What Makes Us Special?

Curriculum Context

Social Sciences | Level 2 – The New Zealand Curriculum

• Strand: Place and Environment
• Big Idea (from NCEA Learning Matrix): Places influence people and people influence places
• Achievement Objective: Understand how places influence people and how people influence places

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Lesson Overview

Focus Question:
How does Campbells Bay School help us learn, play, and make friends? What makes it special compared to other places?

Context:
In celebration of Campbells Bay School’s 100th anniversary (1925–2025), students will explore the special features of their school through a historical and personal lens. They will reflect on how the school supports learning, play, and friendship, and compare the past with the present.

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Duration

120 minutes (with clear time allocations for transitions and brain breaks)

Class Size

28 students

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Learning Intentions

Students will:

• Recognise how our school (Campbells Bay) influences us and how we influence it
• Describe special features of our school that support learning, play, and friendship
• Reflect on how the school has changed over time while still keeping its unique identity

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Success Criteria

Students can:

• Identify key features of Campbells Bay School using specific examples
• Explain through words, drawing or movement why the school is special to them
• Contribute ideas to a shared timeline or creative mapping experience
• Work respectfully in teams and listen to others’ perspectives

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Inclusive Practice

This lesson supports neurodiverse and ESOL learners through:

• Multiple entry points (visual, oral, kinaesthetic, and written)
• Group support and peer collaboration
• Use of visual aids and sentence starters
• Sensory activities with tactile and active movement opportunities
• Visual timetable and clear transitions

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Lesson Structure

Phase 1 – I Do (Teacher Modelling & Input – 25 mins)

1. Welcome & Anchor Prompt – “Our Place” (5 mins)

• Visual schedule introduced on the board
• Prompt with a question and photo slideshow of Campbells Bay School (past and present)
• Teacher reads aloud and displays: “Campbells Bay School turns 100 next year! What makes it so special to us?”

2. Retrieval of Prior Knowledge – "Then and Now T-chart" (10 mins)

• Teacher models how to complete a Then/Now chart: e.g., “Then: Chalkboards, Now: Interactive whiteboards”
• Visual and physical artefacts shown (e.g., old vs new school uniform badge, photo of asphalt playground, image of “old” assembly hall vs “new” one)
• Words and images displayed to scaffold vocabulary (e.g., learn, play, friends, past, change, special)

3. Explain Learning Intention and Success Criteria (10 mins)

• Simple language: “We are learning to talk about what makes our school special and how it’s changed!”
• Visual Success Criteria checklist introduced for group use later

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Phase 2 – We Do (Collaborative Exploration – 50 mins)

4. Activity: “School Treasure Hunt – Past Meets Present” (25 mins)
Format: Paired Walk and Talk Activity

• Students are given a visual map with icons (e.g., library, playground, garden, field, hall)
• Objective: In pairs, visit 3-4 parts of the school listed on the map
• Teacher prompts for each stop:
  • “What do you do here?”
  • “How do you think kids used this space 100 years ago?”
  • “What’s changed or stayed the same?”
• Each student receives a small clipboard and stamp sheet – they draw or write 1 idea per location
• Teachers and support staff monitor and prompt with open questions

🧠 Brain Break: “Follow the Leader” movement game on return (5 mins)

5. Reflection and Share – “Our Seen & Unseen Stories” (20 mins)

• Students reflect in table groups:
  • What can we see that makes our school special?
  • What might others not notice (hidden gems)?
• Each group shares 1 ‘seen’ and 1 ‘unseen’ feature with the class; teacher scribes onto a shared wall chart titled “What Makes Campbells Bay Special?”

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Phase 3 – You Do (Independent Creation – 35 mins)

6. Creative Mapping Activity – Our Place, Our Story

• Each student receives a large A3 “My Campbells Bay Map” template (flexible placement of buildings/play areas etc.)
• They draw, label, and colour their favourite areas and memories
• Sentence starters scaffold writing:
  • “I like this place because…”
  • “This place helps me play/learn/make friends by…”
  • “In the future, I hope this place…”

Extension for early finishers:

• Add features they wish the school had (e.g., “In 2125 Campbells Bay might have…”)
• Design a centenary badge or mural that shows school values across time

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Assessment for Learning

Formative Approaches Throughout:

• Teacher checks for understanding during ‘walk and talk’ and guided exploration
• Visible learning intention and success criteria referenced at key points
• Peer feedback during map creation using “two stars and a wish”
• Learning wall captures key understandings and anchors revisiting in later sessions

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Materials & Resources Needed

• Historical and recent images of the school
• Old vs new school artefacts (book bags, uniforms, photographs)
• Visual school maps with icons
• Clipboards and stamp sheets for exploration walk
• Large A3 “My Campbells Bay Map” templates
• Crayons, pencils, sentence scaffold cards
• Timers and visual schedule chart
• Display wall labeled: “What Makes Campbells Bay Special?”

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Teacher ‘Wow’ Tip 💡

Bring in a special guest! Invite a teacher or staff member who’s worked at the school for a long time to briefly (5–10 mins) share one story about how things have changed — this oral history moment animates the centenary context and makes it real for kids.

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Next Steps

• Students’ maps and wall chart become part of a centenary classroom exhibition
• In future lessons, explore differences between school life 100 years ago and today more deeply (e.g., uniforms, games, school lunches!)
• Potential collaborative activities with senior students: comparing their memories and spaces

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Ka pai!

This lesson not only celebrates the special place of Campbells Bay School but empowers students to see themselves as active participants in shaping its past, present, and future through their play, learning, and relationships.