1. Understanding Emotions
Open your notebook to a new page and write “Emotions” at the top

2. What is an emotion?
Work together to come up with a definition for “emotion”
Want a bigger challenge?
Don’t use the word “feel”
Don’t use any emotion words (like happy or sad)
(10 minutes) Have students work to come up with their own definition for “emotion” and write it on a post-it. Then, have students bring their post-its to a small group and create a new, joint definition. If students want an extra challenge, have them follow the guidelines above. Share definitions and write a group definition on the board. Students should copy this into their notebooks. The definition should be something like “mental state that comes from circumstances, mood, and relationships,” but definitions can vary as long as they make sense/are accurate.

3. Basic emotions
Newborn babies really only express two emotions- anger and happiness
As we grow up, we experience more in life and feel more emotions
Our emotions become more complicated and harder to understand, but if we learn to identify them we can respond appropriately
We have 4 basic emotions:
Glad (Happy)
Mad (Anger)
Sad
Scared
Have students write the four basic emotions along the top of their notebook paper in four columns. Explain that across the world, these four emotions are expressed in basically the same way on the face. We will learn more about facial expressions later!

4. Experiencing Emotions Isn’t Bad!
Emotions are neutral- they are neither good nor bad
It’s not good or bad to feel anger.
It’s not good or bad to feel sadness.
It’s not good or bad to feel happiness.
Emotions are either helpful or unhelpful
Feeling angry when someone cuts you off in traffic is not helpful- it doesn’t help you accomplish anything.
Feeling sad when you have disappointed your parents is helpful- it helps you understand how your actions affect others and might lead you to make a better choice next time.
We can react to our emotions appropriately or inappropriately
An inappropriate reaction to fear at a haunted house: Punching others around you
An appropriate reaction to fear at a haunted house: Screaming

5. Emotions Are Complex
Each basic emotion can be experienced in many different ways
They can be experienced intensely or less strong
They can be experienced in combination
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Explain that in the scene that is linked, Riley is sad that she has moved to a new state.
Then, she feels some happiness (joy), too, because she is comforted by her parents.
What are some emotional combinations you have felt before?
Do you ever feel two conflicting emotions at the same time? Do you ever feel two similar emotions at the same time?
Being able to recognize that conflicting combinations happen and are ok will help you become more mature and will help you understand more social situations. Little kids can only really manage one emotion at once– if they don’t get what they want, they might feel like they hate their parents. A few minutes later, they might remember that they love their parents. More mature older kids, teens, and adults can understand that they both love and are frustrated with their parents at the same time.

6. Glad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIGF-Fkxbk0 More “glad” emotions:
Amused
Content
Happy
Joyful
Ecstatic
Play the video then discuss the levels/variety of emotions. Have students write down 2-3 under their “glad” column in their notebook.

7. Scared https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85z4N_sHXJw
More “scared” emotions:
Startled
Surprised
Anxious
Fearful
Terrified
Play the video then discuss the levels/variety of emotions. Have students write down 2-3 under their “scared” column in their notebook.

8. Sad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8h_6uV7Yzs More “sad” emotions:
Depressed
Discouraged
Inconsolable
Bummed out
Disappointed
Play the video then discuss the levels/variety of emotions. Have students write down 2-3 under their “sad” column in their notebook.

9. Mad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HQIg3ZwAs0
(start at 30 seconds)
More “mad” emotions
Frustrated
Angry
Upset
Furious
Play the video then discuss the levels/variety of emotions. Have students write down 2-3 under their “mad” column in their notebook.

10. Which of the emotions can you identify in these clips?
Home- car scene:
Home- gas station scene:
Nemo- Darla scene:
Play the clips and have students identify the many emotions that they see in each character. How did they know the character was experiencing these emotions?

11. Emotions Game
We are going to play a game that is like Apples to Apples.
Each student (in groups of 4-5) receives a stack of yellow cards (same number of cards for each person). These are emotion cards.
Put the green cards face down in the middle. These are situation cards.
On your turn, flip over a green card. Read the situation to the group.
Every other person should choose a yellow emotion card that matches the situation. Place it face-down in the middle.
The first person will mix up and then read out the emotion cards. Then, they will choose the emotion they think best fits the situation.
The person whose card was chosen receives the green card to mark one point.
The person with the most points at the end wins!
Have students play the emotion game once through. Advanced students can create their own situation cards to play with or add emotion cards.

12. Responding Appropriately
Emotions are controlled by our thoughts
We can change our emotions if we change how we think
Share (using different emotion words) how you would feel if:
A man walked into the elevator with you and stepped on your foot.
Two seconds later, the man steps on your foot again.
Eight seconds later, the man steps on your foot again- even harder.
You finally look up at the man and see that he is wearing dark sunglasses and carrying a long, thin stick.
The man apologizes for stepping on your foot.
Hand out white boards and markers to students. For each step described above, they should write down an emotion word (try using ones that are more complex than the “basic” emotions!) that describes how they would feel and hold it up. Have a few students share out what they would be thinking at each step. As needed, clarify that the man is blind on the fourth step. As the list goes on, point out to the students how most emotions are growing stronger, and then changing drastically based on what they are thinking.

13. Responding appropriately
Predict:
What emotions would you expect someone to feel if they were getting engaged and wanted to get married to the other person?
Analyze:
What emotions were experienced in this clip?
Is it possible to have a mixture of emotions?
Is it possible to have an inappropriate emotional response?

14. Choosing Helpful Emotional Reactions
What Would You Do?
Imagine this situation: All of your friends got invited to an epic birthday party- except for you.
Once you identify, understand, and accept how you feel, how might you react?
Look unhappy when you're around your friends, hoping they'll ask you what's wrong.
Gossip about people who already have dates, and say you don't even want to go to the stupid dance.
Confide in a friend, "I feel bad about not getting asked yet. But I can still go with friends."
Remind yourself that it's not the end of the world. Decide to give it time and not let it ruin your day.
Have students vote for and defend their answers in a group discussion. Which is the BEST reaction?
Consider each choice and think about what might happen next for each one. Which reaction would lead to the best outcome?
We always have a choice about how to react to situations. Once we realize that, it's easier to make choices that work out well.
Learning to react well takes practice. But we all can get better at taking emotional situations in stride and expressing emotions in healthy ways. And that's something to feel good about!
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15. Choosing Helpful Reactions Means…
I know that my emotional reactions are in my control
I’m in control of my emotions
I’m the boss of how I feel
I can choose the best time to speak or act on my emotions
I can wait to show my emotions
I can talk about how I feel at the right time
I’m in control of how I respond to my emotions
I can calm down before I react
I know that my emotional reactions influence what happens next- including consequences and the feelings of those around me
My reaction to my emotions influences my consequences
If I react at the right time and in the right way, I will have more success
My emotions influence others
Share each of the 3 major points. Have students choose ONE statement under EACH point to write in their notebooks.

16. Everyone experiences emotions differently based on their self-talk/life experiences
How would experiencing this make you feel?
Whip Around and Pass: Share an emotion word that describes how you would feel if you had to ride that roller coaster.
Everyone experiences different emotions, even when they experience the exact same event.
Whip Around and Pass: Give students think time, then encourage them to share their word (with no explanation) as you point at each of them, in order. They can name the emotion or say “pass.” After, discuss why so many different emotions were named. How can knowing that everyone experiences different emotions for the same event (either different intensities of the same emotion or completely different emotions) change the way you react to other people.

17. What I think determines how I feel How I feel determines what I do
The power of emotions
What I think determines how I feel
How I feel determines what I do
What I do determines who I am
Discuss this quote and its significance. What power do emotions have in your life?