In this lesson, student’s will watch a short Feelings Song video about how their body may respond when they feel certain emotions.
Note: this video is taken from a game scene in Zoo Academy, our online SEL program for young students.
Most of the time, we know how our kids are feeling by the look on their face or from their body language. Their lips will quiver, their eyes will well up, or they’ll simply cross those arms and shrug at something they’re not too happy about. Not only is it important for children to learn how to properly express their emotions, it’s also important for them to pick up on other’s emotions by reading body language.
Recommended Grade Level: Elementary
SEL Skill(s): Communication, Emotion Regulation
Duration: 30 minuntes
Materials:
- Feelings Video
- Role playing cards for students: print and cut appropriate number of copies based on class or group size.
- Optional: Reflection worksheet for each student
Feelings Song Lesson Instructions
Prep: Review our List of Emotions post and lesson for feelings vocabulary words.
Prompt: “Today we’re going to talk about emotions.
Sometimes when we feel different emotions, we feel changes with our bodies. For example, when you’re sad, your eyes may fill up with tears, and you cry. Sometimes when you’re really excited, you can’t sit still – you just want to jump and down. These are examples of how our body reacts to our feelings.
What are some other examples you can think of?
Next, we’re going to listen to a song about our feelings.
That video shows how our body reacts to emotions! Do any of those things ever happen to you?
Group discussion
Next, we’re going to do a fun activity where we get to act out these emotions and guess what emotion we think the person is acting out.”
Customize this for either working in pairs, small groups or as a whole class where 1 person acts and the whole class will guess, it’s up to you! Hand out role playing cards to the people that will be “acting” first , be sure to only give them half of the cards and save the other half of the cards for when they switch.
“The person that will be acting, these directions are for you. Turn your first card over and look at the picture and the emotion that’s written on the card. Think about how you can act that out and give it a try. If you are guessing the emotion, these directions are for you. Quietly observe the person acting out the emotion, give them time to finish, and then give your best guess on what emotion they are acting out.”
Repeat until you get through the cards given. And switch so someone else gets to act out.
Group discussion
Optional Prompt: “Terrific work acting out how emotions might make our bodies react. Let’s take a few minutes to write about it.
Hand out reflection worksheet
On the worksheet I’d like you to pick one emotion and then draw a picture about how you react when you feel that way. You can also use the space to write about it.”
Additional Resources:
Books:
- Listening to My Body by Gabi Garcia
- Visiting Feelings by Lauren J. Rubenstein JD PsyD