Healing Hearts: Understanding Grief and Loss

This activity is designed to provide 1st grade students with a safe space to explore and express their emotions related to grief and loss. Using the Feelings Book, students have an opportunity to channel their feelings through art and words, fostering both emotional literacy and empathy.

Feelings Book Activity

Objective

• Encourage students to creatively express their emotions about loss and gain awareness of their feelings.

Materials

• Feelings Book Template
• Crayons, pencils, markers, or other drawing materials

Instructions

1. Introduction (2 minutes):

   • Briefly explain to the students that the activity will help them share how they feel through drawings or words.
   • Emphasize that there is no right or wrong way to express their feelings, and every emotion is valid.

2. Creative Expression (20 minutes):

   • Distribute the Feelings Book templates to each student.
   • Encourage students to draw a picture or write about a time when they felt a strong emotion, such as sadness, happiness, or confusion.
   • Offer gentle prompts if needed, such as: "Can you draw a picture of a moment that made you feel different?" or "Write a few words about your drawing."

3. Sharing (8 minutes):

   • Invite students to share their artwork or words in a supportive group setting if they feel comfortable doing so.
   • Validate their expressions by acknowledging and discussing the feelings they have depicted.
   • Emphasize that each unique expression helps us understand our feelings better, and it's okay to feel differently.

Follow-Up Discussion

• Reflect on Expression: Let students describe their pictures or writings. Ask reflective questions such as, "What did you like about expressing your feelings this way?" or "How did it make you feel to share your work?"

• Connecting Emotions: Use the discussion to relate the activity back to the session theme, helping students realize that expressing emotion is a healthy and normal part of life.

Group Discussion on Grief and Loss

This discussion is designed to help 1st grade students articulate and understand their feelings related to grief and loss. The session utilizes Emotion Cards to support children in identifying and expressing their emotions.

Discussion Guidelines

1. Creating a Safe Space:

   • Begin by reminding students that all feelings are okay and that sharing is voluntary.
   • Encourage everyone to listen respectfully when someone is speaking.

2. Using the Emotion Cards:

   • Show the Emotion Cards one by one and ask students to name the emotion they see.
   • Allow students to pick a card that represents how they have felt recently or in the past.

3. Sharing Personal Experiences:

   • Prompt students with simple questions like:
     • "Can you tell us about a time when you felt this way?"
     • "What made you feel better when you felt sad or upset?"
   • Validate each response with positive affirmations, ensuring children understand that every emotion is important.

4. Connecting Emotions:

   • Ask reflective questions:
     • "What do you think helps when we feel sad or miss someone?"
     • "How can sharing our feelings help us feel better?"

5. Encouraging Empathy:

   • Invite students to listen and reflect on the feelings of their peers.
   • Ask questions such as "How do you think your friend felt when they said that?"

Emotion Matching Game

This interactive game is designed to help 1st grade students recognize and match emotions using the Emotion Cards. It is both fun and educational, reinforcing emotional literacy and understanding while encouraging physical movement and teamwork.

Objective

• Help students identify, name, and match different emotions depicted on the cards.
• Reinforce concepts discussed during the Group Discussion on Grief and Loss.
• Encourage empathy and understanding through fun interaction.

Materials

• A set of Emotion Cards printed on cards.
• Space to move around safely.
• A timer or stopwatch (optional).

How to Play

1. Preparation:
   

   • Scatter the Emotion Cards face-up around the play area.
   • Ensure each card is visible, and there is enough space for students to move safely between them.
     
     
     
     
     
     

2. Introduction:
   

   • Briefly review the different emotions with the whole class using the Emotion Cards. Ask students to name and describe each emotion.
   • Explain that they will be playing a matching game to recognize and pair the emotions.
     
     
     
     
     
     

3. Game Steps:
   

   • Divide students into pairs or small groups, depending on class size.
   • Set a timer (optional, for added excitement, e.g., 2 minutes per round).
   • Ask one student from a pair or group to pick up an Emotion Card and call out the emotion shown.
   • Their partner or group members then search for another card that shows the same emotion or a related emotion if a direct match isn’t available.
   • Once a match is found, the pair or group discusses a time they felt that emotion.
   • The pair or group then places the matched cards in a designated 'match pile.'
     
     
     
     
     
     

4. Rotation:
   

   • Rotate roles so each student gets a turn picking a card and finding its match.
   • Repeat until all Emotion Cards have been matched or until the timer runs out.
     
     
     
     
     
     

5. Wrap-Up Discussion:
   

   • Gather all the students back in a circle.
   • Invite a few students to share what they noticed during the game and how matching the emotions made them think about their own feelings.
   • Ask reflective questions such as: "Which emotion was the easiest to match?" or "How did it feel to talk about your feelings with your partner?"
     
     
     
     
     
     

Follow-Up

• Encourage students to use the skills they practiced today when they recognize these emotions in their daily lives.
• Revisit the Emotion Cards during future lessons to reinforce understanding and empathy.

Story Time: Understanding Loss

Once upon a time, there was a little tree in a beautiful garden. The little tree loved playing in the sunshine, listening to the song of the wind, and chatting with the friendly flowers. Every day, children would come and laugh around the tree, making it feel happy and cherished.

A Change in the Garden

One day, the little tree noticed something different. A strong wind had blown through the garden, and some of the flowers were no longer there. The little tree felt a little sad and lonely, wondering why things had changed so suddenly. It missed the bright smiles of the flowers and the joyful sounds of the children.

The little tree talked to a wise old rock, who had seen many seasons come and go. The rock said, "Sometimes, things in life change. When we miss someone or something, it means we loved it very much. It's okay to feel sad, and it's also okay to remember the happy times."

Finding Comfort

Feeling a bit better, the little tree began to remember all the fun moments: the games it played with the flowers, the love it experienced during warm sunny days, and the laughter that filled the garden. The little tree started to understand that even though things change, the joy and memories never truly leave.

The tree whispered to the soft breeze, "I miss them, but I can still feel their love in every moment." And with that, the garden grew peaceful again, filled with gentle reminders that it was okay to experience loss and smile at the beautiful memories left behind.

Reflecting on Our Feelings

• What did the little tree learn about feeling sad?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Can you remember a time when you missed someone or something? What helped you feel better?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• How can sharing our happy memories help us when we feel a little lonely or sad?
  
  
  
  
  
  

Take a moment to draw a picture or write a sentence about a happy memory that makes you smile. Remember, each feeling is part of the journey of growing up and understanding the world around us.