Unit Plan 2 (Grade K Counselor): Feelings Have Names

Focus: Help students identify basic emotions such as happy, sad, mad, scared, worried, excited, and calm. The counselor uses feelings cards, mirrors, puppets, or a read-aloud to help students connect facial expressions and body language with emotion words. Students practice naming feelings in themselves and in story characters.

Grade Level: K

Subject Area: School Counseling (Feelings • Emotion Words • Self-Awareness)

Total Unit Duration: 1–2 weeks, 30 minutes per session

I. Introduction

This Kindergarten counseling lesson helps students learn that feelings have names. Students begin building a feelings vocabulary by identifying common emotions such as happy, sad, mad, scared, worried, excited, and calm. The counselor uses visuals, puppets, mirrors, and simple story examples to help students connect feeling words to faces, body clues, and everyday experiences.

Students practice naming feelings in themselves, classmates, puppets, and story characters using words, pictures, pointing, facial expressions, or actions. The goal is for students to understand that all feelings are normal and that naming a feeling is an important first step toward asking for help, using a coping tool, or making a safe choice.

Essential Questions

• What are feelings?
• What feeling words can students name?
• How can faces and bodies show feelings?
• How can students name feelings in themselves?
• How can students name feelings in story characters or picture cards?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Identify common emotions such as happy, sad, mad, scared, worried, excited, and calm.
2. Match emotion words to facial expressions, body language, picture cards, puppets, or story characters.
3. Name a feeling using words, pictures, pointing, drawing, or actions.
4. Connect a basic feeling to a simple personal or school experience.
5. Recognize that all people have feelings and that feelings can change.
6. Practice listening, watching, and participating during a feelings activity.
7. (Optional Session) Apply feeling-word practice through a mirror activity, puppet scenario, read-aloud response, feelings sort, or drawing reflection.

Standards Alignment — Grade K (ASCA-based Custom)

• C:S1.Ka — Recognize Feelings and Personal Experiences
  • Identify basic feelings, needs, and experiences using words, pictures, or actions.
  • Example: A student points to a feelings chart and says, “I feel sad because I miss my mom.”
• C:S2.Ka — Name Common Emotions
  • Identify common emotions such as happy, sad, mad, scared, worried, excited, and calm.
  • Example: A student looks at a picture card and identifies the character as “mad.”

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can name feelings.
• I can point to a feeling picture.
• I can tell when someone looks happy, sad, mad, scared, worried, excited, or calm.
• I can use my face or body to show a feeling safely.
• I can say, “I feel ___.”
• I can remember that feelings are normal.