Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: More than just ‘happy’ or ‘sad’

25 minutes

Find Out: How emotions show up

20 minutes

Take Action: Calming tools

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

identify a broad range of emotions and recognise that multiple emotions can occur at once
understand that all emotions are valid and serve a purpose.

Success criteria

Students can:

develop self-awareness of how emotions show up in the physical body
practise basic calming and grounding strategies to regulate emotions.

Tune In: More than just ‘happy’ or ‘sad’

Step 1

Introduce the idea that emotions are often described using simple words like ‘happy’ or ‘sad’, but in reality, emotions are much more varied and complex.

Explain that students will begin by exploring how many different emotions they can identify.

Provide each student with paper or direct them to write in their workbooks in response to the question: How many different emotions can be named in 2 minutes?

Set a 2-minute timer and encourage students to list as many emotions as they can, without overthinking.

When time is up, invite students to share their responses and record them on the board.

Step 2

Explain that emotions can often be grouped based on similar feelings or intensity.

Ask students to work in pairs to organise the list of emotions on the board into groups to help them make sense of them.

It is important to note that throughout this lesson, emotions should not be labelled as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, as all emotions help students understand how they feel.

Work with the class to cluster the emotions on the board based on their responses. This can be done by

circling or colour-coding similar emotions
physically grouping words together
drawing lines between related emotions.

Model how to group emotions. For example:

happy, excited, proud, joyful = energised or elevated emotions
nervous, worried, anxious = uncertain or uneasy emotions
angry, frustrated, annoyed = strong or intense emotions
sad, disappointed, left out = low or heavy emotions

Ask guiding questions to support students, such as:

Which emotions feel similar to each other?
Are there emotions that feel stronger or more intense than others?
Are there emotions that might fit into more than 1 group?

Once the emotions are grouped, invite students to reflect on what they notice about the range of emotions identified and highlight these key ideas:

There are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ emotions.
Emotions exist on a spectrum and can vary in intensity.
All emotions are helpful; they provide information about needs, values and safety.
Having a wider emotional vocabulary (more words to explain emotions) helps people better understand how they feel.

Step 3

Highlight that it is possible to feel more than 1 emotion at the same time; for example, a student might feel excited and nervous before performing in front of others, or proud and relieved after completing something challenging.

Ask students to think-pair-share their reflections on this prompt: Think of a time when you felt more than 1 emotion at once.

Reinforce that all emotions are valid and serve a purpose. Emotions give useful information about experiences and can help guide how people respond.

Find Out: How emotions show up

Step 1

Explain that emotions are not just something that happens in the mind; they also show up in the body. Point out that the body often gives signals before people even realise what emotion they are feeling. Learning to notice these signals can help people better understand and respond to their emotions.

Facilitate a class discussion by asking:

Have there ever been times when your body reacted before a clear understanding of an emotion?
What did it feel like?

To prompt reflection, share several relatable experiences, such as

heart beating faster before a big race or public speaking
sweaty palms before a test in school.

Step 2

Provide each student with a My Body Map Activity Sheet (or ask them to draw a simple outline).

Explain that students will map where different emotions might show up in the body. Ask them to choose 2–3 emotions from the list on the board (completed in Tune In).

Model the task before students begin. For example:

nervous: butterflies in the stomach, shaky hands
angry: hot face, clenched fists
embarrassed: tight chest, warm cheeks

As students work, prompt their thinking with questions such as:

Where might this emotion be felt first?
Does this emotion feel big or small in the body?
Does it stay in 1 place or move?

Emphasise that there are no right or wrong answers, because everyone experiences emotions differently.

Step 3

Bring the class together and invite students to share observations from their body maps. Guide the discussion by asking:

Did anyone notice similar body signals?
Were there any differences between people?
Were some emotions easier to map than others?

Sketch an outline of a body on the board, and as students share, record a few key examples to make thinking visible.

Highlight:

People can experience the same emotion in different ways.
Body signals can be helpful clues to understanding emotions.

Step 4

Connect students' learning by re-emphasising the idea that body signals can provide useful information. Explain that some body signals may feel

comfortable or energising (e.g. excitement, anticipation)
uncomfortable or intense (e.g. stress, overwhelm).

Remember to avoid labelling emotions as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – instead, focus on how they feel and what they communicate. Encourage students to ask: What might the body be trying to tell in these moments?

Guide students to understand that emotions can signal needs, such as rest, support, space or action.

Step 5

Explain that understanding emotions is not only about recognising them in ourselves, but also noticing them in others.

Divide students into small groups of 2–3 and provide each group with a Recognising Emotions Scenario Card. Explain that they will discuss the scenario with their group and determine what might be going on beneath the surface.

Ask each group to discuss their scenario using the following structure:

What emotion might be underneath this behaviour?
What body signals might be present?
What could be a supportive response?

Compose an example with the class before group work begins. For example, a classmate goes quiet during group work:

Possible emotion: nervous, unsure, overwhelmed.
Possible body signals: avoiding eye contact, tense posture, not speaking.
Supportive response: ‘Do you want help?’ or ‘We can work through it together’.

Step 6

Bring the class back together and invite groups to share their responses.

As students share, highlight and model supportive language, such as:

‘Are you okay?’
‘Do you want to talk about it?’
‘I’m here to help’

Draw attention to the connection between recognising emotions, understanding body signals and responding with empathy.

Summarise students’ learning so far by explaining that understanding emotions involves noticing what is happening in the body and recognising how others might be feeling. When people understand emotions, both their own and others’, they are better able to respond thoughtfully, rather than react quickly.

Take Action: Calming tools

Step 1

Highlight that although we know emotions provide useful information, they can sometimes feel strong or overwhelming. Having strategies can help the body return to a calmer and more manageable state.

Explain that students will practise a few simple techniques to use when emotions feel intense.

Before introducing these techniques, ask students to brainstorm and share any strategies they have used, such as listening to music, breathing techniques, using sensory tools, physical movement, etc. Capture these strategies on the board.

Learning extension: Invite students to model the technique with their peers, and where appropriate, have their peers practice the calming strategy with them.

Step 2

Introduce the first calming strategy: box breathing.

Model the technique clearly:

Breathe in for 4 seconds.
Hold for 4 seconds.
Breathe out for 4 seconds.
Hold for 4 seconds.

Alternatively, play the Box Breathing Relaxation Video (youtube.com/watch?v=tEmt1Znux58) (02:47 minutes) and have students join in.

Guide the class through 3–4 rounds together. Remind students to focus on their breathing and notice any changes in their bodies.

After completing the breathing exercise, invite students to reflect:

What did they notice in their bodies?
Did anything feel different after slowing down breathing?

Take a few responses and normalise a range of experiences.

Step 3

Introduce a second strategy: grounding using the senses.

Instruct students to sit somewhere comfortable. Guide them through by asking them to internally respond:

Find 5 things you can see.
Think of 4 things that can be felt.
Listen for 3 things that can be heard.
Find 2 things that can be smelled.
Think of 1 thing that can be noticed in the body.

The 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 video (youtube.com/watch?v=30VMIEmA114) (04:28 minutes) can be shown to increase understanding and application. Encourage students to participate in the exercise while the video plays.

Explain that this exercise helps bring attention back to the present moment.

Invite students to reflect again:

How did this strategy affect the body?
When might this be helpful?

Highlight that different strategies work for different people.

Step 4

Introduce a third strategy: movement or reset.

Explain that sometimes the body needs movement to release energy.

Guide students through a short reset, such as:

gentle stretching
shaking out hands and arms
rolling shoulders.

Keep this brief and controlled, pointing out that small movements can be enough to help the body reset.

Suggest that at other times, larger movements, such as sports, walking, or dancing, can also support the body in processing and releasing emotions.

Encourage students to participate in a short movement activity, such as following along to the Just Dance Happy video from 00:36 seconds (youtube.com/watch?v=YteMhrQvfCo&list=PL_ebO2e2plEFkgE-p313uMwC7ru6InFDi&index=5).

Invite students to reflect again:

How did this strategy affect the body?
When might smaller movements and resets be useful?
When might larger movements help?

Emphasise that different situations may require different strategies and it can take practice to find what works best.

Step 5

Bring the class back together and guide a short reflection on the strategies practised. Use the following questions to prompt discussion:

Which strategy felt most helpful for you?
Did different strategies feel different in your body?

Highlight the key messages:

Different strategies work for different people and situations.
Building awareness of what works best can support more controlled and thoughtful responses.

Explain that the strategies explored in this lesson are just some examples, and that there are many different ways to support emotions.

Draw attention back to the strategies brainstormed at the beginning of the activity and highlight that these are also valuable tools.

Emphasise that building a range of strategies allows students to choose what works best in different situations, and that this can take time and practice. Then, invite students to reflect individually using the following prompts:

One emotion that can feel challenging is…
This shows up in the body as…
A strategy that could help is…

Allow time for independent thinking before sharing with a partner or the class.

Reflection

Reinforce that understanding emotions and body signals creates more choice in how to respond.

Ask students to reflect on the following question: How can understanding emotions and body signals help people respond instead of react?

Allow students time to think independently before sharing with a partner or the class.

To support deeper thinking, prompt with questions, such as:

What might happen when emotions are not understood?
How can noticing body signals help in the moment?
How can using a strategy change a situation?

Invite a few students to share their thinking with the class.

Inside Our Emotions

Go to

Summary

Learning intentions

Success criteria

Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills Required

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Information

Related Professional Learning

In this lesson

Inside Our Emotions

Go to

Summary

Learning intentions

Success criteria

Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills Required

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Information

Related Professional Learning

In this lesson