Lesson Overview

Grade Level: 1st Grade

Subject: Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Context: Designed for homeschool (Student: Kayla), adaptable for classroom or group training.

Materials Needed

• A hand mirror or wall mirror
• Yellow construction paper or cardstock cut into circles (Sunflowers or Suns)
• Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
• Old magazines or printed photos of various facial expressions
• A small "Joy Jar" (any empty clear container or box)
• Small slips of paper or "happy" stickers
• Optional: A upbeat song (e.g., "If You're Happy and You Know It")

Learning Objectives

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

• Identify the physical cues of a happy face (smiling mouth, crinkled eyes).
• Describe how happiness feels in the body (e.g., "light," "bouncy," or "warm").
• Recognize specific situations or activities that trigger the emotion of happiness.

Success Criteria

• I can show a "happy face" in the mirror and point out my smile.
• I can pick out a happy person from a group of different photos.
• I can name three things that make me feel happy.

1. Introduction: The Smile Search (The Hook)

Activity: Start by playing a 30-second snippet of a very happy, upbeat song. Ask Kayla to dance however she likes. Stop the music and ask: "How does your body feel right now?"

The "Big Idea": Explain that today we are going to be "Emotion Detectives." Our mission is to find the brightest emotion of all: Happiness. Happiness is like sunshine for our insides!

2. Body: I Do, We Do, You Do

I Do: Modeling the Clues (Teacher/Parent Lead)

Demonstrate a "Happy Face." Point to specific features:

• "Look at my mouth—the corners go up!"
• "Look at my eyes—they get a little crinkly and bright."
• "Look at my cheeks—they push up high."
• Explain the "Inside Feeling": "When I'm happy, my chest feels light, like a balloon, and I have lots of energy to move."

We Do: The Happy Detective (Guided Practice)

Mirror Work: Give Kayla the mirror. Ask her to make her "best happy face." Ask: "What happened to your mouth? What happened to your eyes?"

Photo Sort: Spread out magazine cutouts or photos of people showing various emotions (sad, angry, happy, surprised). Ask Kayla to "rescue" all the happy people and place them on the yellow sun paper. For each one, ask: "How do you know they are happy?"

Scenario Check: Read a few scenarios and ask Kayla to "Thumbs Up" if it makes someone happy:

• Eating your favorite ice cream treat.
• Dropping a toy in the mud (Wait for response—talk about why this isn't happy).
• Getting a big hug from someone you love.
• Playing outside on a sunny day.

You Do: The Joy Jar (Independent Practice)

Kayla will create her own "Joy Jar."

1. Have Kayla draw or write three things that make her feel happy on small slips of paper (e.g., "playing with my dog," "pancakes," "swinging").
2. Decorate the Joy Jar with yellow colors and stickers.
3. Place the slips inside. Explain that whenever she wants to remember what happiness feels like, she can look at her jar.

3. Conclusion: Recap & Reflection

Summarize: Ask Kayla to tell you the two main clues for a happy face (Smile and Crinkly Eyes).

Final Check: Ask, "If a friend is feeling happy, what might they be doing with their body?" (Jumping, smiling, laughing).

Closure: Finish with a "Happy High Five"—a high five where you both show your biggest smiles!

Assessment

Formative Assessment: During the "Photo Sort," observe if Kayla can accurately distinguish happy expressions from others.

Summative Assessment: Review the Joy Jar. If Kayla has selected three appropriate scenarios/items that represent happiness, the objective is met.

Adaptability & Differentiation

• For Scaffolding (Struggling): Focus only on the mouth (the smile). Use a "Happy/Not Happy" binary choice instead of multiple emotions.
• For Extension (Advanced): Introduce synonyms for happy, such as "excited," "content," or "joyful." Ask Kayla to draw a "Happy Map" of her house, marking the places where she feels the most happy.
• Multi-Sensory: Use "Happy Play-Doh." Have Kayla sculpt a face with a big smile to feel the shape of the emotion physically.