Purpose
Students will explore “What are emotion waves?” by identifying feelings in stories, music, movement, facial expressions, and ocean-themed art. They will collaborate with classmates, the counselor, social worker, occupational therapist, and local artist to safely design, test, revise, and explain an accessible sensory wall that uses color, texture, and movement to support self-regulation. Students will demonstrate learning through partner reflection, community feedback, an observed wall-section explanation, the Wave Walk Gallery, and the Ripple Reveal. The linked project handout was not accessible, so this purpose is based on the provided project details.
Learning goals
The linked project handout was not accessible, so these goals are based on the provided project details. Students will identify emotion words and show how feelings change through story language, facial expressions, body movements, music, and personal experiences. Students will use color, shape, texture, and movement to create safe ocean-themed sensory features that communicate feelings and support self-regulation. Students will collaborate with peers and school partners to test their designs, explain their artistic choices, use feedback, and make one meaningful revision. Students will guide visitors through the finished sensory wall and demonstrate how its features can help someone safely “ride the wave” of a big emotion.
Products
Students will create emotion-wave cards, ocean-themed artworks, texture samples, calming touch spots, and movement prompts that connect colors, shapes, sounds, gestures, and textures to feelings. Small groups will design, test, and revise sensory-wall sections using feedback from classmates, the art teacher, counselor, social worker, and sensory support staff. The final products will be a safe, accessible ocean-themed sensory wall and a shared display that students demonstrate and explain during the Wave Walk Gallery and Ripple Reveal. The linked project handout was not accessible, so these products are based on the project details provided here. ([drive.google.com](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PlN2BNKJ1cMEpMUrFJegYWRGzsvCO8P0/view?usp=sharing))
Launch
Begin with “Wave Watch” by reading Emotions Aquarium and inviting students to identify feeling words, sensory phrases, and changes in the characters’ emotions. With support from the counselor, students use faces, ocean-inspired body shapes, breathing, and simple sounds to show an emotion growing, crashing, and calming. Students then safely explore sample colors, textures, and movable materials, choosing one that could help someone “ride the wave” of a big feeling. Close by gathering observations and questions around: “What are emotion waves, and how could art help us move through them safely?” The linked project handout did not return readable content, so this launch uses the project details provided here.
Exhibition
The linked project handout was not accessible, so this plan uses the project details provided here. During a Wave Walk Gallery, student teams guide families, the counselor, and the social worker through the sensory wall, explaining and demonstrating how its textures, colors, and moving parts support safe self-regulation. For a Ripple Reveal, students introduce the completed display to younger classes and special guests, share a favorite feature, and model how it can help someone “ride” an emotion wave. Each student participates through an accessible role such as greeter, demonstrator, emotion-card holder, or speaker.
