Primary student well-being

Use this lesson in face-to-face, online or hybrid teaching to discuss student well-being with your primary learners.

Support for teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic

To support teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic, there are two versions of this lesson plan – one specifically for online lessons and one for face-to-face classrooms where physical distancing procedures are in place, although it can be used in any face-to-face teaching context.

Introduction

This lesson focuses on well-being for primary children. Many children will have experienced feelings of worry, confusion, anger or sadness during lockdown, and feelings of anxiety may continue with the return to school, be it online or face-to-face. This lesson gives learners an opportunity to express these emotions and explore ways of caring for their own well-being. They will think about what contributes to well-being and find practical ways to put this into practice by creating a 'happy box'. They will also explore ideas to help them complete a 'well-being journal' for homework.

Aims

  • To provide learners with examples of experiences that children have had during lockdown with which they can identify
  • To give learners an opportunity to reflect upon their feelings in situations which could arise with Covid-19 and lockdown
  • To help learners find practical solutions to look after their well-being
  • To develop critical-thinking skills
  • To promote pair work and collaboration skills

Age

Primary (8–11 years)

Level

CEFR level A2 and above

Time

90 minutes

Materials

The lesson plans and materials can be downloaded below. In addition:

  • The teacher will need a box (e.g. a shoe box) with 8–10 everyday items to make the 'happy box'.
  • The learners will need a pen or pencil and paper or a notebook or a mini whiteboard and pen.

Important: Please read

Included in the teachers' notes for each lesson, you will find either:

  • Guidance and advice on managing group and pair work activities in face-to-face classrooms with physical distancing protocols.
  • Guidance and advice for what teachers need to know and do before and at the beginning of an online class. Please read the lesson instructions carefully before using them. They are for guidance only, and designed to be used with the most common online platforms. You may need to adapt the lesson to the format and online platform you are working with.

A combination of the lesson plan for online teaching and the lesson plan for face-to-face teaching can be used in 'hybrid' situations, where some students in the class are studying from home and others are physically in the classroom. Classroom material for the online lesson is provided as a PowerPoint presentation and a PDF.

See our other lesson plans in this series for primary students

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