GETTING STARTED

Start each session with a breathing, mindfulness or brain teaser activity. Use breathing, mindfulness, or brain break activities to empower children to increase resilience, focus, and calmness as you get started with your lesson.

Baby Shark Breathing Activity from Blissful Kid (Use this for younger students.)

This breathing activity uses the baby shark song.

OR

Trading Places - Movement Activity

Have students stand behind their chairs. Call out a trait, and everyone who has that trait will change places with someone else. If a student does not have that trait, they will stay where they are. The purpose of this activity is to get them moving before you get started.

Examples could be:

• Everyone with curly hair

• Everyone wearing blue

• Everyone who ate cereal for breakfast

• Everyone who is happy

• Everyone who can smile

DISCUSSION

Explain to students that you will be talking about how to recognize feelings (e.g., happiness sadness and anger). Feelings can change the way you feel on the inside of your body. Feelings can change the way you look and sound on the outside. Some feelings are strong, and some are weak. Some feel good and some can feel uncomfortable. When things happen, one way to react is with your feelings.

Ask students to share how they would feel if these things happened to them.

Examples of possible situations:

• Hearing a loud fire truck

• Losing a favorite toy

• Playing with your best friend

• Spilling a drink on your favorite toy

• Your friend won’t talk to you

Talk about who shared the same feelings?

Did anyone feel differently from other students?

Emphasize that it is okay to have different feelings and that even the same situations can make some us have different feelings.

GUIDED PRACTICE

Name That Emotion with Murray! – Sesame Street – 5 minutes

In this game, students will attempt to define each emotion felt by the characters as they watch the YouTube clip from Sesame Street. Students will name the emotion(s) demonstrated by each of the characters.

You might want to use the worksheet – Emotions Face Chart to name the emotion.

Sanford Harmony – Grades 1 & 2 -Appendix 2.2

Review different emotions by asking the questions below and have students show you how someone might look if with each of the feelings mentioned.

• How can you tell if someone is happy?

• How can you tell if someone is sad?

• How can you tell if someone is worried?

• How can you tell if someone is angry?

• How can you tell if someone is surprised?

• How can you tell if someone is grouchy?

WRAP IT UP

End this session by singing “If You’re Happy and You Know It……."

Rosita is teaching Elmo and Abby a new song and dance called "If You're Happy and You Know It!" It's like "Simon Says" but with music! Sing along to this classic nursery rhyme!

GETTING STARTED

Start each session using breathing, mindfulness, or brain break activities to empower children to increase resilience, focus, and calmness as the lesson begins.

Get Yo Body Movin' – Koo Koo Kanga Roo/Go Noodle – 2.17 minutes

This is a Go Noodle dance along song to get your body moving.

DISCUSSION

Use the story “The Way I Feel” to review feelings (3.35 minutes). This is a great book for children to learn about emotions and feelings. Listen to the story or read the story yourself.

GUIDED PRACTICE

After the story, ask students to buddy-up. Give students four to six Emotion Match-up scenario cards.

Emotion Match-up Scenario Cards, Grades 1-2, Appendix 2.2, Pages 1-4. https://drive.google.com/file/d/14cGobNWYBn5Bn3TY_vH_S_PMQNZ9MocR/view?usp=sharing

Students will get ready to match their scenario cards to the emotion you call out as a way to think about different reasons for different feelings.

Emotion Faces Chart, Grades 1-2, Appendix 2.2 https://drive.google.com/file/d/109laLhxaa0OI1kBBU_iTMDAtkESI2D6B/view?usp=sharing

Students should read the scenarios on their cards quietly. Depending on the age of the students, the teacher might need to read the scenarios. When students hear an emotion called out from the Emotion Faces chart, students will see if they have an emotions to match the situation. Be sure to remind students that emotions or feelings are one way that you react to things and situations.

When you know the situation, you can think ahead in order to think about how someone will feel. You can determine feelings based on how you think you would feel or how you’ve seen other people react in similar situations.

EXTENDING THE LESSON

I Think, I Feel, I Do

Student will work with a partner. They are to cut out the Feel and Do pieces on worksheet page 2 and paste them where they belong on the I Think, I Feel, I Do Activity Sheet (Page 1), Appendix 2.3.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XkJJ3aljVmI4vASFMqKGVZNqFf-WNqRg/view?usp=sharing

Go back to the situations used in the Emotion Match-up Scenario Cards. Give one to each student.

• How would you feel if you found yourself in that situation?

• Now think about how the thought would make you act. What would you do?

Example. You think you are going on a field trip, but learned it was canceled. That made you sad because you wanted to go. That sad feeling made you cry.

(The activity, I Think, I Feel, I Do is adapted from Sanford Harmony, Grades 1 & 2 – Unit 2 – Empathy & Critical Thinking, 2.3 Relating Thoughts and Behaviors.)

WRAP IT UP

Ask the questions, “How can understanding someone’s feelings help make you a better friend?”

Emphasize the key learning from the lesson, thoughts lead to feelings which lead to actions. When we know how someone thinks, we can understand why he or she feels and behaves a certain way.

Brain Breaks

Sesame Street: Learn to Belly Breathe with Rosita #CaringForEachOther

Rosita knows it can be frustrating staying inside all the time because she feels the same way too! Luckily, her mommy taught her how belly breathing can help calm her emotions. Take a deep breath and learn to belly breathe with Rosita!

"Emotions" - StoryBots Super Songs- Episode 8 from Netflix Jr

Help your child understand their emotions with songs about feeling happy, sad, silly and more.

Conversation Starters

Help children learn to talk about their thoughts, feelings and experiences when they have your full attention. Provide a safe opportunity for them to talk about their feelings and challenges. Ask things like:

• “What’s your favorite joke?”

• “What’s the best thing about school?”

• “How were you brave today?”

• “What scares you the most?”

• “What makes you laugh?”

• “What make you super happy?”

• “What would hurt your feelings?”

• “When you feel sad, what do you think about to make yourself feel happy again?”

• “If you were a parent, what would be 3 important house rules?”

• “What gift would make you really happy?”

Coloring Sheet

I Am Happiest When – Coloring Sheet

Students color the pictures that show when they are:

• the happiest

• alone

• with friends

• in a crowd

• or something else

Story Time

Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang (Read Aloud) - A Story About Emotions

Listen to the story about Grumpy Monkey to help kids better understand that our feelings on the inside can show on the outside.

The Color Monster, A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas | Children's Books | Storytime with Elena

Color Monster is very confused and needs help in sorting his mixed-up emotions. Luckily, his friend is there to help.

OVERVIEW

It is important that students recognize the connections among thoughts, feelings and actions and use that knowledge to help them practice thinking in positive ways.

OBJECTIVE

Learn to identify and recognize the connection between thoughts, feeling and actions.

GETTING STARTED

Use breathing, mindfulness or brain break activities to empower children to increase resilience, focus, and calmness as you get started with your lesson.

Use the brain break activity Double-Double prior to starting this lesson on Feelings.

Follow the lead of your teacher. Do this with a partner if you can.

• Every time teacher says "double," students will clap.

• Every time teacher says "this," students will high-five.

• Every time teacher says "that," students will use their back-hands to high-five.

The teacher can use any combination of “double”, “this” and “that." For example:

• "Double, double," "this, this”

• “Double, double," "that, that”

• “Double, this,” “double, that,” “double, double, this, that."

DISCUSSION

Begin the lesson with a discussion of feelings.

We all have feelings and at times, lots of them all at once. It’s important that we identify our feelings and learn to express them in healthy and safe ways. Remember, we all can have more than one feeling at a time and our thoughts, feelings and responses to certain situations can be different.

Explain that the class talk about paying attention to their feelings and how their thoughts make them feel and act with others.

Let’s start by thinking about a situation.

Ask students to talk about the feelings they might have? Then ask students to pull a feeling word from the collection of feeling words that are provided (e.g., confused, mad, surprised or happy).

Chart of Feeling Faces from Appendix 2.2 – Emotions Faces Charts – Grades 1 & 2 can be accessed here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/109laLhxaa0OI1kBBU_iTMDAtkESI2D6B/view?usp=sharing

Talk a little about each of the words that students have pulled to answer the question. Use those feeling words to describe thoughts about the behavior. Use the examples below to model the practice.

Someone cuts in front of you in the lunch line. How would you feel?

• Happy--That person must be really hungry and needs food more than me.

• Mad--I’m really mad; I think that’s just rude.

• Understanding--I don’t think they did it to be mean; they may not have realized what they did.

• Confused--I don’t understand why they did it.

Review how thoughts influence how people feel and act.

We may not be able to change a situation, but we have control over what we think and do. Our emotions pass through us like waves, building and building until finally they reach their peak, crash, and subside. We can't choose these feelings, but we can decide how we will behave when they arise. We can be curious about them and talk about them, all the while understanding that they won't last forever.

GUIDED PRACTICE

Use the video “Just Breathe” by Julie Bayer Salzman to show students how an emotion like anger can make them feel, and how they can calm themselves down. Their testimonies will increase your empathy toward others and will help you help you learn effective ways to calm down, too.

Think about a time when you needed to calm down. What were some of the strong feelings you experienced?

Next share a few of the situations and ask students to think about how someone might be feeling. Use the questions that follow to process:

Situations

• Your brother/sister won’t let you choose what to watch on TV.

• You and your best friend ended up on different basketball teams.

• Your family is going to visit your grandmother and you can’t go to your friend’s birthday party.

• Kids in your class make fun of you because you had to start wearing glasses.

Questions

• What feelings might be present?

• What action would result from having those thoughts?

• Talk about how people can feel differently about the same thing, and ask for examples.

• Talk about how knowing someone’s real thoughts and feelings about a situation can help someone be a good friend.

WRAP IT UP

There are some things we can do to help us work through strong feelings and calm down.

Here’s one to try called Name Your Feeling - Calm Down Song from Second Step. This 3-minute video from Second Steps (Committee for Children) gives students techniques for calming down when emotions are strong.

GETTING STARTED

Use breathing, mindfulness or brain break activities to empower children to increase resilience, focus, and calmness as you get started with the lesson.

Brain Break – Finger and Thumb Challenge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9XfeWHKEkE

This one is great for getting students to "think" about their movement. Take your left hand and have your fingers in, and your thumb up. Then take your right hand and put your thumb in and all your fingers in except your pointer finger. So in other words, your thumb up and pointer finger out. Now switch the roles of your hands. Then try to do it faster.

DISCUSSION

This lesson was adapted from Sanford Harmony Lesson – Grades 5 & 6 – Unit 2 Empathy & Critical Thinking – Activity- Thought Bubbles

Explain that the class will talk about paying attention to how we think about ourselves and one another, and why that’s important. Discuss how our thoughts are like thought bubbles that only we can see.

Give an example of a thought you had this morning.

I think the class is going to like our math lesson today!

Ask students to provide other examples.

I forgot my homework, I hope the teacher doesn’t collect it!

I forgot my lunch and I don’t like what’s on the menu for lunch today.

If we pay more attention to our thoughts, we can have more control over them. This is important because it influences how we feel and behave.

Use the worksheet - Thought Bubbles Scenario Cards from the Sanford Harmony Curriculum (Grades 5-6, Unit 2-Appendix 2.1) to discuss the situation with Kimberly and Derek.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DcQm674fouwmcdpEa5kbX0h2ioVGP4no/view?usp=sharing

Review the example as a class.

Kimberly and Derek were in the same situation but they reacted differently. Let’s talk about Kimberly.

Discuss her thoughts.

Oh no, I got such a bad grade. I didn’t study as hard as I should have. I’m going to have to study a lot harder for the next test.

Discuss how she might be feeling.

She feels disappointed, embarrassed, frustrated.

Discuss how her thoughts indicate she has a positive attitude and what she will do now.

She told herself she’d have to study a lot harder for the next test; she knows that if she tries harder next time, she can do better.

She will figure out which answers were wrong, talk to the teacher about the test, get a tutor, try harder, and do better on the next test.

Have students fill in Kimberly’s feelings and behaviors on the Example Card or just talk about it.

Now let’s talk about Derek. Discuss his thoughts.

I’m so bad at math, I’ll never pass a math test.

What does his thought tell us about his feelings?

He feels sad, hopeless.

Discuss what you think he will do now?

He might tear up his test.

Do something to try and get his mind off the test

Complain to his friend that the test was just too hard.

Cry.

He might not try harder because he doesn’t think it’ll make a difference; he doesn’t think he can pass a math test.

Do you think he will try harder next time? Why or why not? What might you say to help Derek?

Ask students to fill in Derek’s feelings and behaviors on the Example Card or just talk it through.

Review how Kimberly and Derek faced the same situation but thought about it differently, emphasizing that what they thought influenced how they felt and how they will act in the future.

List the following on the board to illustrate the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Add in any needed information about Kimberly and Derek.

Situation: D on math test

Thought: I didn’t study as hard as I should have.

Feeling: Disappointed

Behavior: Study harder next time.

Distribute a Thought Bubbles Scenario Card worksheet (from www.sanfordharmony.org – Grades 5-6, Unit 2, Appendix 2.1- pages 1-5) to each group of three to four students, a pair of students or allow students to work independently on one of the 10 scenarios or use the same scenario card for each group. The worksheets can be downloaded here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18GwQ8yEM4rdg9Qd6HxIkDxCEXMApkvNt/view?usp=sharing

Have students discuss the scenario and their responses within their groups. Ask students to write responses that they might honestly tell themselves in these situations. Let the class share responses. Prompt further discussion as class shares.

How might you feel, and how you might act?

Did everyone think the same thing?

How did those thoughts lead to feelings and actions?

WRAP IT UP

Finish the lesson by discussing key points.

Did everyone think the same thing?

Is there such a thing as a “right” thought in these situations?

How can our thoughts prevent us from getting to know someone or help us give someone a chance?

Now that you’re aware of your thoughts, is it possible to change them so that you behave differently in situations?

Conversation Starters

Help children learn to talk about their thoughts, feelings and experiences when they have your full attention. Provide a safe opportunity for them to talk about the things that they are having a hard time handling or are upsetting to them.

Ask things like:

“What’s your favorite joke?”

“Would you rather be an adult or a kid”?

“How were you brave today?”

“What scares you the most?”

“What makes you laugh?”

“What make you super happy?”

“What would hurt your feelings?”

“When you feel sad, what do you think about to make yourself feel happy again?”

“What would you do if you had a million dollars?”

“I Feel…” Statements

To learn how to express feelings appropriately, students need to be taught how to use “I feel…” statements. Instead of screaming insults at another child who broke his crayon, Johnny can learn to say, “I feel sad that you broke my crayon”, opening up the communication between the two students. This allows for healthy conflict resolution.

My Heart Map

Encourages children to thoughtfully consider what makes them happy. Help them depict it on paper. It’s a great way to help them own and recognize their emotions and focus more on having a positive outlook. This activity was developed by Proud to be Primary. Find more resources like this at: https://proudtobeprimary.com/emotions-for-kids/