Setting Boundaries

Year Level

Years 1 and 2

Duration

50 minutes

Unit

Building Respectful Relationships (Lesson 7 of 10)

WALT (We Are Learning To)

Learn the importance of setting personal boundaries and understand what boundaries look like in different social situations.

Success Criteria

Students can explain why boundaries matter.
Students can identify and demonstrate ways to set personal boundaries.
Students can show understanding through role-play and creating a personal boundary map.

Australian Curriculum Alignment

Health and Physical Education - Personal, Social and Community Health

Content Descriptor:

AC9HP2P04 Practise strategies they can use when they need to seek, give or deny permission respectfully. Students practise assertive communication, including saying yes/no and using body language to give or deny consent in appropriate situations.
AC9HP2P05 Identify and demonstrate protective behaviours and help-seeking strategies to help keep themselves and others safe. Focus on understanding safe personal boundaries and seeking help when boundaries are crossed.
AC9HP2P02 Identify and explore skills and strategies to develop respectful relationships. Emphasis on respectful interactions and recognising personal space.

Learning Objectives

Understand what personal boundaries are.
Recognise different types of boundaries in various social contexts (e.g., family, friends, school).
Learn strategies to communicate boundaries assertively and respectfully.
Develop awareness of their own feelings and respect others’ feelings about boundaries.

Lesson Breakdown

Time	Activity	Details	Resources/Materials
0-5 min	Introduction to Boundaries	Teacher explains the concept of personal boundaries using simple, relatable examples (e.g., physical space, privacy). Use visuals to show respectful distance and examples of boundaries.	Visual aids/posters showing personal space bubbles, boundary examples
5-15 min	Class Discussion	Ask students when they feel uncomfortable or safe around others. Discuss why it is important to have and respect boundaries. Use simple language and encourage sharing.	Circle time seating, whiteboard or chart paper for notes
15-25 min	Role-play Scenarios	Teacher models short role-plays demonstrating boundary-setting (e.g., saying “No, please stop,” or “I need some space”). Volunteers then perform role-plays in pairs or small groups to practise assertive boundary-setting.	Role-play cards with simple scenarios, props if available
25-35 min	Create Personal Boundary Map (Extension activity)	Students draw a personal boundary map showing their “safe spaces” and “things that are okay” and “things that are not okay” touching or doing. Use colours and symbols to aid understanding (dyslexia-friendly).	Paper, coloured pencils, markers, boundary map template with visuals
35-45 min	Discussion and Sharing	Students share their boundary maps with a partner or small group, explaining their boundaries. Teacher reinforces respectful listening and empathy.	Students’ boundary maps
45-50 min	Summary & Reflection	Recap key ideas using visual boundary examples. Students verbally share one thing they learned about boundaries today and why it’s important.	Visual summary charts, teacher-led

Differentiation Strategies

For Diverse Learners: Provide visual boundary examples (e.g., “bubble” graphics showing personal space) to support understanding. Use clear, simple language. Role-play to provide experiential learning for students with varied learning preferences. Provide sentence starters for speaking, such as “I feel... when…” or “Please don’t...”
Dyslexia-Friendly Options: Use clear fonts and colour-coded boundary map templates. Provide pictorial symbols to illustrate ‘safe’ and ‘not safe’ actions. Allow oral responses where possible instead of written for students who find writing difficult.
For Advanced Learners: Invite students to think about boundaries beyond physical space, e.g., emotional boundaries or digital boundaries using scenarios. Challenge them to suggest ways to respectfully maintain boundaries with different kinds of friends or family members.

Assessment

Formative: Observation of student participation during class discussions and role-plays, checking their ability to use boundary-setting language and actions. Review students' personal boundary maps for understanding of safe vs unsafe boundaries.
Success Criteria Met If: Students are able to explain why boundaries matter and demonstrate at least one way to say ‘No’ or set a boundary in role-play. Students’ boundary maps show clear understanding of personal boundaries.

Teacher Tips to Engage Students

Incorporate digital technology if possible: Use a short animated video clip on personal boundaries (without sound for dyslexia-friendly access), or create digital boundary maps with tablets or interactive whiteboards.
Vary activities to maintain engagement: alternate between group discussion, partner role-play, individual creative drawing.
Use real-life stories or characters familiar to students from books or shows to contextualise boundaries in everyday life.

This lesson plan aims to build foundational skills in recognising and asserting personal boundaries, a crucial component of building respectful relationships in early primary education, fully aligned with the Australian Curriculum (v9) for Health and Physical Education Years 1 and 2.

Teaching Instructions