3.2 Dealing with emotions

Life orientation

Grade 5

Personal development

Module 16

Dealing with emotions

Activity:

To portray different emotions through role-playing

[lo 3.3; 3.4]

Role-playing

Divide into groups.

Possible situations are described below, but the teacher may also invent more, or other situations relating to the circumstances of the learners. The teacher writes the following situations on scraps of paper, puts them into a paper bag, and each group draws a subject from the bag.

Pleas note: It is important to depict the emotions or feelings of all the role-players. Keep in mind that some cases might call for the depiction of rather aggressive behaviour. It is important that you will think about effective ways of dealing with this type of behaviour as demonstrated in the role-playing.

Every scenario presents a problem situation of some sort. At least one of the role-players must come up with a positive solution for this situation.

1. An aged person in a wheelchair. He/she wants to go shopping at the supermarket. There are a number of steps at the entrance.

Roles:

• The old man or lady
• A friendly bystander
• An unsympathetic member of the public
• A helpful child
• A child of about 10 - 11 years who suffers from an incurable disease is in hospital. It is his/her birthday and his/her parents and friends would like to make the day rather special for him/her.

Roles:

• The ill child
• The doctor or nurse
• The child’s mother or father
• Two or more friends

• It is the soccer world cup finals. There are only a few tickets left. People are queuing at the ticket office. A latecomer pushes his way to the front.

Roles:

• The officer in the ticket office
• The latecomer
• A number of people in the queue. They must show different reactions
• The Grade 5 teacher’s cell phone was stolen while she was out of the classroom during break.

Roles:

• The teacher
• The guilty person
• A number of learners showing different reactions

1. A learner in your class has Down’s syndrome. One of the other learners keeps on teasing and harassing him/her. The elder brother or sister of the mentally retarded child becomes furious and physically attacks the bully during break.

Roles:

• The learner with Down’s syndrome
• The class bully
• The elder brother or sister
• One or more class mates
• The scenario takes place late at night, right in front of a shop. The shop-owner is suspected of selling drugs to primary school children. As there already is a lot of gangster violence in the neighbourhood, both the parents and the children have had enough of living in fear.

Roles:

• The shop-owner
• At least two parents
• One or more children
• A policeman/woman

At the end of each scene, sufficient time should be allocated for identifying the emotions expressed in each case. The effective handling of aggression and emotional situations must be highlighted and discussed.

Assessment

LO 3

Personal Development

The learner will be able to use acquired life skills to achieve and extend personal potential to respond effectively to challenges in his or her world.

We know this when the learner:

3.1 identifies personal successes and develops an action plan for continued positive self-concept formation;

3.2 shows an understanding of and respect for body changes;

3.3 appropriately expresses and copes with a range of emotions;

3.4 explores and evaluates ways of responding effectively to violent situations and contexts;

3.5 reflects on how feedback can be given and received;

3.6 develops and implements a personalised study method.

Memorandum

Modules 14-18 focus on the development of the intellectual potential of each learner and on establishing correct study methods. Learners are equipped to effectively deal with the emotions and peer pressure that may increasingly cause problems as they approach adolescence. Educators are encouraged to make use of the input of experts such as psychologists and counsellors to add value to this aspect