The Changing Seasons of Our Feelings
Lessons from leaves
by Janice Ross
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To help us to understand feelings and moods so that we can have more empathy for one another.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (The Changing Seasons of Our Feelings) and the means to display them.
- Optional: you may wish to have leaf templates available for the children to take away so that they can draw round, colour and annotate them in the classroom.
Assembly
- Explain to the children that today, we will be thinking about leaves. Point out that different trees have different-shaped leaves.
- Show Slides 1-3.
Ask the children if they can identify the leaves from their outlines.
Listen to a range of responses.
- Slide 1 shows an oak leaf.
- Slide 2 shows a beech leaf.
- Slide 3 shows a horse chestnut leaf. - Explain that even the same leaf can look different at different times of the year.
Tell the children that you are going to show them some pictures of oak, beech and horse chestnut leaves in different seasons. - Show Slides 4-6.
As you show each slide, ask the children, ‘How would you describe this leaf?’
Listen to a range of responses.
Suggestions might include the colour, size, shape and condition of the leaf. For example, pale-green, not quite open yet, new and frail.
Point out that all of the pictures were taken in spring. In order, they show oak, beech and horse chestnut leaves. - Ask the children what they think of when they approach spring.
Listen to a range of responses.
Suggestions might include our senses, including sights, smells, sounds and actions. For example, buds on trees bursting open, grass being mown for the first time, early morning birdsong and the wind blowing the washing on the line. - Show Slides 7-9.
As you show each slide, ask the children, ‘How would you describe these leaves?’
Listen to a range of responses.
Point out that all of the pictures were taken in summer. In order, they show oak, beech and horse chestnut leaves. - Ask the children what they think of when they approach summer.
Listen to a range of responses.
- Show Slides 10-12.
As you show each slide, ask the children, ‘How would you describe these leaves?’
Listen to a range of responses.
Point out that all of the pictures were taken in autumn. The pictures follow the same order as before: oak, beech and then horse chestnut leaves. - Ask the children what they think of when they approach autumn.
Listen to a range of responses.
- Show Slides 13-15.
As you show each slide, ask the children, ‘How would you describe the leaves on these trees?’
Listen to a range of responses.
Point out that all of the pictures were taken in winter. The pictures follow the same order as before: an oak tree, a beech branch and a horse chestnut tree.
- Emphasize that not only do different trees have different leaves, but the leaves on a single tree are all different.
Suggest that we are a bit like leaves in this way because all of us look different from each other. This school is full of wonderful variety! - Ask the children to consider whether how they feel at times might be like how leaves look during the different seasons. For example, sometimes, we can feel full of life, a bit like a spring leaf. Then there are times when we might feel like a summer’s day, skipping through life, feeling happy and joyful! At other times, we might feel tired, cold or down in the dumps, reminding us of an autumn or winter leaf.
- Remind the children that we won’t all be feeling the same today. Sometimes, it’s easy for others to guess how we are feeling, but at other times, we might hide how we really feel.
Explain that school is like a big family, and families often have different feelings. School is somewhere we are allowed to feel differently. However, school is also a place where there are friends and teachers who can help us if we are struggling with how we are feeling, when we don’t want to feel the way we do.
Time for reflection
Optional: tell the children that they will each receive a leaf outline on their way out of assembly. You would like them to draw or write on the leaf to show how they are feeling today.
You may wish to have a cut-out of a tree displayed so that the children can stick their leaves on it. Then, everyone will be able to see how many different ways of feeling there are in school today!
Ask the children to close their eyes for a minute and think about what their leaf will look like.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you that you care for us and know how we are feeling right now.
Please help us to care about the feelings of others.
Help us to be happy with those who are happy.
Help us to show friendship and love to those who feel sad and are struggling.
Amen.
Song/music
‘Autumn days’ (Come and Praise, 4), available at: https://youtu.be/ajRVIh3srXw (2.42 minutes long)
