Understanding Emotions

Duration: 50 minutes

Year Group: Year 3

Subject: PSHE

Topic: Zones of Regulation

Class Size: 27 Students

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Curriculum Objectives

UK PSHE Association Objectives (adapted to Year 3):

• Health and Wellbeing: Recognise and understand a range of emotions and how they influence thoughts, behaviours, and interactions.
• Living in the Wider World: Identify strategies to manage emotions effectively, including self-regulation techniques.

Specific Focus: Zones of Regulation framework teaches students to identify their emotional states, associate these states with colours, and establish tools to self-regulate.

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Understand the four Zones of Regulation (Blue, Green, Yellow, Red) and identify emotions associated with each.
2. Recognise their own emotional state and the states of others.
3. Develop personal strategies to self-regulate and transition to the Green Zone (calm, focused state).

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Resources Needed

• Smartboard or whiteboard with coloured markers
• Printable ‘Zones of Regulation’ worksheets (differentiated – see independent task section)
• A Zones of Regulation Emotion Card set (cutouts showing faces reflecting different emotions)
• Visual aids: chart of Zones and their descriptions
• Calm music for reflection (optional)
• A timer for task management

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (10 minutes)

Title: “What’s My Zone?”

1. Begin the class by welcoming students and asking them how they’re feeling today. Highlight that no emotion is "wrong" and that understanding how we feel is essential.
2. Introduce the concept of the "Zones of Regulation" using a pre-prepared poster/chart:
   • Blue Zone: Low energy (e.g., tired, sad).
   • Green Zone: Calm, focused, ready to learn.
   • Yellow Zone: Excited, anxious, losing some control.
   • Red Zone: Angry, completely out of control.
3. Hold up Emotion Cards one by one, and ask students to guess which zone each character is in. Encourage brief discussions if interpretations differ.
4. (Optional Extension) Encourage students to mirror the facial expression on the card (a fun warm-up for younger students).

Purpose: Engages students, establishes a shared understanding of Zones, and sets a positive tone.

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2. Main Teaching Input (15 minutes)

1. Discussion and Explanation (5 Minutes):

   • Expand on each Zone with examples student can relate to. For instance:
     • Blue Zone: “Imagine it’s Monday morning, and you didn’t sleep well.”
     • Green Zone: “Imagine you’re in PE doing an activity you love.”
     • Yellow Zone: “Imagine you’re nervous before speaking in assembly.”
     • Red Zone: “Imagine you feel SO upset that you want to shout or cry.”
   • Emphasise that all zones happen naturally and learning how to move back into the Green Zone is key.

2. Teacher Modelling (5 Minutes):
   Use a personal story to point out a time you felt in one Zone and what tool you used to self-regulate.

   • Example for Yellow Zone: “I was feeling very stressed before a big meeting, so I took a few deep breaths to calm down.”
     Highlight strategies such as:
     • Breathing exercises.
     • Asking for help.
     • Taking a short break.

3. Student Participation (5 Minutes):

   • Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair an example scenario on a card (e.g., “You spilled food on yourself at lunch,” “You’re worried about a test later today”).
   • Ask them to work together to identify the emotion, Zone, and a possible self-regulation strategy.

Purpose: Builds student understanding through relatable, interactive examples.

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3. Independent Task (15 minutes)

Differentiated Task: Identify Your Zone

Students complete a worksheet matched to their ability level that helps them personalise and apply the Zones of Regulation.

Group 1 (Higher Ability)

• Draw a comic strip showing a time you were in each Zone. Add captions to explain how you felt in each frame and what you did to move to the Green Zone.

Group 2 (Middle Ability)

• Fill in sentences: “I was in the ______ Zone when ______. To get back to the Green Zone, I can ______.”
  (E.g., I was in the Red Zone when my sister broke my toy. To get back to the Green Zone, I can count to ten.)

Group 3 (Lower Ability/Additional Support)

• Matching task: Match pre-written examples (e.g., “Feeling sleepy after lunch,” “Jumping on the trampoline”) to the correct Zone colours. Then, draw a picture of yourself in the Green Zone.

Purpose: Personalises learning, ensures accessibility for all ability levels, and reinforces self-regulation strategies.

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4. Plenary (10 minutes)

1. Gather students on the carpet/circle. Ask for volunteers to share something they wrote or drew.
2. Discuss as a class: What do we notice about the Green Zone? What tools work best for moving back to it?
3. Finish by teaching the “5-Finger Breathing Tool” as a whole group:
   • Lift one hand in front of you and trace the outline of your fingers with the other hand. As you trace up a finger, breathe in; as you trace down, breathe out. Practise together 2–3 times.

Purpose: Reinforces learning, ends with a calming technique, and promotes class discussion.

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Assessment for Learning

• Observe pair work and independent tasks to check understanding of Zones and self-regulation strategies.
• Evaluate differentiated worksheets for clarity, effort, and ability to apply concepts.
• Listen for reflective and accurate descriptions during the plenary discussion.

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Extension Opportunities

• For early finishers: Provide blank ‘Emotion Cards’ and challenge them to draw a new emotion and match it to a Zone.
• For home learning: Ask students to keep an "Emotions Diary" for one week, recording which Zone they are in at different times of the day and what works best to self-regulate.

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Reflection for Teacher

• Were students engaged throughout?
• Did they show a good understanding in their independent work?
• Were they able to apply strategies to transition into the Green Zone effectively?

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Why This Lesson Will Wow

1. Engaging & Relatable: Links emotions to real-life, age-appropriate scenarios.
2. Differentiated Tasks: Ensures all students, regardless of ability, meaningfully contribute.
3. Practical Tools: Offers simple, memorable self-regulation strategies like the “5-Finger Breathing Tool.”
4. Lasting Impact: Encourages emotional literacy, helping students thrive in learning and interactions beyond the classroom.