Development Influences

Overview

In this lesson you will analyse how social, emotional, cultural and economic factors can shape development. You will compare examples, build a scenario, and then research one factor and explain its impact using evidence and clear reasoning.

Learning intentions

• WALT assess how different factors affect individual development.
• WALT use examples to explain the impact of social, emotional, cultural and economic circumstances.
• WALT link your understanding to ideas from sociology and economics.

Success criteria

• I can describe at least two ways each factor (social, emotional, cultural, economic) may affect development.
• I can compare two case study examples and explain similarities and differences.
• I can propose realistic scenarios and justify how specific factors influence outcomes.
• I can research a factor and present its impact clearly, using accurate terms and examples.

Curriculum links

• PSHE education: relationships, health and wellbeing, including how life experiences and environments can affect wellbeing and development.
• PSHE education: citizenship and the wider world, including social and economic influences on people’s lives.
• Personal safety and wellbeing: recognising risk, protective factors and support systems.
• Literacy across the curriculum: clear communication of evidence-based ideas in discussion and writing.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 mins: Recall warm-up

• Students complete a quick “4 factors” recap in pairs: social, emotional, cultural, economic.
• Teacher asks: “Which factor is most likely to change outcomes, and why?” to activate prior learning from the unit.

2. 5–15 mins: Brainstorm personal factors

• In small groups, students brainstorm factors that can affect a person’s development (school, family routines, mental wellbeing, discrimination, access to services, income, housing, language, community support).
• Each group selects one factor and writes a short statement: “This factor may affect development by…”

3. 15–28 mins: Knowledge build with case study comparison

• Provide (or display) two brief case study cards showing different development contexts (e.g., stable support vs frequent stressors; high-quality community resources vs limited access).
• Students create a comparison table with “What factor is present?” and “What impact do we see?” then add one inference: “What might be helping or harming?”

4. 28–44 mins: Transformation—group scenario development

• Groups receive a scenario prompt with 2–3 details (for example: a young person adjusting after moving school, language barriers affecting confidence, or financial pressure affecting nutrition and stress levels).
• Task: develop a short “factor-to-impact” plan identifying at least three factors and predicting likely effects on development, including one protective factor and one risk factor.
• Teacher circulates, challenging groups to use precise reasoning rather than general comments.

5. 44–52 mins: Present and share insights

• Each group presents for 1–2 minutes. Audience completes a simple “two stars and a wish” feedback: two accurate points and one question to deepen understanding.
• Teacher models high-quality feedback language: “Your evidence suggests…; can you explain the mechanism?”

6. 52–60 mins: Independent learning task set + exit reflection

• Independent task briefing: research one factor and its impact on development (social, emotional, cultural or economic). Students must prepare a short summary and one example (real-world or credible from study sources) showing cause and effect.
• Exit reflection: “Which factor do you think matters most in your chosen research and what evidence will you use?”

Resources

• Four-factor scenario cards (social, emotional, cultural, economic prompts)
• Two short case study summaries for comparison
• Comparison table template (printed or shared digitally)
• Feedback sheet for peers (“two stars and a wish”)
• Research task sheet with success criteria (what to include, word count, evidence requirements)
• Sentence starters for discussion (e.g., “This suggests that… because…”)
• Coloured highlighters or labels for sorting factors
• Dyslexia-friendly reading pack: shorter case study text with clear headings and larger font option
• Access to appropriate research materials (college library resources, trusted reports, or curated reading)

Assessment

• Formative assessment through group comparison tables and scenario reasoning (teacher checks for clear cause-and-effect links).
• Ongoing assessment during presentations using peer feedback questions to test understanding.
• Summative for this lesson’s work: quality of independent research plan at the end of class (brief submission or outline).

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters, a partially completed comparison table, and a model paragraph for “factor-to-impact” reasoning.
• Support: offer dyslexia-friendly text options (larger font, reduced text density, clear headings) and allow audio reading where available.
• Extension: ask advanced learners to include an economic concept link (e.g., cost of living pressures, access to services) or a sociological concept link (e.g., social inequality, cultural norms) and evaluate limitations of their example.
• EAL/SEN: allow bilingual support for key definitions, use visual factor icons, and permit oral rehearsal of research findings before writing.

Extension (optional)

• For advanced learners: write a short evaluation answering, “Are economic factors always the main driver of developmental outcomes?” Provide two counterarguments and justify a balanced conclusion.