Healthy Respectful Relationships

Overview

This first lesson establishes shared language for the unit Healthy Relationships and Hauora. Students explore what healthy, respectful relationships can look like across friendships, whānau, peers, community or workplace settings, online spaces and, where relevant, romantic relationships, using fictional examples only.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify features of healthy, respectful relationships.
• WALT recognise the difference between safe/respectful, concerning and unsafe behaviour.
• WALT explain that people have different needs, identities and boundaries.
• WALT identify one way to care for ourselves and others.
• WALT use informed decision-making when considering relationship situations.

Success criteria

• I can name at least three signs of a healthy relationship.
• I can sort examples into safe/respectful, concerning or unsafe.
• I can explain that people and relationships may look different while still being respectful.
• I can identify one action that supports my own or another person’s hauora.

Curriculum links

• Health Education — Relationships: communication skills, empathy, personal relationships and boundaries.
• Health Education — Relationships: consent, online safety, exclusion, bullying and stereotypes.
• Health Education — Relationships: respectful interaction, inclusion and emotional safety.
• Hauora and relationships: caring for self and others, recognising diverse identities, and making informed decisions.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Welcome and safe start. Teacher welcomes students, displays the routine and learning intention in the opening and learning intention slides, introduces hauora using a visual four-part model, and explains: “We use fictional examples; nobody has to share personal experiences; you may pass, observe, point or use another way to respond.” Students place anonymous questions in the question box and agree that confidentiality has safeguarding limits: adults must act if someone may be unsafe.

2. 7–17 min · Build shared language. Teacher introduces hauora as a way of considering physical, mental and emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing, then explicitly teaches relationship, respect, trust, support, fairness, inclusion, privacy and unsafe. Use the hauora vocabulary slides and briefly connect each word to a fictional relationship example. Students use thumbs or traffic-light cards to show whether each example sounds safe, uncertain or unsafe, without explaining personal experiences.

3. 17–27 min · Model decision-making. Teacher models a think-aloud with a fictional example such as, “A friend listens when I say I need space.” Ask: What is happening? How might the person feel? Which part of hauora is affected? What respectful choice could follow? Then model a grey-area example, “Someone keeps asking after I say no,” emphasising that a boundary should be respected. Students rehearse the sentence frame: “I notice…, this could affect…, a respectful choice is…”.

4. 27–42 min · Pair or triad sorting. Teacher gives each pair or triad the Relationship Scenario Sorting and Response Sheet (Worksheet ID 120114) — open/use it in Kuraplan and displays instructions in the sorting activity slides. Students sort fictional cards into safe/respectful, concerning or unsafe, then record, point to, dictate or voice-record one reason. Include examples such as “takes turns”, “includes others”, “helps me feel safe”, “keeps asking after I say no” and “shares a private message”. Students may also use the Consent and Respect Discussion Cards — use the attached resource card in Kuraplan for an additional supported discussion prompt.

5. 42–47 min · Movement and reset. Teacher sets a visible timer and offers a brief movement break: students move to a labelled area of the room—safe/respectful, concerning or unsafe—as each neutral fictional example is read. Students may remain seated and show a card, gesture or symbol instead. Pause and regulate as needed for sensory or attention needs.

6. 47–55 min · Discuss variation and care. Teacher facilitates feedback from selected cards, avoiding assumptions or stereotypes. Discuss how culture, identity, age, power, context, communication style and individual needs can affect what support looks like, while respect, safety and consent remain important. Students complete the prompts: “One healthy relationship sign is…” and “One way I can care for myself or others is…”.

7. 55–60 min · Review and exit check. Teacher revisits the WALT in the review and exit slides, checks understanding with thumbs or traffic lights, and invites anonymous questions. Students choose or state one healthy sign for the exit check; they may write, draw, point, use AAC, dictate to a scribe or record their response.

Resources

• the Healthy Relationships and Hauora slide deck
• Relationship Scenario Sorting and Response Sheet (Worksheet ID 120114) — open/use it in Kuraplan.
• Consent and Respect Discussion Cards — use the attached resource card in Kuraplan.
• Visual four-part hauora model
• Traffic-light cards or symbols
• Anonymous question box and slips
• Visible timer
• AAC, symbol cards, scribe and voice-recording option
• Accessible seating and low-sensory regulation space

Assessment

• Observe whether students identify relationship features and place scenarios in an appropriate category; ask, “What in the example helped you decide?”
• Use thumbs or traffic-light checks after vocabulary, modelling and movement examples; reteach with one-step examples where needed.
• Collect or record the exit response: one sign of a healthy relationship. Note students needing a private follow-up, and follow school safeguarding procedures if a concern is raised.

Differentiation

• Provide one-step cards, repeated modelling, visual symbols and limited choices for learners with FASD or general learning difficulties. Read all text aloud and offer a dyslexia-friendly sans-serif font, reduced text and audio instructions.
• For ADHD or dyspraxia, use movement-based sorting, clear time prompts, short turns and a defined workspace. For autistic learners, preview the routine, avoid forced eye contact or personal disclosure, and allow observation or an agreed communication method.
• Offer sentence starters, colour coding and adult scribing. Accept pointing, drawing, AAC, signing or voice recording instead of written responses.
• For extension, students justify grey-area decisions and compare how power, age, privacy, context or online communication might change the level of concern. They can propose a respectful next step without assigning blame.