ASL Lesson Plan: Storytellers - Expressing Feelings With Our Hands

Materials Needed:

• Mirror (small handheld or wall mirror)
• Index cards or small pieces of paper
• Markers or crayons
• Optional: A favorite picture book with clear character emotions
• Optional: A camera or phone to record the final story performance

Lesson Information

• Subject: American Sign Language (ASL)
• Grade Level: Ages 6-8 (Homeschool)
• Time Allotment: 30-40 minutes
• Lesson Focus: This lesson moves beyond memorizing signs and focuses on using ASL to express emotions and create simple, imaginative stories. It emphasizes facial expressions as a key part of ASL.

1. Learning Objectives (The Goals)

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

• Correctly form and use at least 4-5 ASL signs for feelings (e.g., HAPPY, SAD, SILLY, EXCITED).
• Understand that facial expressions are a crucial part of signing.
• Combine signs to create a short, 2-to-3-sign story or sentence (e.g., "GIRL HAPPY," "CAT SILLY").
• Demonstrate active listening and visual attention skills by recognizing a sign when shown.

2. Preparation (Before We Start - 5 minutes)

Create a few simple "Feeling Flashcards" on index cards. Draw a face for each emotion and write the word underneath. Our core words today will be:

• HAPPY (big smile)
• SAD (frown)
• SILLY (wacky face)
• EXCITED (wide eyes, open mouth)

Also, create a few simple "Character Flashcards":

• BOY
• GIRL
• CAT
• DOG

3. Lesson Activities (The Fun Part!)

Part A: Warm-Up - "Hello Hands!" (5 minutes)

1. Introduce HELLO: Start with a big smile and a simple wave. Then, show the ASL sign for HELLO (a crisp salute-like motion from the forehead outwards). Practice together a few times. Explain that in ASL, your face says as much as your hands.
2. What's Your Name?: Introduce the sign for MY NAME IS. Then, slowly fingerspell the student's name. Don't worry about them learning the whole alphabet today! The goal is just to show them how names work. Let the student try to copy the first letter of their name. Praise their effort enthusiastically!

Part B: Introduction - "Feelings in the Mirror" (10 minutes)

1. Connect Face to Feeling: Sit in front of the mirror. Say, "Show me your happiest face!" and make a big, happy face together. Now, introduce the sign for HAPPY (flat hands brush up your chest twice). Emphasize that your face MUST be happy while you do the sign.
2. Introduce Other Feelings: Use your flashcards. For each one:
   • Show the card and have the student make the face in the mirror (e.g., a sad face).
   • Introduce the ASL sign while making the face.
     • SAD: Hold your open hands in front of your eyes and gently pull them down your face, looking sad.
     • SILLY: With a goofy face, wiggle your thumb in front of your nose.
     • EXCITED: With an excited expression, brush your middle fingers up your chest in alternating motions.
3. Quick Check: Hold up a feeling flashcard and ask the student to make both the face AND the sign.

Part C: Main Activity - "Silent Story Creation" (10-15 minutes)

1. Introduce Characters: Briefly show the signs for BOY, GIRL, CAT, and DOG. Practice them just once or twice. The focus is on the feelings.
2. Build a Story: Lay out the character cards and the feeling cards. Say, "Let's create a silent story! You are the director."
3. Student-Led Creation: Ask the student to pick one character card and one feeling card. For example, they pick GIRL and HAPPY.
   • You: "Great! Let's tell that story with our hands."
   • Together: You both make the sign for GIRL and then the sign for HAPPY (with a big smile!).
4. Continue Building: Encourage the student to pick different combinations. "What about the cat? How is the cat feeling?" Maybe the story is: "BOY SAD. DOG SILLY." The goal is to create 2-3 short "scenes" or sentences using the signs they just learned. This is their story!

4. Assessment & Reinforcement (Show What You Know!)

Part A: Game - "Feeling Charades" (5 minutes)

Take turns! One person secretly picks a feeling and acts it out using ONLY the ASL sign and the matching facial expression. The other person guesses. This is a fun, low-pressure way to check for understanding.

Part B: Wrap-Up - "Story Performance" (5 minutes)

1. It's Showtime!: Ask the student to be the storyteller and "perform" the short story they created in the main activity. You can be the audience. If they chose "GIRL HAPPY. CAT SILLY," they will perform those four signs in sequence.
2. Applaud!: Instead of clapping, which is a sound-based action, teach them the ASL applause: waving both hands in the air with wiggling fingers. Applaud their amazing performance!
3. Say Goodbye: Teach the sign for GOODBYE (waving, but by opening and closing your fingers). End the lesson on a positive and clear note.

5. Differentiation & Extension (Making it Fit)

• For Extra Support: Stick to just two feelings (e.g., HAPPY and SAD) and two characters. Focus on mastering the connection between the face and the sign. Go slow and offer lots of praise.
• For an Extra Challenge: Introduce more complex feeling signs like SURPRISED or ANGRY. Encourage the student to create a longer story with a sequence, like: "BOY SAD. Then, DOG SILLY. Now, BOY HAPPY." You could even draw the story like a comic strip and write the ASL words underneath.