Primary student well-being

• Download and make copies of the worksheets you need for the lesson.
• Cut up the emotions cards (if using). These could be used in follow up lessons to review vocabulary and check learners' feelings.
• Prepare a 'happy box'. This CBBC video gives instructions on how to do so:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ulpKdmkr6E 

Note: Other online sources suggest including items which appeal to the five senses. Here are some examples of items you could include:
-    touch – a soft toy; a squishy ball
-    smell – a soap; a scented candle
-    hearing – a playlist of songs that make you happy; a wind chime
-    taste – some dried fruits; some chocolate
-    sight – a photo of a pet; a colouring page; a positive message.

• Ask the learners to think of their favourite emoji and draw it on a paper, mini whiteboard or using an app on their phone. You can display Slide 2 to set up this task.
• After two minutes, they hold them up.
• Ask learners which emoji is the most popular? How many learners have drawn a happy face?

• Draw emojis on the board for the emotions below or use Slide 3.
• Ask learners what emotion each emoji makes them think of.
• Elicit synonyms where possible. Accept any reasonable answers.

Possible answers:

1. happy; smiling; glad; cheerful
2. sad; unhappy; depressed; miserable
3. scared; frightened; afraid
4. excited; enthusiastic; eager
5. calm; quiet; cool; peaceful
6. worried; confused; unsure; anxious
7. angry; annoyed; cross; furious
8. tired; sleepy; bored; fed up

• Make sure to drill any new language that comes up.

• Ask the learners what they do when they feel these emotions. For example, do they smile/laugh when they're happy, do they cry when they're sad, etc.
• Practise all together, showing the different emotions on your face or with your body.
• Tell the learners that you are going to show one of the feelings and they have to guess which it is.
• Play a miming game, where one learner shows an emotion, and the others guess what it is.
• The learner who correctly identifies the emotion first does the next emotion mime.

Tip: If your learners need more practice of this, put them into groups of 4 or 5. Ask each child to do an emotion mime while the rest of the group guesses the emotion. Monitor and support the groups.

Note: The emotions cards can be used at this stage to prompt the miming learners.

• Tell the learners that we all feel a lot of emotions, and you are going to show them some statements and they are going to tell you how these statements make them feel. 

Tip: Give each child a set of the emotion cards from Appendix 1 if you are using them. Or ask the learners to write or draw on a mini whiteboard or a piece of paper how the statement makes them feel. Alternatively, they could show the emotion with a facial expression.

• Display Slide 4, or alternatively read the statements one at a time or write them on the board.

1. At the weekend, I have to stay at home to help my family.
2. My parents are too busy to help me with my homework.
3. I can watch TV or go online after school.
4. I can chat to my friends after school.
5. I can't see my grandparents or my cousins.
6. I can draw or play games after school.
7. My family has a lot of problems.
8. I can go to a party at the weekend.

• Tell the learners that it's normal to feel anxious, confused, sad or angry sometimes. But if these feelings don't go away, it’s important to talk to an adult, like your parents or a teacher. You can display Slide 5.
• Show the learners the box that you have previously prepared. Only show the outside of the box for the moment. Tell them that it's called a 'happy box' and it can help them to feel calm when they feel scared, sad or angry. Ask them to predict what's inside the box.
• Elicit the five senses by miming sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. Write these on the board. You can display Slide 6.  
• Open your box and take out the items one by one. Ask the learners which sense you use for each item. For example, the soft toy is something you can touch. The photo is something you can look at.

• Now tell the learners that they are going to decide what to put in their own 'happy box'. The learners will ideally work in pairs if your context allows. However, it could also be done as a whole-class activity or an activity that learners do individually.
• Put the learners in their groups and give them each Worksheet 1.
• Tell the learners to think of as many different things as they can to put in their 'happy box', and then to choose their favourite items (approximately 8–10) and write them on the worksheet in the correct place. If time allows, they can also draw the items and decorate the picture of the box.
• Invite some of the learners to share their ideas with the class, and suggest that if they wish, they could make the box at home.

Note: The UK Children's Society has explored the links between children's everyday activities and their well-being, and developed a report, 'Ways to well-being'. These activities fall into the following categories: Connect; Be active; Take notice; Keep learning; Be creative and play. 

• Explain to the learners that being happy and healthy is sometimes called 'well-being' and that they are going to look at some of the ways to well-being. Display Slide 7 or write each of the ways to well-being on the board.
• Elicit the meaning of these terms, possible activities and why it's important to do these things. Answers will vary, but some suggestions could be:

1. Connect: talk with your family; see your friends; share experiences
2. Be active: walk; cycle; run; do sports; feel energised; have a healthy body
3. Notice: use your five senses to notice things around you; notice how you feel
4. Learn: read for fun; teach yourself something new; watch a YouTube tutorial
5. Be creative and play: draw; paint; play games
6. Help and give: help at home with chores; give someone a present.

• Tell learners: 'Each of these ways can help you feel good, make you happy and positive, give you confidence, reduce stress and worry.'

• The activities in this task are intended to give children examples of what they can do for each of the ways to well-being. It will help the learners complete the well-being journal at home.
• Either give out Worksheet 2 or display Slide 8. For a low-resource lesson you could write the following on the board:

1. Connect
2. Be active
3. Notice
4. Learn
5. Be creative and play
6. Help and give

• Then read out the sentences and ask learners which category they belong under. Accept any reasonable answers if learners can justify their choice. 

Example: Play a board game with your family. (1, 5)

Suggested answers
a)  Do a five-minute exercise video. (2)
b)  Open the window and listen. Write down everything you can hear. (1, 3)
c)  Talk to your grandparents on the phone. (1)
d)  Do the washing-up after a family meal. (6)
e)  Plant some seeds. (1,3)
f)  Try a new recipe and cook some food for your family. (2, 4, 6)
g)  Make a quiz to do with your friends online. (1, 4, 5)
h)  Go for a walk. (2)
i)  Talk to your parents if you’re worried about something. (1)
j)  Practise your English on a website like LearnEnglish Kids. (4)

Note: Incidental activity, such as cooking and gardening can be as good for our physical and mental health as playing a sport.

• If using the worksheet, put the learners in pairs. This could also be done as a whole-class activity or an activity that learners do individually.
• Tell the learners that they are going to read some sentences and then match each activity to one of the ways to well-being. Sometimes the activity relates to more than one way to well-being.
• Discuss the example on Worksheet 2 as a whole class. Answers can vary. Accept all reasonable suggestions.
• Learners complete the worksheet and then work together to find another activity for each category.
• Compare ideas in a whole-class discussion

Alternative task

• The learners could write the additional activities on sticky notes, which are then used to make a class display, presented under headings of each of the six categories. 

• Tell the learners that they can write a journal every day to help them take care of their well-being.

• Elicit a few journal ideas from the whole group. E.g. Think about today:

  -   Who did you talk to, write to or message? 
  -   What did you do to be active?
  -   What did you notice around you?
  -   What did you learn?
  -   What did you make or play? 
  -   What did you do to help? 
  -   What was the best thing about today?
  -   How do you feel today? 

• You can display Slide 9 or write their ideas on the board.
• Then give out Worksheet 3, the journal, and ask learners to complete the journal for homework for one of the days next week.