Lesson Plan
How Do Others Feel?
Students will be able to identify the emotional zones (Zones of Regulation) in others by observing facial expressions, body language, and context.
Learning to identify emotions in others helps students develop empathy, improve social skills, and respond appropriately in various situations. It builds a foundation for positive relationships and a supportive classroom environment.
Audience
K-2nd Grade Students
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, visual examples, a hands-on sorting game, and a quiz to reinforce learning.
Prep
Lesson Preparation
15 minutes
- Review the How Do Others Feel? Slide Deck to familiarize yourself with the content.
- Print and cut out the Emotion Sorting Cards Game for the activity.
- Make copies of the Observing Others Worksheet.
- Ensure the video link for the "Guess the Emotion Game" is accessible and ready to play.
- Review the Group Discussion Prompts to facilitate conversation.
- Prepare copies of the Zones Check Quiz.
Step 1
Warm-Up: What Zone Are YOU In?
3 minutes
- Begin by asking students to identify what 'Zone' they are currently in. Briefly review the four zones (Blue, Green, Yellow, Red) and their associated feelings using How Do Others Feel? Slide Deck (Slide 1-2).
- Ask a few volunteers to share their zone and why they think they are in it. Remind students there are no 'bad' zones, just different feelings.
Step 2
Introducing Identifying Zones in Others
5 minutes
- Introduce the concept of identifying zones in others. Explain that people don't always say how they feel, but we can often guess by looking at their face, body, and what they are doing. Use How Do Others Feel? Slide Deck (Slide 3-4) to guide this.
- Show pictures of children with different emotions (Slide 2 in user prompt, which is Slide 4 in my deck). Ask students to describe what they see and what zone they think the child is in.
Step 3
Activity: Emotion Sorting Cards Game
10 minutes
- Distribute the Emotion Sorting Cards Game to small groups or display them for whole-class interaction.
- Students will work to match emotion cards (showing faces or scenarios) to the correct Zone.
- Circulate and provide support, asking probing questions like, "What makes you think this person is in the Yellow Zone?" or "What clues do you see?"
Step 4
Video & Discussion
7 minutes
- Play the "Guess the Emotion Game" video (as requested by the user).
- After the video, use the Group Discussion Prompts to discuss what students noticed. Focus on how different clues helped them identify emotions.
- Prompt questions: "What helped you guess the emotion in the video?" "How can knowing someone's zone help you be a good friend?"
Step 5
Wrap-Up & Worksheet
5 minutes
- Distribute the Observing Others Worksheet. Have students complete it individually or as a quick exit ticket.
- Briefly review answers as a class or collect for assessment.
- Administer the Zones Check Quiz as a final check for understanding.
Slide Deck
How Do Others Feel?
Understanding the Zones of Regulation in Our Friends!
Welcome students and check in on their current emotional zone. Briefly review the four Zones of Regulation: Blue (sad, tired, sick), Green (calm, happy, focused), Yellow (frustrated, anxious, silly), and Red (angry, terrified, out of control). Emphasize that all zones are okay, it's about understanding and managing them.
What Zone is This Friend In?
Look closely at these pictures. How do you think these friends are feeling? What Zone are they in?
Display these emotions. Ask students: "What zone do you think this person is in? What clues do you see in their face or body?" Encourage varied responses and discussions about observable cues.
Being an Emotion Detective
How can we tell how someone else is feeling?
- Look at their face! Are they smiling, frowning, or surprised?
- Look at their body! Are their shoulders slumped, are their hands clenched?
- Listen to their voice! Is it loud, quiet, shaky?
- Think about what they are doing! Are they playing nicely or stomping their feet?
Explain that sometimes people don't use words to tell us how they feel. We can be 'emotion detectives' and look for clues. Discuss examples of clues: a frown means sad, a big smile means happy, crossed arms might mean angry or frustrated.
Activity: Emotion Sorting Cards!
Let's play a game!
We will sort different emotion cards into their correct Zones.
Look for clues in the pictures and descriptions to help you decide!
Introduce the Emotion Sorting Cards Game. Explain that students will work together to put emotion cards into the correct Zone categories. Remind them to look for clues, just like our 'Emotion Detective' slide.
Watch closely and try to guess how the people in the video are feeling!
Introduce the video. Explain that it's another chance to practice identifying emotions. After the video, facilitate a brief discussion using the discussion prompts.
Being a Zone Super Helper!
Why is it important to know how others feel?
- To be a good friend!
- To help if someone is in the Blue Zone.
- To know when someone needs space.
Now, let's practice with a worksheet and a quick quiz!
Summarize key learnings: we can use clues to understand others' feelings. Explain that knowing how others feel helps us be kind and helpful friends. Introduce the worksheet as a practice activity and the quiz to check understanding.
Worksheet
Observing Others Worksheet
Name: _____________________________
Date: _____________________________
Part 1: Look and Label
Look at each picture. What emotion do you think this person is feeling? What Zone are they in? Circle the correct Zone.
Picture 1: (Imagine a child with crossed arms and a frown)
- Emotion: Sad / Angry / Happy
- Zone: Blue Zone / Green Zone / Yellow Zone / Red Zone
Picture 2: (Imagine a child smiling and playing)
- Emotion: Sad / Angry / Happy
- Zone: Blue Zone / Green Zone / Yellow Zone / Red Zone
Picture 3: (Imagine a child with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth, looking worried)
- Emotion: Surprised / Scared / Calm
- Zone: Blue Zone / Green Zone / Yellow Zone / Red Zone
Picture 4: (Imagine a child looking sleepy or bored)
- Emotion: Excited / Tired / Silly
- Zone: Blue Zone / Green Zone / Yellow Zone / Red Zone
Part 2: Draw and Show
Think about a time you saw a friend feeling a strong emotion. Draw their face and body below to show how they looked.
What Zone do you think your friend was in?
What clues did you see?
Discussion
Group Discussion Prompts: Reading Others' Zones
Opening Questions
- Who can remind us what the four Zones of Regulation are (Blue, Green, Yellow, Red)? What kinds of feelings go in each Zone?
- Why is it important to know how you are feeling?
Identifying Zones in Others
- We just watched a video about guessing emotions. What were some of the clues the people in the video gave about how they were feeling? (Think about their faces, bodies, and sounds!)
- Imagine you see a friend stomping their feet and making a loud grumbling sound. What Zone do you think they might be in? Why?
- What if a friend is sitting quietly with their head down? What Zone might they be in? How would you know?
- Can someone be in the Yellow Zone and still be having fun (like being super silly or excited)? How can we tell the difference between a fun silly/excited Yellow Zone and a worried/frustrated Yellow Zone?
Empathy and Action
- Why is it helpful to know what Zone another person is in? How can it help you be a good friend?
- If you see a friend in the Blue Zone (like they are sad or tired), what could you do to help them?
- What if a friend is in the Red Zone (very angry)? What is a safe and helpful way to respond?
- What can you do if you are not sure what Zone someone is in?
Game
Emotion Sorting Cards Game: What Zone is This Friend In?
Goal: Work together to sort the emotion cards into the correct Zones of Regulation (Blue, Green, Yellow, Red) by looking at the clues!
Instructions:
- Cut out all the cards below. You will have two types of cards: Zone Cards and Emotion Cards.
- Place the four Zone Cards (Blue, Green, Yellow, Red) in front of you.
- Take turns picking an Emotion Card. Look closely at the picture and read the description.
- Talk with your group: "What Zone do you think this friend is in? What clues do you see?"
- Place the Emotion Card under the Zone Card you think it belongs to.
- There are no wrong answers if you can explain your thinking! Your teacher will help guide you.
Zone Cards (Cut these out first!)
## BLUE ZONE
(Feeling sad, tired, sick, bored)
---
## GREEN ZONE
(Feeling happy, calm, focused, ready to learn)
---
## YELLOW ZONE
(Feeling worried, frustrated, excited, silly, nervous)
---
## RED ZONE
(Feeling angry, terrified, out of control, hitting, yelling)
Emotion Cards (Cut these out next!)
Card 1:
Description: A child sitting alone, shoulders slumped, with a tear rolling down their cheek.
Card 2:
Description: A child smiling brightly, giving a thumbs up, and looking relaxed.
Card 3:
Description: A child with furrowed brows, crossed arms, and a slightly red face.
Card 4:
Description: A child yelling loudly, face red, and fists clenched.
Card 5:
Description: A child yawning widely and rubbing their eyes, looking very tired.
Card 6:
Description: A group of children laughing and playing happily together.
Card 7:
Description: A child fidgeting, biting their lip, and looking down at their feet.
Card 8:
Description: A child screaming and throwing a toy across the room.
Card 9:
Description: A child quietly concentrating on drawing a picture.
Card 10:
Description: A child scratching their head, looking confused by a puzzle.
Card 11:
Description: A child holding their stomach and looking pale.
Card 12:
Description: A child jumping up and down with wide eyes and a big grin.
Quiz
Zones Check Quiz