Healthy and Respectful Relationships

Overview

This lesson plan focuses on Australian Year 10 students (15–16 years old) and aligns with the Australian Curriculum: Personal, Social and Community Health (Levels 9–10). Specifically, it addresses ACPPS092, ACPPS093, and ACPPS095, which focus on evaluating factors that influence respectful relationships, sexuality, consent, and the personal and social skills necessary for maintaining safety and respect. The lessons aim to develop practical skills, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and ethical behaviour while promoting inclusivity and cultural sensitivity.

Each of the eight lessons will cover distinct topics on relationships, sexuality, and consent to ensure a holistic, age-appropriate education that fosters awareness, empathy, and respect.

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Lesson 1: Foundations of Healthy Relationships

Learning Objectives

• Understand the characteristics of healthy, respectful, and supportive relationships.
• Reflect on and challenge common stereotypes and relationship assumptions.
• Identify positive communication skills needed in relationships.

Materials Needed

• Whiteboard
• Markers
• Relationship scenarios handouts
• Large sheets of butcher's paper

Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

   • Begin with a class discussion: What words come to mind when you think about a healthy relationship?
   • Write their responses on the whiteboard to create a word cloud that highlights key ideas such as trust, respect, empathy, and communication.

2. Group Activity (15 minutes)

   • Divide students into four groups of five.
   • Hand out scenarios describing different types of relationships (e.g., friendships, family, romantic relationships).
   • Each group will analyse their scenario and answer questions: What’s healthy about this relationship? What could be improved? What advice would you give these people?

3. Class Discussion (10 minutes)

   • Groups present their findings, followed by a class discussion. Highlight the importance of listening, communication, and trust as central to healthy relationships.

4. Reflection (10 minutes)

   • Students write their own definition of a healthy relationship in their journals. Encourage them to focus on qualities they value.

5. Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

   • Recap key points and encourage students to observe the relationships in their own lives, identifying which ones emulate the qualities of healthy relationships.

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Lesson 2: Recognising Red Flags

Learning Objectives

• Identify warning signs of unhealthy or abusive relationships.
• Develop strategies for seeking help or offering support to others in unhealthy relationships.

Materials Needed

• Pre-prepared "red flag" and "green flag" cards
• A safe classroom agreement

Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

   • Briefly recap the previous lesson.
   • Prompt students to consider: What might a red flag look like in a relationship?

2. Classroom Agreement (5 minutes)

   • Establish a safe space by discussing classroom rules around confidentiality and respect.

3. Activity: Flag Sorting (15 minutes)

   • Distribute a set of "red flag" and "green flag" flashcards to small groups.
   • Ask them to sort characteristics (e.g., jealousy, controlling behaviour, mutual respect, good communication) into "red flags" or "green flags" categories.
   • Discuss their choices as a class.

4. Scenario Discussion (20 minutes)

   • Present common scenarios like excessive jealousy, verbal controlling behaviour, or guilt-tripping.
   • Discuss how these behaviours grow and how early intervention is key.

5. Self-Support Strategies (10 minutes)

   • Teach students where and how to seek help (e.g., trusted adults, school counsellors, helplines like 1800RESPECT).
   • Provide handouts with local resources in their community.

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Lesson 3: Understanding Consent

Learning Objectives

• Define consent and explain its legal, ethical, and personal importance.
• Recognise that consent must be informed, enthusiastic, mutual, ongoing, and freely given.

Materials Needed

• Whiteboard
• Markers
• Consent role-playing cards

Lesson Breakdown

1. Defining Consent (10 minutes)

   • Write “consent” on the board.
   • Facilitate a discussion: What does consent mean to you? Why do we need it in all relationships?
   • Provide a definition, highlighting legal contexts in Australia.

2. Yes!/No! Role-Play (30 minutes)

   • Divide the class into pairs and hand out role-playing cards with scenarios involving consent (e.g., asking to borrow someone’s belongings, touching someone on the arm, dating scenarios).
   • Students practice asking for and giving/declining consent with appropriate language.
   • Debrief as a class about their observations and feelings during the exercise.

3. Reflection (10 minutes)

   • Students write in their journals about why they believe consent is a vital part of all interactions.

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Lesson 4: Contraception and Sexual Health

Learning Objectives

• Identify different types of contraception and understand their effectiveness.
• Discuss how to have open conversations about contraception in relationships.

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(Continue structuring lessons 5 to 8 similarly to ensure specificity and focus. Each lesson will address a key theme, such as cultural perspectives on relationships, digital intimacy and boundaries, LGBTQIA+ inclusivity in relationships, and handling conflicts respectfully.)

This structured, detailed, and curriculum-aligned sequence is designed to engage Year 10 students while encouraging self-awareness, respect, and lifelong learning about relationships, sexuality, and consent in the context of Australian values and standards.