Planning Active Change

Overview

This is lesson 5 of 15 in the unit “Kiwi Tag: Get Active!”. Students are introduced to the action competence learning process and apply it to planning a realistic health promotion response for increasing participation in Kiwi Tag. The lesson builds on previous learning about the game, participation barriers and the value of physical activity.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• Understand the stages of the action competence learning process.
• Analyse a physical activity issue affecting their class or school community.
• Work collaboratively to propose a practical health promotion response.
• Explain how their proposed action could influence participation and wellbeing.

Success criteria

• I can describe the key stages of the action competence learning process.
• I can identify a relevant physical activity issue and support it with observations or evidence.
• I can suggest an achievable action that involves and benefits others.
• I can explain how our action could be evaluated and improved.

Curriculum links

• Health and Physical Education: develop understanding of personal, interpersonal and societal influences on participation in physical activity.
• Health and Physical Education: take critical action to promote hauora and participation in healthy, active lifestyles.
• Health and Physical Education: communicate ideas, work collaboratively and reflect on the effectiveness of actions.
• Key Competencies: thinking; managing self; participating and contributing; relating to others.

Lesson structure (50 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and connection. Teacher displays the opening question in the action competence introduction deck: “If Kiwi Tag is a great activity, why might some students still choose not to participate?” Students complete a quick think-pair-share, drawing on experiences from earlier lessons. Invite responses such as confidence, equipment, friendship groups, fitness, cultural expectations, accessibility, time or fear of judgement.

2. 5–13 min · Introduce the framework. Teacher uses the action competence introduction deck to explain the process: identify an issue, investigate and understand it, plan possible action, take action, and reflect and evaluate. Emphasise that action competence is more than knowing what is healthy; it involves making informed decisions, working with others and taking purposeful action. Students record the stages on the action competence planning worksheet and ask clarifying questions.

3. 13–20 min · Model the process. Teacher models a short example: “Some Year 9 students avoid Kiwi Tag because they are unsure of the rules.” Think aloud while identifying what information is needed, possible actions such as a student-led demonstration or modified-entry round, and ways to evaluate success. Use the action competence introduction deck for the model and highlight the difference between a vague idea (“make it more fun”) and a specific, achievable action (“run a five-minute skills introduction before Friday’s game”). Students identify which part of the process the teacher is demonstrating.

4. 20–35 min · Group investigation and planning. Place students in five groups of five. Each group selects one participation issue connected to Kiwi Tag, such as confidence, inclusion, skill differences, access to equipment, safety, motivation or team relationships. Students complete the first sections of the action competence planning worksheet: issue, who is affected, possible causes, and evidence they already have or need to collect. They then design one health promotion action, identifying the target group, key message, practical steps, people or resources required, and a simple measure of success. Teacher circulates, questioning: “Who has a voice in this plan?”, “Is the action realistic?”, and “How will you know whether it helped?”

5. 35–44 min · Share and critique. Each group gives a two-minute presentation using the framework: issue, understanding, action and evaluation. Audience members listen for whether the proposal is specific, inclusive and achievable, then provide one strength and one question. Teacher records common strengths and misconceptions on the action competence introduction deck and prompts students to consider unintended effects, such as an action that might embarrass less-confident participants.

6. 44–50 min · Individual reflection and next step. Teacher returns to the learning intention in the action competence introduction deck. Students complete the final section of the action competence planning worksheet: “Which stage of the process did my group use most effectively?”, “What would we need to investigate before taking action?”, and “What is one improvement to our plan?” Collect worksheets to inform the next lesson, where groups will refine their proposed health promotion plan.

Resources

• the action competence introduction deck
• the action competence planning worksheet
• Projector or interactive display
• Whiteboard and markers
• Pens or pencils
• Timer
• Open classroom space for group discussion
• Optional access to class participation observations or previous Kiwi Tag feedback

Assessment

• Listen during the hook and questioning to check whether students can connect participation barriers with hauora and physical activity.
• Review group plans for a clearly defined issue, purposeful action, consideration of others and an appropriate evaluation measure.
• Use the individual reflection to identify students who need further support with the framework or with turning a broad idea into a specific plan.

Differentiation

• Provide the framework as a visual sequence and leave the stage headings on the board throughout the task.
• Support students with sentence starters: “The issue is…”, “This affects… because…”, “Our action will…”, and “We will know it worked if…”.
• Allow students to contribute through speaking, scribing, researching, designing or presenting; assign a clear role within each group while ensuring all voices are heard.
• Extend confident students by requiring them to justify why their action is suitable for the target group, consider equity and inclusion, and propose both short- and longer-term evaluation measures.
• Provide additional processing time, a quiet planning space or a partially completed worksheet for students requiring learning support. Pair EAL learners with supportive peers and pre-teach terms such as issue, evidence, target group, action and evaluate.