Exploring Adolescent Change

Year 7 Health – Lesson 1 of 1

Unit Title: Navigating Relationships in Adolescence
Lesson Title: Exploring Changes in Relationships During Adolescence
Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 3 students
Curriculum Alignment:
Australian Curriculum v9.0 – Health and Physical Education (Years 7–8)
Content Descriptor:

ACPPS071 – Investigate the impact of changes and transitions on relationships.
ACPPS072 – Analyse factors that influence emotions and develop strategies to manage these effectively.

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Learning Intentions

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Understand how relationships with family and peers can change during adolescence.
• Explore the emotional impacts of puberty through a fictional character study.
• Reflect on and critically analyse their own experiences with changing relationships.
• Convey thoughts clearly using a comparative visual tool (Venn diagram).

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Success Criteria

Students will:

• Identify and describe at least two shifts in Riley's relationships from the film Inside Out.
• Draw connections between Riley’s experiences and their own.
• Clearly present their thinking using a well-structured Venn diagram.
• Demonstrate an understanding of both emotional and social aspects of puberty transitions.

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Resources Required

• Whiteboard and markers
• Clip from film Inside Out (approx. 8 minutes – specific scenes focusing on Riley’s shift in behaviour toward her parents and new social environment)
• Printed character snapshot of Riley (1 per student)
• Venn diagram worksheet (with one circle labelled “Riley” and other “Me”)
• Coloured pencils or markers
• Reflection sheet (Exit Slip)
• Student Rubric (printed)

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Lesson Breakdown

Introduction (5 minutes)

Welcome and Engagement Activity

• Greet students by name. Use a warm, conversational tone to create a safe discussion environment.
• Ask: “What kinds of changes do you think happen to relationships as people grow older—especially during adolescence?”
• Encourage students to give at least one rising thought, drawing from school, family, or friends.

Teacher Talk (3 minutes)

• Briefly explain that as we go through puberty, our brains and bodies change, and this often impacts how we relate to others.
• Introduce Riley, the main character from Inside Out, as a case study to explore these concepts.

💬 Teacher Prompt:
“We're going to use Riley’s story to explore how our relationships—especially with friends and family—can shift as we start becoming more independent.”

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Main Activity – Riley’s World (15 minutes)

Video Viewing (8 minutes)

Play a selected clip from Inside Out. Recommended scenes:

• Riley’s interaction with her parents after moving.
• Riley’s struggle with her old friends and feeling displaced.

Encourage close observation with guiding questions on the board:

• How does Riley act around her parents?
• What changes do we see with her relationship to her friends?
• How does Riley feel, and how does she express it?

Discussion (7 minutes)

Guide students through a facilitated discussion:

• What do you think changed for Riley when she moved?
• Did she seem closer to her parents before or after the move? Why?
• Were Riley’s new and old friendships the same?
• Does any of Riley’s story remind you of anything from your own life?

🙋 Small Group Dynamic:
Tailor questions to evoke personal reflection, making the space safe to share. Use students' names and connect their comments to the character’s journey.

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Application Task – Venn Diagram (15 minutes)

Individual Work with Light Guidance
Students complete a double-circle Venn diagram.

• Left Circle: Riley’s changes in relationships
• Right Circle: Their own experiences or anticipated changes
• Centre: Similarities

Encourage depth—don’t accept surface-level answers only. Prompt with ideas such as:

• Emotional reactions
• Communication with parents
• Trust and independence
• Friendships: closeness vs. distance
• Peer pressure and fitting in

Offer students coloured markers to add creativity to their diagrams.

Rubric Criteria:

Criteria	Excellent	Satisfactory	Needs Improvement
Clarity	Clear examples, very easy to follow	Some examples, mostly understandable	Very limited or unclear examples
Depth of Analysis	Thoughtful connections, shows insight	Basic comparison, some analysis	Minimal reflection or reasoning
Creativity	Visually appealing, engaging presentation	Some use of colour/design	Poorly presented or incomplete

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Reflection & Wrap-Up (7 minutes)

Personal Reflection Exit Slip
Students complete a brief reflection (written or verbal if preferred):

• One thing I learned about relationships today:
• One way Riley’s story is like mine:
• One question I still have about relationships or puberty:

Class Share (if time allows)
Each student shares one response from their reflection.

Teacher Close
Acknowledge each student’s contribution and remind them:

“Your relationships might change, and that’s okay. What matters is understanding yourself and being kind—to yourself, and to others.”

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Extension Opportunity

If a student finishes early or shows deep engagement:

• Invite them to create a dialogue scene rewriting a moment from Riley’s story to better manage the change or conflict, demonstrating improved communication skills or empathy.

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Assessment

• Formative: Observation during discussion, student responses, engagement.
• Summative: Venn Diagram with attached rubric (collected for feedback).

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Differentiation Strategies

• Use visual and verbal supports to aid comprehension.
• Provide sentence starters or scaffolded ideas for reflections.
• Allow verbal responses for reluctant writers.
• Enhanced prompt cards available for students who may need more structured guidance.

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Teacher Reflection Prompt (Post-Class)

• Did all students engage with the character example?
• Were students able to make personal, age-appropriate connections?
• What follow-up support might these students need in understanding relational change?

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Final Note to Teachers 👩‍🏫✨

This lesson harnesses both pop culture and critical thinking in a micro-classroom setting. With only 3 students, the intimacy of discussion can become a powerful tool—use it intentionally. Ground the analysis in empathy, and help students discover that their own changing world is not strange, but shared.

Let Riley be the guide—but let their stories take centre stage.