Lesson Plan
Understanding My Feelings Lesson Plan
Help kindergarten students identify, name, and express their feelings through engaging discussions and activities.
Building emotional awareness early fosters empathy and self-regulation, essential for positive social interactions.
Audience
Kindergarten
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion with role-play and visual aids.
Materials
Prep
Review and Prepare Materials
10 minutes
- Review the Understanding My Feelings Lesson Plan as a guide.
- Gather and organize emotion flashcards and posters.
- Read through the story book to plan engaging questions and discussions.
- Set up an area for role-playing activities.
Step 1
Introduction & Emotion Identification
10 minutes
- Greet students and introduce the concept of feelings.
- Use Emotion Flashcards to show different emotions (happy, sad, angry, surprised).
- Ask students to mimic the facial expressions shown on the cards.
Step 2
Story Time
15 minutes
- Read Story Book: The Feelings Tree aloud to the class.
- Pause periodically to ask students how they think the characters feel and why.
- Encourage students to explain their answers in simple terms.
Step 3
Role-Play Activity
5 minutes
- Organize students into small groups.
- Assign each group a scenario (e.g., sharing toys, feeling left out) to act out using expressions and simple dialogues.
- Encourage each child to express how they feel in the scenario.
Step 4
Wrap-Up Discussion
5 minutes
- Gather students for a closing circle time.
- Ask students to share one thing they learned about feelings today.
- Summarize key points and reinforce the importance of understanding emotions.
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Slide Deck
Understanding My Feelings
Today we will learn about our feelings and how to express them. Let's discover what makes us happy, sad, angry, or surprised!
Welcome the students and introduce the lesson on feelings. Emphasize that everyone has different feelings and it's okay to express them.
Emotion Flashcards
Look at these flashcards. What do you see? Can you show me a happy face? A sad face?
Use the emotion flashcards to show students examples of different facial expressions. Ask them to mimic the faces and describe when they feel these emotions.
Story Time: The Feelings Tree
Let's read our story together! Listen carefully and tell me how you think the characters feel.
Read 'The Feelings Tree' to the class. Pause and ask questions about the characters' emotions. Encourage students to share in their own words.
Role-Play Activity
In your groups, act out a scene and show us how you feel in different situations.
Organize the class into small groups for role-play. Provide scenarios like sharing toys or feeling left out, and encourage each group to act out their feelings.
Wrap-Up Discussion
What did you learn today about feelings? Let's share one thing about how we feel.
Gather the students for a circle time discussion. Invite each child to share one thing they learned about their feelings, and recap the lesson's main points.
Activity
Emotion Flashcards Activity
The Emotion Flashcards activity features colorful images of different emotions such as happy, sad, angry, and surprised. This engaging activity is designed to help kindergarten students visually identify these emotions and practice mimicking them. Follow the steps below to incorporate this activity into your lesson:
Activity Instructions
- Show the Flashcards
Display each flashcard one at a time, making sure the image is large enough for all students to see. - Identify the Emotions
Ask the students to name the emotion on each flashcard. For example: "What emotion is this?" or "How do you feel when you see this face?" - Mimic the Expression
Encourage students to mimic the expression shown on the flashcard. This helps them connect the visual cue to the actual feeling. - Discuss and Reflect
Ask simple questions like "When do you feel happy?" or "What makes you feel surprised?" to stimulate conversation and reinforce recognition of emotions.
Follow-Up Points
- Repetition: Regularly revisit and use the flashcards to reinforce emotional vocabulary.
- Pair with Stories: Use the flashcards during story time to relate the characters’ emotions in Story Book: The Feelings Tree to the visual cues on the flashcards.
- Home Extension: Encourage parents to use similar flashcards at home to further practice identifying and naming emotions.
This hands-on activity not only engages students but also builds a strong foundation in recognizing and expressing emotions, which is essential for developing empathy and social awareness.
Reading
Story Book: The Feelings Tree
Once upon a time, in a bright and cheerful forest, there stood a magical tree called the Feelings Tree. Every day, the tree would change its colors, just like the many different feelings we all have!
The Happy Morning
One sunny morning, the Feelings Tree sparkled in a dazzling yellow. Birds chirped happily around it, and all the forest animals smiled. Sammy the Squirrel felt extremely joyful and danced around the tree. "I feel so happy today!" he chattered.
The Sad Afternoon
Later that day, clouds gathered, and the tree turned a soft blue. Rita Rabbit sat under the tree with a droopy face. "I feel a little sad," she whispered. The critters gathered around to give her gentle hugs, showing that it's okay to feel blue sometimes.
The Angry Evening
As the sky darkened, the tree flashed a bright red. Benny Bear stomped by, looking very upset. "I feel angry because I lost my favorite toy," he roared softly. The friends sat with him, talking about ways to feel better and finding solutions together.
The Surprised Night
Just before bedtime, the Feelings Tree shimmered in a sparkling purple. Lucy the Lamb jumped with delight as she discovered a tiny, twinkling star hidden amongst the leaves. "I feel surprised!" she giggled, her eyes wide with wonder.
A Lesson from the Feelings Tree
The animals learned that just like the Feelings Tree, everyone has many different colors and feelings inside. Whether we feel happy, sad, angry, or surprised, every emotion is important and helps us understand more about ourselves and our friends.
And so, every day in the forest was filled with colorful moments, as the Feelings Tree reminded everyone to share and care about each other's feelings.
The End