Understanding Respect

Overview

Students explore what respect looks like in everyday relationships and practise identifying respectful behaviours at school and at home. This lesson begins a 6-part unit, building a shared understanding of respectful actions and respectful communication.

Learning intentions

• Students will explain what respect means in relationships.
• Students will identify respectful behaviours in common everyday situations.
• Students will describe how respect helps people feel safe, valued and included.
• Students will practise listening and responding respectfully during group discussions.

Success criteria

• I can say what respect means using my own words.
• I can list respectful behaviours in school and home situations.
• I can talk and listen respectfully during our discussions (for example, taking turns and using kind words).
• I can give one example of how respect improves relationships.

Curriculum links

• Health: Students build respectful relationships by learning about communication, belonging and how actions affect others’ feelings and safety.
• Oral communication: Students interact and listen for understanding in a familiar learning context, then present ideas to others.
• (Optional cross-curricular link) Students use planning and structured ideas to inform audiences in short written or visual notes where needed.

Lesson structure ({total minutes})

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and hook. Teacher displays two scenario cards: “A friend includes you in play” and “Someone laughs when a classmate makes a mistake.” Students give a quick thumbs-up/down and say one reason aloud.

2. 5–12 min · Direct teach: What is respect? Teacher leads a short class discussion: respect means noticing someone is important, treating them fairly and using caring words and actions. Teacher records key ideas on chart paper: “Kind words”, “Fair actions”, “Listening”, “Taking turns”, “Keeping people safe”. Students turn-and-talk: “Where have you seen respect this week?”

3. 12–20 min · Listening and understanding (teacher guided). Teacher reads a short story (age-appropriate) about a group project where one student shuts others out, then another student helps them re-join fairly. Students answer orally in pairs:

• What did the respectful person do?
• How did the non-respectful behaviour make others feel (safe/unsafe, included/excluded)? Teacher checks understanding by asking one pair to share, reinforcing respectful language (for example, “I noticed…”, “I think… because…”).

4. 20–32 min · Small-group activity: Respect sorting. In groups of 4–5, students receive a set of behaviour statements and sort them into two columns on a worksheet or table cards: Respectful / Not respectful. Teacher provides sentence frames:

• “This is respectful because…”
• “This is not respectful because…” Students then pick one respectful example and write or draw it on a “Respect Snapshot” card (one clear action). Teacher circulates, prompting quieter students to contribute.

5. 32–40 min · Whole-class sharing and respectful talk moves. Groups share one Respect Snapshot. Teacher explicitly models respectful speaking and listening:

• Listener: “I hear you. Can you tell me more about…?”
• Speaker: “My example is…” Teacher records class themes under the chart headings from earlier.

6. 40–45 min · Exit ticket: Show what you learned. Students complete a short exit ticket:

• “Respect in relationships means…”
• “One respectful behaviour I will use is…” Teacher collects tickets to identify misconceptions for Lesson 2.

Resources

• Scenario cards (two to four for the hook)
• Behaviour statement cards for sorting (respectful vs not respectful)
• Respect sorting worksheet or table mats
• “Respect Snapshot” cards (blank sheets with a prompt)
• Chart paper and markers
• Exit ticket slips or half-page paper
• Timer or visual schedule cards

Assessment

• Formative: Teacher observes pair and group discussions for respectful participation (turn-taking, listening for understanding, appropriate language).
• Formative: Sorting activity checks students’ ability to distinguish respectful and not respectful behaviours and justify choices.
• Summative (light touch): Exit ticket responses to assess understanding of the meaning of respect and students’ ability to name an example.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters, a word bank (kind, fair, listen, safe, include), and examples/non-examples on the board.
• Support: Offer roles in groups (reader, sorter, recorder, speaker) to ensure participation for all students.
• Extension: Students choose one scenario and suggest an “extra respectful” alternative action, explaining why it would improve feelings and inclusion.
• EAL/SEN considerations: Use visuals on cards, allow oral responses to be recorded by a partner or teacher if needed, and pre-teach key terms (respect, relationship, fair, listening).