Active learning ideas
Self-awareness is the foundation of the SPHE curriculum in 3rd Year. At this stage, children are moving beyond simple emotional labels to a more nuanced understanding of how their internal feelings manifest physically and socially. This topic aligns with the NCCA strand 'Myself', focusing on self-identity and the development of self-confidence. Students explore their unique strengths, talents, and the specific ways they experience emotions like frustration, excitement, or anxiety.
Activity 01
Set up stations representing different emotions. At each station, small groups use art supplies or digital tools to map where that emotion is felt in the body and brainstorm three healthy ways to express it.
What makes me unique?
Activity 02
Students reflect individually on a personal strength, share it with a partner to find a real-world example of when they used it, and then present their partner's strength to the class.
How can I express my feelings safely?
Activity 03
Groups are given a scenario that triggers a specific emotion. They create a 'statue' or freeze-frame of the physical reaction, and the rest of the class guesses the feeling and suggests a 'cool down' strategy.
How do my emotions affect my body?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Anger is a 'bad' emotion that should be hidden.
Teach that all emotions are valid and serve a purpose, but our actions in response to them matter. Active role play helps students practice expressing anger safely rather than suppressing it.
Strengths are only about being good at sports or school subjects.
Broaden the definition to include character traits like kindness or persistence. Peer teaching sessions allow students to recognize diverse strengths in one another that they might overlook in themselves.
Methods used in this brief