Lesson Plan: Happy and You Know It!

Subject: Music and Movement, Social-Emotional Learning

Age Group: 2-3 years

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Lesson Duration: 10-15 minutes

Materials Needed

• Open space for movement
• Optional: A speaker to play the song "If You're Happy and You Know It"
• Optional: Emotion flashcards (happy, sad, sleepy, silly)
• Optional: Fun props like scarves or shakers

Learning Objectives

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

• Listen and respond to a song with physical actions.
• Mimic at least two actions from the song (e.g., clapping, stomping).
• Connect the word "happy" with a positive feeling and expression (smiling, clapping).

Success Criteria

(What success looks like for a 2-year-old)

• I can watch and listen to the song.
• I can try to move my body like you do.
• I can smile or show I am having fun.

Lesson Procedure

Part 1: Introduction (Hook & Objectives) - 2 minutes

"Let's Get Ready to Sing and Move!"

1. Hook: Sit down with the child at their level. With a big, warm smile, ask, "Are you feeling happy today? Show me your happy face!" Make a big, exaggerated happy face and wait for them to copy you. Give lots of praise. "What a great happy face!"
2. State the Goal (in 2-year-old language): "We are going to sing a super fun song about being happy. And we get to move our bodies! Are you ready to wiggle?"

Part 2: Body of the Lesson (I do, We do, You do) - 8 minutes

I Do: "Watch Me Be Happy!" (2 minutes)

1. Modeling: Say, "First, watch me. My turn!"
2. Sing the first verse of the song slowly and with very clear, big actions. Make eye contact and smile the whole time.
3. Talking Points:
   • (Singing) "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!" (Do two big, loud claps).
   • (Singing) "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!" (Do two more big, loud claps).
   • (Singing) "If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it! If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!" (Point to your big smile, then do two more claps).
4. Repeat with another verse, like "stomp your feet." Make the stomps loud and fun.

We Do: "Let's Be Happy Together!" (3 minutes)

1. Guided Practice: Say, "Now, let's do it together! Can you help me sing and clap?"
2. Sing the song again, this time looking for the child to join in. Offer gentle encouragement.
3. Talking Points:
   • "Ready? Let's clap our hands! Good job clapping!"
   • "Now let's stomp our feet! Stomp, stomp, stomp! Wow, listen to those loud feet!"
   • "Let's shout 'Hooray!' Ready? One, two, three... HOORAY! You are so loud!"
4. Repeat the verses 2-3 times to build confidence and familiarity.

You Do: "Your Turn to Be Happy!" (3 minutes)

1. Independent Practice & Creativity: Ask the child, "What else can we do when we are happy? Can you show me?"
2. Let the child lead. If they start jumping, change the lyrics: "If you're happy and you know it, jump up high!" If they wiggle, "If you're happy and you know it, wiggle all around!"
3. Follow their lead and praise their ideas enthusiastically. "Jumping is a great idea! I love how you wiggle!"
4. Formative Assessment: Observe the child's participation. Are they attempting the actions? Are they engaged and smiling? Do they offer a new movement, either verbally or by just doing it?

Part 3: Conclusion (Closure & Recap) - 2 minutes

"All Done! Great Job!"

1. Final Performance: Say, "Let's sing our song one more time with all our favorite moves! Ready?" Sing a quick version including clapping, stomping, and the child's chosen action.
2. Recap: Wind down by sitting together. Say, "Wow! That was so much fun! We sang about being happy. We clapped our hands, we stomped our feet, and we jumped so high! You did a wonderful job moving your body."
3. Reinforce Concept: Give a high-five or a hug. "Singing and dancing makes me feel so happy!"

Assessment & Evaluation

• Summative Assessment: This is purely observational. Did the child participate by mimicking at least one or two of the song's actions (clapping, stomping)? Did they show signs of enjoyment (smiling, laughing, continuing the activity)?
• Feedback: Throughout the lesson, provide constant, positive verbal feedback. "Great clapping!" "I love your stomps!" "What a happy smile!"

Differentiation & Adaptability

• For a Hesitant or Younger Child (Scaffolding):
  • Use hand-over-hand guidance to help them clap or pat their legs.
  • Focus on just one action (clapping) until they are comfortable.
  • Sit them on your lap while you do the actions so they can feel the movement.
• For an Advanced or Older Toddler (Extension):
  • Introduce more feelings. Use optional emotion cards. "What if you're sleepy and you know it?" (Yawn and stretch). "What if you're silly and you know it?" (Make a silly face).
  • Add props like scarves to wave or shakers to shake along with the song.
  • Challenge them to do two things at once: "If you're happy and you know it, clap and stomp!"
• For a Small Group (Classroom/Daycare):
  • Have children stand in a circle to see each other.
  • Go around the circle during the "You Do" part and let each child who wants to share a new action for the group to copy.