Teacher Script: Social Detective Journey – Session 1

Time: 20 minutes
Materials: Slide Deck: Introduction to Social Detective, Discussion Prompts: Session 1, Worksheet: Social Detective Clues, Emotion Puppets (Hands-On Activity Set: Emotion Puppets), Clue Matching Cards (Game Materials: Clue Matching Cards), Rubric (Rubric: Session 1)

1. Hook and Introduction (2 minutes)

Teacher (smiling and enthusiastic): “Hi [Student Name]! Welcome to our very first Social Detective session. Today, you are the detective, and your job is to look for clues—just like a detective in a mystery story.

Let’s start with our first slide.”
(Show Slide 1: “Welcome, Social Detective!”)
Teacher: “What does a detective do?”

Pause for response.

Teacher: “Yes! Detectives look for clues to solve mysteries. And today, you are a Social Detective—solving social mysteries by noticing clues about how people feel and think.”

(Advance to Slide 2: “What is a Detective?”)
Teacher: “Look at this slide. Detectives observe closely. They notice fingerprints or footprints… but we’ll notice social clues—things like facial expressions and tone of voice.”

2. Explain Social Clues (5 minutes)

(Advance to Slide 3: “Meet Your ‘Social Detective’”)
Teacher: “A Social Detective watches people in social situations. You look for social clues to understand what others might be thinking or feeling. These clues help you know how to respond.”

(Advance to Slide 4: “Social Clues: Facial Expressions”)
Teacher: “Let’s talk about facial expressions. A smile usually means happiness. A frown can mean sadness or anger. Raised eyebrows can mean surprise.

I’m going to show you some faces. For each one, tell me what you think the person is feeling.”

Show sample face images.
Pause for the student to answer.

Teacher: “Great! You noticed the clues.”

(Advance to Slide 5: “Clues: Tone & Body Language”)
Teacher (using a friendly voice): “Now tone of voice—like whether someone sounds loud or quiet, happy or upset—and body language—like how someone holds their arms or stands—also give clues.

I’ll say the phrase, ‘Hello!’ in a loud, excited voice, and then quietly.”

Model loud “Hello!” and quiet “Hello…”
Teacher: “How did the loud ‘hello’ make you feel? And the quiet one?”

Pause for response.
Teacher: “Exactly. Tone of voice matters. Watch my posture now.”

Stand with crossed arms.
Teacher: “Does this body language feel friendly or closed-off?”

Pause for response.

Teacher: “Open body language—like leaning in—shows interest. Crossed arms can show someone is feeling upset or closed off.”

3. Guided Discussion (4 minutes)

Teacher: “Now let’s practice with some short scenarios. I’ll read one from our Discussion Prompts.”
(Hand student Discussion Prompts: Session 1.)

Teacher (reading): “Sarah is sitting at her desk with her head down and her shoulders slumped.”
Teacher: “I notice her shoulders are slumped and her head is down. That might mean she’s feeling sad or tired. What clues do you notice? Remember to start with, ‘I notice…’”

Pause and encourage the student to say ‘I notice…’

Teacher: “Excellent detective work!”

(Read a second scenario if time allows.)

4. Hands-On Activity (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Let’s get out our Worksheet: Social Detective Clues. You’ll see pictures of faces. Circle each face’s expression and write the matching emotion word next to it.”

Give the student time to work.

Teacher: “While you work, I’ll use our Emotion Puppets.”
(Use puppets to model “happy,” “sad,” “surprised.”)
Teacher: “Can you pick up the happy puppet and show me what a happy face looks like?”

Prompt and praise their efforts.

5. Social Detective Game (3 minutes)

Teacher: “Time for a quick game! Here are our Clue Matching Cards. On one side are faces, on the other side are emotion words. Let’s match them.”

Shuffle cards and present one face card at a time.
Teacher: “What emotion matches this face?”

Student responds; teacher confirms or prompts if needed.

Teacher: “Nice work! You matched X correctly.”

6. Wrap-Up and Rubric (1 minute)

Teacher: “Amazing job today, Detective! Let’s review: You learned what a Social Detective is. You spotted facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language. Next session, we’ll use these clues to understand what people might be thinking.

Keep your eyes open for clues at home this week!”

Record student performance on the Rubric: Session 1.

Teacher: “See you next time!”

Discussion Prompts: Session 1

Use these scenarios to practice noticing social clues. Encourage the student to begin responses with "I notice…" and then describe the clues.

1. Scenario: Sarah is sitting at her desk with her head down and her shoulders slumped.
   Question: I notice her head is down and her shoulders are slumped. What other clues do you notice? How do you think she feels?
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Scenario: Tom just finished his test and is smiling broadly with his shoulders relaxed.
   Question: I notice his big smile and relaxed posture. What clues tell you how he might be feeling?
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Scenario: Lily is standing with her arms crossed and a tight-lipped expression.
   Question: I notice her crossed arms and tight lips. What clues do you see, and what might she be feeling?
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Scenario: Max is speaking loudly and waving his hands excitedly.
   Question: I notice his loud voice and hand movements. What clues do you observe, and what might he be feeling?
   
   
   
   
   
   

Worksheet: Social Detective Clues

Instructions:
Look at each face below. Circle the facial expression you notice and then write the matching emotion word on the line. Use these skills to practice spotting social clues!

Part A: Identify Facial Expressions

1. [Picture 1]
   Emotion: ____________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. [Picture 2]
   Emotion: ____________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. [Picture 3]
   Emotion: ____________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. [Picture 4]
   Emotion: ____________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. [Picture 5]
   Emotion: ____________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. [Picture 6]
   Emotion: ____________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part B: Reflect on Your Detective Work
Choose one of the faces above and write:

• I notice the person’s ________.

• This clue tells me they might be feeling ________.

Great job, Social Detective! Keep practicing noticing clues everywhere you go.

Hands-On Activity Material: Emotion Puppets

Description:
A set of six hand puppets, each depicting a clear and exaggerated basic emotion: Happy, Sad, Angry, Surprised, Scared, and Calm. These tactile tools allow the student to see, handle, and imitate each emotion in a playful way.

Components:

• Happy Puppet
• Sad Puppet
• Angry Puppet
• Surprised Puppet
• Scared Puppet
• Calm Puppet

Where to Source or Create Puppets:
• Purchase ready-made sets from educational suppliers (e.g., Lakeshore Learning, Discount School Supply) or online retailers (search Amazon for “emotion hand puppets”).
• DIY Option A – Printable Templates: Find free printable emotion-face puppet templates online, print on cardstock, color/laminate, and attach to craft sticks.
• DIY Option B – Sock/Glove Puppets: Use plain socks or old gloves. Decorate with markers, felt, or googly eyes to show each emotion clearly.

Usage Instructions:

1. Teacher chooses one puppet and models the emotion by voicing and moving the puppet.
2. Ask the student: “What emotion is this?”
3. Once identified, hand the puppet to the student and prompt them to mimic the facial expression and voice of the puppet.
4. Provide praise and specific feedback (e.g., “Great job showing a surprised face with wide eyes!”).
5. Repeat with different puppets, encouraging the student to notice the puppet’s facial clues, tone of voice, and body language.

Use this set during the Hands-On Activity portion of Session 1 Lesson Plan to reinforce recognizing and expressing basic emotions.

Game: Clue Matching Cards

Description:
A quick, 3-minute matching game to help the student connect facial expressions with emotion words. There are 12 cards in total: 6 face-picture cards and 6 corresponding emotion-word cards.

Components:

• Face Cards (6): Each card shows a clear image of one basic emotion (Happy, Sad, Angry, Surprised, Scared, Calm).
• Word Cards (6): Each card has one of the emotion words: “Happy,” “Sad,” “Angry,” “Surprised,” “Scared,” “Calm.”

Setup:

1. Shuffle the Face Cards and lay them face up in a row on the table.
2. Shuffle the Word Cards and place them face down in a draw pile next to the face cards.

How to Play:

1. Student draws the top Word Card and reads the emotion word aloud.
2. Student scans the face cards and places the word card on the matching face.
3. Teacher checks the match:
   • If correct, the student keeps the pair and puts them in a “Matched” pile.
   • If incorrect, the student places the word card in a separate “Try Again” pile (or returns it to the bottom of the draw pile).
4. Continue drawing and matching until all pairs are completed or time (3 minutes) is up.

Variation (Memory Style):

• Place all 12 cards face down.
• Turn over two at a time, trying to find a face + word match.
• If they match, keep them face up; if not, flip them back face down.

Scoring for Rubric:

• Record the number of correct matches within the time limit.
• Note any prompting needed (e.g., reading the word aloud, locating the matching face).

Use this game during the Social Detective Game portion of Session 1 Lesson Plan to reinforce recognition of social clues.

Rubric: Social Detective Journey – Session 1

Use this rubric to evaluate the student’s ability to notice and identify social clues during Session 1. Circle the descriptor that best matches performance for each criterion.

Total Score: __/20
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