Lesson Plan
Mirror Emotions Lesson Plan
Students will identify four basic emotions (happy, sad, mad, scared) on themselves and peers using facial cues, building their emotional vocabulary and self-awareness.
This lesson develops social-emotional skills by helping Pre-K students recognize and label feelings in themselves and others, fostering communication and empathy.
Audience
Pre-K
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Mirror-based modeling and peer practice
Materials
Handheld Mirrors Set, Feelings Faces Slides, Teacher Script with Prompts, and Draw Your Feeling Sheet
Prep
Prepare Materials
5 minutes
- Gather Handheld Mirrors Set and arrange on a central table.
- Review Feelings Faces Slides to familiarize yourself with the images.
- Print and organize copies of Draw Your Feeling Sheet for each student.
- Read through Teacher Script with Prompts to prepare your questions and cues.
Step 1
Warm-up Emotion Song
5 minutes
- Gather students in a circle near the carpet.
- Sing or play a modified version of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” that includes happy, sad, mad, and scared.
- Encourage students to make corresponding facial expressions and actions for each emotion (e.g., smile for happy, frown for sad).
Step 2
Mirror Modeling
5 minutes
- Hold up your handheld mirror and explain how mirrors show our faces.
- Display each emotion slide from Feelings Faces Slides one by one.
- Model the emotion in the mirror and name it aloud (e.g., “This is my mad face”).
- Use prompts from Teacher Script with Prompts to engage students (e.g., “How does my mouth look when I’m scared?”).
Step 3
Student Practice
8 minutes
- Distribute mirrors to each student at their seat or table.
- Call out one emotion at a time and have students look in their mirrors to practice making that face.
- Walk around to observe, offer positive feedback, and prompt correct labeling (e.g., “I see a great sad face!”).
Step 4
Partner Check-in
7 minutes
- Pair students up and have them sit facing each other.
- One student makes an emotion with their mirror while the partner guesses the emotion and labels it aloud.
- After guessing, partners switch roles for multiple turns.
- Encourage students to offer kind feedback using phrases like “I like how you showed scared.”
Step 5
Reflection Discussion
5 minutes
- Bring students back to the circle and ask: “When did you feel happy/sad/mad/scared today?”
- Invite volunteers to share their experiences and model the emotion in the mirror again.
- Affirm all feelings are okay and reinforce the emotion words learned.
Slide Deck
Feelings Faces
Today we will explore four feelings:
• Happy
• Sad
• Mad
• Scared
Gather students on the carpet. Explain: “Today we’re going to look at four different feelings—happy, sad, mad, and scared—by looking at pictures and using our faces and mirrors. We’ll practice showing each feeling.” Use the prompts below during circle time:
- “What does your face look like when you’re happy?”
- “How do your eyes change when you’re sad?”
Happy
[Insert large happy face illustration]
Point to the illustration. Ask students:
- “How does your mouth look when you’re happy?”
- “Can you show me your happy face?”
Encourage everyone to smile big and notice sparkling eyes.
Sad
[Insert large sad face illustration]
Point to the illustration. Ask:
- “What does a sad face look like?”
- “Can you feel your cheeks droop or your eyebrows tilt up?”
Have students practice a sad face and gently mirror them.
Mad
[Insert large mad face illustration]
Point to the illustration. Ask:
- “How do we show mad on our face?”
- “Does our brow scrunch or do our lips press together?”
Invite students to make a mad face, then relax and smile.
Scared
[Insert large scared face illustration]
Point to the illustration. Ask:
- “What does a scared face look like?”
- “Do our eyes open wide? Does our mouth open?”
Let students practice a scared face, then breathe out and calm down.
Script
Teacher Script with Prompts
Below is every word you can say—and the exact questions and transition phrases—to guide your Pre-K class through the Mirror Emotions lesson. Follow it step by step and use your tone and facial expressions to model each feeling!
1. Warm-up Emotion Song (5 minutes)
Teacher says:
“Hello, friends! Let’s all come sit in a circle on the carpet. Today we’re going to learn about four feelings: happy, sad, mad, and scared!”
“First, let’s sing a special version of If You’re Happy and You Know It that also shows sad, mad, and scared. When I sing a line, do the face and action with me!”
Sing together (encourage big faces and sounds):
• “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands! (clap-clap) If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands! If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it—if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!”
Prompt:
• “Show me your biggest happy smile! Can you make your eyes sparkle?”
• “If you’re sad and you know it, frown your mouth! (turn down lips) If you’re sad and you know it, frown your mouth…”
Prompt:
• “Feel your cheeks droop. Can you tilt your eyebrows up?”
• “If you’re mad and you know it, stomp your feet! (stomp-stomp) If you’re mad and you know it, stomp your feet…”
Prompt:
• “Scrunch your brow and press your lips together. Nice work!”
• “If you’re scared and you know it, scream ‘Ah!’ (hands by cheeks) If you’re scared and you know it, scream ‘Ah!’…”
Prompt:
• “Open your eyes big and your mouth big. Then take a deep breath and calm down together.”
Teacher transition:
“Wonderful singing and faces! Let’s put our song away and ready our mirrors.”
2. Mirror Modeling (5 minutes)
Teacher holds up a mirror and says:
“Mirrors help us see our faces! I’m going to show you each feeling. Watch me, and then we’ll talk about what we notice.”
a. Happy
- Display Feelings Faces Slides slide for Happy.
- “This is a happy face! Watch me.” (Teacher makes a big smile in the mirror.)
- Questions:
• “How does my mouth look?”
• “What do you notice about my eyes?” - “Your turn! Look in your mirror and show me your happy face.”
b. Sad
- Display slide for Sad.
- “This is a sad face. I’ll show you.” (Teacher makes a frown in the mirror.)
- Questions:
• “Can you feel your cheeks droop?”
• “How do your eyebrows move?” - “Now you try in the mirror—show me sad.”
c. Mad
- Display slide for Mad.
- “This is a mad face. Watch.” (Teacher scrunches eyebrows, presses lips.)
- Questions:
• “What’s happening with my brow?”
• “How are my lips?” - “You try—show me your mad face.”
d. Scared
- Display slide for Scared.
- “This is a scared face. Look.” (Teacher opens eyes wide, mouth open.)
- Questions:
• “How do my eyes look?”
• “What about my mouth?” - “Your turn—show me scared in your mirror.”
Teacher transition:
“Great job looking closely! Now let’s practice on our own.”
3. Student Practice (8 minutes)
Teacher says:
“Everyone, pick up your mirror and hold it like this so you can see your whole face.” (Demonstrate.)
“I will call out an emotion, and you make that face in your mirror.”
- “Happy!”
- Wait 5 seconds. “Wonderful smiles—those are great happy faces!”
- “Sad!”
- Wait. “I see lots of droopy cheeks and big frowns!”
- “Mad!”
- Wait. “Look at those scrunched brows—excellent mad faces!”
- “Scared!”
- Wait. “I see wide eyes and open mouths—those are great scared faces!”
Teacher walking prompts:
- “Wow, look at you all! I see bright eyes for happy, droopy cheeks for sad…”
- Offer praise: “You’re doing amazingly!”
Teacher transition:
“Now that you’re feeling confident, let’s play with a partner.”
4. Partner Check-in (7 minutes)
Teacher says:
“Put your mirrors down and find a friend sitting next to you. Sit facing each other.”
Instructions:
“Partner A, you make a face—but don’t say the feeling. Partner B, look carefully and guess by saying: ‘I think you’re feeling ___.’ Then switch roles!”
Model for one pair if needed:
- Teacher to a volunteer: “Show me a mad face.”
- Volunteer makes face. Teacher guesses: “I think you’re feeling mad. Is that right?”
Encourage gentle feedback:
- “I like how you showed scared with wide eyes!”
After 3–4 turns, say:
“Time to switch—Partner B make a face and Partner A guess.”
Teacher walking prompts:
- “Remember to use your words: ‘I think you’re feeling…’”
- “Nice listening and guessing.”
Teacher transition:
“Let’s put our mirrors and guess-and-tell away and come back to the circle.”
5. Reflection Discussion (5 minutes)
Teacher brings class to a circle and holds a mirror.
Teacher says:
“We did a great job learning about feelings. Let’s talk about when we feel them!”
Questions—invite volunteers one at a time:
-
“Who can tell me: When have you felt happy today?”
- Volunteer shares.
- “Can you show us your happy face in the mirror again?”
-
“Who felt sad today? What made you feel sad?”
- Volunteer shares.
- “Show your sad face for us.”
-
“Has anyone felt mad today? What happened?”
- Volunteer shares.
- “Show us your mad face.”
-
“What about scared—when did you feel scared?”
- Volunteer shares.
- “Show your scared face.”
Closing affirmation:
“Thank you for sharing. Remember, all feelings are okay. Talking about them helps us understand and care for our friends. You all did a super job!”
End of Script. Have fun exploring feelings with your little learners!
Materials linked: Feelings Faces Slides, Mirror Emotions Lesson Plan, Draw Your Feeling Sheet.
Activity
Mirror Game Guide
This step-by-step guide walks you through an engaging mirror game to help Pre-K students practice identifying and expressing four basic emotions—happy, sad, mad, and scared. Use handheld mirrors and simple partner activities to build vocabulary, self-awareness, and social-emotional skills.
Steps
-
Setup and Introduction (5 minutes)
- Arrange one mirror at each seat or station.
- Display or hold up flashcards or slides for each emotion: Happy, Sad, Mad, Scared.
- Explain the game rules:
• Watch your partner’s face carefully.
• Use kind words and gentle actions.
• Say, “I think you’re feeling ___,” when guessing.
-
Mirror Modeling (5 minutes)
- Teacher holds up a mirror and displays each emotion slide from Feelings Faces Slides.
- For each emotion:
• Name it aloud (e.g., “This is my mad face.”)
• Model the expression in the mirror.
• Ask quick prompts: “What do you notice about my eyes?” or “How is my mouth?”
• Invite students to look in their mirrors and copy the face.
-
Partner Mirror Practice (10 minutes)
- Pair students and have them sit facing each other, each with a mirror.
- Round 1: Partner A makes an expression in the mirror; Partner B guesses by saying, “I think you’re feeling ___.”
- Switch roles after each guess. Aim for 3–4 turns each.
- Teacher circulates, offers praise (“Great sad face!”), and corrects gently.
-
Group Challenge (5 minutes)
- Have students put mirrors down and stand in an open space.
- Teacher calls out an emotion (e.g., “Happy!”) and all students make that face simultaneously.
- For extra fun, count down or turn it into a quick “freeze face” game.
- Optional: After each round, students grab their mirrors to check their expressions.
-
Reflection and Debrief (5 minutes)
- Gather students back in a circle.
- Prompt discussion:
• “When did you feel happy today? Show us your happy face.”
• Repeat for sad, mad, and scared. - Affirm that all feelings are okay and naming them helps us care for ourselves and each other.
Roles
• Teacher:
– Models each emotion clearly.
– Guides transitions, monitors partners, provides feedback.
– Encourages respectful and kind guessing language.
• Partner A (Expression):
– Creates the assigned facial expression in the mirror without naming it.
• Partner B (Guesser):
– Observes Partner A’s face and uses the sentence frame: “I think you’re feeling ___.”
Variations
• Emotion Relay
– Divide the class into small teams.
– One student from each team runs to a mirror station, makes an emotion face called out by the teacher, then runs back.
– Next teammate goes. First team to finish all four emotions wins.
• Story Time Mirror
– Read a short, illustrated story with clear emotion cues.
– Pause when a character experiences an emotion.
– Students quickly make that face in their mirrors before continuing the story.
Materials linked: Feelings Faces Slides, Mirror Emotions Lesson Plan, Teacher Script with Prompts, Draw Your Feeling Sheet.
Worksheet
Draw Your Feeling Sheet
Name: ________________________ Date: ________________________
-
Happy
Draw your happy face here:
Label your picture: _____________________________
-
Sad
Draw your sad face here:
Label your picture: _____________________________
-
Mad
Draw your mad face here:
Label your picture: _____________________________
-
Scared
Draw your scared face here:
Label your picture: _____________________________
- Reflection: Choose one feeling from above that you felt today. Draw yourself and write why you felt that way.
Draw here:
Write why you felt this way:
Materials linked: Feelings Faces Slides, Mirror Emotions Lesson Plan, Teacher Script with Prompts, Mirror Game Guide