LESSON 9: Copy My Face
Lesson Focus: Facial Expression Control
Age Group: 2-3 years old
Duration: 30 minutes
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

   1. Remember: Highlight and label basic facial expressions.
   2. Understand: Match the teacher’s facial expressions using clear visual cues.
   3. Apply: Guide intentional reproduction of expressions with brief, safe holds.

MATERIALS:

   1. Large face cards/icons: happy, sad, surprised, calm/neutral (high-contrast, simple).
   2. Small hand mirror for teacher; optional few child-safe mirrors for demonstration only.
   3. Gesture cue cards: “look,” “pause,” “change” (simple icons).
   4. Simple 3-count card “1-2-3” to cue short holds.
   5. Drum/clapper for “your turn”; soft chime/bell for “stop.”
   6. Optional soft ambient pad for calm starts/ends.
   7. Floor spots or tape for semicircle boundary.
 

LESSON PROCEDURES:

1) Welcome and Settle (2 minutes)
- Greet in a warm, medium voice.
- State the focus: “Look at faces; make safe, short faces together.”
- Show the neutral face card to set a calm baseline.

2) Breath and Face Warm-Up (3 minutes)
- Lead two slow breaths: “Smell the flower… blow the candle.”
- Model a soft “mmm” with relaxed lips.
- Gently stretch face: raise eyebrows, relax; small smile, release; chime to stop.

3) Introduce the Face Cards (4 minutes)
- Show “Happy” card; label: “Happy.”

- Show “Sad” card; label: “Sad.”
- Show “Surprised” card; label: “Surprised.”
- Show “Calm” card; label: “Calm.”
- Place cards at eye level where all can see.

4) Model and Match: One at a Time (4 minutes)
- Hold “Happy”; count “1-2-3” while modelling a soft smile; return to neutral on chime.
- Hold “Sad”; count “1-2-3” with softened eyes and mouth; neutral on chime.
- Hold “Surprised”; count “1-2-3” with gentle “O” mouth and lifted brows; neutral on chime.
- Hold “Calm”; count “1-2-3” with relaxed face; neutral on chime.

5) Guided Echo A: Picture to Face (3 minutes)
- Lift one card.
- Say the label once, then count “1-2-3” while modelling the face.
- Use the drum for “your turn”; chime to stop; switch cards.

6) Gesture Cues for Control (3 minutes)
- Show “look” icon and point to your eyes.
- Show “pause” icon while holding neutral.
- Show “change” icon and swap to a new card.
- Run one short sequence: look → card → count “1-2-3” → chime.

7) Contrast Pairs (4 minutes)
- Place two cards side by side (e.g., Happy vs Sad).
- Point to the first; count “1-2-3” with model; chime to reset.

- Point to the second; count “1-2-3” with model; chime to reset.
- Swap pairs (Calm vs Surprised; Happy vs Calm) to highlight differences.

8) Tiny Turn-Taking (3 minutes)
- Hold one card at a time.
- Model the face for “1-2-3.”
- Use drum = “your turn,” chime = “stop.”
- Offer praise for gentle faces and relaxed releases.

9) Optional Mirror Moment (2 minutes)
- Hold the teacher mirror to demonstrate alignment of features (eyebrows, mouth corners).
- Briefly angle the mirror so the group sees your reflection when you model “happy” vs
“calm.”
- Keep handling secure; store mirror safely after.

10) Cool-Down and Neutral Reset (2 minutes)
- Show “Calm” card.
- Guide two quiet breaths; soften jaw and shoulders.
- Model a relaxed neutral face; chime to close.

ASSESSMENT
- Present a single card and model the matching face; note ability to align features on the “1-2-
3” count.
- Alternate between two cards (e.g., Happy ↔ Calm) with clear cues; note responsiveness to
start/stop.
- Observe comfort with brief holds and gentle release to neutral after chime.

REMARKS
- Inclusion and Developmental Fit (2–3s, ESL):
- Use minimal words; pair each label with a clear card and face model.
- Keep holds short; return to neutral frequently; avoid intense extremes.
- Accept nonverbal participation (gaze, head turn toward the card).
- Classroom Management:
- Establish cues: drum = “your turn,” chime = “stop,” hand to ear = “listen.”
- Maintain eye-level presentation; move slowly; insert silent pauses.
- Voice and Face Care:
- Keep jaw loose; avoid wide, strained shapes; blink naturally.
- Offer water if needed; pause if anyone appears unsettled.
- Differentiation:
- Simplify to two expressions (Happy, Calm) before adding Sad/Surprised.
- For confident groups, add a very brief “thinking” face as a bridge back to neutral.
- Visual Consistency:
- Use the same icons and colour coding each time (e.g., yellow = happy, blue = sad,
white/neutral = calm).