Stand Together

Learning area

Other (Personal and Social Development)

Year level

Years 1-3 (ages approximately 5-8 years), inclusive of special needs/rangatahi with diverse learning needs

Duration

45 minutes

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Curriculum links (New Zealand Curriculum Refresh)

Key Competencies

• Relating to others: Interacting effectively with a diverse range of people in a variety of contexts.
• Participating and contributing: Active involvement in groups and communities to make a positive contribution.
• Managing self: Self-motivation, self-regulation, and resilience.

Learning Areas and Achievement Objectives

• Health and Physical Education: Personal Social Development
  • Years 1-3: Students develop a sense of belonging and explore emotions, friendships, and ways to contribute positively to their group/class community.
  • Goal: Identify and demonstrate respectful behaviour and recognise that bullying is unacceptable.

Vision, Principles, and Values

• Inclusive and equitable learning environments supporting the well-being of all students, recognising and valuing diverse identities and individual learning needs.
• Promote empathy, kindness, and respect.

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Learning objectives

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

1. Understand the purpose of Pink Shirt Day as a day to stand against bullying and to be kind to everyone.
2. Recognise feelings related to bullying (e.g., feeling sad or left out) and express empathy for others.
3. Demonstrate simple ways to help others feel safe and included.
4. Create a simple pink shirt craft as a symbol of support for kindness and standing together against bullying.
5. Participate positively in social interactions and reflection activities, sharing their thoughts and feelings using accessible language and communication supports.

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Resources and materials

• A large pink shirt poster or a real pink shirt for demonstration
• Storybook or simple narrative about kindness and anti-bullying (age-appropriate and sensory considerate)
• Visual symbols of feelings (happy, sad, left out)
• Paper, pink paint or crayons, scissors, glue, cotton wool or stickers for craft
• Role-play props (e.g., puppets or simple masks)
• Visual schedule and clear instructions with pictures
• Comfortable, quiet space for sensory breaks if needed
• Cards with short, simple phrases to support language (e.g., “Be kind,” “Help a friend,” “No bullying”)

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Lesson breakdown

Time	Activity	Description	Teaching approaches and differentiation
5 min	Welcome and introduction	Gather students in a circle. Teacher wears or shows a pink shirt. Introduce Pink Shirt Day: "Today is a special day to show kindness to everyone by wearing pink and standing together against bullying." Use simple, clear language supported by pictures.	Use visual supports and clear speech. Allow students to share if they have worn pink before. Use a calm voice tone and check individual needs.
10 min	Storytelling: Kindness and standing together	Read or tell a simple story about Pink Shirt Day focusing on kindness, including emotions linked to bullying (e.g., feeling sad, left out). Use puppets, props, or pictures. Pause to ask students how characters might feel. Use actions and expressive intonation to engage learners.	Use visual emotion cards for students to point to how they think the character feels. Include tactile props for sensory engagement. Use frequent pauses to allow processing and questions.
10 min	Role-play and social interaction	Divide students into pairs or small groups. Role-play scenarios where one student feels left out or bullied and the other practices kindness (e.g., inviting to play, saying “You are my friend”). Provide sentence starters and non-verbal options (e.g., thumbs up for agreement).	Adjust scenarios for ability levels; use supportive adults if needed. Model role-plays first. Encourage expressive gestures and simple words.
15 min	Pink shirt craft activity	Students create a simple pink paper shirt using provided materials. They decorate with stickers or cotton wool and write/draw kind messages (supported by writing prompts or stamps). Emphasise that this shirt is to remind us to be kind every day.	Provide one-on-one or small group support; allow alternative expression (drawing, pointing). Use fidget-friendly materials for sensory needs. Celebrate all efforts.
5 min	Reflection and sharing	Gather in small circle. Ask “What did you learn about being kind today?” Use visual prompts and sentence stems to help students share their thoughts or feelings. Display the pink shirts as a group symbol of kindness and inclusion.	Use supportive communication methods (e.g., PECS, AAC devices). Validate all responses. Provide quiet zone for students needing sensory breaks.

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Assessment and reflection

• Formative assessment: Observe students’ engagement during story and role-play. Note ability to identify feelings and demonstrate empathy or kindness in interactions.
• Craft assessment: Check participation and understanding demonstrated by the decoration and found message or drawing on the pink shirt.
• Reflection assessment: Listen for verbal or non-verbal participation in sharing feelings and ideas about kindness.
• Teacher reflection: Evaluate accessibility of activities and modify future lessons to better meet diverse learning needs.

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Inclusive and sensory-friendly teaching strategies

• Use multi-sensory teaching methods (visual, auditory, tactile) for engagement and understanding.
• Break tasks into small, manageable steps with clear instructions.
• Use visual supports throughout for structure and predictability.
• Allow choice and flexibility in responses and participation modes.
• Monitor and allow for sensory breaks to support attention and comfort.
• Use positive reinforcement to encourage participation.

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Links to resources and other learning areas

• Supports the development of emotional literacy and resilience.
• Provides foundation for oral language development with structured, scaffolded narrative.
• Connects to values of inclusion, empathy, and well-being.
• Links to Health and Physical Education’s focus on safe and respectful relationships.

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This lesson plan is designed using the principles and explicit teaching approach of the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, focusing on manageable learning steps, positive relationships, and inclusion. It ensures rangatahi with diverse learning needs can access, participate and thrive in learning about kindness and anti-bullying through meaningful, sensory-rich experiences that promote their social and emotional learning .