Duration: 15 minutes
SPIRIT Skills:
- Emotional awareness, regulation and communication
- Empathy
Brief Description:
The teacher introduces the idea that emotions can be reflected in nature. Using a large visual chart, students explore how five basic emotions (joy, sadness, anger, fear, calm) can be represented by colours or weather (e.g., joy = sunshine, sadness = rain).
How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills
- Helps develop emotional awareness by inviting children to name emotions and relate them to sensory or natural experiences
- Encourages abstract thinking by associating internal states with external cues (e.g., moss = calm, storm = anger)
What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?
- Students will begin to recognize and describe emotions using metaphor and environment
- They will understand that emotions can be expressed and observed beyond words
Academic/Curriculum Objectives Connection
- Science: Observation of weather/nature patterns
- Language: Emotional vocabulary, use of metaphor
- Art: Visual interpretation of abstract concepts
Materials and tools needed for implementation
- Visual chart (printed or digital) with emotions, weather symbols, and colour metaphors
- Optional: real-life nature photos, emotion flashcards
Preparation notes
- Prepare visual materials in advance
- Be ready to guide conversation gently toward the five selected emotions.
Guided Questions
- What do you feel when it’s rainy/sunny/windy?
- What colour feels like “joy” to you?
- Can a tree or a stone have a feeling?
Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)
- Did anything in nature ever remind you of how you were feeling?
Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges
- Some students may struggle with metaphorical thinking—use concrete examples first
- Allow multiple associations for each emotion (e.g., calm = lake or soft grass.