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Your Body Knows!

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Lesson Plan

Your Body Knows!

Students will correctly match at least two specific physical sensations to a given emotion (e.g., 'tense shoulders' with 'worry,' 'hot face' with 'anger') with 80% accuracy during a card sorting activity.

Understanding how emotions manifest physically helps students develop emotional literacy, self-awareness, and the ability to communicate their feelings more effectively.

Audience

2nd Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive card sorting, guided discussion, and reflective journaling.

Materials

Smartboard or projector, Whiteboard or chart paper, Dry erase markers, Emotion Scenarios Slides, Emotion-Body Connection Cards, Pencils, and My Feelings Journal Page

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: Review & Connect (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Begin by asking students: "What are some feelings you know?" (e.g., happy, sad, angry, surprised).
  • Lead a brief discussion about how we sometimes 'feel' emotions in our bodies. Ask, "Where do you feel happy? Where do you feel scared?"
  • Introduce the idea that our bodies are like a 'map' to our feelings. "Just like a map tells us where to go, our bodies can tell us what we are feeling!"

Step 2

Model & Sort (10 minutes)

10 minutes

Step 3

Independent Application (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Distribute the My Feelings Journal Page to each student along with pencils.
  • Instruct students to independently complete the journal page by drawing and writing about a time they felt an emotion and how it felt in their body.
  • Circulate the room to provide support and encourage reflection.
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Slide Deck

Your Body Knows!

Understanding Your Feelings from Head to Toe!

Welcome students to the lesson. Introduce the topic: understanding how our bodies tell us about our feelings.

What Are Feelings?

Happy, Sad, Mad, Scared... what else?

How do these feelings show up in your body?

Ask students: "What are some feelings you know?" (e.g., happy, sad, angry, surprised). Write their answers on the board. Then ask, "Have you ever noticed that when you feel a certain way, your body also feels different?"

Your Body: A Feeling Map!

Your body gives you clues about what you're feeling inside!

Explain the concept of the body as a 'feeling map'. "Just like a map helps us find places, our bodies give us clues about our feelings."

Scenario 1: The Surprise Test

Maya sits down at her desk. Her teacher announces a pop quiz in math, Maya's least favorite subject! Maya feels a jolt in her stomach and her hands get a little sweaty.

Read the scenario. Ask students: "How do you think Maya's body feels right now? Where might she feel this emotion?" Guide them to connect physical sensations (e.g., fast heart, shaky hands) to the emotion (scared). Use the Emotion-Body Connection Cards to visually sort. Model this first example.

Scenario 2: The Lost Toy

Liam can't find his favorite toy car anywhere. He looks under his bed, in his toy box, and even in the kitchen! His face starts to get hot and he stomps his foot.

Read the scenario. Ask students: "How might Liam's body feel? Where would he feel this?" Discuss options. Have students practice matching a few cards to the emotion with a partner or small group.

Scenario 3: Playtime Fun!

Sarah's best friend comes over to play! They build a giant block tower together and laugh a lot. Sarah feels light and bouncy, like she could float!

Read the scenario. Ask students: "What might Sarah's body feel like?" Encourage multiple responses and connect them to the feeling of happiness. Have students work with their groups to match cards for this scenario.

Your Turn! My Feelings Journal

Think about a feeling you've had recently.

How did your body feel?

Draw and write about it in your journal!

Explain the next activity. Distribute the My Feelings Journal Page. "Now it's your turn to think about your own feelings map!"

Remember: Your Body Knows!

Your body sends you messages about your feelings.

Listen to your body to understand your emotions!

Review the main points. "Today we learned that our bodies are like maps that tell us what we are feeling. Paying attention to our bodies can help us understand our emotions better!"

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Activity

Emotion-Body Connection Cards

Instructions for Teacher: Print these cards and cut them out. You can laminate them for durability. Students will work in small groups or pairs to match the 'Feeling Cards' with the 'Body Sensation Cards'. There are more body sensation cards than feeling cards to encourage discussion and critical thinking about how different feelings can manifest.

Feeling Cards (Print and Cut)

Card 1: Happy

Card 2: Sad

Card 3: Angry

Card 4: Scared

Card 5: Worried

Body Sensation Cards (Print and Cut)

Card A: Warm, tingly stomach

Card B: Tight chest

Card C: Fast heartbeat

Card D: Heavy arms and legs

Card E: Hot face/ears

Card F: Tense shoulders

Card G: Jumpy/restless legs

Card H: Tears in eyes

Card I: Light, bouncy feeling

Card J: Loud voice

Card K: Quiet voice

Card L: Fast breathing

Card M: Smiling mouth

Card N: Frowning mouth

Card O: Relaxed muscles

Card P: Shaky hands

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Journal

My Feelings Journal Page: My Body Knows!

Name: ________________________

Date: ________________________

Today, I felt...

Think about a feeling you had today or recently. What was it? (Circle one or write your own!)

Happy       Sad       Angry       Scared       Worried       Excited       Calm       (Other: _________________)

My Feeling Story

Write about a time you felt this emotion. What happened?










How My Body Felt

Draw a picture of yourself feeling this emotion. Where in your body did you feel it? You can draw arrows or circle parts of the body.













My Body Clues

Write about how your body felt when you had this emotion. What were your body clues?

  • My face felt: __________________________________________
  • My hands felt: __________________________________________
  • My stomach felt: __________________________________________
  • My shoulders felt: __________________________________________
  • I felt: __________________________________________________







Remember: Your body is always telling you something about your feelings!

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