Domain:
Social-Emotional Growth
Competency:
Understand and manage emotions
🎂
7-9 year olds
⏰
25 to 30 minutes min
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Learning Objective
Students will identify emotions experienced during a bad day and describe two positive activities to manage these feelings effectively.
Learning Resource Synopsis
In 'Even Superheroes Have Bad Days' by Shelly Becker, young readers learn that even superheroes face challenging emotions like anger, frustration, and sadness. The book presents scenarios where superheroes experience these feelings but choose not to use their powers destructively. Instead, they engage in positive activities such as biking, hiking, or helping others to manage their emotions. This colorful, action-packed picture book uses rhyming text to demonstrate healthy coping mechanisms, emphasizing that it is normal to have difficult emotions and that everyone can find ways to handle them constructively.
Extended Learning Resources
| Resource & Author | Publication Info | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Way I Feel | Written by Janan Cain, published by Scholastic | This beautifully illustrated book helps children identify and express their emotions through engaging and relatable scenarios. |
| Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day | Written by Jamie Lee Curtis, published by HarperCollins | Through playful rhymes and vibrant illustrations, this book helps children explore many emotions and the reasons behind them. |
| A Little Spot of Emotion Box Set | Written by Diane Alber, published by Diane Alber Art LLC | This boxed set introduces young readers to different emotions and provides practical strategies for managing them through engaging stories and characters. |
Vocabulary List
| Word | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Frustrated | Feeling upset because things are not going the way you want. | When the superhero couldn't solve the problem, he felt frustrated, but he took a deep breath and tried again. |
| Empathy | The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. | The superhero showed empathy by listening to their friend's story about a bad day and offering support. |
| Constructive | Helping to improve or develop something in a positive way. | Instead of being angry, the superhero used their energy in a constructive way by building a new playground. |
| Coping | Handling or managing difficult situations or feelings successfully. | The superhero practiced coping by going for a walk to calm down when feeling upset. |
| Regulate | To control or adjust something to have a balanced outcome. | The superhero learned to regulate their emotions by taking deep breaths whenever they felt angry. |
Prompt
Essential Question: "How can we turn a bad day into a better one by understanding and sharing our feelings?"
Today we're going to explore how we can turn a tough day into a better one by understanding and sharing our feelings. Everyone has challenging days, even superheroes, and it's okay to feel different emotions. Let's think about how we can use those feelings to make something good happen.
Anticipatory Set
- Start by asking students to close their eyes and think about a time they felt upset or had a bad day. Encourage them to notice how they felt in their body—did their stomach feel tight or their head heavy?
- Invite them to open their eyes and look at a selection of colorful images or objects around the room. Each item represents a positive activity, like drawing, playing outside, or talking to a friend.
- Ask students to choose one image or object that they feel could help them turn a bad moment into a better one. Have them share with a partner why they chose that activity and how it might make them feel better.
Teacher Tips
- Create a safe and open environment by sharing a personal experience of your own. This models vulnerability and encourages students to open up.
- Use a calm, gentle voice to guide students through the visualization. This helps set a reflective tone and makes it easier for students to connect with their emotions.
- Encourage all students to participate, but allow those who are hesitant to listen and observe first. Participation can grow as students feel more comfortable.
Learn
Let's dive into the exciting world of 'Even Superheroes Have Bad Days' by Shelly Becker. In this story, we will discover how superheroes, just like us, can have tough days but find special ways to feel better. Let's see how they use their powers to make good choices and learn how we can, too.
Interactive Engagement
- As we read about a superhero feeling upset, can you think of a time when you felt a similar way? What did you do to feel better?
- Notice how the superheroes choose to handle their emotions. What positive activity do you think you would try if you were in their shoes?
- When the superheroes face a problem, they find a creative solution. What do you think might happen next? How would you solve it?
- How do you think the superheroes' friends help them feel better? What could you do to help a friend on a tough day?
- Think about the different emotions the superheroes are experiencing. How might their feelings change by the end of the story?
Teacher Tips
- Pause occasionally to let students predict what might happen next, encouraging them to think about cause and effect.
- Use different voices and facial expressions to bring the superheroes' emotions to life, helping students connect with the story.
- Encourage students to share their thoughts and feelings with a partner during the story to foster empathy and understanding.
Ask
Now that we've explored how even superheroes can have tough days, let's take a moment to think about our own experiences. How can we use what we've learned to handle our feelings in a positive way?
Discussion Questions
- Think about a time when you felt like one of the superheroes in the story. What feelings did you experience, and how did you try to make yourself feel better?
- What are some activities you enjoy that help you feel calm or happy after a tough day? How can you use these activities to help others who might be feeling down?
- If you could give advice to a superhero having a bad day, what would you tell them to do to feel better? Why do you think that advice would help?
Teacher Tips
- Encourage students to share personal stories by starting the discussion with an example from your own life. This can help create a safe space for sharing.
- Be mindful of diverse experiences and emotions in the room. Invite students to express their feelings in different ways, such as through drawing or writing, if they are more comfortable.
- Guide the conversation towards empathy by asking students to think about how they would feel in someone else's shoes, and how their actions might affect others.
Navigate
Superhero Emotion Mission
This activity helps children explore their emotions through the lens of a superhero adventure. By designing a superhero with powers to manage emotions positively, students will become more aware of their own feelings and learn constructive strategies to improve their mood. This creative process mirrors the book's message that everyone can face difficult emotions and find healthy ways to cope.
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Teacher Tips
- Encourage creativity and individuality in superhero designs.
- Facilitate peer interaction by organizing small group discussions.
- Highlight the importance of empathy by discussing how superheroes can help others.
Share
As we wrap up our time with 'Even Superheroes Have Bad Days,' let's think about the journey we took with the superheroes. We explored how they felt on tough days and the positive ways they chose to handle their feelings. Let's take a moment to reflect on what we learned about emotions and how we can use these ideas in our own lives.
Reflection Questions
- Think about a superhero in the story—what was a big feeling they had, and what positive action did they take to feel better? How might you use a similar strategy next time you feel that way?
- What is one new thing you learned about handling emotions? How do you feel about trying it out the next time you have a bad day?
- Can you share a moment from the story that reminded you of a time you felt a big emotion? How did it feel to know that even superheroes have those days?
Teacher Tips
- Encourage students to share reflections with a buddy or in a small group to foster peer connections.
- Allow students to express their thoughts through drawing or writing if they prefer, giving them a choice in how they reflect.
- Celebrate shared insights by acknowledging common themes or unique ideas, helping students see the value in their reflections.
UDL Strategies
Representation
- Introduce the concept of superheroes by using a mix of storybooks featuring characters who learn to manage emotions, short animated videos showing superheroes dealing with 'bad days,' and audio stories that can be listened to as a class. This caters to visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.
- Provide a superhero design template that includes sections for naming powers, color choices, and symbols, in addition to a graphic organizer for listing emotions and corresponding coping strategies. This aids diverse comprehension levels.
- Incorporate a tactile element by providing materials such as felt, foam, or fabric for students to create parts of their superhero's costume, facilitating kinesthetic learning and helping them understand abstract concepts through tangible experiences.
Action & Expression
- Allow students to express their superhero concepts through various modalities: drawing their superhero design, writing a narrative about their superhero's day, acting out a scenario, or creating a digital storyboard. This flexibility accommodates different strengths and preferences.
- Encourage verbal expression by having students describe their superhero's powers and strategies for managing emotions to their peers, either in small groups or as a class presentation, supporting diverse communication styles.
- Organize a 'superhero showcase' where students exhibit their creative work, enabling those who are visually inclined to highlight their strengths and receive constructive feedback from classmates, fostering a sense of achievement and community.
Engagement
- Begin the activity with an exciting superhero-themed story or animated video that illustrates a superhero managing emotions. Encourage students to envision themselves as superheroes, engaging their imagination and creativity.
- Offer a selection of relatable 'bad day' scenarios that students can choose from, allowing them to personalize their superhero's story and increase investment in the activity.
- Promote peer interaction by having students work in pairs or small groups to brainstorm superhero traits or collaborate on costume designs. This not only maintains interest through social engagement but also fosters a supportive learning environment.
Assessment Criteria
Formative Assessment
- During the superhero creation process, observe how students articulate the emotions their superheroes can handle and the powers they design to manage these emotions. Look for evidence of students making connections between specific emotions and coping strategies, such as naming emotions accurately and suggesting realistic superhero powers that reflect positive coping skills.
- Facilitate small group sharing sessions where students discuss their superheroes. Observe the students' ability to explain how their superhero's powers manage specific emotions and how they relate these scenarios to real-life situations. Look for active participation and constructive feedback, noting if students can draw parallels between their own experiences and their peers' superhero strategies.
Summative Assessment
- Have students present their superheroes in a format of their choice (e.G., oral presentation, drawing, or written description). Assess their ability to clearly identify at least two emotions experienced during a bad day and describe two positive activities their superhero uses to manage these emotions, ensuring a logical connection between the emotions and coping strategies.
- Students complete a reflective journal entry or digital recording about their experience and understanding of emotions and coping strategies. Evaluate the entry for identification of emotions, the effectiveness of coping activities chosen by their superhero, and evidence of personal reflection on how understanding emotions can improve a bad day. Ensure accommodations are available for students needing additional support.
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