Strengths and Belonging

Overview

In this second lesson of Mahitahi and Wellbeing, students recognise that people contribute different strengths to groups and communities. They connect individual contribution, belonging and collective hauora, while learning to use inclusive language without ranking or labelling people.

Learning intentions

• Recognise strengths as abilities, qualities, interests and ways of contributing.
• Explain how belonging supports hauora and collective wellbeing.
• Acknowledge diverse contributions, including visible and less visible strengths.
• Practise inclusive language that respects different support needs and experiences.

Success criteria

• I can identify strengths without ranking people.
• I can acknowledge another person’s contribution respectfully.
• I can explain how belonging supports hauora.
• I can identify one class practice that could strengthen belonging.

Curriculum links

• Health and PE — Relationships / Self and others: understanding how relationships and collective wellbeing are shaped by equity, empathy and respect.
• Health and PE — Self-care: developing self-awareness and resilience while responding to adolescent transitions.
• Health and PE — self-perception and body image: recognising that identity and self-perception are shaped by values, culture and social environments.
• Health and PE — Years 7–10: evaluating influences and considering consequences for wellbeing.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Welcome and hook. Teacher displays the question, “What helps a group feel that everyone belongs?” and establishes discussion agreements: no ranking, no assumptions, use people’s chosen language, and the right to pass. Students silently choose a point on the belonging continuum slide from “not yet belonging” to “strongly belonging”, then share an idea with a partner or pass.

2. 7–17 min · Build shared understanding. Teacher introduces tūrangawaewae as a place where a person belongs and has standing, alongside mana, tuakana-teina, whānau, equity and collective wellbeing. Explain that strengths may include practical abilities, qualities, interests, cultural knowledge, sporting or artistic skills, environmental care, listening, organising, encouraging others or asking for help. Use local examples such as a volunteer, kapa haka member, sports teammate, artist, gardener, student leader or whānau carer. Students sort examples into “visible”, “less visible” or “both”, discussing why support needs vary.

3. 17–29 min · Personal and shared strengths. Teacher distributes the strengths and belonging activity sheet and offers private, paired or group sharing. Students select or write strengths cards covering abilities, qualities, interests and ways of contributing; they may use a hypothetical person or pass rather than disclose personal information. Students complete one sentence: “A strength that can support a group is … because …”.

4. 29–44 min · Strengths web. Teacher forms groups of four or five and sets a shared, non-competitive goal such as “create a welcoming class event”, “care for a local environment” or “support a new student”. Model connecting different contributions with yarn, or use the strengths web instructions and example. Students create a web showing how varied strengths support the goal, ensuring every contribution is named respectfully and no role is treated as more important than another. Each group prepares one explanation of how the web supports collective hauora.

5. 44–52 min · Discuss equity and belonging. Teacher facilitates feedback using prompts from the discussion prompts: “Which strengths might be overlooked?”, “How can tuakana-teina work in both directions?”, “What is the difference between equal treatment and equitable support?”, and “How could the group respond if someone needs a different way to participate?” Students explain one connection in their web and practise acknowledging a contribution without comparison, for example, “Your listening helped us include everyone.”

6. 52–60 min · Self-assessment and exit reflection. Teacher revisits the belonging continuum and observes students using inclusive language and recognising diverse strengths. Students privately re-rate their sense of belonging, complete the reflection section of the final self-assessment and reflection slip, and identify one class practice to strengthen belonging, such as inviting quieter voices, sharing responsibility, checking pronunciation or offering different ways to participate. Invite voluntary responses; collect sheets for planning the next lesson.

Resources

• the Strengths and Belonging slide deck
• the strengths and belonging activity sheet
• Teacher-prepared strengths cards using abilities, qualities, interests and contributions
• Yarn or string for each group’s strengths web
• Large paper and marker pens
• Belonging continuum displayed around the room
• Culturally relevant local community examples
• Observation checklist for inclusive language and recognition of diverse strengths

Assessment

• During card selection, discussion and group work, use an observation checklist to note whether students avoid ranking, use inclusive language and recognise visible and less visible strengths.
• Listen for explanations linking belonging with hauora, relationships, emotional safety, participation and collective wellbeing.
• Use the final self-rating and identified class practice as an exit assessment to inform the next lesson and follow up students who may need a private check-in.

Differentiation

• Provide plain-language, visual strength cards and sentence starters such as “A contribution that supports belonging is …” and “This matters for hauora because …”.
• Permit private reflection, hypothetical examples, passing, alternative individual work or contribution through drawing and arranging cards.
• Provide a scribe, speech-to-text, typed response or verbal recording; pre-teach and display key terms, with pronunciation support where appropriate.
• Challenge students to explain how equity changes participation in their group goal and to identify a less visible contribution that could easily be missed.
• Avoid deficit language and competitive ranking; do not require students to disclose culture, whānau experiences, identity or personal belonging.