Learning Intention: We are learning to identify when I might need some help, who to approach and how to ask for help.
Success Criteria:
I can identify warning signs in my body that tell me something is not right.
I can name 5 trusted adults in my safety network.
I can practise how to explain a problem clearly and how it makes me feel.
Introduction: In today’s lesson, we need to make sure we are extremely respectful and understanding of each others’ feelings. There may be some moments when you or your friends think about a problem you have had in the past, and that might be upsetting. It is ok to feel upset! We won’t dwell on things that have happened in the past though, because we need to focus on the very important purpose of our lesson today, which is to make sure everyone feels comfortable with getting help when it is needed. Please be aware that everyone has their own stuff going on, and everyone feels things differently. Let’s be super understanding and supportive of each other while we talk about this important topic.
Have a chat with someone near you: Is asking for help easy? Why / why not?
Let’s share with the class. What makes it easier to ask for help? What might make it trickier?
Today we are going to talk about personal safety. We all have a right to feel safe, and if the way someone behaves makes us feel uncomfortable, or just doesn’t feel right, it’s important to know how to ask for help.
Sometimes our body gives us signals that something isn’t right. These are the times we may need to speak to a trusted adult and ask for help.
Independent task: Think about your own Safety Network. Who are the adults you trust at home? At school? At your sporting club, after school care, or somewhere else you go regularly outside of school time? With other family members, or friends? Have you ever been to someone for help, but you felt like they didn’t really understand the problem? Maybe they just told you not to worry about it, or suggested a solution that you just don’t think will work? How does that kind of reaction make you feel? What do you think you could do if that ever happened to you?
You are going to trace your hand on a piece of card, and name 5 trusted adults who you feel you could approach if you had a problem, or felt like something wasn’t quite right. Note that these trusted adults should not all be family members. Try to list a variety of people to ensure that in all areas of your life you can always find someone to help you.
Kids Helpline: As well as your Safety Network, another resource that you might prefer to use is Kids Helpline. Here is a quick introduction about what they do:
Kids Helpline Card: I have a Kids Helpline card with their contact information for you - where do you think would be appropriate to keep this? Make a decision, tell a friend, then put it in your bag for now.
Student Learning Task: What do you think is important to do or say when you are asking for help? Discuss with a partner, then we will share and collect your ideas on the board.
What do you think about these steps? Step 1: Approach a trusted adult. Step 2: Name the problem Step 3: Explain how it makes you feel Step 4: Ask for help
You are going to act out a scenario in a small group of three or four students. Before you begin working on your role play, you first need to:
Restate the problem in your own words.
Choose who this person could ask for help.
Work out what they could say to the person they approach for help.
Work out what they could do or say if the person being asked for help was too busy or was not helpful.
You then need to design and prepare two short role plays, one in which you show a good response from the help giver, and one in which you show a poor response from the help giver.
You have ten minutes only, then we will be sharing the role plays with the class.
Reflection: Each group to present their role play.
After each role play, we will discuss:
What has the help-seeker done well in asking for help?
Has the help-seeker identified the problem?
Have they got their message across clearly?
What else could they do or say?
After finishing the role plays, let’s think about the process of asking for help. In class activities like this it might seem easy to know what to do, and to act it out. In real life it is not always that easy!
What does it take to go and ask for help? What is it like if you ask for help and get an unhelpful response?
What strengths do you need to draw on in that situation?
Lesson 4: Problem Solving Using The Flower Model
Learning Intention: We are learning to use the flower model when solving personal problems.
Success Criteria: I can brainstorm several options when approaching a problem, compare these options and select the most appropriate one.
Intro: In a previous lesson we identified some trusted adults in our safety network, and looked at how to ask for help. Who can remember some of the important points that came up in our discussions about asking for help?
This week we are going to focus on problem-solving in everyday life. Asking for help is a great strategy that is appropriate sometimes - and is essential if our body is giving us some early warning signs that something is not right. In other situations though, it might be more appropriate to take a different action to try to solve the problem. Today we will try out some useful thinking strategies to use when dealing with problems or making difficult choices.
Turn to the person near you, and describe how you would define a personal problem. Would a few volunteers like to share? Let’s use these examples to create a definition together on the board.
Now let’s do the same thing to define what we mean by option. Turn to the person near you, and describe how you would define the word: option. Would a few volunteers like to share? Let’s use these examples to create a definition together on the board.
In life we can be faced with a range of problems, some very small, and some much bigger. Sometimes we have to make difficult decisions, or hard choices. Being able to work through problems is an important skill for life. Helping others think through their options when they face a problem is also an important skill in friendship. It is more important to be able to help people think things through for themselves, rather than to just tell them what to do.
This model of a flower can be used to help map out some options, before making a decision about what is the right or best thing to do. This anchor chart shows you how someone has used the flower model with an example problem: You have a friend over to your house after school and they want to play outside on the trampoline but you want to play inside on the computer. Neither of you will back down. You have an argument, and your friend rings their parent to pick them up.
First the problem has been named and written on the stem. Next, a brainstorm of options, writing a different one in each petal. Then in the centre the selected option is written.
Student Learning Task: With a partner, you are going to use the flower model now to map out some problem-solving for a given situation. You will be given a Problem Solving Scenario, however if you would prefer to come up with your own problem, you may. (You will need to run this by me first to make sure it is appropriate!). You will use this this blank template to brainstorm options on the petals, and together decide on a recommended action.
Once pairs have finished, you will meet with another pair and explain your situation, show your flower, and explain your recommended action. Both pairs need to provide each other with feedback, by reflecting on how the recommended action might help the person deal with their problem.
Whole class reflection: The flower model is just one way to think about your options when you have a problem. Has today’s activity helped you learn some thinking strategies to use when dealing with problems, or making difficult choices? How has the flower model helped you to do this?
Even if you don’t think you would use the flower model yourself, what aspects of this model are important to remember?
When we are faced with a problem it is helpful to have some steps to try out, and to find a solution. There are lots of different ways of doing this, and different people will find some things more helpful than others.
Over the next few lessons we will be looking at lots of different problems, and exploring ways to solve them. Before we finish today, please write three different imaginary personal problems on a slip of paper, that we can use for the remaining lessons. Try to make up a scenario that is realistic but unique! (I will check all of your problems to make sure they are appropriate before using them!).
Lesson 5- Problem-Solving Panel
Learning Intention: We are learning to develop advice for how to deal with problem situations. Success Criteria: I can consider different perspectives when deciding on the best action to take to solve a problem.
Introduction: Today we are going to tap into our critical and creative thinking skills when addressing problems. You are going to work out what different advice would be given by different people with different priorities and perspectives. It is helpful to look at a problem from many different angles before deciding how to act.
We are going to set up an advice panel. I am going to arrange the class into 6 groups. Each group will be allocated a role, and they will help to prepare a volunteer from their group to act this role on the panel. Your challenge will be to provide advice from the perspective of your allocated role. This might be different to the advice you would actually give in real life! Each member of the group will need to be prepared to ‘sub on’ and take that representative’s place as the panel deals with its various requests for advice. The roles on the Panel will include:
Doctor (focuses on how to keep you safe and healthy)
Movie Star (focuses on how to ensure your popularity)
Grandparent (focuses on how to ensure your good future and happiness)
Sports Coach (focuses on how to encourage you to get the best performance)
Beautician (focuses on how to make you look good)
Psychologist (focuses on how to help you feel good in yourself)
Reflection: In real life, we have very mixed perspectives and don’t just approach problems from one point of view. When giving advice or trying to work out how to solve a problem yourself, it is important to try and think about different perspectives before making a decision about what to do.