• lenny-learning-logoLenny Learning
  • Home
    Home
    • Lessons
    Lessons
  • Curriculum
    Curriculum
  • Surveys
    Surveys
  • Videos
    Videos
  • Support
    Support
  • Log In
lenny

The Mood Meter Journey

Tawnya Weaver

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

The Mood Meter Journey

Students will be able to identify, understand, and express a wide range of emotions using the Mood Meter framework, categorizing feelings by pleasantness and energy level.

Fosters emotional literacy, self-awareness, and provides tools for managing emotions, which are crucial life skills for healthy development.

Audience

Elementary and Middle School Students

Time

45-60 minutes

Approach

Interactive introduction, guided practice, reflective activities.

Materials

Projector and computer, Whiteboard or large chart paper, Markers, Mood Meter Slide Deck, Mood Meter Worksheet, Mood Meter Discussion Prompts, and My Mood Meter Activity Guide

Prep

Teacher Preparation

20 minutes

  • Review all provided materials: Mood Meter Slide Deck, Mood Meter Worksheet, Mood Meter Discussion Prompts, and My Mood Meter Activity Guide.
  • Prepare projector and computer for the slide deck.
  • Print copies of the Mood Meter Worksheet for each student.
  • Set up whiteboard or chart paper for a class Mood Meter example.

Step 1

Introduction: What's Your Inner Weather?

5 minutes

  • Begin with a quick check-in: "How are you feeling right now?" Explain that sometimes our feelings can be like weather.
  • Introduce the concept of the Mood Meter as a tool to help us understand our 'inner weather'.
  • Use Mood Meter Slide Deck (Slide 1-2).

Step 2

Exploring the Mood Meter

15 minutes

  • Introduce the four quadrants of the Mood Meter (pleasantness and energy levels).
  • Provide examples of emotions for each quadrant (e.g., Yellow: happy, excited; Red: angry, frustrated; Blue: sad, tired; Green: calm, peaceful).
  • Facilitate a short class discussion on why it's helpful to identify specific emotions.
  • Use Mood Meter Slide Deck (Slide 3-7).

Step 3

Guided Practice:

5 minutes

  • Display the Mood Meter Slide Deck (Slide 8-9) with several scenario examples.
  • Distribute the Mood Meter Worksheet to each student.
  • Have students work individually or in pairs to plot the emotions from the scenarios on their worksheets.
  • Discuss as a class, having students share their reasoning for placing emotions in certain quadrants.
  • Use Mood Meter Slide Deck (Slide 8-9).

Step 4

Understanding Emotional Regulation

10 minutes

  • Introduce the concept that all emotions are okay, but not all behaviors are.
  • Discuss healthy ways to respond to different emotions in each quadrant (e.g., if you're in the red, take deep breaths; if you're in the blue, talk to a trusted adult).
  • Emphasize that the Mood Meter isn't about changing feelings, but understanding and managing responses.
  • Use Mood Meter Slide Deck (Slide 10-12).

Step 5

Activity: My Mood Meter

10 minutes

  • Guide students through the My Mood Meter Activity Guide.
  • Students will create their own personalized Mood Meter, thinking about what puts them in each quadrant and what strategies they can use.
  • Circulate and provide support as students work.
  • Use Mood Meter Slide Deck (Slide 13).

Step 6

Class Discussion & Wrap-up

10 minutes

  • Facilitate a class discussion using the Mood Meter Discussion Prompts.
  • Encourage students to share insights from their Mood Meters and discuss strategies.
  • Reiterate the importance of emotional awareness and self-management.
  • Assign the remaining questions on the Mood Meter Worksheet as homework or an extension activity.
  • Use Mood Meter Slide Deck (Slide 14-15).
lenny

Slide Deck

What's Your Inner Weather?

The Mood Meter Journey: Understanding Our Emotions

Welcome students and introduce the concept of emotions being like inner weather – constantly changing. Ask students briefly how they are feeling, without going into detail.

Meet the Mood Meter!

A tool to help us understand our feelings.
It helps us recognize where our emotions fall on two important scales.

Explain that the Mood Meter is a tool to help us identify and understand our feelings, just like a weather report helps us understand the outside world.

Scale 1: Pleasantness

How good or bad does a feeling feel?

  • Pleasant: Feels good, comfortable, happy.
  • Unpleasant: Feels uncomfortable, not so good, sad or angry.

Introduce the first scale: Pleasantness. Explain that some feelings feel good (pleasant) and some don't (unpleasant).

Scale 2: Energy

How much energy do you feel with this emotion?

  • High Energy: You feel ready to go, excited, or restless.
  • Low Energy: You feel tired, calm, or sluggish.

Introduce the second scale: Energy. Explain that some feelings make us feel energetic and some make us feel tired or low-energy.

The Four Quadrants

When we combine Pleasantness and Energy, we get four zones for our feelings.

Reveal the four quadrants. Explain that these two scales create four different 'zones' for our emotions.

Yellow Quadrant: High Energy & Pleasant

How do you feel when you're in the yellow?

  • Examples: Happy, joyful, excited, proud, eager, delighted, inspired, focused.

Explain the characteristics of the Yellow Quadrant: High energy, pleasant feelings.

Red Quadrant: High Energy & Unpleasant

How do you feel when you're in the red?

  • Examples: Angry, frustrated, anxious, furious, scared, stressed, annoyed, embarrassed.

Explain the characteristics of the Red Quadrant: High energy, unpleasant feelings.

Blue Quadrant: Low Energy & Unpleasant

How do you feel when you're in the blue?

  • Examples: Sad, tired, bored, disappointed, lonely, gloomy, sleepy, lethargic.

Explain the characteristics of the Blue Quadrant: Low energy, unpleasant feelings.

Green Quadrant: Low Energy & Pleasant

How do you feel when you're in the green?

  • Examples: Calm, peaceful, relaxed, content, grateful, mellow, chill, serene.

Explain the characteristics of the Green Quadrant: Low energy, pleasant feelings.

Scenario 1: You Won!

You just found out your team won the championship game! How do you feel? Where would you put this on the Mood Meter?

Provide a scenario and ask students to think about where this feeling would go on the Mood Meter. Encourage discussion.

Scenario 2: Lost Homework

You can't find your homework and it's due in 5 minutes! How do you feel? Where would you put this on the Mood Meter?

Provide another scenario. Use this slide for the guided practice with the worksheet. Students can use their Mood Meter Worksheet to plot their feelings for these scenarios.

All Feelings Are Okay!

Every feeling is a natural part of being human.
It's not about changing your feelings, but understanding what they tell you.
What we do with our feelings is what matters most!

Emphasize that all emotions are valid. The goal is not to get rid of 'bad' feelings, but to understand and respond to them in healthy ways.

Responding to Our Moods

What can we do when we are in each quadrant?

  • Red: Take a break, deep breaths, talk to someone.
  • Blue: Get some rest, listen to music, ask for a hug.
  • Yellow: Share your joy, channel your energy into something productive.
  • Green: Enjoy the moment, help others, continue to relax.

Discuss strategies for managing emotions in each quadrant. Brainstorm with students. For example, 'Red: Take a deep breath, count to ten, talk it out.'

Your Personal Mood Meter

Now it's your turn to create your own Mood Meter!
Think about what puts you in each quadrant and what strategies help you.

Transition to the activity. Explain that they will create their own Mood Meter to personalize their understanding.

Reflect & Connect

Using the Mood Meter helps us understand ourselves and others better.
It's a lifelong tool for emotional intelligence.

How will you use your Mood Meter knowledge?

Conclude the lesson by reinforcing the value of emotional literacy. Encourage students to use the Mood Meter in their daily lives. Prompt for discussion using Mood Meter Discussion Prompts.

lenny

Activity

My Mood Meter Activity Guide

Objective: To create a personalized Mood Meter that helps you understand your own emotions and how to manage them.

Materials:

  • Blank sheet of paper or a digital drawing tool
  • Colored pencils, markers, or crayons (red, yellow, blue, green)
  • Your brain and your feelings!

Instructions:

  1. Draw Your Mood Meter:

    • On your paper, draw a large square. Divide it into four equal quadrants.
    • Label the top-right quadrant YELLOW.
    • Label the top-left quadrant RED.
    • Label the bottom-left quadrant BLUE.
    • Label the bottom-right quadrant GREEN.

  2. Add Your Emotions:

    • Yellow Quadrant (High Energy, Pleasant): Think about feelings that make you feel good and energetic. Write at least 3-5 emotions in this quadrant that you personally experience. (Examples: excited, joyful, enthusiastic, proud).






    • Red Quadrant (High Energy, Unpleasant): Think about feelings that make you feel uncomfortable and energetic (like you want to do something!). Write at least 3-5 emotions in this quadrant that you personally experience. (Examples: angry, frustrated, anxious, stressed).






    • Blue Quadrant (Low Energy, Unpleasant): Think about feelings that make you feel uncomfortable and low on energy. Write at least 3-5 emotions in this quadrant that you personally experience. (Examples: sad, tired, disappointed, lonely).






    • Green Quadrant (Low Energy, Pleasant): Think about feelings that make you feel good and calm. Write at least 3-5 emotions in this quadrant that you personally experience. (Examples: calm, peaceful, relaxed, content).






  3. Brainstorm Strategies:

    • For each quadrant, think about healthy strategies you can use when you are in that mood. What helps you when you feel this way? What do you do to maintain or shift your mood constructively?
    • Yellow Strategies: What do you do when you are feeling super happy and energetic? How can you use that energy positively? (Examples: share your joy, focus on a task, exercise).






    • Red Strategies: What helps you calm down or manage intense, unpleasant energy? (Examples: deep breaths, count to ten, talk to an adult, take a walk).






    • Blue Strategies: What helps you when you are feeling low and down? (Examples: listen to music, get rest, talk to a friend, do something you enjoy).






    • Green Strategies: What helps you stay calm and peaceful? (Examples: read a book, meditate, spend time in nature).






  4. Share (Optional): If you feel comfortable, share your personalized Mood Meter with a classmate or the class. Discuss what you learned about your own emotions.

lenny
lenny

Worksheet

Mood Meter Worksheet: Plotting Our Feelings

Name: ________________________

Date: ________________________

Part 1: Your Mood Meter

Think about the four quadrants of the Mood Meter. In each box below, write down at least 3-5 emotions that you personally associate with that quadrant.

+-----------------------------------+
|              YELLOW               |
|   High Energy & Pleasant          |
|                                   |
|   1.                              |
|   2.                              |
|   3.                              |
|   4.                              |
|   5.                              |
|                                   |
+-----------------------------------+
|               RED                 |
|   High Energy & Unpleasant        |
|                                   |
|   1.                              |
|   2.                              |
|   3.                              |
|   4.                              |
|   5.                              |
|                                   |
+-----------------------------------+
|               BLUE                |
|   Low Energy & Unpleasant         |
|                                   |
|   1.                              |
|   2.                              |
|   3.                              |
|   4.                              |
|   5.                              |
|                                   |
+-----------------------------------+
|              GREEN                |
|   Low Energy & Pleasant           |
|                                   |
|   1.                              |
|   2.                              |
|   3.                              |
|   4.                              |
|   5.                              |
|                                   |
+-----------------------------------+

Part 2: Scenario Practice

Read each scenario and decide where the main emotion would fall on the Mood Meter. Write the name of the quadrant (Yellow, Red, Blue, or Green) next to each scenario.

  1. You are about to give a presentation in front of the whole class, and your heart is pounding. You feel a little worried.
    Quadrant:


  2. You just finished a big test you studied hard for, and you feel a sense of relief and calm.
    Quadrant:


  3. Your favorite toy broke, and you feel very sad and a bit tired.
    Quadrant:


  4. You just scored the winning goal in a soccer game! You feel super excited and joyful.
    Quadrant:


  5. You have been working on a challenging puzzle for an hour, and you can't figure it out. You're starting to feel really frustrated.
    Quadrant:


Part 3: Reflection Questions

  1. Why is it helpful to be able to identify your emotions using a tool like the Mood Meter?






  2. Can an emotion change quadrants quickly? Give an example.






  3. Think of one emotion from the red or blue quadrant. What is one healthy strategy you could use to help yourself when you feel that emotion?






lenny
lenny

Discussion

Mood Meter Discussion Prompts: Share Your Inner Weather

Objective: To facilitate a meaningful conversation about emotional identification, understanding, and management using the Mood Meter.

Discussion Guidelines:

  • Listen respectfully to your classmates.
  • Everyone's feelings and experiences are valid.
  • You don't have to share anything you're uncomfortable with.

Opening Question:

  1. To start, without going into detail, can anyone share what quadrant they generally feel they are in right now and why? (e.g.,
lenny
lenny