Expressing Emotions Together

Year Level

Prep (Foundation Year)

Duration

40 minutes

Class Size

6 students

WALT (We Are Learning To)

Recognise and express different emotions through body movements and facial expressions.
Understand simple strategies to manage feelings and promote wellbeing.

Success Criteria

Students can identify and label basic emotions (happy, sad, angry, scared).
Students use their body and face to show an emotion in a group activity.
Students participate in guided calming techniques to manage emotions.
Students share ideas on how to help themselves feel better when upset.

Australian Curriculum Links (Health and Physical Education - Foundation Year)

AC9HPFM02: Experiment with different ways of moving their body safely and manipulating objects and space.
AC9HPFM03: Participate in a range of activities in outdoor settings and explore benefits of being active.
Focus on developing resilience, self-regulation, and spatial awareness aligned with the emotional wellbeing aspect of health and physical education.

Resources

Emotion cards with simple pictures showing happy, sad, angry, scared.
Soft balls or bean bags.
Calm-down area with a small mat or cushion.
Visual emotion chart with faces and emotion words in clear, dyslexia-friendly font.
Mirror (optional) for self-expression activities.

Lesson Breakdown

1. Welcome and Introduction (5 minutes)

Greet students and briefly explain that today they will explore how their bodies and faces can show feelings.
Use simple language and visuals to introduce the idea of emotions: happy, sad, angry, scared.
Show emotion cards one by one, say the emotion, and ask students to repeat the word. Differentiation: Use visual supports and allow students to point or nod if verbal responses are challenging.

2. Emotion Movement Game (15 minutes)

Invite students to spread out safely inside the play area.
Call out an emotion and show the corresponding card.
Students use their body and face to show that emotion (e.g., big smile for happy, arms crossed and frowning for angry).
Play “Emotion Ball”: gently toss a ball to a student and say an emotion; that student catches the ball and shows the emotion with their body and face; then tosses the ball to another student with a different emotion.
Repeat multiple rounds to build confidence and awareness. Differentiation: Offer modelling and physical prompts where needed. Allow students to use the mirror to explore their facial expressions. Extension: Encourage a student or pair to create a simple emotion movement sequence (e.g., happy then sad) to share with the group.

3. Calm-Down Practice (10 minutes)

Introduce a quiet calm-down space with a mat or cushion.
Teach a simple breathing exercise: deep breath in through nose (count to 3), slowly out through mouth (count to 3), repeated 3 times.
Ask students to pretend to blow bubbles slowly as they breathe out, using hands to show blowing motions.
Demonstrate calm body movements like stretching arms up and down slowly.
Allow students to take turns practising calm-down techniques in the calm-down area. Differentiation: Provide visual step-by-step prompts for breathing exercises and use calm sensory objects if available (like soft cushions or textured balls).

4. Sharing and Reflection (8 minutes)

Sit in a small circle. Use the emotion chart and ask each student to point to the face showing how they feel right now.
Encourage simple sharing about what helps them feel better when upset (e.g., hug, deep breath, quiet time).
Affirm all contributions and model empathy and validation.
Close by reminding students it is okay to have all feelings and that we can use our bodies and breathing to help us feel calm.

Differentiation Strategies

Use clear, simple language with visual supports for comprehension.
Offer physical modelling and prompts for movements and expressions.
Allow extra processing time and encourage non-verbal responses.
Provide sensory supports and a safe space for self-regulation.
Use peer buddy support for hesitant communicators.

Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

Create a mini “emotion dance” sequence combining different feelings and movements.
Lead a small peer group in teaching the breathing and movement activities.
Use emotions in simple role-play stories to explore social scenarios.

Dyslexia-Friendly Reading Options

Use large, clear fonts (e.g., Arial or Comic Sans) with ample spacing.
Present information with supportive images for each key word or concept.
Repeat key vocabulary verbally while pointing to cards or visuals.
Offer printed visual charts for reference throughout the lesson.

Teacher Reflection Notes

Monitor student engagement and adjust pacing, ensuring time to process and participate.
Observe which emotions are more easily expressed and which may require more support.
Note students’ responses to the calm-down activity and adapt techniques for future lessons.
Use positive reinforcement to encourage risk-taking in emotional expression.

This lesson plan supports early emotional literacy and physical expression, designed specifically to meet the needs of autistic Prep students by integrating movement, sensory strategies, and safe emotional regulation techniques within the Australian Curriculum Health and Physical Education framework for Foundation Year students.

Teaching Instructions