1. I can stand up for myself without hurting others
Year 4 – Strong emotions
I can stand up for myself without hurting others
This lesson fits into the Strong emotions strand. It focuses on recognising that experiencing strong emotions at times, such as anger, is normal. Children explore strategies for coping with these strong emotions and think about a strategy which might work for them in terms of calming down. Children will also think about explaining the steps involved in their chosen ‘calming down’ strategy.
© Leeds South and East CCG

2. Learning outcomes Knowledge Skills
I know that people can experience conflicting emotions at different times, such as times of loss and change, stress and anxiety
I can recognise when and how to ask for help
I can use basic techniques for resisting pressure to do something dangerous or unhealthy, something that makes me uncomfortable, anxious or that I believe to be wrong
I can complete the sentence ‘I feel stressed/anxious when …and my body feels…’
When I feel stressed or anxious I can ask for help by…’ 2

3. How we will work together
Can you remember the ground rules we have already talked about, let’s take a minute to think about them
Teacher notes
Read these through with the children. Hopefully the ground rules will be displayed in the classroom already. 3

4. What do we already know? Warm up game ‘Words’ Group discussion
I feel stressed when…
Someone might feel anxious when…
When facing a change in my life, I might feel…
Someone who has lost something might feel…
Circle time. Warm up game – ‘Words’ (Start with a word and 2 claps in between, the next child must say a word associated to the start, e.g. tree, clap, clap, leaf, clap, clap, caterpillar…)
Use the sentence starts on Slide 4 to guide circle time rounds. 4

5. Mindfulness Exercise 1: Mindful Hearing Listen to the audio clip
Right click on ‘Mindful Hearing clip’ hyperlink and click ‘open hyperlink’ to access video. Mindfulness exercise – Exercise 1; ‘Mindful Hearing’.
Listen to the audio clip
© Annaka Harris, 2017; Soundcloud. All Rights Reserved 5

6. A mixture of emotions Talk partners Excited Alone Apprehensive Uneasy
How might someone feel when they are experiencing loss, change, stress or anxiety?
What kind of loss, change or stress might someone be going through?
Is how someone would feel about a change different from how they might feel about a loss?
Why might someone feel what’s called a ‘mixture of emotions’ in that situation? Is that normal? Why?
Talk partners
Excited
Alone
Apprehensive
How might someone feel when they are experiencing loss, change, stress or anxiety? Share vocabulary on slide. Can the children add any other ides to this vocabulary? Is how someone would feel about a change different from how they might feel about a loss? (explore the fact that it depends on what kind of loss/ change is involved and that it won’t necessarily be different but it could also be very different) What kind of loss, change or stress might someone be going through? Collect ideas on post-its. Why might someone feel what’s called a ‘mixture of emotions’ in that situation? Is that normal? Why?
Uneasy
Hopeful
Insecure
Sorrowful 6

7. A big change; a big dilemma
How is Jaspal feeling?
What change is he facing?
How do you think Jaspal feels now?
What do you think Jaspal is going to do? Why?
Watch the video clip
Copyright: BBC Bitesize, 2013
Right click on Video clip and click ‘open hyperlink’ to access video. Watch video clip (stop at 00.47). Discuss: How is Jaspal feeling? (link to ideas shared on slide? Earlier). What change is he facing?
Continue watching video clip (stop at 02.02). How do you think Jaspal feels now?
Continue watching video clip (stop at 06.19). What do you think Jaspal is going to do? Why?
Talk partners 7

8. Thinking about when and how to ask for help
How did Jaspal solve his problem?
When could he have asked for help to limit the amount of stress, pressure and unhappiness he was feeling?
Who might he have asked for help and how might he have asked them?
Group discussion
How did Jaspal solve his problem? When could he have asked for help to limit the amount of stress, pressure and unhappiness he was feeling? Who might he have asked for help and how might he have asked them? Collect ideas about the different times and ways he could have asked for help as a team using the sheet. 8

9. Resisting pressure What did Jaspal feel pressure to do?
Group discussion
To lie
To steal
Jaspal felt pressure to fit in; to steal from his father; to lie; to fit in; to be accepted.
To fit in
To be accepted 9

10. To play near a railway line
Resisting pressure
Group discussion
What else might people be pressured into doing?
Something dangerous?
Something uncomfortable?
Something that makes you feel anxious?
Something you believe to be wrong?
To lie
To play near a railway line
To steal
To play truant
What else might people pressure someone into doing? Why? (Link to dangerous or unhealthy choices/ something that makes you feel uncomfortable, anxious or that you believe to be wrong). Can the children add any further ideas to the list?
To smoke
To be mean to someone
To leave someone out 10

11. Resisting pressure Group discussion
Jaspal felt pressure from himself and because of the situation but you can also feel pressure from your peers at times too. Have you heard of peer pressure?
It can be hard to say 'no' to your friends, especially when they're all joining in
Sometimes it can feel like you have to do what they tell you to in order to be accepted
It can make you feel scared and alone
It's not okay for friends to pressure you like this. And it's not your fault. You can find some top tips at
What else might people pressure someone into doing? Why? (Link to dangerous or unhealthy choices/ something that makes you feel uncomfortable, anxious or that you believe to be wrong). Can the children add any further ideas to the list? 11

12. A helping hand Talk partners
I feel stressed/anxious when… and my body feels…
When I feel stressed or anxious I can ask for help by…
Ways I can resist pressure include…
Talk partners
Partners to work together and discuss the following;
‘I feel stressed/anxious when …and my body feels…’
‘When I feel stressed or anxious I can ask for help by …’
‘Ways I can resist pressure include…’
Discuss/ share ideas and complete ideas on a ‘hand’ outline to display on the ‘Helping hand’ wall/ area for future reference. 12

13. How has our learning progressed?
Exercise 2: Mindful Breathing
Re-cap LOs and discuss.
Mindfulness exercises - or
Mindfulness exercise – Exercise 2; ‘Mindful Breathing’.
You can download these in advance if needed
Listen to the audio clip
© Annaka Harris, 2017; Soundcloud. All Rights Reserved 13

14. Taking the learning away
Consider some of the emotions we have discussed
When you feel stressed or anxious or are facing a loss or change, think about who you could ask for help and how
Use the ideas we have discussed and the ideas on the ‘Helping hand’ as inspiration
Remember, there will be times when you feel pressure to do something, think carefully about who your actions might affect and find the inner strength to resist that pressure 14

15. Additional resources and help
Talk to your teacher or an adult in school
Talk to your Mum, Dad or someone you trust at home about how you are feeling
If you have them: – Write your worry down and post it in the class worry box – Talk to a peer mediator in your school – Write your worry down on the worry wall on the school’s website
Contact:
im-a-young-person
Where can I go for help? 12