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Feelings Hunt in Story Town ✨ cross-curricular

Teacher: TeacherAI | Grade: 1 | Subject: Reading/ELA, Social-Emotional Learning | Duration: 45 minutes

📝 Description: Students identify character feelings in stories and connect emotions to physical sensations in their own bodies.

Standards

  • 1.RL.3 (Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details)
  • 1.RL.4 (Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses)
  • SEL.1.SA.1 (Identify and describe a range of emotions and what causes them)
  • SEL.1.SA.2 (Recognize physical signs of different emotions in oneself)

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Identify feeling words in a story and describe where characters live and what happens to them
  • Locate physical sensations of emotions in their own bodies when prompted
  • Demonstrate understanding of character emotions through body movements and expressions
  • Use descriptive words to explain how story events make characters feel

Supplies Needed

  • Chart paper
  • Whiteboard and dry-erase markers
  • Crayons
  • White paper
  • Picture book with clear character emotions

Lesson Structure

Opening (5 minutes)

Gather students on carpet. Say "Today we're going on a feelings hunt! We'll read a story and hunt for clues about how characters feel. But first, let's practice finding feelings in our own bodies." Model by saying "When I feel excited, my heart beats fast and I want to wiggle my hands!" Have students share one feeling and where they feel it.

Main Activity (35 minutes)

Step-by-step instructions:

  1. Story Introduction (5 minutes): Show book cover. Ask "Who do you see? Where do you think they live?" Write student predictions on whiteboard. Explain that they'll be detectives hunting for feeling words as you read.
  2. First Read-Aloud (8 minutes): Read story slowly, pausing at obvious feeling words. When you find one like "sad" or "angry," point to it and say "Feeling word!" Have students repeat and make the facial expression.
  3. Character Description Chart (5 minutes): On chart paper, create three columns: "Who," "Where They Live," "What Happens." Fill in basic story details with student input from the reading.
  4. Feelings Hunt Re-read (10 minutes): Read story again. This time, stop at every feeling word. Ask "Where would YOU feel [emotion] in your body?" Students point to body parts and demonstrate. Add feeling words to a fourth column on chart.
  5. Body Connection Activity (5 minutes): Call out emotions from the story. Students show where they feel it: "Show me scared! Where is scared in your body?" Students might hug themselves, touch their stomach, etc.
  6. Feelings Drawing (2 minutes): Give each student white paper and crayons. They draw themselves showing one emotion from the story and circle the body part where they feel it most.

Closing (5 minutes)

Students share their drawings in pairs, explaining which feeling they drew and where they feel it. Review the chart together, pointing out how many feeling words they found.

Quick Check: "What feeling word did we find in our story? Where do you feel happy in your body? Show me what the character looked like when they felt worried."

Formative Assessment

During the lesson, look for:

  • Students correctly identifying feeling words when you pause during reading
  • Appropriate body gestures and facial expressions when demonstrating emotions
  • Accurate connections between story events and character feelings during discussion

Differentiation Strategies

Support for Struggling Students:

  • Pre-teach 3-4 basic feeling words (happy, sad, mad, scared) before the lesson
  • Partner struggling readers with stronger peers during sharing time
  • Use exaggerated facial expressions and body language when modeling emotions

Challenge for Advanced Learners:

  • Ask them to find "hidden" feelings that aren't directly stated but shown through actions
  • Have them predict how characters might feel in different situations
  • Encourage use of more sophisticated feeling words like "frustrated" or "delighted"

ELL/ELD Support:

  • Create visual emotion cards showing facial expressions for key feeling words
  • Allow students to demonstrate understanding through gestures before verbal responses
  • Pair with English-speaking buddies for drawing activity sharing

Printable Materials

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

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