Designing Engagement Plans

Overview

Lesson 8 of 15 in Kiwi Tag: Get Active! Students develop a detailed engagement plan for introducing Kiwi Tag to a specific target group. They apply prior learning about the game’s rules, safety, inclusion and intended participants, then make practical decisions about activities, timing and communication.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify the needs, motivations and possible barriers of their target group
• design a realistic sequence of activities that engages participants in Kiwi Tag
• select appropriate methods of communication for before, during and after the session
• justify how their plan promotes participation, safety and enjoyment

Success criteria

I can:

• describe my target group and explain what will encourage them to participate
• include clear activities, timings, instructions and responsibilities in my plan
• use communication methods that are suitable for the target group
• explain how my plan is inclusive, safe and achievable

Curriculum links

• Health and Physical Education: students develop interpersonal skills, contribute to group activities and promote participation in physical activity.
• Health and Physical Education: students consider how physical activity can enhance hauora and how environments can support inclusion and wellbeing.
• Dance performance practices: students apply planning, communication, rehearsal, reflection and refinement processes to a practical group activity.
• Key Competencies: managing self; relating to others; participating and contributing; thinking; using language, symbols and texts.

Lesson structure (50 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and learning focus. Teacher displays a brief scenario from the engagement planning introduction deck: “You have 20 minutes to get a group who dislike sport to join Kiwi Tag. What would make them say yes?” Students discuss the question with a partner and identify one likely motivator and one barrier.

2. 5–12 min · Revisit the context. Teacher briefly reviews the purpose of Kiwi Tag, the target groups considered in previous lessons, essential rules, safety expectations and inclusive adaptations, using the target-group and Kiwi Tag recap slides. Students listen, then individually choose or confirm a target group, such as younger students, whānau, beginners, or a mixed-ability community group.

3. 12–18 min · Model an engagement plan. Teacher unpacks a sample plan on the worked-example slides, thinking aloud about the relationship between a target group’s needs and the proposed activities. Emphasise that a strong plan includes a welcome, explanation or demonstration, progressive activities, the main game, a cool-down or reflection, exact timings, communication methods and safety checks. Students identify one strength and one improvement in the example.

4. 18–33 min · Group planning workshop. Teacher places students in five groups of five and distributes the Kiwi Tag engagement plan organiser. Explain that each group will produce one detailed plan, with every member contributing. Students complete the organiser, deciding on: target group and purpose; pre-session communication; equipment and space; welcome activity; skill-building or practice activity; main Kiwi Tag game; adaptations for access and confidence; timings; safety procedures; and how instructions and feedback will be communicated. Encourage groups to make timings total approximately 20–30 minutes for the proposed session.

5. 33–42 min · Peer review and refinement. Teacher asks groups to exchange plans and use the review prompts in the peer-review and refinement slides: Is the plan achievable? Would the target group feel welcomed? Are the instructions and timings clear? Is there a safe and inclusive option for everyone? Students give two specific strengths and one actionable suggestion, then revise their own plan.

6. 42–48 min · Share and justify. Teacher invites each group to deliver a 45-second pitch, focusing on its target group, most engaging activity and key communication choice. Students present their plan and explain how one decision supports participation, hauora, safety or inclusion. Class members listen for ideas they could adapt in their own planning.

7. 48–50 min · Individual exit reflection. Teacher asks students to complete the final reflection on the Kiwi Tag engagement plan organiser before collecting group plans. Students write: “Our strongest engagement choice is … because …” and “One change I would make before delivering this session is …”.

Resources

• the engagement planning introduction deck
• the Kiwi Tag engagement plan organiser
• Whiteboard and markers
• Devices or paper copies for group planning
• Kiwi Tag equipment list from previous lessons
• Cones or floor markers
• Timer
• Access to the school gym, field or suitable activity space

Assessment

• During group work, check that students can connect the target group’s needs with appropriate activities, communication methods and adaptations.
• Use the peer-review responses and group pitches to assess whether plans are detailed, realistic, safe and inclusive.
• Collect the completed organiser and individual reflection as evidence of planning, justification and next-step thinking. Look for clear sequencing, accurate timings, purposeful communication and consideration of hauora.

Differentiation

• Provide a completed partial example, a planning word bank and sentence starters such as “Our target group may engage when …” and “We will communicate this by …” for students who need support.
• Allow groups to assign roles such as facilitator, recorder, timekeeper, safety checker and presenter, while ensuring all students contribute ideas.
• Support EAL learners with visual examples, paired discussion before writing and permission to draft ideas orally; clarify terms such as target group, adaptation, barrier and communication method.
• Extend confident students by requiring them to justify two design choices using likely participant responses and to include a contingency plan for poor weather, low attendance or differing ability levels.