Community and Health

Context

This lesson is designed for Year 5 students in Western Australia as part of the Health and Physical Education learning area using the Western Australian Curriculum framework. It is lesson 20 of 30 in the unit titled "Healthy Choices Unlocked".

Lesson Title

The Role of Community in Health

Duration

60 minutes

Class Size

20 Students

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Understand the role of community resources and services in supporting health and wellbeing.
• Identify and locate local health resources within their community.
• Create a visual map showing these community health resources.
• Reflect on how these community supports contribute to individual and community health.

Curriculum Links (Western Australian Curriculum)

• Content Descriptor:

  • AC9HP6P10: Analyse how behaviours influence the health, safety, relationships and wellbeing of individuals and communities.
  • AC9HP6P02: Investigate resources and strategies to manage changes and transitions, including community resources.
  • AC9HP6P01: Explain how identities can be influenced by people and places, linking sense of place and community to health and wellbeing.

• General Capability Links:

  • Personal and Social Capability: Understanding self and others
  • Critical and Creative Thinking: Analysing and synthesising information about the environment and communities
  • Ethical Understanding: Considering community responsibility and support
  • Intercultural Understanding: Recognising diverse community resources including First Nations Australian community supports.

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Lesson Outline

Preparation

• Prepare a large printed map of the local community (or projection).
• Provide blank A3 sheets for students to create their own local health resource maps.
• Prepare markers, coloured pencils, sticky notes.

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Lesson Activities

1. Warm-Up: Community Health Discussion (10 minutes)

• Begin by asking students what community means and how a community might support health.
• Prompt with questions:
  • "What places in our community help people stay healthy?"
  • "Who are the people or groups that help us when we or others are unwell?"
• Record student ideas on the board (health centre, school nurse, sports clubs, community centres, mental health services, etc.).
• Connect to AC9HP6P10 by briefly discussing how these supports influence individual and community wellbeing .

2. Direct Teaching: Introduce Local Health Resources (10 minutes)

• Using the prepared local map, point out specific places and services that support health. Examples include:
  • GP clinics and hospitals
  • Community health centres
  • Sporting facilities promoting physical activity
  • Mental health services
  • Pharmacies
  • Cultural or community centres, including Aboriginal health services
• Include First Nations community support structures, such as kinship groups or specific programs, tying into AC9HP6P10_E3 and AC9HP6P01_E2 to acknowledge cultural context .

3. Group Activity: Create a Local Health Resource Map (25 minutes)

• Divide students into pairs or small groups.
• Provide each group an A3 paper and access to the community map, markers, sticky notes.
• Task:
  • Identify and mark at least 5 local health support resources on their own map.
  • Use symbols or drawings to represent these places.
  • Write a short description of why each resource is important for health.
• Encourage creativity: they might draw pathways showing how to access these resources or note what kind of health needs they respond to (physical, mental, social).
• Circulate to assist, prompt deeper thinking about the role of these resources in enhancing community wellbeing.

4. Sharing and Reflecting (10 minutes)

• Groups present their maps to the class.
• Prompt reflection questions:
  • "Which resource do you think is most important and why?"
  • "How do these places help different people in our community?"
  • "Can you think of ways our community could be better supported?"
• Reinforce community health connections to students’ own experiences.

5. Conclusion and Linking Forward (5 minutes)

• Summarise the importance of community in health support.
• Explain how this understanding will help in future lessons about healthy decision-making.
• Assign a short, optional reflection journal: Write or draw about one community resource they might use or recommend.

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Assessment

• Observation of participation in discussions and group activity reflecting understanding of community health resources.
• Quality and accuracy of maps showing local health resources and the reasons for their importance (informally assessed).
• Reflective responses during presentations indicating awareness of how community contributes to health.

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Differentiation & Inclusive Practice

• Provide pre-labelled maps or text prompts for students who need support.
• Encourage bilingual explanations or use of First Nations languages if available, supporting intercultural understanding.
• Adapt presentation modes for different learning preferences (drawing, speaking, writing).

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Resources Needed

• Large local community map (printed or digital projection).
• A3 paper, markers, coloured pencils, sticky notes.
• Access to community health resource information (could be school nurse input or local council materials).

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Teacher Notes

• Emphasise connections to students’ own local area so learning is concrete and relevant.
• Highlight diverse types of health support including physical, mental, social and cultural.
• Integrate First Nations perspectives respectfully to model inclusive community understanding in line with the WA curriculum teaching suggestions .

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This lesson plan is designed to engage Year 5 students with their communities as active health partners, supporting their understanding of health beyond individual actions to a broader social and environmental awareness consistent with the Western Australian Health and Physical Education curriculum framework.