Unit Plan 10 (Grade K Counselor): Name the Feeling, Choose a Tool

Focus: Connect feelings identification with coping strategies. Students review common emotions and then match each feeling to a helpful tool, such as breathing, asking for help, using words, or taking a break. The counselor uses a “feelings toolbox” visual that can be revisited throughout the year.

Grade Level: K

Subject Area: School Counseling (Feelings • Coping Tools • Self-Regulation)

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

I. Introduction

This Kindergarten counseling lesson helps students connect two important skills: naming a feeling and choosing a helpful tool. Students review common emotions such as happy, sad, mad, scared, worried, excited, and calm, then practice matching big feelings to simple calming strategies.

The counselor introduces a “feelings toolbox” visual to show that students can use different tools when feelings get big. Students learn that a tool might be breathing, counting, asking for help, using words, taking a quiet break, or choosing a safe body. The goal is for students to understand that feelings are normal and that they can choose tools to help their bodies calm down, communicate, and make safe choices.

Essential Questions

• What feelings can students name?
• What tools can help when feelings get big?
• How can students match a feeling to a calming tool?
• When should students ask for help?
• How can a feelings toolbox help students at school?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Name common emotions such as happy, sad, mad, scared, worried, excited, and calm.
2. Identify when a feeling may feel big or hard to handle.
3. Match feelings to simple calming tools such as breathing, counting, taking a break, using words, or asking for help.
4. Practice one or more calming strategies during the lesson.
5. Use simple feeling-and-tool language, such as “I feel mad, so I can breathe.”
6. Recognize that different feelings may need different tools.
7. (Optional Session) Apply feeling-and-tool matching through a feelings toolbox sort, puppet scenarios, picture cards, movement practice, or reflection page.

Standards Alignment — Grade K (ASCA-based Custom)

• 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.”
• C:S2.Kb — Use Simple Calming Strategies
  • Practice simple calming tools such as breathing, counting, taking a break, using words, or asking for help.
  • Example: A student practices “smell the flower, blow the candle” breathing after feeling frustrated.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can name feelings.
• I can tell when a feeling feels big.
• I can choose a calming tool.
• I can practice breathing.
• I can count to calm my body.
• I can use words or ask for help.
• I can use my feelings toolbox.