Body Review Time

Overview

This 30-minute lesson is lesson 6 of 6 in the “Understanding Our Bodies” unit for preschool (years 0-3) students in New Zealand. It consolidates learning about public and private body parts and personal safety. The lesson follows the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh and uses inclusive, multisensory strategies ideal for autistic, sensory learners with diverse needs.

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Curriculum Links

• Learning area: Health and Physical Education (Te Whare Tapa Whā model supported)
• Strand: Personal Health and Physical Identity
• Level: Years 0–3 (Preschool/Foundation)
• Achievement objectives:
  • Students develop awareness of their own body and personal boundaries.
  • Recognise public vs private body parts and understand personal safety.
  • Communicate about their body and feelings using words or images.
• Key Competencies:
  • Managing self: Understanding safety and personal boundaries.
  • Relating to others: Expressing feelings and preferences.
• Teaching considerations: Emphasis on concrete concepts, repeated review, visual supports, and safe shared vocabulary about bodies .

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Learning Intentions

WALT (We Are Learning To):

• Review what we’ve learned about our bodies, including public and private parts.
• Understand how to keep ourselves safe.

Success Criteria:

• Students can summarize key ideas from the unit using pictures or simple words.
• Students can talk about personal safety through drawing, speaking, or writing.

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Resources

• Visual cards depicting body parts (clearly identifying private/public).
• Safety symbols (red “stop” signs, green “safe” signs).
• Blank “exit ticket” sheets with options: drawing space, scribble/writing area, or a place to record verbal summary.
• Large paper and markers for storybook creation.
• Sensory-friendly space free from distractions, with comfortable seating.
• Simple safety story examples with pictures.

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Lesson Breakdown

Time	Activity	Description	Differentiation
5 min	Welcome and Warm-up	Welcome, brief breathing and sensory regulation (e.g., squeezes, hand stretches). Use a short song or rhyme about bodies to engage attention.	Use fidget toys, visual timers, and clear physical cues to support regulation.
10 min	Review Group Discussion + Visuals	Use visual body part cards to revisit private vs public parts. Play a “safe or not safe” sorting game with body part images & scenarios (e.g., “Is it OK for a stranger to touch this part?”). Involve students physically by pointing on a body outline or self. Ask simple questions to prompt responses.	Use picture prompts and allow non-verbal responses (gestures, show cards). Use clear, consistent vocabulary and much repetition. Pause often for processing time.
5 min	Exit Ticket Activity (Reflection)	Students select one of three options to show what they remember: draw a safe action, verbally tell the teacher what they learned, or write/scribble a word with help. Teacher or aide can scribe if needed.	Provide choice to reduce stress; verbal summaries for speech-strong, drawing for nonverbal, simple writing for early emergent writers. Use image prompts on sheets for dyslexia-friendly support.
7 min	Extension: Create a Personal Safety Storybook	As a whole class, create a simple story reflecting personal safety rules learned. Use pictures students recall, with short sentences or labels. Display it visibly in the classroom.	Use repetitive sentence starters (“I am safe when…”), big clear print and pictures, and allow students to “tell” the story while teacher writes text. Incorporate student interests to boost engagement.
3 min	Closing and Goodbye	Brief recap of key safety points with visuals. Praise efforts and encourage students to share safety stories with whanau. Sensory calm-down activity (deep breath or gentle stretch).	Visual schedule of what was done today for closure. Use positive language and affirmations.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Visual Supports: Use images and symbols extensively to complement language.
• Multi-modal Responses: Allow drawing, speaking, or pre-writing to express understanding.
• Sensory Regulation: Include sensory breaks and movement activities.
• Small Group or One-on-One: For students needing extra support, run parts of the activities with aide assistance.
• Language Simplification: Use simple, clear language supported with repetition.
• Question Prompts and Sentence Stems: Provide verbal scaffolds (e.g., “My private parts are…”, “I stay safe by…”).
• Use of Technology: Tablet apps with body safety visuals can be used as an additional tool if available.

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Assessment and Feedback

• Collect exit tickets to assess each student’s understanding in their chosen mode.
• Observe participation and verbal contributions during group activities.
• Provide positive, specific feedback focusing on effort and understanding of safety concepts.
• Use informal questioning at lesson end to check recall.
• Note any individual needs for reteaching or extension.

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Additional Notes

• Emphasize culturally safe and sensitive language aligned with New Zealand values.
• Reinforce manaakitanga (caring) and aroha (respect) through discussing personal boundaries.
• Ground the lesson in the holistic model of hauora / wellbeing (te taha tinana - physical wellbeing and te taha hinengaro - mental/emotional wellbeing).
• Ensure privacy words and concepts are taught in a respectful, clear, and age-appropriate way, supporting trust and confidence.

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This lesson design draws fully on the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh principles for Health and Physical Education—embedding key competencies, making learning inclusive and meaningful for young learners, especially autistic, sensory learners with diverse needs. It balances explicit teaching, sensory supports, flexible expression, and cooperative learning to build understanding of body safety and self-advocacy .

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If you want, I can also help design the accompanying storybook template or provide sample visual cards!