Kara's Fantastic Feelings Expedition

Materials Needed:

• 3-4 paper plates
• Markers or crayons (especially yellow, blue, red, green)
• Craft sticks (or tape to hold the plates)
• A hand mirror (optional, but helpful)
• A favorite stuffed animal or puppet
• A cozy blanket or pillow
• Picture book about feelings (e.g., "The Color Monster" by Anna Llenas or "The Way I Feel" by Janan Cain)

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this lesson, Kara will be able to:

• Identify and name three core emotions: Happy, Sad, and Angry.
• Demonstrate the facial expressions associated with these emotions.
• Propose a simple, positive action to manage a "big" feeling (like anger or sadness).

Lesson Activities:

Part 1: The Feelings Mirror (5 minutes - Engagement)

Goal: To introduce the concept that our faces show our feelings.

Instructions:

1. Sit with Kara in front of a mirror (or use a hand mirror). Start by making a big, happy smile. Ask, "What feeling do you think my face is showing? Let's see your happy face!"
2. Next, make a sad face with a downturned mouth. "Now how do I look? Can you make a sad face? What does your mouth do? What about your eyebrows?"
3. Finally, make a pretend angry face (keep it gentle). "Grrr! This is my angry face. What does an angry face look like? Can you show me?"
4. Keep it light and silly. The goal is to connect the word (e.g., "happy") with the physical expression in a playful way.

Part 2: Feeling Face Puppets (15 minutes - Creativity & Hands-On)

Goal: To create a tangible tool for identifying and talking about emotions.

Instructions:

1. Lay out the paper plates and markers. Say, "We're going to make puppets for our feelings! Let's start with happy."
2. Take one paper plate and the yellow marker. Ask Kara, "What does a happy face need? A big smile? Let's draw a big smiling mouth and happy eyes." Encourage her to draw it herself.
3. Move on to the next feeling. "Now let's make a sad face. What color feels sad to you? Maybe blue? What kind of mouth does a sad face have?" Guide her to draw a downturned mouth and maybe some teardrops.
4. Do the same for an angry face, perhaps using a red marker and drawing furrowed eyebrows and a tight mouth.
5. When the faces are done, tape a craft stick to the back of each one to turn them into puppets.

Part 3: What is Teddy Feeling? (10 minutes - Application & Empathy)

Goal: To practice identifying emotions in others and think about causes.

Instructions:

1. Bring out Kara's favorite stuffed animal or puppet ("Teddy").
2. Hold up the "Happy" puppet behind Teddy. In a playful voice, say "Teddy just got a big hug! How is Teddy feeling?" Let Kara choose the correct feeling puppet and hold it up.
3. Next, say "Oh no! Teddy's toy just broke. How is Teddy feeling now?" Prompt her to pick the "Sad" puppet. Ask, "What could we do to help Teddy feel a little better?" (Ideas: give him a hug, help fix the toy).
4. Then, say "Someone took Teddy's snack without asking! How does that make Teddy feel?" Guide her to choose the "Angry" puppet. Say, "Teddy feels angry. That's a big feeling. It's okay to be angry. What is a safe way for Teddy to get his anger out? Should he hit? No. Could he stomp his feet? Yes! Could he take a deep breath?"

Part 4: Feelings Story Time & Calm-Down Corner (10 minutes - Connection & Strategy)

Goal: To reinforce the concepts through story and introduce a self-regulation tool.

Instructions:

1. Read a book about feelings. As you read, pause and ask Kara to hold up the paper plate puppet that matches the character's emotion in the story.
2. After the story, introduce the idea of a "Calm-Down Corner." Say, "When we have a big feeling like sad or angry, sometimes it helps to go to a cozy, safe spot. Let's make one."
3. Choose a corner of a room and place a cozy blanket or pillow there. Put the feeling puppets and the feelings book in the corner.
4. Practice using it. "Let's pretend you feel very angry. You can go to our calm-down corner, hug this pillow, look at our puppets, and take a big breath to feel better." Practice taking a big "balloon breath" together (breathe in to fill the balloon, breathe out to let the air out slowly).

Assessment (Informal Observation):

• Objective 1 (Identify): Observe if Kara can correctly choose the "Happy," "Sad," or "Angry" puppet when you name the emotion during the Teddy game.
• Objective 2 (Demonstrate): Note if Kara can make a simple face that corresponds to happy, sad, or angry during the mirror activity.
• Objective 3 (Action): During the Teddy game or Calm-Down Corner activity, listen for her ability to suggest a positive coping strategy (e.g., "give a hug," "take a breath," "stomp feet") when prompted.

Differentiation:

• For Extra Support: If three emotions are too many, focus only on "Happy" and "Sad." Use very simple, concrete examples (e.g., "We feel happy when we get ice cream. We feel sad when we fall down."). Provide more hand-over-hand help with drawing the faces.
• For an Extra Challenge: Introduce a fourth emotion like "Surprised" or "Silly." During the Teddy game, ask more complex questions like, "Why do you think Teddy is feeling that way?" Encourage Kara to create her own short story using the feeling puppets.