Learning Intention: 

 • Students will identify strengths they use to help them play well with others. 

• Students will describe strengths that help them to work well as a team.

Lesson:

1. Introduce how to play the ‘Sam Says’ Game. Explain that you will be the leader and the class will listen for instructions. That means when you say something, they will perform the action. 

Explain to students that they need to listen carefully, because your actions might be different from your words. 

The instructions can incorporate large body movements, for example, ‘Sam says, “Jump for joy”’. Include instructions that refer to emotions, like ‘Give a big smile’, ‘Shiver with fear’, ‘Give a frown’ or ‘Laugh out loud’.

 2. After the game, ask: • ‘What did you have to do to play this game well?’ Examples include using listening skills, quick thinking, concentrating or having another try after getting it wrong. • ‘Was it easy to listen?’ • ‘When was it hard to listen?’ • ‘What helps you to listen to your friends when you are playing?’ • ‘What helps you to listen well in class?’

Learning Intention: 

Students will listen to a story about sharing written by Aboriginal people.

Students will give some examples of what sharing looks like

Lesson: Read Sharing by Aunty Fay Muir (youtube link)

Ask: 

 ‘What did we see in the pictures in this story?’ • ‘What are some of the kinds of sharing we saw in this story?’ • ‘Sharing is a way to care for people and to care for Country. What did we learn from this story about how we can help to care for Country?’ • ‘What are some of the ways people share with you at school and at home?’ • ‘What are some of the ways that you share with others?’ • ‘What does it feel like when people share with you?’

Task:  Set up turn taking games 

Learning intention:

Students will identify some emotions felt by characters in a story. Students will name the strengths shown by different characters in Students will identify how strengths can be used to show respect.

Lesson:

Read the story Rose meets Mr Wintergarten (or a story of your choice) to the class. Reflect on the story with the students. Ask questions focusing on emotions:

• How did the children feel when they were playing with the ball together?

• When you play a good game with friends, how do you feel?

• How do you think the boy felt when he kicked the ball over the fence?

• The children were scared to go into Mr Wintergarden’s house to get the ball. Rose was brave when she knocked on his door. Can you think of a time when you have been afraid? Can you think of a time when you have been brave?

When Rose met Mr Wintergarden he was grumpy and he was lonely. Rose had afternoon tea with him and helped him feel happy by opening his curtains to make his house light and bright inside. She also asked her family and friends to tidy his garden. She invited Mr Wintergarden to play with her and her friends. Rose was being kind. How do you think this made Mr Wintergarden feel?

• Can you tell us about a time when someone was kind to you? How did this make you feel?

Learning Intention:

Students will explore what it feels like when we have to do something we are afraid of.

Lesson:

Bring the class together for a mat session. Explain you are going to do an activity that is about being brave when we are nervous or scared about something we have to do. Ask the students to think about the sorts of things in everyday life that can sometimes make children feel nervous or scared.

Invite the students to think up some ideas with a partner, and share their ideas. Build a list. Ask: What do you think ‘being brave’ is when you...

• Have to talk to adults you don’t know?

• Try new things?

• Get lost?

• Get left out?

Explain that being brave is when they find the strength to have a go even when they feel nervous or afraid. It does not mean the feeling of being scared goes away, though that might happen afterwards. It means that they don’t let this feeling stop them from taking an action. 

Ask the students to draw a picture of themselves doing something for the first time, or doing something that is challenging. When the children have finished, invite them to share their drawing with the class.

Learning intention: 

Students are learning to name and celebrate personal strengths (such as helpful, kind, patient, brave, neat, hardworking, friendly).

Lesson: 

Personal strength cards handout (Print and cut up. Punch

a hole in the corner of each card and attach string so the

cards can be tied to the tree branch)

• String or ribbon

• Tree branch

• Paper, pencils, crayons and/or textas

• Pot

Find a large branch and stand it up in a pot in a corner of the room. Place the personal strengths words into a basket. Invite the students to mat time. Explain that this tree will help us to celebrate ‘personal strengths’.

Read the strengths words and seek examples about what this strength might look like in action. Ask them each to choose one of the strengths they think they have, or that they would like to use tomorrow.

Ask them to draw a picture of themselves using this strength, and write their name on the picture. Help them to write the personal strength word on the picture. Tie the strengths drawings to the tree to recognise, celebrate and remember students’ personal strengths.

Learning Intention: Students will recognise that problems are a normal part of life.

The Picnic Problem Solving Game

Explain to the class that you are the leader and you need the students' help so you can all get to the park for the picnic. Ask the students to stand up and follow you as you move around the room. As you progress, stop from time to time to create a problem or barrier. Ask the students to

help you solve the problem. For example:

We need to pack a picnic. What will I take?

(Seek ideas. Then move along.)

Let’s pack everything in a bag. Oh no! It won’t all fit in one bag!

What should we do? (Seek ideas, etc...)

We are ready to go. Oh dear! It’s raining outside. What should we wear to stay dry?

Oh no! We forgot to invite everyone, and now some people are sad to be left out. What can we do?

Announce a happy arrival at the end to the game.

Reflection:

Sit back down at the mat and ask:

• What problems did we have in the game?

• How did we solve the problems?

• Who helped?

• When you have a problem, what do you do?

• Who helps you sometimes?

• Sometimes you help other people. When have you

helped others?

Learning Intention: Students will identify how people might feel when others do things that are not fair or kind.

Lesson: Read a story about inclusion/exclusion

Invite students to a circle time session. Read the selected text. 2. When you have finished reading the book, lead students in a reflection about the ways people are affected if others treat them in an unkind or disrespectful way.

Learning Intention: I can identify what friendly and unfriendly decisions are.

Ask the following and invite students to demonstrate

their answers to each question:

• What do people do when they are being friendly at playtime?

• What do people do when they are being friendly in class?

• What do people do when they are being unfriendly in the

playground or in class?

2.  Organise students into groups of three. Ask each group to prepare a pose which shows how they are being friendly in the playground. When they are ready, ask each group to show their pose. Invite the class to guess what they are doing and then have the players confirm or explain.

Optional: Take a photo of each pose. Print and label the photographs. Use them as a display to remind students about the kinds of friendly behaviour you expect of them in class and in the playground.

3. Talk with the students about how our decisions can affect the people around us. 

Ask:

• How do you feel when someone decides to be friendly to you?

• How do you feel when you decide to be friendly to someone else?

Ask students to draw a picture of themselves being

friendly to another child.