Canva safety starter

Overview

Students use Canva as a new digital tool to design a simple health and physical education (PDHPE) project. They will practise navigation, basic design features, and create a poster or infographic that promotes safe, active and healthy choices.

Learning intentions

• Students will familiarise themselves with Canva basics, including creating a design, choosing templates, and using key tools.
• Students will use Canva navigation features to add text, images, icons, and simple layout elements safely and appropriately.
• Students will create a short PDHPE poster/infographic that explains a safety or health message for real-life participation.
• Students will evaluate their own and a peer’s design using agreed safety, accuracy, and quality criteria.

Success criteria

• I can log into Canva and create a new design using a suitable template size.
• I can add and edit readable text and select images/icons that match the PDHPE message.
• I can use layout and colour choices to make my poster/infographic easy to read.
• I can check my work for safety accuracy, clear message, and respectful presentation.

Curriculum links

• PH5-SHP-01: Students design, implement and evaluate a plan to enhance safety, health and participation in lifelong physical activity.
• PH5-IPS-01: Students evaluate the effectiveness and suitability of health information, products and support services for improved individual and community safety, health and wellbeing.
• PH5-SHW-01: Students analyse how contextual factors, attitudes and behaviours influence safety, health and wellbeing.
• PH5-MSS-01: Students apply movement and safety thinking to adapt participation in dynamic environments (connected through the PDHPE topic choice).

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–6 min · Hook + purpose. Teacher shows 2–3 short example images of health/PDHPE posters (no links), then asks: “What makes this message safe, clear and useful?” Students turn-and-talk, then share one design feature they notice.
2. 6–18 min · Direct teach: Canva basics. Teacher models creating a new Canva design, navigating menus, selecting a template, and using add-text, templates, basic icons/images, and download/export options. Students follow on their devices using a step-by-step checklist (teacher-led practice only).
3. 18–30 min · Guided build: navigation and layout. Teacher demonstrates adding a headline, a subtitle, and a simple 3-part structure (What/Why/How). Students practise: they create a draft with placeholder text, then change font size, alignment, and spacing until it is readable on screen.
4. 30–48 min · Hands-on creation (poster/infographic). Teacher explains task choice: students create one poster OR one infographic on a Stage 5 PDHPE topic focused on safety and active participation. Students design independently (with one teacher check-in point) using Canva tools: add icons/images, use consistent colour scheme, and include at least one “How to do it safely” message.

• Suggested topic options (choose one): hydration and heat safety; sun safety for outdoor sport; concussion “stop and seek help” message; safe participation rules for school sport; gym/strength safety basics; internet safety for health apps and sources.

5. 48–55 min · Peer evaluation using criteria. Teacher introduces a simple checklist rubric (readability, message accuracy, safety focus, suitability of images/icons, respectful tone). Students swap devices and provide one “Glow” and one “Grow” comment using sentence starters.
6. 55–60 min · Exit ticket: reflection + next step. Teacher prompts: “What Canva skill will you use next time?” Students submit a short written response and save their final version ready for collection.

Resources

• Student laptops/tablets with Canva access (account prepared or class sign-in method)
• Classroom projector/teacher device with Canva screen share
• Canva design checklist (create-new-design, template choice, add-text, add-elements, layout consistency, save/export)
• PDHPE topic cards (one per option, for quick student selection)
• Printed or digital peer feedback checklist (Glow/Grow)
• Markers/colour pencils or plain paper (optional) for quick rough planning before digital build
• Teacher sample poster/infographic examples (prepared offline images)

Assessment

• Formative checks: teacher circulates during Canva navigation practice, verifying students can create a design and edit text/layout.
• Formative checks: review student drafts mid-task for readability and safety-focused content (not just decoration).
• Peer assessment: Glow/Grow checklist used to confirm understanding of quality and safety messaging.
• Exit ticket: identifies one Canva skill transfer and one improvement intention.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters for the poster sections (e.g., “The risk is…”, “A safe choice is…”, “If something goes wrong…”), and a reduced “must-have” element list for students needing scaffolds.
• Support: offer a saved “starting template” in Canva for students who need quicker success with layout and typography.
• Extension: students add a secondary panel (e.g., “Myth vs Fact” or “When to seek help”) and justify their image/icon choices using brief annotations in small text boxes.
• EAL/SEN: allow students to draft key message sentences offline first, then paste into Canva; ensure font sizes and contrast expectations are explicit.