Minds On
Facial expressions
Let’s explore this video from the series Raven’s Quest.
In the video, Jacob shared a special word. He shared the Ojibwe word for hello, “Aaniin.” A smile is one way we can communicate using facial expressions. Can you think of other ways to show how we are feeling?
- When you are feeling excited, how do you show that?
- When you are feeling sad, how do you show that?
- When you are feeling surprised, how do you show that?
Action
Let’s communicate!
Visual effects
Sometimes, we use visual cues to show how we are feeling. These don’t use words, but your face or body language instead. Explore the following carousel. How do the children below use their arms and face to show their emotions?
Social Emotional Learning
Practice
Now it’s your turn! Try to express these emotions using only your face and body movements. You may work with a partner.
- sad
- happy
- confused
- frustrated
When you are done, reflect on these questions:
- Was it hard not to use your voice to communicate?
- Which emotion was the most difficult to show?
Vocal Effects
We can also change the way we speak to show how we feel.
Let’s explore an episode of That TVOkids Show.
Greg was not in the Treehouse today because he was feeling sad. How could you tell that Greg was sad? There were three (3) things that told us he was feeling sad:
- he said he was feeling sad
- he made a sad expression on his face
- he sounded sad when he spoke
In the video, Ginger shared some things that make her happy. Ginger shared that she likes candy, playing with friends, painting, snuggling her cat, singing songs, and skating on an ice rink. How could you tell that she was happy?
You might have noticed that Ginger smiled while she shared her happy things. This told us that Ginger is feeling happy. She also sounded happy when she spoke.
Social Emotional Learning
Practice
You can change the way that you say something or the expression on your face to show how you are feeling.
Show these feelings using your face, your body, or the way that you say the sentence. Practice with a partner or in front of a mirror!
| Sentence | Feeling |
|---|---|
| I am so happy! | Happy |
| I don’t like rainy days. | Sad |
| This is so frustrating! | Angry |
Consolidation
My special celebration
In this activity, you will be presenting a special day or event that makes you happy.
Plan
Choose a special day or event that makes you happy. Think of three things to share about the special day or event. These questions will get you started:
- Why is it important to you?
- What do you do?
- What foods you eat?
- When do you celebrate?
- Does it happen more than once a year?
Tone of voice and expressions
Since you are creating a presentation of a day that makes you happy, you want to show how happy this day makes you. Using a happy facial expression and/or a happy tone of voice will help show how you are feeling.
Create
Create your presentation using a method of your choice. For example, you can create an audio or video recording, or a written description. Just be sure to share three things about the special day or celebration.
Share
If possible, share with a partner. You can ask them to guess how they knew that you were happy.
Reflection
How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel…
Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.