Feeling Faces

Unit: Expressing Emotions in Drama

Lesson 1 of 3

Duration: 30 minutes

Year Levels: 1–3

Class Size: 20 students

Lesson Overview

In this first lesson, students will explore emotions by creating facial expressions. They will work in pairs to express and guess feelings such as happiness, sadness, and surprise using only their faces. This activity fosters skills in observation, emotional recognition, and non-verbal communication—all essential aspects of drama and interpersonal learning within the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh framework.

Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: The Arts — Drama

Aligned with The New Zealand Curriculum Refresh:

Achievement Objective:
- Drama – Explore dramatic forms and elements (symbol, sound, movement, character, staging) to express ideas and feelings (Years 1-3).
Key Competencies Developed:
- Managing Self (express feelings appropriately)
- Relating to Others (interpret others’ non-verbal cues)
- Participating and Contributing (work collaboratively, share ideas)
Curriculum Principle:
- Inclusion – valuing diverse ways students express and perceive emotions, being mindful of cultural and neurodiversity sensitivities in non-verbal communication.

Learning Dimensions Addressed:

Drama: Taking on roles and using non-verbal communication
English (Oral Language): Use expressive language including facial expression to communicate meaning
Health and Physical Education: Recognising and expressing emotions effectively

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

Recognise and name basic emotions: happiness, sadness, surprise.
Use facial expressions alone to communicate and interpret feelings.
Work cooperatively in pairs to guess emotions based on facial cues.
Develop observation skills and empathy by noticing subtle emotional changes.

Lesson Outline

Time	Activity	Description & Teacher Notes
0–5m	Warm-up: Emotion Brainstorm	Gather students in a circle. Teacher shows simple emotion cards (happy, sad, surprised) or uses emoji images. Ask students: "What does this face show?" Encourage naming emotions aloud. Builds prior knowledge and vocabulary.
5–10m	Demonstration: Feeling Faces	Teacher models exaggerated facial expressions for each emotion (e.g., wide smile for happiness, frown for sadness, wide eyes for surprise). Students watch carefully. Discuss: What do you notice about the face? What happens to the mouth, eyes, eyebrows?
10–20m	Main Activity: Pair Play Sharing Emotions	Students pair up. One student makes a facial expression showing one of the emotions without speaking. The partner guesses the emotion. Roles swap after each guess. Teacher circulates to encourage, support, and remind about eye contact and expression clarity.
20–27m	Reflect and Group Share	Bring students back to a circle. Ask pairs to share which emotion was easiest/hardest to guess and why. Discuss how faces can tell us feelings without words. Reinforce vocabulary: happy, sad, surprised.
27–30m	Cool Down: Mirror Game	Students pair up again and mirror each other's facial expressions slowly. This reinforces observation skills and empathy. Ends lesson on a calm, cooperative activity.

Resources Needed

Emotion cards or printed emoji faces for happy, sad, surprised.
Large mirror (optional) for demonstration and self-observation.
Open space for pairs to work safely.

Assessment (Formative)

Observation: Teacher notes students’ ability to express and recognise emotions using facial expressions during pair activity.
Participation: Engagement in warm-up and sharing phases.
Verbal Feedback: Students use emotion words appropriately when reflecting on the activity.

Assessment will inform next lessons about expanding emotional range (e.g., anger, fear) and introducing body language cues in drama.

Teaching Considerations

Be mindful of cultural and individual differences in expressing and recognising emotions. Some students may express emotions differently or need encouragement.
Use positive reinforcement to build confidence in expressive skills.
Scaffold students needing extra support by modelling and using visual cues.
Create a safe, supportive environment for sharing feelings and observing others.

Extension Ideas

Introduce other emotions in future lessons: anger, calm, scared.
Combine facial expressions with simple voice sounds or movements as the unit progresses.
Use storybooks that focus on emotions to connect drama with literacy.

Reflection Questions for Teachers

How well did students identify and express different emotions?
Did students enjoy working in pairs?
Were there any challenges in communicating emotions non-verbally? How might I adjust the lesson?
How can I incorporate this learning into other curriculum areas (e.g., health, literacy)?

This lesson plan ensures a rich drama learning experience aligned with New Zealand Curriculum Refresh priorities, building foundational emotional literacy through active, collaborative, and playful drama practices for young learners .

Teaching Instructions