Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 4

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Identify and name at least five different feelings.
• Describe healthy ways to express those feelings.
• Recognise emotional cues like facial expressions.
• Show empathy by suggesting kind responses.

Lesson summary

This week, we will be exploring the world of feelings and emotions. Understanding our feelings and learning how to express them in a healthy way is very important for our well-being and for getting along with others. In South Africa, with its diverse cultures and experiences, it’s crucial to understand that everyone experiences emotions differently. Learning to recognise and manage our emotions helps us build strong relationships, resolve conflicts peacefully, and cope with difficult situations in our daily lives, whether at school, at home, or in our communities.

Lesson notes

What are Feelings and Emotions? Feelings and emotions are a part of being human. They are our body's way of telling us something important. Feelings are the physical sensations we experience (like a flutter in our stomach or a racing heart), while emotions are the thoughts and reactions connected to those sensations. We experience emotions every day, and it’s important to understand and manage them.

Different Emotions: Here are some common emotions: Happiness: A feeling of joy, contentment, and well-being.

Example: Feeling happy when you receive a good grade on a test, play with friends, or eat your favorite food.

Sadness: A feeling of sorrow, disappointment, or loss.

Example: Feeling sad when you lose a toy, a friend moves away, or you don't get chosen for a team.

Anger: A strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.

Example: Feeling angry when someone takes your belongings without asking, someone bullies you, or you don’t get what you want.

Fear: A feeling of being afraid or worried about something that might happen.

Example: Feeling afraid during a thunderstorm, walking home alone in the dark, or giving a presentation in front of the class.

Excitement: A feeling of great enthusiasm and anticipation.

Example: Feeling excited about going on a holiday, celebrating your birthday, or watching a sports game.

Surprise: A feeling of wonder or astonishment. This can be a good or a bad surprise.

Example: Being surprised by a pop quiz (bad surprise) or being surprised with a birthday party (good surprise).

Love: A feeling of affection and care for someone or something.

Example: Feeling love for your family, your friends, or your pets.

Expressing Emotions in a Healthy Way: It's essential to express our emotions in a healthy way. Sometimes it’s easy to express happiness, but it can be harder to express anger or sadness.

Here are some examples: Happiness: Sharing your joy with others, smiling, laughing, doing something fun.

Sadness: Talking to a trusted adult (parent, teacher, grandparent, etc.) about how you feel, writing in a journal, listening to calming music, drawing or painting.

Anger: Taking deep breaths, counting to ten, walking away from the situation to cool down, talking to a trusted adult about why you are angry in a calm manner, doing some physical activity like running or playing sport.

Fear: Talking to a trusted adult about your fears, reminding yourself that you are safe, focusing on something positive, finding ways to prepare for the situation that makes you fearful.

Excitement: Sharing your enthusiasm with others, doing something that makes you happy, planning for the event you are excited about.

Recognizing Emotions in Others: We can tell how others are feeling by looking at their facial expressions (e.g., smiling, frowning, crying), body language (e.g., crossed arms, slumped shoulders, jumping up and down), and tone of voice (e.g., loud, quiet, shaky). Recognizing these cues can help us respond to others with empathy and understanding.

Empathy: Empathy means understanding and sharing the feelings of another person. If someone is sad, empathy means recognizing their sadness and offering comfort or support. It’s about putting yourself in someone else's shoes and trying to understand their perspective. For example, if a classmate is crying because they lost their lunch money, you could say, "I'm sorry to hear that. That must be upsetting. Can I help you look for it?"

Worked example

Scenario: Thando's best friend, Zola, got a higher grade on the maths test than she did. Thando is feeling a little sad and jealous.

Emotion: Sadness and Jealousy

Healthy Way to Express It: Thando could talk to her mom or dad about how she is feeling. She could also tell Zola that she is happy for her but also a little disappointed in her own grade. This is honest and helps Thando process her feelings without being mean to Zola.

Scenario: Sipho's team lost the soccer game. He is feeling angry.

Emotion: Anger

Healthy Way to Express It: Sipho could take a few deep breaths and count to ten. He could also go for a run to release some energy. He should avoid yelling at his teammates or blaming them for the loss. Instead, he could discuss the game with his coach and teammates in a calm manner, focusing on what they can improve for the next game.

Scenario: Aisha is about to give a presentation in front of the class and is feeling scared.

Emotion: Fear

Healthy Way to Express It: Aisha could remind herself that she has prepared well and that she knows her topic. She can take deep breaths to calm herself. She can also focus on one friendly face in the audience.

Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1:

Identify the emotion being described: "My friend's dog just died. I feel like crying and I don't want to play."

Solution: The emotion is sadness.

The clues are: "feel like crying" and "don't want to play". Sadness is a normal response to loss.