Understanding Our Emotions

Lesson Details

• Year Group: Year 2
• Subject: PSHE
• Lesson Duration: 40 minutes
• Class Size: 8 students
• Curriculum Area: Relationships Education (PSHE) – Mental Wellbeing (as per the PSHE Association Programme of Study and Statutory Guidance for Relationships Education, RSE and Health Education)
• Objective: To help students identify and express different emotions using flashcards and discussion-based activities.

---

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lesson, students will:

• Recognise and name a range of emotions.
• Understand that all emotions are valid and part of being human.
• Learn simple strategies to help regulate emotions.

---

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction – Emotion Flashcards (10 mins)

Activity:

• Show students a set of flashcards with different facial expressions (e.g., happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised).
• Ask students to guess the emotion and describe situations where they might feel this way.
• Encourage students to mimic the emotion using their own facial expressions.

Questioning (Differentiation):

• Simple: "How do you feel when you see a friend?"
• Challenging: "Can you think of a time when you felt a mix of emotions?"

---

2. Exploring Our Feelings – Storytelling (10 mins)

Activity:

• Read a short story about a character who experiences a range of emotions (e.g., a child who loses their toy, then finds it).
• Pause and ask: "How do they feel now? How would you feel in this situation?"
• Use the flashcards again for students to hold up the correct emotion as the story progresses.

Extension:

• Ask students to act out small scenes depicting different emotions.

---

3. Managing Emotions – The Rainbow of Feelings (10 mins)

Activity:

• Draw a rainbow with different colours representing various emotions (e.g., red for anger, blue for sadness, yellow for happiness).
• Students list things that make them feel each emotion.
• Discuss simple coping strategies (e.g., deep breaths, counting to 10, talking to an adult).

---

4. Reflection & Plenary – Emotion Walk (10 mins)

Activity:

• Create an 'Emotion Walk’: Label different areas of the classroom with emotion words such as ‘excited’, ‘nervous’, ‘proud’.
• Say a scenario aloud (e.g., “You scored a goal at football”), and students walk to the area representing how they’d feel.
• Discuss how different people might feel differently in the same situation.

Final Reflection:

• “What did we learn about emotions today?”
• “What will you do if you feel sad or angry?”

---

Resources Needed

• Flashcards (with different facial expressions)
• Storybook or short scenario for discussion
• A large paper rainbow or a whiteboard drawing
• Labels for the Emotion Walk activity

---

Assessment Opportunities

• Observation: Do students correctly identify emotions?
• Verbal responses: Can students explain how they would feel in different situations?
• Participation: Are students engaged in discussions and activities?

---

Differentiation & Inclusion

• Visual prompts (flashcards) to support EAL and SEND students.
• Role-play instead of written responses for children needing additional support.
• Encouraging peer discussion to help build confidence in expressing emotions.

---

Teacher’s Reflection After Lesson

• What worked well?
• What could be improved or adapted for the next session?
• Did all students feel comfortable expressing emotions?

---

👏 This lesson encourages self-awareness and emotional intelligence, building lifelong wellbeing skills. A great foundation for a supportive classroom environment!