Looking After Minds

Overview

In this Health literacy lesson, students learn how small emotional changes and everyday habits can affect wellbeing. They practise reading, discussion, vocabulary building, and reflective writing linked to Taha Hinengaro (mental wellbeing).

Learning intentions

• WALT identify feelings and notice how my thoughts and body can change.
• WALT use simple calming strategies to support emotional regulation.
• WALT build vocabulary for mental wellbeing and use it in speaking and writing.
• WALT reflect on one habit that helps me look after my mind and set a next step.

Success criteria

• I can name feelings I notice in myself and others.
• I can describe a calming strategy and when I could use it.
• I can use wellbeing vocabulary correctly in a discussion and a short reflection.
• I can write a calm, respectful reflection about how I look after my mind.

Curriculum links

• Te Mātaiaho Health and PE — Bodies | Minds / Self-care: developing self-awareness and emotional regulation (learning about small emotional changes and everyday habits affecting wellbeing).
• Te Mātaiaho Health and PE — Bodies | Minds / Self-care: investigating calming strategies and reflecting on how sleep, movement, and nutrition can influence how people think, feel, and cope.
• Te Whāriki and New Zealand Curriculum Refresh (literacy in Health): participating in discussions, using and building language, and writing for reflection and meaning.
• Key competencies (refreshed): relating to others, self-management, and participating and contributing.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and safety. Teacher introduces the focus: “Looking after our minds,” and sets discussion expectations (listen, be kind, you may pass). Students quietly consider: “When do I feel calm at school?”

2. 5–12 min · Read aloud (short text). Teacher reads a teacher-made short text about a child noticing worry and trying a calming strategy (include 6–8 wellbeing words). Students follow along and point to a sentence that shows a feeling.

3. 12–20 min · Discussion “Think–Pair–Share”. Teacher prompts with three questions:

• “What feeling does the character have?”
• “What signs do you notice in their body or behaviour?”
• “What helped them?” Students think, then share with a partner, then one or two pairs share to the class.

4. 20–28 min · Vocabulary building: Mind Words. Teacher displays word cards (e.g., calm, worried, proud, breathing, body, strategy, support). Students complete a quick routine: “Say it, show it, use it” (teacher models with gestures; students practise in groups). Students choose two words and write them in their books with a simple example from the text or their own life.

5. 28–40 min · Calming strategy practice (group stations). Teacher leads three mini-stations with clear instructions and timing:

• Station A: “Breathing box” (4 slow breaths; count to 4).
• Station B: “Body reset” (tension–release: squeeze fists 3 seconds, then relax).
• Station C: “Helpful talk” (use a sentence starter: “When I feel ___, I can ___.”) Students rotate every 4 minutes, practising and then recording one strategy they felt worked best.

6. 40–52 min · Reflective writing (scaffolded). Teacher models a paragraph using a sentence frame and shared example:

• “A feeling I can notice is ___.”
• “When I notice it, my body may ___.”
• “A strategy I can use is ___.”
• “One habit that helps my mind is ___ (sleep, moving, eating well, being kind, daylight).” Students write independently, aiming for 4–6 sentences. Teacher circulates to support with prompts and handwriting/language scaffolds.

7. 52–58 min · Share in pairs + teacher feedback. Teacher gives feedback on effort and wording (spot-check for wellbeing vocabulary use). Students share their writing with a partner using a “glow and grow” approach (one thing they like, one helpful suggestion).

8. 58–60 min · Exit ticket (quick check). Teacher asks students to complete one sentence on an exit slip: “A strategy to look after my mind is ___ because ___.” Students hand in before leaving.

Resources

• Teacher-made short reading text (with wellbeing vocabulary embedded)
• Mind Words word cards (print or slide)
• Student wellbeing journals or writing books
• Sentence starter strips and writing frames
• Station timer or visible countdown
• Calm breathing visual (simple box or circle diagram)
• Fidget-friendly breathing counters (optional)
• Exit ticket slips

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observes discussion participation and listens for accurate feeling identification and respectful language.
• Formative: vocabulary checks during “Say it, show it, use it” and through the chosen words in student notebooks.
• Formative + summative-lite: exit ticket sentence checks for correct use of strategy vocabulary and a reason why it helps.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence frames, a word bank, and gesture prompts for breathing and body reset; allow drawing plus labels for students who need extra language support.
• EAL: practise vocabulary orally first with gestures and example sentences; offer “copy the model sentence then add one word” option.
• SEN (communication/regulation needs): allow a reduced writing length (e.g., 2–3 sentences) while keeping the same key learning intent; provide short, step-by-step station instructions.
• Extension: challenge students to add a “when I will use it” detail (e.g., “before lunch,” “when someone says no,” “after PE”).

Literacy link (explicit across the lesson)

• Reading: understanding feelings and actions from a short text.
• Speaking and listening: structured partner and class discussions using prompts.
• Vocabulary: targeted word study connected to wellbeing meaning.
• Writing: reflective paragraph using health-related sentence frames.