Navigating Well-being Choices

Year Levels

Years 12 & 13

Duration

60 minutes

Class Size

25 students

Learning Objectives

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

Analyse factors influencing mental health and well-being in personal and societal contexts.
Demonstrate decision-making skills that support positive health outcomes for themselves and others.
Use relevant health vocabulary accurately to communicate ideas and reflect on well-being.
Evaluate strategies to manage stress and mental well-being in challenging situations.
Reflect on the influence of cultural values, including Te Ao Māori perspectives, on mental health and decision-making.

These objectives align with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh learning area statement for Health and Physical Education for senior secondary school students, particularly under the strands of mental health and well-being, and decision-making in health-related contexts,.

Curriculum Links

Learning Area: Health and Physical Education (Years 11-13)
Key Competencies Emphasised:
Thinking: critical and creative thinking about health decisions.
Managing Self: self-motivation and resilience in managing mental well-being.
Relating to Others: empathy and communication in health contexts.
Values: Respect, Integrity, and Manaakitanga (showing care and respect for others).
Relevant Content: Understanding mental health and well-being; promoting strategies for positive decision-making.

Materials Needed

Whiteboard and markers
Scenario cards (describing various mental health and decision-making situations)
Stress management toolkit handouts (includes breathing exercises, positive self-talk examples)
Reflection journals or paper
Timer/stopwatch

Lesson Structure & Timing

1. Introduction and Warm-up (10 minutes)

Brief discussion: What does mental health and well-being mean to you? (3 minutes)
Introduce learning objectives and outline the lesson flow (2 minutes)
Icebreaker activity: "Emotion Word Web" — Students call out words related to feelings or well-being, teacher writes them on the board, connecting ideas visually (5 minutes) Purpose: Build specialist vocabulary, activate prior knowledge, scaffold thinking about emotions and well-being.

2. Exploring Mental Health Factors (10 minutes)

Small group discussion (groups of 4-5): Each group receives a scenario card depicting a typical mental health or decision-making challenge relevant to youth in NZ (e.g., coping with study stress, peer pressure, social media impact, managing whanau expectations).
Groups identify:
The mental health factors present
Potential positive and negative outcomes of decisions in these scenarios
Each group shares one key insight with the class Purpose: Develop critical thinking and relate well-being to real-life contexts; integrate te ao Māori values if possible.

3. Decision-Making Skills Practice (15 minutes)

Teacher mini-lesson: Introduce a decision-making model (e.g., STOP - Stop, Think, Options, Proceed)
Guided practice:
Present a complex decision-making situation on the board.
Using the model, walk through the steps with student input.
Pair work: Students pick a scenario from earlier or new ones; apply the decision-making model to outline decisions that promote well-being.
Share and discuss examples, highlighting healthy coping and culturally respectful approaches. Purpose: Explicitly teach and model decision-making frameworks that support managing self and relating to others.

4. Stress Management Strategies (15 minutes)

Mindfulness break: Lead students through simple breathing exercise (3 minutes)
Distribute "Stress Management Toolkit" handouts.
In pairs: Students brainstorm additional techniques they use or know about.
Whole class shares and teacher records practical strategies on the board.
Set a challenge: Each student commits to trying one strategy during this week and journaling its effect. Purpose: Build knowledge and skills for self-management, encourage metacognition and self-reflection regarding well-being.

5. Reflection and Wrap-up (10 minutes)

Individual journaling prompt: "What is one thing you learned today about mental health or decision-making? How can you apply it in your life?"
Invite a few volunteer shares.
Recap key ideas together; reinforce value of ongoing well-being practice.
Outline next steps (e.g., future lessons, resources available at school, encouraging seeking support).
Collect journaling sheets for informal formative assessment. Purpose: Foster self-regulation and reflection aligned with managing self competency, assess student understanding.

Assessment

Formative:
Observation of group discussions and decision-making application.
Review of student reflection journals for insight into learning and personal connection.
Active participation in in-class activities demonstrating understanding of vocabulary and concepts.
Summative Suggestions:
Assign students to develop a personal mental well-being plan incorporating decision-making strategies.
Oral presentation or written essay evaluating the impact of cultural values on mental health and well-being decision-making.

These assessments connect to the Health and Physical Education standalone capabilities within the refreshed NZ curriculum aiming for students to construct knowledgeable, reflective, and active contributors to their health contexts.

Teaching Notes & Tips

Emphasise culturally responsive teaching practices by acknowledging Māori concepts of health (such as hauora) during discussions, inviting student perspectives.
Use engaging, relatable examples aligned with senior students' experiences to deepen relevance.
Facilitate safe sharing environments; remind students of confidentiality and support systems within the school.
Scaffolding specialist vocabulary ensures students can articulate emotions and well-being in nuanced ways, supporting literacy in Health.
Encourage use of ICT tools if available (e.g., digital journaling apps, interactive quizzes on mental health).

This lesson embraces the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum’s focus on holistic health, critical thinking, and metacognitive skills, equipping senior students with practical, culturally grounded strategies to manage their mental well-being and decision-making underpinned by the Key Competencies and Values essential for life-long learning and participation.

Teaching Instructions