How Would You Respond?

This lesson explores peer and organisational support. 

Learning intentions:

  • Develop an awareness of various youth and community services
  • Identify ways we can respond to increase the health safety and other people
  • Develop strategies to support people in various contexts/situations

Digital Educator: Mei

  • 12-30 learners

    Class size
  • 11+

    Year Level
  • 45minutes

    Course duration
  • One

    Student Handouts

    Preparing for the lesson

    Information
    Resources
    ACHPE Objectives
    UNESCO Objectives
    Safety & Wellbeing
    Sequence
    Extension
    In this How Would You Respond? lesson, students will develop skills in relation to the concepts of help seeking and peer support.

    Using real world scenarios on a wide range of issues relevant to young people, students will work in small groups to determine how best to support a peer including what referrals might be available in your local area. An in-depth discussion of these options provides a knowledge sharing opportunity. 

    Each lesson ends with a consolidation activity, inviting students to list 1 thing they have learnt from the lesson, 1 thing they already knew, 1 piece of advice they would share with a friend, and 1 adult or organisation that would be helpful in relation to the lesson topic.  

    Facilitator Printouts

    There is no facilitator cheat sheet for this lesson. 

    Once students have gone through all scenarios, take time to go through each one as a class using language that avoids victim blaming and helps young people to understand the rights and responsibilities of the characters in each scenario. The interactive slide will present the key information.

    Student Printouts

    Students will need internet access for this lesson to research support services. 

    Additional Resources

    Not applicable. 
    Key Concept 1: Relationships
    1.3 Tolerance, Inclusion and Respect.
    • Key idea: It is important to challenge stigma and discrimination and promote inclusion, non-discrimination, and diversity.


    Key Concept 3: Understanding Gender

    3.1 The Social Construction of Gender and Gender Norms.
    •  Key idea: Homophobia and transphobia are harmful to people of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity.


    3.2 Gender Equality, Stereotypes and Bias.

    • Key idea: Gender inequality, social norms and power indifferences influence sexual behaviour and may increase the risk of sexual coercion, abuse and Gender Based Violence.


    Key Concept 5: Skills for Health and Wellbeing

     5.5 Finding Help and Support.
    •  Key idea: Everyone has the right to affordable, factual, and respectful assistance that maintains confidentiality and protects privacy.
    • Some students in your class will already be accessing the services they are researching. You will need to use protective interrupting at times to limit self-disclosure. However, it is also beneficial for students to normalise help seeking and accessing services so some degree of self-disclosure should be allowed. You will need to use your professional judgement in this instance. 
    • This activity directly discusses scenarios which include explicit mention of sexual harassment, mental health (suicide), and sexual assault. Students of all genders may find this content confronting and uncomfortable.
    • Before facilitating this lesson, familiarise yourself with the scenarios, and more specifically, relevant local services that are available to young people for each of the scenarios.
    Ideally, you will have scope to deliver all of the lessons in your program. However we understand that many schools have limited capacity to do so.

    In Year 11 and 12 you can deliver lessons from either year level. It can be helpful for Year 12's to explore more foundational issues in the Year 11 curriculum. It is also beneficial for Year 11's to have access to more advanced lessons from the Year 12 curriculum.  

    Should you find yourself having to implement part of this program, we have provided a suggested sequence of lessons within the broader skills and knowledge categories of relationship, consent, gender, and health & legal literacy. We recommend delivering at least one lesson from each category.

    1. Group Agreements & Pod Mapping should be the first lesson as per best practice.
    2. The program should finish with Great Debates as it provides an opportunity for students to integrate their learnings with their own values and engage in respectful communication on conflicting views.