Using a 4-part cog model to develop understanding of the emotions felt by a character within a scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

This Primary 4 example shows how the 4- part cog model can be used with a small group of children to identify emotional vocabulary in a more advanced piece of text.

The class novel was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and as the first few chapters were read aloud to the class, children jotted down notes on their 4 cog storyboard or noteboard worksheet. Afterwards, the teacher discussed any identified emotional vocabulary with the class and any new words were explored within the context of the story and recorded on the class wall display.

As part of a literacy lesson, pupils worked in small groups and were given a chapter from the book that introduced them to one of the characters from the story. This example is of Veruca Salt when she entered the nut room. The pupils used highlighters on a piece of text using the corresponding colours to the cogs to identify emotive vocabulary. Orange – Emotion Words, green – Behaviours, red – Body Sensations and yellow for Triggers.

Once the groups had identified the vocabulary they designed a poster for their classrooms Emotion Works display. For this the groups were given a ‘Cog at a time’ Booklet to create their presentations.

This activity can be easily differentiated and used with the 5- cog, 6-cog and 7-cog models depending on the level of text being used within the class.