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The Mood Meter Makers: Understanding Our Inner Weather

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Jennifer Levasseur

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

The Mood Meter Makers

Students will be able to identify and name a range of emotions, understand the concept of emotional intensity using a 'Mood Meter,' and begin to explore simple strategies for managing different feelings.

Understanding and managing emotions is a crucial life skill. This lesson provides students with a foundational tool to build emotional literacy, leading to better self-awareness, improved social interactions, and enhanced overall well-being. It empowers them to recognize their 'inner weather' and learn how to navigate it.

Audience

Grades 2-4

Time

45-60 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, creative art activity, and reflective writing.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, Markers or chalk, Art supplies (paper, crayons, colored pencils, markers), Mood Meter Makers Slide Deck, My Mood Meter Activity, and Mood Meter Reflection Worksheet

Prep

Review Materials

15 minutes

  • Review the Mood Meter Makers Lesson Plan and all accompanying materials: Mood Meter Makers Slide Deck, My Mood Meter Activity, and Mood Meter Reflection Worksheet.
  • Gather art supplies (paper, crayons, colored pencils, markers) for each student.
  • Ensure projector/whiteboard is ready for the slide deck.

Step 1

Introduction: Inner Weather (10 minutes)

10 minutes

  • Begin with a discussion about weather and how it changes. Introduce the idea that our feelings are like 'inner weather.'
  • Use Mood Meter Makers Slide Deck (Slide 1-3) to guide this discussion.
  • Ask students: "How does different weather make you feel? Can our feelings change like the weather?"

Step 2

Introducing the Mood Meter (15 minutes)

15 minutes

  • Present the concept of a Mood Meter using Mood Meter Makers Slide Deck (Slide 4-6).
  • Explain the four quadrants (e.g., happy/calm, happy/energetic, sad/tired, angry/energetic) and examples of emotions in each.
  • Facilitate a class discussion, asking students to share feelings and where they might fit on the Mood Meter. Emphasize there are no 'good' or 'bad' emotions, just different ones.

Step 3

My Mood Meter Activity (15 minutes)

15 minutes

  • Distribute My Mood Meter Activity and art supplies.
  • Instruct students to create their own personalized Mood Meter, drawing faces or symbols that represent different emotions in each quadrant.
  • Circulate and offer support, encouraging creativity and discussion about their choices.

Step 4

Sharing and Reflection (10 minutes)

10 minutes

  • Invite a few students to share their Mood Meters and explain some of the emotions they included.
  • Lead a brief discussion on how recognizing emotions can help us. Use Mood Meter Makers Slide Deck (Slide 7).
  • Introduce simple strategies: "What can we do when we feel a certain way?" (e.g., deep breaths for anger, talking to a friend for sadness).

Step 5

Cool Down/Wrap-up (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Distribute the Mood Meter Reflection Worksheet.
  • Have students complete one or two questions as an exit ticket or for homework.
  • Reiterate the main idea: It's okay to feel all emotions, and we can learn to understand and manage them.
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Slide Deck

What's Your Inner Weather?

Just like the weather outside changes, so do our feelings inside!

Sometimes we feel sunny and bright, sometimes stormy, sometimes calm and cloudy.

What kind of inner weather are you feeling right now?

Welcome students and introduce the idea that we all have different feelings, just like the weather changes. Ask open-ended questions to get them thinking about emotions and how they can shift.

Our Changing Feelings

Our feelings can change throughout the day, just like the weather changes from morning to night, or from day to day.

What are some different feelings you know?

How do you know when you feel happy? Sad? Mad? Scared?

Transition from general feelings to the concept of identifying specific emotions. Emphasize that all feelings are okay and natural. Ask for examples of feelings.

Meet the Mood Meter!

Today, we're going to learn about a special tool called a Mood Meter.

It helps us understand our 'inner weather' – our feelings!

Introduce the Mood Meter as a tool. Explain its purpose simply: to help us understand our feelings better.

The Green Zone: Happy & Calm

The Green Zone means you feel good and calm.

Examples: Happy, joyful, peaceful, focused, relaxed, content.

When do you feel green?

Introduce the first quadrant. Explain the feeling words associated with it. Encourage students to think of times they've felt this way.

The Yellow Zone: Happy & Energetic

The Yellow Zone means you feel good and energetic.

Examples: Excited, silly, surprised, energetic, frustrated, anxious, worried.

When do you feel yellow?

Introduce the second quadrant. Explain the feeling words associated with it. Discuss scenarios that might lead to these feelings.

The Blue Zone: Sad & Tired

The Blue Zone means you feel down or tired.

Examples: Sad, tired, bored, disappointed, lonely, sick.

When do you feel blue?

Introduce the third quadrant. Explain the feeling words. Talk about how these feelings are also normal.

The Red Zone: Mad & Energetic

The Red Zone means you feel angry or very energetic in a strong way.

Examples: Angry, mad, furious, scared, nervous, uncomfortable.

When do you feel red?

Introduce the fourth quadrant. Explain the feeling words. Discuss healthy ways to respond to these strong emotions.

Why Are Mood Meters Helpful?

Knowing our feelings helps us:
- Understand ourselves better.
- Know what we need.
- Talk to others about how we feel.
- Learn ways to feel better when we're in a tough zone.

What are some things you can do when you feel angry? Sad? Worried?

Lead a discussion on why it's helpful to understand our feelings. Connect it to problem-solving and getting along with others.

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Activity

My Mood Meter Activity

Objective: To create your own personalized Mood Meter to help you understand your feelings.

Instructions:

  1. Take out your paper and art supplies.
  2. Draw a big square or circle on your paper. This is your Mood Meter!
  3. Divide your big square/circle into four equal sections, just like the Mood Meter we saw on the slides.
  4. Label each section with a color:
    • One section for GREEN (Happy & Calm)
    • One section for YELLOW (Happy & Energetic)
    • One section for BLUE (Sad & Tired)
    • One section for RED (Mad & Energetic)
  5. Now, in each section, draw faces, symbols, or even small pictures that show what those feelings look like to you.
    • Green Zone: What does happy, calm, or peaceful look like? Draw it here!
    • Yellow Zone: What does excited, silly, or energetic look like? Draw it here!
    • Blue Zone: What does sad, tired, or disappointed look like? Draw it here!
    • Red Zone: What does angry, mad, or frustrated look like? Draw it here!
  6. You can use different colors within your drawings too! Make your Mood Meter special and unique to you.
  7. When you're done, be ready to share your Mood Meter with the class if you want to! We can talk about how different emotions feel and look to us.
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Worksheet

Mood Meter Reflection Worksheet

Name: ____________________________ Date: _________________

Reflecting on Your Feelings

  1. Look at your Mood Meter. What is one feeling you often feel in the GREEN zone?



    What makes you feel that way?


  2. Think about a time you felt in the BLUE zone. What was that feeling?



    What did you do, or what could you have done, to help yourself?


  3. Imagine you are feeling in the RED zone (angry or very energetic). What is one thing you can do to help yourself move towards the Green or Yellow zone?


  4. How can knowing about your Mood Meter help you understand yourself better or help you talk to others about your feelings?




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