Building Positive Connections

WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Understand and practice positive interpersonal skills.
• Use role play and drama to explore communication and empathy.
• Express ideas and emotions through drawing and writing.

Success Criteria

• I can listen and respond respectfully to others.
• I can show empathy and understanding in role play.
• I can use drawings and writing to show my feelings and ideas about positive relationships.
• I can participate in group activities and contribute my thoughts.

Curriculum Alignment

Health and Physical Education (New Zealand Curriculum Refresh)

• Personal and Social Skills (Health and PE, Year 5): Students develop skills to interact positively and respectfully with others.
• Managing Self and Relationships: Understanding and practising empathy, cooperation, and communication.
• Key Competencies:
  • Relating to others — Interact effectively with others, showing respect and understanding.
  • Managing self — Recognise and manage emotions in social contexts.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Students will practise positive interpersonal skills like listening, empathy, and respectful communication.
• Students will demonstrate understanding of these skills through drama, drawing, and writing.
• Students will be able to identify and express feelings and behaviours that support positive relationships.

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Lesson Plan (30 minutes)

Introduction (5 minutes)

• Gather students in a circle.
• Discuss WALT and Success Criteria.
• Briefly talk about what positive interpersonal skills mean (e.g., listening, sharing, understanding feelings).
• Use age-appropriate vocabulary: “How can we be good friends or classmates? What does being respectful look like?”

Activity 1: Role Play Scenarios (10 minutes)

• Set up 3 simple, relatable scenarios that encourage positive interactions, for example:
  1. Two friends disagreeing over a game.
  2. Someone feeling left out during play.
  3. Asking for help politely.
• Divide class into small groups of 4-5.
• Assign each group one scenario to role play for 3-4 minutes. Encourage expressing feelings using tone and body language.
• Support students with sentence stems like “I feel... when...”, “Can we try...?” to scaffold language.
• Encourage using positive body language and tone during role play as per the curriculum guidance on non-verbal communication.

Activity 2: Drawing Feelings & Writing Reflection (10 minutes)

• After role play, ask students to draw a picture representing how someone in the scenario might feel.
• Give sentence prompts to support writing reflections, e.g., "I feel ___ when ___," "I can help by ___."
• Provide dyslexia-friendly options:
  • Templates with sentence stems, visuals, and large font.
  • Short, clear instructions with key words highlighted.
  • Option to draw first, then write simple sentences supported by pictures.
• Discuss as a class a few examples to model valuing everyone's efforts.

Conclusion and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Bring students back together.
• Invite a few volunteers to share their drawings and reflections.
• Highlight examples of positive communication and empathy noticed in role play and writing.
• Recap success criteria and praise efforts.
• Use guiding questions such as “How did you feel when you listened carefully?” and “What did you learn about being a good friend?”

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Differentiation Strategies

• For students needing additional support:
  • Pair with supportive peers during role play.
  • Use clear, simple language and visual cues.
  • Provide one-on-one assistance with writing tasks.
• For English language learners or diverse cultural backgrounds:
  • Use visuals and gestures to clarify meanings.
  • Encourage using first languages during brainstorming before sharing in English.
• For advanced learners:
  • Encourage creating their own role play scenarios for complex situations.
  • Use sentence stems to develop persuasive or empathetic dialogue.
  • Challenge to explain the importance of these skills to others.

Resources Needed

• Scenario cards (simple printed prompts).
• Drawing paper and colouring materials.
• Writing templates with sentence stems and visuals supporting dyslexia-friendly learning.

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Notes for Teacher

• Emphasise the importance of respectful listening throughout activities.
• Maintain a supportive environment where all students feel safe to express ideas and emotions.
• Model positive body language, tone, and pace as per the curriculum’s advice on non-verbal communication and presentation skills .
• Encourage thinking about how different people might feel in social situations, building empathy and awareness.

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This lesson plan is crafted in alignment with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh for Health and Physical Education Year 5, focusing on developing interpersonal skills through role play, drama, drawing, and writing activities while supporting a positive classroom culture and diverse learner needs. It ensures active engagement, skill scaffolding, and inclusive learning opportunities for all students.