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Super Self-Management

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Nicole Camp

Tier 2

Lesson Plan

Session 1 Lesson Plan

Introduce self-awareness and Social Thinking by teaching students to spot emotion clues and label feelings through art and movement, fostering emotion recognition and perspective-taking.

Building self-awareness and social detective skills helps children notice cues in themselves and others, improving emotion regulation and social understanding for better self-management.

Audience

Grades 1–3 Boys

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Art therapy + movement games + social detective practice

Materials

Art Supplies (paper, crayons, colored pencils), Session 1 Slide Deck: Introduction to Self-Awareness, Emotion Mirror Art Activity Sheet, Feelings Freeze Dance Playlist, Social Detective Visual Poster, and Emotion Cue Cards

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

  • Review Session 1 Slide Deck: Introduction to Self-Awareness and Social Detective Visual Poster.
  • Print one copy of the Emotion Mirror Art Activity Sheet per student.
  • Print and cut out sets of Emotion Cue Cards.
  • Queue the Feelings Freeze Dance Playlist.
  • Gather art supplies: paper, crayons, colored pencils.

Step 1

Warm-Up Activity

5 minutes

  • Display the Title Slide on Session 1 Slide Deck: Introduction to Self-Awareness.
  • Introduce the Social Detective concept using the Social Detective Visual Poster: we look for clues like facial expressions, tone, and body posture.
  • Play a “Name that Emotion” icebreaker: make an expression and have students use their detective eyes to guess the emotion and name one clue they noticed.

Step 2

Emotion Mirror Art

10 minutes

  • Hand out the Emotion Mirror Art Activity Sheet and art supplies.
  • Instruct students to draw a mirror frame and a self-portrait showing an emotion they felt today, using colors to reflect how it feels in their body.
  • Distribute Emotion Cue Cards; have each student pick one card, read the scenario aloud, then draw how someone else might feel in that situation to practice perspective-taking.

Step 3

Feelings Freeze Dance

10 minutes

  • Play the Feelings Freeze Dance Playlist.
  • When the music stops, students freeze and use their detective eyes to look at a partner’s face, then show the facial expression of a called-out emotion (happy, sad, surprised, angry).
  • Use the Emotion Cue Cards to prompt different scenarios and reinforce reading nonverbal clues.

Step 4

Closure and Reflection

5 minutes

  • Gather in a circle and invite volunteers to share their art and name the emotion they drew.
  • Ask Social Thinking reflection questions:
    • What clues helped you know that emotion?
    • How did it feel to use your detective eyes?
    • Why is it helpful to notice how others feel?
  • Preview next session’s focus on goal setting and healthy habits through Social Thinking strategies.
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Slide Deck

Session 1: Introduction to Self-Awareness

Let’s learn how to notice and name our feelings!

Welcome students to Session 1! Introduce the concept of self-awareness—knowing what we feel inside—and why it helps us make good choices.

What is a Social Detective?

We use our detective eyes to look for clues in how people feel and think:
• Facial expressions
• Tone of voice
• Body posture

Check out our Social Detective Visual Poster for examples of clues.

Explain the Social Detective concept: that we observe social clues to understand others’ feelings and perspectives before reacting.

Reading Emotion Cues

Let’s practice reading cues using our Emotion Cue Cards:
• Facial expressions
• Tone of voice
• Body language

Show a few Emotion Cue Cards and discuss what clues you see in each. Encourage students to use detective eyes.

Session Objectives

• Spot emotion clues like a Social Detective
• Identify and name different emotions
• Use art to express feelings
• Play a movement game to recognize emotions

Read through each objective so students know the plan for today. Emphasize the Social Detective aspects first.

Different Emotions

Happy 😊
Sad 😢
Angry 😠
Surprised 😮

Show each emotion face and ask kids to mimic it. Emphasize how our face and body can show how we feel.

Emotion Mirror Art

  1. Draw a mirror frame on your sheet.
  2. In the mirror, draw your face showing an emotion you felt today.
  3. Use colors to show how that feeling looks and feels.

Guide students step-by-step through the art activity. Encourage creativity and color use. Remind them to think like detectives: what clues show your feeling?

Feelings Freeze Dance

  1. Dance when the music plays.
  2. When it stops, freeze and show the facial expression of the called-out emotion.
  3. We’ll call out: happy, sad, surprised, angry.

Explain the rules clearly and model one round if time allows. Encourage students to use detective eyes to read their partner’s clues.

Reflection

• What emotion did you draw?
• How did it feel to show that emotion in the dance?
• What clues did you use like a Social Detective?

Wrap up by inviting volunteers to share their drawings and discuss how they used detective skills to notice emotions.

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Activity

I’m adding detailed art/activity sheets for Sessions 4–10 now! You’ll see each is linked back to its session’s materials so you can drop them right into your lesson plans.

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