Practising Assertiveness

Year Level

Years 3 and 4

Duration

60 minutes

Class Size

25 students

Unit

Understanding Relationships (Lesson 8 of 10)

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Learning Objectives

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

1. Identify and compare assertive, passive and aggressive communication styles.
2. Demonstrate assertive communication strategies, including how to confidently say 'no', express their needs clearly, and stand up for others.
3. Develop an 'Assertive Phrase Bank' to support confident and respectful interactions.
4. Apply assertive communication skills in role-play scenarios to foster respectful relationships.

These objectives align with the NSW Curriculum for Health and Physical Education for Years 3 and 4, specifically addressing the development of respectful relationships, communication skills and self-awareness to support health and wellbeing. Students are working towards the outcomes that require them to apply skills and strategies to interact respectfully with others and describe influences that strengthen their identities and emotions.

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Curriculum Links

• Personal and Community Health: Identify influences on identities and apply respectful interaction skills.
• Communicating and Interacting for Health and Wellbeing: Use effective communication strategies to enhance relationships.
• Health, Wellbeing and Relationships: Practice skills to manage emotions and express needs assertively.

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Resources

• Role-play scenario cards illustrating passive, aggressive and assertive communication examples.
• Whiteboard or chart paper.
• Markers.
• 'Assertive Phrase Bank' worksheet for individual or group use.
• Optional: Video clips or stories demonstrating different communication styles (age-appropriate).

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction and Engagement (10 minutes)

• Begin with a brief discussion: Ask students what it means to communicate with others. Highlight that we can communicate in different ways that affect how people feel.
• Introduce the three communication styles: Passive, Aggressive, and Assertive.
• Using simple role-play, demonstrate each style through short interactions:
• Passive: Not saying what you want or need.
• Aggressive: Saying what you want in a way that might hurt others.
• Assertive: Saying what you want clearly and respectfully.
• Ask students to describe how each style makes them feel and why.

2. Exploring Assertive Communication Strategies (15 minutes)

• Explain assertive communication strategies clearly:
• Saying 'no' confidently without feeling guilty.
• Expressing needs and feelings clearly.
• Standing up for oneself and others politely and firmly.
• Distribute scenario cards to small groups of 4–5 students. Each card includes a social situation requiring assertive communication.
• Groups discuss and role-play how to respond assertively in their scenarios.
• Circulate and support, guiding students to use respectful tone, body language, and clear statements.

3. Creation of the Assertive Phrase Bank (15 minutes)

• Gather class together and facilitate brainstorming of useful phrases to use in assertive communication (e.g., "I feel...", "I need...", "Please stop", "No thank you", "Let's find a solution").
• Record these phrases on a chart or whiteboard titled Assertive Phrase Bank.
• Distribute an 'Assertive Phrase Bank' worksheet so students can copy the phrases and add any personal ones.
• Encourage students to decorate or personalise their phrase bank for future reference.

4. Practice and Demonstration (15 minutes)

• In pairs or small groups, students take turns practising assertive communication using the phrases from their phrase bank.
• Provide additional scenarios if necessary for extended practice.
• Invite some volunteers to demonstrate an assertive response role-play in front of the class.
• Highlight elements of assertiveness demonstrated: calm tone, clear words, confident posture.

5. Reflection and Conclusion (5 minutes)

• Facilitate a short reflective discussion:
• How did it feel to practise assertive communication?
• Why is it important to express our needs assertively?
• How can being assertive help us maintain respectful relationships?
• Reinforce that assertiveness helps to communicate honestly and respectfully to build stronger and safer friendships.
• Assign as a simple take-home task: students use at least one phrase from the assertive phrase bank during the coming week and be ready to share their experience.

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Assessment

Formative assessment through:

• Observation of student participation in role-plays.
• Evaluation of their ability to identify and differentiate communication styles.
• Review of completed assertive phrase bank worksheet for understanding of assertive language.
• Informal feedback during discussions and reflections to gauge confidence and understanding.

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Differentiation and Support

• Provide sentence starters or visual prompts for students needing additional support.
• Role-play in smaller groups with teacher guidance where necessary.
• Challenge advanced students to create additional assertive scenarios or write short dialogues demonstrating assertiveness.

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Classroom Management Tips

• Establish ground rules before role-playing to maintain respect and safety.
• Encourage positive peer feedback emphasizing encouragement of assertiveness.
• Use a calm, supportive tone to model assertiveness throughout the lesson.

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This lesson structure ensures that Year 3 and 4 students develop essential communication skills in accordance with the NSW curriculum, supporting their emotional literacy and ability to form respectful and safe relationships. It balances active learning, collaboration, and personal reflection appropriate for this age and curriculum requirements.