Recognizing Emotions

Context

This 50-minute lesson is designed for Year 1 and 2 students in Australia, as part of the Health and Physical Education curriculum, specifically within the unit "Building Respectful Relationships." This lesson is Lesson 4 of 10 and focuses on identifying and discussing emotions, aligning closely with the Australian Curriculum (v9) for Health and Physical Education.

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Lesson Title

Recognizing Emotions

WALT (We Are Learning To)

Identify and discuss different emotions in themselves and others. Create an emotions chart to help recognise feelings.

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Success Criteria

• Students can accurately identify emotions in a variety of scenarios.
• Students can participate in creating an emotions chart.
• Students can express some emotions verbally and non-verbally.

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Australian Curriculum Links

Health and Physical Education - Personal, Social and Community Health Strand

• AC9HP2P03: Identify how different situations influence emotional responses.
• AC9HP2P03_E1: Recognise own emotions and demonstrate ways to manage how they express their emotions in different situations.
• AC9HP2P03_E5: Predict how a person or character might be feeling based on words, facial expressions, and body language.
• AC9HPFP03: Express and describe emotions they experience (Foundation, consolidated in Year 1-2).

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Resources and Materials

• Emotion Cards (with facial expressions and emotion names)
• Emoji Cards (for dyslexia-friendly options)
• Scenario Cards with simple descriptions of situations
• Large paper and markers for creating an emotions chart
• Smartboard or projector for digital emotion images/videos (optional)
• Writing materials for extension activity

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Lesson Timeline and Activities

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Warm-up discussion: Begin by asking students how they feel today. Use a simple question such as “Can you show me what happy looks like?” Encourage students to use faces and body language.
• WALT and success criteria shared: Display “We Are Learning To” and discuss what emotions are and why recognising them helps us build respectful relationships.
• Explain the emotions chart activity.

2. Emotion Recognition Activity (15 minutes)

• Whole-class interactive activity: Show emotion cards or project images of faces showing different emotions (happy, sad, angry, scared, excited, surprised).
• Ask students to name the emotion and describe when they might feel that way.
• Use Scenario Cards: Read simple scenarios (e.g., "You lost your favourite toy" or "You are playing with a friend") and ask students to identify how the person might feel and why.
• Encourage students to look at facial expressions and body language clues.

3. Creating an Emotions Chart (15 minutes)

• Group activity: Divide the class into small groups. Provide each group with emotion cards and large paper. Each group creates a section of the emotions chart illustrating an emotion with words, emoji, or drawings.
• Compile the groups’ work into a large classroom emotions chart, combining words and pictures for reference.

4. Reflection and Sharing (5 minutes)

• Invite students to share their favourite or most interesting emotion from the chart and tell why it is important to recognise feelings.
• Encourage reflections on how knowing emotions helps us to be kind and respectful to others.

5. Extension (Homework or Early Finishers)

• Writing task: Ask students to write or draw a short story about a time they experienced a strong emotion and how they dealt with it.
• This activity can be verbal for younger or reluctant writers or done with drawing plus a sentence.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Visual learners: Use colourful emotion cards and emoji cards to support comprehension of feelings.
• Verbal learners: Guide discussions with sentence starters like “I feel… because…”
• Dyslexia-friendly option: Use emoji cards alongside words to support understanding and expression of emotions without heavy reliance on text.
• Students requiring support: Provide one-on-one support or pair with a buddy during group work.
• Advanced learners: Encourage use of more complex emotions (proud, frustrated, surprised) and to identify emotions in more nuanced scenarios.

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Assessment and Feedback

• Formative assessment through observation of students’ participation during emotion identification and group chart creation.
• Check students’ success in naming emotions and linking them to scenarios.
• Use questioning to assess understanding and empathy, e.g., “How do you think your friend feels if...?”
• Review students’ extension writing/drawing to assess their ability to recall and express a personal emotional experience.

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Technology Integration Options

• Use an interactive whiteboard or tablet to show animated facial expressions or mood videos for vivid examples.
• Use digital drawing tools for students to create parts of the emotions chart if devices are available.

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Teacher Reflection Notes

• Monitor students’ comfort levels with sharing emotions and adjust pacing as needed.
• Consider ways to revisit the emotions chart regularly during the unit to build language and emotional literacy.
• Engage families by suggesting sharing the emotions chart at home and discussing feelings.

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This lesson enables Year 1 and 2 students to develop crucial social-emotional skills for respectful relationships through recognising emotions, aligned with the Australian Curriculum Health and Physical Education standards for their year level.