Overview

This 6-lesson series engages Year 8 students with learning difficulties in exploring ethical questions through structured discussion, creative expression, and reflection. Each 30-minute lesson balances accessibility with depth, encouraging personal values, critical thinking, and social understanding. The approach aligns with the PSHE Association Programme of Study (2017) and supports personal and social development in line with the UK Equality Act (2010) and SEND Code of Practice (2015).

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of the unit, students will:

• Recognise and express their own ideas about ethical issues.
• Develop empathy by listening to others’ viewpoints.
• Identify basic concepts like fairness, respect, and consequences.
• Gain confidence in speaking and reflecting in a supportive environment.
• Connect ethical questions to everyday situations relevant to their lives.

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Lesson 1: What Makes Something Fair?

Learning Objectives

• Understand the concept of fairness.
• Share personal experiences related to fairness and unfairness.

Resources

• Visual cue cards illustrating fair/unfair situations.
• Whiteboard and markers.
• "Feelings" emotion cards.

Structure

Time	Activity	Details
0-5 mins	Warm-up	Circle time: each student says one thing that feels fair/unfair to them in school or home.
5-15 mins	Introduction	Teacher introduces the question: “What makes something fair?” Use visual cue cards to stimulate ideas.
15-25 mins	Small group discussion	In pairs, students discuss a given scenario (e.g., sharing resources) using ‘feelings’ cards to express emotions involved. Teacher supports vocabulary development.
25-30 mins	Reflection	Group shares ideas; teacher scribing key words on the board (e.g., sharing, equal, kind). Students choose one word that feels important to them.

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Lesson 2: Should We Always Tell the Truth?

Learning Objectives

• Explore honesty and truthfulness.
• Discuss when it might be difficult to tell the truth.

Resources

• Storyboard with simple true/false dilemmas.
• "Thought bubbles" printable for students to write/draw their thoughts.
• Visual scales (agree/disagree).

Structure

Time	Activity	Details
0-5 mins	Warm-up	Quick game: “Two truths and a lie.”
5-15 mins	Storytelling	Read aloud short scenarios that involve honesty dilemmas (e.g., breaking a vase).
15-25 mins	Paired talk & recording	Students use thought bubbles to express what they would do and why. Teacher provides prompt support and alternative question forms as needed.
25-30 mins	Class agree/disagree	Use visual scales; students place themselves physically or point to express feelings about telling the truth in different situations.

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Lesson 3: Who Decides What’s Right?

Learning Objectives

• Understand that rules and decisions come from various people.
• Recognise the role of authority and personal choice.

Resources

• Roles flashcards (e.g., teacher, parent, friend, police).
• Scenario cards challenging students to decide who should make a decision.

Structure

Time	Activity	Details
0-5 mins	Warm-up	Students name who makes rules at home and school.
5-15 mins	Role sorting	Match roles to examples of decisions (e.g., school uniform = teacher/rules).
15-25 mins	Group discussion	Present scenarios (e.g., “Should we choose what games to play at break?”). Students vote and discuss whose opinion matters most and why.
25-30 mins	Reflection	Each student says whose opinion matters most to them and why – teacher notes common themes.

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Lesson 4: Is It Kind to Everyone?

Learning Objectives

• Explore kindness and respect for difference.
• Develop empathy for diverse experiences.

Resources

• Picture storybooks showing diverse characters and situations.
• Speech bubbles for students to fill in kind words or phrases.

Structure

Time	Activity	Details
0-5 mins	Warm-up	Recall a time someone was kind to you; share briefly.
5-15 mins	Storytime	Read a short story featuring kindness to a peer with a disability or difference.
15-25 mins	Paired activity	Students complete speech bubbles imagining the characters’ kind thoughts or words.
25-30 mins	Group sharing	Discuss why kindness is important and how it feels to be included or excluded.

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Lesson 5: Should We Always Follow Rules?

Learning Objectives

• Consider when rules are helpful or when they might need to change.
• Understand personal responsibility versus group expectations.

Resources

• Simple board game with basic rules.
• Whiteboard for listing what happens if rules are/aren’t followed.

Structure

Time	Activity	Details
0-5 mins	Warm-up	Play warm-up game with simple, clear rules and observe reactions.
5-15 mins	Discussion	Chat about why the game has rules and what happens if they are not followed.
15-25 mins	Group brainstorming	Students suggest rules they think are important at school/home and what might happen if they ignore them. Teacher facilitates turn-taking and positive language.
25-30 mins	Summary	Recap key ideas and invite students to share one new thing they’ve learned about rules.

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Lesson 6: Can We Change What’s Right and Wrong?

Learning Objectives

• Recognise that ideas about right and wrong can change in different cultures and times.
• Encourage open-mindedness.

Resources

• Timeline images showing changes in society (e.g., attitudes toward disability, technology use).
• Emotions chart for feelings linked to changes.

Structure

Time	Activity	Details
0-5 mins	Warm-up	Students name one thing they do differently from their parents or older siblings.
5-15 mins	Visual timeline	Present images and brief explanations about changing norms (with simplified language and symbols).
15-25 mins	Discussion and feelings	Students use emotions chart to describe how they feel about changes and whether some rules should stay or change.
25-30 mins	Final reflection	Circle discussion: “What do you want to teach younger children about right and wrong?” Teacher scribe responses as positive affirmations for the class.

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Assessment and Support Strategies

• Use formative assessment through observation of participation, responses, and non-verbal cues.
• Provide tailored sentence starters and emotion cards to support expressive language for students with communication difficulties.
• Allow multiple modes of expression: drawing, symbols, simple word use.
• Incorporate peer support and small group work to scaffold social learning.
• Reinforce positive behaviour and empathy consistently.

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Curriculum Links and Standards

• PSHE Association Programme of Study (Key Stage 3): Understanding and exploring values and ethics, respectful relationships, and diversity.
• SEND Code of Practice (2015): Tailored access and scaffolded learning for pupils with moderate learning difficulties.
• Equality Act (2010): Promoting respect and understanding for protected characteristics.
• English National Curriculum Citizenship Framework: Developing responsible and active citizenship through social and moral responsibility.

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This unit is designed to empower pupils with learning difficulties by creating a safe, scaffolded space for ethical inquiry—building lifelong skills of empathy, communication, and critical thinking through active, age-appropriate engagement.