Wellbeing Wonderland

Overview

Year Level: Year 5 & 6
Duration: 45 minutes
Curriculum Area: Health and Physical Education (HPE) - Focus on Personal and Social Capability
Relevant Content Descriptions (Australian Curriculum):

• ACPPS054: Investigate community resources and strategies to seek help about health, safety, and wellbeing.
• ACPPS056: Recognise how media and important people in the community influence personal attitudes, beliefs, decisions, and behaviours.
• ACPPS060: Plan and practise strategies to promote health, safety, and wellbeing.

This lesson focuses on promoting emotional resilience, mindfulness, and empathy as part of a "Wellbeing Day." Students will cycle through engaging, interactive activities designed to enhance their self-awareness, understanding of emotions, and the building of positive interpersonal relationships.

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Learning Intentions

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Develop an understanding of mindfulness techniques to manage feelings and emotions.
• Strengthen interpersonal skills through empathy-based activities.
• Learn practical ways to prioritise their mental and emotional wellbeing.

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Success Criteria

Students will demonstrate success by:

• Actively engaging in mindfulness and movement activities.
• Contributing ideas during group discussions.
• Applying empathy skills through collaborative tasks.

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Materials Required

• Interactive whiteboard or projector
• Large space for group movement/activity
• Pre-set "Mindfulness Cards" with calming actions (e.g., “Count 10 slow breaths,” “Imagine your favourite place.”)
• Empathy role-play scenario cards
• Paper and coloured pencils/pens
• Calm background music playlist (to play softly during mindfulness exercises)

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Lesson Structure

Introduction: 5 minutes

1. Acknowledgement of Country: Start the lesson by respectfully acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land.
2. Setting the Scene (1 minute): Discuss the importance of personal and social wellbeing in everyday life. Define what “wellbeing” means in simple, age-appropriate terms.
3. Active Icebreaker Game (4 minutes): "Mood Mix-Up" – Call out various emotions (e.g., happy, excited, sad, angry), and have students show these feelings through a brief action or facial expression. This introduces the focus on emotions and self-awareness.

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Activity 1: Mindfulness in Action (10 minutes)

Teach students how to engage in basic mindfulness techniques.

1. Calming Visualisation Exercise (5 minutes):

   • Ask students to close their eyes, sit comfortably, and picture their "safe place." Guide them with prompts such as: What do you see? What can you hear? What can you feel?
   • Play soft background music to support focus.

2. Movement-based Mindfulness (5 minutes):

   • Students perform 3 calming poses from yoga or stretching exercises (e.g., “tree pose,” “butterfly stretch”).
   • Between each pose, encourage them to repeat a positive affirmation silently, such as: “I am calm. I am strong. I am enough.”

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Activity 2: Empathy in Action (15 minutes)

Team Connection Task: This activity promotes the development of empathy through role-play and class discussion.

1. Divide students into 6 smaller subgroups (facilitate via logistical planning or teacher aides). Each group receives a role-play scenario from the "Empathy Cards." Examples:

   • A friend feels left out at lunch.
   • A classmate fails a test they studied so hard for.
   • Someone brings an unusual lunch and is teased.

2. Role-Play (10 minutes): Each group acts out their scenario in front of the class. After performing, the group discusses their reflections: How might the person in the scenario be feeling? What actions could be taken to support them?

3. Class Reflection Moment (5 minutes): Facilitate a whole-class discussion about the impact of understanding others’ feelings and how empathy builds stronger friendships.

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Activity 3: A Wellbeing Plan (10 minutes)

1. Personal Wellbeing Poster (10 minutes)

• Students create a small "Wellbeing Plan" poster for themselves. Provide prompts such as:

  • Write 3 calming activities you enjoy.
  • Draw one person you can turn to for help.
  • List one goal to help your wellbeing (e.g., spend more time outdoors or practise deep breathing).

• Encourage creativity—students can decorate their posters with coloured pencils and visuals.

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Conclusion: 5 minutes

1. Recap Key Ideas: Ask students to share 1 new technique or idea they learned about improving wellbeing.
2. Closing Affirmation Exercise: The class says, as a group: “Today I focused on me. I am strong, I am kind, I am ready to grow.”
3. Thank Students for Participation: Highlight how their contributions made the classroom a safe, supportive space for everyone.

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Extension Opportunities

• Encourage students to start a "Wellbeing Journal" with daily entries about their favourite positive moments or emotions.
• As a follow-up project, work with students to create a class "Wellbeing Wall" featuring their posters.

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Assessment

Assessment for this lesson will be formative:

• Observe student participation during activities (e.g., role-play, discussions).
• Review personal wellbeing posters for effort and understanding.
• Collect anecdotal notes on social interactions between students.

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Teacher Reflection

After the lesson, consider the following:

• Were students able to connect the concepts of mindfulness and empathy to their lives?
• Did the variety of activities cater to different levels of engagement and collaboration?
• How might this lesson inform future resilience or wellbeing programming for the year levels?

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Final Thought

"You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take time to replenish yourself.” This ensures every student leaves feeling valued and equipped with tools to prioritise their wellbeing in a fun, memorable way.