What Do I Feel? – These lessons provide pupils with the opportunity to:

• reflect on what they value in friendships, as individuals and as a class
• recognise different people in their personal network and how they support them
• identify bullying and how it can affect people’s social and emotional wellbeing
• explore how they can support others who are being bullied
• develop their understanding of how they make and sustain friendships and relationships
• think about who they are, what they know about themselves and who influences them
• explore what we mean by assumptions
• understand how their decisions might impact on others around them, how they deal with disagreements and how they react during these situations

What Do I Need? – These lessons provide pupils with the opportunity to:

• explore their strengths and talents, how they can use these and how they can be influenced by other people
• understand how much they know about their homes as part of their understanding of the wider world
• explore the services they need such as gas, electricity and water supply to make their homes function
• become more aware about how much these services cost and who to contact in an emergency
• explore what we mean by inclusive design and design a play park which is accessible for everyone

What Do I Want? – These lessons provide pupils with the opportunity to:

• explore being content and wanting more
• understand the difference between being content and wanting more
• address issues of peer pressure, consumerism and the impact of advertising
• demonstrate an understanding of the purpose and effects of advertising
• offer a personal opinion about being content, what makes them happy and what they value

What Do I Value? – These lessons provide pupils with the opportunity to:

• explore some universal rights under the UNCRC
• understand that not all children have the ability to exercise these rights
• develop their understanding of the terms unique, same, difference and equal opportunities
• explore ways of challenging stereotypes and discrimination
• explore what we mean by healthy lifestyle
• identify the people who support them in making the right choices to maintain a healthy lifestyle
• understand why it is important to act responsibly and look after their physical wellbeing
• develop their understanding of the impact their choices/behaviours can have on their general health
• become more responsible in relation to achieving a healthy lifestyle

What Do I Think? – These lessons provide pupils with the opportunity to:

• develop their understanding of social and emotional wellbeing by exploring a range of emotions
• understand how they express themselves in different situations
• explore how other people may react in the same situation and how this can be influenced by previous experiences or attitudes
• understand the need to have confidence when they are expressing what they think and to consider the impact on others
• suggest strategies to help manage their emotions
• raise their awareness of issues like stereotyping and discrimination
• consider how our attitudes, knowledge and understanding can influence how we perceive difference

What Do I Choose to Do and Say? – These lessons provide pupils with the opportunity to:

• discuss and share the personal changes they would like to make
• identify positive steps towards implementing these changes and who can support them
• explore aspects of citizenship across social responsibility and community involvement
• confirm that they are citizens and can contribute to making things better in their classroom,
• school, local and national communities
• identify how they can participate in the wider community and what they can contribute
• explore how their contributions would help to make things fairer and more inclusive for everyone

Theme – What Do I Feel?

HWB 1-01a HWB 2-01a I am aware of and able to express my feelings and am developing the ability to talk about them.

HWB 1-03a HWB 2-03a I understand that there are people I can talk to and that there are a number of ways in which I can gain access to practical and emotional support to help me and others in a range of circumstances.

HWB 1-04a HWB 2-04a I understand that my feelings and reactions can change depending upon what is happening within and around me. This helps me to understand my own behaviour and the way others behave.

HWB 1-05a HWB 2-05b I know that friendship, caring, sharing, fairness, equality and love are important in building positive relationships. As I develop and value relationships, I care and show respect for myself and others.

HWB 1-08a HWB 2-08a I understand that people can feel alone and can be misunderstood and left out by others. I am learning how to give appropriate support.

HWB 2-44b I understand that a wide range of different kinds of friendships and relationships exist. HWB 2-44a I am aware that positive friendships and relationships can promote health and the health and wellbeing of others.

HWB 2-45a I am identifying and practising skills to manage changing relationships and I understand the positive impact this can have on my emotional wellbeing.

HWB 1-45b HWB 2-45b I am aware of the need to respect personal space and boundaries and can recognise and respond appropriately to verbal and non-verbal communication.

Theme – What Do I Need?

HWB 2-01a HWB 2-02a I know that we all experience a variety of thoughts and emotions that affect how we feel and behave and I am learning ways of managing them.

HWB 1-05a HWB 2-05a I know that friendship, caring, sharing, fairness, equality and love are important in building positive relationships. As I develop and value relationships, I care and show respect for myself and others.

HWB 2-09a As I explore the rights to which I and others are entitled, I am able to exercise these rights appropriately and accept the responsibilities that go with them. I show respect for the rights of others.

HWB 2-10a I recognise that each individual has a unique blend of abilities and needs. I contribute to making my school community one which values individuals equally and is a welcoming place for all.

HWB 2-13a Through contributing my views, time and talents, I play a part in bringing about positive change in my school and wider community.

Theme – What Do I Want?

HWB 1-04a HWB 2-04a I understand that my feelings and reactions can change depending upon what is happening within and around me. This helps me to understand my own behaviour and the way others behave.

HWB 2-19a Through taking part in a variety of events and activities, I am learning to recognise my own skills and abilities as well as those of others.

Theme – What Do I Value?

HWB 1-01a HWB 2-01a I am aware of and able to express my feelings and am developing the ability to talk about them.

HWB 1-02a HWB 2-02a I know that we all experience a variety of thoughts and emotions that affect how we feel and behave and I am learning ways of managing them.

HWB 1-03a HWB 2-03a I understand that there are people I can talk to and that there are a number of ways in which I can gain access to practical and emotional support to help me and others in a range of circumstances.

HWB 1-04a HWB 2-04a I understand that my feelings and reactions can change depending upon what is happening within and around me. This helps me to understand my own behaviour and the way others behave.

HWB 1-06a HWB 2-06a I understand the importance of mental wellbeing and that this can be fostered and strengthened through personal coping skills and positive relationships. I know that it is not always possible to enjoy good mental health and that if this happens there is support available.

HWB 1-09a HWB 2-09a As I explore the rights to which I and others are entitled, I am able to exercise these rights appropriately and accept the responsibilities that go with them. I show respect for the rights of others.

HWB 1-10a HWB 2-10a I recognise that each individual has a unique blend of abilities and needs. I contribute to making my school community one which values individuals equally and is a welcoming place for all.

HWB 1-19a Through taking part in a variety of events and activities, I am learning to recognise my own skills and abilities as well as those of others.

Theme – What Do I Think?

HWB 1-01a HWB 2-01a I am aware of and able to express my feelings and am developing the ability to talk about them.

HWB 1-02a HWB 2-02a I know that we all experience a variety of thoughts and emotions that affect how we feel and behave and I am learning ways of managing them.

HWB 1-47a I recognise that we have similarities and differences but are all unique.

Theme – What Do I Choose to Say and Do?

HWB 1-09a HWB 2-09a As I explore the rights to which I and others are entitled, I am able to exercise these rights appropriately and accept the responsibilities that go with them. I show respect for the rights of others.

HWB 1-12a HWB 2-12a Representing my class, school and/or wider community encourages my self-worth and confidence and allows me to contribute to and participate in society.

HWB 1-13a HWB 2-3a Through contributing my views, time and talents, I play a part in bringing about positive change in my school and wider community.

HWB 1-14a HWB 2-14a I value the opportunities I am given to make friends and be part of a group in a range of situations.

HWB 1-19a Through taking part in a variety of events and activities, I am learning to recognise my own skills and abilities as well as those of others.

Please use the planner provided in both PDF and Word format to record, assess and plan your programme of lessons. The template can be adapted to suit your school planning procedures.

View: Classroom Planner Primary 6

Edit:  Classroom Planner Primary 6

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• develop our understanding of what we mean by personal networks
• know the difference between family, friends and people who support us and how they each influence our lives

Reflect on values we would like in friends using the Value Cards provided. Revise the range of key qualities we value in a friend.

From their responses, highlight the qualities most valued by the class. Reflect on whether they value the same qualities now that they did in Primary 5 if appropriate. 

View: Values Cards

Ask pupils to discuss the My Personal Network questions provided below.

View: Lesson 1: My Personal Network – Questions

Edit:  Lesson 1: My Personal Network – Questions

Ask pupils to complete their personal network using the chart provided to demonstrate the people in their lives – what they value about them – what qualities they have – then distinguish between family, friends and people who support them e.g. teachers, school staff, club leaders, sport coaches etc. If necessary, teachers could draw up a fictitious network on the board to demonstrate a personal network.

View: My Personal Network Chart

Discuss if there are any differences in the kind of relationships they have between their family, friends or people who support them. Ask pupils about the way they communicate with different people and how they influence what they do and say.

Ask them to record one way to improve communication with their family, friends or with people who support them. Ask them to identify qualities they value in the people they identified in their personal network.

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• develop our understanding of how to deal with bullying and why it is important to seek help
• understand why the school has policies to ensure positive behaviours

Read or distribute the story below to the pupils.

Gemma’s story – Bullying

Gemma is in P6 and her friend Julie, who is now in the football team with her, has started to act a bit differently. She has been very short tempered and moody, shouting at Gemma over nothing. Gemma waited until they were alone and asked Julie if there was something wrong.

Eventually, Julie admitted that some girls were bullying her on her way home from school and sending her text messages/photos on her Facebook page. She didn’t want to tell anyone because the bullies had threatened her. Gemma told her that, in P5, she was bullied because she played football.

She explained that she had felt the same way and had not wanted to tell anyone at the time. She spent lots of time crying, and not sleeping properly. Her parents didn’t realise what she was going through. It was the best decision she ever made when she told them.

It was dealt with and it stopped. She advised Julie to tell her parents/carers as soon as possible or someone she could trust as no one can deal with bullies alone. Gemma offered to go with her to report it.

Discuss the What do you think? questions with the whole class or if pupils are able to work in groups then appoint a facilitator and a reporter from within each group. Distribute the questions provided and complete. During feedback pupils should be able to justify their group’s opinions.

View: Lesson 2: Gemma’s story and questions 

Edit:  Lesson 2: Gemma’s story and questions

View: Lesson 2: Gemma’s story PDF questions

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• realise friendships change over time
• maintain and manage changing relationships and friendships

Read or distribute the story below to the pupils.

Billy’s story – Friendship

Billy has been friends with Jen since she moved next door a year ago. Billy had some problems last year when his friends were teasing him about his friendship with Jen. Since then things have settled down and his friends have now met Jen a few times.

Since getting to know Jen, they get on really well now. Jen used to attend an all-girls school but has recently moved to Billy’s school and is meeting new friends.

Recently, when Billy called for her after school, she had gone off to meet some of these new friends without telling Billy. Billy felt left out and is worried their relationship is not the same as it was.

He thought Jen could have invited him along too but he is unsure as to whether or not he should mention this to Jen or do the same thing and start to make new friends himself.

Discuss the What do you think? questions with the whole class or if pupils are able to work in groups then appoint a facilitator and a reporter from within each group. Distribute the questions provided and complete. During feedback pupils should be able to justify their group’s opinions.

View: Lesson 3: Billy’s story and questions

Edit:  Lesson 3: Billy’s story and questions 

View: Lesson 3: Billy’s story PDF questions

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand what we mean by assumptions

Look in a dictionary for the meaning of assumption and discuss with the class.

You may wish to prepare and display some pictures for the class to consider. Ask pupils if there are any assumptions they might make about the pictures. You may wish to provide more structure to this lesson by providing statements to which pupils can respond true/false/can’t tell.

Discuss the following:

• Never judge a book by its cover.
• We make assumptions by not listening, not thinking, not questioning.

Ask pupils to form small groups to discuss their understanding of the word assumption and any experiences they may have of people making assumptions, either about themselves or others.

Ask the pupils to discuss any groups in society that they think people may make assumptions about. Pupils may bring up topics including sectarianism, disability, racism and other forms of discrimination – or local issues. Ask pupils to consider:

• What gives rise to these assumptions?
• Are we born with them?
  

You may wish to discuss the first impressions which we often have about the way people are dressed or how they present themselves. Ask pupils what their first impression might be on seeing someone:

• Wearing a tee shirt advertising a rock band
• Wearing tinted glasses
• Wearing football colours
• Wearing a kilt
• Crying in public
• Failing to make eye contact
• Lying on the pavement

Distribute or read the Assumption Scenarios provided below and ask the class to consider what assumptions might be made by the characters in the scenarios.

View: Lesson 4: Assumptions – Scenarios

Edit:  Lesson 4: Assumptions – Scenarios

View: Lesson 4: Assumptions – PDF

Ask pupils to form small groups and discuss any assumptions that they believe people in the local community make about them/others.

Ask the groups to create a short drama to illustrate how assumptions can be wrong. Remind the pupils that if they do not have props to illustrate a particular point, they will need to ensure that their words and actions e.g. body language give the audience all they need to understand what is happening in the drama.

Ask each group to present their short drama to the rest of the class.

Ask pupils to feedback what they thought each drama was about in terms of assumptions. You may wish to film the dramas.

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• recognise disagreements and how to reach a compromise
• understand what we mean by good decision making

Establish the difference between a compromise and one person giving in to another in a disagreement. Read or distribute the scenario below to the pupils.

Scenario:

It was spring time and for the first time after school it was really quite light and warm. I asked my mum if I could go out and play with my friends. She said ‘no’ I had to do my homework first, have my dinner and then I could go out as it was going to be light for another 2 hours.

I was really upset because it would be easy to do my homework later and have my dinner when I came in at 7pm.

It had been a long time since I was outside playing. I thought the fresh air would be good for me and I would get to see my friends again. I was really annoyed and could not concentrate on my homework so I just wrote down anything that came to mind and left my dinner in protest.

Next morning I was very hungry and my teacher was not happy with the homework I produced.

Discuss the What do you think? questions with the whole class or if pupils are able to work in groups then appoint a facilitator and a reporter from within each group. Distribute the questions provided and complete. During feedback pupils should be able to justify their group’s opinions.

View: Lesson 5: Disagreements – Story and Questions

Edit:  Lesson 5: Disagreements – Story and Questions

View: Lesson 5: Disagreements PDF questions

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• recognise our strengths and areas for development

Discuss What are my strengths? statements provided and invite pupils to identify what they think applies to them.

View: Lesson 1: What are my strengths? Statements

Edit:  Lesson 1: What are my strengths? Statements 

Encourage reflection by discussing the following questions with pupils:

• How confident are they in talking about themselves to others?
• Are they able to tell others about their strengths and talents?
• Are they able to identify their development needs?
• How do they feel when doing this?
  

Pupils could undertake some personal writing on the topic of ‘What I like About Myself’ or ‘What I Would like to Change About Myself’.

You may wish to approach the topic through any suitable poetry – ‘Myself’.

Discuss how they have felt when talking about themselves during this lesson. They should consider how confident they were in identifying their own strengths.

Discuss the words ‘talent’ and ‘energy’ e.g. energy could include: enthusiasm, commitment, hard work etc.

Discuss the following statements:

• if you have talent and energy you will be a success
• if you have talent and no energy you will not achieve anything
• if you have energy and no talent you can still achieve something

You could further develop this lesson in the following ways:

• undertake some reflective personal writing on the topic, entitled ‘The Ideal Me’
• pupils could create a short class documentary on ‘The Ideal Me’ using a digital camera
  
• as a homework lesson pupils could look through magazines and newspapers and select words and image to create a collage of ‘The Ideal Me’
  
• encourage children to explain their idea

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand what we know about where we live and what services we need

Discuss the My Home questions provided below.

View: Lesson 2: My Home Questions

Edit:  Lesson 2: My Home Questions

Ask pupils to think about all the things they would like to have in their house in the future as adults in relation to furniture etc. List these on the board. What would be essential items to have and what would be a luxury? Why?

Facilitate a discussion on the pupil’s knowledge about their home (this could be a homework exercise with support from their parents/carers).

Ask pupils to draw a floor plan showing the layout of their home. They should indicate, using a key/symbol, the location of the gas, electricity, internet switches/connections, TV Aerial and water supplies are located.

Extend the learning by discussing the following:

• Why do we need to know our address and post code?

• Why do we pay for a TV licence? What happens if we don’t pay it?

• Do they have to pay for their internet connection – broadband?

• Do we have to pay for the gas and electricity we receive?
  

• Do we have to pay for our water?

• Who maintains the garden?
  

• Do we have to have the loft insulated? Why is this a good thing to do?
  

• Do they know the emergency number for police, fire brigade and ambulance service?

• Do they know where/how to turn the gas, electricity and water supply off in an emergency?

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

  Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• recognise things which influence how we feel about ourselves

Begin the lesson by reminding pupils that in previous lessons they have been thinking about how they feel about themselves and what they would like to change.

Explain that lots of different things influence how we feel about ourselves. Invite them to list as many things as they can that influence how we feel about ourselves.

Develop the discussion to focus on how the media, newspapers, radio, advertising and internet may influence how we feel about ourselves.

This lesson could focus on the positive and negative representation in the media, of children and young people in relation to food choices/diet, computer games, too much TV, loitering on streets, smoking and use of social media, higher achievement levels at school and more young people going to university.

Ask pupils if they think children and young people are represented positively in the media. Seek examples and ask why they feel they were positive or negative. Ask which other groups of people would benefit from positive images in the media and why.

Select a recent situation where our perceptions of people have been challenged through the images we have been presented with in the media a good example is of athletes with disabilities participating in Olympics or Commonwealth Games. Focus on how the media helped us to understand more about being disabled, how athletes overcame their disability to participate in the games and make the games more inclusive.

Ask pupils to consider the specialist equipment athletes used in order to participate and if the equipment gave the athletes an advantage over the other competitors. Reinforce the idea that we can overcome lots of challenges in life and be successful if we try hard enough.

Reflect on all of the different things which influence how we feel about ourselves. Discuss the following question:

• What has had the most influence over how we feel about ourselves.
  Ask pupils to write about any special person/or thing that has influenced or inspired them and how this made them feel about themselves.

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• develop our inclusiveness
• identify what we would need to do to create an inclusive play park

Remind pupils of the previous work around accessibility if appropriate. Ask them what we mean by ‘inclusive design’. See teacher notes below.

Ask pupils to consider barriers which stop people from being included. These could be physical barriers or unwelcoming attitudes.

This lesson could be a project carried out over a number of weeks. Ask pupils to work in groups of 2 or 3 to design a play park or a community centre that is inclusive, so all people in the local community can participate and feel included.

Ask pupils to think about what they would need to buy for a play park if they had a budget of £100,000. This will support them to link this activity to maths and research skills using ICT e.g. looking at what equipment is available on the market for non-disabled and disabled people e.g. wheelchair accessible swings

Teachers’ information:

What is inclusive design? It is a general approach where designers ensure that their products and services address the needs of the widest possible audience, irrespective of age or ability.

Why is it important? The effects of rapidly ageing populations and growing numbers of people with disabilities are having a profound influence on new product and service development.

The need for a more socially inclusive approach to designing is rising up the business agenda. What is the relevance to design education? Future consumer markets will be more diverse than ever in terms of age and physical ability. In the past, design education looked at special needs design for special needs groups. That attitude is changing. Now the focus is on better mainstream solutions for everyone, supported by new design research techniques to make the development process more user centred.

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand the difference between needs and wants
• understand what we feel personally about wanting more

Discuss the terms being content and wanting more. List pupils’ responses on the board. Read out the quote provided from Lucy who is a young girl with additional support needs. Lucy said this while discussing disability and wanting more in life.

Quote:

‘There is nothing better than being content with what you’ve got. Everybody wants to have more all the time. And I sometimes feel like that. I keep telling myself that some people are even unluckier.

They can’t even talk. So just think about what that would be like’. Lucy Ritchie

Discuss the effects of peer pressure/consumerism on what we think we want and the pressure that wanting more might put on parents/carers. Discuss the things that they need and things that they want. Is there a difference between them?

Consider the following questions:

• Do you always have to get the latest up to date brand – designer labels?
• Do you want to buy more and more things? Why?
• What influences you to want to buy more things?
• Do you feel under pressure from your peers?
• Are there things you want which you/your parents/carers cannot afford?

Ask pupils to complete the Being content and wanting more activity provided below reflecting on what they are content with and any areas in their lives where they want more.

View: Lesson 1: Being content and wanting more – Activity

Edit:  Lesson 1: Being content and wanting more – Activity

NB: What they want in the future could be travel, access to sport, an achievement in an area of interest e.g. music, dancing. It does not need to be a career choice at this stage.

Discuss ‘wanting more’ in broader terms than consumerism and ask pupils to consider what it means to want more in life.

Apply this to wanting more for themselves in terms of their learning, setting targets, improving themselves and making steps towards achieving these.

Ask them to identify what they want to do in the future. Encourage them to plan their steps to achieve this by writing up an action plan.

Ask each pupil to create a short piece of reflective writing, explaining their opinion about whether it is okay to be content or to want more or both.

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand the term consumerism and the impact of advertising on choices we make

Explain that consumers are people who buy things and confirm pupils’ understanding of the term consumerism. Ask pupils to consider to what extent they are consumers by completing the Consumerism activity below.

View: Lesson 3: Consumerism – Activity

Edit:  Lesson 3: Consumerism – Activity

Ask pupils to create a visual representation of what they spend their pocket money on if they get any.

If they do not, they could make a visual representation of things they consume which are bought for them.

Ask pupils:

• What is their favourite advert? Why?
• What do they remember about the advert that they liked?
• Are they in control of what they buy?
• Has an advert for something ever caused them to want to go out and buy it?
• Does advertising affect what they buy?
• Is this a good thing?
• Has this ever caused any problems/pressure for their parents who could perhaps not afford it?

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• recognise the effects of advertising
• understand what makes us happy

You may wish to show some recordings of adverts which are aimed at children and young people to the whole class. Alternatively, you may wish to use adverts cut out from children’s magazines. You will need to prepare these in advance.

After each advert discuss:

• Do you want this product? Why or why not?
• What does the advert do to try to persuade you to buy the product?
• Do you think the product will make you or others happy?

Further discuss:

• How does the advert convince us to buy the product?
• Does it tell us that the product will make us happy?
• Does the advert have a hidden message?
• Why do people make adverts?

Show pupils:

• An advert from a magazine with the product blanked out – do they know what the product is?
• A product and ask them if they can recall the associated advert.
• Some slogans attached to children’s products and see if they can identify the product.

Ask the pupils to consider a toy or a game which they have purchased and to discuss in groups how long the happiness lasted after they bought it. Ask each group to feed back to the whole class. Finally, ask children to return to their groups and consider:

• What do they think will make them really happy?

Ask pupils to think about what has made them happy in the past, whether it be people, things they have purchased or something they experienced.

Ask pupils to think about whether or not they agree with all the messages that they are given through television, press and advertising. Would any of these experiences impact on their social and emotional wellbeing.

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• develop their understanding of the UN Convention
• understand what we mean by children’s rights under the UN Convention

Remind pupils of the work they may have done in Primary 5 around children’s rights in relation to education. If not, explore their right to education.

Explain the following information taken from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Charter.

• Children are human beings and are the subject of their own rights.
• Children are individuals and as a member of a family and community, have rights and
• responsibilities appropriate to their age and stage of development.
• The Convention on the Rights of the Child sets out the rights for children to develop to their full potential, free from hunger and want, neglect and abuse.
• The Convention makes clear the idea that a basic quality of life should be the right of all children, rather than a privilege enjoyed by a few.

Ask pupils to discuss: What rights they think they have as children? List these on the board.

Ask pupils to consider the following question:

• Do they think the rights that we have listed/discussed are enjoyed by all children across the world?

Explain that despite the existence of rights, children suffer from poverty, homelessness, abuse, neglect, preventable diseases and unequal access to education and justice systems that do not recognise their needs. These are problems that occur in both industrialised and developing countries.

To stop these problems governments across the world have stated their intention to ratify the UNCRC and ensure they are committed to putting these rights into practice.

Discuss with pupils a list of the countries who are committed to and have signed up to UNCRC and what such a commitment should mean. Some of these are: Australia, Italy, Canada, France, Mexico, Afghanistan, Iraq, Rwanda and the UK.

Develop the discussion to include:

• Are there any countries on the list that surprised them? Why?

Complete the Children’s Rights activity below.

View: Lesson 1: Children’s rights – Activity

Edit:  Lesson 1: Children’s rights – Activity

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand what we mean by perceptions and being different

Revisit any prior learning about differences between people and things that people have in common. Ask pupils to form small groups and find something that everyone in the group has in common as well as something unique about each person in the group.

Reflect on the meanings of same and different and ask pupils to discuss the following:

• Should we all be the same?
• Why is it good that we have differences?
• In what ways would you want to be different?
• In what ways would you want to be the same?

E.g. everyone wants to have friends – everyone wants to be included etc.

Discuss or distribute the Same or Different activity provided below and ask pupils to complete what is the same about themselves and what is different about themselves in relation to their classroom peers. This could include physical appearance, skills, qualities, things they like, don’t like, talents, interests, values, beliefs and opinions.

They should complete the questions:

• What are the positive things about being different?
• What are the negative things about being different?
• When do I not want to be different?

View: Lesson 2: Same or Different – Activity

Edit:  Lesson 2: Same or Different – Activity

Continue with the ideas given in the lesson plan by explaining to pupils that they are now going to discuss what their understanding of the term ‘perception’ is and how perceptions of situations and people can often be incorrect.

‘Looks can be deceiving’ – ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’.

Ask pupils about their perceptions of disability, different cultures, sports’ people and adults. What do they think influences our perceptions?

Ask pupils to create a character who experiences two different scenarios. In one, the character feels welcomed and comfortable and in the other, the character is made to feel very different and out of place.

Ask pupils to create a short script of the two scenarios. You may wish to have pupils act out the scripts created, and to respond to each other’s work.

If you feel that the written work will impede the thinking and discussion, you may prefer to have pupils create an improvisation and film this to record their work.

Ask pupils to reflect on:

• Why the people in the first scenario welcomed their character while the people in the second
  scenario made their character feel different and out of place.
• How their perceptions affected the way they behaved towards the main character
• Does it matter if people are different?
• Is everyone different?
• Is everyone the same?
• Should people be treated in a different way because they appear to be different? Explain.

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand the terms equal opportunities and unique

Ask pupils to consider what human beings have in common with each other and list on the board. Confirm that although we have many things in common, we are all unique individuals with our own personalities, talents and personal attributes etc. Write the word unique on the board.

Ask them what they think unique means, giving an example. Note key points on the board.

Ask pupils what makes them unique and to identify their physical attributes, personalities, skills, abilities and talents that make them a unique individual.

Ask pupils to discuss:

• Is it OK to be different?
• What is the difference between individual children in the class?

Discuss the content of the Equal Opportunities activity below. Continue the lesson plan ideas to research what equal opportunities mean in law/legislation using the activity provided below.

View: Lesson 3: Equal opportunities – Activity

Edit:  Lesson 3: Equal opportunities – Activity

Ask pupils how they might use their skills, talents and abilities to make their learning environment an equal place for everyone to learn and work. You may want to introduce the GIRFEC Wellbeing Indicators.

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

sLearning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand what we mean by aspects of our health and wellbeing
• value our physical wellbeing and what we can do to look after ourselves

Facilitate a class discussion on the key aspects of health and wellbeing. From their responses bring out the headings including physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual wellbeing.

Establish that this lesson focuses on physical wellbeing and the people around them who support them to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Begin by discussing their understanding of physical wellbeing and the importance of this in contributing to a healthy lifestyle.

Ask pupils to complete Physical Wellbeing activity below and consider what is and is not important in maintaining their physical wellbeing. Once complete, ask pupils to rate them in order of importance, discuss their responses and identify any development needs.

View: Lesson 4: Physical Wellbeing – Activity

Edit:  Lesson 4: Physical Wellbeing – Activity

Continue the lesson plan ideas including images of people we perceive to be physically fit and images of people who they think are not. This could be from their local or national press or from the internet. Gather the images and display these into fit or unfit categories. Ask pupils to explain which individuals they think are fit or unfit and why.

There is potential here to develop work or link with other themes e.g. healthy eating or substance abuse.

Discuss the following questions:

• Why it is important to look after your physical self as part of a heathy lifestyle?
• What can we do to look after our bodies to stay in good physical health?
• How do our choices now (for example, choosing to avoid exercise or starting to smoke) affect
• aspects of our health and wellbeing as we get older?

Remind pupils that all staff working with children have a duty of care and therefore have some degree of involvement in promoting a Healthy Lifestyle by e.g. ensuring they eat at lunchtime.

Think about people who contribute to supporting them in promoting a healthy lifestyle and list e.g. staff responsible for encouraging healthy eating, physical activities, personal hygiene or providing dental care programmes in the school.

Support pupils to complete the Physical Wellbeing Survey provided below.

View: Lesson 4: Physical Wellbeing Survey

Edit:  Lesson 4: Physical Wellbeing Survey

Confirm what we mean by a Healthy Lifestyle – you may want to make links to the GIRFEC Wellbeing Indicators.

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand our emotional self and recognise that emotions are what someone feels inside when something is happening to them
• recognise different emotions, how they can have an impact on us and on others around us and who we can talk to about these

Ask pupils to think about a situation or experience that affected them emotionally and discuss responses. Write up on board or distribute the Positive and Negative statements provided below.

View: Lesson 1: Positive and Negative – Statements

Edit:  Lesson 1: Positive and Negative – Statements

Develop the discussion by explaining that not everyone reacts in the same way to the same situation and that some situations are not what they at first appear to be. Discuss:

• Why is it sometimes difficult to say how we feel?
• Should we always say what we think?
• How do some people deal with expressing and managing their emotions?
• Are they able to identify someone who listens to them and will help them to cope with negative emotions?

Establish that there are different ways of reacting to situations depending on your attitude/previous experiences.

Ask pupils to design a poster to promote positive emotions and helpful ways to manage emotions. The poster should promote ideas for boosting children’s moods and frame of mind. They could imagine they have been commissioned to produce a Promotional Poster for a children’s ward in hospital for example.

Or

Explore the following:

• How they would feel if they have been selected for their sports’ team. How would they express themselves?
• Their friend was also looking forward to being selected for the sport team but isn’t.
• How they would feel if they have received a ticket to see their favourite boy/girl band. Their friends doesn’t receive a ticket? How do they think their friend would be feeling?

How could they help in either of these situation to make their friend feel better? How could he/she cope with his/her feelings of disappointment?

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• manage our emotions

Ask pupils to think about a situation or experience that affected them emotionally then to complete the Ways to reduce negative emotions statements provided below.

View: Lesson 2: Ways to reduce negative emotions – Statements

Edit:  Lesson 2: Ways to reduce negative emotions – Statements

Ask pupils to feed back their completed statements. Discuss their responses and any issues raised.

Generate a discussion using the following questions:

• What can they do to make themselves feel better?
• Can being active help you avoid negative feelings?
• Why can talking things through help us to feel more positive?

Ask pupils to research ways to promote good mental health for children and organisations which help.

Develop the ideas in the lesson plan including research on good mental health and what they do to cheer themselves up. They could create an illustrated individual or group Booster Poster of ways for people to cheer themselves and others up.

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand the terms stereotype and discrimination

Note: Stereotyping is hurtful and can lead to bullying behaviour that children can carry on into adulthood. Every race, culture, country, religion and community has stereotypes. It is a way of oversimplifying groups of people. It is one of the easiest ways of establishing identity.

Write the word ‘stereotype’ on the board. Ask pupils, in groups, to discuss what this means. If pupils are unsure, ask them to find a definition using a dictionary or the internet.

Discuss or distribute the Stereotypes and discrimination activity provided below giving examples.

View: Lesson 3: Stereotypes and discrimination – Activity

Edit:  Lesson 3: Stereotypes and discrimination – Activity

Ask pupils to write about how someone might feel if they experienced stereotyping.

They should feedback one idea completing the following sentence:

‘When someone experiences stereotyping, they might feel …………………………. because ………………………………’

Develop the discussion by using the ideas in the lesson plan including making a collage of images from magazines or newspapers which they consider to be stereotypes. They can also draw their own examples to add to the collage.

Ask each group to present their collage to the class. You may wish to use these within the school too, perhaps at an assembly. This could be followed by a general discussion, using the questions in the lesson plan.

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand that we can make positive changes in our lives and why it is important to plan for them

Write the following questions on the board and discuss:

• Is there anything you would like to change or develop further about yourself?
• Are these things that you need or that you want to change?
• Would any of these changes benefit other people as well as you?

Ask pupils to complete the Changes activity provided below and to consider if these are something they need or want, if they think it is a right or if it would benefit others. 

View:  Lesson 1: Changes – Activity

Edit:   Lesson 1: Changes – Activity

Highlight different areas of their lives where they can make positive changes and discuss. 

• participating in out of school activities
• maintaining friendships
• helping people in the school
• improvement to their personal learning
  
• staying physically healthy
• staying positive and making the right choices for themselves
• being more responsible for their actions

Develop the ideas in the lesson plan by asking pupils to prioritise the things they would like to change and to select one to focus on.

Ensure they reflect on whether or not they are in a position to make the changes they would like in their lives or whether these changes could only be made if they had support from others. Ask them to identify who these people might be and create an Action Plan using the Five Steps to Success chart below to show what would need to happen to be successful.

View:  Lesson 1: Five Steps to Success Chart

You could record pupil responses in a number of ways e.g. by filming pupils asking each other the questions in a piece of persuasive written work; with points made to justify the pupil’s opinion; in a piece of expressive art or in a piece of poetry.

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand aspects of citizenship

Invite any questions from the class on their understanding of the aspects of citizenship. Read the scenario below to the pupils.

Scenario:

Abi is in P6 and is a very well behaved girl. She achieves excellent results in all her school work and is also good at sport, drama, art and music. She is described as a good ‘all-rounder’.

Some pupils think she shows off a bit. She has recently been receiving nasty text messages calling her the ‘teacher’s pet’.

The texts worry Abi because she does not know who is sending them or how they got her number as she is careful about who she gives it to. Her friend said that this is a type of bullying and she should report it.

Discuss the What do you think? questions with the whole class or if pupils are able to work in groups then appoint a facilitator and a reporter from within each group. Distribute the questions provided and complete. During feedback pupils should be able to justify their group’s opinions.

View:  Lesson 2: Citizenship – Story and questions 

Edit:   Lesson 2: Citizenship – Story and questions 

View:  Lesson 2: Citizenship PDF Questions

Develop the discussion:

• How can you identify when someone is being bullied?
• How do pupils report incidents of bullying in your school?
  
• What actions would you take to stop the bullying in this scenario?
  
• Do you think your actions would stop the bullying?
  
• Could the Pupil Council be more pro-active?
  
• Do you know if your school has a positive behaviour/anti-bullying policy?

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand what being an active citizen means

List any community issues, actions and behaviours on the board and discuss what they are most concerned about in their community. This will create data visually allowing popular opinions to be identified.

Ask pupils to complete the Actions and Behaviours survey provided below with their personal responses.

Collate the findings and record the results on the board, highlighting the most/least serious concern about their community using a bar graph or tally marks. 

View: Lesson 3: Citizenship – Actions and Behaviours Survey

Edit:  Lesson 3: Citizenship – Actions and Behaviours Survey

Develop the learning using the questions in the lesson plan about:

• What they feel the consequences of these issues are for themselves and their community.
• Is there anything they can do to stop these?
  
• What people/individuals do they think are causing these problems?
  
• Do they think young people are part of the problem?
  
• Do they think some groups in the community are making a statement about how they are feeling through these actions?
  
• Would they need support from anyone else to make these concerns stop?
  
• Who could they get support from?
  

If any actions/suggestions are feasible e.g. invitation to police representative or local councillor etc.

Groups should carry this out. Photographic evidence of this could then be inserted into the pupils’ portfolios. Ask pupils to research the internet news/local newspaper articles that feature any of the issues that have been discussed.

Is there anything they could do to help improve the situation and, if so, how would they go about it?

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand the national aspect of citizenship

Ask pupils if they know what national means and if they have heard of any national issues. Discuss any national issues they suggest and discuss how these can affect all of us e.g. going to war – record their responses on the board.

Develop the discussion with a focus on organisations and charities that have been set up across the country to deal with poverty, disability, ex-servicemen, the elderly and other inequalities and injustices e.g. Children in Need, Comic/Sports Relief (Red Nose Day), British Legion (support for soldiers), Marie Curie, the Red Cross etc.

What are the main differences between local and national organisations?

Distribute the National Issues activity provided below and ask pupils to research one of the above national organisation answering the questions in relation to each.

View: Lesson 4: Citizenship – National Issues – Activity

Edit:  Lesson 4: Citizenship – National Issues – Activity

Further develop their learning using the ideas in the lesson plan.

Facilitate a class discussion on the pupils’ findings and support pupils to contribute their opinions.

Generate discussion asking if anything surprised them and if there were any differences from their initial thoughts about what these organisations stood for.

Support pupils to identify the logos of the various organisations and create a poster demonstrating the work they do and the difference it has made to people’s lives.

Is there anything they could do to support the work of these charities through fundraising? Select their preferred charity and ask them to explain why they choose that particular one.

List any ideas about fundraising then ask them to draw up a plan in order to complete the fund raising idea. They could present their findings/ideas to the class or at a themed assembly.

They could create a school board demonstrating how they have helped/supported their chosen charity.

Refer to the Primary 6 Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.