Description of Resources

The Good Character website (http://www.goodcharacter.com) is a resource for k-12

teachers. It offers lesson plans, activities and games for ‘character education’ and can be

used for teaching the PDHPE strand, Interpersonal Relationships. The website contains

material on teaching the value of friendship, building trust, responsibility, fairness,

cooperation, respect, conflict resolution and citizenship.

The PSHE web page in the Primary Resources website,

(http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/pshe) provides K-6 teachers with resources for

teaching Citizenship and Personal, Social and Health Education. This website can be used

to teach the PDHPE Growth and Development strand as pre-made worksheets and

PowerPoint presentations can be found on the topics of both mental and physical growth

and development,.

The YouTube video ‘Starting High School’ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=q5jDDm3ISus) is made by NSW Public Schools and can assist in the teaching of the

PDHPE strand Growth and Development. It presents the concept of growing up, through

introducing primary students to high school life. The video discusses the ways to deal

with the feelings of anxiety and stress prior to entering high school, and ensures its viewer

that high school is fun and exciting. It also enlightens primary students with a detailed

account of how high school operates and the numerous opportunities that it offers.

Critical Review

This Good Character website can be used to effectively teach and enhance the learning of

the Interpersonal Relationships strand, IRS3.11. The online topics are thorough and are

based on the different roles and responsibilities required for maintaining positive

relationships. The first activity for the lesson on Interpersonal Relationships requires

students to work in same-level groups of three to four. Each group is given the topic of

‘cooperation’, ‘respect’, ‘responsibility’, ‘fairness’, ‘caring’ or ‘trust’ for their group

poster. The first question asks students to work together to complete six of the unfinished

sentences, the second question on the worksheets asks students to engage in a discussion

with their group and the third requires students to draw visual representations of their

topic. The website assisted me in devising the questions used in this worksheet.

Following the completion and presentation of the poster, the lesson then focuses on

‘resolving conflicts’. The activities from the Good Character website on ‘conflict’ also

assisted me in devising a whole class Smartboard discussion activity for students. This

website can be used to effectively teach the Interpersonal Relationships strand for any

selected stage, as each topic provides information, and a range of questions and activities

from the most basic level to the more complex. Therefore, teachers are able to adapt them

to suit their teaching and learning module and to even differentiate tasks for the different

levels within their class. Learning is also enhanced as the reflection and discussion

questions seek cooperation and require higher order thinking strategies.

The usefulness of the Good Character website can be seen as limited, as classroom

lessons most often require more than discussion activities to engage young students.

When teaching the Interpersonal Relationships strand, teachers must then either modify

the activities provided by the website into their own engaging tasks (as I have done in the

latter ‘Conflict’ Smartboard task), or to find additional resources that allow for more

active and exciting learning experiences. The website also suggests that the provided

activities are used in conjunction with the primary school educational video series ‘The

Character Chronicles’. Even though the activities and discussion questions can be used

solely, the website may be more beneficial with access to this video.

The PSHE web page in the Primary Resources website is suitable for teaching the Growth

and Development strand GDS3.9 as it explains and demonstrates the strategies for

dealing with life changes. This lesson should be taught towards the end of year 6 as it

aims to prepare students mentally and emotionally for the upcoming change in leaving

primary school and starting high school. The session begins with a Smartboard lesson. It

engages students in discussions about what they are looking forward to in high school, the

feelings they have or will expect to have prior to starting high school, the strategies they

can use to deal with any negative emotions, and the fond memories they have of primary

school. The Smartboard lesson also incorporates activities where students examine some

negative high school scenarios and brainstorm the possible solutions to them. The

PowerPoint presentations on the website for ‘Looking Ahead’, ‘Transition and Managing

Change’, and ‘New Beginnings’ have been merged and translated to the Notebook

software for this Smartboard activity, and slightly adapted to suit the outcome, GDS3.9.

The PowerPoint resources provided in the Primary Resources website are engaging and

allow for whole class discussions on the different Growth and Development topics. The

latter part of the lesson requires students to work independently on a ‘Moving On’

worksheet, where they write down what they are looking forward to when they leave

primary school, the things they are concerned about, and the possible solutions. This

worksheet has been directly downloaded from the PSHE web page. The worksheets made

available on this online resource are useful as they allow for individual student reflection

after class discussions. The Primary Resources website is a convenient resource for

teaching, as the activities and worksheets are ready for students to use.

The primary resources website has some limitations. The website is prepared for teachers

and schools in the United Kingdom which means that lessons do not directly relate to

NSW learning outcomes. Teachers therefore need to modify the prepared lessons to

directly relate to their teaching and learning module. There are also many NSW PDHPE

syllabus outcomes that are not covered within any of the website’s topics, thus urging

teachers to seek other sources. Additionally, although the website provides interactive

PowerPoint presentations and worksheets, informative material for teachers is not

available, also compelling teachers to initially research the topic through other avenues.

The NSW Public School video ‘Starting High School’ has been incorporated into the final

part of the Growth and Development lesson. It helps students learn that the negative

emotions that can be experienced prior to and when entering high school, including

anxiety and stress, are normal and can be easily dealt with.

The purpose of this video is to excite students, which therefore gives it limitations.

Students cannot be entirely prepared for high school by watching this video as it does not

address serious high school issues, such as bullying. Nonetheless, the video is an inspiring

way to conclude the lesson as it enlightens students about different things to look forward

to in high school and does not leave students feeling overwhelmed.

Conclusion

Using online resources that are suitable for teaching specific syllabus strands can be

problematic. Frequently, it is difficult aligning the material from web-based resources

directly to the intended lesson and its outcomes. This is especially the case as many

online resources are based on the learning outcomes of other countries or areas.

Therefore, teachers often need to seek more than one online resource to teach a specific

lesson that focuses on the specific outcome. Teachers may also need to use other

resources with their web-based ones in order to formulate units of work that are more

diverse. Such additional resources may include the use of books and movies.

Nevertheless, using web-based resources to teach can enhance learning outcomes and

pedagogical efficiency if utilised effectively and not exclusively, as they have the

capacity to assist teachers in establishing student activities that are interactive, engaging

and stimulating.

LESSON PLAN

Student Teacher Jessica Hwang

Key Learning Area(s) PDHPE

Grade Stage 3 Year 6 Date n/a Time n/a

Focus/purpose of Lesson:

To learn about the various factors that constitute positive relationships and to identify strategies that can be used to resolve conflicts.

Syllabus Outcome(s) Indicators of Learning

IRS3.11

Describes roles and responsibilities in

developing and maintaining positive

relationships.

Demonstrates an understanding of the ways to resolve conflict.

Recognises appropriate behaviours that reflect sensitivity to the needs, rights, and feelings of others.

Identifies their roles and responsibilities within their personal network and in the wider community.

Understands the importance of resolving conflicts in maintaining positive relationships.

Links with Previous Learning

Students:

- have learnt to identify that relationships with a range of people enhance wellbeing.

- understand how positive relationships are developed.- understand the appropriate ways to cooperate, communicate and care for others. - understand the complication of conflicts. - identify people they can confide in and trust.

Sequence of Teaching/Learning Experiences Time Resources /

Organisation

1. Activating prior knowledgeAsk students what they believe the meaning of friendship is.Discuss each answer and write down keywords on the Smartboard. Encourage students to consider the words: ‘Trust’, ‘respect’, ‘responsibility’, ‘fairness’, ‘care’, and ‘cooperation’.

2. Explain to students what to do in the following activity (attached to lesson plan). There are three questions on your group’s worksheet. For question 1, work together to come up with one answer for each question, which you need to write down on your poster. Read carefully what you need to do for question 2. Some worksheets require you to work as group, and some require you to work independently. For question 3, illustrate pictures of what you believe represent your given ‘friendship’ word. Then form groups of 3-4 students. Group students using the following arrangement (with level 1 referring to the students who have the most trouble and need the most help and level 6 referring to the most able students):

Caring – level 1

Fairness – level 2Respect – level 3

Cooperation – level 4

Responsibility – level 5

2 minutes

2 minutes

- Smartboard

- Worksheets on ‘Trust’, ‘respect’, ‘responsibility’, ‘fairness’, ‘care’, and ‘cooperation’.

- A3 white cardboard.

- Smartboard slides on ‘Resolving Conflicts’.

Trust – level 6

3. Hand out a large piece of cardboard to each group and their activity sheet. Walk around from group to group to guide students in the right direction.

4. Ask each group to present their poster to the rest of the class. After each presentation, discuss their answers.

5. Use the prepared Smartboard slides (attached to lesson plan) to discuss ‘resolving conflicts’.

6. Debrief and conclude lessonDiscuss what the class has learnt in the lesson using the following questions:What is something new you have learnt today?What is something you have learnt today that you find interesting? What can you do when you simply can’t resolve a conflict?

15 minutes

15 minutes

15 minutes

10 minutes

1. In your group, work together to come up with an answer for each of the following questions. Write your completed sentences on a large piece of paper to make a ‘being caring’ poster.Being a caring person is important because…

You can show people you care about them by…

When you do something nice for someone, you feel…

When you know that someone cares about you, you feel…

If everyone in this world only cared about themselves, the world would be…

2. On your poster, make a list of do’s and don’ts for being caring.

3. As a group, draw pictures of what you think represents being caring.

1. In your group, work together to come up with an answer for each of the following questions. Write your completed sentences on a large piece of paper to make a ‘fairness’ poster.

Fairness is…

It is necessary to walk in someone’s shoes before you decide what is fair because…

Treating people fairly is important because…

Being treated unfairly feels…

When you know something is unfair, you should…

2. With your group, share a time where you felt that you were treated unfairly. How did you feel? What could have been done to make it fairer?

3. As a group,

draw images of what you think represents

‘fairness’.

1. In your group, work together to come up with an answer for each of the following questions. Write your completed sentences on a large piece of paper to make a ‘cooperation’ poster.

Cooperating means…

Cooperating is important at school because…

Cooperating is important at home because…

You can be a cooperative person by…

When you know that people are not getting along, you can…

2. In your workbooks, answer the following question:Did you have any problems cooperating in this group task? What did you do about it? Is there something you could have done that would have made it easier?

3. As a group, draw pictures on your poster of what you think represents ‘cooperation’.

1. In your group, work together to come up with an answer for each of the following questions. Write your

completed sentences on a large piece of paper to make a ‘respect’ poster.

When you are respected, it feels…

When you are disrespected, it feels…

Respect is important to our relationships with family and friends because…

You show respect for others by…

Respect affects our world because…

2. With your group, share a time when you felt disrespected. What was the situation and how did it make you feel?

3. As a group, draw images of what you think represents ‘respect’.

1. In your group, work together to come up with an answer for each of the following questions. Write your completed sentences on a large piece of paper to make a ‘trust’ poster.A trustworthy person is…

Having trust makes someone a good person because…

When someone you care about breaks your trust, you feel…

When you break someone’s trust, you should…

Honesty and trust is important in making our society work because…

2. As a group, come up with a list of examples of things that might occur in your school that would violate the trust

of its community.

3. As a group, draw pictures of what you think represents ‘trust’.

1. In your group, work together to come up with an answer for each of the following questions. Write your completed sentences on a large piece of paper to make a ‘responsibility’ poster.It is important that we take responsibility of our actions because…

Behaving responsibly affects the relationships we have with our friends because…

Behaving responsibly affects the relationships we have with our families because…

When somebody lets you down, you feel…

When you let somebody down, you feel…

2. As a group, identify some problems in the school. Come up with a plan for attacking the problem,

3. As a group, draw pictures of what you think represents a ‘responsible’ person.

I am looking forward to:

Things I am concerned about:

Possible Solutions:

LESSON PLAN

Student Teacher Jessica Hwang

Key Learning Area(s) PDHPE

Grade Stage 3 Year 6 Date n/a Time n/a

Focus/purpose of Lesson:

Learning to devise strategies in dealing with the emotions that come with starting high school.

Syllabus Outcome(s) Indicators of Learning

GDS3.9

Explains and demonstrates strategies for dealing with life changes.

Devises strategies to deal with the life changes of going to high school.

Identifies feelings associated with starting high school, e.g. stress, anxiety, nervousness, neglect, and devises strategies to deal with the emotions.

Recognises that there are always possible solutions for concerning issues.

Links with Previous Learning

Students:

- can express any fears or concerns about change appropriately.- can identify feelings associated with life changes. - can recall and report feelings they experience as a result of certain situations.- can devise solutions for dealing with emotions.- can devise solutions for dealing with concerning issues.

Sequence of Teaching/Learning Experiences Time Resources /

Organisation

1. Activate prior knowledgeAsk students what kinds of changes will happen to them in their future lives. Encourage them to think about growing up, work, marriage, children, etc. Draw attention to the fact that going to high school comes next in their lives.

5 minutes

- Smartboard

- Smartboard slides for ‘Transition and Managing Change’

2. Use the prepared Smartboard slides for Transition and Managing Change to discuss this topic (attached to lesson plan).

3. Explain the individual activity ‘Moving On’ (attached to lesson plan).You will need to work independently on the worksheet and write down things that personally excite YOU, specific things that YOU are worried about, and possible ways that YOU can deal with the concern.

4. Hand out worksheet for students to complete. Walk around the classroom to guide students in the right direction.

5. Play the YouTube video ‘Starting High School’ for the class.

6. Debrief and conclude lessonDiscuss what the class has learnt in the lesson using the following questions:What is something new you have learnt today?What is something you can do the next time you are feeling upset? Stressed? Lonely? What is something that you find interesting?

25 minutes

2 minutes

15 minutes

3 minutes

5 minutes

- Worksheet on ‘Moving On’

- YouTube video ‘Starting High School’