Health Across Lifespan

Overview

In this lesson you will assess how health and wellbeing needs change across the lifespan, then evaluate how well health and care services respond at different stages of life. You will use a category sorting task and a group case study to compare needs and provision.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• Compare key physical, mental and social health needs across infancy, adulthood and older age.
• Assess how life experiences and life circumstances can affect health across the lifespan.
• Evaluate how public health and health and care services meet needs at different stages.
• Build an evidence-based understanding by researching a chosen age group’s health priorities.

Success criteria

• I can identify and compare health and wellbeing needs for at least three life stages.
• I can explain how risk and protective factors vary across the lifespan.
• I can evaluate whether services and support are suitable, accessible and effective for a chosen age group.
• I can present my findings clearly and connect them to public health aims.

Curriculum links

• PSHE relationships and health: understanding physical health, mental wellbeing, and factors affecting wellbeing.
• PSHE health and prevention: recognising risks, promoting healthy choices, and understanding where help is available.
• Public health and healthy communities: understanding how wider determinants (for example housing, work, inequality) affect health.
• Developing employability and life skills: using research, discussion, and evidence to make reasoned judgements.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min — WALT + starter recall (whole class) Students read the WALT statement and quickly recall from the previous lesson: what “health needs” means and why they can change over time. Teacher models one example (e.g., immunisation in early life; falls prevention in older age).

2. 5–15 min — Needs assessment quick-sort (pairs) Provide a set of scenario cards describing health and wellbeing needs (physical, mental, social, and safeguarding-adjacent concerns). In pairs, students sort cards into infancy, adulthood, elderly, and “can occur at any stage”. Teacher circulates and prompts: “What makes this more likely at that life stage?”

3. 15–25 min — Build knowledge: category sorting and discussion Groups refine their sorting and discuss patterns. Each group chooses one card from each life stage and completes a short sentence frame: “This need is more common at this stage because…”. Teacher captures class consensus on a simple comparison grid: needs, likely risks, protective factors.

4. 25–40 min — Transformation: group case study work Allocate each group a case study focused on one age group (infancy, adulthood, or older age). Groups answer three questions:

• What are the main health and wellbeing needs in this case?
• Which services/support could respond, and why?
• What might stop access (for example cost, awareness, transport, stigma, language, disability access, literacy)? Students use discussion roles (facilitator, reporter, evidence checker) to ensure participation.

5. 40–50 min — Independent learning: age-group research (planned next step) Students choose an age group for their independent task (infancy, adulthood, or elderly) and identify:

• 2–3 specific health needs for that group
• 2 risk factors and 2 protective factors
• 1 public health action and 1 service/support Students write a short research plan (what to find, where they might look, and what evidence would count). Provide dyslexia-friendly options: they may use bullet points, audio dictation, or mind-map templates.

6. 50–58 min — Recall and review: class synthesis discussion Each group reports one “best-evidence” finding from their case study. Class discussion focuses on public health links: “What could prevent problems earlier?” “How should services adapt across life stages?” Teacher checks misconceptions and strengthens key ideas: prevention, early intervention, accessibility, and targeted support.

7. 58–60 min — Exit ticket (assessment for learning) Students complete one prompt: “Compared with adulthood, older age (or infancy) needs more/less emphasis on… because…” and one evaluation statement: “A service/support would improve if…”

Resources

• Needs assessment scenario cards (physical, mental, social needs across life stages)
• Case study packs (one per group) for infancy/adulthood/older age
• Comparison grid worksheet (life stage vs needs vs risks vs protective factors)
• Sentence starters and role cards for group work
• Research plan template for independent learning
• Teacher list of service examples (e.g., primary care, community services, specialist support) phrased generally
• Dyslexia-friendly support: visual mind-map template, highlighters, and optional audio/dictation prompt sheet
• Timers and discussion prompts on the board

Assessment

• Formative: observation of sorting reasoning and group case study responses, using teacher prompts to check understanding.
• Formative: exit ticket comparing life stages and making an evaluative link to service provision.
• Summative preparation: readiness for the independent research task (clear choice of age group and specific, relevant questions).

Differentiation

• Support: provide simplified scenario card wording alongside a version with fewer cards; give sentence frames and a word bank for risk/protective factors and service access barriers.
• Support: allow paired roles during case studies and provide a “minimum response” template (3 needs + 2 barriers + 2 services).
• Extension: challenge advanced learners to include one inequality/determinant affecting outcomes (e.g., income, housing, education access) and suggest one measure of effectiveness (for example uptake, reduction in risk, improved wellbeing).
• EAL/SEN: allow answers in short bullet points; provide visuals for life stages; pre-teach key terms (briefly) and accept oral responses where appropriate.

Assessment-informed evidence of alignment

This lesson develops students’ ability to assess health and wellbeing needs across different life stages, compare patterns, and evaluate how health and care provision plus public health approaches can prevent harm and improve wellbeing—matching the PSHE focus on health, prevention, and understanding support systems.