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When Hearts Feel Sad

Lesson Plan

Little Hearts Lesson Plan

Students will learn to identify and express feelings related to loss, building emotional vocabulary around sadness and empathy. They will engage in a gentle story discussion and create a Feelings Flower to articulate their own feelings.

Kindergarteners may lack words to process grief. This lesson fosters emotional awareness, empathy, and supportive peer connections by introducing grief in an age-appropriate way.

Audience

Kindergarten

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Story, discussion, craft

Materials

Slide Deck: Little Hearts Slides, Storybook: The Big Heart, Discussion Prompt Cards, Feelings Flower Template, Crayons and Markers, and Scissors and Glue Sticks

Prep

Gather Materials & Familiarize

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up & Introduction

5 minutes

  • Display slide 1 from the Slide Deck: Little Hearts Slides titled “All Feelings Are Welcome.”
  • Invite students to name common feelings (happy, sad, angry).
  • Introduce the word “grief” as a big feeling of sadness when we miss someone.
  • Encourage a brief 1–2 sentence sharing: “Have you ever felt so sad you just wanted to hug someone?”

Step 2

Read-Aloud & Discussion

10 minutes

  • Read Storybook: The Big Heart aloud, showing each page.
  • Pause at key moments to ask open-ended questions using the Discussion Prompt Cards:
    • “How do you think the character feels here?”
    • “What helps the character feel better?”
  • Reinforce emotional vocabulary: grief, sad, miss, remember, care.

Step 3

Feelings Flower Activity

10 minutes

  • Distribute one Feelings Flower Template per student.
  • Demonstrate by drawing a sad face on one petal and writing the word “sad.”
  • Ask students to think of times they felt sad or missed someone and draw/write one feeling per petal.
  • Circulate and prompt with words: miss, lonely, remember, love, comfort.

Step 4

Closing Reflection & Share

5 minutes

  • Invite 2–3 volunteers to share one petal from their Feelings Flower.
  • Reinforce that it’s okay to feel grief and that talking or drawing helps.
  • Display all Flowers on a bulletin board titled “Our Big Hearts.”
  • Conclude with slide: “We support each other with big hearts!”
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Slide Deck

Little Hearts, Big Feelings

Welcome to our class on understanding grief and supporting one another!

Welcome students to our lesson. Introduce yourself and the topic. Say: “Today we’re talking about feelings—big and small—and how we can share them.”

All Feelings Are Welcome

• Happy • Sad • Angry • Grief (big sadness when we miss someone)

Ask students to name feelings they know. List responses on a board. Then introduce “grief” as a special kind of sadness when we miss someone.

Talking About the Story

• How do you think the character feels here?
• What helps the character feel better?
• What does the word “grief” mean to you?

Explain these questions will help us talk about the story. Encourage hands raised and full sentences.

Feelings Flower Activity

  1. Take your Feelings Flower template.
  2. Draw or write one feeling on each petal (sad, miss, remember, etc.).
  3. Color and decorate your flower.
  4. Share one petal with a friend or the class.

Demonstrate one petal on your own Feelings Flower before handing out materials. Prompt gently as children work.

We Support Each Other!

It’s okay to feel grief. Talking and drawing helps us heal. We have big hearts and help each other grow.

Invite volunteers to share their flowers. Reinforce community and care. End with an affirmation.

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Lesson Plan

When Hearts Feel Sad Lesson Plan

Students will learn to identify and express feelings of grief through age-appropriate vocabulary, a shared story discussion, and a creative Feelings Flower activity.

Young children often lack words to process loss. This lesson builds emotional literacy, empathy, and peer support by introducing grief in a safe, nurturing environment.

Audience

Kindergarten

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Story, discussion, hands-on craft

Materials

Slide Deck: Little Hearts Slides, Storybook: The Big Heart, Discussion Prompt Cards, Feelings Flower Template, Crayons and Markers, and Scissors and Glue Sticks

Prep

Gather Materials & Familiarize

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up & Introduction

5 minutes

  • Display slide 2 on Slide Deck: Little Hearts Slides titled “All Feelings Are Welcome.”
  • Invite students to name feelings they know (happy, sad, angry).
  • Introduce “grief” as big sadness when we miss someone.
  • Ask a quick share: “Have you ever felt so sad you wanted a hug?”

Step 2

Read-Aloud & Discussion

10 minutes

  • Read Storybook: The Big Heart aloud, showing each page.
  • Pause at key moments and use Discussion Prompt Cards:
    • “How do you think the character feels?”
    • “What helps the character feel better?”
  • Reinforce words: grief, sad, miss, remember, care.

Step 3

Feelings Flower Activity

10 minutes

  • Hand out one Feelings Flower Template to each student.
  • Model drawing a sad face on one petal and writing “sad.”
  • Ask students to think of a time they felt sad or missed someone; draw/write one feeling per petal.
  • Circulate, offering words like miss, lonely, remember, love, comfort.

Step 4

Closing Reflection & Share

5 minutes

  • Invite 2–3 volunteers to share one petal from their flower.
  • Emphasize it’s okay to feel grief and that talking or drawing helps.
  • Display all flowers on a bulletin board titled “Our Big Hearts.”
  • Conclude with slide 5: “We support each other with big hearts!”
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Discussion

Grief Discussion

Use these prompts during and after the read-aloud to help students talk about feelings of loss and ways to support one another. Display or pass around the Discussion Prompt Cards as visual cues.

Guidelines for Students

  • Raise your hand and wait to be called on.
  • Use kind words and listen to friends’ ideas.
  • It’s okay to share honest feelings or just listen.

1. How do you think the character feels on this page?

(Point to a sad or thoughtful illustration.)
• What in the picture tells you that?
• When have you felt that way?







Follow-Up:
• What helps you feel better when you’re sad?

2. The character says “I miss you.” What does it mean to miss someone?

(Help students connect “miss” to their own experiences.)







Follow-Up:
• Can you share about someone you miss and why?

3. A friend gives the character a hug. How do you feel when someone gives you a hug?

(Invite students to demonstrate a gentle hug on a pretend friend.)







Follow-Up:
• Besides hugs, what are other kind things we can do for a friend who is sad?

4. The story talks about remembering happy times. What happy memory can you think of?

(Encourage students to close eyes and picture a fun moment.)







Follow-Up:
• How does thinking about good memories make your heart feel?

5. At the end, the character draws a big heart. What does a heart symbol remind you of?

(Show the final illustration of the big heart.)







Follow-Up:
• How can we show care to our classmates if they feel sad?

Teacher Tip: Keep responses short and celebrate each student’s answer. Validate feelings by saying, “Thank you for sharing—that helps us understand each other.” Display students’ ideas on chart paper or a “Kindness and Comfort” bulletin board to reinforce the discussion.

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Activity

Feelings Flower Activity

Purpose: This hands-on craft helps students name and share feelings related to grief. By drawing or writing one feeling on each petal, children practice emotional vocabulary and see how many feelings can live together in their “big hearts.”

Materials

  • Feelings Flower Template (one per student)
  • Crayons, markers
  • Scissors
  • Glue sticks
  • Optional: chart paper to display completed flowers as a class

Setup (Teacher)

  1. Prepare one template per child and a completed example flower with words like sad, miss, love, remember.
  2. Gather art supplies in center of table for easy sharing.
  3. Remind students of words from the story discussion: grief, sad, miss, lonely, comfort, love, remember.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Introduction (1 minute)
    • Show your example flower and read each word/picture on its petals. Say: “Each petal is one feeling or thought. Today you will make your own.”
  2. Brainstorm Feelings (1–2 minutes)
    • Ask: “What words did we talk about when our hearts felt sad?”
    • List ideas on board or chart: sad, miss, lonely, love, remember, comfort.
  3. Draw & Write on Petals (5–7 minutes)
    • Give each student their template.
    • Instruct: “On each petal, draw or write one feeling or memory that you have when you feel sad or miss someone.”
    • Encourage them to use words from the list or think of new ones.
  4. Color and Decorate (2–3 minutes)
    • Invite students to color their flower and decorate around their words.
    • Circulate, praising effort and helping with spelling or ideas.
  5. Assemble & Share (2–3 minutes)
    • Have students cut out their flower and glue it onto plain paper or bulletin board.
    • Ask 2–3 volunteers to hold up a petal and read/draw what they added.

Teacher Tips

  • Offer sentence starters: “I felt ___ when…” or “I remember when I…”
  • For early writers, let them draw a picture instead of writing the word.
  • Validate each contribution: “Thank you for sharing that feeling.”
  • If a student is quiet, gently ask, “Would you like to show me one petal?” in a small group.

Reflection & Display

  • Title your display space “Our Big Hearts” and arrange flowers so every child sees their work.
  • Conclude: “All our feelings are important. We can share them with friends and grown-ups who care.”





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When Hearts Feel Sad • Lenny Learning