Strength in Ourselves

Lesson 1 of 10: Building Wellbeing Foundations

Year Level: Year 4
Subject: Health
Duration: 55 minutes
Class Size: 15 students
Curriculum Alignment:
Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education (F–10)
Strand: Personal, Social and Community Health
Sub-strand: Being healthy, safe and active
Content Description (ACPPS033)
– Identify and practise strategies to promote health, safety and wellbeing

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WALT – We Are Learning To:

• Understand what wellbeing means and how it affects our everyday life.
• Identify personal strategies to look after our mental and emotional wellbeing.
• Recognise how our feelings connect to our actions and choices.

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Success Criteria:

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

• Define the term "wellbeing" in their own words.
• Describe at least three strategies that support their own wellbeing.
• Identify a personal strength that helps them stay positive or bounce back from challenges.

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Resources Required:

• Large poster paper and markers
• “Feelings Wheel” (dyslexia-friendly version with illustrations)
• Printed “My Wellbeing Shield” worksheet (dyslexia-friendly font: OpenDyslexic or Lexend)
• Calm instrumental background music
• Soft seating or floor cushions
• Scenario cards (wellbeing-related situations)
• Whiteboard and markers

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Lesson Structure:

Introduction (10 mins): Welcome to Our Space

Class Circle – Acknowledgement of Country
Begin the session with an Acknowledgement of Country, encouraging students to reflect on their place in community and connection to the land.

Ice Breaker – Wellbeing Word Toss
Using a soft ball, toss it around the circle. The student who catches it shares one word that makes them feel good, calm or happy (e.g., “playing footy”, “dog”, “singing”, "Gran"). Jot responses on the board.

Mini-Discussion Prompt
Ask: "Why do you think looking after how we feel is important?"
Guide students toward the concept of wellbeing and briefly explain:
"Wellbeing is how we feel inside and how we look after ourselves so we can enjoy life, learn, and feel safe."

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Explicit Teaching (15 mins): Discovering Wellbeing

Mini-Lesson: The Elements of Wellbeing
Discuss key components of wellbeing as age-appropriate:

• Body (Healthy choices, good sleep)
• Mind (Positive thinking, managing feelings)
• Heart (Friendships, kindness)
• Bounce-back (How we cope when things go wrong – resilience)

Introduce the 'Wellbeing Shield'
Show an example and explain each section:

1. My Super Strength (a personal trait)
2. Things That Make Me Smile
3. My Safe Spaces
4. How I Calm Down When Upset

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Activity (20 mins): My Wellbeing Shield

Students create their own personalised 'Wellbeing Shield'

• Encourage creativity (drawings, colour-coding, meaningful words)
• Dyslexia-friendly printed templates provided with visuals
• Soothing background music to support calm working environment

Teacher Role:

• Circulate, assist with vocabulary word banks for EAL/D or dyslexic students
• Encourage verbal sharing for those who struggle to complete written work

Differentiation Strategies:

• Visual learners: Illustrated versions of emotions and shield prompts
• EAL/D students: Provide bilingual word-bank if needed
• Students with dyslexia: Offer audio-supported instructions and one-on-one clarification
• Neurodivergent learners: Fidget-friendly seats and expectations communicated visually and verbally

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Group Role Play (5 mins): ‘What Would You Do?’ Scenarios

Students work in 3 mixed-ability groups. Each group selects one scenario card (e.g., “You lost your lunchbox”, “Your best friend goes to a new school”).

They brainstorm and perform a quick skit showing:

• What feeling might show up
• A strength they could use
• A small thing they could do to feel better

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Reflection and Cool Down (5 mins): What Makes Me Strong?

Back in circle time, use a calm “breathing moment”. Each student shares one strength they used this week that helped them, e.g. "I helped my brother," "I didn’t give up in soccer," etc.

Teacher ends circle with a big group “Wow Moment”:
💬 “Today we discovered how powerful our thoughts, friends, and tiny choices are for our wellbeing. Let's keep growing strong inside and out!”

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Extension Activity (for advanced learners):

Design a Wellbeing Poster
Using chromebooks or paper, students create a poster encouraging other children in the school to practise one self-care strategy. Can be shared on school wellbeing boards or in newsletters.

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Homework Option (Optional):

My Calm Space Map
Students draw or describe a place (real or imagined) that helps them feel safe and calm. Bring it in to share with the group next lesson.

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Teacher Reflection Prompts (for post-lesson notes):

• Did students engage with the concept of wellbeing?
• Which activities sparked the most discussion?
• Were students able to identify personal strategies independently?
• How did students with learning needs respond to scaffolds?

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Notes for Next Lesson:

Topic: Respect – Exploring how we show respect to others and ourselves.
Focus will be on identifying respectful behaviours and setting group goals for respect.

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Stay tuned for Lesson 2: “Respect in Action”
We’ll explore how how words, tone and listening can build strong, respectful relationships in our class community.

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Let’s build a powerful, inclusive foundation of wellbeing together – one shield at a time!