You will learn
- Name feelings.
- Show feelings safely.
- Say that all feelings are normal.
- Ask a trusted adult for help.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- We have feelings.
- All feelings are normal.
- I can show feelings in safe ways.
- I can talk to a trusted adult.
Words to know
how you feel inside
a strong feeling such as joy or anger
quiet and peaceful
a grown-up who keeps you safe
1. Discover: The feelings faces
Ms Conteh shows five faces on cards: happy, sad, angry, scared and excited. “Point to the face that matches how you feel today,” she says. Isatu points to excited because her mother is coming to school. Sorie points to sad because his friend is away.
Think: Which face matches you today?
2. Understand: Feelings
Idea 1: Naming feelings
A feeling is what you feel inside. Happy, sad, angry, scared and excited are common feelings. Strong feelings are called emotions.
Idea 2: All feelings are normal
Every person has feelings, and none of them are wrong. What matters is what we do when we have a feeling. We do not hurt anyone.
Idea 3: Safe ways
We can take slow breaths to feel calm, draw, say how we feel with words, or ask for a hug. If a feeling is too big, we tell a trusted adult.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Name the feeling
Look at a face.
- Look at the eyes.
- Look at the mouth.
- Say the feeling.
Answer: The face is happy.
Example 2 (We do it together): Say how I feel
Use a sentence.
- Think about your body.
- Choose a word.
- Say “I feel …”
Answer: I feel excited.
Example 3 (You try): Calm down
Take slow breaths.
Show the steps and answer
- Breathe in slowly.
- Breathe out slowly.
- Do it three times.
Answer: I feel calmer.
Did you know?
Smiling can make you feel a little happier, and a deep breath can help your body feel calm.
Why this matters
When we can name our feelings, it is easier to be kind and ask for help.
4. Explore: Feelings faces
Draw four faces: happy, sad, angry and scared. Under each, draw or write something that helps you feel better.
- Draw a happy face.
- Draw a sad face.
- Draw angry and scared faces.
- Add helpers.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Different things help different people.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- I feel ___.
- I feel happy when ___.
- When I am sad I can ___.
- I can tell ___ if I feel scared.
Guided practice
Question 1. Name one feeling.
Any feeling.
Question 2. What face shows happy?
A smile.
Question 3. What can help you feel calm?
Slow breaths.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Name one feeling.
- What face shows happy?
- What can help you feel calm?
- Who can you tell if you feel unsafe?
- Is it okay to feel angry?
Level 2: Grow
- Why do we name feelings?
- Why do we not hurt others when angry?
- Name two ways to feel calmer.
Level 3: Stretch
- Draw a feelings face.
- Tell a friend how you feel.
- Name a trusted adult.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
A friend is sad. What can you do?
Show a sample answer
Say kind words, sit with them or get a teacher.
Another one. Tell a grown-up one time you felt happy.
Show a sample answer
I felt happy when …
7. Common mistakes
Fix: No feeling is bad. We choose safe actions.
Fix: Everyone can feel scared.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can name feelings.
- I can show feelings safely.
- I can say that all feelings are normal.
- I can ask a trusted adult for help.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- We have feelings.
- All feelings are normal.
- I can show feelings in safe ways.
- I can talk to a trusted adult.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Similarities and differences among people. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Name two feelings. [2 marks]
- Say what you can do when you feel angry. [3 marks]
- Name a trusted adult and say why. [3 marks]
- Say why all feelings are normal. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- One each
- Safe action [1]; no hurt [1]; clear [1]
- Name [1]; role [1]; reason [1]
- Everyone has them [1]; clear [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- Name one feeling.
- What face shows happy?
- What can help you feel calm?
- Who can you tell if you feel unsafe?
- Is it okay to feel angry?
- Why do we name feelings?
- Why do we not hurt others when angry?
- Name two ways to feel calmer.
- Draw a feelings face.
- Tell a friend how you feel.
Homework
Draw a feelings chart for your family.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Name one feeling. | Any feeling. | 1 |
| 2. What face shows happy? | A smile. | 1 |
| 3. What can help you feel calm? | Slow breaths. | 1 |
| 4. Who can you tell if you feel unsafe? | A trusted adult. | 1 |
| 5. Is it okay to feel angry? | Yes, but do not hurt others. | 1 |
| 6. Why do we name feelings? | To understand and ask for help. | 1 |
| 7. Why do we not hurt others when angry? | It is not kind or safe. | 1 |
| 8. Name two ways to feel calmer. | Breathe, draw or talk. | 1 |
| 9. Draw a feelings face. | Face. | 1 |
| 10. Tell a friend how you feel. | I feel … | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Any feeling.; 2 A smile.; 3 Slow breaths.; 4 A trusted adult.; 5 Yes, but do not hurt others.. Level 2: 1 To understand and ask for help.; 2 It is not kind or safe.; 3 Breathe, draw or talk.. Level 3: 1 Face.; 2 I feel …; 3 Own answer..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Name feelings | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Show feelings safely | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Say that all feelings are normal | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Ask a trusted adult for help | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Angry feelings are bad.” No feeling is bad. We choose safe actions.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use face cards. Help your child match the card to a feeling word and say one safe action.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns to name feelings and to ask a trusted adult for help. Please let your child know they can always tell you if they feel worried. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Ask “How do you feel today?” every day.
- Name your own feelings calmly.
- Teach slow breathing together.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: name feelings; show feelings safely; say that all feelings are normal; ask a trusted adult for help.
Prerequisite knowledge. None. Learners should be able to look, listen and talk about themselves.
Materials. Face cards, paper, crayons. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Draw five feelings faces on cards.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Show five face cards and ask how they feel.
Explanation (10 min). Teach feelings and calming skills.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners draw faces.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners practise breathing.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. How do I feel? Who can help?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Angry feelings are bad.” No feeling is bad. We choose safe actions.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use face cards. Help your child match the card to a feeling word and say one safe action. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 1, topic 5; NCSS C3 Framework, individuals and groups; Cambridge Primary Humanities, people; IB Primary Years Programme, who we are. These sources informed the lesson.