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Pizza & Empathy

This lesson gives students experience in non-verbal communication and negotiation. 

Learning intentions:

  • Understand consent as a mutually collaborative process
  • Identify verbal and non-verbal communication cues
  • Recognise factors that act as barriers and enablers to practising consent
  • Develop a more empathic approach to physical intimacy

Digital Educator: Charlie

  • 12-30 learners

    Class size

  • 8+

    Year Level

  • 60 minutes

    Course duration

  • Four

    Student Handouts

    Preparing for the lesson

    Information
    Resources

    ACHPE Objectives

    UNESCO Objectives

    Safety & Wellbeing

    Sequence
    Extension
    In this Pizza & Empathy lesson, students will experiment with the concepts of consent and communication.

    Students will work in pairs to practise reading subtle non-verbal signs for a range of feelings. They will continue the lesson in small groups, utilising scenario based discussions to take new perspectives and practise empathising with characters in complex situations. In this exploratory work they will consider the conflicting needs and provide advice focused on communication and help seeking. Students will complete the lesson by 'ordering a pizza' to synthesise using non-verbal skills for consent and empathy. 

    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

    Student Printouts

    Additional Student Resources

    AC9HP8P06: Analyse factors that influence emotional responses and devise strategies to self-manage emotions. 
    • Exploring different viewpoints, practising being empathetic and considering alternative ways to respond in a variety of situations, which take into account how they may affect others. 
    • Recognising and interpreting emotional responses to stressful situations and proposing strategies for ensuring those responses don’t have a negative impact on others. 


    AC9HP8P07:     Explain and apply skills and strategies to communicate assertively and respectfully when seeking, giving or denying consent. 
    • Exploring and refining skills and strategies needed to communicate assertively and respectfully in relationships. 
    • Examining the nature of consent in different types of relationships, and proposing and practising strategies for seeking, giving and denying consent respectfully.
    Key Concept 5: Skills for Health and Wellbeing
    5.3 Communication, Refusal and Negotiation Skills.
    • Key idea: Effective communication uses different modes and styles, and is important to expressing and understanding wishes, needs and personal boundaries.
    • Key idea: Good communication is essential to personal, family, school, work and romantic relationships.
    • In the paired activity you can utilise the OBSERVER ROLE which is a good way to encourage students to still participate without having to be directly involved. It is important not to challenge or question why a student wants to observe.
    • Monitor students throughout the pizza activity to ensure no-one is dominating decision making. There are many learning opportunities to be had by gently highlighting how people are being pressured or silenced in the decision making.
    • The scenarios may be familiar to students. While it is best to randomly hand out the cards, you may decide that some scenarios are not appropriate for the class or a particular group. Use your professional judgement in this activity. 
    1. Use a scenario from Activity 2 as the basis for a piece of writing. Invent the backstory, develop the scenario and provide two alternative endings: one where the main character follows your advice, and one where they don’t.
    2. Students can interview a parent or carer about a 'big feelings' conversation they have had with someone. This is an opportunity for students to explore non-verbal and verbal communication, empathy, and challenging conversations. 

    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. 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. Puberty & Reproduction: A Refresher should be delivered early in the program to ensure students have an understanding of the physical, emotional, and social changes of puberty including menstruation and sperm production.

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