Lesson 53: Talking about feelings in stories

📖 READING (40 Lessons) • 🔵 B. Understanding Stories

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Objective

Notice how a character feels in a story and tell why using clues from the pictures and words.

Materials

Mini-lesson — How do they feel?

When you read a story, you can be a little feelings detective.

You look for clues to figure out how a character feels. You can check:

  • Faces — Are they smiling, frowning, crying, or making a scared face?
  • Bodies — Are they jumping, hiding, hugging, or standing very still?
  • Words — Do they say things like “Yay!”, “Oh no…”, or “I am scared.”?

Some common feelings in stories are:

  • Happy — big smile, laughing, playing with friends
  • Sad — tears, head down, quiet voice
  • Scared — hiding, holding on to someone, saying “I am afraid”
  • Excited — jumping, talking fast, “I cannot wait!”
  • Worried — looking around, asking “What if…?”

Try using this sentence when you read:

“I think the character feels ___ because ___.”

Today, you will practice looking for clues and telling how a character feels and why.

Picture strip: Feeling clues

Guided Practice — Mini-book: A Busy Recess

How to use this mini-book:

  • Read each page.
  • Stop and ask: “How does the character feel?”
  • Point to the clues in the words or pictures that show the feeling.

After reading, choose one page and write: “I think ___ feels ___ because ___.”

Feeling words
happy sad scared excited worried proud

Sentence starter: “I think the character feels ___ because ___.”

Mini-Book: A Busy Recess

1

Noah runs out to the playground.

He smiles and waves at his friends.

How does Noah feel? What clues show that?

2

Noah wants to play soccer, but the game is full.

He looks down at his shoes and stands alone.

How might Noah feel now? What clues do you see?

3

Noah’s friend Lina runs over and says, “Come draw with me!”

They sit and make a big chalk picture together.

How do Noah and Lina feel while they draw?

4

The bell rings. Noah looks at the picture and smiles.

“This was a good recess,” he says.

How does Noah feel at the end? How do you know?

Reading Practice — How does the character feel?

Read each tiny story. Choose the feeling that best matches the clues. Then press “Check answers”.

1) “Tom smiles and hops up and down when he sees his new puppy.”
How does Tom feel?
2) “Mia’s eyes fill with tears when her tower falls down. She looks at the floor and says softly, ‘Oh no.’”
How does Mia feel?
3) “A loud thunder boom shakes the house. Leo runs to his dad and hides behind him.”
How does Leo feel?
4) “Sara jumps up and down and says, ‘I can’t wait to ride the big wheel!’”
How does Sara feel?
5) “Amir looks out the window again and again. ‘What if they forget to come?’ he asks.”
How does Amir feel?
6) “Lena stands tall and smiles when the teacher gives her a star sticker for her neat writing.”
How does Lena feel?
7) What can you use to help you know how a character feels?
8) Which sentence shows a good way to talk about a character’s feelings?

Quick Check (10 questions)

1) What are you doing when you “talk about feelings in stories”?

2) Which of these can be a clue about feelings?

3) Story: “Ben laughs and claps when he sees the clown.”
How does Ben feel?

4) Story: “Kayla sits alone on the bench. Her head is down and no one is playing with her.”
How does Kayla feel?

5) Which words show that a character is probably scared?

6) Which sentence uses a good feelings sentence starter?

7) Story: “The girl hides behind her mom and holds her hand tightly.”
How does she most likely feel?

8) Why is it helpful to talk about how characters feel?

9) If you are not sure how a character feels, you should…

10) To practice at home, you can…

Assessment (parent/teacher)

Exit ticket (student)

I will practice…

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