AQA 2026 English Language Writing Skills – Emotions Word Wheel Challenge

Develop student vocabulary and emotional literacy with this visually structured Emotions Word Wheel activity, designed to support the reformed 2026 exam framework from AQA.

Learners first colour each triangle a shade that represents one of the key emotions:
Happy, Sad, Angry, Frightened, Relaxed, Lonely, Nervous, Excited

Students then use a thesaurus to generate ambitious synonyms, placing their new vocabulary on the wheel with the most impressive words positioned closest to the centre. This ranked vocabulary approach encourages students to think about connotation, tone and impact—core skills for the new Paper 1 and Paper 2 writing requirements.

Emotions-word-wheel

Skills Developed

Vocabulary generation using a thesaurus

Ranking vocabulary by ambition and impact

Understanding connotation and emotional tone

Increased literacy confidence through independent word selection

Improved ability to apply emotional vocabulary in transactional or creative writing

Supporting the 2026 writing emphasis on ambitious vocabulary and semantic precision

What Teachers Receive (PowerPoint resource)

Word wheel template divided into triangles

Clear list of emotions and task instructions

Guidance for vocabulary generation and ranked placement

Easily editable slides for starters, homework, intervention, or display-based vocabulary learning

Designed for minimal preparation and maximum student engagement

Classroom Uses

English lesson starter or vocabulary consolidation task

Literacy intervention sessions with ranking and word discussion

Writing preparation for AQA GCSE English Language exam-style responses

Cross-curricular vocabulary development activity

Homework set to encourage independent thesaurus use

Vocabulary display creation to reinforce emotional tone in writing

Suitable For

Secondary English learners (KS3–KS5)

Schools embedding vocabulary into writing practice

EAL and SEN cohorts developing emotion-linked word banks

College or adult literacy groups working on tone and ambitious vocabulary

Curriculum-wide vocabulary development

Why This Resource Works

Visual structure aids memory and participation

Competitive ranked word placement motivates students

Encourages high-ambition vocabulary, not everyday synonyms

Creates talk opportunities around emotions, tone and word choice

Low-prep and classroom-ready

Reinforces the link between word choice, tone, intent and audience—essential for the 2026 writing assessment objectives