Health education snapshot 2
Planning a course around the theme of change (NZC levels 6 and 7)
Inquiry rationale
The teacher was looking for a theme that would capture a big idea to connect all of the learning across a year-long programme, which would be meaningful for the students. For a further example, see:
Focusing inquiry
Considerations should be made for either thematic planning, unit plans, using change as a context, or stepping up a programme from level 6 to level 7.
Teacher inquiry
The teacher used a range of planning information (see
Health education snapshot 1) and was also mindful of the number of well-being related issues being experienced by individual students and the community as a whole. Common to all of these situations was the idea of change. From changes that were part of being an adolescent – relationships, leaving home, and looking ahead to study or work – to wider community issues that dominated the local newspaper, such as unemployment and the closure of local factories, social issues such as recurrent drug and alcohol related problems, higher than the national average teen pregnancy rate, and so on.
It was also noted that many of the students aimed their
pathways goals and future aspirations quite low, with little consideration beyond what they could immediately see as achievable in their community – and this was limited. The teacher planned units that would cover sufficient learning to meet the requirements of all achievement standards on offer at each year level, but the assessment programme would be specific to each student. Most students aimed to complete 18 credits with a further goal to achieve course/subject endorsement at merit or excellence level. This decision reflected a school wide goal to aim for high quality qualifications that led on to other study in successive years at school and beyond. The option to complete all 24 credits would be available for the few students who demonstrated they could manage the assessment load and maintain a quality performance across all standards. It was negotiated with students and their parents as to which standards each student would complete. (See Learning in Years 11-13,
New Zealand Curriculum, p.41).
NZC level 6
For year 11 students the data and information all pointed toward a need to support students to develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that would in some way support their ability to manage change (that is, build resilience).
The teacher introduced the year with a range of activities to get to know her students and confirm areas of interest that related to the planned overall contexts (see
Health education snapshot 1). Other activities helped students to explore their feelings and understandings about changes in their lives and in their community and how this related to peoples well-being.
Unit 1: How change affects me and the people I know (see
Snapshot 3)
Achievement objectives that could be used as a basis to develop learning intentions, depending on contexts selected by students:
- 6A1: Investigate and understand reasons for the choices people make that affect their well-being and explore and evaluate options and consequences.
- 6A3: Demonstrate understanding or responsible behaviours required to ensure that challenges and risks are managed safely in physical and social environments.
- 6A4: Demonstrate an understanding of factors that contribute to personal identity and celebrate individuality and affirm diversity.
- 6C1: Demonstrate an understanding of how individuals and groups affect relationships by influencing people’s behaviour, beliefs, decisions and sense of self-worth.
- 6C2: Plan and evaluate strategies recognising their own and other people’s rights and responsibilities to avoid or minimise risks in social situations.
- 6C3: Plan strategies and demonstrate interpersonal skills to respond to challenging situations appropriately.
- 6D2: Advocate for the development of services and facilities to meet identified needs in the school and the community.
- 6D3: Compare and contrast personal values and practices with policies, rules and laws and investigate how the latter contribute to safety in the school and community.
- 6D4: Investigate the roles and the effectiveness of local, national and international organisations that promote well-being and environmental care.
Possible assessment links to achievement standards
- AS91097 Demonstrate understanding of ways in which well-being can change and strategies to support well-being.
Optional: Taking action to make healthy changes learning intentions linked to AOs 6A1, 6A3, 6A4.
- AS90971 Take action to enhance an aspect of personal well-being.
Unit 2: Looking at the way a social issue changes our community: Alcohol and other drugs (see
Snapshot 3)
Learning intentions linked to aspects of AOs 6A1, 6A3, 6A4, 6C1, 6C2, 6C3, 6D1, 6D2, 6D3, 6D4.
- AS90975 Demonstrate understanding of issues to make health-enhancing decisions in drug-related situations; 4 credits.
Unit 3: Moving on and moving out
How changes in living arrangements impacts on well-being – related to healthy adolescent eating patterns and changing friendships.
Learning intentions linked to aspects of AOs 6A1, 6A3, 6A4, 6C1, 6C2, 6C3, 6D1, 6D2, 6D3, 6D4.
- AS90972 Demonstrate understanding of influences on adolescent eating patterns to make health-enhancing recommendations.
Skills related to AS90973 Demonstrate understanding of interpersonal skills used to enhance relationships, see:
Health education snapshot 5.
Unit 4: Looking at changes related to sexuality
For the sexuality unit the focus was on managing changes in romantic or sexual relationships, and the rights and responsibilities people have as relationships changed (linked back to the breakup of relationships earlier in the programme).
Learning intentions linked to aspects of AOs 6A1, 6A3, 6A4, 6C1, 6C2, 6C3, 6D1, 6D2, 6D3, 6D4.
Remainder of skills for AS90973 Demonstrate understanding of interpersonal skills used to enhance relationships, see:
Health education snapshot 5.
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NZC level 7
For year 12 students the change focus was more about managing the changes experienced by adolescents as they get older – the fact that at 16 years old they are increasingly able to, expected to, or legally entitled to be making decisions about their own lives.
The teacher introduced the year with a range of activities that explored the changes associated specifically with being an older teenager (like the year 11 programme) and the sorts of ‘risk taking’ behaviours often associated with later teenage years. Ideas from these activities and the focusing inquiry phase of the programme planning (see
Health education snapshot 1) were used to finalise the contexts for learning.
Unit 1: Managing the big changes – building resilience (see
Snapshot 3)
Achievement objectives that could be used as a basis to develop learning intentions, depending on contexts selected by students:
- 7A1: Assess their health needs and identify strategies to ensure personal well-being across their lifespan.
- 7A3: Analyse the difference between perceived and residual risks in physical and social environments and develop skills and behaviour for managing responsible action.
- 7A4: Critically evaluate societal attitudes, values, and expectations that affect people’s awareness of their personal identity and sense of self-worth in a range of situations.
- 7C1: Analyse the nature and benefits of meaningful interpersonal relationships.
- 7C2: Analyse the beliefs, attitudes and practices that reinforce stereotypes and role expectations, identifying ways in which these shape people’s choices at individual, group and societal levels.
- 7C3: Evaluate information, make informed decisions and use interpersonal skills effectively to manage conflict, competition and change in relationships.
- 7D2: Evaluate school and community initiatives that promote young people’s well-being and develop an action plan to instigate or support these.
- 7D3: Evaluate laws, policies, practices and regulations in terms of their contribution to social justice at school and in the wider community.
Possible assessment links
- AS91236 Evaluate factors that influence people’s ability to manage change.
Unit 2: What gets in the way? Big issues impacting on a teenager’s well-being
Note that the annually published
assessment specifications will determine the range of contexts suitable for the current year, for example, adolescent alcohol use, body image, food and nutrition, sexual health.
Adolescence by its nature is a time of change. When other issues complicate adolescent development, resilience can be undermined. Known risk factors include drug use, poor self-concept (including negative body image), illness, and unsafe or lack of supportive relationships.
Depending on change contexts selected by students the learning intentions are linked to AOs 7A1, 7A3, 7A4, 7C1, 7C2, 7C3, 7D2, 7D3.
Possible assessment links
- AS91235 Analyse an adolescent health issue.
Unit 3: Growing into adulthood – influences on gender and sexuality
Although a person’s sexuality journey starts from conception, adolescence is a time when young people do a lot of finding out about what it means to be male or female and who they are as sexual people. As bodies change and mature, and as relationships with friends and family change, and with romantic (and perhaps sexual) interests in others added, the changes keep piling up.
There are many factors influencing what teenager’s think, feel, and do as sexual people. In addition to biology, most of these influencing factors come from the cultural attitudes and values of the people teenagers know and interact with, and the society they live in. Through digital technologies they are also exposed to global influences. Managing all of these competing views and messages can be very challenging for teenagers learning to be adults.
Depending on change contexts selected by students, learning intentions are linked to AOs 7A1, 7A3, 7A4, 7C1, 7C2, 7C3, 7D1, 7D2, 7D3.
Possible assessment links
- AS91239 Analyse issues related to sexuality and gender to develop strategies for addressing the issues.
Unit 4: Taking action to help others manage change
The context for the action arises from an aspect of one of the units of learning in the programme, for example, something related to developing resilience for junior or local primary students. Note that the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the health promoting action runs concurrent with other learning at a suitable time of the year (likely term 2-3).
Depending on contexts selected by students, learning intentions linked to AOs 7A1, 7A3, 7A4, 7C1, 7C2, 7C3, 7D1, 7D3, and especially to 7D2.
Possible assessment links
- AS91237 Take action to enhance an aspect of people’s well-being within the school or wider community.
Unit 5: What’s fair and just? More on dealing with challenging relationships
A number of risk factors that get in the way of people being able to manage change, or are in themselves major changes that can undermine people’s well-being and resilience, come as a result of what some people believe about the way they can treat others. Bullying, harassment, discrimination and abuse are all known to have a major and highly negative impact on people’s well-being (see
snapshot 6).
Note that the annually published
assessment specifications will determine the range of contexts suitable for the current year, for example, bullying, harassment or discrimination, or some feature relevant to each of these.
Learning links to AOs 7A1, 7A3, 7A4, 7C1, 7C2, 7C3, 7D1, 7D2, 7D3.
Possible assessment links
- AS91238 Analyse an interpersonal issue(s) that places personal safety at risk.
Last updated September 4, 2013
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