Feelings Unit (Littles)
Lesson 3: Feelings Detectives

Lesson Goals

  1. Reviewing our definition of “feelings”
  2. Reviewing our list of feelings
  3. Practicing identifying and naming feelings

Lesson Description

Students will use sounds (from the kazoo and music) to practice being feelings detectives and identifying the feelings. They will meet your puppet, a teaching tool that will help students to talk openly about feelings. 

Lesson Plan: Feelings Detectives

Play "Us Time" Song

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Open Us Time with the “Us Time” song. Sing it together or play the video. 

Review Agreements

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Agreements are rules that people decide, together, to follow. Review the list that the class created. Add to it, modify it, and recommit.

Discussion

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  • Ask students if they remember the feelings
  • The children should then name as many feelings as they can
  • Invite everyone to say the names of the feelings and use the motions ay the feelings with the associated motions from “What Are feelings?” 

Dance & Play "Guess the Feelings"

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Play the song “Guess the Feelings.” Dance to the music. Invite students to guess the feelings that go with each sound as they listen and dance. 

Activity: Introduce and Share Your Puppet

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Puppets are powerful classroom tools. YOU can use a puppet to connect with students and reinforce key messages, and students can use puppets to express themselves. Here, Benjamin demonstrates how to use a puppet — and a kazoo! — to prompt an exploration of feelings with young students. You can play the video for your class or you can watch and learn!

  • Introduce your puppet, and use your puppet to model feelings.
  • Can the students guess which feeling is which and point to the feeling on the grid (available at the back of this guide)?
  • Now try using a kazoo to express a feeling. Can the students identify the feeling? 

Closing Discussion

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Conclude with a review of the lesson:

  • What were the feelings we talked about?
  • How can we be feelings detectives throughout the day?

Thank You: Share the Us Time Closing Song

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Conclude with “Thank You,” the Us Time “goodbye” song. This song marks the end of Us Time. Invite children to share what they want to say “thank you” for! Find the song online at playsparkler.org/UsTimeSongs.

Standards
  • ELOF: Goal P-SE 6, Goal P-SE 8, Goal P-LC 1, Goal P-LC-2, Goal P-LC 4, Goal P-LC 6
  • CT ELDS: SE.24.7, SE.36.7, SE.48.7, SE.60.9, L.36.3, L.48.3, L.60.4, L.36.5, L.48.5, L.60.5, L.36.11, L.48.11, L.60.10 
What You'll Need
  • Your “Us Time” classroom space, where the class will gather

  • Kazoo (or use your hand and voice to imitate a kazoo)

    Puppet (optional)

  • Feelings Grid PDF
Lesson Quick Links

Family Engagement Materials

From this lesson, you can share:
Feelings Reading List
Activities to Play At Home
Suggested Letter to Send Home
Research/Sources

Explore Other Us Time Resources

For Toddlers 2-3 Years Old
For Littles 4-6 Years Old