Understanding Emotions Together

Overview

This 30-minute session aims to develop Year 4 pupils’ understanding of emotions, recognising feelings in themselves and others, and practising respectful communication. This directly supports the National Curriculum for England’s Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education framework, specifically within Relationships education and Health and wellbeing domains focused on emotional recognition and expression.

National Curriculum Alignment

Key Stage: 2 (Year 4)
PSHE Programme of Study references:

• Relationships Education – Recognising and managing feelings (NC: Health and wellbeing strand)
• Health and wellbeing – Developing self-awareness and managing emotional responses
• Living in the wider world – Respecting differences, including feelings/empathy

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will:

• Identify a range of emotions they may experience.
• Recognise emotions in others through facial expressions and body language.
• Demonstrate respectful communication when discussing feelings.
• Work collaboratively to understand various emotional scenarios.

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Resources

• Emotion cards (with pictures and names of emotions)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed worksheets: “Emotion Detective” scenario worksheet (one per pupil)
• Group discussion prompt cards

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Starter Discussion (5 minutes)

Purpose: Activate prior knowledge and introduce emotion vocabulary

• Begin with a brief mindfulness check: ask pupils to close their eyes and think about how they feel right now.
• Write on the board: happy, angry, sad, calm, worried, excited. Discuss quickly what each emotion means and when they might feel this way.
• Show emotion cards one by one, ask pupils to demonstrate the facial expression/body language associated.
• Discussion prompt: “Why is it important to know how someone else is feeling?”

2. Group Activity – Emotion Detective (15 minutes)

Purpose: Develop empathy through role scenario work and collaborative discussion

• Pupils organised into groups of 5-6 (7 groups total).
• Give each group 2 different scenario prompt cards, e.g.:
  • “Your friend is upset because they lost their toy.”
  • “You feel nervous about an upcoming test.”
• Pupils discuss: “What emotions might people feel in this situation? How could you respond kindly and respectfully?”
• Each group appoints a spokesperson to summarise for the class.
• Teacher circulates, prompting with questions such as “What might they be thinking?”, “How can you tell?”

3. Worksheet Activity – Emotion Detective (7 minutes)

Purpose: Reinforce learning and individual reflection

• Pupils complete the supplied “Emotion Detective” worksheet featuring illustrated scenarios with blank spaces to write the emotions shown and a question about a respectful reaction.
• This sheet promotes identifying emotions and encourages thinking about appropriate responses.

4. Plenary – Whole Class Sharing (3 minutes)

Purpose: Consolidate learning and encourage emotional literacy

• Randomly select 3 pupils to share one thing they learned about emotions today.
• End by reminding the class that understanding emotions helps us be good friends and support each other.

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Assessment & Differentiation

• Formative assessment through the group spokespersons’ feedback and worksheet answers.
• Support for pupils with additional needs via visuals, simplified language, or one-on-one guidance.
• Challenge extension: Ask some groups to think up their own scenarios to share with the class.

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Follow-up Ideas

• Create a “Feelings Wall” in the classroom where pupils can post daily emotion cards.
• Role-play renewing the scenarios with alternative respectful reactions.
• Integration with Literacy: Writing diary entries describing emotions felt in different situations.

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This carefully structured lesson embraces the statutory expectation in KS2 PSHE by combining discussion, group collaboration, and reflective work, engaging all pupils in emotional literacy with active, thoughtful participation.