Home›Lesson Plans›Social-Emotional Learning›Self-Awareness · Grade 1

My Feelings

First graders learn to name their feelings — happy, sad, mad, scared, excited — and understand that everyone has feelings and all feelings are okay, the very first step in knowing themselves.

Grade 1CASEL: Self-Awareness30 minutes1 class periodCASEL SELExplicit teaching4 StandardsCASEL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Name my feelings.
  • ✓Connect feelings to times.
  • ✓Know all feelings are okay.
  • ✓Show a feeling.
Essential Question

Everyone has feelings! Sometimes we feel happy, sometimes sad or mad. Can you name what you are feeling? Knowing your feelings is the first step to understanding yourself.

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Match It · Interactive

Match the Feeling

Project this and match each feeling to a time you might feel it — tap a feeling, then tap when.

😊 Match each feeling to when you feel itTry it
Feeling
When You Feel It
Now tap when you feel it!
The Lesson · SEL Flow (Check-In · Learn · Practice · Apply · Reflect)

30 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Check-In — How Do You Feel?

5 min

Everyone has feelings — can you name what you feel right now?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Do a feelings check-in.
  • Ask how they feel.
  • Be caring.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share.
  • Notice.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Naming Feelings

8 min

Children learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name happy, sad, mad, scared.
  • Say all feelings are okay.
  • Show feeling faces.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Learn feelings.
  • Know it’s okay.
  • Make faces.
3

Practice — Match the Feeling

8 min

Children practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to Match the Feeling.
  • Match each one.
  • Talk kindly.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match them.
  • Talk.
  • Explain them.
4

Apply — My Feelings

6 min

Children apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a feeling from today.
  • Say what caused it.
  • Know it’s okay.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Say why.
  • Accept it.
5

Reflect — Reflect

3 min

Children close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Share a feeling word.
  • Say it’s okay.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share it.
  • Accept it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CASEL 5 Social & Emotional Learning Competencies.

CASEL
Self-Awareness

Name a range of basic feelings.

CASEL
Self-Awareness

Connect feelings to situations.

CASEL
Self-Awareness

Recognize that all feelings are okay.

CASEL
Self-Management

Begin to notice feelings in the moment.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Feeling-face cards.
  • Sentence frame: “I feel ___.”
  • Use a feelings chart.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with happy and sad.
  • Use face pictures.
  • Match one at a time.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add more feeling words.
  • Notice feelings in a story.
  • Draw a feeling.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 😊A feelings chart
  • 💻Match the Feeling
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🪞A mirror
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

feelingan emotion inside youhappya glad, good feelingsadan unhappy feelingmadan angry feelingscareda frightened feelingexcitedan eager feelingfaceshows how you feelokayall right to have
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Name two feelings.
Sample: happy, sad, mad, scared, or excited.
QUESTION 2
When might you feel happy?
When you play with a friend or do something fun.
QUESTION 3
Is it okay to feel sad sometimes?
Yes — all feelings are okay.

Reflect: name your feeling.

Have children name their feeling out loud during the day — “I feel happy!” A printable feelings sheet is in the SEL library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Self-Awareness: My FeelingsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Self-Awareness: My FeelingsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Self-Awareness: My FeelingsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: excited, face, feeling, happy, mad, okay, sad, scared
  1. an eager feeling
  2. all right to have
  3. an emotion inside you
  4. shows how you feel
  5. a frightened feeling
  6. an unhappy feeling
  7. an angry feeling
  8. a glad, good feeling

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name two feelings.
  2. When might you feel happy?
  3. Is it okay to feel sad sometimes?
Answer key — Part A: 1) excited · 2) okay · 3) feeling · 4) face · 5) scared · 6) sad · 7) mad · 8) happy
Part B: 1) Sample: happy, sad, mad, scared, or excited. 2) When you play with a friend or do something fun. 3) Yes — all feelings are okay.