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Noticing How Others Feel

First graders build social awareness by learning to notice how other people feel — reading faces and body language — so they can be kind, caring friends.

Grade 1CASEL: Social Awareness30 minutes1 class periodCASEL SELExplicit teaching4 StandardsCASEL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Notice others’ feelings.
  • ✓Read faces.
  • ✓Be kind.
  • ✓Help a friend.
Essential Question

Just like you have feelings, so do the people around you! You can often tell how someone feels by looking at their face. How do you notice how others feel?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

How Do They Feel?

Project each item and have children answer about how others feel. The tool helps them read feelings and be kind.

👀 Notice how others feelTry it
Answer each question about how others feel.
The Lesson · SEL Flow (Check-In · Learn · Practice · Apply · Reflect)

30 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Check-In — Others Have Feelings Too

5 min

You have feelings — and so do others! How can you tell how they feel?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Do a check-in.
  • Show feeling faces.
  • Be caring.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Check in.
  • Look.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Reading Faces

8 min

Children learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to How Do They Feel?
  • Read the faces.
  • Talk about kindness.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Read faces.
  • Explain.
3

Practice — Practice

8 min

Children practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Guess feelings from faces.
  • Notice a classmate’s feeling.
  • Say a kind thing.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Guess.
  • Notice.
  • Be kind.
4

Apply — Apply

6 min

Children apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Notice how a friend feels.
  • Do a kind thing.
  • Explain it.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Notice it.
  • Be kind.
  • Explain.
5

Reflect — Reflect

3 min

Children close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a feeling you can see.
  • Say a kind action.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Say one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CASEL 5 Social & Emotional Learning Competencies.

CASEL
Social Awareness

Recognize the feelings of others.

CASEL
Social Awareness

Read facial cues and body language.

CASEL
Social Awareness

Show care for others.

CASEL
Relationship Skills

Respond to others with kindness.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Feeling-face cards.
  • Sentence frame: “They feel ___.”
  • Use story pictures.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with happy vs. sad faces.
  • Use pictures.
  • Practice one kind action.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Notice feelings in a book.
  • Role-play kindness.
  • Draw a kind act.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🖼️Feeling-face pictures
  • 💻How Do They Feel?
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 📚Kindness books
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

noticeto pay attention tofeelingsemotions inside a personfaceshows how someone feelskindfriendly and caringsadan unhappy feelinghappya glad feelingcareto want to helpfriendsomeone you are kind to
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
If your friend is crying, how do they probably feel?
Sad.
QUESTION 2
How can you tell someone is happy?
They are smiling or laughing.
QUESTION 3
Why is it good to notice how others feel?
So you can be kind and help them.

Reflect: be a feeling-finder.

Have children notice how a family member or friend feels and do one kind thing to help. A printable noticing-feelings sheet is in the SEL library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Social Awareness: Noticing How Others FeelFlip
Card 1
Term
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Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Social Awareness: Noticing How Others FeelQuiz
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Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Social Awareness: Noticing How Others FeelPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: care, face, feelings, friend, happy, kind, notice, sad
  1. shows how someone feels
  2. a glad feeling
  3. someone you are kind to
  4. friendly and caring
  5. emotions inside a person
  6. to want to help
  7. an unhappy feeling
  8. to pay attention to

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. If your friend is crying, how do they probably feel?
  2. How can you tell someone is happy?
  3. Why is it good to notice how others feel?
Answer key — Part A: 1) face · 2) happy · 3) friend · 4) kind · 5) feelings · 6) care · 7) sad · 8) notice
Part B: 1) Sad. 2) They are smiling or laughing. 3) So you can be kind and help them.