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Feeling Faces and Fifty Sums ✨ cross-curricular

Teacher: TeacherAI | Grade: 2 | Subject: Reading/ELA, Visual Arts, Math | Duration: 60 minutes

📝 Description: Students distinguish verb and adjective meanings while creating mood-based artwork and solving two-digit addition problems using place value strategies.

Standards

  • 2.L.5b (Distinguish shades of meaning among closely related verbs and closely related adjectives)
  • 2.L.6 (Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts)
  • VA:Re7.2.2a (Categorize images based on expressive properties)
  • VA:Re8.1.2a (Interpret art by identifying the mood suggested by a work of art and describing relevant subject matter and characteristics of form)
  • 2.NBT.5 (Fluently add and subtract within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction)

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Distinguish between related emotion verbs (happy, delighted, pleased) and adjectives (big, huge, enormous) by matching them to facial expressions
  • Use acquired vocabulary words to describe mood and feelings in complete sentences
  • Categorize self-created artwork by expressive properties (happy, sad, angry, surprised)
  • Interpret mood in peer artwork by identifying visual clues and characteristics
  • Add two-digit numbers within 100 using place value strategies with tens and ones manipulation

Supplies Needed

  • Construction paper
  • Crayons and markers
  • Counting manipulatives (cubes or bears)
  • Whiteboard and dry-erase markers
  • Mirror
  • Chart paper

Lesson Structure

Opening (5 minutes)

Hold up the mirror and make an excited face. Ask students to copy your expression. Say "I'm not just happy - I'm thrilled!" Write "happy" and "thrilled" on the board. Ask students to make faces showing the difference between these words.

Main Activity (50 minutes)

Step-by-step instructions:

  1. Vocabulary Exploration (8 minutes): Create three columns on chart paper: "A Little," "Medium," "A Lot." Guide students to sort emotion words: pleased/happy/thrilled, sad/miserable/devastated, small/big/enormous. Have students act out each word's intensity level.
  2. Mood Face Creation (12 minutes): Give each student construction paper. Students create four faces showing different moods using crayons/markers. Encourage use of vocabulary words from Step 1. Circulate and ask students to explain their artistic choices.
  3. Art Categorization (8 minutes): Post four labeled areas around room: "Happy," "Sad," "Angry," "Surprised." Students walk around with their artwork, placing each face in the matching mood category. Discuss why certain faces fit specific categories.
  4. Math Connection Setup (5 minutes): Explain that each mood face is worth a different point value: Happy = 20 points, Sad = 15 points, Angry = 25 points, Surprised = 30 points. Write these values on the board with visual representations using counting manipulatives.
  5. Place Value Addition Practice (12 minutes): Students work in pairs. Each pair selects two mood faces and adds their point values using manipulatives. Model first: "Happy (20) + Angry (25) = ?" Show 2 tens + 2 tens = 4 tens, plus 0 ones + 5 ones = 5 ones, total 45.
  6. Mood Interpretation Gallery Walk (5 minutes): Students rotate through mood categories, using vocabulary words to describe peers' artwork. Provide sentence starters: "This face looks _____ because _____." "I notice the artist used _____ colors to show _____."

Closing (5 minutes)

Students share one vocabulary word they learned and demonstrate the matching facial expression. Review math totals from partner work.

Quick Check: Show me the difference between "pleased" and "thrilled" faces. Tell your neighbor two colors that might show an angry mood. What's 30 + 25 using tens and ones?

Formative Assessment

During the lesson, look for:

  • Students using varied intensity in facial expressions when demonstrating vocabulary words
  • Accurate categorization of artwork based on visual mood clues rather than random placement
  • Proper use of place value strategies when combining tens and ones during addition problems

Differentiation Strategies

Support for Struggling Students:

  • Provide vocabulary word cards with picture clues for reference during art creation
  • Use smaller addition problems (single digits) or provide hundreds chart for math support
  • Pair with stronger students during gallery walk for vocabulary modeling

Challenge for Advanced Learners:

  • Create additional mood faces using more sophisticated vocabulary (ecstatic, furious, bewildered)
  • Solve three-number addition problems or try subtraction using same point values
  • Write descriptive sentences about artwork using multiple vocabulary words

ELL/ELD Support:

  • Use mirror for students to practice facial expressions while learning new vocabulary
  • Provide native language cognates where possible (furious/furioso)
  • Allow drawing or pointing to communicate ideas during art interpretation

Printable Materials

This lesson uses only classroom supplies - no printable materials required.

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