Needs Assessment

Year Level

Year 12

Duration

60 minutes

Class Size

15 students

Unit

Enhancing Community Well-Being (Lesson 6 of 20)

Learning Area and Curriculum Alignment

Health and Physical Education — New Zealand Curriculum Refresh (effective 2027) This lesson aligns with the refreshed Health and Physical Education learning area, focusing on students' knowledge and participation in community well-being.

Students develop competencies related to Participating and Contributing, Relating to Others, Thinking, and Managing Self.
Learning is framed around understanding health needs and promoting community well-being as active citizens.
Emphasis is given to inquiry and decision-making related to societal health issues, consistent with achievement objectives for Level 8 (Year 12) students, including assessing community health needs and planning appropriate responses.

Learning Intentions

We Are Learning To (WALT): Conduct a needs assessment for our community to identify health priorities.

Success Criteria

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

Design and create a simple, targeted survey to gather data on community health needs.
Understand key elements of effective survey questions.
Recognise how survey results can inform community health initiatives.

Key Competencies

Thinking: Critically analyse community issues to identify needs.
Using Language, Symbols, and Texts: Design clear survey questions using appropriate language.
Participating and Contributing: Engage collaboratively to plan a community health needs assessment.
Relating to Others: Collaborate and communicate respectfully with peers to design a tool reflecting diverse community perspectives.
Managing Self: Plan and organise steps to create a survey in the given timeframe.

Curriculum Links – Achievement Objectives (Level 8)

Students will:
Analyse community health issues and contribute to solutions (Health and Physical Education).
Participate in health-promoting activities to enhance well-being (Community Well-being focus).
Use inquiry methods, including data collection, analysis, and ethical considerations relevant to community assessments.

Materials and Resources

Survey question templates (printed and digital formats) to support learners who need guidance
Blank survey planning worksheets
Devices for digital survey creation (if available) or paper for manual drafting
Whiteboard/flip chart
Markers, pens, and sticky notes
Timer or clock

Lesson Outline

Time	Activity	Description	Differentiation	Assessment
0-10 min	Introduction & Context Setting

Briefly revisit previous lessons on community well-being.
Introduce the concept and purpose of a Needs Assessment in health.
Discuss examples of health needs assessments and their impact locally and nationally.
Discuss ethical considerations (privacy, respect, cultural sensitivity). |
For diverse learners: Use visuals, examples, and simple language to explain purpose.
Provide vocabulary list for key terms like ‘needs assessment’, ‘survey’, ‘community health’. | Formative through questioning and discussion participation. | | 10-25 min | Survey Design Workshop |
Explain components of effective survey questions (clear, unbiased, relevant).
Model examples of good and poor survey questions.
Students work in pairs/small groups to draft 5-7 survey questions targeting health needs in their community.
Provide survey templates to scaffold question writing. |
Support: Use templates with sentence starters for students requiring extra help.
Challenge: Encourage advanced learners to include varied question types (Likert scales, open-ended questions). | Observation of student engagement; peer feedback during group work. | | 25-40 min | Survey Sharing and Feedback |
Groups share their draft questions with the class.
Facilitate class feedback using a “two stars and a wish” approach (two positives, one improvement).
Discuss effectiveness and cultural appropriateness. |
Extension: Advanced learners lead peer feedback and suggest question improvements.
Some students may use oral feedback rather than written notes. | Assess quality and relevance of questions produced; listening and communication skills. | | 40-55 min | Planning for Use of Survey |
Class brainstorm how survey results might be gathered and analysed (face-to-face, online, etc.)
Discuss confidentiality and consent.
Briefly introduce how findings can be presented (graphs, reports).
Advanced learners consider how data could be statistically analysed. |
Support: Provide checklist for ethical considerations and practical steps.
Extension: Task advanced learners to draft a brief plan on how to clean, interpret, and present survey data. | Formative assessment through group discussion and planning artefacts. | | 55-60 min | Reflection and Next Steps |
Individual reflection: Students write down what they learnt about conducting a needs assessment and survey design.
Outline homework/next step: To finalise their survey for implementation. |
Printed or digital reflection prompts available. | Written reflection review for understanding and personal insight. |

Differentiation Strategies

Provide sentence starters and question templates for students who find question creation challenging.
Offer examples and visual aids to clarify key concepts.
Encourage peer support and collaborative group work.
Provide extension tasks including data analysis planning, question type variety, and ethical focus for advanced learners.

Extension Opportunities

For advanced learners or extension beyond this lesson:

Conduct a small pilot of the survey with fellow students or family members.
Analyse hypothetical or real survey results using basic statistics (percentages, averages).
Create a presentation or report summarising findings with recommendations for community health actions.
Explore ethical frameworks in detail, including Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles and culturally responsive practice in needs assessments.

Assessment for Learning

Formative throughout, focusing on:

Quality and clarity of designed survey questions.
Participation in collaborative feedback sessions.
Understanding of the purpose and process of needs assessments through reflections.
Ability to plan ethical and effective survey use and data handling.

Teacher Notes

Emphasise that the needs assessment is a community-driven process linked to their previous learning on well-being.
Use real examples relevant to local or national contexts of New Zealand to give authenticity.
Be aware of cultural sensitivities when discussing community issues; ensure a respectful and inclusive environment.
Incorporate Māori perspectives of health (hauora model) where possible, connecting holistic well-being to community assessment.

This lesson plan supports students to build from knowledge towards applying inquiry skills and critical thinking on community health needs, aligning strongly with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh expectations for Health and Physical Education at Year 12 level. It scaffolds learning appropriately while offering challenging extension for diverse learners, balancing explicit teaching with student-centred investigation and reflection.

Teaching Instructions