Thank you to Cheryl for sharing this unit with me.
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Feelings and emotions:
Here's some ideas on Emotions/Feelings:
"Put-ups" Time. We go around the circle
and ask each child if there is
anyone they want to give a "put-up" to
(Put UP instead of down). Has anyone done
something especially nice for you? Shared?, Etc.
The teacher and helpers
contribute too so we make sure everyone hears his/her
name mentioned.
Sometimes I write the comments down and send them
home for the parents to
read. It does encourage the children to remember
the "good" interactions
they have with others.
When angry feelings start to mount,
That's when I take some time to count:
One....Two.....Three....Four...Five.
Counting helps me settle down,
Counting helps to fade my frown:
Six...Seven...Eight...Nine...Ten.
Here is a cute story to use with a felt board
Tell the children this tale about the town of "Feelings" Put the
individual faces near the top of the board.
It was a strange day in the town called Feelings. Everyone woke up feeling
differently than usual. Take for example the Jones family. Mr. Jones was
usually grumpy first thing in the morning, but this morning he woke up
singing one of his favorite songs, Old MacDonald Had a farm. (ask the children
how they feel when they are singing)
Now Mrs. Jones usually woke up feeling really sleepy. It often took her
about fifteen minutes to wake up. But today she was wide awake. There had been a
loud noise which startled her and she jumped up very wide eyed. (Put a wide
eyed face on flannel board)
There were three children in the Jones family, Mardi was the oldest. She
was nine. Most of the time she woke up so happy. She liked school and looked
forward to going each day. But today things did not go right. She went to
get dressed and her clothes were not in the closet. She got mad. She thought
she would miss the school bus.
Just a that moment her sister Heather came into the room. Heather was
usually sleepy in the morning like her mom, but not today. This morning
Heather had a very sly, tricky look on her face. Can you guess why Heather
might have had that look on her face? Willie was their baby brother.
He usually cried first thing to let everyone know he was awake.
Like everyone else in his family, Willie was not feeling
like his normal self. Instead of crying he was making silly faces. (Let the
children enjoy making silly faces at each other.)
Well as the day continued, the members of the Jones family discovered they
were not alone. Everyone who lived in he town of feeling woke up feeling
differently than usual...
Put faces on flannel board...grumpy, sleepy, happy, sleepy, crying,
singing, startled, mad, sly and silly face. Use this story as a lead in to a
discussion on how the children feel when they wake up in the morning or after a nap.
Gather a collection of pictures (cut from magazines) showing children or
adults experiencing one of the emotions. Glue to identical sizes of heavy
construction paper or card stock. Number pictures on the back), laminate.
Use them for these activities:
Activity 1: During circle time, hold up one of the pictures and ask the
children how this person feels. (If they do not know, tell them.) Ask the
children to talk about what they see that makes them think the person feels
that way. Point out facial expressions or other features which suggest the
emotion.
Activity 2: Stack at least three pictures of each emotion on a table in
your daycare. Mix up the order of the pictures. Hand the stack to a child and
ask him to group all the sad pictures together, then all the happy ones and so
on.
Activity 3: Either at a table or during circle time, show several pictures
portraying the same emotion and ask the children to identify how all the
people feel.
More:
You can show illustrations from children's books that visually represent
emotions.
The Smile by Winifred J. Mott
A scowl and a smile
Met each other one day;
But somehow the scowl
Was not able to stay.
Facing the smile
It just melted away.
Who Feels Happy Today?
Who feels happy today?
All who do, snap your fingers this way.
Who feels happy today?
All who do, clap your hands this way.
Who feels happy today?
All who do, wink your eyes this way.
Who feels happy today?
All who do, fold your hands this way.
If you're happy & you know it (clap your hands)
silly-shake your head
angry-stamp your feet
sad-say boo hoo (rub eyes)
hungry-rub your tummy
sleepy-close your eyes
excited-yell hooray (raise arms overhead)
scared-hide your eyes
Mirror Anatomy (game)
Children can practice naming the parts of their bodies while looking in a
mirror. They will also enjoy practicing different facial expressions.
Observing how they look when they have different feelings inside helps
children to understand the Body Language of others.
RICE CAKE FACES: Spread with PB, use raisins, red hots, choc chips nuts
make own face for snacks. Have the children chose an emotion to convey. (a
similar idea could be used for English muffin pizzas.
Books:
Read Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood, which addresses the many emotions
of a toddler.
Sometimes I Like to Cry by Elizabeth and Henry Stanton
It's right to cry sometimes--whether you are a child or an adult.
The Chocolate-Covered-Cookie Tantrum by Deborah Blumenthal
Sophie doesn't care that it's almost suppertime, or that her mother doesn't
have a cookie. She wants a chocolate-covered-cookie NOW!
I Was So Mad by Norma Simon
Clear pictures and minimal text help children understand why they get angry
and what they can do about it.
Contrary Bear by Phyllis Root
A little girl blames her contrary behavior on her teddy bear.
Everybody Has Feelings by Charles E. Avery
This book helps children recognize their own feelings through the vivid
black and white photography of Charles Avery.
Feelings by Joanne B. Murphy
A little boy goes through his many daily activities and shares his
feelings about each one.
Even if I Did Something awful by Barbara Shook Hazen
This book addresses the fear young children often have of loosing the love
of their parents if they do something "bad." It's a positive, reinforcing book that
explains to the child that a parent's love is unconditional.
Mean Soup by Betsy Everitt
A great message about getting angry and how to deal with it instead of
locking it inside.
Just Because I Am by Lauren Murphy
Children learn that they are special, not because of what they do or how
they look, but "Just Because I Am".
I Like Me! by Nancy Carlson
Nancy Carlson's cheerful pig is full of good feelings about herself. A
book to build good self esteem and self worth.