Students will be able to identify and articulate their current emotional states using the weather metaphor.
Understanding and expressing emotions is a crucial life skill that helps students manage their feelings, communicate effectively, and build healthy relationships.
Audience
4th Grade Students
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, visual aids, and a creative personal reflection activity.
Materials
Emotional Forecast Presentation (slide-deck), Daily Emotional Thermometer Check-in (warm-up), and My Emotional Weather Map (worksheet)
Begin the class with the Daily Emotional Thermometer Check-in. - Ask students to reflect on how they are feeling at the moment. - Explain that just like the weather changes, our feelings can too.
Move through the middle slides of the Emotional Forecast Presentation. - Discuss various emotions and connect them to different weather phenomena (e.g., 'sunny' for happy, 'stormy' for angry, 'cloudy' for sad). - Encourage students to share examples of when they felt certain 'weather' emotions (e.g.,
Step 4
Independent Practice: My Emotional Weather Map
10 minutes
Distribute the My Emotional Weather Map worksheet. - Instruct students to draw or write about their current emotional weather and what might be causing it. - Circulate and provide support and guidance as students work. - Remind them there are no right or wrong answers, and that all feelings are okay.
Step 5
Wrap-Up: Sharing and Reflection
5 minutes
Invite a few students to share their 'emotional weather report' with the class (optional). - Reiterate that it's normal for our 'inner weather' to change. - Emphasize the importance of recognizing and understanding our feelings.
Slide Deck
Your Inner Weather Report
Just like the sky outside, our feelings can change! Sometimes we feel sunny, sometimes stormy, and sometimes a little cloudy. Today we're going to learn how to check our own emotional weather!
Welcome students and introduce the concept of emotions being like weather. Ask a general question like, "How many of you check the weather forecast?" Then pivot to our 'inner weather.'
Explain that different emotions can be compared to different types of weather. Give a few examples and ask students for their own ideas.
What Changes Our Weather?
Did you get a good night's sleep? (Sunny possibility)
Did you have a disagreement with a friend? (Cloudy/Stormy possibility)
Is there something exciting happening today? (Sunny/Excited possibility)
Are you worried about a test? (Windy/Nervous possibility)
Discuss how external events can influence our 'inner weather.' Use simple, relatable scenarios.
All Weather Is Okay!
It's normal to feel all sorts of emotions. The important thing is to notice what you're feeling and understand why. Then, we can think about what helps us feel better when our weather gets a little rough.
What helps you feel sunny when it's cloudy?
Emphasize that all feelings are okay and that recognizing them is the first step. Encourage students to think about how they can manage different 'weather' conditions.
Warm Up
Daily Emotional Thermometer Check-in
Instructions: Today, we're going to think about our feelings like a weather report! Just like the temperature changes, our feelings can too.
Look at the thermometer below. Where would you place your current feeling?
