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      Our emotional toolkit: handling transition

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can explain some of the emotions young people may feel about change and challenge.

      Key learning points

      1. Everybody faces change and challenge during their life.
      2. Change can cause a range of emotions.
      3. We might feel anxious if we do not know what to expect.
      4. We might feel disappointment if something does not go as we planned or hoped.
      5. Emotions around change can be tricky, as change can often feel like something we cannot control.

      Keywords

      • Challenge - in this context, something new and difficult which needs determination and effort

      • Transition - when something changes or becomes something else

      • Anxious - feeling worried, nervous or unsure about something that might happen, like before a test or speaking in front of people; the feeling can also be felt in your body

      Common misconception

      Change should be avoided or controlled.

      Change happens in many different ways across your lifetime. Many changes are really positive and mean new experiences and opportunities.

      Teacher tip

      Arranging visits from local secondary school staff or organising an online 'hot seat' opportunity can be useful for pupils to ask questions around transition.

      Content guidance

      Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

      Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying

      Supervision

      Adult supervision recommended

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which of these is the correct definition of the word 'emotions'?

      what a person looks like on the outside, for example, hair colour
      symbols used for online messages, for example, a smiley face
      Correct answer: feelings we have inside, for example, happiness, sadness or anger

      Q2.
      Which of these emotions might a person feel if someone said something unkind to them?

      confident
      joyful
      Correct answer: angry
      Correct answer: sad
      excited

      Q3.
      Match the following emotions with signs that the body might give.

      Correct Answer:happy,face feeling relaxed or smiley

      face feeling relaxed or smiley

      Correct Answer:worried,heart beating a little faster and tummy feeling twisted

      heart beating a little faster and tummy feeling twisted

      Correct Answer:angry,feeling hot in the face and like you want to stomp your feet

      feeling hot in the face and like you want to stomp your feet

      Q4.
      If we are struggling to manage our emotions, we can talk to a ...

      Correct Answer: trusted adult, parent, carer, teacher, friend

      Q5.
      Which of the following are helpful ways to manage our emotions?

      Correct answer: get plenty of sleep
      Correct answer: exercise regularly
      ignore how we feel
      talk to a younger sibling
      spend lots of time online without breaks

      Q6.
      We can explain to other people how we might be feeling by ...

      shouting and screaming at them
      Correct answer: writing our feelings down
      Correct answer: drawing a picture to describe it
      Correct answer: pointing it out on an emotions chart

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the word with the definitions.

      Correct Answer:challenge,something new and difficult which needs determination and effort

      something new and difficult which needs determination and effort

      Correct Answer:transition,changing from one thing to another

      changing from one thing to another

      Correct Answer:anxious,feeling worried, nervous or unsure about something that might happen

      feeling worried, nervous or unsure about something that might happen

      Q2.
      Which of these statements are true?

      Only some people face changes or challenges in their life.
      Correct answer: Everybody faces changes or challenges in their life.
      Change should be avoided at all costs.
      Correct answer: Some types of change can provide us with opportunities to learn and develop.
      Correct answer: Emotions around change can be tricky because we can't control the outcome.

      Q3.
      It is to feel anxious about change because we don't always know what to expect.

      Correct Answer: normal, usual, okay, ok, common

      Q4.
      Which of these are examples of big changes?

      having your hair trimmed
      Correct answer: moving house
      eating a different flavour packet of crisps
      Correct answer: moving from primary to secondary school
      Correct answer: the birth of a younger sibling

      Q5.
      Maisie is moving to a new school and is worried about making friends as she doesn't know anyone at the new school. Which of these emotions might she be feeling?

      Correct answer: anxious
      Correct answer: nervous
      confident
      joyful

      Q6.
      We might feel if something does not go as we planned or hoped.

      Correct Answer: disappointment, upset, let down, sad, frustrated

      To help you plan your 6 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Our emotional toolkit: handling transition, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...