Lesson Plan
My Feelings, My Words Lesson Plan
Students will be able to identify and express at least three basic emotions using simple vocabulary and visuals.
Learning to name and share feelings helps students understand themselves and communicate better with others, which is important for making friends and solving problems.
Audience
4th Grade English Language Learners (1st Grade Reading Level)
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Visuals, simple language, interactive discussion, and a short practice activity.
Prep
Teacher Preparation
10 minutes
- Review all generated materials: Slide Deck: My Feelings, My Words, Script: Expressing Emotions, Worksheet: Match the Feeling, Warm Up: How Do You Feel?, Cool Down: One New Feeling.
- Print Worksheet: Match the Feeling (one per student).
- Prepare projector/screen for Slide Deck: My Feelings, My Words.
Step 1
Warm-up & Introduction
5 minutes
- Begin with the Warm Up: How Do You Feel? activity, asking students to share one feeling word.
- Introduce the lesson using the first few slides of Slide Deck: My Feelings, My Words and the guided prompts from Script: Expressing Emotions. Clearly state the lesson's goal in simple terms.
Step 2
Exploring Emotions
10 minutes
- Go through the slides in Slide Deck: My Feelings, My Words that introduce basic emotions like happy, sad, angry, and scared.
- Use simple descriptions, gestures, and relatable examples as outlined in the Script: Expressing Emotions.
- Encourage students to briefly share a time they felt each emotion, either verbally or through non-verbal cues (e.g., nodding, facial expressions). Ensure a safe and supportive environment for sharing.
Step 3
Practice Activity: Match the Feeling
10 minutes
- Distribute the Worksheet: Match the Feeling to each student.
- Explain the activity using simple, clear language from the Script: Expressing Emotions: students will match emotion words to pictures of faces or draw faces that represent given words.
- Circulate around the room to provide individual support and answer questions. Use visuals and gestures to help clarify instructions for ELL students.
Step 4
Wrap-up & Cool-down
5 minutes
- Bring the class back together. Briefly review the emotions learned.
- Distribute the Cool Down: One New Feeling exit ticket. Ask students to write or draw one new feeling word they learned or practiced today.
- Collect the cool-down tickets as students leave or transition to the next activity.
Slide Deck
My Feelings, My Words!
Let's learn about our feelings!
Welcome students. Explain that today we will learn about different feelings and how to talk about them. Encourage them to listen and look at the pictures carefully.
What are Feelings?
Feelings are how we feel inside.
Happy, sad, angry.
Everyone has feelings!
Ask students to think about a time they felt something strong. Explain that feelings are normal and important for everyone. Use gestures to show 'inside'.
Happy!
😀 Happy!
When you feel good.
When you laugh.
Show the happy face. Ask: "When do you feel happy?" Encourage a few simple answers or gestures (e.g., thumbs up).
Sad!
😔 Sad!
When you feel not good.
When you cry.
Show the sad face. Ask: "It's okay to feel sad sometimes. When might you feel sad?" Validate their feelings.
Angry!
😠 Angry!
When you are mad.
Your face might look red.
Show the angry face. Ask: "Sometimes things make us angry. What makes people angry?" Emphasize healthy ways to show anger (e.g., deep breaths).
Scared!
😟 Scared!
When you are afraid.
Your body might shake.
Show the scared face. Ask: "What makes you feel scared?" Reassure students it's normal to feel scared and to talk about it with a trusted adult.
How Do YOU Feel?
Look at the faces. Which feeling is yours right now?
Point to the previous emotion slides or have small emotion cards available. Ask students to show with their fingers (1 for happy, 2 for sad, etc.) or point to the feeling they have right now. Model first.
Using Your Words
Say it!
"I feel happy."
"I feel sad."
"I feel angry."
"I feel scared."
Practice saying these sentences together as a class. Emphasize that using words helps others understand them better. You can use a 'call and response' format.
Practice Your Feelings!
Tell a friend how you feel.
Draw your feelings.
It's good to talk!
Encourage students to continue practicing expressing their feelings. Transition to the worksheet activity. Remind them it's good to talk about feelings.
Script
Script: Expressing Emotions
Introduction (5 minutes)
(Teacher stands at the front of the class, smiling warmly)
"Hello, everyone! Welcome. Today, we are going to talk about something very important: our feelings. What are feelings? Feelings are how we feel inside our bodies and our minds. Sometimes we feel happy, sometimes we feel sad, sometimes we feel angry, and sometimes we feel scared. Everyone has feelings, and it’s okay to have all kinds of feelings."
(Refer to Slide Deck: My Feelings, My Words - Slide 1 & 2)
"Look at our first slide! The title is 'My Feelings, My Words!' This means we will learn about how we feel and how to use words to tell people. The next slide asks, 'What are Feelings?' Feelings are like little messages from inside you. They tell you if you are happy, sad, or something else."
"It's good to know our feelings and to use our words to share them. This helps us understand ourselves and helps our friends and family understand us too!"
(Pause and smile. Make eye contact with students.)
"First, let's start with a quick warm-up. I want everyone to think about how they feel right now. Are you happy? Are you calm? Are you excited? You can show me with a thumbs up, a calm hand, or a big smile. Just think about it for a moment. No need to say anything yet, just feel it."
(Use Warm Up: How Do You Feel?)
"Okay, now let's explore some feelings!"
Exploring Emotions (10 minutes)
(Refer to Slide Deck: My Feelings, My Words - Slide 3: Happy!)
"Look at this face. How does this person feel? (Pause for student responses) Yes! This person is Happy! Happy means you feel good. You might smile or laugh when you are happy. Can everyone make a happy face?"
(Model a happy face and encourage students to mimic. Ask a few students, "When do you feel happy?" accepting simple words or gestures.)
(Refer to Slide Deck: My Feelings, My Words - Slide 4: Sad!)
"Now, look at this face. How does this person feel? (Pause) Yes, this person is Sad. When you feel sad, you might cry, or your shoulders might drop. It's okay to feel sad sometimes. Can everyone make a sad face?"
(Model a sad face. Ask, "When might you feel sad?" Accept simple responses.)
(Refer to Slide Deck: My Feelings, My Words - Slide 5: Angry!)
"What about this face? This person looks Angry! Angry means you are mad. Maybe your face gets red, or you stomp your feet. It's okay to feel angry, but it's important to be safe with our anger. Can everyone make an angry face?"
(Model an angry face. Ask, "What makes people angry sometimes?" Briefly mention taking a deep breath if angry.)
(Refer to Slide Deck: My Feelings, My Words - Slide 6: Scared!)
"Last one for now! This face looks Scared. When you are scared, you might feel afraid. Maybe your body feels shaky. Can everyone make a scared face?"
(Model a scared face. Ask, "What makes you feel scared?" Reassure them that it's okay to feel scared and to talk to an adult.)
(Refer to Slide Deck: My Feelings, My Words - Slide 7: How Do YOU Feel?)
"Now, think about all these feelings: Happy, Sad, Angry, Scared. How do you feel right now? You can point to the picture on the slide that shows how you feel."
(Pause, allow students to point or use gestures.)
"Great! You are all thinking about your feelings. That's a good start!"
Practice Activity (10 minutes)
(Refer to Slide Deck: My Feelings, My Words - Slide 8: Using Your Words)
"We just looked at many feelings. Now, let's learn to use our words to tell others how we feel. Look at the slide. It says: 'I feel happy.' Let's all say it together: 'I feel happy.'"
(Lead the class in repeating "I feel happy," "I feel sad," "I feel angry," "I feel scared" several times, pointing to each phrase on the slide.)
"Good job! It is important to use your words. Now, we are going to do an activity. I will give you a Worksheet: Match the Feeling. On this paper, you will see some feeling words and some faces. Your job is to draw a line from the word to the matching face, or draw a face that matches the word."
(Distribute the worksheets.)
"Take your time. If you need help, raise your hand. Remember the faces we saw on the slides. What does a happy face look like? What about a sad face?"
(Circulate around the room, providing individual support, pointing to words, and encouraging students.)
Wrap-up & Cool-down (5 minutes)
(As students finish the worksheet, bring their attention back to the front.)
"Excellent work, everyone! You all did a great job identifying feelings and practicing how to say them. Remember, it's always good to know and share how you feel. Your feelings are important!"
(Refer to Slide Deck: My Feelings, My Words - Slide 9: Practice Your Feelings!)
"Our last slide says 'Practice Your Feelings!' You can tell a friend how you feel, or you can draw your feelings at home. It`s good to talk!"
"For our cool-down, I have one last paper for you. This is an exit ticket. On this ticket, I want you to write or draw one new feeling word you learned or practiced today."
(Distribute the Cool Down: One New Feeling tickets.)
"You can draw a small picture of the face, or write the word. When you are done, you can give it to me as you leave."
(Collect the cool-down tickets.)
"Thank you, class! You did a wonderful job talking about your feelings today!"
Worksheet
Worksheet: Match the Feeling
Name: _________________________
Date: _________________________
Directions: Draw a line from the feeling word to the picture that shows that feeling.
- Happy
(Image of a smiling, happy face)
- Sad
(Image of a frowning, sad face)
- Angry
(Image of an angry face with furrowed brows)
- Scared
(Image of a scared face with wide eyes)
Bonus! Draw your own feeling face:
How do you feel right now? Draw a face that shows your feeling!
Warm Up
Warm Up: How Do You Feel?
Directions: Think about how you are feeling right now.
- Are you happy?
- Are you calm?
- Are you excited?
- Are you a little sleepy?
You can show your feeling with a face, a gesture, or one word. No need to write anything down, just think or show!
(This space is for students to briefly consider their feeling or prepare to share with a gesture.)
Cool Down
Cool Down: One New Feeling
Name: _________________________
Date: _________________________
Directions: Write or draw one new feeling word you learned or practiced today.