People Who Help Us

Lesson Overview

This 20-minute lesson is designed for Year 2 students in an SEN setting, focusing on Careers/Jobs/People who help us. The lesson aligns with the Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education curriculum and supports Communication and Interaction Needs (SEND Code of Practice 2015). The aim is to engage students, build rapport quickly, and support their learning with interactive, multi-sensory tasks.

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Learning Objectives

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

• Recognise and name at least three jobs of people who help us in the community.
• Describe how these people help us in everyday life.
• Engage in practical and sensory activities related to these jobs.

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Resources

• Picture cards of community helpers (e.g., doctor, firefighter, police officer, teacher, paramedic)
• Dressing-up props (e.g., toy stethoscope, police hat, firefighter badge)
• Sound effects (siren, telephone ringing, ambulance sound)
• A small tactile bag with job-related items (e.g., bandage, mini notebook, magnifying glass)
• Visual timetables and now/next boards for SEN learners

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Lesson Structure

1. Warm-Up (2 minutes) – Quick Engagement

• Start with a friendly welcome song related to jobs (e.g., "People Who Help Us" tune).
• Use a mystery sound game—play a siren noise and ask, "Who do you think this belongs to?"
• Show excitement and engagement, ensuring you make eye contact and encourage participation through gestures.

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2. Main Activity (12 minutes) – Interactive Learning

A) Who Am I? (4 minutes) – Building Understanding

• Show flashcards of different jobs and act them out with simple gestures (e.g., pretending to hold a clipboard for a doctor or salute for a police officer).
• Encourage call-and-response participation: "Who wears this hat? Who helps when there's a fire?"
• Adapt for SEN needs using Makaton signs for key words like "help," "doctor," or "firefighter."

B) Dress-Up & Role Play (5 minutes) – Sensory & Practical Learning

• Let children choose a prop from the tactile bag and guess the job.
• Support children by modelling simple sentences: "I am a doctor. I help sick people."
• Extend for confident learners by asking them, "What tool does a paramedic use?"
• Scaffold learning by using sentence starters like "A firefighter helps by..."

C) Matching Objects (3 minutes) – Independent Thinking

• Lay out job-related props and ask children to match them to a picture or a spoken clue.
• Support with visual cues or assist by guiding hands to the correct object.
• Celebrate all answers, reinforcing learning through repetition.

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3. Plenary (5 minutes) – Reflection & Extension

• Quick-fire recap: Hold up a picture and ask, "Who is this? What do they do?"
• For high-ability learners, ask: "What job would you like to do when you grow up?"
• Encourage a simple turn-taking discussion using visual aids if needed.
• End with a thank-you wave to all the jobs discussed.
• Provide positive reinforcement using stickers, high-fives, or verbal praise.

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Differentiation & SEN Adaptations

• For visual learners: Use picture-supported communication and real-life photos.
• For sensory seekers: Allow hands-on interaction with textures (fabric uniforms, rubber gloves).
• For non-verbal learners: Introduce Makaton signs and communication boards.
• For students needing structure: Use a "Now & Next" board to break the lesson into clear steps.

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Assessment & Next Steps

• Observe engagement levels—did students respond to sounds, visuals, or props?
• Use thumbs up/down or PECS symbols to gauge understanding.
• Note which students showed interest in specific jobs—extend this with role-play in future lessons.
• Send home simple job-themed activities (e.g., colour a firefighter, draw a doctor helping someone).

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Notes for Interview

• Demonstrates rapport-building through enthusiasm, facial expressions, and movement.
• Engages SEN learners using multi-sensory, visual, and structured techniques.
• Encourages turn-taking, communication cues, and accessible questioning.
• Balances support and extension, making learning inclusive and enjoyable.

This highly interactive approach ensures maximum engagement while differentiating effectively for SEN learners, ticking all the boxes for a strong interview lesson.