Emotions with Willy Wonka

Objective

By the end of this 20-minute lesson, 3rd grade students will be able to:

• Identify and label emotions on a 3-point scale (Calm, Frustrated/Uneasy, Out of Control) using a Willy Wonka-themed scenario.
• Express their own emotional state with words and visuals.
• Apply self-regulation strategies to move from higher intensity emotions towards calmness.

This lesson aligns with Common Core State Standard:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.3: Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

Additionally, this lesson builds social-emotional competencies supporting:

• Self-awareness and self-management which are key for effective communication and classroom behavior.

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Materials Needed:

• Visual emotion scale poster with Willy Wonka characters (1 = Calm - Charlie, 2 = Frustrated/Uneasy - Veruca Salt, 3 = Out of Control - Augustus Gloop)
• Story cards featuring short Willy Wonka chocolate factory situations
• Emotion face visuals for differentiation and dyslexia-friendly reading cards with simple key phrases
• Whiteboard or paper for drawing
• Emotion thermometer handouts (large print and dyslexia-friendly font)

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Success Criteria (What Students Will Demonstrate)

• I can point to and name my emotion on the 3-point scale.
• I can describe why I feel calm, frustrated, or out of control when hearing the Willy Wonka story.
• I can show one way to calm down if feeling uneasy or out of control.

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction to the Emotion Scale (5 minutes)

• Show the Willy Wonka emotion scale poster with bright, clear visuals.
• Explain the three points on the scale:
  • 1 - Calm: Like Charlie Bucket who waits patiently.
  • 2 - Frustrated/Uneasy: Like Veruca Salt when she doesn’t get her way.
  • 3 - Out of Control: Like Augustus Gloop when he can't stop eating chocolate.

Activity:
Ask students to think of a time they felt each emotion. Use simple questions like:

• "When have you felt calm like Charlie?"
• Use visuals to help prompt their answers.

Differentiation:
For students with reading difficulties, show emotion faces and use simple phrases, reading aloud together. For advanced learners, encourage them to add another emotion example or synonym.

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2. Story Scenario Matching (7 minutes)

• Read aloud (with dyslexia-friendly pacing) 3 short Willy Wonka chocolate factory mini-stories (one matching each emotion).
• Students listen carefully and then choose which emotional face matches each story.

Example stories:

• Charlie patiently waits for his turn - (Calm)
• Veruca Salt complains loudly when she doesn’t get what she wants - (Frustrated/Uneasy)
• Augustus Gloop can't control himself and eats too much chocolate - (Out of Control)

Interactive engagement:
Students place story cards under the correct emotion face on the whiteboard.

Check for Understanding:
Ask "How do you think this character feels? Why? What number on our scale is it?"

Differentiation:

• Provide sentence starters for struggling writers/speakers: "This story makes me feel __ because __."
• Encourage advanced learners to explain cause and effect in character emotions.

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3. Self-Regulation Strategies and Role Play (6 minutes)

• Discuss briefly: "What can we do when we feel frustrated or out of control?"
• Introduce 2 calming strategies (e.g., deep breathing, counting backwards from 5).

Activity:
Students practice the strategies together, role-playing being the characters from the stories.

• Student 1 acts like Veruca Salt (Frustrated) and tries deep breathing.
• Student 2 acts like Augustus Gloop (Out of Control) and tries counting.

Visuals:
Show a simple step-by-step guide with icons for each calming strategy.

Success Check:
Ask: "Can you show me your calm face now? What number is that on the scale?"

Extension for advanced learners:
Invite them to suggest another calming strategy and explain why it might work.

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4. Wrap-Up and Reflection (2 minutes)

• Review the emotion scale poster again.
• Ask students to hold up fingers to show their current emotion number.
• Use "I can..." statements together:
  • "I can tell how I feel on the scale."
  • "I can think of ways to calm down if I get upset."

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Additional Notes

Differentiation Strategies

• Use visuals and audio reading for dyslexic and ELL students.
• Use simple, repetitive language to reinforce understanding.
• For students who need sensory breaks, allow brief movement or quiet time after role playing.

Extension Activities

• Ask students to draw their own "emotion thermometer" featuring their favorite story or movie characters.
• Create a simple journal entry for students to write or dictate about a time they moved from frustrated to calm, using the 3-point scale vocabulary.

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This uniquely themed, interactive lesson supports emotional literacy while meeting core speaking and listening standards, and provides practical self-management skills students can apply daily. The Willy Wonka theme makes emotions relatable and fun, increasing engagement for both students and the teacher!