Express Ourselves Script

Introduction: Using Our Words!

(Teacher): Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Today we're going to talk about something super important: using our words. What do you think that means? When someone says, "Use your words!" what are they asking you to do?

(Teacher): Exactly! It means speaking up, telling people how you feel, or what you need, instead of shouting or getting frustrated. Our words are like magic tools that help us tell people what's going on inside us.

Feelings Inside

(Teacher): We all have so many feelings inside us, don't we? Let's imagine we're looking at a picture that says "Feelings Inside"!

Can you show me a happy face?

(Pause for student responses)

(Teacher): How about a sad face?

(Pause for student responses)

(Teacher): A mad face?

(Pause for student responses)

(Teacher): Great job! We feel all these things, and sometimes it can be hard to know how to share them with others. But that's where our amazing words come in!

Words Tell Others What We Need

(Teacher): Our words help us tell grown-ups and friends so many things. Imagine seeing a big sign that says "Words Tell Others What We Need"! Our words help us tell people:

• What we need
• How we feel
• What we want

(Teacher): Let's think about it. If you're thirsty, what can you say?

(Teacher): "May I please have some water?" or "I'm thirsty!" That's using your words!

(Teacher): What if you need help opening a tough snack wrapper? What words can you use?

(Teacher): "Can you help me, please?" or "I need help!" Super! Using your words helps others understand you.

I Can Say...

(Teacher): Now, this is the fun part! Imagine a big thought bubble saying "I Can Say..."! We're going to practice some important phrases. Practice makes it easier to use our words when we need to!

(Teacher): What can we say when we need help? What can we say when we feel upset?

(Teacher): We're going to use our special Activity: I Can Say... Board for this. I want you to think about different times when you might need to use your words.

(Teacher): What can you say when you need help? Let's brainstorm some ideas together!

(Write student suggestions on the board/sticky notes)

(Teacher): Great! Maybe, "I need help building this tower," or "Could you please help me with my shoelaces?"

(Teacher): What about when you feel upset or angry? Instead of stomping your feet or yelling, what can you say?

(Write student suggestions on the board/sticky notes)

(Teacher): Fantastic! "I feel frustrated," or "I'm mad because..." or "I need a break."

(Teacher): Let's practice saying some of these together. Repeat after me: "I need help, please."

(Lead students in repeating phrases, focusing on clear voices)

(Teacher): "I feel sad."

(Lead students in repeating phrases)

Our Words Are Powerful!

(Teacher): Remember, our words are powerful! They help us connect and understand each other. Let's imagine a big, happy word cloud that says "Our Words Are Powerful!" When we use our words, we show respect and kindness. Let's make sure we always try our best to use our words to be kind to ourselves and to our friends.

(Teacher): Now, let's move to our Cool Down: Compliment Circle where we can use our words to share kindness with each other!"

Warm Up: Feeling Faces

Objective: To quickly engage students and activate their prior knowledge about emotions.

Instructions:

1. Teacher: "Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Let's start by checking in with our feelings today."
2. Teacher: "I want everyone to show me, with your face, how you are feeling right now. Are you happy, sleepy, excited, a little bit grumpy? Show me your feeling face!"
3. (Observe students' expressions.)
4. Teacher: "Wow, I see lots of different faces! I see some happy faces, some calm faces... (mention a few examples you see). Can anyone tell me, using your words, why you made that face?"
5. (Call on 2-3 students to briefly share their feeling and why, encouraging them to use simple sentences.)
6. Teacher: "Great job everyone! It's good to know how we're feeling, and it's even better to use our words to share those feelings. Let's get ready for our lesson!"

Discussion: My Words, My Power

Objective: To facilitate a conversation about the importance and impact of using one's words.

Instructions:

1. Teacher: "We just talked about how we have lots of feelings inside. How can our words help us when we have big feelings, like when we're feeling really mad or really sad?"
   
   
   
   
2. Teacher: "Think about a time you used your words instead of crying or yelling. What happened? Did it help?"
   
   
   
   
3. Teacher: "Sometimes it's hard to use our words, especially when we're upset. Why do you think it's hard?"
   
   
   
   
4. Teacher: "What are some kind words we can use to ask a friend to share a toy, instead of just grabbing it?"
   
   
   
   
5. Teacher: "Our words also help others know if we need help. What could you say if you were trying to build something and it kept falling down and you felt frustrated?"
   
   
   
   

Activity: I Can Say... Board

Objective: To practice forming and using phrases to ask for help, express needs, and share feelings.

Materials:

• Large whiteboard or chart paper with a drawn speech bubble/thought bubble.
• Markers
• Sticky notes or small paper strips

Instructions:

1. Introduce the Board (2 minutes):

   • Teacher: "Alright everyone, look at our 'I Can Say...' board! This board is going to help us practice all the amazing things we can say when we need to use our words."
   • Teacher: "Sometimes, when we have a big feeling or need something, it's hard to remember what words to use. This board will give us ideas!"

2. Brainstorming and Phrase Building (8 minutes):

   • Teacher: "Let's think of different situations where we might need to use our words. What if you need help? What are some things you could say?"
     • (Write down student suggestions on sticky notes/paper strips and place them inside the speech bubble. Examples: "Can you help me, please?", "I need a grown-up's help.", "I don't know how to do this.")
   • Teacher: "What if you want to tell someone how you're feeling? Like if you're feeling sad, what could you say?"
     • (Write down suggestions. Examples: "I feel sad because...", "I'm a little bit mad right now.", "I feel happy when...")
   • Teacher: "What about when you want something, like a turn with a toy? What words can you use instead of just taking it?"
     • (Write down suggestions. Examples: "May I please have a turn?", "Can I play with you?", "I want to try that.")

3. Practice "When I'm Upset, I Can Say..." (5 minutes):

   • Teacher: "Now, let's focus on a really important one: When I'm upset, I can say..." (Point to a dedicated section on the board or a new sticky note labeled for this.)
   • Teacher: "What are some words we can use if we're feeling angry or frustrated, but we don't want to yell or hit?"
     • (Guide students to suggestions like: "I need a break.", "I'm upset.", "I need some space.", "Can we talk about this?")
   • Teacher: "Let's all practice saying one of these together, in a calm voice. Everyone say: 'I need a break.'" (Repeat with a few different phrases.)

Extension:

• Leave the 'I Can Say...' board visible in the classroom for students to refer to throughout the week.
• Encourage students to add new phrases to the board as they think of them.

Cool Down: Compliment Circle

Objective: To practice using positive words and to reinforce positive peer interactions.

Instructions:

1. Teacher: "You all did such a wonderful job today learning about and practicing using your words! Now, let's use our words to make each other feel good."
2. Teacher: "We are going to do a Compliment Circle. Everyone will get a chance to give a compliment to someone else in our group. A compliment is when you say something kind and true about another person."
3. (Model first if needed): Teacher: "I'll start! I want to compliment [Student Name] because I noticed how quietly they listened when others were talking."
4. Teacher: "Now, it's your turn. Think of someone in our circle and think of something kind you can say about them. It could be something they did today, or something you just like about them. When it's your turn, you can say, 'I want to compliment [Student Name] because...'"
5. (Go around the circle, guiding each student to give a compliment. Provide gentle prompts if a student struggles.)
6. Teacher: "That was wonderful! See how good it feels to give and receive kind words? Let's remember to use our powerful words to be kind to everyone, every day. Great job today, everyone!"