Produced with Scholar
Icon for Banksia Bonds

Banksia Bonds

Glasser, Values, Growth Mindset and Citizenship

Learning Module

Abstract

This learning module for year 5 and 6 students focuses on building the class community in a new school year. Students revise Glasser's needs and then explore values of respect, including self respect and giving to self and others, tolerance which is linked to learning about the Growth Mindset, rights and responsibilities, and honesty.

Keywords

Glasser, Values, Honesty, Respect, Tolerance, Responsibility, Growth Mindset, Giving.

Australian Curriculum

Australian Curriculum

This learning module addresses outcomes in the years 5-6 Health and Physical Education learning area. It also focuses on level 4 (for years 4-6) of the General Capabilities of:

  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Ethical Understanding
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability 

HEALTH and PHYSICAL EDUCATION - Years 5 and 6

Personal, Social and Community Health

Being healthy, safe and active

  • Examine how identities are influenced by people and places (ACPPS051)
  • Plan and practise strategies to promote health, safety and wellbeing (ACPPS054)

Communicating and interacting for health and wellbeing

  • Practise skills to establish and manage relationships (ACPPS055)
  • Examine the influence of emotional responses on behaviour and relationships (ACPPS056)

PERSONAL and SOCIAL CAPABILITY Level 4

Typically by the end of Year 6, students:

Social awareness

  • Appreciate diverse perspectives
  • Contribute to civil society
  • Understand relationships
  • Identify how valuing diversity positively influences the wellbeing of the community (ACPPS060)

Self-awareness

  • Recognise emotions
  • Recognise personal qualities and achievements
  • Describe the influence that personal qualities and strengths have on their learning outcomes
  • Understand themselves as learners
  • Identify preferred learning styles and work habits
  • Develop reflective practice
  • Monitor their progress, seeking and responding to feedback from teachers to assist them in consolidating strengths, addressing weaknesses and fulfilling their potential

Self-management

  • Express emotions appropriately
  • Explain the influence of emotions on behaviour, learning and relationships
  • Develop self-discipline and set goals
  • Analyse factors that influence ability to self-regulate
  • Devise and apply strategies to monitor own behaviour and set realistic learning goals
  • Work independently and show initiative
  • Assess the value of working independently, and taking initiative to do so where appropriate
  • Become confident, resilient and adaptable
  • Devise strategies and formulate plans to assist in the completion of challenging tasks and the maintenance of personal safety

Social awareness

  • Appreciate diverse perspectives
  • Explain how means of communication differ within and between communities and identify the role these play in helping or hindering understanding of others
  • Contribute to civil society
  • Identify a community need or problem and consider ways to take action to address it
  • Understand relationships
  • Identify the differences between positive and negative relationships and ways of managing these

Social management

  • Communicate effectively
  • Identify and explain factors that influence effective communication in a variety of situations
  • Work collaboratively
  • Contribute to groups and teams, suggesting improvements in methods used for group investigations and projects
  • Make decisions
  • Identify factors that influence decision making and consider the usefulness of these in making their own decisions
  • Negotiate and resolve conflict
  • Identify causes and effects of conflict, and practise different strategies to diffuse or resolve conflict situations
  • Develop leadership skills
  • Initiate or help to organise group activities that address a common need

ETHICAL UNDERSTANDING Level 4 

Understanding ethical concepts and issues

Typically by the end of Year 6, students:

Recognise ethical concepts

  • examine and explain ethical concepts such as truth and justice that contribute to the achievement of a particular outcome

Explore ethical concepts in context

  • explain what constitutes an ethically better or worse outcome and how it might be accomplished

Reasoning in decision making and actions

Typically by the end of Year 6, students:

Reason and make ethical decisions

  • explore the reasons behind there being a variety of ethical positions on a social issue

Consider consequences

  • evaluate the consequences of actions in familiar and hypothetical scenarios

Reflect on ethical action

  • articulate a range of ethical responses to situations in various social contexts

INFORMATION and COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) CAPABILITY

Applying social and ethical protocols and practices when using ICT

Typically by the end of Year 6, students:

  • Apply personal security protocols
  • Identify the risks to identity, privacy and emotional safety for themselves when using ICT and apply generally accepted social protocols when sharing information in online environments, taking into account different social and cultural contexts

Creating with ICT

  • Generate ideas, plans and processes
  • Use ICT effectively to record ideas, represent thinking and plan solutions
  • Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks
  • Independently or collaboratively create and modify digital solutions, creative outputs or data representation/transformation for particular audiences and purposes

Communicating with ICT

  • Collaborate, share and exchange
  • Select and use appropriate ICT tools safely to share and exchange information and to safely collaborate with others
  • Understand computer mediated communications
  • Understand that particular forms of computer mediated communications and tools are suited to synchronous or asynchronous and one-to-one or group communications

1.1: What are we proud of at Gordon PS?

For the Student

Learning Intention: To identify what we like and are proud about at Gordon Primary.

Success Criteria

  • Participate actively in Circle Time.
  • Brainstorm ideas about what you love and are proud of about Gordon Primary School.
  • Reflect on your learning.

Circle Time

Check in: What makes you proud? 

Mixer: Play the game 'Scissor, Paper, Rock' conga. At the conclusion of the game break into mixed peer groups of 4.

Core Activity: What do you love about Gordon Primary School? In your group brainstorm a list of things that make you proud at Gordon Primary School. Prepare to share your list in order to contribute to a class brainstorm.

Sort your brainstorm into similar subjects or learning areas.

Energiser: 

Check out: Consider the list of things that make us proud about Gordon Primary, what do they have in common?

Figure 1.1: Our class

For the Teacher

The purpose of this update is for students to work collaboratively, feel valued and to think as they identify what they like and are proud about at Gordon Primary.

Teaching Tips

This learning module is blended learning, including face-to face as well as online activities. Updates 1.1, 1.2 and the first part of 1.3 are done in class. This update can be posted to the community and shown on the IWB if you wish. Students log in and create their Scholar profiles at the end of Update 3. The comments promote reflection and metacognition.

1.2: Glasser's Needs

For the Student

Learning Intention: To think about what our Glasser needs might be.

Success Criteria:

  • Share ideas about each Glasser need.

Watch the following clips about our basic needs

Media embedded September 9, 2016
Media embedded February 7, 2017

The need for fun 

Media embedded September 9, 2016

The need for belonging 

Media embedded November 25, 2016

The need for empowerment

Media embedded November 25, 2016

The need for freedom

After viewing each clip think-pair-share "what Glasser need is represented in the clip?"

For the Teacher

 

 

Purpose: To understand, review and re-establish understanding of Glasser's basic needs - Fun, freedom, love/belonging, and empowerment.

Teaching Tips

 

 

1.3: Creating an Online Profile

For the Student

Learning Intention: To understand how I can represent my identity through words and images.

Success Criteria:

  • Work in a small group to analyse the symbolism of an example of a coat of arms.
  • interpret identity and collaborate to write a sentence about identity.
  • Identify aspects of your personality including interests, preferences, goals, background, and beliefs.
  • Create and display a coat of arms using images that reflect these aspects.
  • View displayed work to identify the owners of coats of arms.
  • Complete group placemat reflecting on identity and acceptance.
  • Set up or update your Scholar profile.
  • Complete reflection in Comment.

Steps:

Before you set up or update your Scholar profile, complete these activities to think about your identity. This will help you to choose an image for your avatar and words to describe yourself. Your identity is who you are - your interests, favourite things, strengths/abilities, aspirations/goals, qualities, family/cultural background, and beliefs.

Look at a coat of arms where a student has used words, images, mottos and symbols to describe her identity.

Fig. 1.3: Alex's Coat of Arms

Creating a Coat of Arms

In a small group, look at the coat of arms and discuss the identity of this person. What can you infer about this person from the motto? From the images? From the symbols? Consider their interests, favourite things and places, strengths/abilities, aspirations/goals, qualities, family/cultural background, and beliefs.

Record all of your ideas on your part of a placemat. Then discuss your ideas with other members of your group. In the centre circle of the placemat write a sentence about what your group agrees is important about this person's identity.

 Now design your own coat of arms. Draw the shape of your coat of arms - you can have 4 or 6 boxes. Alternatively, use the template provided by your teacher. Look up the meanings and symbols on a Coat of Arms.

Then, think about your interests, favourite things and places, strengths/abilities, aspirations/goals, qualities, family/cultural background, beliefs and a motto. Your motto could be about a life goal or your motto for how you live your life. Don't write your name on it.

Display your coat of arms in the classroom. Then look at other students' coats of arms. In a small group see if you can work out who owns which ones.

Group Placemat to discuss:

What ways (symbols, colours, images, words, people and places) did people use to describe themselves? 
Is it okay if people have other beliefs to me? Give reasons.
Why is it important that I know about someone else's identity?
Do we represent ourselves differently in different contexts -  with our friends, with our family, at school, online.

Be respectful in how you comment on other students' work in your discussion. This is important as the coat of arms represents their identity and if we criticise it, then we are criticising the person. 

Comment:  Why is it important that we represent ourselves appropriately and safely in online spaces? Why should we  be thoughtful and respectful of others when we comment in online spaces? Give reasons for your opinions. Comment on other students' comments, explaining why you agree or disagree with them. Start with @Name so the person knows you are commenting on their comment.

For the Teacher

Purpose: To understand how to represent identities appropriately in different contexts, particularly online spaces, and the importance of respectful conversations.

In this Scholar Update, students move between online and face-to-face activities, all focusing on collaboration, active listening, and developing deeper understandings of online safety, harassment, and being respectful of difference.

After students have completed the activities, they can log into Scholar and create/update their profiles. Tell them to select an avatar that provides more information about them - their interests, beliefs, connections. Once that is completed they can comment on Update 3.

Explain the importance of representing themselves appropriately in online spaces - refer to violent or sexual images which would not be appropriate. Also, emphasise that it is important to find appropriate images for their Scholar profiles as it is an academic space, a space where they show their learning.

Resources:

A placemat is used twice in this Update. Print them off beforehand for each group. As students use them, encourage thinking for themselves initially and then each person sharing while others actively listen (eye contact, nodding, smiling, commenting etc)

Placemat Thinking Tool

 

Coat of Arms Template

Students may draw their own Coat of Arms or use this template. Students can draw images or find images online or in magazines  (provide magazines etc). These need to be in hard copy so they can be displayed and then students try to guess identities.

Display the students' coats of arms in the classroom without names. Place students in cooperative groups. Students guess which ones belong to which people, giving reasons.

Extension: Discuss the identity of the Banksia unit as a collective - this could link to a Circle Time reflection or the creation of the whole unit Code of Cooperation. Create a separate update to prompt students to discuss what could be included.

Comments/Reflections

In Scholar, each Update on the Learner side culminates in a comment, The focus of these comments is metacognition, collaboration and development of writing skills as students write for a real purpose and audience. 

2.1: Defining Respect

For the Student

Learning Intention: To understand what respect is.

Success Criteria:

  • Participate in a savouring activity by doing or observing the activity.
  • Brainstorm ideas for respect to self, others and property.
  • Complete a reflection activity.

Savouring Activity

1. Take a chocolate and put it on your desk. Use all of your senses to enjoy it fully:

Sight: Look at it and note its colour, shape, any words on the wrapping and texture. Imagine what it will taste like.

Touch and hearing: Touch it and note its texture and the sound of the wrapping as you feel and unwrap it.

Smell: Place the chocolate on the open wrapper and take it to your nose and smell it BUT don't eat it. Imagine what it will taste like.

Put it back on your desk on the wrapper and close your eyes. Imagine taking it to your mouth and eating it slowly. What will it taste like? What flavours and textures can you imagine? Now pick it up and take it to your mouth. Wait a few seconds and really savour the experience.

Now take a small bite. Don't chew it yet - just experience its texture and the initial taste. Then slowly chew it. Don't swallow it too quickly. Really enjoy it! Continue taking small bites and savouring it until it is all gone.

Talk about the experience with a partner and then form a group of 4 and discuss. Ask an observer what they saw.

2. In the chocolate activity, you were showing self respect and showing respect to others through active listening and contributing to discussion. Another form of respect is respect for property.

Now in a group of 3-4, brainstorm ideas for each column. Each person in the group should take one of the following roles:

  • Encourager and Recorder (you draw up the table and write down ideas)
  • Encourager and Reporter (you will report to the class)
  • Encourager and Cop (your job is to keep everyone on task)
  • Encourager and Spy (your job is to trade ideas with other groups)

If there are only three in your group, then someone can take on two roles.

Make sure you give to each other through active listening and contributing ideas in your roles. The spies must not move until directed by the teacher.

Self Respect  Respect to others Respect for property
     
     
     
     

Comment: Write your definition of respect. Read other students' definitions and keep adding ideas. Comment on 1-2 ideas of other students that you think are good. Start with @Name so they know you are commenting on their comment.

Fig. 2.1: Is this really true?

For the Teacher

Purpose

The savouring activity is used to further engage students in the unit and introduce and define respect.

Teaching Tips

This activity will be difficult for some students; others may not like chocolate. These students can be observers, recording what they see as the rest of the class savour the chocolate. So students should have a book or paper on hand and if they eat the chocolate too quickly, they can then become an observer for the rest of the activity. Value the input of the observers by asking them to share what they record. Not everyone has to share but create an expectation that they will and then call upon a few, ensuring that over a few lessons, everyone has a turn.

Encourage discussion of the experience in pairs or fours before sharing with the whole class. Each student's experience can be valued in this way, including the observers; it also ensures everyone is thinking!

The savouring activity should take about 10 minutes.

2. The purpose of the second activity is to broaden the idea of respect from self respect to respect for others and for property.They will also experience showing respect to each other through sharing ideas.

Teaching Tips

To encourage showing respect to each other, allocate roles of recorder, reporter, cop and spy. These roles are based on the functional roles in MyRead. Once students have been given information about their roles, allow them about 10 minutes to work on completing the table. They can draw up the table on a blank piece of paper or use the attached template.

Respect Activity Template

2.2: Perspectives on Respect

For the Student

Learning Intention: To evaluate acts of giving from a range of perspectives.

Success Criteria:

  • Work in a group to create a chart showing the impact of giving.
  • make links from acts of giving with showing respect by making a list.
  • watch the video demonstrating a role play about respect.
  • devise, prepare and perform a role play based on your ideas.
  • Complete the reflection in the Comment section.

In a small group brainstorm acts of giving that you have read on websites and in posts by your peers in Community. Based on that information, evaluate the impact of giving from a range of perspectives.

Consider the giver, the recipient, parent, teacher, government, lawmaker, forest ranger, community leader, health administrator, animals or any other perspective you can think of. Consider small acts of giving to self and others as well as more community and environmental acts of giving, and even national and global acts of giving.

Two examples have been done for you.

Who Gains and Who Loses?

Act of Giving Impact on Giver  Impact on Recipient (include a range of perspectives)  Analysis
Birthday Gift

The gift might cost time, effort and/or money

Feels happy, valued and loved to see the reaction of the recipient to the gift


Strengthens the relationship between the giver and the recipient

Feels valued and loved


Might not like the gift


Strengthens the relationship between the giver and the recipient

Both the giver and the receiver gain, but more gains for the giver
Cleaning up litter

Takes time


Could be dirty or even gross


Feel a sense of pride about looking after the environment


Can enjoy recreation in parks, forests etc

Park Ranger feels supported in looking after the environment


County workers find their job is a little easier and can focus on other important tasks


Animals' environments are cleaner and animals do not eat food that is unnatural for them


The environment can regenerate more easily

Both the giver and the receivers gain;

the impact of giving is widespread

       
       
       
       

In your small group, discuss how these acts of giving are showing respect. List some other ways that we can show respect.

In the following video you will see some students role playing the concept of respect. After you have watched the video, make a ist comparing and contrasting the different scenarios. What gestures and words demonstrate respect?

Media embedded November 25, 2016

Create a chart to record your comparisons.

In your small group brainstorm a scenario where someone is not showing respect towards others (you can use ideas from the list that you have already made) and devise your own role play to perform to the class. Practise your play in the time given and prepare anything you will need to perform it. As you practise remember to use words and body language that helps tell your story about respect. Show how being respectful is an act of giving.

Comment: What you have learned about giving and respect? Include ideas that you'd like to explore further.

Fig.2.2: Giving is kindness and showing respect

For the Teacher

 Purpose: In this activity students deepen their understanding of respect and its links to giving. 

Teaching Tips

 1. As a class, go through the examples given about the effects of giving on all the different people involved before asking small groups to brainstorm further examples.

2. Allow sufficient time for the students to come up with examples and record their thoughts.

3. Each group can share one of their examples with the whole class before moving onto the second activity (which can be completed at a later time if necessary)

4. Watch the video together as a whole class, then in small groups students make a chart or list comparing and contrasting the two different scenarios (students can watch the video again in their groups if they wish). Each group can then contribute to a class chart that records words and gestures that demonstrate respect.

5. In their groups the students will then need time to brainstorm and prepare a role play where someone is not showing respect and how it could be repaired. Encourage them to keep it simple and to focus on words and gestures/body language rather than props. Students will need adequate time to prepare but the activity need not take more than ten-fifteen minutes to organise.

6. Each group should present their play to the class. Students should be encouraged to discuss each play (respectfully!) offering critical feedback and commenting on the situation.

7. llow time for students to reflect on the activities and to record their response (Comment).

(An extension activity could be to choose one of the scenarios to film to present in an assembly or to share with the school via email)

Notes on "Giving"

Giving is said to make you healthier, more resilient to deal with stress in your life, and give you a greater sense of well being. Giving up smoking will help you to live longer. Well, giving is even more powerful to enable you to live longer than giving up smoking! See the work of Thomas Nielsen on giving, well being, resilience and academic success, and also the work of Martin Seligman on authentic happiness.

2.3: Goal Setting for Respect

For the Student

Learning Intention: To set a personal goal about how you are going to show respect to yourself, each other, and to property in our class and/or in the playground. 

Success Criteria

  • Set a personal goal.
  • Participate in a Circle Time.
  • Achieve the personal goal.
  • Reflect on whether you achieved the personal goal.

CIRCLE TIME

Mixer: Blow WInd Blow

Check in: What is a personal goal? What can we do today to show respect? How is showing respect to self, others and property linked to giving?

Energiser: Grab

Check out: Decide on a personal goal showing respect to yourself, each other, or to property that you can do today and share with the group.

Comment:

Later in the day/next day: Reflection: Reflect on whether you achieved your goal, and why or why not.

Fig. 2.3: How does your body language show respect?

For the Teacher

 Purpose: In this update, students apply the understandings of what they have learned about respect in the classroom and the playground and how it links to giving.

 Teaching Tips

This is a circle time activity. Set up as usual with the students seated facing each other with their chairs in a circle. Note that the mixer activity Blow WInd Blow
requires one student to be in the centre (with one chair put to one side). The chair can be returned to the circle once it is time to begin the check-in:

CIRCLE TIME

Mixer: Blow WInd Blow

Check in: What is a personal goal? What can we do today to show respect? How is showing respect to self, others and property linked to giving?

Energiser: Grab

Check out: Decide on a personal goal showing respect to yourself, each other, or to property that you can do today and share with the group.

Notes

Information on running Circle Time in the classroom can be found here. It is helpful to revisit the 'golden rules' before commencing the session, and to have agreed sanctions for students who do not participate appropriately (eg reminders, to leave the circle for an amount of time, or to move to a different space in the circle, or to frame an apology of action to the other students.)

3.1: Introducing Growth Mindset

For the Student

Learning intention: To understand that changing my mindset can improve my well being.

Success Criteria:

  • Review understanding of growth mindset as part of a whole class group.
  • Watch the videos on growth mindset.
  • Choose and record two quotes that you found inspiring.
  • Discuss your new understandings as part of a whole class group.
  • Complete the reflection.

What do you understand about the term growth mindset? Think-Pair-Share with someone sitting near you.

As a class list some ideas.

Watch the following clips about the growth mindset.

Media embedded September 9, 2016
  

Choose two quotes from this clip that you thought were inspiring.

 
Media embedded September 9, 2016
Media embedded September 9, 2016

 After watching these clips discuss and record your new understandings.

Comment: How has your understanding of growth mindset changed? How can thinking in this way help you as a student, a son or daughter, a person? Write a comment below. Be sure to comment on between 1 and 3 other students comments.

For the Teacher

Purpose: In this activity students deepen their understanding of growth mindset 

Teaching Tips

Notes on Growth Mindset

 “In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort.”

Development of growth mindset in both learning and developing relationships with others opens up wider experiences and helps us to accept that we can change how we learn, and change how we relate to one another as we come to understand different perspectives.

The comment is critical in this activity for students to develop their understanding on the importance of growth mindset as a stepping stone to learning about developing tolerance of others.

3.2. Growth and Tolerance

For the Student

Learning Intention: To understand what having a growth mindset means and how it can encourage tolerance of others.

3.2: What is Growth Mindset?

Success Criteria:

  • Review learning on growth mindset.
  • Brainstorm and record your understanding of growth mindset.
  • Decide on a group definition and whether a fixed mindset or a growth mindset is more useful for learning.
  • Watch the short video about diversity in the classroom.
  • Discuss how growth mindset can help develop tolerance.

Check in: Share the comment stream from the previous lesson on Growth Videos. Ask what did you learn from watching the videos? 

Mixer: Play the game 'Scissor, Paper, Rock' conga. At the conclusion of the game break into mixed peer groups of 4.

Core Activity: Review - What does having a growth mindset mean? 

In small groups: Use a placemat to brainstorm thoughts on the question then take turn sharing.

Record a group definition of growth mindset to share with the class.

Discuss and agree on a class definition of growth mindset. Record the definition into book and display in the classroom.

Discuss the questions: what is a fixed mindset? Which mindset is more useful for learning or improving?

Watch the following video about diversity in the classroom:

Media embedded November 25, 2016

In what ways does this video showcase diversity? What other ways might our classroom include diversity? What do we mean by tolerance when we are talking about diversity in the classroom?

How can a growth mindset help develop tolerance? How can this help with classroom relationships? Is having a fixed mindset or a growth mindset more useful in developing relationships?

Energiser: categories

Check out: In what areas of your life do you have a growth mindset? Are there areas in your life that you have a fixed mindset?

Comment/Forum question: Can you change your mindset from fixed to growth? How will this improve your learning? In what ways can developing a growth mindset help our classroom environment and relationships?

For The Teacher

 Purpose: In this activity students are asked to review what growth mindset means and find ways to make links with developing tolerance - being more open to understanding diversity in the classroom helps to become aware of others' perspectives and helps foster tolerance and understanding. They are transferring their understanding of growth mindset in learning and extending it to classroom relationships.

Teaching Tips

Materials: blank placemats for recording group discussions

Steps:

In small groups students brainstorm thoughts on the what having a growth mindset means, recording their thoughts on a placemat before recording a group definition of growth mindset to share with the class.

Discuss and agree on a class definition of growth mindset. Record the definition to display in the classroom - students should record this in their workbook.

Discuss the questions: what is a fixed mindset? Which mindset is more useful for learning or improving?

Watch the video about diversity in the classroom

Discuss the ways that the video showcases diversity - ensuring that the students understand what is meant by diversity.

Think, pair, share:

What other ways might our classroom include diversity?

What do we mean by tolerance when we are talking about diversity in the classroom?

How can a growth mindset help develop tolerance?

How can this help with classroom relationships?

Is having a fixed mindset or a growth mindset more useful in developing relationships?

Energiser: categories

Check out: In what areas of your life do you have a growth mindset? Are there areas in your life that you have a fixed mindset?

Students should then have time to complete their reflection based on the Comment section.

3.3: How does Growth Mindset help me?

For the Student

Learning Intention: to understand the role growth mindset plays in being a successful learner.

Success Criteria

  •  review your understanding of growth mindset
  •  review the elements of creating a persuasive text
  • participate in creating a persuasive text about growth mindset as part of the class
  • comment on how growth mindset helps people learn
  • respond to your peers' comments
  •  create your own persuasive text basedon the forum comments.

Writing a Persuasive Text About Growth Mindset:

Go through the information about persuasive texts at KS2 Bitesize with the class and discuss what is meant by a persuasive text.

As a class review the answers to the reflection for the previous session:

Can you change your mindset from fixed to growth? How will this improve your learning? In what ways can developing a growth mindset help our classroom environment and relationships?

Work together to create a persuasive text reflecting the responses.

Answer the following question in the Comments box

How does having a growth mindset help people learn?

Comment on between 1 and 3 of your peers' comments.

Reflection:

Create a persuasive text of your own that reflects the class responses. Use the following chart to help you consider what the effect of having a growth mindset is on you and other people around you before you start.

  Effect .....................................
You  
Others in class  
Parents/carers  
Teacher  
School  
Fig. 3.3: The Effects of Growth Mindset!

For the Teacher

Purpose:

In this activity the students are taking their understanding of growth mindset and constructing a persuasive text.

Teaching Tips

Review the components of a persuasive text with the class before you start

Persuasive text:

Use the forum responses from the previous growth mindset lesson

Can you change your mindset from fixed to growth? How will this improve your learning? In what ways can developing a growth mindset help our classroom environment and relationships?

to jointly construct a persuasive text (modelled writing). 

Students then need time to trespond to the forum question

How does having a growth mindset help people learn?

and respond to peer's comments before creating their own piece of persuasive text.

Using the forum responses from the previous forum question individually construct a persuasive text (this could take the form of a written opinion piece or debate/argument, a cartoon, or an advert.

3.4: Goal Setting for Growth and Tolerance

For the Student

Learning Intention: To set a personal goal about how you are going to show tolerance in our class and/or in the playground. 

Success Criteria

  • Set a personal goal.
  • Participate in a Circle Time.
  • Achieve the personal goal.
  • Reflect on whether you achieved the personal goal.

CIRCLE TIME

Check in: What is a personal goal? What can we do today to show tolerance?

How is showing tolerance linked to giving?

Mixer:

Energiser: Game

Check out:

Later in the day/next day: Reflection: Reflect on whether you achieved your goal, and why or why not.

APPRECIATION ACTIVITY

Learning Intention: To identify what we like and appreciate in others.

Success Criteria:

  • Participate in a Circle Time.
  • Give positive feedback or a positive message to your peers.
  • Reflect on how it felt to give and receive feedback.

Circle Time

Check in: What is a characteristic or personality trait? . 

Core Activity: Appreciation Posters.

Think of 3 character traits that you possess and write or draw them onto your poster.

Posters are going to be passed around the room and time will be given to write or draw something that you appreciate about each person in the class. If you find it hard to write something express a message of well wishes to the person. 

Read, study and soak in the messages on your poster.

Sort your ideas and messages on your poster into similar subjects or learning areas.

Check out: How did it feel to give positive feedback to others? How did it feel to receive the gift of positive feedback from others? 

Fig. 3.4: Appreciation can demonstrate tolerance

 

For the Teacher

  

Purpose: In this update there are two parts. Students apply the understandings of what they have learned about tolerance in the classroom and the playground. They also demonstrate that they are open to growth and are tolerant of others by completing a "showing appreciation" activity.

Teaching Tips:

Pre print an A3 piece of paper with each students name printed in bubble writing in the centre.

Follow up activity: Create posters for the teachers in the school and present them to them during a yard duty. For new teachers in the school encourage students to get to know them before writing on the poster.

 

4.1: Introducing Responsibility

For the Student

Learning Intention: To listen to the story "Piggybook" by Anthony Browne and discuss the rights and responsibilities of family members

Success Criteria: 

  •  

Listen to the picture book 'Piggybook' by Anthony Browne

Media embedded November 25, 2016

Comment

For the Teacher

Purpose:

Teaching Tips

Using the picture book  'Piggybook' by Anthony Browne (Youtube clip or copy from library) unpack the ideas of rights and responsibilities 

In the beginning of the book what were the rights and responsibilities of the father and sons? 

What were the rights and responsibilities of the mother?

How did this impact each member of the family?

How did the rights and responsibilities change in the end of the book?

How did this impact each member of the family?

4.2: Understanding Responsibility

For the Student

Fig. 4.2: Rights and responsibilities are connected!

Learning intention: To understand our rights and responsibilities 

Success Criteria:

  • Create a my job your job

For the Teacher

 Purpose:

Teaching Tips

4.3: Analysing Responsibility

For the Student

Learning Intention: To look at our rights from different perspectives. 

Success Criteria:

  • Contribute to a discussion of look at a right from a range of perspectives
  • Consider a number of rights and how these impact on others

Step 1 - In groups of 4 or 5 read the right that you have been given

Step 2 - Look at that right from your own perspective, what does it mean for you? (record)

Step 3 - Look at the right from the perspective of a classmate, how does you having that right affect them? (Record)

Step 4 - Look at the right from the perspective of your teacher, how does this right effect your teacher? (record)

Step 5 - Look at the right from the perspective of you future self, how will you acting on that right now effect your future self? (record)

One stay, three stray

Decide who is going to be the group speaker - this person remains at your table and the other three team members move to the next table group where they will hear the right of that group and how it impacts on others. 

When you return to your group share with your reporter about the other groups you visited. 

Fig. 4.3: There will be many different perspectives on responsibility

 

For the Teacher

Purpose:

Teaching Tips

Rights - Examples:

I have the right to leave class whenever I want

I have the right to get a drink whenever I want

I have the right to talk about anythink I like whenever I want

4.4: Goal Setting for Responsibility

For the Student

Learning Intention: To set a personal goal about how you are going to act responsibly in our class and/or in the playground. 

Success Criteria

  • Set a personal goal.
  • Participate in a Circle Time.
  • Achieve the personal goal.
  • Reflect on whether you achieved the personal goal.

CIRCLE TIME

Check in: What is a personal goal? What can we do today to act responsibly?

Mixer:

Energiser: Game

Check out:

Later in the day/next day: Reflection: Reflect on whether you achieved your goal, and why or why not.

4.4: Acting responsibly can be hard to do.

 

For the Teacher

Purpose: In this update, students apply the understandings of what they have learned about responsibility in the classroom and the playground and how it links to freedom.

Teaching Tips

 

5.1: Introducing Honesty

For the Student

Learning Intention: To learn about honesty and how it makes you feel.

Success Criteria:

  • Play some games.
  • Reflect on your feelings as you played the games.
  • Watch and discuss Youtube clips
  • Reflect on your ideas and the ideas of others.

Firstly, let's play some games. In a group, play games such as card games, Connect 4, Draughts, Noughts and Crosses.

After playing the game, discuss what happened. How did you feel?

Now watch the following three clips. 

 

Media embedded November 25, 2016
Media embedded November 25, 2016
Media embedded November 25, 2016

Think-Pair-Share: Which clip did you find most interesting? Explain why. What are the different ways of being dishonest shown in the three clips?

Comment: Thinking about the different ways of being dishonest, which one is the most serious? Explain why. Read other students' comments and comment on 2-3, explaining why you agree or disagree with them.

For the Teacher

Purpose: In this update students explore their reactions to cheating as a form of dishonesty. They also draw on their prior knowledge to identify different forms of dishonesty (lying, cheating and stealing) in three Youtube clips.

Teaching Tips

Playing Games: The games will allow students to explore their feelings when someone cheats in a game. It can also be used to explore how it feels to cheat. Before the lesson, tell selected students how to cheat as they play the games. For example, take two turns in a row, say you have won even when you haven't, don't admit to being tipped etc. Don't let the other students know that you have deliberately told them to cheat.

The reflective comment is vital to generate discussion about the seriousness of dishonesty. It doesn't matter which form of dishonesty that students say is the worst.

The focus on these activities in this update and the ones that follow on honesty can be quite negative as in order to understand honesty, students explore dishonesty. So throughout the Honesty section, try to use positive language about the importance of being honest, of the good feelings generated by owning up or acting with integrity, of not feeling guilty, and that being honest is a form of giving in a relationship.

5.2: Understanding Honesty

For the Student

Learning Intention: To understand the different ways of being honest.

Success Criteria

  • Complete the Post Box survey questions.
  • Participate in a Circle Time discussion of responses to the Post Box survey questions.
  • identify examples of different forms of honesty.
  • Reflect on how honesty makes you feel.

We are going to do a Post Box activity. You will be given coloured notes to write your responses to the following questions. It's a bit like a survey.

Your slips will go into a box and  we will discuss some of the responses in Circle Time. Here are the questions:

  • What are some examples of honesty and dishonesty that you know?
  • When is it hardest to tell the truth and why?
  • Has anyone ever lied to you? How did you feel?
  • Have you ever lied? How did you feel?
  • What is the most common form of cheating you have seen?
  • Why do you think people cheat in games (e.g. Tip)?
  • When might you tell a fib or white lie? Is that form of lying okay?

Think-Pair-Share: What did you learn about honesty?

Honesty is the Best Policy

Now look at this definition of honesty. With a partner, complete the "Honesty is the Best Policy" Chart with specic examples of honesty that might happen at school or at home.

Being honest means telling the truth, giving things back when they belong to someone else, "owning up" when you have done the wrong thing, and not stealing. It also means telling people information that they need to know. Being honest also involves not cheating and following the rules in games and sports.

    Specific Examples        

How does it make you feel to be honest?

Telling the Truth    
Giving things back when they belong to someone else    
"Owning up" when you have done the wrong thing,    
Not stealing    
Telling people information that they need to know.    
Not cheating    
Following the rules in games and sports    

Comment: Why is honesty so important? After posting your ideas, read the comments of other students and comment on 2-3 that you agree/disagree with. 

Fig. 5.2: Is it worth cheating in an egg and spoon race (or in any race) in order to win?

For the Teacher

Purpose: This update deepens students' understanding of the different ways of being honest and the importance of honesty.

Teaching Tips

For the Post Box activity, cut up slips of paper using 7 different colours. For example, all students do Q.1 on green slips of paper while Q.2 is on yellow slips of paper etc. This will make it easier to compare and contrast responses to each question in the Circle Time discussion.

Students may work in pairs of threes to complete the chart. Keep the group small so all students have a strong voice in the discussion. The comment is important as a metacognitive reflection after completing the chart.

Honesty is the Best Policy Chart

5.3: Analysing Honesty

For the Student

Learning Intention: To deepen your understanding of the effects of being honest/dishonest.

Success Criteria

  • Create and participate in role plays.
  • Reflect on the role plays.

Look back at the Honesty is the Best Policy Chart that you completed in the Update 5.2. Choose one of the examples and create a role play of the situation. You can role play it twice - once showing dishonesty and the second time showing honesty.

Perform your role plays.

Comment: How did you feel in the role play? How does dishonesty impact on you? How does honesty impact on you? Consider positives and negatives.

Fig. 5.3: Is honesty the best policy?

 

For the Teacher

Purpose: Students use role plays to deepen their understanding of the effects of being honest/dishonest.

Teaching Tips

Ensure a positive supportive environment when students perform their role plays. They could be performed for the whole class or in smaller groups.

Ask for positive feedback with statements beginning with: I liked when.........; The best part was.......

To raise the intellectual quality of the performances, students could reflect on their performances by creating a freeze frame of what they consider the most important part of their role play. Other students could discuss why this scene was important and what messages are being communicated. This could be done immediately after each performance or later after every group has performed. It will promote more reflection and metacognition of the issues.

5.4: Goal Setting for Honesty

For the Student

Learning Intention: To set a personal goal about how you are going to show honesty and apply what you have learned about Gordon values in a creative way. 

Success Criteria:

Choose to work independently or in a group on your creative task.

Create a creative work that incorporates 1-4 of the Gordon values.

Share your creative work with other members of the unit.

Practise honesty in the playground.

Learning Intention: To set a personal goal about how you are going to show respect to yourself, each other, and to property in our class and/or in the playground. 

Success Criteria

Set a personal goal.

Participate in a Circle Time.

Achieve the personal goal.

Reflect on whether you achieved the personal goal.

CIRCLE TIME

Check in: What is a personal goal? What can we do today to show respect?

How is showing respect to self, others and property linked to giving?

Mixer:

Energiser: Game

Check out:

Later in the day/next day: Reflection: Reflect on whether you achieved your goal, and why or why not.

2. Demonstrate what you have learned about Gordon Gold through a creative work. It could be:

  • art
  • story/newspaper or magazine article/persuasive piece
  • poster
  • play or skit
  • game
  • comic strip
  • e-zine
  • slide presentation
  • sporting event

In your work, you must include one of more of the Gordon Gold values - respect, tolerance, responsibility, honesty.

You can work on your own or in a small group.

Make sure you negotiate what you will do with your teacher.

Comment: As you have experienced the Gordon Gold values in the classroom and in the playground, what is one important thing that you have learned. After recording your ideas, read other students' comment sand comment on  any that interested you.

APPRECIATION ACTIVITY

Learning Intention: To identify what we like and appreciate in others.

Success Criteria:

Participate in a Circle Time.

Give positive feedback or a positive message to your peers.

Reflect on how it felt to give and receive feedback.

Circle Time

Check in: We are going to repeat the Appreciation Poster activity to see how much we have grown. Share again - What is a characteristic or personality trait? . 

Think of 3 character traits that you possess and write or draw them onto your poster.

Posters are going to be passed around the room and time will be given to write or draw something that you appreciate about each person in the class. If you find it hard to write something express a message of well wishes to the person. 

Read, study and soak in the messages on your poster.

Sort your ideas and messages on your poster into similar subjects or learning areas.

Check out: How did you change from when you completed this activity in week 3? Why do you think you did or didn't change? Has learning about the Growth model helped you?

Fig. 5.4: Showing appreciation!

 

For the Teacher

Purpose: In this update, students apply the understandings of what they have learned about honesty as well as a culminating activity where they can apply their understandings of Gordon Gold values through a creative task. This will also provide a segway into the next learning module that has an arts focus.

They will also demonstrate again that they are open to growth by repeating the "showing appreciation" activity and evlauating their growth throughout the unit.

Showcase students creative tasks and include a culminating metacognitive activity.

Teaching Tips:

Pre print an A3 piece of paper with each students name printed in bubble writing in the centre. Provide students with their original A3 sheets so they can look at the development.

Finally, ask students for any suggestions for changing the class/unit code of cooperation. 

6.1: Researching Giving

For the Student

Learning Intention: To research and think about other examples of giving.

Success Criteria

  • Reasearch giving
  • Summarise ideas.
  • Reflect on ideas.

Watch some video clips and read some research about giving at sites such as the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation website. You may also wish to do more research on the Free Hugs website or by watching Juan Mann on free hugs4aids. Websites on zoos and the World Wildlife website can point to some wildlife giving projects or find some environmental giving projects. Social media can also provide opportunities for giving: check out the story about a student who set up a Twitter account to counter cyberbullying. There are also great examples of giving at a blog entitled, A Year of Random Kindness: A Social Experiment.

The example of giving could be:

Giving to self (savouring, doing something you like)
Giving to each other (time of day, smile, sharing something, giving feedback on other people’s comments in Community)
Giving to community (raising money for a cause, coaching a team)
Giving to the environment (tree planting, animal wildlife cause)

Comment: Use one of the links above or find you own example of giving. Summarise the main ideas that you learnt. Then read other students' comments and comment on at least one other student's comment. Remember to ‘give’ to your peers by acknowledging their comments, building on them and, if possible, posing questions.

Fig. 6.1: An act of giving

For the Teacher

Purpose

The aim of this update is to expand students’ understanding of giving. In it, students contribute knowledge to their learning community by finding and posting their own links to clips or images that capture a form of giving. Some students will be able to find their own clips while others could be encouraged to use clips from the Random Acts of Kindness website.

6.2: Design and implement a Giving project

For the Student

Learning Intention: To develop and implement our giving projects.

Success Criteria

  • Brainstorm ans sort ideas using an Affinity Diagram.
  • Decide on and plan a Giving project.

Let's create an affinity diagram about possible giving projects ideas.

Place these ideas into categories. Giving to self, others, community or the environment.
Consider reading, sport, musical, artistic, science etc.

Consider these questions:

1. How does this topic relate to the theme of Giving?

2. What aspects will you need to find out more about?

3. What planning will need to take place? 

4. Who will you need to help you implement this act of giving?

5. Who will benefit and how?

Comment: What idea is your favourite? Explain why. Read other students' comments and comment on 1-2. 

Fig.6.2: A symbol of giving

For the Teacher

 

Purpose: To create passion groups to collaborate on a school giving project. The passion areas envisioned are:

- Sport leaders (playground sports and games)

- Reading group (reading to younger classes)

- Art (creating artworks for display)

- Environmental (Litter parade, recycling bins, flag)

- Drama

Teaching Tips:

Each group to be tasked with creating and overseeing to application of a project. Also each fortnight a group would take charge of an act of giving to be carried out before school in the quad.

 Overview weekly coordination of giving projects. each teacher to take a group. This is to lead to a community giving project in term 2 then a global giving project.

Acknowledgements

Title and Fig 1: Our class (Source); Fig. 1.3: Coat of arms created by Rita van Haren; Fig. 2.1: Chocolate (Source); Fig. 2.2: Seeking human kindness (Source); Fig. 2.3: Respect - Whale (Source); 3.2: Growth Mindset (Source); Fig. 3.3: Growth Mindset Cartoo (Source); Fig. 3.4: Appreciation (Source); 4.2: Rights and Responsibilities (Source); 4.3: Perspectives (Source); Fig. 4.4: Just say no (Source); 5.2: Egg and Spoon Race (Source); 5.3: Honesty is the Best Policy (Source); 5.4: Appreciation (Source); Fig. 6.1: Umbrella (Source); Fig. 6.2: Giving hands (Source);