Introduction

Teaching students to recognize and understand emotions is a crucial component of social-emotional learning. Emotion ID is a game designed to help students practice identifying emotions based on facial expressions, tone of voice, and the words people say. This game is especially beneficial for educators working with students in Special Education, as it encourages the development of empathy and emotional awareness.

No-Prep Activity

For this no-prep activity, you will need a group of students and a designated space for them to sit in a circle. The game is simple and requires no additional materials or preparation from the educator.

1. Start by having one student volunteer to be the “emotion actor.” This student will choose an emotion to act out using facial expressions, tone of voice, and words.
2. Once the “emotion actor” has chosen an emotion, they will act out a brief scenario based on that emotion. For example, if the chosen emotion is “frustration,” the student might say, “I can’t find my pencil, and I need it to complete my assignment!” while displaying an appropriate facial expression and tone of voice.
3. After the “emotion actor” has completed their scenario, the rest of the students will take turns guessing the emotion being portrayed.
4. Once the correct emotion has been identified, the students can discuss the clues that helped them figure out the emotion. This may include the actor’s facial expression, tone of voice, and the words they used.
5. Continue the game by choosing a new “emotion actor” and repeating the process.

Discussion Questions

1. What were some of the facial expressions, tone of voice, or words that helped you identify the emotion being portrayed?
2. How can understanding someone’s emotions help us better relate and communicate with them?
3. Can you think of a situation where you experienced a similar emotion to the one being acted out? How did you express it?
4. How can we improve our own emotional awareness to better recognize and understand the emotions of others?
5. Why is it important to be able to identify and understand emotions in ourselves and others?

Related Skills

Beyond the Emotion ID game, there are other essential skills in social-emotional learning that students can benefit from. Some of these skills include:

• Empathy – the ability to understand and share the feelings of others
• Active listening – giving full attention to the speaker and providing feedback to show understanding
• Self-awareness – recognizing our own emotions, strengths, and weaknesses
• Self-regulation – managing our emotions and behavior in various situations
• Effective communication – expressing our thoughts and feelings clearly and respectfully

Next Steps

The Emotion ID game is just one of the many tools available to help students develop their social-emotional learning skills. To access more resources and free samples of related materials, sign up at Everyday Speech. By incorporating these activities into your curriculum, you can help students build a strong foundation for emotional awareness and understanding.