Sharing Ideas Together

Overview

In this second lesson of Every Voice Matters, students explore how people share ideas and influence decisions in classrooms, whānau, and communities. They build on the idea that people belong to groups by practising respectful discussion and making a shared decision together.

Learning intentions

• WALT listen carefully when someone shares an idea.
• WALT take turns, ask questions, and respond respectfully.
• WALT explain how our ideas can help a group make a decision.
• WALT show manaakitanga when people have different viewpoints.

Success criteria

• I can listen without interrupting.
• I can share an idea and give a reason.
• I can ask a helpful question or respond kindly.
• I can help my group make a fair decision.

Curriculum links

• Belonging and community: people belong to groups such as whānau, school classes, teams, and cultures.
• Belonging and community: being part of a group shapes personal experiences and belonging.
• Belonging and community: greetings, symbols, uniforms, and group activities are simple expressions of belonging.
• Te Mātaiaho values and competencies: manaakitanga, participation, communication, and relating to others.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Hook and connect. Open with the opening picture and question and show two children discussing what the class should do for a shared activity. Ask: “How can we make sure everyone’s idea is heard?” Students think quietly, then share with a partner. Explain that people influence group decisions by sharing ideas, listening, and giving reasons.

2. 4–9 min · Model respectful discussion. Use the discussion sentence stems to introduce and model: “I think… because…”, “Can you tell me more?”, “I hear your idea”, and “I have a different idea because…”. Briefly demonstrate an unhelpful response, such as interrupting, followed by a helpful response showing manaakitanga. Students identify what they noticed and practise one sentence stem with a partner.

3. 9–12 min · Explain the group challenge. Display the decision challenge and group roles. Tell students: “Our class is choosing one way to make our classroom feel welcoming for new people.” Offer three age-appropriate choices: create a welcome sign, teach a class greeting, or plan a buddy game. Place students in five groups of four. Each group has a facilitator, idea sharer, question asker, and encourager; explain that roles support fair participation and can be swapped if needed.

4. 12–22 min · Cooperative decision-making. Give each student the group decision recording sheet. Students first draw or write their own choice and reason. In groups, each student shares in turn while the facilitator ensures no one is interrupted. The question asker asks one clarifying question, and the encourager notices respectful listening. The group discusses the options, then agrees on one choice and records the decision and one reason. Circulate, prompt with “Whose idea have we heard?” and “What could your group do if you disagree?”

5. 22–27 min · Share decisions. Return to the sharing prompt. Each group briefly shares its choice and reason. After each presentation, invite one classmate to say, “I heard your group say…” or ask a respectful question. Acknowledge that groups may choose differently and that listening helps us understand how decisions are made.

6. 27–30 min · Reflect and exit. Use the reflection questions. Students complete the final boxes on the reflection section: “I helped my group by…” and “Next time I will…”. Invite two or three students to share. Reinforce that every voice matters, and that manaakitanga helps people feel safe, valued, and included.

Resources

• the Sharing Ideas Together slide deck
• the group decision recording sheet
• Three picture cards or displayed choices: welcome sign, class greeting, buddy game
• Pencils, crayons, and a timer
• Five tables or clearly marked group spaces
• Optional puppet or classroom object for modelling turn-taking

Assessment

• During modelling, listen for students who can identify interrupting versus respectful responding, and note who uses a sentence stem.
• During group work, observe turn-taking, listening, questioning, inclusion of quieter voices, and responses to disagreement.
• Collect the recording sheets. Check whether each student has stated an idea or reason and identified one way they contributed or will improve.

Differentiation

• Provide picture choices, gesture prompts, and sentence stems on the slides and worksheet. Allow students to draw their idea or tell it to an adult or peer.
• Pair students strategically and rehearse responses before group discussion. Give explicit support with waiting, turn-taking, and asking questions.
• For English language learners, pre-teach idea, choice, reason, agree, and different using pictures and actions; accept home-language discussion where possible.
• Support students with communication or sensory needs through predictable roles, extra processing time, a quiet discussion space, and the option to share with a trusted partner. Challenge confident students to explain how their group reached agreement and how they included every voice.