Quick Guide
- Keywords: Feelings, pictures
- Learner English level: High beginner to low intermediate
- Learner maturity: High school to university
- Preparation time: 10–15 minutes
- Activity time: 10–15 minutes
- Materials: Picture cards (See Preparation)
This simple mindfulness activity guides students in discussing their emotions as they choose pictures that reflect their emotions and talk about it with their classmates. It can be done as part of a unit on learning emotions or as a warmup activity for higher level students. This activity is a great way for students to get to know each other better, as well as practicing vocabulary related to emotions and comparison.
Preparation
Step 1: Create a variety of picture cards. You can do this by cutting pictures out of magazines or by downloading and printing free use pictures from the internet. Make sure to use many different pictures, such as countryside, city, nature, people, concerts, etc. In total, the number of pictures should be about double the number of students in your class, so that there is a good selection to choose from.
Procedure
Step 1: Spread the pictures out on a table at the front of the class.
Step 2: Put students in groups of three or four.
Step 3: Ask the students to choose a picture that represents how they feel right now.
Step 4: After students have selected their pictures, do a demonstration. Hold up a picture and explain how it is related to how you feel. For example, “I chose this picture of a concert. It represents my feelings because I have a lot of energy, like the people at a concert.”
Step 5: Allow time for the students to think about how they will explain their picture. Depending on your students, you might ask them to write what they want to say, or just think about it silently.
Step 6: Ask students to share their pictures with each other. This should take about 5 minutes.
Step 7: (Optional) repeat over several class periods.
Extension
For lower-level students, you might review useful vocabulary before doing the activity, eliciting words related to feelings such as “tired,” “sad,” and “busy,” as well as comparison phrases such as “similar to” or “like.”
This activity can easily be extended by having students ask follow-up questions. You can brainstorm possible follow-up questions before the activity and write them on the board for students to reference if they aren’t sure what to ask.
Students could also journal about their feelings using the pictures as a guide. This could be done after a discussion to help them develop their ideas, or on its own.
Variation
You can use the pictures to represent other things, such as “My ideal life” or “The perfect day.”
Conclusion
This activity is great for talking about feelings and comparing things. It also helps students to notice their feelings and why they feel that way. Students may also notice through discussion with each other that they are facing similar challenges with their classes, parttime jobs, and daily life and be able to encourage each other. As a result, it can help to create good relationships amongst the students. The activity can also be adapted or extended in a variety of interesting ways to suit the needs of your students.