Free Lesson Plan: How Do I Feel?

The Psycho-Educational Teacher http://thepsychoeducationalteacher.blogspot.com/

Content Area: Feelings and Emotions/Social-Emotional Literacy Grade Level: 3+ Objectives: 1. Students will understand that different people have different feelings to the same situation 2. They will develop skills in using more precise words to name feelings Group Size: Whole Class Time: 45 minutes Materials: Situations List (Teachers copy; attached), Social-Emotional Dictionary (Teachers
copy; click on link or download from blog), Facts About Feelings (Teachers copy; attached), blank

paper and pencil for each child. Optional: chart paper or whiteboard with markers Key Social-Emotional Vocabulary: simultaneous feelings, contradictory feelings, pleasant feelings, unpleasant feelings Background Information: We are all capable of having many different feelings. We are also capable of experiencing simultaneous feelings, including feelings that seem to contradict each other; for example, we can feel both enthusiastic and nostalgic at the same time. Some feelings are pleasant, but others are unpleasant. Some feelings are stronger than other feelings, but regardless of their strength, all feelings are temporal. See Facts About Feelings for additional background information.

Procedure/Steps: 1. Distribute blank paper and tell students to skip a line and write numbers from one-toten. 2. Explain to students that, as they listen to each situation and five possible reactions for each, they are going to identify the feeling that best represents (or approximates) how they would react to the situation. Read aloud statements on your Situations List, one at a time. Then, read each possible answer, and give time for children to select one reaction (feeling) for each situation. If necessary, clarify to children what each feeling means. (You can use the Social-Emotional Dictionary for this purpose.) On their papers, students write the letter that best tells how they feel about the situation. For example, on the first situation, a child that chooses humiliated writes E next to the number (e.g., 1. E). 3. Tally childrens answers on the chalkboard, whiteboard, or chart paper. For example, a tally for the first situation can be (Total= 32 students): A=7 students, B=4 students, C= 12 students, D= 8 students, E= 1 student. Do the same for situations 2-10. 4. When all situations are tallied, help children translate the numerical information into words. You can ask questions such as, On the third situation, which feeling was the most/least frequent? Which feeling was shared by four children? Alternatively, On situation five, how many more children chose betrayed over curious? Go over five or six examples until it is clear that children know how to read the information. Then ask, What do you notice about our feelings? and Do you see a pattern here? Help children conclude that, for the same situation, different children felt or reacted differently. 5. Continue discussing facts about feelings. For example, you can help children separate pleasant feelings from unpleasant feelings or children can rank feelings from least intense-to-most intense. It is also important that students realize the importance of defining (naming and labeling) their feelings in a more precise way; for example, the

word hopeful precisely tells how we feel, but the word nice is just too vague. For indepth analysis, use sheet Facts About Feelings. 6. Have children summarize the information, specifically, answering, What did I learn today about my feelings? Important Note: To stimulate all children to share feelings honestly, we keep answers private. Feelings are identified and analyzed for the whole class rather than for individual students. None as an option is not included, this way, children must identify a feeling for each situation. In addition, because we read aloud the information, we minimize any reading difficulties that weaker readers may face. Evaluation: Teacher observation of student participation. Extended Activity: Ask children to select one situation, and then draw a line graph/bar graph using the information tallied for that situation. Older children can draw a more complex graph, using two-three situations instead of just one. Answer Key: Answers will vary. Make sure that children understand that there is no right or wrong answer on this exercise. Simply put, all feelings are acceptable.

Situations List (Read aloud to students)

1. A classmate calls you stupid jerk in the lunchroom. You feel: a. Vindictive b. Ashamed c. Heartbroken d. Indifferent e. Humiliated 2. On your way home from school, you see a kid kicking a kitten. You feel: a. Astonished b. Detached c. Horrified d. Indignation e. Hostile 3. Your dog, Spots, has been missing for two hours. You feel: a. Optimistic b. Stressed c. Frightened d. Contrived e. Desperate 4. You got a C- on your science test. You feel: a. Disappointed b. Argumentative c. Calmed d. Determined e. Discouraged 5. Your best friend, Emilio, tells you that he does not want to play with you. You feel: a. Ambivalent b. Disillusioned c. Betrayed d. Offended e. Curious 6. You cannot find your jacket and the school bus is already waiting for you. You feel: a. Choleric b. Nervous c. Obsessed d. Exasperated e. Serene 7. You find Spots. You feel: a. Surprised b. Jubilant c. Eased d. Thankful e. Boastful 8. In the basketball court, you slip and lose the ball. You feel: a. Antagonistic b. Guilty c. Embarrassed d. Dismayed e. Exhausted 9. It is your birthday and you cannot think of anything else but getting the video game that you want so badly. You feel: a. Edgy b. Cheerful c. Impatient d. Hopeful e. Obsessed 10. Your teacher announces an unexpected fractions quiz. You feel: a. Fussy b. Lighthearted c. Alarmed d. Exasperated e. Self-confident

Facts About Feelings

The Psycho-Educational Teacher
http://thepsychoeducationalteacher.blogspot.com/

1. Feelings are normal. We all have feelings. 2. People are capable of many different feelings. We are entitled to all of them. 3. There are simultaneous feelings; that is, different feelings can exist or be experienced at the same time. For example, we may feel happy and sad at the same time, or we may feel happy, sad, and surprised at the same time. 4. We can group similar feelings together; for example, sad, gloomy, melancholic, and the blues are similar feelings. 5. Sometimes contradictory feelings coexist. This contradiction can make us feel confused, or even angry. 6. Some feelings are pleasant and some feelings are unpleasant. 7. Some feelings are stronger than other feelings. Some feelings are very strong. 8. Feelings are temporal; no feeling lasts forever. 9. When a particular feeling moves away, another feeling replaces it. 10.Feelings are neither god nor bad, right nor wrong, true nor false. We do not have to judge our feelings. 11.Anger is a normal feeling. We all feel angry at one time or another. 12.Feeling angry at something or someone is okay; however, what we do when we feel anger can cause us trouble.

13.There is a difference between feeling angry and doing angry things such as hitting, kicking, cursing, punching, screaming, or hurting others. Anger is just a feeling; acting out ones anger is the behavior. 14.We can feel the feeling, but we do not have to act it out. 15.Feelings are not facts; that is, we cannot verify feelings objectively. We make them factual only if we act them out. 16.Our feelings and our thoughts are just for us; they do not affect others. Our behavior (actions) affects others. 17.When we feel anger or any other strong feeling, we do not have to act it out. We can recognize the feeling and direct it in a positive way. 18.We feel the feeling, but we choose the behavior.