Support

• Objective: Build empathy and supportive responses
• Warm-Up: Show a sad face; ask “What might they need?”
• Role-Play: In triads – one acts sad, one offers support, one observes
• Debrief: Observer shares kind words they heard
• Reflection: Draw or write in your journal how you can help a friend

Display empathy prompts (“How would you feel if…?”). Guide roles and rotate so each child practices empathy, support, and observation.

Session 8: Putting It All Together

• Objective: Review skills and set goals
• Game: Emotion relay – run to poster, name a coping skill for the shown feeling
• Reflection: Complete one page of Feelings in Balance Reflection Journal, summarizing your favorite strategy
• Goal Setting: Each student shares one new habit they’ll try
• Celebration: Group high-five and hand out certificates

Use an upbeat, energetic tone for the emotion relay. Prepare certificates and stickers ahead of time.

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Journal

Feelings in Balance Reflection Journal

Session 1: Recognizing Emotions

Draw a time you felt happy, sad, angry, or scared.













Write what happened and how you felt.






Session 2: Understanding Triggers

What makes you feel happy? What makes you feel sad?






Session 3: Expressing Feelings Safely

Complete the sentence: “I feel ___ because ___.”



Session 4: Calming Techniques I — Deep Breathing

Draw how you feel before and after deep breathing.













Write one word that describes how you feel now.



Session 5: Calming Techniques II — Mindfulness

Finish the prompt: “I noticed…”






Session 6: Problem-Solving with Feelings

Write a problem you have had and two things you could do to solve it. Then explain which solution you choose and why.











Session 7: Empathy and Peer Support

Draw or write how you can help a friend who feels sad.






Session 8: Putting It All Together

What is your favorite strategy from this program? Why is it your favorite?







What is one new habit you will try to use your feelings tool?






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