💛 SELGrade 2Lesson 1
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Recognize Emotions and Triggers

How to use: Download the PDF to print the worksheet. Then use this page to repeat activities and check answers.

Learning Objectives

  • 1Name common emotions and identify the situations that trigger them
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Mini Lesson

Every day you feel different things inside — and that is completely normal! Those feelings are called emotions, and the things that cause them are called triggers.

What is an emotion?

  • An emotion is a feeling inside your body and mind.
  • Example: happy, sad, angry, scared, proud, calm.
  • Emotions are not right or wrong — they just are.

What is a trigger?

  • A trigger is a situation or event that starts an emotion.
  • Example: Losing your favorite toy can trigger the feeling of sadness.
  • The same trigger can cause different emotions in different people.

How can I recognize my emotions?

  • Notice what your body feels — a tight chest, a big smile, shaky hands.
  • Ask yourself: What just happened? How does it make me feel?
Six emotion facesSix cartoon faces showing happy, sad, angry, scared, proud, and calm emotions arranged in a 3-by-2 grid.Emotionshappysadangryscaredproudcalm
Six emotion faces — happy, sad, angry, scared, proud, and calm.
Trigger causes emotion diagramA diagram showing that a situation (trigger) leads to an emotion, with three examples: getting a gift leads to happy, losing a toy leads to sad, and a loud noise leads to scared.Trigger leads to EmotionGetting a gift(trigger)happyLosing a toy(trigger)sadA loud noise(trigger)scaredSituations cause emotions.
Three examples showing how a situation (trigger) leads to an emotion.
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Ask yourself: "Can I name what I am feeling right now? What happened that made me feel this way?"

Vocabulary
Emotion
A feeling inside your body and mind, like happy or sade.g. Excited is the emotion I feel before a game.
Trigger
A situation or event that starts an emotione.g. Losing my favorite toy was a trigger for sadness.
Recognize
To notice and name somethinge.g. I learned to recognize when I feel angry.
Body signal
What your body tells you, like a tight chest or shaky handse.g. A tight stomach was a body signal that I was nervous.
Calm
Peaceful and steady, not upsete.g. After deep breaths I felt calm again.
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Guided Practice

Pick a word from the Trace menu and pass over the ghost letters with your finger or pen. Tap 🔍 Bigger for a fullscreen practice canvas.

Tracing Pad

Tip: Say the feeling word out loud as you trace it.

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Exercises

Tap each card to see the emotion on the back. Mark it mastered when you can name the feeling from the situation alone.

1 / 8 remaining · 0 mastered

You get a surprise gift from a friend.

(tap to flip)

1. What is an emotion?

2. What is a trigger?

3. Maya wins first place in a race. Which emotion is she most likely to feel?

4. Sam loses his favorite book. Which emotion is most likely?

5. A dog barks loudly right next to Ella. She is most likely to feel —

6. Is it okay to feel angry sometimes?

7. What does it mean to recognize an emotion?

8. Liam reads a whole book on his own for the first time. He most likely feels —

9. How can your body help you recognize an emotion?

10. Two children see a spider. One feels scared; the other feels excited. Why can this happen?

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Assessment

Parent / Teacher Checklist

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