Physical Responses to Emotions

Year Level

Year 2

Duration

30 minutes

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Curriculum Alignment

Western Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education

• Content Descriptor: AC9HP2P03
  Identify how different situations influence emotional responses
  (Specifically: recognising own emotions and demonstrating ways to manage expression; predicting feelings based on facial/body language; recognising self and others’ feelings in situations) .

• Content Descriptor: AC9HP2P05
  Identify and demonstrate protective behaviours and help-seeking strategies
  (Specifically: identifying body reactions to emotional situations, comparing emotional responses) .

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Lesson 2 of 10 in Unit: Understanding Emotions and Reactions

Lesson Title:

Recognizing Physical Responses

WALT (We Are Learning To):

Connect emotions to physical reactions (e.g., butterflies in the stomach).

Success Criteria:

• Students can match emotions with their corresponding physical responses.
• Students can demonstrate understanding by acting out emotions using physical responses.
• Students can identify body parts involved in emotional reactions using diagrams.

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Learning Objectives:

• Identify common emotional states (happy, scared, nervous, angry, sad).
• Recognise physical signs in the body that accompany these emotions (e.g., butterflies in the stomach, tense muscles, increased heart rate).
• Understand that emotions can cause physical reactions.
• Use visual aids and diagrams to support learning, with dyslexia-friendly features (clear visuals, arrows pointing to body parts).
• Practise expressing emotions through body language and physical movements.

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Resources:

• Worksheets with colourful visuals and labelled body parts showing physical reactions.
• Emotion cards (happy, sad, scared, nervous, angry).
• Large body outline poster or floor mat.
• Arrow stickers or magnetic arrows (for diagrams).
• Space for acting/movement.
• Coloured markers/pencils for worksheets.

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Lesson Breakdown:

Time	Activity	Description	Differentiation/Support
0-5 mins	Introduction: WALT and Discussion	Teacher introduces lesson and explains WALT. Engage students by asking how their body feels when they are happy/ scared/ nervous etc.	Use simple language and encourage share-out loud. Use body language cues to support explanation.
5-10 mins	Matching Emotions to Physical Reactions (Group Activity)	Students work in pairs or small groups with emotion cards and worksheet showing body parts. They match emotions to pictures of physical reactions (e.g., butterflies in stomach for nervous).	Provide worksheets with clear, labelled diagrams and use arrow pointers for dyslexic learners. Visual learners benefit from bright colours and pictures.
10-15 mins	Class Discussion and Sharing	Groups share matches with class. Teacher reinforces connections between emotions and body responses. Use a large body outline poster to point out body parts reacting.	Encourage verbal explanation; support for students with speech anxiety by allowing non-verbal communication or gestures.
15-25 mins	Extension Activity: Acting Out Emotions	Students volunteer to act out an emotion, focusing on physical reactions (e.g., clutching stomach for nervous, slumped shoulders for sad). Rest of class guesses the emotion.	Advanced learners can add voice tone or sentence to express emotion. Use peer encouragement. Provide a quiet space for students who may feel overwhelmed.
25-30 mins	Reflection and Closure	Recap the WALT and success criteria by asking students what physical reactions they noticed with different emotions. Provide a simple exit task: point to body part on diagram where they feel an emotion most.	Use thumbs up/down to check understanding quickly. Repeat key vocabulary with visuals for reinforcement.

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Differentiation Strategies:

• Visual supports: Employ worksheets with colourful diagrams and arrow indicators highlighting body parts.
• Social learners: Pair or group work to encourage peer learning and discussion.
• Kinesthetic learners: Acting out emotions with bodily reactions enhances understanding.
• Dyslexia friendly: Use clear fonts, bold visuals, minimal text, and arrows on diagrams.
• Speech or language challenges: Allow alternative responses, e.g., pointing or demonstrating rather than speaking.
• Sensory considerations: Provide quiet or low-stimulus options for sensitive students during acting.

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Assessment:

• Formative: Observe students’ ability to correctly match emotions to physical reactions in the activity.
• Peer and teacher feedback during acting activity.
• Quick exit task showing recognition of body parts influenced by emotions.
• Use questioning to assess understanding of the link between emotions and physical responses.

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Additional Notes:

• Use colourful materials and body outlines large enough for easy visibility.
• Encourage positive language around emotions, normalising all feelings.
• Use culturally sensitive and inclusive examples.
• Integrate First Nations Australian perspectives when possible by referencing how body and emotions relate in cultural practices and stories (e.g., storytelling about feelings).

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This lesson plan incorporates hands-on group work, bright visuals, movement, and clear scaffolding aligned to Year 2 Health curriculum in Western Australia, meeting AC9HP2P03 and AC9HP2P05 competency requirements. It applies teaching strategies suitable to diverse learners including dyslexia-friendly options and extension for capable students to enhance engagement and learning within 30 minutes.

If you want, I can also generate ready-to-print colourful worksheets and emotion cards to accompany this plan!