Building Connections

Learning Intention

Students will understand the importance of supportive relationships in enhancing their hauora (well-being) and develop skills to navigate conflicting pressures within these relationships.

Success Criteria

• I can explain why social connections are vital for my hauora.
• I can identify common pressures in relationships and describe ways to handle them.
• I can demonstrate skills to support others through challenges using role-play.
• I can reflect on how relationships influence my overall well-being.

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Curriculum Alignment

Curriculum Area: Health and Physical Education
Level: Year 11 (Phase 5: Years 11-13, developing agency to help shape the future)
Achievement Objectives / Learning Outcomes:

• Understand how relationships contribute to hauora and well-being, including managing conflict and pressures (HPE Year 11 Health & Well-being AO).
• Develop interpersonal skills to support self and others in health-related situations (HPE Key Competency - Relating to Others).
• Demonstrate agency in making positive decisions about relationships and personal well-being (Phase 5 Critical Focus in Health; New Zealand Curriculum).
• Build strategies for maintaining supportive social networks and navigating complex social pressures (Supports Values: Whanaungatanga, Manaakitanga).

Key Competencies Integrated:

• Relating to Others: interacting, negotiating, supporting
• Managing Self: self-regulation, goal setting
• Participating and Contributing: taking part and leading in a cooperative environment

Unit Title: Enhancing Hauora for All
Lesson: 4 of 6
Time: 60 minutes
Class Size: 25
Context: Low decile secondary school with predominantly Pacific Island and Māori students
Teaching Approach: Relationship-based, culturally responsive, engaging learning activities that reflect students' identities and community values.

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Lesson Overview

Time	Activity	Purpose/Notes
0-10 min	Warm-up / Introduction - Learning intention and success criteria shared. - Whanaungatanga circle with quick sharing: "One positive quality I look for in friendships"	Build manaakitanga, affirm class relationships, set purpose
10-20 min	Mini-Teaching Input - Discuss the role of supportive relationships in hauora. - Explore common pressures/conflicts in relationships (peer pressure, family expectations, cultural identity, social media). - Link to students' lived experiences respectfully.	Use concepts from NZ Curriculum; connect identity and social contexts to health
20-40 min	Role Play Activity: “Navigating Pressures and Supporting Each Other” - In groups of 4-5, students do 2 role-plays: 1. Supporting a friend under peer pressure. 2. Navigating conflicting expectations in relationships. - Provide scenario cards with culturally relevant contexts. - Emphasise communication skills, empathy, and problem-solving. - Observe and guide with supportive feedback.	Practice interpersonal skills; build empathy and resilience (Relating to Others Key Competency)
40-50 min	Group Discussion and Reflection - Groups share insights from role-plays. - Reflect on how supportive relationships affect hauora. - Teacher facilitates with probing questions. - Tie back to Learning Intention.	Consolidate understanding; encourage critical reflection
50-60 min	Individual Reflection Writing - Prompt: "How can I build and maintain supportive relationships that help enhance my hauora?" - Optional sharing in pairs. - Teacher provides positive reinforcement and clarification.	Develop metacognition, personal agency, and goal-setting (Managing Self)

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Detailed Activities and Resources

Warm-up / Introduction (0–10 minutes)

• Gather students in a circle to maintain relationship-based learning environment.
• Teacher clearly states:
  • Learning Intention: “We will learn how building supportive relationships can improve our hauora and how to handle pressures in those relationships.”
  • Success Criteria: “By the end of today, you will be able to explain why relationships matter for your well-being, practice supporting others, and reflect on the kind of relationships that help you thrive.”
• Go around with each student sharing one quality they value in friends or whanau (e.g., trust, respect).

Mini-Teaching Input (10–20 minutes)

• Use an interactive presentation or flip chart to discuss hauora (physical, mental/emotional, social, spiritual) and how social connections support these dimensions.
• Introduce typical relationship pressures relevant to this age and cultural context (e.g., peer pressure, family expectations, cultural conflict).
• Use real-life examples or short stories reflecting Pacific and Māori students’ experiences.
• Use guided questioning to encourage students to share ideas comfortably.

Role Play Activity (20–40 minutes)

• Divide class into 5 groups of 5 students (or 6 groups if preferred).
• Provide two scenario cards per group describing situations such as:
  • A friend being pressured to experiment with something they are uncomfortable with.
  • A family member expecting a student to participate in cultural/family obligations that conflict with their peer group's activities.
• Roles include the person under pressure, the supportive friend, and observers/note-takers.
• Each role play lasts around 5 minutes, then swap roles for second scenario.
• Teacher circulates, offering prompts and encouraging use of active listening, empathy, assertiveness strategies (like saying no respectfully).

Group Discussion and Reflection (40–50 minutes)

• Groups briefly present one key learning or insight from their role plays.
• Facilitate discussion guiding students to think about:
  • How does support from others help hauora?
  • What strategies helped in role plays?
  • How do cultural values like manaakitanga (care) and whanaungatanga (relationships) influence these interactions?

Individual Reflection Writing (50–60 minutes)

• Students quietly write for 5-7 minutes reflecting on:
  • “How can I build and maintain supportive relationships that improve my hauora?”
• Encourage inclusion of specific actions or attitudes.
• Students can share reflections in pairs, supporting relationship building.
• Teacher collects reflections (optional) or uses to inform future lessons.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative: Observation of role plays assessing interpersonal skills and empathy demonstration.
• Self-Assessment: Reflection writing showing understanding of how supportive relationships affect hauora.
• Teacher Observation: Participation and contributions to group discussion, use of specialist vocabulary such as hauora, resilience, peer pressure.

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Cultural Responsiveness & Inclusion

• Draw on Pacific and Māori worldviews of health and community.
• Use te reo Māori terms and concepts (e.g., hauora, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga).
• Be mindful of diverse cultural values around relationships and pressures.
• Use inclusive language and allow flexible participation modes (oral/written, group/pairs).
• Respect gender diversity and encourage safe, respectful dialogue.

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Resources

• Scenario cards tailored with culturally relevant contexts.
• Flip chart or whiteboard for key concepts.
• Writing materials for reflection.
• Optional digital media clips illustrating positive/supportive relationships.

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This lesson plan reflects the New Zealand Curriculum’s Health and Physical Education vision by empowering young people to understand and navigate the social dimensions of their well-being, with particular attention to culturally grounded, relationship-based learning approaches that resonate with the Māori and Pacific student communities.