When students play a theater game where they name and act out emotions, they become more skilled at articulating their feelings.
Brain breaks provide an excellent opportunity to let students get their wiggles out, but some of them can also double as lessons in social and emotional learning. In Sammi Priti’s first-grade classroom at Arts and Letters United 305 in Brooklyn, New York, guest teacher and Child’s Play NY founder Jocelyn Greene leads the students in a game called "Pass the Hello." To play, students circle up and select three different emotions: excited, bored, and frustrated, for example. Starting with the first one, each student turns to the classmate next to them and passes the word "hello" along, using facial expressions, body language, and the unique way they choose say the word aloud to convey the designated feeling. After everyone has had a turn, the class starts again with the next emotion. This activity not only helps students release energy but also builds emotional literacy by encouraging them to explore and articulate a range of feelings.
For more theater games that support learning, check out the articles that Child’s Play NY founder Jocelyn Greene has written for Edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/profile/jocelyn-greene/ or visit this channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UCpQG-K__3zkRktDS1dijShA
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