Lesson Plan
How Are You, Really?
Students will be able to identify and articulate a current emotion and understand that all feelings are valid within a brief check-in.
Briefly checking in on emotions helps students build self-awareness and fosters a supportive classroom environment, even in short bursts.
Audience
1st - 8th Grade
Time
15 minutes
Approach
Concise interactive discussion and quick reflective activities.
Materials
Whiteboard or projector, Feelings Check-In Slide Deck, Feelings Wheel Handout, My Feelings Journal, and Pens/Pencils or crayons
Prep
Prepare Materials & Review
10 minutes
- Review the Feelings Check-In Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the content, noting suggestions for differentiation.
- Print copies of the Feelings Wheel Handout for each student. Consider larger print for younger grades.
- Prepare copies of the My Feelings Journal for each student. Younger students may benefit from fewer prompts or more space for drawing.
- Ensure whiteboard or projector is ready. Gather drawing materials for younger students if journaling will include art.
Step 1
Warm-Up: How's Your Internal Weather?
2 minutes
- Begin with the Warm-Up: How's Your Internal Weather? activity.
- Ask students to reflect on how they are feeling using weather metaphors (e.g., 'cloudy,' 'sunny,' 'stormy').
- Differentiation: For 1st-3rd grade, focus on 2-3 simple weather options and lead a brief whole-class verbal check-in. For 4th-8th grade, encourage more nuanced reflections. Due to time, sharing should be very brief or optional.
- Briefly share a few anonymous responses (if students are comfortable).
Step 2
Introduction: All Feelings Are Valid
3 minutes
- Use the Feelings Check-In Slide Deck to briefly introduce the concept that all feelings are okay and serve a purpose.
- Emphasize that there's no 'right' or 'wrong' way to feel.
- Differentiation: Keep language concise for all grades. Focus on the core message.
- Briefly explain the importance of recognizing and naming emotions.
Step 3
Activity: Exploring the Feelings Wheel
5 minutes
- Distribute the Feelings Wheel Handout.
- Quickly guide students through the feelings wheel, highlighting that it helps expand emotional vocabulary.
- Differentiation: For 1st-3rd grade, focus on quickly identifying one core emotion. For 4th-8th grade, encourage rapidly finding a more specific feeling.
- Ask students to privately identify 1 feeling they've experienced recently using the wheel and silently reflect on why they might have felt that way.
Step 4
Journal Reflection: My Feelings Snapshot
3 minutes
- Distribute the My Feelings Journal.
- Instruct students to complete a brief journal entry, focusing on identifying a current feeling and either describing what it feels like in their body or what might have caused it. Not both, to save time.
- Differentiation: For 1st-3rd grade, offer the option to draw their feeling or what it feels like in their body. For 4th-8th grade, encourage a concise written reflection.
- Reassure students that this is a private reflection.
Step 5
Cool-Down: One Word Exit Ticket
2 minutes
- Conclude with the Cool-Down: One Word Exit Ticket activity.
- Ask students to share one word that describes how they feel after the lesson or one new thing they learned about feelings.
- Differentiation: For younger students, accept a verbal response. For older students, a quick verbal response or a rapid written note. This can be done verbally, on a sticky note, or via a digital poll.
Slide Deck
How Are You, Really?
Understanding Our Emotions
Welcome students and introduce the idea of a 'feelings check-in.' Explain that today's lesson is about understanding our emotions better. Reassure them that it's a safe space. For younger students (1st-3rd), keep language simple and focus on basic emotions. For older students (4th-8th), you can introduce more nuanced discussions.
What Does 'Feeling Okay' Mean?
Is 'okay' truly how you feel?
Sometimes we feel much more than just 'okay.'
Today, we'll explore the rich world of our emotions.
Ask students to consider the question: "What does 'feeling okay' really mean?" For younger students, ask for simple examples of what 'okay' feels like. For older students, encourage them to think about how 'okay' can mask other feelings. Emphasize that 'okay' can mean many different things to different people.
All Feelings Are Valid
There are no 'good' or 'bad' feelings. All emotions are a natural part of being human.
They give us important information about ourselves and our experiences.
Explain that all emotions are natural and valid. Even uncomfortable feelings serve a purpose. For younger students, focus on examples like feeling sad when a friend is hurt, or mad when something is unfair. For older students, discuss how feelings provide information. The goal isn't to get rid of feelings, but to understand and manage them.
Expanding Your Feelings Vocabulary
Sometimes it's hard to find the right words for what we're feeling.
Learning new feeling words can help us better understand ourselves and communicate with others.
Introduce the concept of emotional vocabulary. For younger students, focus on learning new words for basic feelings. For older students, discuss how a richer vocabulary helps them describe what's happening inside more accurately and communicate better.
The Feelings Wheel
A tool to help us identify and name our emotions.
Start with big feelings in the center, and find more specific feelings as you move out.
Introduce the Feelings Wheel as a tool. Explain that the center represents core emotions, and as you move outwards, the words become more specific. Guide them to think about how they can use this tool. (Refer to the Feelings Wheel Handout here). For younger students, focus on the inner ring. For older students, encourage exploration of the outer rings.
What's Behind Your Feelings?
Once you can name a feeling, you can start to ask:
- What might have caused this feeling?
- What does this feeling tell me?
- Where do I feel this in my body?
Explain that recognizing feelings is the first step. The next is to reflect on what might be causing them. This isn't about blaming, but about understanding triggers and patterns. For younger students, ask simple 'why' questions. For older students, encourage deeper self-reflection.
Healthy Ways to Respond
Once you understand your feelings, you can choose healthy ways to respond.
- Talk to a trusted adult or friend.
- Draw or write in a My Feelings Journal.
- Take a mindful break.
- Engage in an activity you enjoy.
Emphasize the importance of healthy ways to cope. Give age-appropriate examples like talking to someone, drawing, playing, journaling, taking a break, or engaging in a hobby. Remind them that coping strategies are personal and can look different for everyone.
Your Emotional Journey
Understanding your feelings is a lifelong journey.
Keep practicing, keep reflecting, and remember you're not alone.
Let's do our Cool-Down: One Word Exit Ticket!
Summarize the key takeaways and reinforce that this is an ongoing journey. Encourage them to use the tools and strategies discussed. Prompt them for the cool-down activity.
Warm Up
How's Your Internal Weather?
Think about how you're feeling right now. If your emotions were a type of weather, what would it be?
* Sunny? (Happy, joyful, content)
* Cloudy? (A little down, thoughtful, neutral)
* Rainy? (Sad, upset, tearful)
* Stormy? (Angry, frustrated, overwhelmed)
* Breezy? (Calm, relaxed, at ease)
* Foggy? (Confused, uncertain, unclear)
Take a moment to silently choose your internal weather. You don't have to share it unless you want to.
Teachers: For younger grades (1st-3rd), focus on 2-3 simple weather options and lead a brief whole-class verbal check-in. For older grades (4th-8th), encourage more nuanced reflections and optionally allow brief sharing.
What does your internal weather feel like today?
Reading
The Feelings Wheel: A Tool for Understanding Your Emotions
The Feelings Wheel is a helpful tool that can expand your emotional vocabulary and help you pinpoint exactly what you're feeling. It starts with basic emotions in the center and moves outwards to more specific feelings.
## How to Use It:
1. Start in the Center: Begin with one of the core emotions in the middle (e.g., Happy, Sad, Angry, Scared, Powerful, Peaceful).
2. Move Outward: If you pick an emotion like "Sad," look at the words around it that describe different kinds of sadness, like "lonely," "vulnerable," or "disappointed." Pick the word that best matches how you feel.
3. Find Your Specific Feeling: Keep moving outwards until you find the word that feels just right for what you're experiencing.
## Tips for All Ages:
* For 1st-3rd Grade: Focus on the main emotions in the center and the first ring of words. You can point to how you feel, or use your fingers to trace outwards. It's okay to just pick one word!
* For 4th-8th Grade: Explore all the rings! Try to find the most specific word you can. Think about what makes your feeling different from a similar one (e.g., Is it sad or disappointed? Is it angry or frustrated?).
Remember, there are no right or wrong feelings! This wheel is here to help you understand yourself better.
Journal
My Feelings Snapshot
Take a few minutes to reflect on your emotions today.
1. What is one feeling you are experiencing right now? (Try to use a specific word from the Feelings Wheel Handout, if you can!)
* Teachers: For 1st-3rd graders, you can encourage them to draw their feeling or tell you the word, and you can write it for them. For 4th-8th graders, encourage a written response.
2. Choose ONE to answer: Where do you feel this emotion in your body? (e.g., a tight chest, butterflies in your stomach, heavy shoulders, a warm smile) OR What do you think might have caused this feeling? (Think about recent events, interactions, or thoughts.)
* Teachers: Younger students can draw where they feel it in their body, or you can help them state a simple cause. Older students can describe it briefly in words.
Cool Down
One Word Exit Ticket
To wrap up our lesson on feelings, share ONE WORD that describes either:
* How you are feeling right now after this lesson.
* One new thing you learned about emotions today.
Teachers: Younger students (1st-3rd grade) can say their word aloud or draw it. Older students (4th-8th grade) can write it on a sticky note or share verbally.