# Using Feeling Words ## UNIT 2 ### PURPOSE - To introduce a variety of feeling words - To increase students’ emotional vocabularies ### STUDENTS WILL - Generate examples of feeling words - Identify the feeling words used in the book *Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day* by Jamie Lee Curtis - Identify how they feel at the time of the lesson ### MATERIALS - *Today I Feel Silly by Jamie Lee Curtis* - Chart paper and a marker or chalkboard and chalk - One set of small feeling faces per student - One set of large feeling faces for the teacher ### PRESENTATION OF LESSON #### Discussion Explain to students that over the next few weeks the group will be talking a lot about feelings and that it is important to know what words to use when talking about feelings. Brainstorm a list of feeling words together, and write them on the chalkboard or chart paper. The list may include words such as happy, sad, angry, lonely, frustrated, and so forth. You may need to prompt students by asking them questions such as: - How would you feel if you were about to go to a party? - How would you feel if you were home alone and heard a strange noise? #### Story Activity Read *Today I Feel Silly* to your students once from beginning to end. Then, read it again, pausing after each page to write down any feeling words that the students hear in the story. Add these words to your brainstorm list if they are not already listed. ### Wrap-Up As a closing activity, distribute a set of small feeling faces to each student. Identify each feeling together by showing a large feeling face and having students hold up the corresponding small feeling face. Have students demonstrate the emotion they are feeling at the time of this lesson by placing the appropriate feeling face on their desk (students may also pick a face and place it in a more private spot). Students can also draw a picture of themselves and how they are feeling at the time of the lesson. Remind students that the group will be talking more about some of the feelings on the list during the next few lessons. ### ALTERNATIVE PRESENTATIONS #### Fundamental Begin with a few examples of feeling words (e.g., happy, sad, angry), instead of brainstorming. Read the book slowly, writing a list of feeling words from the story as you go. #### Challenging Have students pick an emotion from the list of words that the group has generated and tell about a time they felt that way and why. Discuss the way in which some feelings are enjoyable (happiness, excitement), while others are more uncomfortable (sadness, anger, frustration). Key questions might include: - How is feeling [emotion] different from feeling [emotion]? - How does it feel inside when you are [emotion]? - Do you think it is still okay to have those uncomfortable feelings? Why or why not? --- ## Identifying Happy Expressions ### UNIT 2 ### PURPOSE - To identify faces showing happy expressions through common characteristics - To differentiate between happy expressions and other facial expressions ### STUDENTS WILL - Identify and select pictures with happy expressions - Assemble a collage of magazine photos showing happy facial expressions ### MATERIALS - One large happy feeling face - Role-play footprints - Tape - Chart paper and a marker or chalkboard and chalk - Stack of magazines (enough so each student has one) - Poster board - Markers - Scissors - Glue ### PRESENTATION OF LESSON #### Discussion Show the large happy feeling face to the group and model a happy expression while stepping on the role-play footprints. When you step off the footprints, ask students to identify the emotion you were showing and explain how they came to this conclusion. On the chalkboard or chart paper, write down a list of characteristics that are common to a happy expression (e.g., smile, crinkled eyes, head up). Compare a magazine picture showing a happy face to one showing some other emotion. Discuss the differences between the two (e.g., mouth, eyes, head position), and create a second list of characteristics that are common to the other expression. Ask students to demonstrate a happy face, making sure that the parts of their face are similar to the happy face in the picture. #### Collage Activity Explain to the students that they will be making a happy collage. First, have students write the word "happy" in the middle of a piece of poster board, or assist those who cannot. Then give each student a magazine and ask him or her to find pictures showing people with happy expressions. Have the students cut out these pictures and glue them onto their own collage. Remind students about the characteristics of happy expressions, and encourage them to help each other identify appropriate pictures in magazines. ### Wrap-Up Close the lesson with a review of characteristics of a happy expression. Have each student share his or her collage and tell about a time he or she felt happy. This activity can be done using the footprint cutouts. Have the students describe a time they felt happy, then have them step on the footprints to demonstrate what they looked like when they felt this way (mini role play). ### ALTERNATIVE PRESENTATIONS #### Fundamental Assist students in selecting appropriate magazine pictures for their personal happy collages by asking them questions about specific pictures. Key questions might include: - What is it about that person’s face that makes you think he or she is happy? - Is that person smiling? - Is that why you think this person is happy? Provide any necessary assistance with the cutting and gluing tasks. #### Challenging Make individual happy collages as well as one large emotion poster. Encourage students to find pictures depicting emotions other than happiness, and have the students glue them to a large poster board. Be sure to label the emotion displayed in each picture, and discuss the characteristics of that facial expression. You can also discuss with students pictures in which the person’s expression is neutral or ambiguous. Explain that sometimes it isn’t possible to figure out what a person is feeling by looking at his or her face. In these cases, we need to look for other clues, such as the person’s body language or what is happening around him or her. ### THROUGHOUT THE DAY - Note aloud the characteristics of happy faces in class materials (e.g., books, worksheets), and verbally identify students with happy facial expressions. - Have students bring in photographs from home to add to their collages. - Remind students to identify and display how they are feeling using their set of small feeling faces.