EXPLORING FEELINGS
EXPLORING FEELINGS
WALT Identify a range of feelings and understand how feelings can be linked.
1. CHOOSE
Have a range of Feelings Cards (pictures or emojis) around the classroom. Ākonga choose a feeling that best represents how they feel at that time. �
2. PAIR-SHARE In pairs, ākonga explain the feeling they chose, and answer these questions: Why did you choose this picture? What other words do you associate with this feeling? Why do you think you are feeling like this now?
3. BRAINSTORM In groups, ākonga brainstorm on large paper all the feelings (using words or pictures) they can think of. This will become a feelings wall which ākonga can refer to and add to. It can also be used throughout the day to check how ākonga are feeling. Sort the feelings using colours: Yellow-positive, blue-negative, green-neutral. Emphasise that all feelings are a normal part of being a human. Discuss and brainstorm how negative feelings can be expressed in socially-appropriate ways. For example, what is the better option - when you are angry, do you yell at someone? Or ignore them? Or do you take time to calm down and then have a conversation with the person about why you feel angry? Which option makes you experience a good feeling? Brainstorm the type of feelings we like to experience and why. How do they make us feel?
EXPLORING FEELINGS
WALT Identify a range of feelings and understand how feelings can be linked.
4. FREEZE FRAME In their groups, ākonga create a freeze frame to show a feeling of their choice. This could be a scenario where this feeling may occur, or the physical effects of that feeling. Ask the audience to guess the feeling and explain why they chose that feeling. Use the thought tracking convention to ask ākonga what they are thinking at this time, or the way their body is responding to the feeling, for example, sad-crying eyes, scared-shaking knees, or wide eyes. Reflecting on the variety of freeze frames, discuss which feelings have greater effect on the body and which feel stronger than other feelings. Which feelings were easy to show/express and which are harder? Why? For older ākonga, discuss the socially-constructed barriers people face in expressing feelings. For example, anger and empathy may be affected by socialisation; is either feeling more acceptable for boys or girls or other genders? For adults or children? At home or at school? Identify the different ways feelings are expressed cross-culturally, for example, ways cultural groups express grief.
EXPLORING FEELINGS
WALT Identify a range of feelings and understand how feelings can be linked.
5. CATEGORISE Use the Feelings Cards: Joy, Angry, Scared, Surprised, Love, Disgust, Sad, Guilt and Curious. Summarise what these feelings are and use an age-appropriate scenario to demonstrate when someone may feel this way. Allow more time if working with younger ākonga. Put each feeling at the top of a large drawn circle and, as a class or in small groups, add other Feelings Cards in these circles that associate with that feeling, for example, Joy: Happy, Pleased, Glad, Contented. Where would they put nervous, excited, grateful, surprised, worried, tired, exhausted or irritated? Do they link to more than one of those original feelings? Which ones don't fit anywhere? Make a new category for them.
6. LINK Which circles could be linked together? Why? For example, anger normally comes after feelings of fear, anxiety, humiliation or embarrassment. Fear might come from confusion, vulnerability or surprise.
7. TIME MACHINE Use the Time Machine convention to go back in time and think about what caused a feeling of anger, fear, or joy. Which feelings were originally present? How did these feelings change?
EXPLORING FEELINGS
WALT Identify a range of feelings and understand how feelings can be linked.
8. CONNECT Ask ākonga to choose 1 to 6 feeling words they connect with at the moment. For younger ākonga, teachers could connect a word with a school event or time in class, for example, cross country, Monday morning, or a special school event. In a think-pairshare ask ākonga to connect the feeling word to a specific time. For example, “I felt elated when I finished my speech to the class”; “I felt shy when I performed in the kapa haka for school”.
9. MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL In pairs, one ākonga expresses a feeling they have identified, and the other ‘Mirrors’ that feeling. Encourage ākonga to consider where in their bodies they experience these feelings. What happens to different parts of their bodies and what happens to their face? In the same scenario do both ākonga feel the same? Why? Why not?
10. MIME Ākonga to ‘Mime’ a scenario of their choice, individually or in groups. Use Thought Tracking to encourage ākonga to share how they are feeling, what they are thinking, and how this affects their body. For example, “performing in front of people makes me feel nervous”; “my stomach feels like it has butterflies inside it, and I have shaky legs”. Older ākonga can use metaphors to describe feelings, for example, ‘Shock’ feels like time stood still. Use cartoon strips, video, posters, and poems to convey a feeling.