### Civic Education Lesson Plan for Toddlers
**Topic:** Self-Expression
---
**Objective:**
Introduce toddlers to the concept of self-expression, encouraging them to communicate their feelings, ideas, and personalities through various activities such as art, verbal expression, and body language.
**Duration:** 45 minutes
**Materials Needed:**
- Crayons, markers, colored pencils
- Drawing paper
- Stickers and stamps
- Mirrors
- A simple puppet
- Emotion flashcards (happy, sad, angry, surprised, etc.)
- Music player with a variety of songs
---
### Lesson Outline:
**1. Welcome and Introduction (5 minutes)**
- Greet the students warmly as they come in.
- Briefly explain that today’s lesson is about self-expression.
- Introduce the concept of self-expression: "Self-expression is showing how you feel and who you are through talking, drawing, dancing, and making music!"
**2. Warm-Up Activity (5 minutes): Emotions Circle**
- Have the children sit in a circle.
- Show them emotion flashcards and ask them to mimic the emotions shown.
- Discuss briefly: "How do we show we're happy? How do we show we're sad?"
**3. Activity 1: Mirror Time (10 minutes)**
- Give each child a small mirror.
- Ask them to look at their reflections and make different faces.
- Encourage them to show happy, sad, angry, and surprised faces.
- Discuss how their expressions change when they feel different emotions.
**4. Activity 2: Art for Self-Expression (15 minutes)**
- Provide drawing paper and coloring tools.
- Encourage toddlers to draw something that makes them happy.
- Walk around and ask about their drawings, validating their feelings and ideas.
- Optionally, provide stickers and stamps to let them further personalize their artwork.
**5. Activity 3: Puppet Show (5 minutes)**
- Use a simple puppet to act out different scenarios expressing common toddler emotions.
- Scenarios could include the puppet feeling happy with friends, sad when a beloved toy is lost, or excited during playtime.
- Ask questions like: "How do you think the puppet feels?" "What should the puppet do?"
**6. Music and Movement (5 minutes)**
- Play different types of music (happy, calm, energetic).
- Encourage children to move their bodies to the music and express themselves through dance.
- Praise their efforts and creativity.
**7. Closing Circle (5 minutes)**
- Gather the children together to sit in a circle.
- Review briefly: "Today, we learned how to express ourselves through faces, drawing, and dancing!"
- Give each child a chance to share something they enjoyed about the class.
**8. Reflection and Goodbye**
- Ask the toddlers to show an emotion they felt during one of the activities.
- Praise them for their participation and creativity.
- End with a warm goodbye and a positive note for the day.
---
**Assessment:**
- Observe children's engagement and participation in activities.
- Note their ability to mimic and identify different emotions.
- Look for their ability to communicate ideas through drawing and movement.
Through these engaging activities, toddlers will begin to understand and appreciate the diverse ways they can express their emotions and ideas, laying the foundation for self-awareness and communication skills essential to civic education.