Body Clues, Calm Choices

Overview

This is lesson 4 of 10 in Friendship and Feelings. Students connect strong emotions with physical body clues, then practise safe strategies for calming or refocusing. They build on earlier learning about recognising and naming feelings without needing to disclose personal experiences.

Learning intentions

• WALT recognise body clues that can happen with strong emotions.
• WALT practise safe strategies for calming or refocusing.
• WALT choose a strategy that may help in a particular situation.
• WALT explain how asking a trusted adult for help can support wellbeing.

Success criteria

• I can identify at least one body clue linked with a strong emotion.
• I can safely try more than one calming or refocusing strategy.
• I can choose one strategy that may help me and explain when I could use it.
• I can name a trusted adult I could ask for help, if I need it.

Curriculum links

• Bodies | Minds / Self-care: strong emotions can affect the way people behave.
• Bodies | Minds / Self-care: deep breathing, physical activity and support from a trusted adult can help people cope with stressful situations.
• Bodies | Minds / Self-care: breathing, movement and talking to a trusted adult can help manage stress responses safely and constructively.
• Key Competencies: managing self; relating to others; participating and contributing.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and hook. Teacher displays a simple cartoon of a character waiting for an important turn and asks, “What might the body notice when feelings become very strong?” Open with the body-clues hook and learning intention slides. Students think quietly, share general ideas with a partner, and help establish the agreement: we may pass, use fictional examples, and do not need to share private experiences.

2. 5–13 min · Map body signals. Teacher models a neutral example, such as feeling excited before a game, and records possible clues on a body outline: faster heartbeat, warm face, tense muscles, shaky hands, butterflies, quick breathing or wanting to move. Use the body outline and body-clue teaching slide. Students work in pairs to place or write clues on a body outline on the body-clues and calm-choices worksheet, using an imagined character or a feelings picture rather than themselves if preferred.

3. 13–25 min · Practise calm choices. Teacher introduces five options, modelling each briefly and checking that everyone can participate safely: slow breathing, counting slowly, gentle movement or stretching, grounding by noticing things seen/heard/felt, and asking a trusted adult for help. Give clear permission to watch, use a sensory break, or choose a quiet alternative. Students practise each strategy for about one minute, then rate it with a thumbs signal or simple symbol: “helpful to me”, “not sure”, or “not for me”. Use the five strategy instruction slides for visual and audio-supported directions.

4. 25–34 min · Match strategy to situation. Teacher presents fictional situations, such as “A friend has not included you in a game”, “You are about to speak to the class”, or “The room feels noisy”. Students select one safe strategy and explain why it might help. Open the fictional situation and discussion prompt slides. With six students, invite pairs to discuss one situation, then share choices with the group; accept drawing, pointing, acting or a sentence as responses.

5. 34–41 min · Create a personal calm-choices card. Teacher demonstrates completing the card without requiring personal disclosure: “A body clue might be…”, “I could try…”, and “I could ask…”. Students complete the calm-choices section of the personal calm-choices card, choosing at least one body clue, one strategy and one trusted adult. They may dictate answers, draw icons, use a scribe, or record an audio response. Students who finish early compare two strategies and explain when each could be useful.

6. 41–45 min · Share and exit check. Teacher revisits the learning intention and asks students to complete one sentence orally, in writing or by pointing: “One body clue is ___; one safe strategy I could try is ___.” Finish with the reflection prompts poster as a visual choice board for a brief reflection. Students hand in or show their worksheet only if comfortable; the teacher privately checks understanding and offers follow-up support where needed.

Resources

• the body-clues and calm-choices slide deck
• the body-clues and calm-choices worksheet
• the reflection prompts poster
• Large paper body outline or whiteboard
• Pencils, coloured pencils and erasers
• Timer
• Optional sensory tools and quiet space
• Optional device for audio instructions or recorded responses

Assessment

• During the body mapping, listen for students identifying observable body clues rather than judging emotions as “good” or “bad”.
• During strategy practice and fictional scenarios, note whether students can follow a safe strategy and select one that may support calming or refocusing.
• Check the worksheet or oral exit response for one accurate body clue and one appropriate strategy. Follow up privately if a student indicates they do not know a trusted adult or raises a safety concern.

Differentiation

• Model every strategy, use gesture and picture cues, give one instruction at a time, and display a visual sequence: notice, choose, try, reflect.
• Offer dyslexia-friendly options: uncluttered worksheet layout, large clear sans-serif text, high contrast, minimal copying, read-aloud or audio instructions, drawing and oral responses.
• Provide sentence starters such as “My body might…”, “I could try…”, and “This may help when…”. Pair students thoughtfully and allow extra processing time.
• Do not require personal disclosure. Students may use fictional characters, observe rather than participate, take a sensory break, or choose a quiet alternative such as tracing, listening or breathing with eyes open.
• Extend confident learners by comparing two strategies, explaining how each affects a different situation, and considering when asking for adult help is the safest choice.