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.
Standards
[National Core Arts Standards] VA:Re7.1.1a - Select and describe works of art that illustrate daily life experiences of one’s self and others.
[National Core Arts Standards] TH:Pr6.1.a - With prompting and support, use movement and gestures to communicate emotions in a guided drama experience (e.g., process drama, story drama, creative drama).
[National Core Arts Standards] VA:Cn10.1.1a - Identify times, places and reasons by which students make art outside of school.
[Common Core] CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.4 - Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
[National Core Arts Standards] TH:Re8.1.c - Explain or use text and pictures to describe how personal emotions and choices compare to the emotions and choices of characters in a guided drama experience (e.g., process drama, story drama, creative drama).
[Common Core] CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.5 - Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
[National Core Arts Standards] MA:Re7.1.1.b - With guidance, identify how a variety of media artworks create different experiences.
[National Core Arts Standards] VA:Cr2.2.1a - Demonstrate safe and proper procedures for using materials, tools, and equipment while making art.
[National Core Arts Standards] TH:Cn10.1.a - Identify character emotions in a guided drama experience (e.g., process drama, story drama, creative drama) and relate it to personal experience.
[National Core Arts Standards] MU:Cr2.1.1.a - With limited guidance, demonstrate and discuss personal reasons for selecting musical ideas that represent expressive intent.
Competencies
Effective Communication - Students practice listening to understand, communicating with empathy, and share their learning through exhibiting, presenting and reflecting on their work.
Collaboration - Students co-design projects with peers, exercise shared-decision making, strengthen relational agency, resolve conflict, and assume leadership roles.
Self Directed Learning - Students use teacher and peer feedback and self-reflection to monitor and direct their own learning while building self knowledge both in and out of the classroom.
Academic Mindset - Students establish a sense of place, identity, and belonging to increase self-efficacy while engaging in critical reflection and action.
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving - Students consider a variety of innovative approaches to address and understand complex questions that are authentic and important to their communities.
Content Expertise - Students develop key competencies, skills, and dispositions with ample opportunities to apply knowledge and engage in work that matters to them.
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.