The group works together to illustrate a book that shows their different emotions.

Age range: 3-6

Theme Area: Expressing Emotions

Learning Goals:
Children will be able to name different emotions.
Children will be able to identify how others feel from their expressions and body language.
Children will be able to think of positive ways to express their emotions.

Materials Needed:
Construction paper in a variety of skin-tone shades, cut into oval face shapes
Drawing supplies, such as crayons
Glue sticks
Marker
Hole punch
Ribbon

Directions:
Divide children into small groups of 2 or 3. Give each child an oval of construction paper, and put out drawing supplies for the group to use.

Ask each group to draw faces that show how they look when they feel a certain way. You might sit with the first group and say, "Show me how you look when you feel sad. Oh, that's such a sad face. Do you think you could draw me a picture of your sad face?" Give each group a different emotion to express: angry, happy, afraid, proud, and so on.

When everyone is finished, collect the drawings and gather everyone together in a circle. Hold up a face and ask, "How do you think Tarek feels when he makes this face? That's right, it does look like a sad face." Continue going through all the faces with students.

Invite children to work with you to make a book of feelings. Give each child a sheet of construction paper and his or her face. Show children how to put glue on the back and then stick it to the paper.

Help children write about the feelings on their pages. For example, you might write the words, Tarek feels sad when… Then ask the child what he would like you to write underneath that statement.

When everyone is finished, gather the pages. Put a blank sheet of construction paper on the cover. Leave a blank page to the right of each child's page. (This can be the back of another child's page.) Punch two holes in the left side of the pages, then string ribbon through to hold the book together. Write the title, The Way We Feel, on the cover.

Show the book to the group. Tell them that they are not finished yet. Turn to the first page and read it aloud. Then say, "Now we have to write some things that Tarek can do when he feels sad." On the blank page, write, "When Tarek feels sad, he can…" Continue doing this for all the faces in the book.

When the book is complete, read it aloud to the class.

Following Up:
Read books about feelings, such as The Way I Feel by Janan Cain, and My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss.
Play a game called "Pass the Feeling." Children should sit in a circle. You can make a "feeling" face, then show it to the child to your right. That child should copy the face, then pass it to the person next to her. This should continue all the way around the circle.