Growing Well-being

Overview

This 60-minute Mitey lesson for Year 5 students in New Zealand focuses on understanding and promoting well-being, aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) Refresh and the Hauora framework (Te Whare Tapa Whā). It is tailored for 25 students and designed to be culturally inclusive, engaging, and age-appropriate.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Understand the concept of well-being using the Te Whare Tapa Whā model: taha tinana (physical), taha hinengaro (mental/emotional), taha whānau (social), and taha wairua (spiritual) dimensions.
• Recognise the importance of self-awareness and positive mental health in daily life.
• Develop simple strategies that promote personal well-being and resilience.
• Reflect on their own well-being and express feelings in ways that support positive mental health.

Aligned With:

• Health and Physical Education Learning Area (NZC Refresh) – Focus on Hauora and well-being.
• Achievement Objective:
  • “Understand how to maintain and enhance personal well-being” (Health and Physical Education, Levels 2-3)
• Competencies:
  • Managing self, Relating to others, Participating and contributing
• Incorporates Te Whare Tapa Whā as per NZC emphasis on culturally responsive teaching in Health education .

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Warm-Up & Mihi Whakatau (10 minutes)

• Welcome and Culturally inclusive opening: Begin with a simple mihi (greeting), acknowledging tangata whenua and welcoming all students in te reo Māori and English, reinforcing the value of cultural identity in well-being.
• Brief interactive discussion: "What does well-being mean to you?" Use a simple word association game where students share one word or action that makes them feel happy or safe.
• Introduce Te Whare Tapa Whā: Use a visually engaging diagram of the four walls representing taha tinana, taha hinengaro, taha whānau, and taha wairua. Explain each dimension in simple language with examples relevant to 9-10 year olds.

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2. Hauora Exploration Activities (35 minutes)

Part A: Group Carousel Stations (20 minutes total, 4 stations, ~5 mins each)
Students rotate in small groups through four activity stations, each representing a Te Whare Tapa Whā dimension:

• Taha Tinana (Physical Well-being):
  • Activity: "Strong bodies" - simple stretching or yoga poses. Discuss how moving our bodies helps us feel good.
• Taha Hinengaro (Mental/Emotional Well-being):
  • Activity: Emotion charades where students express feelings through body language or faces. Talk about recognising and naming emotions.
• Taha Whānau (Social Well-being):
  • Activity: “Helping hands” - students write or draw one way they can show kindness to friends or whanau. Share ideas briefly.
• Taha Wairua (Spiritual Well-being):
  • Activity: Quiet reflection or mindfulness breathing exercise focusing on connection to nature, people, or things that give them peace.

Part B: Reflection and Sharing (15 minutes)

• Students sit in a circle and share one thing they learned or enjoyed about each dimension.
• Introduce and say a simple whakataukī related to well-being, e.g., "Mā te huruhuru, ka rere te manu (Adorn the bird with feathers so it can fly)."
• Teacher summarises by linking how all dimensions need care for overall well-being.

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3. Assessment: Check for Understanding (10 minutes)

• Individual exit ticket: Each student draws or writes about one well-being dimension and an action they can take to support it.
• Teacher observes students’ explanations and checks for understanding of the four dimensions and positive well-being strategies.
• Option for peer feedback in pairs: Students share their exit ticket with a partner.

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4. Closure and Next Steps (5 minutes)

• Reinforce importance of looking after all four dimensions of well-being in everyday life.
• Suggest ways families and whānau can support these practices at home (e.g., family walks, talking about feelings, helping others, quiet time).
• End with a positive group affirming statement, e.g., "Together we grow strong, together we look after ourselves and each other!"

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Resources Needed

• Visual Te Whare Tapa Whā poster or handout
• Space for movement/yoga poses
• Emotion cards or ideas for charades
• Paper and coloured pencils for “Helping hands” activity
• Quiet space or calming music for reflection
• Exit ticket sheets for drawing/writing

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Teacher Notes

• Encourage the use of te reo Māori words and concepts throughout the lesson for cultural inclusivity.
• Be sensitive to different cultural backgrounds and emotional comfort levels; invite but do not pressure sharing.
• Use positive reinforcement to build student confidence in expressing feelings and thinking about well-being.
• Link well-being with learning, emphasising that feeling good helps us learn better, referencing the latest curriculum insights about social and emotional well-being supporting cognitive capacity .

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This lesson plan offers a thoughtful, enquiry-based approach for Year 5 to connect with well-being in a culturally grounded way that fosters self-awareness, empathy, and resilience aligned with the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum goals for Health and Physical Education.

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If you would like, I can also help generate a set of printable student activities or teacher reflection prompts to accompany this plan!