Teaching communication skills to young people, particularly assertive communication skills, is a useful strategy to help them stand up to bullying. Giving students the opportunity to reflect on their values and beliefs around communication is a good starting point in creating change.

Year level

7-10

Duration

5 minutes

Type

In class activity

Year assembly activity

SEL Competencies

Self-awareness

Social awareness

Relationship skills

Learning intention

Students recognise the importance of challenging their beliefs and attitudes as a way to prevent bullying behaviour.

Key outcomes

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

  • identify their attitudes and beliefs regarding effective communication

  • recognise and respect the diversity of opinions that exist within the classroom

  • understand the importance of challenging attitudes and beliefs for effective bullying prevention.

Materials needed

  • A large enough space for students to move around the room.

  • Five signs making a scale: ‘strongly agree’, ‘agree’, ‘unsure’, ‘disagree’ and ‘strongly disagree’.

Mapped to

Australian Curriculum Health and Physical Education

  • Analyse the impact of changes and transitions, and devise strategies to support themselves and others through these changes (AC9HP8P02)

  • Refine, evaluate and adapt strategies for managing changes and transitions (AC9HP10P02)

Australian Curriculum: General Capabilities

  • Personal and Social Capability:

    • Self-awareness

    • Social awareness

NSW PDHPE Syllabus

  • Examines and evaluates strategies to manage current and future challenges (PD4-1)

  • Assesses their own and others’ capacity to reflect on and respond positively to challenges (PD5-1)

Victorian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education

  • Investigate the benefits of relationships and examine their impact on their own and others’ health and wellbeing (VCHPEP127)

  • Evaluate factors that shape identities, and analyse how individuals impact the identities of others (VCHPEP142)

Show details

Activity 1

Instructions

5 minutes

  1. Place the five signs in different areas of the room.

  2. Explain to the students that the theme being considered today is effective communication skills. Remind them that there are no right or wrong answers.

  3. Read aloud to the class the following statement, and then ask the students to move to the sign that best expresses how they feel about it: "It’s better to go along with the crowd, than to be singled out as different."

  4. Ask the students to share their views with others who have moved to the same sign. If time permits, invite them to share their ideas with the whole class.

  5. Read out another statement from the list below. Again, ask the students to move to the sign that best expresses how they feel about it.

    • When I’m upset with a friend, I message them about it.

    • If my friend had a problem with me, I would want them to have a face-to-face conversation with me about the issue.

    • I’m pretty easy-going, but I’ll stand up for myself when I feel strongly about something.

  6. If time permits, repeat this process with another statement from the list above.

Debrief

Providing an opportunity for students to challenge their beliefs and attitudes about effective ways to communicate can help change bullying behaviours.

More information for students:

Print

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              We acknowledge people with lived experience of mental ill-health and recovery and the experience of people who have been carers, families, or supporters.

              ReachOut values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.

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