Exploring Feelings Together

Grade Level

2nd Grade

Duration

45 minutes

Class Size

15 students

Standards Alignment

SEL Competencies (CASEL-Aligned):

• Self-awareness: Recognize one’s emotions and thoughts and their influence on behavior.
• Self-management: Manage emotions to achieve goals and handle interpersonal situations effectively.
• Social awareness: Understand and empathize with others.

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) ELA:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.4: Describe how words and phrases (e.g., senses, feelings, emotions) supply meaning in a story.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 2 reading and content.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

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Objective

Students will:

• Identify and label a variety of feelings and emotions through discussion and literature.
• Practice mindfulness strategies such as counting to ten and walking away to self-regulate emotions.
• Use vocabulary related to feelings to express emotions clearly.
• Reflect on personal experiences with emotions and communication.

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Materials Needed

• Book: The Upside Down Boy by Juan Herrera (bilingual English/Spanish)
• Wondrous Words Journal (notebook or printed sheets)
• Feelings and Emotions worksheet (side 1 with problems and strategy writing space)
• Whiteboard & markers or chart paper
• Timer or visual countdown tool

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Lesson Procedures

Step 1: Agenda (1 min)

• Briefly explain today’s plan: reading a story about feelings, learning ways to manage emotions, and practicing strategies to handle tricky feelings.

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Step 2: Tutor Read Aloud (10 min)

Before Reading

• Set the Purpose: “Today we will listen to a story about a boy who feels many different emotions when starting a new school. How do you think it feels to start somewhere new?”
• Ask an open-ended question to engage: “What feelings do you notice or expect in stories about new experiences?”

During Reading

• Read aloud The Upside Down Boy.
• Stop every few pages to ask questions:
  • “How do you think Juanito feels right now? Why?”
  • “What is happening in the story?”
• Introduce 1-2 Forever Words to the Wondrous Words Journal such as: admires (to look at something with delight or enjoyment). Write the definition and a sentence together.

After Reading

• Discuss: “What happened to Juanito? Why did he feel upside down?”
• Review the Forever Words. Select 1–2 to revisit and apply a vocabulary strategy such as making connections or acting out the word meaning.

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Step 3: Introduce the Skill (10 min)

Teach (5 min)

• Show the Feelings and Emotions worksheet.
• Explain: “We will learn about feelings and what we can do when we feel those emotions.”
• Discuss calming strategies:
  • Counting to ten: “When might you want to count to ten to help yourself?”
  • Walking away: “Can you think of a time when walking away helps?”
  • Saying sorry: “Why does saying sorry make things better?”
  • Talking about feelings: “Who can you talk with when you feel upset?”
  • Using your voice: “Why is it important to tell people how their actions make you feel?”
• Model examples, then invite student ideas and personal sharing.

Apply (5 min)

• Read the problem sentences aloud and ask students to choose a helpful strategy and write it down independently:
  1. “My friend didn’t want to play with me today.”
  2. “I ripped my cousin’s favorite book.”
  3. “My brother took my game away.”
• Review responses together and discuss why each strategy helps.

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Step 4: Wondrous Words Journal (10 min)

• Revisit the key word admires and any new unknown words from the story.
• Write the word, definition, and create a simple sentence as a class.
• Encourage students to draw a picture illustrating the word to connect meaning visually and deepen understanding.

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Step 5 & 6: Comprehension and Tutor Read Aloud (15 min)

Teach (5 min)

• Explain what an autobiography is and introduce the book context: “This story is written by Juan Herrera about his own life.”
• Discuss bilingual text: “Why might the author write some parts in Spanish and some in English?” (Answers may include: to help readers from different cultures, to share his culture, or for readers learning a new language.)
• Set purpose: “We will find out how Juanito feels and why.”

Tutor Reads & Discussion (10 min)

• Tutor reads aloud The Upside Down Boy with pauses after each page for questions:
  • “How does Juanito feel starting school?”
  • “What is making him nervous or confused?”
  • “Who helps Juanito feel better?”
  • “Why does Juanito say his life is upside down?”
  • “How does Juanito’s feeling change at the end?”
• Encourage students to connect their own feelings to Juanito’s.

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Assessment

• Observe students’ participation during discussion and their ability to identify emotions and appropriate responses.
• Review written strategies on worksheet for understanding of managing feelings.
• Check entries in the Wondrous Words Journal for comprehension and vocabulary acquisition.
• Ask reflective questions at the end: “What is one new thing you learned about your feelings today?”

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Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters or word banks for students who need support writing strategies.
• Use visual emotion cards or emojis to support discussions about feelings.
• For ELL students, pair English phrases with their home language as appropriate to scaffold vocabulary acquisition.

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Extension Ideas

• Create a “Feelings Wheel” classroom poster where students place their name under how they feel each day.
• Practice a short, guided mindfulness breathing activity to reinforce calm down strategies.
• Role-play scenarios where students practice saying sorry, asking someone to stop, or talking about feelings with peers.

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Reflection for Educators

This lesson connects literacy with social and emotional learning by engaging students in a narrative about real emotions, validating their experiences, and teaching practical skills for emotional regulation. Incorporating bilingual text supports cultural diversity and language learners typical of many U.S. classrooms. Ells and all learners benefit from multi-sensory vocabulary reinforcement and collaborative discussions, fulfilling key Common Core language and speaking/listening standards alongside SEL competencies.

This holistic approach fosters empathy, communication, and resilience in second graders, equipping them with tools for lifelong emotional health.