Making Melbourne Better

Overview

In this final project lesson, students use respectful discussion strategies to improve a solution created by another group, then reflect on their contribution to the class project. The lesson consolidates learning about respectful relationships, communicating opinions, negotiating outcomes and responding constructively to diverse views.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify behaviours that support respectful relationships and disagreement
• communicate suggestions, needs and opinions assertively and respectfully
• collaborate to refine a shared solution for making Melbourne better
• reflect honestly on their contribution, responsibility and learning throughout the project

Success criteria

• I can explain what respectful relationships look and sound like.
• I can disagree or suggest changes without dismissing another person’s ideas.
• I can help improve a solution while respecting the original group’s work.
• I can identify a specific contribution I made and one way I could contribute more effectively next time.

Curriculum links

• Health and Physical Education — respectful relationships, consent, communication, choices, opinions and needs.
• Health and Physical Education — the influence of respect, empathy, power and coercion on relationships.
• Languages — contributing to discussions involving diverse views, negotiating outcomes, addressing issues and comparing experiences.
• Personal and social capability — self-awareness, social awareness, collaboration, communication and responsible decision-making.

Lesson structure (55 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and project purpose. Teacher opens with the hook and learning intentions and reminds students that today they are finishing a shared project about making Melbourne better, not judging which group worked hardest. Students silently consider: “What makes collaboration feel respectful when people have different ideas?”

2. 5–15 min · What are respectful relationships? Teacher displays the respectful relationships discussion slides and explains that respectful relationships involve listening, empathy, fairness, clear communication, acknowledging different perspectives and allowing people to disagree without pressure or humiliation. Present two contrasting statements: “That idea is stupid” and “I see it differently because…”. Students identify the impact of each statement, then contribute examples of respectful words and actions. Record student suggestions under “looks like”, “sounds like” and “feels like”. Reinforce that power differences, exclusion, dismissive language and taking over a discussion can make collaboration less respectful.

3. 15–20 min · Prepare for peer editing. Teacher assigns each student to tidy a solution other than the one they developed and opens the peer-editing instructions and success checklist. Distribute the respectful solution-improvement sheet. Students read their assigned solution in the shared slide deck and individually note one strength, one question and one respectful suggestion before discussing changes with their group.

4. 20–38 min · Improve an assigned solution. Teacher circulates, prompts groups to use evidence from the project brief and checks that all voices are included. Students work in groups of four to revise their assigned solution in the shared slide deck. They check that it clearly explains the problem, proposed action, intended benefit for Melbourne, practical steps and any likely challenge. Students use sentence starters such as “I agree with…”, “Could we clarify…?”, “Another possibility is…” and “I’m concerned that… because…”. The original group may be consulted if clarification is needed, but the editing group remains responsible for completing the assigned improvement.

5. 38–46 min · Quality check and respectful feedback. Teacher displays the quality-check and feedback prompts. Each group briefly reviews its revised solution against the worksheet criteria and gives one specific acknowledgement and one question for further consideration. Students make final edits where appropriate, ensuring that changes improve clarity and feasibility rather than simply replacing another group’s ideas.

6. 46–53 min · Individual project reflection. Teacher directs students to complete the reflection section of the respectful solution-improvement sheet independently. Students respond to: “What did I contribute to the project?”, “How did I support or challenge an idea respectfully?”, “What did I learn from working with different views?”, and “What would I do differently in a future group project?” Encourage specific examples rather than general claims such as “I helped” or “I worked well”.

7. 53–55 min · Closing share and exit check. Teacher opens the closing reflection slide and invites a few students to share a sentence about respectful collaboration. Students complete the final prompt on the worksheet: “One action that helps a group work respectfully is…” Collect worksheets and confirm that the five refined solutions will be reviewed or presented as the completed class project.

Resources

• the complete project-finale slide deck
• the respectful solution-improvement sheet
• Shared class slide deck containing the five agreed solutions
• Devices with access to the shared slide deck
• Project brief or agreed criteria for effective solutions
• Projector or interactive display
• Whiteboard and markers
• Grouping list or table labels

Assessment

• During discussion, listen for students distinguishing respectful disagreement from personal criticism, dismissal or coercion.
• During group editing, observe whether students invite contributions, share decision-making, explain suggestions and respond constructively to challenge.
• Use the worksheet to assess students’ ability to identify a respectful communication strategy, improve a solution using criteria and reflect specifically on their own contribution.

Differentiation

• Provide the sentence starters on the worksheet and display them throughout the editing task. Allow students to rehearse a suggestion with a partner before presenting it to the group.
• Support students who need structure by assigning group roles such as facilitator, evidence checker, editor and reporter; rotate roles where possible.
• Provide text-to-speech, speech-to-text, enlarged digital text or a scribe for students requiring adjustments. Permit reflection responses as typed, handwritten or recorded audio.
• Extend confident students by asking them to identify a possible unintended consequence of the solution and propose an equitable adjustment that considers different Melbourne communities.
• For EAL/D learners, pre-teach respectful discussion phrases, pair them with a supportive peer and accept labelled notes, key phrases or a visual response before requiring extended writing.