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Shared reading
- Use a picture book or simple novel as a starting point or to reinforce key messages and understandings.
- Provide students with a short period of time to preview the text silently either individually or as a group.
- Ask students to share their predictions of the main ideas with a partner or the class. Suggested question prompts include:
What do you think the story will be about?
How do you know?
- After reading, use these prompts to help students to think critically about the text:
How did the illustrations make you feel?
What is the message of this story?
What would the character/s have felt like? Have you ever felt like that?
What feelings did the other characters in the story show? Why?
Using songs and stories
Songs and stories can be used to facilitate learning of a particular topic. For example, in early childhood education, songs can be used to learn the parts of the body:
As a whole class make a large circle on the mat. In the middle of the mat roll a large die with different body parts written on each side.
The students have to move that part of their body.
Roll the die again and the students have to move that body part too, e.g., if ‘arms' is rolled first the students will just move their arms and if ‘legs' is rolled second, the students move both their legs and arms.
Use a red sign to stop movement.
In their circle, students can then dance to songs about body parts (e.g. Hokey Pokey; Head and Shoulders), naming all the body parts as they move them.
Discuss the functions of each of the body parts identified.
Drawing and scribbling
Ask students to draw a picture of themselves. Encourage students to include as much detail as possible, e.g. five fingers on each hand, freckles, eye lashes, etc.
Students can then label their different body parts.
Discuss the function of each body part and how they use it every day.
Pow wow
Sitting in a circle facing each other, introduce students to a topic and invite them to share their opinions, one at a time.
Avoid going around the circle in a linear way as this places pressure on the next person in line to speak.
Remind students about their 'right to pass' in the group agreement especially when discussing senstive topics.
Use a 'talking stick' - an object used to indicate who is talking (to ensure that only one person is speaking at a time). A soft object, such as a foam ball or toy, can be passed or rolled to the next student that would like to speak.
Question partners
Devise a set of question and answer cards related to the unit or focus area. Alternatively students can research information and write their own question and answer cards.
Explain that each question card has a matching answer card.
Hand out cards to students.
Students move around the room to find the person with the matching card.
In pairs, students discuss the question and answer.
Collect the cards and repeat the activity to let students find out more about the issue.
Determine the questions that students would like to further investigate and select appropriate learning experiences from the focus areas.
Quiz
Students or the teacher devise a set of quiz questions related to the health or safety topic.
Students individually complete the quiz then discuss the questions as a class.
Use the questions that students had difficulty answering to guide the selection of further learning experiences.
Variation
For True/False oral quizes, students can indicate answers with thumbs up, thumbs down and thumbs sideways (unsure of answer). This allows students to contribute without the pressure of having to write answers. It also allows for a very quick, informal assessment and allows you to identify students who might require extra support within the lesson or for the next lesson.
Card clusters
- Place students in groups.
- Give each student two or three slips of paper.
- Pose a problem or question related to a health or safety issue. For example: What strategies do you use to help protect yourself from blood-borne viruses?
- Students individually write responses on the slips of paper. Only one idea should be written on each slip of paper.
- Students place their responses in the middle of the group then through discussion with other group members cluster them by identifying similarities. A heading or title may be given to each pile of slips.
- All groups come together to share their card clusters. Responses may be represented graphically in a mind map or bar graph, or in written form by using each idea as a new sentence.
One minute challenge
Explain to students they will be given exactly ‘one minute' to write down all they know or would like to know about a certain sexual health or relationship topic.
Students share their writing with a partner or group.
Use common areas of interest to guide the choice of future learning experiences.
Variation
Have students reflect on their understandings and attitudes after completing the learning experiences from a unit or focus area.
For example:
What was the most important or useful piece of information you learnt from these activities?
What two questions do you still have?
What would you like to know more about?
Variation 2 - A-Z challenge
Have students list down a word for every letter of the alphabet on the topic within the minute.
E.g. All the words you know for the parts reproductive systems (this could include slang terms at the start of an RSE unit to highlight the importance of using respectful and correct terminology).
E.g. 2. All the words to do with respectful relationships.
E.g. 3. All the words to do with RSE (this could be done at the start of the unit and end of the unit to assess student progress).
Graffiti
- Divide the class into small groups.
- Give each group a large sheet of paper and different coloured felt pens (a different colour for each group member allows for individual contributions to be tracked).
- Provide each group with a different question, issue or statement to consider.
- Within a designated time, groups ‘graffiti' their paper with words, phrases or drawings related to their question, issue or statement. Advise students that they ‘own' the word/comments/drawings they record. This means that they could be asked to explain or clarify information where necessary.
- The graffiti sheets are then passed to another group.
- Instruct students to avoid repetition of ideas by ticking the comments they agree with, writing comments next to ideas and writing their own new responses on the graffiti sheet.
- The process is repeated until the graffiti sheets are returned to their original owners.
- Groups read, discuss and summarise the graffiti sheets. Comments may be categorised in order to draw conclusions or present a brief summary presentation to the class.
- Planning for further learning experiences can be carried out using the students' responses.
KWL (know, want to learn, learnt)
Explain to students that this strategy will help record what they already know, identify issues they would like to learn more about and plan the direction of their learning.
Show students how to draw up the KWL chart or print a copy of the template below.
Pose a question, statement or issue for students to consider (e.g. What do you already know about safer sex issues for young people?) as a group.
Students then brainstorm what they know about the question, statement or issue and fill in the ‘What I know' column to show the range of knowledge already shared as a group.
Ask students to think about what they want to know, either individually or as a group then complete the ‘What I want to know' column to show the group's areas of interest. It may help to model making a contribution to this column of the KWL chart.
Have groups share some of the ideas generated in the ‘What I want to know' columns. This will identify the range of questions raised by the class and offer some students the opportunity to share their current knowledge about these.
Keep the KWL charts. At the conclusion of one or several learning experiences, ask students to complete the last column ‘What I learnt' to identify what students have learnt and if there have been any changes in attitudes.
Determine if further learning experiences are required for students to achieve the outcomes.
Variation
The first two columns of the KWL chart can be completed either individually, with a partner or in a small group. Students can then join with another person, pair or small group to compare notes and circle similar ideas.
| What I know | What I want to know | What I learnt |
|---|---|---|
| Students recall what they know | Students determine what they want to know | Students identify what they have learnt |
Templates
Document
Picture talk
Using a picture to pose questions and focus a group discussion.
Examples:
- Adverts (fragrances, deodorant, make up, clothes, alcohol, tampons, etc) - discuss gender stereotypes, gender roles, over-sexualised images, body image, etc.
- Social media posts - pose questions around unrealistic body image (photoshopping images, camera angles and filters); start a debate on respectful/disrespectful behaviour.
- Photograph from the past - discuss how bodies change, how society has changed, etc.
- Storybook page - discuss why the character is feeling this way, what has happened previously, what might happen next, what they could do differently, what choices they have.
- Freeze frame from a movie/tv show - discuss characters' choices and decision making, respectful/disrespectful behaviour, etc.
Using picture packs
Packs of picture cards can be purchased from places such as Innovative Resources. These cards can be used in a number of ways and can be purchased in different languages.
Feelings cards
E.g. Card sets - bears, kangas, stones, funky fish, body signals, can-do dinosaurs.
- Place the cards on the floor around the room.
- Pose a question: How are you feeling coming into this lesson? How do you feel about what we have covered in this lesson? How do you feel about (insert a current topic in the media)?
- Ask students to stand near to a card that represents their answer (tell them to leave it on the floor in case someone else would like to choose the same card).
- This is a useful strategy for students who are non-verbal or who do not like to speak in group settings.
It is important to remember the ground rule 'right to pass' in these activities - ask for volunteers to share their thoughts rather than going around the circle.
This activity may prompt disclosures. Revise how to protectively interrupt and deal with disclosures.
Strengths cards
E.g. Angels, Can-do Dinosaurs, Strengths, Strengths cards for kids, Strengths in teams
- Place the cards on the floor around the room.
- Have students stand next to a card that shows one of their strengths or a strength they see in another class member.
- This is a great activity to do after a lesson on body image or decision making to remind students of their personal strengths that relate to their internal values.
Before and after
Devise a set of statements or questions that identifies students' understanding, beliefs and attitudes towards sexual health issues and place them on a table such as the example below. The focus may be on one issue (e.g. contraception) or a range of issues (see the example provided below).
- Ask students to respond to each statement/question before commencing a unit or focus area. Collect the sheets.
- Once students have participated in one or several of the learning experiences in the unit or focus area have them complete the ‘after' column.
- In pairs or small groups, ask students to reflect on any changes in their understanding or attitudes towards the issue.
| Before (agree or disagree) | Statement | After (agree or disagree) |
|---|---|---|
| Drinking alcohol or taking drugs increases your risk of engaging in risky sexual behaviour. | ||
| Using two condoms at once doubles your level of STI protection. | ||
| Abstinence is the only method of contraception that is 100% effective. | ||
| The media influences the way I feel about having sex. |
