Media, Lifestyle & Wellbeing

Overview

This 60-minute lesson is designed for Year 10 students in New Zealand, integrating Health and Physical Education aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh. The focus is to explore and explain how media and lifestyle factors interact and influence wellbeing, linked explicitly to the Health and Physical Education learning area at Level 4 (D1).

Learning Objectives

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

Investigate and explain connections between media messages, lifestyle choices, and their impact on wellbeing.
Analyse how media can influence attitudes, behaviours, and perceptions related to physical and mental health.
Communicate informed viewpoints on how to make positive lifestyle decisions in the context of media influence.

Curriculum Links:

Health and Physical Education, Level 4, Concept D: "Investigate and explain connections between influences and wellbeing" (NZ Curriculum Refresh)
Develop key competencies: Thinking, Relating to others, Using Language, Symbols and Texts
Values: Encourage Integrity, Respect, and Responsibility when considering media influences on health.

Key Concepts

Wellbeing: Holistic health including physical, mental, emotional, and social dimensions.
Media Influence: Understanding how different media (social media, advertisements, TV, internet) shape health-related beliefs and behaviours.
Lifestyle Factors: Daily choices related to diet, exercise, sleep, screen time, and social interactions.
Critical Thinking: Analysing and questioning media messages for accuracy, bias, and impact.

Resources Needed

Printed or projected case studies depicting media campaigns or social media posts about lifestyle (2 per group).
Whiteboard & markers.
Worksheet for reflection and note-taking.
Video clip (3-5 minutes) showing varied media content influencing lifestyle/wellbeing.
Question prompts for group discussions.

Timetable and Activities

Time	Activity	Details
0-5m	Introduction	Brief overview of today's focus and learning objectives. Introduce key concepts.
5-15m	Media Influence Video	Watch a short video showing various media messages about lifestyle and wellbeing.
15-30m	Group Case Study Analysis	Students in groups of 5 analyse provided case studies examining media's lifestyle impact on wellbeing. Each group to identify positive/negative influences and strategies to critically assess media messages.
30-45m	Class Discussion	Groups share insights. Facilitate discussion on how media affects personal lifestyle choices and wellbeing. Include culturally relevant examples familiar to New Zealand students. Encourage connection to personal experience.
45-55m	Individual Reflection	Students complete worksheet answering: "How do media and lifestyle factors interact to influence wellbeing?" Include evidence from group work.
55-60m	Plenary and Assessment	Summarise key points. Quick formative assessment through students sharing one takeaway or one question remaining.

Detailed Activity Instructions

Introduction (5 mins)

Teacher sets classroom norm, explains wellbeing is influenced by many factors.
Prompt students to think about media examples they know and how these influence lifestyle choices.

Media Influence Video (10 mins)

Show a curated clip including social media influencers, advertisements (e.g., fast food vs. exercise apps), TV segments highlighting lifestyle choices.
Ask students to watch critically: what messages are being sent about health and wellbeing?

Group Case Study Analysis (15 mins)

Each group receives 2 case studies portraying media examples influencing health (e.g., a social media campaign promoting fitness, an unhealthy food ad targeting young people).
Groups discuss: What message is the media conveying? What lifestyle choices are being encouraged or discouraged? How might this impact wellbeing positively or negatively?
Groups list strategies people may use to critically evaluate and resist harmful media messages (e.g., checking sources, balancing media with real-life advice).

Whole Class Discussion (15 mins)

Groups report back with their findings.
Teacher facilitates, asking: How does media shape what we think about health? How do lifestyle factors in your own lives reflect or resist these media messages?
Make connections with Māori concepts of wellbeing (hauora) — holistic and interrelated view of health.

Individual Reflection (10 mins)

Students individually write a structured paragraph or short response on their worksheet to answer:
- How do media and lifestyle factors interact to influence wellbeing?
- Use evidence from case studies and discussions.
Teacher circulates providing scaffolding and feedback.

Plenary and Formative Assessment (5 mins)

Invite a few students to share takeaways with the class.
Assess understanding against the learning objectives.
Outline how this links to future lessons exploring healthier lifestyle choices.

Assessment Methods

Formative assessment through group discussion participation and individual written reflection.
Use rubric criteria based on NZ Curriculum Level 4 Health learning objective D1:
- Developing: Identifies some influences on wellbeing.
- Proficient: Explains media and lifestyle influences with examples.
- Advanced: Analyses interactions critically and presents well-supported conclusions.
Teacher observation and questioning during discussions.
Collect and review worksheets for comprehension and critical thinking skill development.

Differentiation and Engagement

Support diverse learners with explicit vocabulary lists (media, wellbeing, lifestyle).
Use culturally relevant examples, including Tikanga Māori perspectives on wellbeing.
Promote group roles (researcher, recorder, presenter) to involve all students.
Encourage use of students' prior knowledge and social experiences.

This lesson plan integrates a strong inquiry-based approach, connects deeply to the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh goals for Health and Physical Education, and guides students to critically investigate the influences of media and lifestyle on their wellbeing in a nuanced, culturally responsive, and engaging way.

If you want, I can also help create the student worksheet or group case study templates to match this plan!

Teaching Instructions