Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade R

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• This lesson focuses on helping Grade R learners identify, understand, and express their feelings in healthy ways, and connect this understanding to building positive friendships. In the vibrant and diverse context of South Africa, children interact daily with peers from various backgrounds. Understanding that everyone has feelings—happy, sad, angry—is a foundational step towards empathy, respect, and the spirit of Ubuntu. This topic is crucial for developing social-emotional intelligence, which helps learners navigate playground dynamics, share resources, and resolve conflicts peacefully. By learning to name their feelings, they gain the power to manage them, reducing frustration and creating a more positive and inclusive classroom environment.
• Learning Objectives:
• By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to:
• Identify at least three basic feelings (happy, sad, angry) from pictures or facial expressions.
• Name a personal experience that makes them feel happy and one that makes them feel sad.

Lesson summary

This lesson focuses on helping Grade R learners identify, understand, and express their feelings in healthy ways, and connect this understanding to building positive friendships. In the vibrant and diverse context of South Africa, children interact daily with peers from various backgrounds. Understanding that everyone has feelings—happy, sad, angry—is a foundational step towards empathy, respect, and the spirit of Ubuntu. This topic is crucial for developing social-emotional intelligence, which helps learners navigate playground dynamics, share resources, and resolve conflicts peacefully.

Lesson notes

This section provides the core knowledge for the teacher to deliver the lesson. The language should be simplified and demonstrated with actions and visual aids for the learners.

Concept 1: What Are Feelings?

Explanation: Feelings are what we feel inside our bodies and hearts. Everyone has feelings – you, your mommy, your daddy, your teacher, and your friends. Feelings are like the weather inside you; sometimes it's sunny (happy), sometimes it's rainy (sad), and sometimes it's stormy (angry). It is okay to have all these different feelings.

Why it's important: Naming a feeling helps us understand it and tells others how we feel. When we can say, "I feel sad," a friend or a grown-up can help us.

Key Feelings for Grade R: Happy (isiZulu: ukujabula, isiXhosa: uvuyo): This is the sunny feeling! It feels warm and bubbly inside. Your face shows a big smile, and your eyes might look bright.

Example: "Think about when Gogo gives you a warm hug or when you get to play on the swings. That warmth you feel inside is happiness." Sad (isiZulu: ukudabuka, isiXhosa: ulusizi): This is the rainy feeling. It can feel heavy in your heart. Your face might have a frown, and tears might come from your eyes.

Example: "Remember when your favourite toy broke? Or when you fell and hurt your knee? That heavy feeling is sadness. It’s okay to cry when you feel sad." Angry (isiZulu: ukuthukuthela, isiXhosa: umsindo): This is the stormy feeling. It can feel hot and tight inside your body. Your face might look cross, with your eyebrows down, and you might want to clench your fists.

Example: "Imagine someone knocks down the tower you just built with blocks. That hot, tight feeling is anger. The feeling is okay, but hitting is not. We must learn what to do with our angry feelings." Concept 2: Feelings and Friendships Explanation: Friends are people we like to play with and talk to. Our feelings and our friends' feelings are connected. When we are kind, it makes our friends feel happy. When we are unkind, it makes them feel sad or angry.

How to be a good friend: Sharing: When you share your toys or your crayons, it shows you care. It makes your friend feel happy and included.

Example: "Thabo has red, blue, and yellow blocks. Sipho only has green blocks. If Thabo shares some of his blocks, they can build a big, colourful house together. This makes both of them feel happy." Helping: If you see a friend is sad, you can help them. You can ask, "Are you okay?" or give them a gentle pat on the back.

Example: "Amahle falls on the playground. She is crying because her knee is sore. Lindiwe sees she is sad. Lindiwe goes to her and asks, 'Are you okay?' and then tells the teacher. Lindiwe is being a kind and helpful friend." Using Kind Words: Saying "please," "thank you," and "I'm sorry" are magic words that help friends feel respected and happy.

Example: Instead of grabbing a toy, we can say, "Please may I have a turn?" This shows respect for our friend's feelings.

Concept 3: What To Do With Big Feelings (like Anger)

Explanation: Sometimes our feelings, especially anger, can feel too big for our bodies. It’s important to know that the feeling is okay, but how we act is what matters. We must not hurt ourselves, hurt others, or break things.

How to handle anger (Calming Strategies): Breathe like a Dragon: Take a big breath in through your nose, and then breathe out slowly through your mouth, like a dragon breathing out calm air, not fire.

Count to Five: Slowly count on your fingers: 1... 2... 3... 4...

5. This gives your brain a moment to calm down.

Stomp Your Feet: You can stomp your feet hard on the ground to get the angry energy out, without hurting anyone.

Talk to a Grown-up: Always tell a teacher or a family member when you have a big feeling you can't control. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Activity 1: Feeling Faces Charades Question: The teacher holds up a picture of a child with a big smile. "Look at this face. How is this child feeling? Can you show me your happy face? What is one thing that makes you feel happy like this?" Solution/

Commentary: Answer: "The child is feeling happy." Demonstration: Learners should imitate the happy face.

Personal Connection: The teacher listens to answers like "When I play with my puppy," or "When my mom reads me a story." This reinforces that different things can cause the same feeling. The goal is participation and connection, not a single 'correct' answer for the personal experience part.

Activity 2: The Sharing Story Question: The teacher uses two puppets, Jabu and Thembi. "Jabu is playing with all the green playdough. Thembi wants to make a green snake, but Jabu says 'No! It's all mine!' How do you think Thembi feels now? What is a kinder thing Jabu could do?" Solution/

Commentary: Answer: "Thembi feels sad or angry." The teacher should validate both answers, as frustration can lead to either feeling.

Kinder Action: "Jabu could share the playdough.