Resilience Strategies

Overview

This 45-minute lesson for Year 5 students is the ninth in the 10-lesson unit "Emotional Intelligence in Action." It focuses on understanding resilience and how to develop personal resilience strategies. This lesson aligns with the NSW Curriculum outcomes PH3-IHW-01 and PH3-CWT-01, emphasising health, well-being, identity, and creating written texts to support learning about health and safety. Students will engage in collaborative and independent activities differentiated to their learning preferences.

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Learning Outcomes (NSW Curriculum)

• PH3-IHW-01: Examine and explain factors that influence identity, health, and wellbeing of individuals and groups, with focus on emotional and social wellbeing.
• PH3-CWT-01: Create written texts that support understanding of health, safety, and wellbeing.

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Lesson Details

Learning Intention (WALT)

We Are Learning To:

• Understand what resilience is and why it is important for emotional wellbeing.

Success Criteria

By the end of the lesson, students can:

• Explain what resilience means.
• Identify at least one personal strategy they use to be resilient.
• Share their resilience strategy with others through discussion or writing.

Differentiation

• Collaborative learners: Participate in story circles sharing experiences and strategies for resilience.
• Independent learners: Reflect on personal resilience strategies in a journal entry.

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Resources

• Whiteboard and markers
• Paper and pencils
• Reflective journals or notebooks
• Prepared “Resilience Story Circle” prompts
• A short video or story illustrating resilience (optional, to cater to different learning styles)

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Lesson Breakdown

Introduction (10 minutes)

• Begin with a brief teacher-led discussion:
• Ask: "What does resilience mean?" Write student ideas on the board.
• Define resilience simply: "Resilience is the ability to keep going and bounce back when things get hard or when we feel upset."
• Explain why resilience is important for our health and wellbeing. Relate to everyday situations Year 5 students may recognise (e.g., learning a new skill, coping with disappointment).

Activity 1: Story Circle — Sharing Resilience Strategies (15 minutes)

• Organise students into small groups (4-5 students each).
• Provide each group with prompts such as:
• "Tell a story about a time you faced a challenge and kept going."
• "What helped you feel better or stronger when things were hard?"
• Encourage students to listen respectfully and ask questions.
• Teacher circulates to support and guide conversations, ensuring positive engagement.

Activity 2: Reflective Journaling (15 minutes)

• Students write a reflection in their journals responding to:
• "What is one strategy you use to be resilient?"
• "Why is this strategy helpful for you?"
• Prompt students to use descriptive language and connect their strategies to feelings and health.
• Provide sentence starters and writing templates for students needing more support.

Plenary: Sharing and Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

• Invite a few volunteers to share their resilience strategies from their journal or story circle.
• Summarise key points about resilience and strategies shared. Reinforce the importance of recognising and practising resilience daily.
• Introduce the idea that they will explore more ways to build resilience in the next and final lesson.

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Assessment

• Formative: Observe participation and contributions in story circles to assess understanding and communication skills.
• Written: Review journal entries to assess students’ ability to explain resilience and articulate personal strategies, demonstrating achievement of PH3-CWT-01.

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Links to NSW Curriculum Content and Achievement Standards

• Content Descriptions: Students examine and explain factors influencing identity, health, wellbeing (physical, emotional, social). They propose strategies to manage emotions and changes.
• Achievement Standard: By Year 5, students explain factors influencing their own and others’ health and wellbeing and create texts that communicate ideas about these factors. They individually and collaboratively engage in activities enhancing health literacy and emotional intelligence.

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Notes for Teachers

• Encourage openness but respect privacy; students share only what they feel comfortable with.
• Story circles promote social learning, empathy, and oral language skills. Reflective journaling fosters metacognition and personal connection to the learning.
• Adapt the reflective prompts for students with additional learning needs, using visual aids or one-on-one support if required.

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This lesson plan aims to "wow" educators by combining collaborative storytelling with reflective practice, both deeply rooted in NSW learning standards and recognising diverse learning styles to build emotional resilience in Year 5 students.