Ups and Downs
Expressing Feelings
Teacher Lesson Guide
(swipe to advance)
Objectives
Awareness
Empathy
Problem Solving
Lesson Design
45-60 Minutes
5 Min: Review Learning Objectives
20 Min: Literary Discussion: The Yellowbright Flower
5 Min: Supporting Activity: Reverse Charades
10 Min: Reinforcing Activity: Human Emotometer
3 Min: Closing Activity
Objectives
Practice skills of empathy and emotional awareness by:
identifying personal feelings using a variety of vocabulary
demonstrating expression of different feelings: physically, cognitively, linguistically, and emotionally
showing awareness through recognizing different feelings in others
Engage in dialogue to exhibit flexibility of decisions based on feelings and how feelings contribute to outcomes.
Lingo List
Language of Feelings
tired
proud
frightened
excited
scared
glad
shy
sensitive
angry
brave
terrible
horrible
worried
grumpy
crabby
fantastic
curious
anxious
uneasy
miserable
timid
joyful
delighted
content
frustrated
lonely
confident
gloomy
emotional
preoccupied
bothered
satisfied
certain
sure
hesitant
unique
nosy
irritated
Language of Reflection
consider
wonder
shame
ponder
guilt
humiliated
remorse
sorrow
compassion
humility
grieve
suffer
grateful
appreciate
In this lesson, participants will identify their own feelings and recognize various emotions in others.
Empathy is an important skill in building friendships and making decisions that benefit everyone. The ability to empathize is linked to positive social interactions and communication, better health, career success and academic pursuit. A key factor in developing empathy is the ability to recognize and identify our own emotions and the feelings of others around us. This awareness helps us to understand different perspectives and experiences by comparing, imagining and recognizing those feelings in ourselves.
Guiding Questions for Class:
What are the different ways we show our feelings using our bodies? What feelings do we feel strongly that cause physical responses?
How can our class or community notice and honor feelings in others? How can understanding the emotions of others solve problems that can stem from misconceptions?
Reading:
The Yellowbright Flower
Flowers feel feelings. Strong emotions vibrating out through their stamens and pestles. It’s a secret well known by flower lovers who coax blooms open with whispered encouragements.
So, it should be no surprise that the Yellowbright Flower growing in a large red field trembled with feelings now. Yes, he trembled each day from the strong feelings he felt. He felt different, after all, which is always a strong and unsettling thing to feel. He was the only Yellowbright Flower flowering in a field of red something-or-other plants. Whatever he was, he knew walkers walking by stopped walking and wondered at the sight of the Yellowbright Flower, stopped and stared before walking on. He knew he was some thing, the only thing of his kind. But so what? Because the only thing of anything is always a very lonely thing to be, no matter what thing it is.
Until one midnight moonful lightbright night, as the Yellowbright Flower bobbed on a summer wind, the field spoke to him. Yes, a voice came from the field itself, from one red something-or-other plant itself in the field itself. This plant, whatever it was, now spoke to the Yellowbright Flower by saying this: “You’re not really alone, you know.” No one and nothing had ever spoken to the Yellowbright Flower before. To say the Yellowbright Flower was startled would be an understatement. Remember, flowers feel strong feelings.
“You’ve missed it all along,” the red plant went on to the Yellowbright Flower. “You’re a rose. So am I. So are we all, all of us in this big field. If you’re yellow, with a different bloom, your color only adds to the beauty of this field. But it’s all of us, together, that the walkers stop walking to see. Not just you. Together, we’re a garden. Alone, you’re only one pretty but very small blossom.” It was funny how this changed things for the Yellowbright Flower, who now recognized he was really a Yellowbright Rose. It was strange how those few words changed everything. Because no thing is really the only thing of anything, no matter how special that one thing is. Somehow it helps to feel this when you’re a flower feeling strong feelings. Yes, somehow a flower garden just feels like a much less lonely place to flower, don’t you think?
Open-Ended Questions:
After the reading, debrief the story using the open-ended questions below.
Awareness of Feelings
What are some reasons for feeling down?
How do you act when you are grumpy?
How do you act when you are excited or scared?
Empathy Practice
Who feels sad, frustrated or angry sometimes?
Who feels elated, excited or curious sometimes?
If someone is feeling down, how could you help?
Problem Solving
If you feel like something was not fair, what could you do?
If you are not having a good day, or are feeling frustrated, what could you do?
If someone or something is bothering you, who could you talk to about your feeling?
Body Language Activity: Reverse Charades
Materials/Prep needed for in class delivery: In advance, for every group, copy the Feelings Flashcard (below) and cut out the cards [enlarge to 11X17 for bigger cards if possible]
Instructions:
Have students sit down in a circle.
Place the Feelings Flash Cards face down in one pile in the center of the circle.
Tell each student will select a Feelings Card without looking at it. Each card shows a different feeling. Instruct the student to place the card on their forehead so that all of the students can see the feeling represented on the card but they cannot look at it.
The students without the card should then mimic the emotion seen on the card until the student holding the card to their head guesses the correct emotion.
Continue with the next person until all of the students have had a chance to take a turn.
Debriefing Questions:
What were some new feelings you learned to express today?
What made some of the feelings easy/hard to express?
How does the absence of words impact how we understand the feelings someone is expressing?
Reinforcing Activity: Human Emotometer
Introduction: Read aloud to group
Expressing and understanding feelings can be difficult at times, especially with people you don’t know very well. This activity will help us learn more about each other and will help practice expressing our feelings using our bodies, while also learning to recognize the feelings of others.
Instructions:
Have the group of kids gather into a large circle standing and facing the inside. If you are virtual, have students with cameras on.
The group facilitator will read from a list of “How would you feel if . . .” questions.
The students will respond to the questions kinesthetically using their bodies to represent a continuum i.e. ‘high’ (standing straight up with arms raised), and ‘low’ (crouching down to the floor, or even laying down). For students needing physical accommodations/without a camera, have them use reactions/chat to participate.
The facilitator should model this for the kids with their reactions to a question like: “How would you feel if . . . your school announced that there were no more summer vacations?”
Facilitator, encourage the use of the body through modeling; put your body in a position to represent great (stand tall), so-so (bend halfway), or terrible (crouch down). Clarify your movements/virtual cues for your audience.
Feel free to make up your own questions or ask students for questions.
How would you feel about . . .
eating strawberry ice cream?
playing board games?
going to the dentist?
listening to jazz music?
drawing or doing some sort of artwork?
reading books?
eating sushi?
How would you feel if . . .
if it snowed for a month straight?
you won a pass to Waterworld? What if the pass was for a day in December?
the doctor said you could never eat cheese again?
you got to meet the president of the United States? What about the president of Liberia?
your friends told you they did not want to be friends with you anymore?
your parents said you had to move to a different country? What if your friend had to move away?
you woke up and a monkey was in your bed?
someone gave you an Apple Watch? What if that watch was stolen?
has everyone forgotten your birthday?
you could not go to school?
Debrief: Take a few minutes to allow students to discuss these questions
What did you notice about how people feel about different things?
What things did people in your class feel similar about?
What things did people in your class disagree on?
Are there ways we can know how others feel about something?
How can things that we don’t like or want to happen turn out to be good in the end? What about the opposite?
Closing Activity
Today, we learned about identifying personal feelings and how we express different feelings with words and our bodies. We practices skills to show empathy and talked about how feelings impact different situations.
COME FULL CIRCLE- Open Ended Questions
What new words did you learn today about feelings?
How will being able to better identify your feelings help you when you are feeling emotional?
How will being able to better identify emotions help you to be a better friend/classmate?
How will the the Four Awesome Questions help you use this new knowledge?
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