The teacher will only speak in Spanish for the duration of this class for a more immersive language learning experience.

Materials needed: Pictures of emojis, tape, music, and black-and-white images.

This lesson is most effective with two instructors.

Opening Activity:

1) Teachers will begin the class by singing the song to the students.

Sing the song "¿Cómo estás?" (to the rhythm of “Brother John”).

Buenos días, Buenos días

¿Cómo estás?, ¿cómo estás?

Estoy bien, gracias (x2) 

¿Y cómo estás tú? (x2)

Workshop Activities:

Vocabulary and Reading

1) Teachers introduce emotions through choral repetition while showing pictures of emojis.

Tip: Students will often mimic the manner in which a word is being presented to them so try whispering, yelling, cheering, etc the vocabulary to get learners more engaged!

Vocabulary: ¿Cómo estás? (how are you?), Bien (good/fine), Feliz (happy), Triste (sad), Enojado (angry), Sorprendido (surprised)

2) Teachers will read a book about emotions in Spanish. Titles from Mo Willems's Elephant and Piggy series work well for this, but there are a lot of options available at your local library. 

Acting Out

1) Teachers will arrange the pictures of emojis on the floor face down.

2) Teacher 1 will ask Teacher 2 the question, "¿Cómo estás?" 

3) Teacher 2 picks a paper at random and acts out the emotion represented. Children and teachers repeat the word and join the acting.

4) Teachers will take turns asking children "¿Cómo estás?" and encourage them to turn over emoji papers. Children will act out the emotions.

Musical March

1) Children and teachers work together to tape a different emoji to each of the four corners of the room. 

2) Teachers will play lively music and run, dance, skip, etc. around the room. Children will be encouraged to join in through gestures. Teachers will pause the music occasionally to shout out the name of one of the emotions. Teachers encourage children to run to the emotion announced, expressing enthusiasm when they find the right one.

Review

Silent Teacher and Closed-eyes Surprise

As a review of emotions in the following class.

1) The teacher will take out four emoji pictures. She will point to each one and say its name (repeating the activity a couple of times). 

2) The teacher will point to each emoji, covering her mouth and cupping her ears (indicating that she would like to hear the words). She will wait for children (or caregivers) to say the names of the emojis they remember. (Children should not be pressured to say the names and should only be made to participate if they want to.

3) The teacher will hand out the emojis to the children. She will close her eyes and reach out with open palms asking for each one (one at a time) in Spanish. Each time she is handed an emoji, she opens her eyes to see if it is what she asked for. (This same activity could be used to review other vocabulary items).

Libros:

For more language practice at home check out the following books from the library’s Spanish collection

Elephant and Piggy books by Mo Willems, Así Me Siento Yo by Janan Cain, El Conejo Escuchó by Cory Doerrfeld

Citation:

Farnsworth, May, and Isabelle Girolamo, “Las Emociones (Emotions),” Spanish and Hispanic Studies Digital Gallery at HWS, July 2024, https://galeriahispana.omeka.net/exhibits/show/spanish-for-children/vocabulary-emotions-spanish.