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Feelings in First Grade

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Lesson Plan

Session 1 Lesson Plan

Students will learn to identify and name basic emotions in themselves, increasing self-awareness by recognizing how feelings look and feel.

Understanding personal emotions helps children develop emotional literacy, manage reactions, and build a foundation for positive relationships and self-regulation.

Audience

1st Grade

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Discussion with hands-on and reflective activities

Materials

Prep

Prepare SEL Materials

5 minutes

Step 1

Greeting and Check-In

2 minutes

  • Welcome students and explain today’s focus: learning about feelings
  • Ask each child to share one word describing how they feel right now
  • Reinforce that all feelings are okay to express

Step 2

Explore Feelings Vocabulary

5 minutes

  • Show the Feelings Vocabulary Cards one by one
  • Say each emotion aloud and have students repeat
  • Invite volunteers to act out the face on each card, guessing the feeling name

Step 3

Mood Meter Activity

4 minutes

  • Introduce the Classroom Mood Meter Chart and explain color zones
  • Give each student a clothespin or marker to place where they feel today
  • Discuss how different colors match different feelings and why it’s useful to know

Step 4

Journal Reflection

4 minutes

  • Distribute the My Feelings Journal Template
  • Ask students to draw a face showing their current emotion and write the feeling word
  • Invite a few volunteers to share their drawing and describe their emotion
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Slide Deck

Session 1: Recognizing Our Feelings

  • What are feelings?
  • Why they help us understand ourselves
  • Today’s activities: Greeting, Vocabulary, Mood Meter, Journal

Welcome students warmly. Introduce today’s focus: recognizing and naming our feelings. Say: “Good morning, friends! Today we’re going to talk about our feelings—what they look like, what they feel like, and how to tell others about them.”

Greeting & Check-In

  1. Teacher models: “I feel ___.”
  2. Students take turns sharing
  3. Encourage respect and listening

Explain the check-in routine. Say: “Let’s each share one word for how we feel right now. You might say ‘happy,’ ‘tired,’ or anything else. Remember: all feelings are okay!”

Explore Feelings Vocabulary

  • happy
  • sad
  • angry
  • scared
  • surprised

Show the Feelings Vocabulary Cards. Say each emotion aloud, have students repeat, then call on volunteers to act out the feeling for the class to guess.

Mood Meter Activity

  1. Blue = Sad
  2. Red = Angry
  3. Green = Happy
  4. Yellow = Scared

Place your marker where you feel today.

Introduce the Classroom Mood Meter Chart. Explain the color zones and what they mean. Hand out clothespins or markers for students to place on the chart.

Journal Reflection

  1. Draw a face showing today’s feeling
  2. Write the feeling word below your drawing
  3. Share with the class (optional)

Distribute the My Feelings Journal Template. Ask students to draw their current feeling and write the word. Invite a few volunteers to share their drawings and words.

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Feelings in First Grade • Lenny Learning