Implementation Guide - Mood Meter

IMPLEMENTATI ON GU IDE

THE MOOD METER

+5
+4

+3

+2

en e rgy +1

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

-1

-2

-3

-4
-5

pleasa n t n ess

©©22001133 EEmmoottioionnaallyly IInntteellilgigeenntt SScchhoooolsls,, LLLLCC TM TM

B181

The Mood Meter is a way for children to express their feelings without
fear of being laughed at. It’s like, you can share your feelings and you
notice that other people have the same feelings as you. You see what
other people have in common with you.

–5th Grade Student

It’s a good feeling when you’re able to share on a personal level with
students the things that you’re experiencing. And, it’s funny, because
now, when I walk into class in the morning, I’m like, ‘Ok, sorry guys,
but this is what happened to me this morning.’ And, they’re laughing
because I’m sharing why I came into the room flustered or why
I came in extremely happy. So, it adds a nice touch to the classroom
environment; it really does. And, I’ve noticed also that students
are more open with me. The Mood Meter opened up the lines
of communication a lot, and I enjoy that. I really do.

–Elementary School Teacher

I put the Mood Meter right on the outside of my office door. It helps
me keep myself in check. It makes me think about what I can tolerate
that day or at least in this moment. It reminds me to stay away
or to go and talk to someone… whatever I need to do.

–Principal

Table of Contents

Overview of the Mood Meter B184
Outcomes Associated with Using the Mood Meter B186
B186
Personal Use of the Mood Meter B190
Optimizing Instruction Using the Mood Meter B194

Classroom Use of the Mood Meter

LESSON 1 B195
Introducing the Mood Meter B196
B200
Lower Elementary B204
Upper Elementary

Middle School

LESSON 2 B209
Labeling Emotions with the Mood Meter B210
B214
Lower Elementary B216
Upper Elementary

Middle School

LESSON 3 B219
Regulating Emotions with the Mood Meter B220
B226
Lower Elementary B232
Upper Elementary

Middle School

LESSON 4 B237
Using the Mood Meter Daily B238
B242
Lower Elementary B246
Upper Elementary

Middle School

Tips and Suggestions for Using the Mood Meter B251
Mood Meter Journaling B252
B256
Sharing After Mood Meter Journaling

Mood Meter Enrichment Activities B259
Mood Meter FAQs B265

Student Worksheets B271
1.1 My Mood Meter Faces B272
1.2 Labeling Emotions with the Mood Meter B273
1.3 Mood Meter Check-in (Lower Elementary) B274
1.4 Mood Meter Check-in (Upper Elementary and Older) B275
1.5 Regulating Emotions with the Mood Meter B276

Mood Meter

“Emotions Overview of the Mood Meter

drive attention, School administrators, teachers, and students experience a wide range of
memory, emotions throughout the day. These emotions can either support or
learning, and hinder their performance as educators or learners. However, when asked
decision in school, “How are you?,” most of us reply with a simple, “Okay,” “Fine,”
making. or “Not bad.”

Emotions drive attention, memory, learning, and decision making. Thus,
it’s important for students and educators to recognize how they feel,
communicate this information effectively, and regulate their emotions,
and, by doing so, maximize learning and performance. The Mood Meter
is a tool that helps everyone to achieve these goals.

Rooted in decades of research, the Mood Meter represents two
components of emotions: pleasantness and energy. The x-axis
describes the degree of pleasantness a person feels, ranging from
unpleasant to pleasant. The y-axis represents a person’s energy, ranging
from low to high.

The Mood Meter helps students, teachers, school staff, administrators,
and family members build emotional awareness of themselves and
of others. The Mood Meter also helps us to consider how emotions
influence thinking, motivation, daily goals, and behavior. Over the last
decade, numerous Mood Meter activities have been developed to help
students and educators hone their RULER skills, which include:

1. Recognizing emotions: Building awareness of our own and
others’ emotions

2. Understanding emotions: Developing knowledge of the causes
and consequences of emotions

3. Labeling emotions: Extending our vocabulary to describe
our emotions

4. Expressing emotions: Learning how to express emotions
accurately and appropriately

5. Regulating emotions: Developing strategies to handle
emotions effectively

TM

B184 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Mood Meter

Basic Mood Meter activities develop skills in recognizing and labeling “Finally,
emotions; advanced activities develop skills in understanding, expressing,
and regulating emotions. According to The RULER Approach, all everyone in
emotions are valid and adaptive when understood and managed our school
effectively. Each emotion allows us to think a certain way and behave has the same
accordingly. Moderate levels of anxiety (concern), for example, keep us language
focused on our goals; too much anxiety (distress), however, can paralyze and tools
us. Similarly, some level of sadness is critical to sympathizing with others’ to discuss
hardships, while too much sadness can lead to depression. feelings,
problem
The most successful educational environments are those in which solve, and
students and teachers can identify, understand, and regulate their handle difficult
emotions. Imagine a classroom where teachers and students start off the situations.
day by plotting how they are feeling, discussing why they are feeling that (Dr. Ed Fale,
way, and then thinking about how their feelings might affect their learning Superintendent,
that day. Following this self-reflection, they strategize about how to shift Oceanside)
or maintain these feelings to optimize their learning and performance.
This use of the Mood Meter helps teachers and students create the best
mindset for a productive learning environment.

Among many other applications, teachers use the Mood Meter to
evoke specific emotions in their students for different activities. For
example, moderate levels of anger may lead to the writing of more
effective persuasive essays, while feelings of enthusiasm set the stage
for brainstorming and creative thinking activities. Many educators also
use the Mood Meter at the beginning and end of lessons to determine
students’ comfort level with materials or as an end-of-day reflection
activity to see how the day went for students—and themselves.

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC B185

Mood Meter

Outcomes Associated with
Using the Mood Meter

Tip: Educators who use the Mood Meter on a regular basis report that they
notice improvements in their own and their students’ (1) awareness
-5/+5 of feelings, (2) ability to make links between feelings, thoughts, and
represents the behavior, and (3) range of strategies to regulate feelings and manage their
absolute most behavior in class. In turn, both students and educators have greater self-
unpleasant/ awareness and well-being, while schools and classrooms become more
pleasant engaging and productive learning environments.
experiences
you have ever Personal Use of the Mood Meter
had; -5/+5
represents the Before presenting the Mood Meter to students, you must practice using
absolute least/ it yourself. We recommend that you use the Mood Meter regularly for at
most amount least one month before teaching it to your students. This will enable you
of energy you to share stories about what you have learned about yourself and how it
have ever had. worked for you.

First, take a look at the Mood Meter featured in Figure 1 (The Mood Meter
for lower elementary school classrooms is shown in Figure 2). Consider
how unpleasant or pleasant you feel, and choose the number on the
x-axis from -5 (extremely unpleasant) to +5 (extremely pleasant). Next,
consider how much energy you have, and choose the number on the
y-axis from -5 (very low energy) to +5 (extremely high energy).

Some ways to determine energy level are to think about
your heart rate, breathing, and body temperature. Then,
plot the two numbers.

TM

B186 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Mood Meter

Figure 1. The Mood Meter (Upper Elementary & older)

+5

+4

+3

+2

Energy +1

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

-1

-2

-3

-4

-5

Pleasantness

Figure 2. The Mood Meter (Lower Elementary)

Energy

Pleasantness

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC B187

Mood Meter

“The Mood Your plot will end up in one of four quadrants:

Meter is a way 1. Emotions in the RED quadrant are characterized as unpleasant and
for children higher in energy, and include emotions such as anger, frustration, and
to express their anxiety.
feelings without
fear of being 2. Emotions in the BLUE quadrant are ordinarily unpleasant and lower in
laughed at. It’s energy, and include emotions such as boredom, sadness, and despair.
like, you can
share your 3. Emotions in the GREEN quadrant can be classified as pleasant and
feelings and lower in energy, and include emotions such as tranquility, serenity, and
you notice that satisfaction.
other people
have the same 4. Emotions in the YELLOW quadrant are pleasant and higher in energy,
feelings as and include emotions such as excitement, joy, and elation.
you. You see
what other Once you determine your plot on the Mood Meter, consider why you are
people have in feeling that way, and choose an emotion word to describe that feeling. It’s
common with also important to reflect on how you are “showing” your emotion. Finally,
you. (5th Grade strategize about what you will do to shift or maintain your feelings. Use
Student) the following series of reflection questions each time you plot yourself on
the Mood Meter. These reflection questions will help you to develop the
five key RULER skills:

RULER Skills Reflection Question Targeting RULER Skills
Recognizing Emotion Where are you on the Mood Meter?

Understanding Emotion Why do you feel this way?

Labeling Emotion What word best describes how you are feeling?
Expressing Emotion
How are you showing your feelings? What about
your facial expression, body language, or behavior
tells others how you feel?

Regulating Emotion Is this feeling helpful? If yes, how will you maintain
the feeling? If not, what strategy will you use to
shift your feelings?

TM

B188 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Mood Meter

Keep a journal of your Mood Meter plots throughout the day. At the end
of the week, take a look at your various Mood Meter plots and written
reflections to see if you notice any patterns. For example, are you
typically tired when you arrive at school in the morning? If so, what
might you be able to do to generate more energy for your students in the
morning? Do you need more sleep? Reflect on the different ways in which
your moods affect your ability to connect with and engage your students
in optimal learning. Be prepared to share some of what you have learned
about yourself from using the Mood Meter when you introduce the tool to
your students.

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC B189

Mood Meter

Optimizing Instruction
Using the Mood Meter

“I have found We encourage teachers to prepare for lessons by plotting in advance
where they would like for their students to be on the Mood Meter during
the Mood various activities. In doing this, teachers optimize their lessons by
Meter generating in students specific emotions that will enhance learning for
particularly different activities and for specific content areas. Brainstorming what
useful before activities (breathing exercises, music, lighting, physical activity, etc.)
tests or big generate desired moods and then using specific activities prior to or
assignments during lessons, teachers will activate students’ emotional engagement.
as students Over time, teachers develop a repertoire of activities to generate the
often get appropriate moods for lessons. Teaching students how to use these
nervous and activities to shift their moods is an essential life lesson. As students
anxious… they become more sophisticated in their use of the Mood Meter, the teacher
have said can ask them what they think they need to do to move to the target
that the Mood quadrant for the learning activity.
Meter helps to
calm them and Teachers naturally consider the emotions of their students as they go
put them in a through their lessons. However, few teachers make detailed plans for
better mindset leveraging their own and their students’ emotions to optimize learning.
to focus on the Teachers can use the Mood Meter to enhance learning both by: (1)
task at hand. fostering emotions that will set the stage for particular lessons (like
(5th grade playing a GREEN classical music song before a reflective journaling
teacher) activity) and (2) choosing lessons that utilize emotions typically
experienced throughout the school day (like planning a brainstorming
session after recess when students are in the YELLOW).

Consider what types of emotions are most helpful for (a) different learning
activities and (b) academic content specific to your subject area(s) in
addition to which are best suited to the classroom or school culture.
Figures 3 and 4 on the following page provide a helpful illustration:

TM

B190 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Mood Meter

Figure 3. Matching Moods to Learning Activities

Red Yellow
Debates, Brainstorming,
Competitions Collaboration

Energy

Blue Green
Proofing, Studying,
Critiquing Reflecting

Pleasantness

Figure 4. Matching Moods to Academic Content

Red Yellow
Animal Rights, Discoveries,
Civil Injustice Triumphs

Energy

Blue Natural Green
Disasters, War Poetry,
Harmony

Pleasantness

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC B191

Mood Meter

Yellow • YELLOW: Pleasant and energetic moods (YELLOW) are best for
Brainstorming, activities that include generating ideas and thinking about creative
Collaboration, solutions. The YELLOW quadrant also may be helpful when working
Discoveries, cooperatively in groups or writing creatively. Lessons on scientific
Triumphs discovery, victories, and festivals in various cultures may be better
digested if students are in the YELLOW and feeling similarly to the
Red Debates, characters or historical figures celebrating.
Competitions,
Animal Rights • RED: Although some people would argue that feeling unpleasant is
Civil Injustice never helpful in school, feeling slightly unpleasant is actually quite
conducive to certain types of classroom activities. Unpleasant and
Blue energetic moods (RED) are useful for debating a topic or writing a
Proofing, persuasive essay in which students are defending a cause. Bringing
Critiquing, students to the RED also may grab their attention when discussing
Natural Disasters, historical injustices, reviewing emergency procedures (for example,
War for fire and tornado drills), or highlighting safety protocols (such as for
scientific laboratories).
Green
Studying, • BLUE: Unpleasant and less energetic moods (BLUE) are ideal for
Reflecting, evaluating one’s own or another’s work with a critical eye. Lessons
Poetry, and discussions centered on natural disasters, loss, famine, poverty, or
Harmony other devastating events may best take place when students are in the
BLUE quadrant where they can better empathize with a character or
peer facing adversity.

• GREEN: Pleasant but less energetic moods (GREEN) are better for
activities such as studying, reading, or reflective journaling. The GREEN
quadrant may also be a good place for students if you are teaching
a lesson on Buddhism, reading poetry by Robert Frost, or discussing
how to feel calm before a big test.

TM

B192 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Mood Meter

So, how can you use this information and the RULER questions to
optimize learning? If you have a particular lesson in mind and want to
ensure students are in the right emotional state or mood, consider the
following questions:

• What type of activity or content do I have planned?
• How would l like my students to feel during this lesson?
• How can I generate these feelings in my students?
• What else can I try if this does not work (music, a poem, a visualization

or breathing exercise)?

If you anticipate students will be in a particular emotional state or mood
(excited right before a holiday break, anxious the day before a big exam,
etc.) and would like to tailor a lesson to their emotions and moods, take
these questions into account:

• How are my students likely to be feeling?
• What types of lessons (activities and subject areas) would fit well with

these feelings?
• How can I introduce these lessons best when students are feeling

this way?
• What else can I try if this does not work?

Some teachers find it helpful to print copies of or draw miniature Mood
Meters for their lesson plans. When preparing for a particular lesson,
they plot or color in where they would ideally want their students during
various activities of the lesson. Using the Mood Meter in this way models
for students how adults can employ various different strategies for using
emotions to optimize learning.

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC B193

Mood Meter

Classroom Use of the Mood Meter

After you have used the Mood Meter for at least one month for your
own self-reflection and development, you are ready to introduce the
tool to your students. The following lesson plans are tailored to the
developmental level of students in lower elementary, upper elementary,
middle school, and high school. These lessons will provide you with a
road map for introducing the Mood Meter and using it regularly in your
classroom:

Lesson 1: Introducing the Mood Meter – This basic lesson introduces
the concept of the Mood Meter using a series of interactive and creative
activities.

Lesson 2: Labeling Emotions with the Mood Meter – In this lesson,
students expand their knowledge of the Mood Meter by generating and
plotting different feeling words.

Lesson 3: Regulating Emotions with the Mood Meter – Here, students
discover ways that they can use the Mood Meter to manage their
emotions effectively.

Lesson 4: Using the Mood Meter Regularly – Students further develop
their self-awareness and reinforce their self-management skills as they
learn to check in on the Mood Meter throughout the day and create
strategies for regulating their emotions.

TM

B194 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

1LESSON

Introducing
the
Mood Meter

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Mood Meter Lesson 1 | Lower Elementary

RECOMMENDED GRADE Lesson 1:
LEVELS: K - 2 Introducing the Mood Meter
Purpose: To provide
students with a formal Lower Elementary
introduction to the Mood
Meter. Note that for Procedure
students in grades K to 2 1. Introduce the Mood Meter:
we use the term “area” to
describe the quadrants. By Today we are going to learn about a tool that will help us to understand
grade 3 the term quadrant our feelings. I have been using this tool for a while now and have
can be introduced. learned a lot about myself. The tool is called the Mood Meter. I would
like to start using the Mood Meter in our classroom so that we can all
Learning Objectives: learn more about our feelings.
Students will be able to…
• Describe two to three 2. Teach students the four areas of the Mood Meter. Describe how the
feelings in each of the Mood Meter is divided into four areas that represent different kinds of
four areas of the Mood emotions:
Meter
• Demonstrate how feelings a. The RED area (upper left) is home for emotions that feel unpleasant
in each area look and feel and have lots of energy like angry and scared.

b. The BLUE area (lower left) is home for emotions that feel unpleasant
and have little to no energy such as sad and lonely.

c. The GREEN area (lower right) is home for emotions that feel pleasant
and have little to no energy such as relaxed and calm.

d. The YELLOW area (upper right) is home for emotions that feel
pleasant and have lots of energy such as excited and brave.

When describing the Mood Meter, use storybook characters from read-
alouds that illustrate each area. For example, using Winnie the Pooh, the
Rabbit represents RED, Eeyore BLUE, Pooh GREEN, and Tigger YELLOW.

TM

B196 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Mood Meter Lesson 1 | Lower Elementary

3. After the read aloud, ask students to demonstrate the facial Materials and
expressions, postures, and vocal tones for each area. For instance, Preparation:
you may ask: Students will need…
• What does your face look like when you are angry? What about your • Access to a lower
eyes? Your mouth? elementary Mood
• What may happen to your body movements when you are angry? Meter (poster, printed
Does your body feel loose or tight? Hot or cold? copy, SMART Board
• What about your voice? When you are angry, what happens to the Application)
way you talk? Does it get higher or deeper? Louder or quieter? • Lower elementary 1.1

You may need to give them examples to get them started. For example, My Mood Meter Faces
you may explain that RED emotions like anger may appear as furrowed (samples are provided in
brows, clenched teeth, a red face, a growling voice, and a threatening the Appendix or create
posture. Another way to get students started is to have them look into your own)
mirrors or at each other while they act out each area. • Photos of emotion “faces”
which correspond to
4. Next, pass out the 1.1 My Mood Meter Faces worksheet found in the each quadrant, which
Appendix, and ask students to color in the quadrant that represents can be obtained from
how they are currently feeling. Then, they can choose a word to name various magazines or on
the feeling and write it (with support, if needed) under the picture. They the internet
also can include why they feel that way. Finally, students can share out • Books with emotional
loud where they are on the Mood Meter. content in each of the
quadrants that can be
Learning Extensions: Consider collaborating with the art or music used for read-alouds (for
teachers to reinforce what students are learning about the Mood Meter. example, Sophie’s Angry,
In art class, students could create their own Mood Meters using a variety Angry Day or Llama,
of art supplies such as clay, pipe cleaners, or paint. Other options are to Llama Mad at Mama for
have students draw a picture of their own face demonstrating how they the RED quadrant)
look in each area, or have them select facial expressions from magazines • Mirrors (optional)
that can be glued onto a Mood Meter. In music class, students could
listen to and/or dance along with instruments or songs that the teacher Time: 30 minutes
has identified as congruent with each quadrant. One option is to pick Evaluation: Break students
a specific quadrant and have students sing songs that reflect those into quadrants, and
feelings. For example, for the YELLOW area they could sing, “If You’re have them demonstrate
Happy and You Know It.” facial expressions, body
language, and vocal
intonations for each area
of the Mood Meter.

CASEL Competencies:
Students will develop
the following CASEL
recommended
competency:
• Self-awareness
• Social-awareness

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC TM

B197

Mood Meter Lesson 1 | Lower Elementary

It may be helpful to show students examples of facial expressions in each of the four
areas of the Mood Meter.

TM ©©22001133EEmmootitoionnaalllylyInIntetelllilgigeenntt SScchhoooolsls,,LLLLCC

B198

Mood Meter Lesson 1 | Lower Elementary

A Kindergarten class in Oceanside, New York created self-portrait drawings
that represent all four quadrants of the Mood Meter.

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC TM

B199

Mood Meter Lesson 1 | Upper Elementary

RECOMMENDED GRADE Lesson 1:
LEVELS: 3 – 5 Introducing the Mood Meter
Purpose: To provide
students with a formal Upper Elementary
introduction to the Mood
Meter. Procedure
1. Introduce the Mood Meter:
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to… Today we are going to learn about a tool that will help us understand
• Plot feelings in the four how we are feeling. The tool is called the Mood Meter. I have been
quadrants of the Mood using the Mood Meter for a while now and have learned a lot about
Meter myself. I would like to start using this tool in our classroom so that we
• Demonstrate how feelings all can become more aware of our feelings, understand them better,
in each quadrant look and learn ways to manage them so we can get the most out of the
and feel school day.
• Explain how plotting
feelings can be useful 2. Teach students the two axes of the Mood Meter:

Materials and Preparation: a. The X axis is used to show how unpleasant or pleasant we feel. It
Students will need… ranges from very unpleasant (-5) to somewhat unpleasant (-3) to
• Access to a Mood neutral (0) to somewhat pleasant (+3) to very pleasant (+5).
Meter (poster, printed
copy, SMART Board Provide real-life and relevant examples of the different plots. For
Application) example, a student might have felt very pleasant (+5) when his little
• Mood Meter journals sister was born and somewhat unpleasant (-3) when he received an
(student journals or unsatisfactory grade on an assignment. Use numbers to describe
notebooks designated for where feelings are plotted. We recommend that you use the terms
Mood Meter plotting) “pleasant” and “unpleasant” instead of “positive” and “negative.” This
• Mirrors (optional) is because pleasant feelings are not always positive. For example,
when a student feels so excited about Christmas coming that she
cannot concentrate in class, her excitement should not be viewed
as positive in the situation. Similarly, unpleasant feelings are not always
negative. For example, if a student feels discouraged after failing
a test and that motivates him to study harder for the next one, the
feeling can be viewed as positive.

TM

B200 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Mood Meter Lesson 1 | Upper Elementary

b. The Y axis is used to show how emotions are experienced in our Time: 30 minutes
bodies. It ranges from very low energy (-5) to somewhat low energy Evaluation: Break
(-3) to neutral energy (0) to somewhat high energy (+3) to very high students into quadrants,
energy (+5). and have them
demonstrate facial
Give some concrete examples of low and high energy. For example, low expressions, body
energy may make our bodies feel heavy, our heads droop, or our language, and vocal
movements much slower. High energy may create tightness in our necks intonations for their
or shoulders, knots in our stomachs, or a light and lifted feeling in our assigned quadrant of the
bodies. Again, provide examples of the different plots. Model for students Mood Meter.
how very low energy (exhaustion) looks quite different than very high
energy (hyperactivity). CASEL Competencies:
Students will develop
3. Teach students how the two axes create four quadrants into which the following CASEL
feelings can be categorized. Describe each of the four quadrants, recommended
beginning with the RED and ending in the YELLOW. To ensure competency:
understanding of each quadrant, ask open-ended questions such as: • Self-awareness
“What are some words that describe your feelings when you are down • Social-awareness
and you have no energy?” (BLUE)

a. The RED quadrant (upper left) includes emotions that feel unpleasant
and have lots of energy such as anger and worry.

b. The BLUE quadrant (lower left) includes emotions that feel
unpleasant and have little to no energy such as sadness and
boredom.

c. The GREEN quadrant (lower right) includes emotions that feel
pleasant and have little to no energy such as calm and content.

d. The YELLOW quadrant (upper right) includes emotions that feel
pleasant and have lots of energy such as excited and thrilled.

4. In a large group, small groups, or pairs, ask students to demonstrate
facial expressions, postures, and vocal tones for each quadrant (for
example, RED emotions like anger may appear as furrowed brows,
clenched teeth, a red face, a growling voice, and a threatening posture).
If you have mirrors handy, students may find it helpful to look into
mirrors to see how their faces look when they create expressions for
each quadrant.

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC TM

B201

Mood Meter Lesson 1 | Upper Elementary

“When students 5. Ask students: How might plotting ourselves regularly on the Mood
Meter be helpful?
plot themselves
on the Mood You may guide students to respond with answers like:
Meter, they
gain a better • We learn about the feelings of the people around us.
understanding • We think about how our feelings might affect others.
of their • We understand how our feelings might help or hurt
emotions.
us in achieving our goals.
• We realize when changing our feelings may be helpful in a situation.
• We learn lots of words we can use to describe our feelings.

Learning Extensions: Consider collaborating with the art or music
teachers to reinforce what students are learning about the Mood Meter.
In art class, students could create their own Mood Meters and cut out
from magazines or draw images representing each quadrant. In music
class, they could identify music and dance that are congruent with each
quadrant. Learning from this activity also could be extended to social
studies or English language arts by having students write a biographical
spotlight about a character or historical figure from one or more of the
four quadrants. Mood Meters can be created, displayed, and referred
to in all subject areas, including physical education, Spanish or other
language classes, to reinforce these concepts throughout the school
day. Additionally, students can create their own, private Mood Meters on
a 3X5 index card. These can be laminated with clear contact paper and
attached to their desks. This can be used a reminder in the morning and
throughout the school day.

TM

B202 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Mood Meter Lesson 1 | Upper Elementary

It may be helpful to create a class Mood Meter that illustrates and
describes facial expressions and body language in each of the four
quadrants of the Mood Meter.

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC B203

Mood Meter Lesson 1 | Middle School

RECOMMENDED GRADE Lesson 1:
LEVELS: 6 – 8 Introducing the Mood Meter
Purpose: To provide
students with a formal Middle School
introduction to the Mood
Meter. Procedure
1. Introduce the Mood Meter:
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to… Today we are going to learn about a tool that will help us understand
• Plot feelings in the four how we are feeling. The tool is called the Mood Meter. I have been
quadrants of the Mood using the Mood Meter for a while now and have learned a lot about
Meter myself. I would like to start using this tool in our classroom so that we
• Demonstrate how feelings all can become more aware of our feelings, understand them better,
in each quadrant look and and learn ways to manage them so we can get the most out of the
feel school day.
• Explain how plotting
feelings can be useful 2. Teach students the two axes of the Mood Meter:

Materials and a. The X axis is used to represent how unpleasant or pleasant we feel.
Preparation: It ranges from extremely unpleasant (-5) to somewhat unpleasant (-3)
Students will need… to neutral (0) to somewhat pleasant (+3) to extremely pleasant (+5).
• Access to a Mood
Meter (poster, printed Provide real-life and relevant examples of the different plots. For
copy, SMART Board example, a student may have felt extremely pleasant (+5) when his
Application) little sister was born and somewhat unpleasant (-3) when he received a
• Mood Meter journals low grade on an assignment. Use numbers to describe where feelings
(student journals or are plotted. We recommend that you use the terms “pleasant” and
notebooks designated for “unpleasant” instead of “positive” and “negative.” This is because
Mood Meter plotting) pleasant feelings are not always positive. For example, when a student
feels so excited about the weekend that she cannot concentrate
in class on Friday, her excitement should not be viewed as positive
in the situation. Similarly, unpleasant feelings are not always negative.
For example, if a student feels discouraged after failing a test and
that motivates him to study harder for the next one, the feeling can
be viewed as positive.

TM

B204 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Mood Meter Lesson 1 | Middle School

b. The Y axis is used to represent how emotions are experienced in our Time: 30 minutes
bodies. It ranges from very low energy (-5) to somewhat low energy Evaluation: Break
(-3) to neutral energy (0) to somewhat high energy (+3) to very high students into quadrants,
energy (+5). and have them
demonstrate facial
Give some concrete examples of the energy dimension. For example, expressions, body
low energy may make our bodies feel heavy, our heads droop, or our language, and vocal
movements much slower. High energy may create tightness in our intonations.
necks or shoulders, knots in our stomachs, or a light and lifted feeling
in our bodies. Again, provide examples of different plots. Model how CASEL Competencies:
very low energy (exhaustion) looks quite different than very high energy Students will develop
(hyperactivity). the following CASEL
recommended
3. Teach students how the two axes create four quadrants into which competency:
feelings can be categorized. Describe each of the four quadrants, • Self-awareness
beginning with the RED and ending in the YELLOW. To ensure • Social-awareness
understanding of each quadrant, ask open-ended questions such as:
“What are some words that describe your feelings when you are down
and you have no energy?” (BLUE) Ask students what the different
indicators (face/body/voice) are that represent each quadrant.

a. The RED quadrant (upper left) includes emotions that feel unpleasant
and have lots of energy, such as anger and worry.

b. The BLUE quadrant (lower left) includes emotions that feel
unpleasant and have little to no energy, such as sadness and
boredom.

c. The GREEN quadrant (lower right) includes emotions that feel
pleasant and have little to no energy, such as calm and content.

d. The YELLOW quadrant (upper right) includes emotions that feel
pleasant and have lots of energy, such as excited and thrilled.

4. Divide the class into four quadrants. (It may be necessary to have more
than one group for each quadrant.) Then, ask students to brainstorm
and demonstrate facial expressions, postures, and vocal tones for
each quadrant. For example, RED emotions like anger may appear as
furrowed brows, clenched teeth, a red face, a growling voice, and a
threatening posture.

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC TM

B205

Mood Meter Lesson 1 | Middle School

“Mood meter 5. Bring students together to share.

check-ins give 6. End with the following reflection: How might plotting ourselves regularly
my students the on the Mood Meter be helpful?
opportunity to
reflect on their Students might respond with answers like:
emotions at
that moment, • We learn about the feelings of the people around us.
something that • We think about how our feelings might affect others.
middle school • We understand how our feelings might help or hurt
students don’t
often do without us in achieving our goals.
prompting. • We realize when changing our feelings may be helpful in a situation.
(6th Grade • We learn lots of words we can use to describe our feelings.
Teacher at
Maple Creek Learning Extensions: Consider having students work individually or in
Elementary groups (or with the Art teacher) to construct creative projects to reinforce
School) what they are learning about the Mood Meter. For example, they could
create poster presentations that include pictures cut out from magazines
or the internet that represent each quadrant. They could identify types of
music and dance that are congruent with each quadrant and create short
video or audio recordings to represent different emotions. Another option
is for them to write a poem or song to represent one or more quadrants.
This activity also could be extended to social studies or English language
arts by having students write a biographical spotlight about a character
or historical figure from each of the four quadrants. Mood Meters can
be created in all subject areas, including physical education, Spanish
or other language classes to reinforce these concepts throughout the
school day.

TM

B206 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Mood Meter Lesson 1 | Middle School

An example of a biographical sketch about Neil Armstrong
and the Yellow quadrant

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC TM

B207



2LESSON

Labeling
Emotions
with th e
Mood Meter

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Labeling Emotions Lesson 2 | Lower Elementary
with the Mood Meter

RECOMMENDED GRADE Lesson 2:
LEVELS: K - 2 Labeling Emotions with the Mood Meter
Purpose: To provide
students with a basic Lower Elementary
Feelings Vocabulary.
Procedure
Learning Objectives: Prior to the classroom lesson, display a laminated Mood Meter poster or
Students will be able to… a large Mood Meter made of construction paper, fabric, or felt. Students
• Generate a variety of will use this Mood Meter to brainstorm and plot a variety of feeling words
feeling words for each each day. Once the classroom Mood Meter is displayed:
area of the Mood Meter
• Plot the feeling words 1. Remind students about the Mood Meter they have been using regularly
on the Mood Meter in class. Consider reminding them using the book or characters taught
accurately, explaining in Lesson 1 that represent each area of the Mood Meter. Introduce the
their rationale for each activity:
plot
Today, we will be learning about different words to describe what we
Materials and might feel throughout the day. We also will learn about where these
Preparation: different feelings are placed on the Mood Meter.
Students will need…
• Large pieces of paper for 2. Assign students to small groups.
writing or drawing (easel
pads) and markers 3. Walk the class through one area of the Mood Meter at a time,
• Laminated Mood Meter beginning with the RED and ending in the YELLOW. Spend about three
Poster or materials to to five minutes modeling the area, and giving examples from each area.
create a large classroom
Mood Meter and 4. Ask students to brainstorm in their groups as many feeling words as
individual feeling word they can for each of the areas.
cards (construction
paper/markers, felt/fabric • If students are able to write, give them time to record individual
pens); SMART Board or feeling words on sheets of paper or fabric that can be placed
MS PowerPoint also can onto a larger Mood Meter. You may also choose to use individual
be used. worksheets (1.2 Labeling Emotions with the Mood Meter
• 1.2 Labeling Emotions worksheet). If students cannot write yet, consider taking dictation
with the Mood Meter for each group.
worksheet (see Appendix)

Time: 30 minutes; time
can be shortened or
lengthened depending on
how many groups share
with the class.

TM

B210 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Labeling Emotions Lesson 2 | Lower Elementary
with the Mood Meter

5. Ask each group to share their feeling words with the class. When Evaluation: After the
sharing orally, students should demonstrate the facial expressions, activity, hand out a blank
body language, and the correct tone of voice that represent each lower elementary Mood
feeling. For example, students sharing feeling words like anger and Meter to each student.
frustration in the RED area of the Mood Meter should have furrowed Ask students to select
brows, tense postures, and loud tones of voices. Teachers may need one feeling word from
to guide students to the correct plotting of some of the words. each of the four areas of
the Mood Meter. Have
6. By the end of the activity, the class will have placed a variety of students draw a picture
different feeling words on the Mood Meter, which can be displayed in each area of the Mood
and used as reference throughout the year. Ideally, the feeling words Meter that represents
are placed so that they can be moved around and new words can those four feelings. Then,
be added throughout the year (for example, with Velcro or safety ask students to share their
pins on fabric). This classroom Mood Meter will encourage students responses orally in pairs or
and remind teachers to use more sophisticated feeling words in as a large group.
their lessons, discussions, and writing. As teachers introduce new
books and characters to the class, the feeling words and images of CASEL Competencies:
characters displayed on the Mood Meter should expand. Students will develop
the following CASEL
Learning Extensions: Discuss constructing the classroom Mood Meter recommended
with the art teacher. Students might be able to do a collaborative lesson competency:
that involves crafting parts of the Mood Meter in art class. For example, • Self-awareness
the art teacher could have students create drawings, puppets, or • Social-awareness
sculptures that represent different feeling words. A Mood Meter quilt also
can be created. For this activity, each student draws one or more pictures
of people on fabric that will be pressed into the fabric of each Mood
Meter area (by an adult using an iron).

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC B211

Labeling Emotions Lesson 2 | Lower Elementary
with the Mood Meter

An example of feeling words plotted in a lower elementary
school classroom

TM © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

B212



Labeling Emotions Lesson 2 | Upper Elementary
with the Mood Meter

RECOMMENDED GRADE Lesson 2:
LEVELS: 3 - 5 Labeling Emotions with the Mood Meter
Purpose: To provide
students with a basic Upper Elementary
Feelings Vocabulary.
Procedure
Learning Objectives: Prior to the classroom lesson, display a laminated Mood Meter poster or
Students will be able to… a large Mood Meter made of construction paper, fabric, or felt. Students
• Generate a variety of will use this Mood Meter to brainstorm and plot a variety of feeling words
feeling words for each each day. Once the classroom Mood Meter is displayed:
quadrant of the Mood
Meter 1. Remind students about the Mood Meter they have been using regularly
• Plot the feeling words in class. Consider reminding them about using any books or characters
on the Mood Meter introduced in Lesson 1 that represent each area of the Mood Meter.
accurately, explaining Introduce the activity:
their rationale for each
plot Today, we will be learning about lots of different types of feelings that
we might feel throughout the day. We will also learn about where these
Materials and feelings are placed on the Mood Meter.
Preparation:
Students will need… 2. Assign students to small groups.
• Large pieces of paper for
writing (easel pads) and 3. Walk the class through one area of the Mood Meter at a time,
markers beginning with the RED and ending in the YELLOW. Spend about three
• A laminated Mood Meter to five minutes modeling the area, and giving examples from each area.
poster or materials to
create a large classroom 4. Ask students to brainstorm in their groups as many feeling words as
Mood Meter and they can for each of the areas.
individual feeling words
(construction paper/ 5. Give students time to record individual feeling words on sheets of
markers, felt/fabric pens); paper or fabric that can be placed onto a larger Mood Meter. You may
SMART Board or MS also choose to use the 1.2 Labeling Emotions with the Mood Meter
PowerPoint also can be worksheet (see Appendix).
used
• Post-it notes
• 1.2 Labeling Emotions
with the Mood Meter
worksheet (see Appendix)

Time: 30 minutes; time
can be shortened or
lengthened depending on
how many groups share
with the class.

TM

B214 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Labeling Emotions Lesson 2 | Upper Elementary
with the Mood Meter

6. Ask each group to share their feeling words with the class. When Evaluation: After the
sharing orally, students should demonstrate the facial expressions, activity, hand out the
body language, and the correct tone of voice that represent each 1.2 Labeling Emotions with
feeling. For example, students sharing feeling words like anger and the Mood Meter worksheet
frustration in the RED area of the Mood Meter should have furrowed (see Appendix). Ask
brows, tense postures, and loud tones of voices. Teachers may need students to plot one feeling
to guide students to the correct plotting of some of the words. word of their choice in each
quadrant and to explain
7. By the end of the activity, the class will have placed a variety of their rationale for each plot
different feeling words on the Mood Meter, which can be displayed in writing (two
and used as a reference throughout the year. Ideally, the feeling or three sentences/feeling
words are placed so that they can be moved around and new words word). Alternatively, this
can be added throughout the year (for example, with Velcro or safety evaluation could be done
pins on fabric). This classroom Mood Meter will encourage students verbally in pair-shares or a
and remind teachers to use more sophisticated feeling words in their group share.
lessons, discussions, and writing. As teachers introduce new books
and characters to the class, the feeling words and images of characters CASEL Competencies:
displayed on the Mood Meter should expand. Students will develop
the following CASEL
Learning Extensions: Write all of feeling words that students came up recommended
with for each quadrant on Post-it notes. Divide the class into four groups. competency:
Have each group choose a leader to report out at the end of the activity. • Self-awareness
In their groups, students spend about five minutes arranging the feeling • Social-awareness
words according to where they belong on the Mood Meter. For example,
they will discuss: is happy higher or lower in energy than excited? Is
disappointed more or less pleasant than excluded? This lesson will teach
students that each word has its own energy and level of pleasantness
and that we can be more precise in our emotional vocabulary as we
reflect on where each word is plotted on the Mood Meter.

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC B215

Labeling Emotions Lesson 2 | Middle School
with the Mood Meter

RECOMMENDED GRADE Lesson 2:
LEVELS: 6 - 8 Labeling Emotions with the Mood Meter
Purpose: To provide
students with a basic Middle School
Feelings Vocabulary.
Procedure
Learning Objectives: Prior to the classroom lesson, display a laminated Mood Meter poster or
Students will be able to… a large Mood Meter made of construction paper, fabric, or felt. Students
• Generate a variety of will use this Mood Meter to brainstorm and plot a variety of feeling words
feeling words for each each day. Once the classroom Mood Meter is displayed:
quadrant of the Mood
Meter 1. Introduce the activity:
• Plot the feeling words Today, we will be learning about many different types of emotions that
on the Mood Meter we might feel throughout the day. We will also learn about where these
accurately, explaining different emotions are placed on the Mood Meter.
their rationale for
each plot 2. Assign students to small groups, with each group representing one
quadrant of the Mood Meter (you may have two or more groups
Materials and representing each area). Provide groups with a pad of Post-its.
Preparation:
Students will need… 3. Have students brainstorm in their groups as many feeling words as
• Large pieces of paper they can for their assigned quadrant and write them on the Post-its
for writing (easel pads) (provide three to five minutes).
and markers
• A laminated Mood Meter 4. Ask each group to share their feeling words with the class by reading
poster or materials to them out loud. When sharing, students should demonstrate the facial
create a large classroom expressions, body language, and the correct tone of voice for each
Mood Meter and feeling. Teachers may need to guide students to the correct plotting of
individual feeling words some of the words. Consider asking students if they all agree on the
(construction paper/ plotting and discuss any discrepancies.
markers, felt/fabric pens);
SMART Board or MS 5. Using a Mood Meter poster or appropriately colored construction
PowerPoint also can be paper, have each student place their Post-its one at a time on the
used. specific plot in the quadrant on the Mood Meter. As each student
• Post-it notes places her word, she may need to adjust the position of one or
• 1.2 Labeling Emotions more words that were placed previously. This will help students to
with the Mood Meter differentiate emotions with various levels of pleasantness and energy.
worksheet (see Appendix)

Time: 30 minutes; time can
be shortened or lengthened
depending on how many
groups are asked to share
with the class.

TM

B216 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Labeling Emotions Lesson 2 | Middle School
with the Mood Meter

6. Have each group evaluate where the feeling words were placed in their Evaluation: After the
respective quadrant and then present their quadrant to the class. The activity, hand out 1.2
placement of all feeling words can then turn into a large classroom Labeling Emotions with
discussion. the Mood Meter worksheet
(see Appendix). Ask
7. By the end of the activity, the class will have placed a variety of feeling students to plot one feeling
words on the Mood Meter, Ideally, an identical Mood Meter which word of their choice in
can be displayed and used as a reference throughout the year can each quadrant and to
be constructed out of fabric with feeling words attached with Velcro explain their rationale for
or safety pins so that words can be moved around and new words each plot in writing (two
added throughout the year. This classroom Mood Meter will encourage or three sentences/feeling
students and remind teachers to use more sophisticated feeling words word). Alternatively, this
in their lessons, discussions, and writing. evaluation could be done
verbally in pair-shares or a
Learning Extensions: Discuss the applications of the Mood Meter with group share.
the art and music teachers. Students might be able to do a collaborative
lesson that involves crafting parts of the Mood Meter in art class. For CASEL Competencies:
example, the art teacher could have students create drawings or Students will develop
sculptures that represent each of the four quadrants. Also, consider the following CASEL
coordinating this activity with music or technology teachers. Students recommended
could create electronic Mood Meters in MS PowerPoint or on SMART competency:
boards with links to music or video clips representative of each quadrant • Self-awareness
that can be clicked as each quadrant is scrolled over. • Social-awareness

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC B217

Labeling Emotions Lesson 2 | Middle School
with the Mood Meter

An 8th grade classroom plots feeling words on the
Mood Meter

TM © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

B218

3

LESSON

Re g u l a t i n g
Emotions
with th e
Mood Meter

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Regulating Emotions Lesson 3 | Lower Elementary
with the Mood Meter

RECOMMENDED GRADE Lesson 3:
LEVELS: K - 2 Regulating Emotions with
Purpose: To provide the Mood Meter Lower Elementary
students with strategies
to regulate their emotions Procedure
effectively throughout the This activity involves an initial discussion about effective ways to handle
school day and beyond. emotions in each area of the Mood Meter. Students can apply their
learning from this activity in many ways. For example, if a student is
Learning Objectives: fidgety in class, the teacher might remind her of what they learned about
Students will… in class to feel less energetic. Below is a script to help guide you through
• Understand the concept this lesson. Some of the vocabulary words may need to be defined along
of handling (or regulating) the way, depending on the developmental needs of your students.
emotions
• Be able to generate ways 1. Introduce to students the concept of “handling emotions”
to feel more or less of an or “emotion regulation”:
emotion
• Create a Strategy Wall Boys and girls, every day we have been plotting our emotions in one of
that they can reference to the four areas on the Mood Meter: RED, BLUE, YELLOW, and GREEN.
help them regulate their Now, let’s pretend for a moment that you are all feeling YELLOW. Let’s
emotions effectively get into the YELLOW!

Materials and Do an activity to generate YELLOW emotions, such as playing energetic
Preparation: music and having students dance to the “hokey pokey.”
Students will need…
• Large sheets of paper and (Note: This lesson focuses on strategies to bring bring students from
crayons or markers the YELLOW to the GREEN it will be necessary to conduct follow-up on
• (optional) Poster, SMART strategies to get into the YELLOW, out of the RED and out of the BLUE.)
Board, or MS PowerPoint
of the lower elementary 2. Quickly ask students to sit down and do some quiet reading. After a
Mood Meter few seconds, ask:

Time: 20 - 30 minutes for Is this hard for anyone? Why is it so hard for you to be quiet and still
each lesson to correspond right now? Sometimes our emotions are in one area of the Mood Meter
with each area of the Mood (like YELLOW) and we really need to be in a different area of the Mood
Meter. This activity can be Meter (like GREEN). What we are going to learn about today is different
shortened or lengthened
depending on how much
time is devoted to writing
or drawing.

TM

B220 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Regulating Emotions Lesson 3 | Lower Elementary
with the Mood Meter

things that we can think about or do to feel different feelings on the Evaluation: Have students
Mood Meter. sit in a circle. Set up
a “let’s pretend” scenario
We’re feeling really energetic right now in the YELLOW! What is a word using puppets. Have the
that we could use to describe how we feel right now? puppets disagree about
something so that one gets
Several feeling words could apply like happy, excited, silly, or joyful. angry and starts to shout.
Select one of the feeling words generated by students, for example: Have students identify the
area the angry puppet is in.
Right now, we feel excited. And, this makes it hard for us to sit still and Then ask students to think
read. Do we want to feel more excited or less excited in order to be able of ways they can help the
to read?” angry puppet move out of
the RED. This can be done
3. Allow several students to respond. with all areas. For example,
the puppet can act very
We need to feel less excited so that we can be in the GREEN on the excited in the YELLOW,
Mood Meter. This will help us to focus better on quiet reading. When and students can share
we are in one area of the Mood Meter and want to move to another ways the puppet can relax
area of the Mood Meter, we are handling our emotions. or calm himself down so
that he can concentrate in
4. Teach students about ways of handling their emotions: school.

We can regulate our emotions in many different ways. Sometimes we CASEL Competencies:
think about something to regulate our emotions. For example, to move Students will develop
from the YELLOW to the GREEN, we could say to ourselves: “I love the following CASEL
to color/read; I need to be calm so I can focus and read the picture/ recommended
book.” Sometimes we do things to regulate our emotions. For example, competency:
to move from the YELLOW to the GREEN, we could take a few deep • Self-management
breaths. • Social-awareness

5. Tell students that you will now be creating a Strategy Wall (or book)
with all the different things they can think about or do to move from the
YELLOW to the GREEN. Assign students to small groups, with each
group working on the same area of the Mood Meter. Give each group
a large sheet of paper and markers or crayons. Allow students time to
discuss and either draw or write their strategies on the paper. For
Kindergarten students, this activity may require more teacher direction
and might work better in a large group.

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC B221

Regulating Emotions Lesson 3 | Lower Elementary
with the Mood Meter

6. Ask students to share their ideas with the class. When students share,
ask open-ended/clarifying questions to ensure they (a) understand
the strategy and (b) can explain why the strategy is effective. For
example, students often respond with strategies pertaining to avoiding
or suppressing emotions like sleeping and napping. While sometimes
effective (for example, sleeping might give students more energy), often
times these strategies are used to avoid dealing with a particular issue.

7. Tell students that the purpose of a Strategy Wall is to record strategies
that help to regulate emotions in each of the four areas that students
can reference throughout the year. Remind students that today they
focused on one area of the Mood Meter (feeling less YELLOW or more
GREEN). Throughout the year, they will do this activity again for all
areas of the Mood Meter.

8. Conclude by collecting the drawings or written strategies and using
them to create a Strategy Wall or book for the YELLOW quadrant.
Explain to students that whenever they need to move from the
YELLOW to the GREEN, they can remind themselves of these
strategies by looking at the Strategy Wall or book.

Learning Extensions: Ultimately, the goal is to teach this lesson several
times throughout the year for different situations and areas of the Mood
Meter. See the Mood Meter on the following page for sample questions
that can be used to explore each area of the Mood Meter. Consider
collaborating with the art teacher to find creative ways to add to your
Strategy Walls or books in your classroom. For example, the art teacher
could have students create puppets that represent each of the four areas
of the Mood Meter. These puppets could be used in class to act out or
practice different strategies.

TM

B222 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Regulating Emotions Lesson 3 | Lower Elementary
with the Mood Meter

Examples of questions to ask for the Strategy Brainstorm activity

What can What can
we think about we think about
or do to help or do to bring
us out of us into the
the RED? YELLOW?

Energy

What can What can
we think about we think about
or do to help or to bring
us out of the us into the
BLUE? GREEN?

Pleasantness

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC B223

Regulating Emotions Lesson 3 | Lower Elementary
with the Mood Meter

Kindergarten students record strategies for ways they can feel GREEN.

TM © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

B224



Regulating Emotions Lesson 3 | Upper Elementary
with the Mood Meter

RECOMMENDED GRADE Lesson 3:
LEVELS: 3 - 5 Regulating Emotions with
Purpose: To provide the Mood Meter Upper Elementary
students with strategies
to regulate their emotions Procedure
effectively throughout the This activity involves an initial discussion about effective ways to regulate
school day and beyond. emotions in each quadrant of the Mood Meter. Students can apply their
learning from this activity in many ways. For example, if a student is
Learning Objectives: fidgety in class, the teacher might remind her about “strategies” they
Students will… learned to feel less energetic. Provided below is a script to help guide
• Understand the concept you through this lesson. Some of the vocabulary words may need to be
of regulating emotions defined along the way, depending on the developmental needs of your
• Be able to generate ways students.
to feel more or less of an
emotion 1. Introduce to students the concept of “emotion regulation”
• Create a Strategy Wall
that they can reference Every day we have been plotting our emotions in one of four quadrants
to regulate their emotions of the Mood Meter: RED, BLUE, YELLOW, and GREEN. Sometimes we
effectively want to feel more of what we feel, other times less, and sometimes we
want to feel the same. When we regulate our emotions we think about
Materials and things (thoughts) or do things (actions) to feel more, less, or the same
Preparation: amount of the feeling. Today, we are going to focus on ways we can
Students will need… regulate emotions in the RED. In the future, we’ll focus on strategies for
• 1.5 Regulating Emotions emotions in other quadrants.
with the Mood Meter
worksheet (in Appendix) 2. Select a situation in which students may feel emotions in the RED.
• Large sheets of paper and Use a visualization to generate RED emotions in students using this
crayons or markers situation. For example, discuss with students the state exams (or a
• (Optional) Poster, SMART related test) they will be taking later in the school year. Ask them to
Board, or MS PowerPoint close their eyes and imagine it is the morning of the test. For older
of the upper elementary students, you can embellish the visualization by saying things about
Mood Meter being unprepared. Continue by asking them if they would feel pleasant
or unpleasant. What words would describe their feelings? Many
Time: 20 – 30 minutes for students will say they feel nervous or scared; others may say they feel
each of four lessons (one calm or confident. If so, ask all students to imagine they feel nervous.
per quadrant). This activity
can be shortened or
lengthened depending on
how much time is devoted
to writing or drawing
strategies.

TM

B226 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Regulating Emotions Lesson 3 | Upper Elementary
with the Mood Meter

Next, ask all students to imagine they were nervous. Next ask them Evaluation: Hand out the
how their bodies would feel as a result of being nervous. You also 1.5 Regulating Emotions
could ask them what might be going on in their minds. Most students with the Mood Meter
will speak about feeling shaky, having butterflies in their stomach, worksheet. Ask students
and worrying. to write down at least three
different thought or action
3. Say: Our goal is to feel less nervous so that we can focus better on the strategies they could use
test. We want to go from the RED to the GREEN so we can be calm to feel less anxious (red),
and focused to take the test. What are some things we could think less down (blue), more
about or do to feel less nervous about taking the test? curious (yellow), and
more relaxed (green). This
4. Remind students about the difference between thought and activity could be done
action strategies: individually, in pair-shares
or in small groups.
We can regulate our emotions in two ways: using our thoughts or
actions. We use the term “thought strategies” to describe things CASEL Competencies:
people can think about to regulate their emotions. An example of Students will develop
a thought strategy might be, “I can do this, I know I can.” The term the following CASEL
“action strategies” is used to describe things people can do to regulate recommended
emotions. An example of an action strategy that might help us feel less competency:
nervous would be to take deep breaths. • Self-management
• Social-awareness
5. Provide students with three to five minutes to generate as many
thought and action strategies as they can to feel less nervous. Then,
ask them to share with the class. Ask open-ended/clarifying questions
to ensure they understand the strategy and can explain why it may
be effective. For example, students often respond with strategies
pertaining to avoiding or suppressing emotions like sleeping and
napping. While sometimes effective (for example, sleeping might give
students more energy), oftentimes these strategies are used to avoid
dealing with a particular issue.

6. Conclude the activity by beginning the creation of a Strategy Wall (or
book) of all the different things they can think about or do to move out
of the RED quadrant. Explain to students that whenever they need to
reduce their nervous feelings in order to focus on an activity in class,
they can remind themselves of these strategies by looking at the
Strategy Wall or book.

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC B227

Regulating Emotions Lesson 3 | Upper Elementary
with the Mood Meter

“I like the Mood 7. Remind students that today they focused on one quadrant of the Mood
Meter (the RED quadrant; feeling less nervous). Throughout the year,
Meter because they will do this activity again for all four quadrants of the Mood Meter.
I know how
other people Learning Extensions: Ultimately, the goal is to teach this lesson
are feeling. (3rd several times throughout the year for different situations, feelings, and
Grade Student) areas of the Mood Meter. For instance, nervousness about starting at
a new school (5th graders going to middle school) may be different
” than nervousness about a test. Also, different emotions within a single
quadrant may be regulated differently. For example, anger, although in the
RED quadrant with nervousness, is often regulated very differently.

See below for sample questions that can be used to explore each area
of the Mood Meter. Consider collaborating with the art teacher to find
creative ways to add to your Strategy Walls or books in your classroom.
For example, the art teacher could have students create their own
personalized Strategy Books or Boxes that illustrate and include all of
their favorite emotion regulation strategies.

TM

B228 © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

Regulating Emotions Lesson 3 | Upper Elementary
with the Mood Meter

Examples of questions to ask for the Strategy Brainstorm activity

What can What can
we think about we think about
or do to help or do to bring
us out of us into the
the RED? YELLOW?

Energy

What can What can
we think about we think about
or do to help or to bring
us out of the us into the
BLUE? GREEN?

Pleasantness

TM

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC B229

Regulating Emotions Lesson 3 | Upper Elementary
with the Mood Meter

Third grade students record strategies for ways they can handle
RED emotions.

TM © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

B230