Explore the Process

Overview

In this first lesson of the three-part unit Peace Pebble Procedures, students recall how peace pebbles were made and explain the process in the correct order. Through group discussion, drawing, and shared note-taking, they begin planning a single-paragraph procedure and learn to check whether each step makes sense.

Learning intentions

• WALT recall the materials, tools, and actions used to make a peace pebble.
• WALT discuss and record ideas clearly in a group.
• WALT sequence procedure steps in a logical order.
• WALT use rereading and discussion to check that a sequence makes sense.

Success criteria

• I can name materials, tools, and actions from the peace pebble process.
• I can contribute an idea and listen to others in my group.
• I can help put the steps in an order that makes sense.
• I can explain why one step needs to come before or after another.

Curriculum links

• Writing — using simple organisers to plan a single-paragraph text.
• Writing — writing an informative paragraph with a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence.
• Writing — rereading to check whether sentences make sense and making corrections.
• Reading — discussing how the structure and features of a procedure help guide the reader.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and recall. Display a photograph or example of a finished peace pebble and ask, “If someone had never made one before, what would they need to know?” Open with the hook and lesson focus slides. Students silently remember the experience, then share one material, tool, or action with a partner.

2. 5–12 min · Revisit the process. Show the class the visual prompts in the process-recall slides and briefly remind students of the peace pebble-making experience without supplying every answer. Students contribute ideas under three headings on the board: materials, tools, and actions. Clarify unfamiliar vocabulary and accept drawings or gestures as well as spoken contributions.

3. 12–25 min · Group investigation. Place students in seven mixed-ability groups of four, or six groups of four and one group of five. Give each group the peace pebble process organiser and, if used for group accountability, the group role cards. Assign roles such as facilitator, recorder, illustrator, and reporter. Students discuss what happened first, next, and last, recording words, phrases, labelled drawings, or a combination. Remind them that they are collecting ideas, not writing a polished procedure yet.

4. 25–34 min · Build a shared sequence. Invite groups to report one idea at a time while the teacher records a class sequence on the board or in the class sequence and discussion slides. Encourage students to identify missing steps and combine repeated ideas. Ask, “Could we do this before that?” and “Would a new maker understand what to do?” Students compare the class sequence with their group organiser and suggest changes respectfully.

5. 34–40 min · Check logical order. Read the developing sequence aloud, deliberately pausing at transition points. Students use a silent thumbs-up, sideways, or down response to show whether each step is clear and logical. When a step does not make sense, model rereading and revising it. Students make one improvement to their group notes, such as moving an action, adding a missing material, or making an action more precise.

6. 40–45 min · Plenary and formative check. Return to the reflection and exit prompt slides. Students complete the final section of the peace pebble process organiser by drawing or writing the first, middle, and final stage, then tell a partner why the order matters. Collect organisers to use when drafting the procedure in Lesson 2.

Resources

• the Peace Pebble Procedures slide deck
• the peace pebble process organiser
• the group role cards
• Finished peace pebble or photograph of one
• Board or large paper with headings: materials, tools, actions
• Markers, pencils, and crayons
• Whiteboard or shared digital display

Assessment

• Listen for students naming relevant materials, tools, and actions during partner and group talk; record students who need prompting to contribute or distinguish an object from an action.
• Check group organisers for recalled details, participation, and a plausible beginning-to-end sequence.
• During the thumbs check and plenary, ask selected students to justify why a step belongs in a particular position. Use their explanations to identify misconceptions before Lesson 2.

Differentiation

• Provide photographs, gestures, word banks, and sentence starters such as “First we…”, “Next we…”, and “This comes before…”. Students may draw, label, dictate, or scribe ideas rather than write full sentences.
• Pair students who need language support with patient peers and rehearse responses orally before group reporting. Allow students learning English to use home-language discussion where helpful, followed by key words in English.
• Give groups a partially completed sequence or numbered boxes to support students who find ordering difficult. Adult support can prompt with “What did you do after that?” rather than supplying the answer.
• Challenge confident students to identify a step that needs more detail and explain how a precise action word would help the reader. Encourage them to check whether the sequence includes a clear beginning, middle, and ending.