Recognising Zones Daily

Overview

This 45-minute interactive lesson for Year 0 students in New Zealand explores the use of the Zones of Regulation framework within their daily routines. Students will learn to identify which "zone" (a way of recognising feelings and states) they are in during various activities throughout the day. This helps build self-awareness and emotional regulation, aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh focusing on wellbeing and self-management in Health education.

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Curriculum Links

Health and Physical Education (NZ Curriculum Refresh)

Strand:

• Personal Health and Physical Development

Achievement Objectives (Level 1 / Year 0-1):

• Recognise and describe how their bodies and feelings change in different situations.
• Identify and describe feelings.
• Explore ways to manage emotions and behaviours.

Key Competencies:

• Managing self – managing emotions and behaviours in different contexts
• Relating to others – communicating feelings and understanding others’ feelings
• Participating and contributing – contributing to a safe and supportive learning environment

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Learning Intentions

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Understand the Zones of Regulation colours as simple feelings categorisations (Blue = low energy/sad, Green = calm/ready to learn, Yellow = heightened/excited or anxious, Red = very upset/angry).
• Be able to identify and label which zone they might feel in different daily activities and routines.
• Recognise how emotions can change during the day and how to use strategies to move towards the Green zone (calm and ready to learn).

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Success Criteria

Students can:

• Point to or name the zone they feel in during a given activity or story scenario.
• Share one way to calm down or help themselves if they feel in the Yellow or Red zones.
• Listen and respond respectfully to others’ feelings and zones.

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Lesson Structure

Materials Needed:

• Large coloured Zone charts or posters (Blue, Green, Yellow, Red) with simple symbols and faces.
• Emotion/zone picture cards or daily routine visuals (e.g., eating, playing, quiet reading).
• Soft ball or bean bag for discussion sharing.
• Emotion stickers or simple journal for reflection.

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Lesson Timeline

1. Warm-up and Recap - 5 minutes

• Briefly revisit previous lessons about feelings vocabulary and the four Zones of Regulation colours.
• Show Zone chart and simple faces for each zone.
• Use simple language: "Remember, the Blue Zone means feeling tired or sad. The Green Zone means feeling calm, happy, or ready to learn."

2. Introducing Zones in Daily Life - 10 minutes

• Teacher shows pictures representing daily activities (e.g., snack time, quiet reading, playtime, getting ready for home).
• For each picture, ask students: "How do you think you might feel doing this?" Show zone colours and let them point or say which zone fits best.
• Use prompting questions, e.g., "When you are playing, do you feel calm (green zone) or excited (yellow zone)?"

3. Guided Group Discussion – Recognise and Share - 10 minutes

• In a circle, pass the soft ball and invite students to name a time in their day when they feel like a certain zone (blue, green, yellow, or red).
• Teacher models: "I feel in the Yellow Zone when I am waiting for my turn, and I can take deep breaths to help."
• Encourage peers to listen and acknowledge feelings.

4. Role Play and Practice - 15 minutes

• Set up four stations with Zone colours at each corner of the room.
• Read out short scenarios of daily life feelings (e.g., "You waited a long time for your snack and feel frustrated," or "You are sitting quietly listening to a story and feel calm").
• Students move to the station representing the zone they think fits best.
• After moving, students share briefly in pairs why they chose that zone.
• Teacher circulates giving positive feedback and reminding strategies to move towards the Green Zone (e.g., deep breaths, asking for help).

5. Reflection & Closure – 5 minutes

• Gather students back and ask: “How can we use the Zones to help ourselves every day?”
• Show the Zone chart again and invite students to share one calming strategy they remember.
• Give out emotion stickers or a simple journal page for students to draw or stick a zone colour representing how they feel now or during the day.

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Assessment for Learning

• Observe student participation in discussions and role play, noting understanding of zones.
• Listen for correct identification of zones related to scenarios and daily activities.
• Check ability to share strategies for calming or self-regulating.
• Use thoughtful questioning to encourage elaboration on feelings and choices.

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Teacher Reflection

• Did students engage well with the Zone colours and daily life connections?
• Were students able to articulate or demonstrate understanding of different zones?
• Which strategies were most helpful for students to suggest?
• How can future lessons further support emotional regulation skills and vocabulary development?

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Extensions & Adaptations

• For students needing more support, use more visual cues and allow choice between two zones instead of four.
• For higher students, add simple sequencing activities: "First I feel like this, then I can use this strategy to feel..."
• Incorporate Māori concepts of wellbeing (hauora) and emotions by linking zones to concepts of wairua (spirit) and whānau support.

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This lesson directly supports the Personal Health and Physical Development strand for Level 1 of the NZ Curriculum Refresh Health and Physical Education learning area, focusing on self-regulation, emotional vocabulary, and the development of key competencies like managing self and relating to others in a culturally safe and supportive classroom environment .