Lesson Plan
Friendship Detectives
Students will learn to identify and respond to peers’ emotions by observing facial expressions, body language, and vocal tone. They will practice empathetic responses and record their observations in their detective journals.
Developing social awareness and empathy at an early age fosters positive peer interactions and a supportive classroom community. This lesson empowers students to notice and respond kindly to friends’ emotions, building interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Materials Preparation
5 minutes
Step 1
Hook: Become Friendship Detectives
3 minutes
Step 2
Game: Emotion Charades
8 minutes
Step 3
Discussion: Feeling Detective Chat
5 minutes
Step 4
Activity: Detective Journals
10 minutes
Step 5
Share & Reflect
4 minutes

Slide Deck
Feeling Detective Chat
Photo #1: Happy Friend
Photo #2: Sad Friend
Photo #3: Angry Friend
Photo #4: Surprised Friend
Photo #5: Worried Friend
Kind Detective Responses
Detective Debrief

Activity


Worksheet

