Emotion Stations

Objective: Students will practice identifying emotions and using need phrases in English and Spanish by rotating through themed stations.

Time: 10 minutes

Materials:

• Emotion Picture Cards (e.g., happy face, sad face, hungry child, thirsty child)
• Need Word Cards (English and Spanish phrases: “I’m happy / Estoy feliz,” “I’m sad / Estoy triste,” “I’m hungry / Tengo hambre,” “I’m thirsty / Tengo sed”)
• Station signs or labels
• Tokens or stickers for correct responses
• Timer or chime

Setup:

1. Create four stations around the room, each dedicated to one emotion/need:
   • Station 1: Happy / Feliz
   • Station 2: Sad / Triste
   • Station 3: Hungry / Hambre
   • Station 4: Thirsty / Sed
2. At each station, place the corresponding Emotion Picture Card and the matching Need Word Cards.
3. Place a small basket of tokens or stickers at each station.
4. Explain to students that they will move in small groups from station to station when they hear the chime.

Instructions:

1. Divide the class into four small groups.
2. Begin at Station 1. Ring the chime and say, “Go to your first station!”
3. At each station, each child takes a turn:
   • Picks up the Emotion Picture Card and shows it to the group.
   • Finds the matching Need Word Card(s).
   • Says the phrase aloud in English, then in Spanish. Example:
     • “I’m happy.”
     • “Estoy feliz.”
4. If the student pronounces both phrases clearly, the teacher or peer helper awards a token or sticker.
5. After 2 minutes (or when most children have had a turn), ring the chime again and have groups rotate clockwise to the next station.
6. Continue until all groups have visited every station.

Teacher Tips & Differentiation:

• Provide sentence starters on a laminated strip for students who need extra support: “I feel ___ / Me siento ___.”
• Model each station’s routine once before starting rotations.
• For English learners, point to the picture card first, say the phrase in English, then in Spanish, and encourage students to repeat.
• For students with IEP goals around social communication, prompt them to make eye contact and use a clear voice when speaking.

Follow-Up Questions:

• Which emotion was easiest to say in both languages? ¿Cuál emoción fue más fácil de decir en ambos idiomas?
• How do words help us feel understood when we’re sad or hungry? ¿Cómo nos ayudan las palabras cuando estamos tristes o con hambre?

Extension:
After rotations, gather the class and create a quick anchor chart on chart paper listing each emotion and its bilingual phrase. Refer to this chart during future classroom moments when students need to express a feeling or need.

Feeling Match-Up

Objective: Reinforce emotion identification and bilingual need-phrase use through a fast-paced matching game.

Time: 5–7 minutes

Materials:

• Feelings Matching Game Cards (each card shows either an emotion picture or a need phrase in English/Spanish)
• Small baskets or zip-lock bags to hold shuffled cards
• Optional: tokens or stickers to award matched pairs

Setup:

1. Shuffle all Feeling Match-Up cards and distribute them face down in the center of the table or carpet area.
2. Divide students into pairs or small trios.
3. Ensure each group has room to spread out and turn over cards.

How to Play:

1. Students take turns flipping over two cards at a time, aiming to match an emotion picture with its corresponding need phrase. Example pairs:
   • Picture of a thirsty child ↔ “I’m thirsty / Tengo sed”
   • Sad face ↔ “I’m sad / Estoy triste”
2. When a player finds a correct match, they must say the phrase aloud in English and then in Spanish. If pronounced clearly, they keep the pair.
3. Matched cards remain face up; unmatched cards are turned face down again.
4. Play continues until all matches are found.
5. The student or team with the most pairs at the end wins.

Bilingual Practice Tip:

• Encourage students to exaggerate the Spanish pronunciation by stretching key words (e.g., “Teeeengo sed”), then repeat naturally.

IEP & Language Supports:

• For students needing extra support, provide a two-card “cheat sheet” with picture + phrase side by side.
• Offer sentence starters: “I feel __ / Me siento __” to scaffold responses.
• Allow use of whisper phones or small mirrors to practice clear diction.

Extensions & Variations:

• Speed Round: Set a timer and challenge pairs to find as many matches as possible in 2 minutes.
• Reverse Match: Match English phrase cards to Spanish phrase cards without pictures.

Follow-Up Discussion:

• Which emotion-need match was the easiest to say in both languages? ¿Cuál fue la más fácil de decir en ambos idiomas?
  
  
  
• How did saying words instead of acting out help you feel calm and understood? ¿Cómo te ayudó decir palabras en vez de actuar a sentirte tranquilo y comprendido?