Bold Beginnings

Overview

Year Level: Years 1–2
Learning Area: Humanities and Social Sciences – Civics and Citizenship (F–6/7 HASS Curriculum)
Curriculum Links:

• ACHASSK072 (Year 1): How people live and belong to their community.
• ACHASSK071 (Year 1): How decisions are made democratically; why rules are important.
• Personal and Social Capability (General Capability): Recognise emotions, develop resilience and decision-making skills.
• PYP Learner Profile Focus: Risk-taker
  • Courageous decision-making
  • Openness to new experiences
  • Resilience in the face of failure
  • Strategic and ethical problem-solving

Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 20 students
Focus Concept: Students will explore the concept of being a risk-taker through storytelling, inquiry, and reflection, reinforcing how courage, resilience and ethical decision-making contribute to active citizenship in their classroom and community.

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Learning Intentions

Students will…

• Understand what it means to be a risk-taker in the context of personal and community actions
• Identify and describe characteristics of a risk-taker through stories and examples
• Reflect on personal experiences of taking risks and respond creatively
• Collaboratively explore ways to show courage and resilience within the school environment

Success Criteria

Students will be able to…

✔ Identify ways characters in a story demonstrate risk-taking
✔ Share a time they demonstrated courage or tried something new
✔ Contribute ideas during group discussions
✔ Create a visual or written representation of themselves as a risk-taker

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Materials Required

• “Brave Molly” by Brooke Boynton-Hughes (Picture Book — themes of courage and facing fear)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Butcher’s paper titled "What Makes a Risk-Taker?"
• Risk-taker Reflection Sheet (prepared with drawing and sentence prompts)
• A basket of various classroom role-play props (fire helmet, clipboard, stethoscope, teaching wand, etc.)
• iPad or camera for digital documentation (optional)

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Tuning In (10 Minutes) – Think, Pair, Share

Purpose: Activate prior knowledge and introduce the Risk-taker attribute in a relatable and age-appropriate way.

• Teacher writes the word “Risk-taker” on the board with four smaller words around it: Brave, Try, New, Decision.
• Ask:
  • "Have you ever been scared to try something, but did it anyway?"
  • "What do you think a ‘risk-taker’ might be?"
• In pairs, students discuss times they’ve taken a risk (tried a new food, joined a team, performed in assembly).
• Whole-class brainstorm on butcher’s paper titled “What Makes a Risk-Taker?”, recording students’ responses.

Teacher Prompt: “Risk-takers aren’t people who do dangerous things without thinking. A risk-taker is someone who is brave and tries something new, even when they might fail.”

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2. Finding Out (15 Minutes) – Picture Story & Thought-Tracking

Read Aloud: “Brave Molly” – a largely wordless book full of visual cues showing Molly confronting her fears.

Before Reading Prompt: “Watch closely to see the kinds of choices Molly makes.”

During Reading – “Freeze and Think” technique:

• Pause at key pages and ask:
  • “What is Molly feeling here?”
  • “What choice is she making?”
  • “Would you do the same? Why or why not?”

After Reading Discussion:

• Why is Molly a risk-taker?
• How did she show courage?
• Was she successful the first time?
• What do you think she learned?

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3. Making Connections (15 Minutes) – Risk-Taker Gallery Walk

Activity: Risk-Taker Role Play Stations

Set up 3 ‘Challenge Corners’ around the classroom:

• Role Play Corner: Dress up in unfamiliar job roles and practise introducing yourself in your new role (nurse, fire fighter, teacher etc.).
• New Skills Corner: Try something unfamiliar (e.g. origami fold, writing name with non-dominant hand, building with recycled materials).
• Guess & Share: Students draw a surprise object from a ‘feel bag’ without looking and guess, then describe how they made their guess.

Prompt at each station:
“How am I showing courage or trying something new?”

Students rotate in small groups (6–7 per station, 5 minutes each), supported by teacher and assistant (if available).

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4. Reflecting and Responding (15 Minutes) – I Am a Risk-Taker!

Hand out “I Am a Risk-Taker” Reflection Sheets, with:

• A space to draw themselves doing something brave or new
• Prompts:
  • “I tried…”
  • “I felt…”
  • “Next time, I want to…”

Teacher Support: Circulate and scribe verbal reflections if needed. Take quick audio notes or photos for assessment data.

Once complete, students add their sheet to a class showcase wall titled: “We Are Courageous!”

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5. Closure (5 Minutes) – Circle Time Reflection

Students sit in a circle and pass around a small ‘Risk-taker Rock’ (a polished stone or object symbolic of courage).

Each student says one sentence:

• “One way I was a risk-taker today was…”

Wrap up with the question:

• “Why do we need risk-takers in our classroom and community?”

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Differentiation

• Support: Visual sentence scaffolds, simplified vocabulary, peer support during small groups, teacher scribing
• Extension: Students write a short story where they invent a character who solves a classroom problem by being a risk-taker
• ESL Support: Picture cards with emotions, gestures to scaffold understanding, pre-reading visual walk-through of “Brave Molly”

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Assessment

Formative:

• Observation notes during station rotations
• Class discussion contributions
• Reflection Sheet responses
• Use of risk-taker vocabulary in context

Summative:

• Student reflection sheets evaluated against PYP Risk-taker attribute understanding
• Participation in gallery walk activities demonstrating openness and courage

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Teacher Reflection

Post-lesson, consider:

• Did students connect the abstract idea of “risk-taking” to age-relevant scenarios?
• Did story and activities foster empathy, courage, and insight into community contribution?
• How did students respond emotionally to taking classroom risks?
• What opportunities emerged to embed resilience into other curriculum areas?

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Optional Extension Opportunities

• School Leaders: Invite Year 6 student leaders to share “When I was a risk-taker…” stories
• Visual Arts Integration: Create clay models of students being brave
• Digital Literacy: Record a class iMovie titled “Our Brave Moments”

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Wow Factor

This lesson isn’t just about taking risks — it empowers students to see themselves as capable, resilient contributors to their classroom and wider community. It wraps rigour and heart together, embedding the PYP Learner Attributes into authentic exploration. The tactile, sensory-rich learning stations elevate engagement, while the wordless book Brave Molly invites deep inferencing and emotional literacy far beyond a simple story.

This isn't a worksheet lesson — it’s a brave launchpad for real emotional growth.