As speech-language pathologists, one of the most valuable skills we can teach our elementary school students is the ability to read facial expressions and identify emotions accurately. Understanding and recognizing emotions are crucial components of effective communication and social interaction. In this blog post, we will introduce “The Big Three” – a simple yet powerful concept that involves paying attention to a person’s eyes, eyebrows, and mouth to determine their feelings.

Related resources: See our full list of social skills lessons.

We will provide a comprehensive elementary reading facial expressions video lesson plan, along with easy, no-prep activities to engage students actively. Be sure to check out the free Reading Facial Expression Video Sample at the end of this blog post!

What is “The Big Three”?

Before diving into the lesson plan, let’s briefly explore the significance of emotional intelligence in the lives of our students. Emotional intelligence enables children to recognize their emotions, understand the emotions of others, and effectively manage their feelings in various social situations. By teaching “The Big Three” – focusing on a person’s eyes, eyebrows, and mouth – we empower students to become adept at reading non-verbal cues and deciphering emotions accurately.

Reading Facial Expressions Video Lesson

The lesson plan is designed to be interactive, engaging, and adaptable to suit individual or group settings. It consists of three main components:

a) Introduction to Emotions (10 minutes)

b) The Big Three Concept (15 minutes)

c) Video Sample Lesson (5 minutes)

Introduction to Emotions

In this introductory phase, we aim to familiarize students with the concept of emotions and the importance of recognizing and understanding them in ourselves and others.

Activity Idea 1: Emotion Charades Divide the class into small groups and provide each group with emotion cards (happy, sad, angry, surprised, etc.). Students take turns acting out the emotions while their group members guess the feelings being portrayed. This activity encourages students to express emotions non-verbally and promotes empathy among peers.

Activity Idea 2: Emotion Word Cloud Create a large word cloud with various emotion words. Have students take turns choosing a word and sharing a personal experience related to that emotion. This activity helps students connect emotions to real-life experiences and facilitates emotional expression.

The Big Three Concept

Now that the students have an understanding of emotions, we can introduce “The Big Three” concept. Explain that paying attention to a person’s eyes, eyebrows, and mouth can give us valuable clues about how they are feeling.

Activity Idea 3: Emotion Detective Show a series of images displaying different facial expressions. Ask students to identify the emotion being conveyed by focusing on “The Big Three.” Encourage discussions on why they made their choices and what specific facial cues they noticed. This activity sharpens observation skills and enhances emotional recognition.

Video Sample Lesson from Everyday Speech

To reinforce “The Big Three” concept, we can utilize a video sample lesson from Everyday Speech. This video will break down the skills needed to teach learners to read facial expressions.

Students learn best from watching real students their own age model skills. Try out our entire Social-Emotional Learning platform free for 30 days here!

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