Back to School Emotions Coloring Activity

Grade: First · Subject: Emotions · Time: 45 min · Difficulty: Standard

Learning Objective

Students will be able to identify and express different emotions by coloring a classroom scene that shows a child with a happy expression.

Teacher-Selected Inputs

Grade: First
Subject: Emotions
Skill: Coloring, Fine motor control, Expressing emotions, Visual attention
Educational Setting: General Education
Difficulty: Standard
Duration: 45 min

Why this printable fits

This printable coloring page connects to the subject of Emotions by allowing first graders to focus on the happy expression of the child in the classroom scene, helping them recognize and express feelings while practicing coloring skills appropriate for their grade band.

Vocabulary

PRE-TEACH

Emotion: A feeling inside you, like happy or sad.
Classroom: A room where you learn at school.
Happy: Feeling good and smiling.

USE DURING LESSON

Color
Smile
Books
Bus
Apple

Materials

Back to School Fun in the Classroom printable
Crayons or colored pencils

Prep

Print enough copies of the coloring page for each student
Gather crayons or colored pencils for students

Lesson Steps

Introduction9 min
Teacher actions: 1. Show the coloring page to the class. 2. Point to the child's face and ask students what emotion they see. 3. Explain the word 'happy' and what it means. 4. Introduce the coloring activity and the materials.
Teacher script: Look at this picture of a child in the classroom. How do you think this child feels? Yes, the child looks happy because of their smile. Today, we will color this picture and talk about happy feelings.
Example / model: Pointing to the child's smiling face, say: 'See the smile? This shows the child is happy.
Printable use: Used to introduce the feeling of happiness depicted in the child's expression and to get students familiar with the image they will color.
Move on when: Students can say or signal the emotion they see on the child's face (happy).
Support if needed: Show a smiley face card or use a sentence frame: 'The child feels __.' (happy)
Guided Coloring9 min
Teacher actions: 1. Model coloring part of the child's face to show care in coloring within lines. 2. Ask students to color the child's face showing happiness using bright colors. 3. Walk around to praise and assist students. 4. Point out other elements to color such as the school bus or books.
Teacher script: Watch me color the child's face carefully inside the lines. Now you try coloring the face. What colors will you choose to show the happy child?
Example / model: Color the child's face lightly with a peach or skin tone crayon, neatly inside the lines.
Printable use: Students practice fine motor skills by coloring the face and details of the classroom scene to represent a happy setting.
Move on when: Students are coloring inside the lines on the child's face and selecting colors actively.
Support if needed: Provide pre-cut crayons or smaller crayons for easier grip (pre_cut_materials).
Formative Check9 min
Teacher actions: 1. Pause the coloring time. 2. Ask students orally to name the feeling the child is showing. 3. Ask students what colors they chose to show happiness.
Teacher script: Let's stop for a moment. Can you tell me what feeling the child in the picture is showing? What colors did you pick to show the happy feeling?
Example / model: Student says: 'The child is happy. I used yellow and orange colors.
Printable use: Used to check understanding of the connection between the child's expression and the feeling of happy, and color choices.
Move on when: Students are able to orally state the emotion and describe their color choices.
Support if needed: Use a sentence frame: 'The child feels ___. I chose ___ color.
Independent Coloring Completion9 min
Teacher actions: 1. Encourage students to finish coloring the rest of the classroom scene. 2. Invite students to color objects that make them feel happy as a small talk point. 3. Circulate to support and praise progress.
Teacher script: Now, finish coloring the rest of the picture. You can use colors that make you happy for the other objects too!
Example / model: Student colors balloons red and books blue while smiling and sharing their choices with neighbors.
Printable use: Students finish coloring objects in the classroom scene relating to happy feelings.
Move on when: Students engage with the coloring task and can say one thing they colored that makes them happy.
Support if needed: Provide an assigned partner for sharing ideas about colors (assigned_partner).
Sharing and Reflection9 min
Teacher actions: 1. Gather students to share their favorite colored object and why it makes them happy. 2. Reinforce emotion vocabulary and color choices. 3. Collect materials and wrap up.
Teacher script: Who would like to share their favorite part of the picture and tell us why it makes them happy? Let's remember the word 'happy' and what it means!
Example / model: Student says: 'I like the red balloons because they look fun and make me happy.
Printable use: Printable serves as a visual aid for students to refer to during their sharing and reflection on emotions and colors.
Move on when: Students can verbally describe one colored object and connect it to their feeling of happiness.
Support if needed: Use sentence frames for sharing: 'My favorite part is ___. It makes me feel ___.

Formative Check

Step: Guided Coloring
Ask students to: Name the feeling the child is showing and describe color choices
Look for: Students use the word 'happy' and name at least one color they used to show happiness

Success Criteria

Students can identify at least 2 emotions represented in the printable.
Students can orally name at least one color they used to represent happiness during coloring.
Students can share one classroom object they colored and explain how it relates to feeling happy.

Differentiation

Support: Provide pre-cut crayons to help students hold and control crayons during coloring.

Scaffold tool: Pre Cut Materials

Standard: Students complete the coloring page independently with teacher support and class discussion.

Extension: Students describe using a full sentence why the child is happy and suggest other feelings the child might have.

Early Finishers: Early finishers draw a small happy face on the back of their coloring page and name another happy thing not in the picture.

Accommodations

Preferential seating close to teacher for support
Extra time for coloring tasks
Provide visual emotion cards for reference
Use of adapted grip crayons if needed

Common Misconceptions

Students may confuse happy with other emotions like sad or excited.
Some students may color randomly without focusing on emotion or object meaning.
Students may not connect color choice with emotions without guidance.

Assessment

Oral responses identifying the child's emotion during formative check.
Observations of color choices connected to happy feelings.
Sharing activity where students explain their favorite colored object and its emotional connection.

Teacher Notes

Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.2: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.4: Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas clearly.

IF SHORT ON TIME

Keep: Step 1: Introduction to emotion and coloring activity.
Skip or shorten: Skip Step 4: Independent Coloring Completion, reduce Step 2 Guided Coloring to 10 minutes.

FOLLOW-UP OPTIONS

Read a picture book about feelings and emotions for discussion.
Create a feelings chart with student drawings.
Practice drawing different facial expressions showing various emotions.

HOME CONNECTION

Ask your child to talk about a time they felt happy at school or at home and to name colors that remind them of that feeling.

Source summary

Based on: Back to School Fun in the Classroom

Printable summary (sanity check): Back to School Fun in the Classroom is a printable designed for first graders to practice coloring while learning to identify and express emotions like happiness through a classroom scene featuring a happy child.