Emotional Puberty Shifts

Overview

In this lesson (13 of 20) students explore how emotions can change during puberty, why these changes happen, and practical strategies to manage feelings and support others. Students link emotional changes to wellbeing and relationship health, building on earlier learning in the unit “Nutrition and Growth Essentials”.

Learning intentions

• Students will recognise common emotional changes that can occur during puberty.
• Students will explain how thoughts, body changes, and situations influence emotional responses.
• Students will practise strategies to self-manage emotions and communicate respectfully.
• Students will identify ways to support a friend experiencing strong emotions.

Success criteria

• I can describe how puberty-related changes may affect my emotions.
• I can identify factors that influence my emotional responses (inside and outside factors).
• I can choose at least two strategies to manage my emotions when I feel overwhelmed.
• I can use a respectful communication phrase to support someone else.

Curriculum links

• AC9HP8P02: analyse the impact of changes and transitions, and devise strategies to support themselves and others through these changes.
• AC9HP8P06: analyse factors that influence emotional responses and devise strategies to self-manage emotions.
• AC9HP8P10: plan and implement strategies, using health resources, to enhance wellbeing (applied through an emotions-management plan).

Lesson structure (40 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook (anonymous prompt). Teacher displays a short scenario: “After puberty starts, some people feel moody, quick to react, or teary.” Students write one word for how they think people might feel and one reason they guess (no names). Students add responses to a class board/sorting wall.

2. 5–12 min · Mini-teach: what changes and why. Teacher explains that puberty can bring shifts in hormones, sleep, stress levels, and body awareness, and that emotions can also be triggered by friendships, school stress, and social media. Students complete a quick “Think–Body–Situation” note: one example under each heading.

3. 12–22 min · Activity: Emotion Influences Ladder (small groups). Teacher gives each group 4 emotion cards (e.g. embarrassment, anger, anxiety, excitement) and a template. Students build an “influences ladder”:

• Step 1: identify the emotion
• Step 2: list 1–2 possible triggers (situation)
• Step 3: list 1 possible body/inner factor (thoughts or physical change)
• Step 4: predict how it might affect others if not managed Teacher circulates, prompting deeper thinking: “What else might be going on?” and “How could this affect a friend?”

4. 22–32 min · Strategy practice: ‘Pause–Plan–Support’. Teacher introduces three classroom-friendly strategies and models them with a brief role-play:

• Pause: breathing, counting, stepping back, changing pace
• Plan: choose one calming action and a next step (walk, talk later, journalling)
• Support: use a respectful line to check in (“Do you want space or company?”) and listen without judging Students practise in pairs using a role-card (one person shares a strong feeling; the other uses the “Support” script, then they swap).

5. 32–38 min · Exit ticket: Personal Micro-Plan. Teacher explains students will choose one situation that could happen at school (e.g. team selection, conflict with a friend, feeling left out) and complete a 3-line plan:

• Emotion I might feel:
• My trigger/factor:
• My strategy (Pause–Plan–Support): Students submit to the teacher.

6. 38–40 min · Quick wrap. Teacher highlights one good strategy shared by a student (without naming). Students do a one-word self-check: “Today I can…”

Resources

• Emotion cards and role-cards (teacher-made or printable)
• “Think–Body–Situation” worksheet/template
• Emotion Influences Ladder template
• “Pause–Plan–Support” strategy cue cards
• Exit ticket slips or digital form (no login required)
• Scenario prompts on slides/whiteboard
• Timer

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observation during the ladder activity (ability to identify influences and predicted impact on others).
• Formative: pair role-play using the support script (communication and empathy).
• Summative for today (lightweight): exit ticket micro-plan demonstrating at least one self-management strategy and one support action.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters for the ladder (e.g. “This emotion may happen when…”, “One body/inner factor could be…”, “If not managed, it might affect others by…”).
• Support: offer a choice of two role-card scenarios (lower-stakes options) for students who prefer fewer social prompts.
• Extension: ask students to add a “what would I do if the first strategy doesn’t work?” second step to their micro-plan.
• EAL/SEN: use visuals on cue cards, keep instructions short, allow pointing at options on cards rather than long writing.

Alignment note for WA curriculum fit

This lesson is designed to help students manage the emotional transitions of puberty by analysing emotional responses (what influences them) and practising self-management plus supportive communication with others. This directly supports the unit focus on growth, wellbeing, and practical strategies for daily life at school.