Objective
By the end of this lesson, the 1 year old student will have a basic understanding of feelings.
Materials and Prep
No materials are required for this lesson. However, it would be helpful to have a mirror or a collection of photographs showing different facial expressions to demonstrate feelings.
Activities
Play with a mirror: Encourage the student to look at themselves in the mirror and make different facial expressions. Use simple words to describe the feelings associated with each expression, such as happy, sad, or surprised.
Look at photographs: Show the student a collection of photographs displaying various facial expressions. Point to each picture and name the feeling associated with it. Encourage the student to mimic the expressions.
Play with stuffed animals: Gather a few stuffed animals or dolls and pretend they have different feelings. Demonstrate how to make the toys show happiness, sadness, anger, or excitement. Encourage the student to do the same with their own toys.
Read a book about feelings: Choose a simple and colorful picture book that explores different feelings. As you read, emphasize the emotions depicted in the illustrations and ask the student how they think the characters are feeling.
Talking Points
"When we feel happy, we smile and our eyes sparkle."
"Sometimes we feel sad, and our face looks like this (demonstrate a sad expression)."
"When we are angry, our eyebrows might scrunch together, and our mouth might turn down."
"Excitement can make us jump up and down and laugh with joy!"
"It's important to understand our feelings and know that it's okay to feel different emotions."