Connecting With Support

Overview

In lesson 22 of 28, students connect their personal hauora goals with trustworthy local health resources and support groups. They evaluate which services may be appropriate, accessible and safe, then record a realistic next step without being required to disclose personal information.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify local services and support groups that promote different dimensions of hauora.
• WALT evaluate whether health information and support are trustworthy, relevant and accessible.
• WALT connect a SMART wellbeing goal with an appropriate source of support.
• WALT explain how seeking help can strengthen hauora and manaakitanga.

Success criteria

• I can describe how a local service could support a wellbeing goal.
• I can use criteria to judge whether a resource is trustworthy and suitable.
• I can identify practical barriers and possible solutions.
• I can create a safe next step for accessing support, or supporting someone else to do so.

Curriculum links

• Personal exercise plan — setting SMART goals based on baseline data and identifying actions that support progress.
• Personal exercise plan — using qualitative and quantitative information to make informed wellbeing decisions.
• Physical Education / Practices — applying goal setting and focus-control strategies to sustain performance and wellbeing.
• Health and PE — developing hauora, health literacy, relationships and responsible decision-making.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and safety. Teacher explains that today’s focus is support-seeking, not personal disclosure, and opens the hook and learning intentions. Students silently consider: “If a person has a wellbeing goal, why might support from others help?”

2. 5–13 min · Model trustworthy support. Teacher introduces the four dimensions of hauora—taha tinana, taha hinengaro, taha whānau and taha wairua—and models checking a service for purpose, credibility, privacy and accessibility using the hauora and trust-check slides. Students suggest questions they could ask before trusting a service, such as who provides it, who it is for, and whether it protects personal information.

3. 13–25 min · Resource carousel. Teacher places groups of five at six stations featuring teacher-prepared cards or brief descriptions of age-appropriate services, such as a school counsellor or nurse, GP or hauora provider, Youthline, sports or recreation clubs, community mental health support, and culturally grounded whānau or iwi services. Students rotate every two minutes and use the community resource evaluation worksheet to record the service purpose, hauora dimension, likely users, access requirements and one question they still have. Remind students not to record names or personal details.

4. 25–35 min · Evaluate and discuss. Teacher pauses the carousel and displays three fictional resource examples through the resource-check scenarios: a credible school service, an unclear social media account, and a service that may be useful but difficult to access. In groups, students rank each resource as “useful”, “check further” or “not suitable”, justifying their decision with the trust criteria. Invite groups to share one reason and challenge assumptions respectfully.

5. 35–48 min · Match a goal to support. Teacher asks students to choose a fictional profile or a private, generalised goal from their existing goal-setting work, then demonstrates how to make a SMART next step. Students complete the planning section of the community resource evaluation worksheet by matching the goal to one resource, identifying a barrier, and proposing a solution—for example, asking a trusted adult, checking opening times, or choosing a free school-based option. Students may work with a partner but keep their own response private.

6. 48–56 min · Share and safety rehearse. Teacher displays the help-seeking conversation prompts and models: “I’m concerned about…”, “Could you help me find…?”, and “If this feels urgent, I will tell a trusted adult.” Pairs practise a fictional conversation, including how to respond if a friend shares a serious concern: listen, thank them, avoid promising secrecy, and involve a trusted adult or appropriate emergency help. Students identify one safe support person or pathway in their school or community.

7. 56–60 min · Exit check. Teacher revisits the learning intentions using the plenary and exit question. Students complete the final two questions on the community resource evaluation worksheet: “One sign a resource is trustworthy is…” and “One safe next step for a person seeking support is…”. Collect responses to identify misconceptions and follow-up needs.

Resources

• the Engaging Community Resources slide deck
• the community resource evaluation worksheet
• Six teacher-prepared station cards or short service descriptions
• Whiteboard and markers
• Timer
• School wellbeing and safeguarding procedures
• Optional printed list of current local services, checked by the teacher before class

Assessment

• Listen for students using purpose, credibility, privacy and accessibility when evaluating resources.
• Check worksheets for an appropriate hauora connection, realistic barrier solution and safe next step.
• Use exit responses to identify whether students can distinguish trustworthy support from unverified information. Follow up privately where a student indicates an immediate safety concern, following school procedures.

Differentiation

• Provide a word bank, icons for the four dimensions of hauora, partially completed examples and sentence starters such as “This service may help because…”.
• Allow students to use fictional profiles, work with a supportive partner, or give verbal responses instead of recording sensitive information.
• Pre-teach terms including credible, confidential, accessible, referral and support; pair EAL learners with a peer model and check understanding without requiring public speaking.
• Extend confident students by comparing two suitable services and explaining which is more accessible for a particular person, considering cost, transport, privacy, culture and age.
• Ensure students know they may pass during personal discussion and can speak privately with the teacher or school counsellor after the lesson.