GYM Projects

GROW YOUR MIND LESSONS & PROJECTS
FOR YEARS 1-6

INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
WHY GROW YOUR MIND PROJECTS FOR YEAR 1-6?
Positive education, resilience, brain health, mindfulness and more are ALL such important topics
to teach. The themes need to be repeated, the story of the animals re told and YET we need to
keep children and teachers engaged by offering new content and lesson ideas. Therefore this
project series has been designed to be used AFTER students have been taught the introductory
lessons available on our free resources section and/or after children have listened to our Grow
Your Mind children’s podcast (release date end of March 2020).
The projects are divided into year themes each offering an in-depth dive into a way we can look
after our mental health. We know that 50% of mental health issues begin before the age of 15.
Even for students who will never experience a mental health issue, the benefits of Grow Your
Mind, in terms of increasing capacity to deal with challenges, changes and stressors, are endless.
THE STRUCTURE
The lessons have been inspired by the invitations from the Take Care of Your Mind poster. They
can be delivered sequentially or you can choose to skip head to different lessons depending on
the needs of your students. The important thing is to START with the Introductory lesson, from
there it is up to you. Each lesson encourages pair and or group work so as to ‘live’ the practical
side of wellbeing. There are take away missions for students to practice what they have learnt in
different contexts and each unit encourages students to create a project reflecting their learning.
There are no rubrics so as to allow for individual teacher ownership and to cater for the diversity
within each classroom. The 6 core themes are:
YEAR 1 - MINDFUL ME
Emotional regulation, emotional literacy, mindfully practising gratitude,
PROJECT: Ways to be Mindful
YEAR 2 - OPERATION B.O.B

Benefit mindset and growth mindset in our classroom, playground and world.
Inclusivity and every day kindness, class action to do something of benefit for others.
PROJECT: Spotlighting a B.O.B person
YEAR 3 - FLOURISH WITH MY FRIENDS

Healthy and unhealthy friendships, managing conflict with a calm guard dog,
growing perspective, being friendly inside and outside of the school.
PROJECT: Unlikely friendships
YEAR 4 - SHARING STORIES, SPOTTING STRENGTHS

Spotting character strengths in literature, spotting strengths in our friends and people we
know.
PROJECT: Choose your own adventure
YEAR 5 - MY DOSE OF WELLBEING

A deeper dive into each neurotransmitter with a strong focus on ENDORPHINS,
movement is part of each lesson. D - setting goals for the term, O - setting a kindness
challenge, S - setting a mindfulness practice, E - endorphins and mood.
PROJECT: My DOSE plan
YEAR 6 - DEVELOPING MY INNER COMPASS

B.O.B in action, values vs strengths, creating my compass of values.
PROJECT: Notables
growyourmind.life | © Grow Your Mind 2020

L I N K S TO T H E C U R R I C U LU M
LINKS TO THE
CURRICULUM
Knowledge and Understanding according
to NSW PDHPE syllabus
STAGE 1
Outcome PD1-9 A student: demonstrates self-management skills in
taking responsibility for their own actions
Outcome PD1-10 A student: describes and practises interpersonal skills
to promote inclusion to make themselves and others feel they belong
STAGE 2:
Outcome A student: explains how empathy, inclusion and respect can
positively influence relationships
STAGE 3:
Outcome PD3-3 A student: evaluates the impact of empathy, inclusion
and respect on themselves and others themselves and others
SKILLS: according to the NSW PDHPE syllabus
STAGE 1:
Outcome PD1-10 A student: describes and practises interpersonal skills
to promote inclusion to make themselves and others feel they belong
STAGE 2:
Outcome PD2-9 A student: demonstrates self-management skills to
respond to their own and others’ actions
Outcome PD2-10 A student: demonstrates a range of interpersonal skills
that build and enhance relationships and promote inclusion in various
situations
STAGE 3:
Outcome PD3-2 A student: investigates information, community
resources and strategies to demonstrate resilience and seek help
Outcome PD3-10 A student:selects and uses interpersonal skills to
interact respectfully with others to promote inclusion and build
connections

YEAR 1:
MINDFUL ME
PROJECT: MINDFUL MOMENTS

LESSONS 1-8
YEAR 1 - MINDFUL ME LESSON 1
YEAR 1
MINDFUL ME
LESSON 1
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Pause when we have an uncomfortable feeling
• Seperate how we feel from how we behave
RESOURCES:
• Traffic light poster
• Feeling cards
ACTIVITY 1: CONNECT WITH YOUR CLASS

Invite students to form pairs, give each pair one uncomfortable feeling from your deck of
cards. Ask the students the following questions:
• What do you think flower dude is feeling? Why do you think flower dude is feeling like that?
• Have you ever felt like that? What happened? What can you do If you feel: angry/sad/
frustrated/jealous that doesn’t involve hitting/screaming/pushing etc?
Bring the class together again and invite them to share their feeling and responses. Focus
on the traffic light and invite students to go through each step with you.
ACTIVITY 2: ROLE PLAY

Explain that we are going to role play
1. Not being a traffic light
2. Re doing the same scene and being a traffic light
Put students in groups of 2 or 4, either design role play for them or brainstorm different
scenarios and assign to each group. Explain that they will role play reacting to a problem in
an unhelpful way and then pause/rewind and redo with a reaction e.g. deep breaths,
walking away - that is helpful.
ACTIVITY 3: PERFORMANCE
Students perform their plays in front of the class.
ACTIVITY 4: REFLECTION + TAKE HOME CHALLENGE

Explain that even though it may not feel like it, we have a choice with how we react to
situations, even when our feelings are HUGE and uncomfortable. Students colour in their
traffic light in their workbooks or create their own traffic light. Students to try and be a traffic
light at home and report back to the class if it worked.

YEAR 1
MINDFUL ME
LESSON 2
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Understand there are many ways to be mindful
RESOURCES:
• Book: Slow down world Tai Snaith OR
• Elmer’s Walk David Mckee

Invite students to stand up and then sit down if they have ever:
• Eaten their food really slowly
• Listened to someone with interrupting them
• Stared at the stars
• Noticed a beautiful tree
• Taken a big breath before shouting
Explain these are all of the ways we can be mindful. Mindfulness means being present, not
worrying too much about yesterday and not being too focused on tomorrow or what’s next.
Instead you are here now.
ACTIVITY 2: READ THE BOOK AND DISCUSS

What happens when we slow down? What things do we notice?
ACTIVITY 3: ROLE PLAY DOING THINGS MINDFULLY

Explain that we are going to role play
1. Doing something in a rush
2. Re doing the same scene but being mindful and considerate
Put students in groups of 2 or 4, either design role play for them or brainstorm different
scenarios and assign to each group.
ACTIVITY 4: PERFORMANCE
Students perform their plays in front of the class
ACTIVITY 5: REFLECTION
Students to draw activities that they love to do slowly. Take away action: next time they feel
like saying “Im bored” see if they can ask themselves “What fun activity could I do slowly right
now?” And report back to class

YEAR 1
MINDFUL ME
LESSON 3
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Be curious about our feelings
RESOURCES:
• Traffic light poster
• Feeling cards
• Paper and colouring pencils
• Book: Nicho draws a feeling

Invite everyone to close or soften their eyes and to pretend they are smelling a beautiful
flower. And as they breathe out pretend they are blowing out the petals. Do this 4 times.
Choose a mix of uncomfortable and comfortable feeling cards. Invite students to raise their
hands if they have felt one of them today. Next ask them where they feel that particular
feeling. What about a colour, could they give that feeling a colour? Explain that when we
notice our feelings and where we feel them - we are being mindful. We are being curious
about the feeling instead of being REACTIVE!
ACTIVITY 2: DRAW THE FEELING, GIVE IT A COLOUR

Next read the book. At the end of the book show around 10 feelings from the feelings cards
pack. Using pencils and paper invite students to give each feeling a shape and a colour.
Give them a short period to do this.
ACTIVITY 3: CREATE AN ART DISPLAY

Students choose one of the feelings they drew and gave a colour time. Now with a fresh bit
of paper and more time students create it again with more detail and label it.
Invite each student to present their feeling drawing, have they felt like this before? When?
Take away action: before they react to a BIG feeling, can they pause, give it a shape and a
colour. Then give it a name. Report back to the class.

YEAR 1
MINDFUL ME
LESSON 4
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Practice a variety of mindfulness techniques: mindful eating, listening, breathing,
smelling and being thankful
RESOURCES:
• Music: Xavier Rudd (Follow the Sun)
• Student’s packed lunch
ACTIVITY 1: THREE THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW

Invite students to be super still and to take a big deep breath in through their nose and out
of their mouth. Ask them to visualise a flower - as they breathe in they are smelling it and as
they breathe out they are gently blowing out the petals. Explain you are going to tell them
three things about yourself that they may not know. After listing them ask students to re tell
what they heard. Now invite a student up to share three things, ask them to look directly at
you while sharing their interesting things. This time however, look down at the ground/over
their shoulder/yawn and pretend to be on your phone
Ask the students the following questions:
• Do you think I was listening mindfully to_____________? Why/why not?
• How can we show someone we are listening to them?
• What does it feel like when someone is not listening to us?
• Have you ever felt like that? What happened?
ACTIVITY 2: MINDFULLY LISTENING TO MUSIC

Explain that we are going to lie on our backs, close or soften our eyes and listen to some
music. At the end of the song we will share what instruments we heard, what animals noises
etc.
Ask students to reflect in pairs what they heard and to come up with one word to describe
how they are feeling
ACTIVITY 3: MINDFULNESS IS NOT JUST BREATHING AND LISTENING

Explain that mindfulness means being aware of where you are and being present. We can
therefore practice it in a variety of ways! We will now practice mindfully eating AND being
aware of appreciating our food! Invite students to get their crunch and sip/morning tea/
recess. Step by step give them a mindful eating exercise please see script in the appendix.
In books students reflect on their mindful experiences and make a plan for one way they
plan on being mindful that day/week. Report back.

Y E A R 1 - M I N D F U L M E P R O J E C T - L E S S O N 5 - 8 ( W I T H P R E S E N TAT I O N )
YEAR 1
MINDFUL ME PROJECT
LESSON 5-8
(WITH PRESENTATION)
WE ARE CREATING:
• A display project on mindfulness which we will be presenting to our families/fellow
students and teachers.
STUDENTS/TEACHERS CAN CHOOSE FROM THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:

• Mindfulness - all the ways we can be mindful: illustrations, descriptions. photographs
• Writing a series of meditations for the classroom to follow with illustrations for display
• A weekly mindful calendar for 6 year olds to follow
• An illustration guide to all of the feelings in the feeling cards resource
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Over the next 4 lessons we will be creating our own project to display our learning on
mindfulness. The project is designed to spark curiosity and for students to express their
learning in a style that suits their needs. At the end of the 4 lessons, students will have an
opportunity to showcase their work to family/students and other teachers. The work on this
project is to be done primarily at school although further work can be continued at home
e.g. taking photos, drawings etc
GUIDELINES
Students are to display their work on a poster sized piece of paper. They will each be given
up to 3 minutes to present their work and to answer 3 questions from the audience.

YEAR 2:
OPERATIO N B.O.B.
PROJECT: SPOTLIGHTING A B.O.B. PERSON

LESSONS 1-8
Y E A R 2 - O P E R AT I O N B .O. B . L E S S O N 1
YEAR 2
OPERATION B.O.B.
LESSON 1
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Understand what B.O.B stands for
• Think of ways we can be of benefit
RESOURCES:
• Flip to Flourish

Invite students to find someone in the room who has different hair colour, eye colour or
height to them. Once they have found them instruct them to find out when that person last
helped someone.
Bring the class back and invite students to share their partners story of helping
ACTIVITY 2: INTRODUCING BOB

Explain that we are going to meet BOB - BOB is not a person but a way of being. Give the
students some real examples of BOB moments you have witnessed in the classroom, on the
playground (e.g. I saw Luke helping Tamara with her work, I heard Jane offer to carry
something for me when I had a lot in my hands… I watched Jill help another student who had
fallen over)
Ask students to describe what is the common action that was happening in each scenario?
Try to elicit helpfulness and kindness
Write the letters B.O.B in the middle of the whiteboard and explain the acronym Be of
Benefit
ACTIVITY 3: B.O.B BRAINSTORM

Use the Flip to Flourish to explain in more depth examples of being of benefit, look for the
mind map invitation. Write up four key areas: home, playground, classroom and planet.
Brainstorm all of the realistic ways we can choose to have BOB moments. Use the Flip to
Flourish as a way to show examples of children being of benefit e.g. Take 3 for the Sea
ACTIVITY 4: REFLECTION AND MAKE A PLAN

Invite students to copy the BOB mind map down.

YEAR 2
OPERATION B.O.B.
LESSON 2
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• To understand the character strengths that may help us and others be of benefit
RESOURCES:
• Book: Good night stories for rebel girls and/or Good Guys.
• Character Strengths poster

Invite students to find someone in the room who has the same beginning letter of their
surname as them. When they find them instruct them to ask this question “What job do you
think has the most helpful people working in it?” Invite students to re tell their partners
response.
ACTIVITY 2: SPOTTING THE STRENGTHS THAT ENABLE PEOPLE TO

B.O.B. IN BOOKS
Choose 4 people in either/both the Good night stories for Rebel girls and the Good Guys
book. Read them aloud to the class. Ask students to explain how those people benefited
others AND what character strengths you think
ACTIVITY 3: DRAFT A THANK YOU NOTE

Write a letter of thanks to someone who really shines at being of benefit. Be specific in the
letter - how do they help others? Why do you think they do it? Why is it important? Why do
you feel thankful for them? (You don’t have to know the person specifically)
ACTIVITY 4: EDIT, SEND AND REFLECT

Invite students to edit the letter, illustrate it and post to their B.O.B person. Next reflect in
their journals, how did it make them feel to pause and thank someone?

YEAR 2
OPERATION B.O.B.
LESSON 3
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Describe a plan for our classroom to be of benefit
RESOURCES:
ACTIVITY 1: BRAINSTORM WITH TITLES

Write the following titles up on the board
What:
How:
Who:
Before starting the brainstorm pick out 4 flip invitations whereby people are of benefit.
Show students the Solar Buddies program to inspire ideas as well as other children who
make a difference e.g. Daniel and the orang-utans, Campbell sewing teddy bears, Old
people’s home for young people etc
ACTIVITY 2: COMPLETE BRAINSTORM AND COME UP WITH

ONE IDEA AS A CLASS
Take four realistic ideas from the students about their Operation BOB plan and narrow it
down to 1! This can be a B.O.B plan for the planet or school specifically. Work out exactly
what it is, how you as a class will do it and WHO will be doing different tasks to make it
happen. Finish with a final WHAT: What will success look like/or What does finished looked
like with this operation
ACTIVITY 3: CREATE A FILM!

Interview students about the BOB idea - and together make a class movie using IMOVIE.
Send it home to other parents, school leaders etc. It does not need to be perfect! Doing this
immediately after the brainstorm will create accountability
ACTIVITY 4: REFLECT AND PLAN

Ask students to record the plan for B.O.B as well as to reflect on the process, how are they
feeling about the proposed operation?

Y E A R 2 - O P E R AT I O N B .O. B . L E S S O N 4 - 8
YEAR 2
OPERATION B.O.B.
LESSON 4-8
WE ARE CREATING A PROJECT AND PRESENTATION ON:
• Professionals who are of benefit
• Famous people who live by B.O.B
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Over the next 4 lessons we will be creating our own project to spotlight someone who
spends their life being of benefit. This person could be dead or alive! The important part
here is: this person cannot be spotlighted based on their talents, rather this person needs to
priorities being helpful and having a benefit mindset. The project is designed to spark
curiosity and for students to express their learning in a style that suits their needs. At the end
of the 4 lessons, students will have an opportunity to showcase their work to family/students
and other teachers. The work on this project is to be done primarily at school although
further work can be continued at home e.g. further research
GUIDELINES
Students are to display their work on a poster with pictures/illustrations.
• Who is the person I have chosen?
• Why did I choose them?
• When and where did he/she live?
• What has she/he done for the world and society?
• How are they of benefit?
• How would the world be different if my person did not exist or never existed?

YEAR 3:
FLO URISH
WITH FRI ENDS
PROJECT: UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIPS

LESSONS 1-8
Y E A R 3 - F LO U R I S H W I T H F R I E N D S L E S S O N 1
YEAR 3
FLOURISH WITH FRIENDS
LESSON 1
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Identify what makes a healthy and unhealthy friendship
RESOURCES:
• Take care of Your Mind poster

Invite students to turn to the person next to them and list the most unhealthy foods they
have ever eaten. The only rule is each person must name 5. Get students to share with the
whole class, then ask: What would happen if we ate that food for breakfast, lunch and
dinner? Well the same is true when we are in unhealthy friendships, we end up not feeling
so good. Pull up the Flip to Flourish - spend time with a feel good friend and read
information on this as a class.
Point out the Take Care of Your Mind poster and the fact that one of the invitations on that is
to connect with people, because friendships are vital for our mental health. But not ALL
friendships are good for us!
ACTIVITY 2: CLASS DISCUSSION AND BRAINSTORM

Draw up a table on the board with healthy and unhealthy on each side of the column. Ask
students to contribute to what they see as healthy and unearthly friendships e.g. I can be
myself….. I have to change to be accepted, I can trust them…. I feel scared to have a
different opinion.
ACTIVITY 3: HEALTHY INGREDIENTS LIST

Invite students to write their own healthy friendship list, full of the key ingredients to a
healthy friendship. Encourage students to be creative with their writing: a dash of humour, 2
cups of respect, mix together respect….
Invite students to reflect in their workbooks on what are their key ingredients for a healthy
friendship and if they think they may be in an unhealthy friendship too. The follow on lesson
will focus on this in more detail. Take away activity: if they are in an unhealthy friendship,
what can they do about it this week? Report back to the class.

YEAR 3
LESSON 2
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Deal with conflict with a calm guard dog
RESOURCES:
• Wake me up and calm me down sheets

Invite students to find someone in the room they have NEVER had an argument with. When they
find them they need to ask them about a recent argument they had with someone else (not
naming names) and to share if their guard dogs were small or BIG!
ACTIVITY 2: BRAINSTORM ALL THE WAYS TO DEAL WITH CONFLICT

IN A HEALTHY WAY
Explicitly teach reframing what we habitually say during conflict:
You are so mean… You are so unfair… and teach students to change to When… (describe the
action) I feel… e.g. When you leave me out I feel really alone… or they can start with … I feel…
(jealous, sad, mad, unhappy) when you…
Write up a few You are sentences and encourage students to share alternatives.
Next explicitly teach dealing with conflict - a script that students can use: “Hey can I talk to you
about something? “Do you have a minute to talk alone? I feel… when…
Next explicitly teach what might happen if the person they approach say “I don’t care” or their
body language shuts down: “I can see you aren’t ready to talk about it now, I will be ready to
chat when you are”
ACTIVITY 3: ROLE PLAY TWO WAYS TO DEAL WITH CONFLICT

In pairs or up to 3, students must come up with two scenarios where a conflict arises. Their
instructions are: Keep it under 2 minutes, a conflict must take place, they need to deal with it
with a body guard dog and they need to deal with it using the above practiced script…
A BIG guard dog may look like shouting, ignoring, sulking, threatening etc. After the first
scenario one of the student says: REWIND and the students immediately have to act out the
same scenario with a conflict yet this time everyone has a calm Guard Dog and a switched on
WISE OWL. N.B. To make this a worthwhile experience for the students ensure that the conflicts
they have created are realistic. This will give the students a greater chance to practice skills that
may help them outside of the classroom
ACTIVITY 4: WRITE A PLAN FOR THREE WAYS TO DEAL WITH A FUTURE CONFLICT
Ask students to take what they saw, acted and imagined and come up with three REALISTIC
tools for them personally to use in their next conflict. In fact, add a take home activity to
encourage them to use this process during their next conflict and to report back to the class
how it went!

YEAR 3
LESSON 3
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Understand perspective and perspective taking
RESOURCES:
• Perspective digital poster
ACTIVITY 1: CLOUDS AND CONNECTING

As a class ask students to go outside, lie down and look up at the clouds. This is a silent
activity. When they return they share with a partner what shapes they saw. Ask who was
right? If someone saw a particular thing and another something different, what does that
mean? Next show them the image of the perspective poster. Who is right? (Google other
perspective images to further the message around 2 pictures being different things
depending on who is looking at them) Explain that when we have big GUARD Dogs we
struggle to see anyone else's point of view - but much like the clouds a lot can depend on
where you are standing. Getting fixated on who is right or wrong can make things very
complicated and stressful. Look up the Flip to Flourish: Grow some perspective invitation
and read the script to the class
ACTIVITY 2: DESCRIBE ARGUMENT FROM 2 VIEWS

Explain that students will be asked to think of a recent argument and to re tell it through their
eyes and then through the eyes of the other person. Model this yourself first. Draw a T chart
on the board - talk through a recent argument, what happened, how you felt. Why you said
the things you did etc. In the next column write it through the eyes of who you argued with.
Check each student has an argument in mind describe and give them ample time to
describe in detail the two points of view.
ACTIVITY 3: SHARE PERSPECTIVES WITH THE CLASS

Allow for time for different students to read out their perspective descriptions, this is a
valuable exercise particularly for students who may have struggled to write about an
argument through someone’s else's point of view.
Ask students to record three key messages they have learnt from the perspective lesson
AND to explicitly recount why understanding perspective may help them in future
arguments. Activity to take away: can they pause during their next argument and try and
think what the other person may be thinking? Report back to class.

YEAR 3
LESSON 4
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Be friendly, what it looks like, sounds like and feels like
RESOURCES:
• Conversation starters (see appendix)

Lay all of the feeling cards out on the floor, students select one card each. This does not
have to represent how they are feeling but it does have to be the feeling they pretend to
take on. Invite them to walk up to someone and start a conversation about why they are
feeling the way they are feeling and to investigate why their partner is feeling a certain way
too.
ACTIVITY 2: BRAINSTORM FRIENDLINESS

On the board write the world friendly. Get students to give examples of how you can be
friendly at school, in the classroom, in the playground, at home, at camps, with new
people, with adults, as you pass someone in the corridor. Try and elicit, waving, eye
contact, smiling, calling someone by their name
ACTIVITY 3: CONVERSATION PRACTICE

Explain that part of being friendly is in the way we greet someone but it is also in how we
interact with them. Explicitly teach what listening looks like and feels like. Why only talking
about yourself can be dull for people and how asking thoughtful questions can create
connection. Get students to form pairs and each select three conversation starters. They are
then to practice asking questions, really listening to the response and even adding a
thoughtful comment about the response
ACTIVITY 4: SHOW CASE

Invite a few sets of pairs to show case the questions they asked, their responses and invite
the class to observe what they noticed.
REFLECTION:
What are three ways you can be friendly. Take home challenge. Try putting your friendly
habits into practice before the next lesson

YEAR 3
LESSON 5
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Understand that we don’t have to like the same things, look the same, or have the same
beliefs in order to be friends
RESOURCES:
• Book: Unlikely Friendships: 47 remarkable stories from the animal kingdom Jennifer S
Holland and/or
• Youtube clips about: polar bears and huskies, Owen and Tzee etc

Begin by everyone joining hands in a circle, taking three deep breaths in and out
collectively. Then give students 1 minute to find someone they are completely different too.
The more different the better. When they find this person they have to find one thing they
share in common. Once they have found it they race to the front of the room, sit with their
‘poker’ face and do some anchor breathing.
ACTIVITY 2: UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP INTRODUCTION

Explain that students will soon be undertaking a project with their ‘different’ person to
spotlight an unlikely friendship in the animal kingdom. Read excerpts from the Unlikely
Friendships animal book and/or spotlight these via youtube. Key point: make sure students
understand that this lesson is not about saying you should be friends with everyone! That
would be unrealistic, it IS about opening your minds to people regardless of how they look
or what they are interested in.
ACTIVITY 3: DISCUSS WITH YOUR PARTNER

Do you think friends need to look the same to be friends? why/why not?
Do you think friends need to agree on the same things to be friends? Why/why not?
Which unlikely friendship surprised you the most? Why?
What do the unlikely friendships teach you about friendships you could also have?
What character strengths might you need to call on to be open to being friends with
someone different to you?
ACTIVITY 4: LIST OF QUESTIONS YOU COULD ASK SOMEONE

In order to be friends with someone seemingly different to you in many ways, it is good to
be able to make conversation! Students are to record 5 thoughtful and interesting questions
they could ask someone. Rules: no where do you live, what is your favourite colour, do you
have brothers and sisters!
Ask students to record three key messages they have learnt from unlikely friendships lesson.
Take away activity: go and ask your questions to someone you haven’t spoken to much,
before the next lesson

Y E A R 3 - F LO U R I S H W I T H F R I E N D S L E S S O N 6 - 8
YEAR 3
LESSON 6-8
WE ARE WORKING IN PAIRS TO CREATE A PROJECT AND
PRESENTATION ON:
• Unusual/unlikely friendships
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Over the next 3 lessons we will be creating our own project to spotlight an unusual
friendship that inspires us. The friendship does not need to be perfect but it does need to
be based on respect. The project is designed to spark curiosity and for students to express
their learning in a style that suits their needs. It is also designed to be done in groups of 2 to
3. At the end of the 4 lessons, students will have an opportunity to showcase their work to
family/students and other teachers. The work on this project is to be done primarily at
school although further work can be continued at home e.g. further research.
GUIDELINES
Students are to display their work using powerpoint. There needs to be a strong
understanding of what strengths will be needed to work in pairs. The friendship that they
choose can take part in any species of the animal kingdom.
- We need to listen to each other, everyone gets a chance to have their opinion heard, when
we disagree with something we need to still remain respectful etc. Invite students to come
up with their own guidelines on this too.
KEY QUESTIONS:
• Who in the friendship we chose?
• Why did we choose them?
• When and where do they live?
• What is unlikely about their friendship?
• What are the key ingredients that make up their healthy friendship (you could write a
recipe again)?
• How do the friends help each other out?
• Why do you think these friends are friends with each other?

YEAR 4:
SHA RING STORIES
PROJECT: CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

LESSONS 1-8
Y E A R 4 - S H A R I N G S TO R I E S L E S S O N 1
YEAR 4
SHARING STORIES
LESSON 1
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Identify character strengths in the pages of books we love
RESOURCES:
• Character strength poster

Invite students to copy some power poses from the Flip to Flourish, led by you. In pairs get
students to create their own power pose and then share with the rest of the class.
ACTIVITY 2: SUPER POWERS AND CHARACTER STRENGTHS

Explain that power poses are designed to make us feel powerful, which is great but the
more exciting part of our bodies is the fact that we have character strengths. There is
nothing special about having character strengths, we all have them. Invite students to look
at the character strengths balloon and think silently if they can spot their strength. Then ask
them to think about their partner, can they spot their parter’s character strength too?
ACTIVITY 3: SPOTTING STRENGTHS IN LITERARY CHARACTERS

Do a class brainstorm on a character you are currently reading about or have recently read
about as a class. List their key characters strengths AND the evidence for them. Once you
have this, invite students to reflect on a character they have read about outside of the
classroom, what are their character strengths?
Why might knowing what someones strengths are be helpful? How do you think the
strengths you spotted in those characters help them to thrive/overcome obstacles etc. Take
away action: throughout the week

YEAR 4
SHARING STORIES
LESSON 2
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Assign appropriate strengths that may help characters face problems
RESOURCES:

Invite students to do their partner power poses and now add on an action that represents a
strength e.g. courage - hands on hips looking up…. Forgiveness shaking hands…. Instruct
students to create the pose and say the strength at the same time.
ACTIVITY 2: FACING PROBLEMS WITH CHARACTER STRENGTHS

Create a powerpoint spotlighting famous people (that you know your class may be
interested in - try and vary the people so they aren’t all sport stars or musicians -instead a real
mix). Tell their story, create or tell a problem they have faced or facing, in the following slide
have an image of the character ballon - ask students to choose 1 to 2 strengths that may help
them overcome this problem. Stress that character strengths help us to thrive AND that we
all have them - and they can also help us be resilient. Problems, set backs and sadness are a
part of life, we have strengths within us we can choose overcome these moments.
ACTIVITY 3: DESCRIBE IT
Ask students to re tell the story and problem faced by one of the people you mentioned OR
to come up with another story of someone they admire. Invite them to explicitly describe
how specific character strengths enabled them to overcome that problem
Invite students to reflect in their journals about which strengths may help them to face their
next mistake or set back and why

Y E A R 4 - S H A R I N G S TO R I E S L E S S O N 3 - 4
YEAR 4
SHARING STORIES
LESSON 3 - 4
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Spot strengths in teachers and staff at school
• Conduct an interview
RESOURCES:

Invite students to do their partner power poses with their character strength pose and this
time to add on a breathing style at the end.
ACTIVITY 2: INTERVIEWING TEACHERS

Explain that each student (in pairs) will be invited to interview a teacher in the school. They
need to craft questions that ask the teacher to retell a challenge they have had and what
character strengths they used to overcome it. Allow time to craft 4 questions and time to
visit those specific teachers.
ACTIVITY 3: RETELL IT
Ask students to share their interview with the rest of the class
Invite students to reflect in their books about this process. What surprised them? What
inspired them? Were there any strengths used that they have within themselves?

YEAR 4
SHARING STORIES
LESSON 5
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
Understand that the choices we make when we face a problem can change the outcome to
that problem significantly
CONNECT WITH YOUR CLASS:

Lightening story telling! In a big circle, begin with a cracking introduction to a story, the
student next to yo needs to come up with at least two sentences to describe what
happened next and so on. It needs to be snappy, not perfect. Brainstorm at the end: What
makes a good story? What makes it interesting? What do you want from a story?
ACTIVITY: CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

Tell a story, (or use ours in the appendix) About a boy or a girl facing a dilemma. Half way
through, tell the students that they have a choice in what happens next in the story. If they
decide the character uses the strength forgiveness they go to one side of the room, if they
decide the character is not ready to forgive they go to another side of the room. When
each group gets there they are to open an envelope that one student reads aloud, this
explains the result of the action. At the end of that description again students can choose
the ‘choice’. See appendix for ideas for how this can unfold. Again students go to another
part of the room deepening on the choice they made.
ACTIVITY: BRAINSTORM THINGS THAT MAY HELP YOU TO MAKE A GOOD

CHOICE
On the board draw a mind map with choices in the middle. Invite students what they think
might help them making choices? E.g. using character strengths, mindful breathing, being
mindful, asking for advice, not rushing, the traffic light process etc. Key point: it is ok to get it
wrong but there are steps we can take to make the choice feel more right for us.
ACTIVITY: WRITE ABOUT YOUR STORY

Direct students to write about what happened in their story, the choices that were made and
what this resulted in. Invite them to reflect, do they wish their character had made different
choices? What do you think their character should do next?
REFLECTION:
What are things you have learnt from this lesson?

Y E A R 4 - S H A R I N G S TO R I E S L E S S O N 6 - 8
YEAR 4
SHARING STORIES
LESSON 6 - 8
WE ARE CREATING A PROJECT:
Using Little Scribe or another platform students will be writing and publishing their own
story about a character who faces a number of problems and uses a variety of character
strengths to overcome these. The story is to be written as a choose your own adventure
style. For example let’s say your character chooses perseverance in a time of challenge or on
the flip side, humility. What happens? This story needs to have a minimum of three choose
your own adventure moments.
Options: a school can sign up for free to participate in little scribe OR you can invest in
options whereby your students can choose to co-author the book with professional writers
for a fee.
- If you do not wish to use Little Scribe as the platform you could use other mediums and
simply ask students to write their own story/illustrate it and present it to their classmates.
A BRIEF WORK SAMPLE.

Things had a habit of working out badly for Dash. So when he missed the bus for school, it
started to subsequently rain and he remembered he had forgotten his lunch he actually was
not too perplexed. This was normal for him. When the bus finally did arrive though things
really did a take turn for the worse. Every seat was taken and the one free seat was next to the
school bully, Jacob. Infamous for pushing and tripping people over, mocking them, teasing
people about their hair, clothes, smell and more. Jacob had kind of made it his business to be
mean. Sometimes Dash thought something must have gone wrong for Jacob for him to be like
that or perhaps he had got into a really strange habit of being mean as opposed to kind…
whatever the reason Dash did not want to take any chances. The thing was, Jacob kind of
looked sad today. Almost lonely. Dash hovered, should he call on his strength of kindness and
sit with Jacob, find out if he is ok. Or perhaps wisdom, to make a choice that keeps him safe…
Kindness page 23
Wisdom page 24

YEAR 5:
DOSE OF W ELLBEING
PROJECT: MY DOSE PLAN

LESSONS 1-8
YEAR 5 - DOSE OF WELLBEING LESSON 1
YEAR 5
DOSE OF WELLBEING
LESSON 1
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• The name of each neurotransmitter in the DOSE acronym
• Understand the key ways to get those neurotransmitters
• Appreciate the importance of brain health
RESOURCES:
• DOSE poster

Invite students to close their eyes and take three deep breaths. Ask them to imagine a time
when they were doing something that they really loved that did not involve screens. Direct
them in thinking about the specifics of the situation, who is there, what are you doing, can
you smell anything, do you feel good even when it’s finished? Invite students to open their
eyes, share with the person next to them and then share with the entire class if they feel
comfortable. Explain that when we do things that bring us joy, it keeps our animals
communicating because we are getting our DOSE of wellbeing.
ACTIVITY 2: THE DOSE POSTER BREAKDOWN

Discuss the DOSE poster and what flower dude is doing under each invitation. Use the Flip
to Flourish DOSE invitation to help teach this if need be. Invite students to stand up and walk
to the part of the room that has either a D O S or E at it. Once there invite students to share
when they think they last got that neurotransmitter, what were they doing. Then class
change and students walk to another letter and share again. Do this until students have
visited each letter.
ACTIVITY 3: MAKING A DOSE PLAN

Invite students to make a plan for how they could realistically get a DOSE of wellbeing
every day.
In their workbooks ask students to ponder these questions:
• Why are neurotransmitters good for my animals and brain health?
• Who is someone I could share this information with?

YEAR 5
DOSE OF WELLBEING
LESSON 2
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Understand the process of creating goals
• Understand dopamine in greater depth
RESOURCES:
• DOSE poster
• Student journal
ACTIVITY 1: CONNECT WITH YOUR CLASS VIA CHARADES

Invite students in pairs to come up with a salient meme with each letter of DOSE and an
action that depicts how they get that neurotransmitter. E>G they make the letter D and they
do an action of setting goals. The rest of the class needs to guess the action they are doing
before they can move onto the next letter
ACTIVITY 2: LET’S FOCUS ON D

DOPAMINE - this is the focus for today. Discuss goals, why they work and why they fail.
Explain the SMART acronym for creating goals and why this can be a helpful way of
establishing and succeeding at a a goal. Before getting students to come up with their
SMART goal ask them to visualise a goal they have for the year/term. Next envision an
obstacle they may face to succeeding it. Finally envision a way to overcome the obstacle.
ACTIVITY 3: RECORDING SMART GOALS

Ask students come up with and record their SMART goals in their student journal
How realistic do they actually feel their goal is? If it doesn’t feel achievable what could you
change?

YEAR 5
DOSE OF WELLBEING
LESSON 3
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Understand why kindness is not only good for others but also for ourselves
• Understand what oxytocin is and how serotonin also helps to prepare us for kindness!
• Create a mindfulness ritual to get us back into this present moment
RESOURCES:
• DOSE poster
• Take Care of Your Mind poster
• Student journal
ACTIVITY 1: CONNECT WITH YOUR CLASS VIA SECRET SANTA OF KINDNESS

Write every students names in a hat. Explain explicitly that regardless of their options of that
person they keep their facial expressions and feelings to themselves when receiving a name.
Their job: to do one act of kindness for them before the following lesson. (set daily reminders)
Brainstorm what this kindness could look like. At the start of the next lesson allow time for
people to guess who was being kind to them and how they showed this kindness.
ACTIVITY 2: LET’S FOCUS ON O AND S

OXYTOCIN AND SEROTONIN are the focus for today. Explain why there are two together:
it is hard to actively be kind to people when we aren’t present. Serotonin can occur after
practising mindfulness so by the end of the lesson each student will come up with a
mindfulness meditation that works for them.
Play: The Kindness Boomerang clip. Invite students to come up a ripple effect scenario at
school whereby 4 kind actions occur as a result of the initial kindness
Practice: Mindful breathing: 4 styles - finger, belly, anchor and in for 3 HOLD, out for 6 HOLD
(see FLIP)
Practice: saying to yourself: 1 thing I can touch, see, smell, hear and taste
Practice: Saying. Mantra/quote to yourself: This is the moment, don’t miss the main event -
NOW, Breathe - Pause - Think (with the traffic light) what are 5 things I am thankful for right now
Practice: mindful listening - play some music and invite students to lie down and listen to it
with their eyes closed or half closed.
ACTIVITY 3: MY MINDFULNESS PRACTICE

Ask students come up with and record a mindfulness practice they intend on trying in the
next week, will it be breathing, meditating, using the traffic light, gratitude, a mantra, listening
to music etc.
ACTIVITY 4: REFLECTION AND PLAN

Which name did you pull from the hat? How do you plan on being kind the week?

YEAR 5
DOSE OF WELLBEING
LESSON 4
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Understand why movement effects our mood and mental health
• Focus on endorphins and a plan to MOVE our body in a way we LOVE
RESOURCES:
• DOSE poster
• Take Care of Your Mind poster
• Student journal
ACTIVITY 1: CONNECT WITH YOUR CLASS VIA DANCE AND/OR GIANT

SCISSORS PAPER ROCK
ACTIVITY 2: LET’S FOCUS ON E

Endorphins - feel good neurotransmitters. Spotlight 3 or 4 famous people who move their
bodies because it brings them joy e.g. Ash Barty, Mary Kom (boxer), Pearl Johnson (young
rock climber) Flying Squirrel. (Quincy Simmons) - (young Aussie surfer and skateboarder).
Then spotlight and share how you like to move your body and why.
Emphasising agin the love of it - not necessarily the skill! Ask students to share the ways they
like to move their bodies.
ACTIVITY 3: RESEARCH MOVEMENT AND MOOD

In pairs students look up Beyond Blue or Black Dog institute - and take down 5 notes about
movement and mood. Share with the class, what did you find out?
ACTIVITY 4: REFLECTION AND PLAN FOR MOVING ME

Write down how you can make movement part of your every day. Why it is important and be
specific about when and who might be there. (N.B. sometimes you have students who state
they don’t have time to exercise - the message here is we don’t have time NOT to do it)
Extension: invite students to recall a time when movement helped them to get rid of a
bad mood!

YEAR 5 - DOSE OF WELLBEING LESSON 5-8
YEAR 5
DOSE OF WELLBEING
LESSON 5-8
WE ARE CREATING A PROJECT/PRESENTATION

• On our personal plan to take care of our mental health this week/term and year.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Over the next 4 lessons we will be creating our own project to showcase how we plan on
taking care of our mental health with the DOSE poster as the framework to base this on This
project is designed to go into the detail of what taking care of your mind looks like. Students
will need to not just come up with a list of ideas of what they dream to do for their mental
health. Instead they need to predict obstacles and create solutions for overcoming these
obstacles. They need to nominate two people who will check to see if they are following
through with their plan. The project is designed to spark curiosity and for students to
express their learning in a style that suits their needs. At the end of the 4 lessons, students
will have an opportunity to showcase their work to family/students and other teachers. The
work on this project is to be done primarily at school although further work can be
continued at home e.g. photos and further research
GUIDELINES
Students are to display their work in a multimedia presentation lasting for 4 minutes with
times to address questions at the end.
• How am I going to take care of my mind ticking off on each letter of the DOSE acronym
on a daily and weekly basis?
• What bigger ideas do I have this year, outside of the daily habits, that will nurture and
protect my mental health?
• Why have I chosen these activities?
• What obstacles can I see getting in the way of me doing these activities on a regular basis
or long term basis?
• How can I overcome these obstacles?
• Who are the two people I nominate to check in to see if I am carrying out my plan of
taking care of my mind?
• How can I remind myself to keep looking after my mental health?

YEAR 6:
DEVELOPI NG MY
INNER COMPASS
PROJECT: NOTABLES
LESSONS 1-8
Y E A R 5 - D E V E LO P I N G M Y I N N E R CO M PAS S L E S S O N 1
YEAR 6
DEVELOPING MY
INNER COMPASS
LESSON 1
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Understand the difference between strengths and values
• Identify our personal values
RESOURCES:
• List of values
• Compass of values
ACTIVITY 1: CONNECT WITH YOUR CLASS VIA A PERSONAL STORY

Tell your class a story from your life (or if you aren’t comfortable, someone that you know). The story
can be about anything but the key part of it is, a moment when you could not decide what to do.
Explain you were lost. A bit like how you might be lost in a blizzard and not know which way is north
or south. A compass helps in this situation - and a compass of values also helps when morally,
ethically and culturally we are not sure what to do. Use the Flip to Flourish - compass of values
invitation with the class to further cement this.
ACTIVITY 2: GETTING TO KNOW THE VALUES

Using the character strengths poster reflect as a class on how we have come to know our character
strengths very well! There is something else that can help us get out of tricky situations and guide us
to make the best possible decision. And that is knowing our values. Explain that values differ from
character strengths, in that strengths are qualities we have within us - values are what we choose our
life to be about. They may overlap but they are different - e.g. gratitude may be your strength and
also something you value - OR perseverance may be your strength and yet you value gratitude and
are not particularly strong on this… yet! Give each students around 30 values each and ask them to
sort into: very important, not that important, not important at all PILES.
ACTIVITY 3: CREATING A COMPASS OF VALUES

Invite students to go to the very important pile and get that down to 4 key values. Explain that this
will help them have a clearer idea of their values and that one word can represent several values to
them e.g. kindness might represent trust. Respect and love. It is important for students to share their
vales with the class, as this allows for students to appreciate different needs and views. (use the
compass on our website)
ACTIVITY 4: REFLECTION AND CREATING A COMPASS

In their workbooks ask students to draw a compass and write their 4 key words down. Invite them to
reflect why each value is important to them. And to reflect on: What does it look like when I am living
by my values? What does it look like when I am not inline with my values?
e.g. in line: I am getting on with my friends, I am trying new things without worrying about making
mistakes
Out of line: it looks like me sulking, shouting, threatening - teasing etc

YEAR 6
DEVELOPING MY
INNER COMPASS
LESSON 2
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Predict what other peoples values may be
RESOURCES:
• List of values
ACTIVITY 1: I AM THINKING OF A VALUE

You can tell someone has this value when they put others before themselves, when they
focus on what they do have rather than what they do not, when they prioritise getting
outside often etc.…
Get students to guess what value you may be talking about. Give around 5 examples for
different values.
Remind students that values are what we choose our life to be about. We aren’t necessarily
strong at them yet!
ACTIVITY 2: SPOTTING VALUES IN OTHERS

Create a presentation of famous people or even people within the classroom/school and
ask students to guess the values this person may have. e.g. a photo of Fred Hollows,
followed by his life story - what do you think his values are, Adam Goodes - Ash Barty etc.
ACTIVITY 3: CREATE A COMPASS THAT REPRESENTS THAT PERSON

Students to choose one of the people you showcased. Based on what they learnt about that
person they are to select four values and write these down in the shape of a compass.
REFLECTION:
Describe a decision you made lately that was guided by your values? Describe a decision
you made lately that was outside of your values? How did it feel?

YEAR 6
DEVELOPING MY
INNER COMPASS
LESSON 3
WE ARE LEARNING TO:
• Predict what other peoples values may be within the classroom and celebrate them
RESOURCES:
• List of values
ACTIVITY 1: I AM THINKING OF SOMEONE…

Describe a person in your class without using their name. Be really descriptive about the
values you notice in them with examples. See if students can guess who you are talking
about. Do around 3 examples. Invite a few students to stand up and do it about someone
who hasn’t been described yet.
ACTIVITY 2: SPOTTING VALUES IN EACH OTHER

Every student get a piece of paper and instruct them to write their name in the middle. Each
student (within the space limitations) is then to write a value they think that person has and
why. e.g. I see kindness in you, because you treat everyone in such a lovely way. NB make
sure every student has a page full of these observations. Display them in your classroom.
REFLECTION:
How did it feel to have people spot values in you?Do you think they were accurate or not?
Why?

Y E A R 6 - P R O J E C T N OTA B L E S
YEAR 6
PROJECT
NOTABLES
5 lessons to research a person’s compass of values
that has impacted on the world positively
plus presentation session
*Thank you to the generosity of Woollahra Public for sharing this project and
allowing GYM to adapt it. Students thrive when teachers share resources with other
teachers!
WE ARE CREATING:
A ‘notables’ project. Over 5 lessons we will research and record notes on a person who has
lived a life clearly defined by their values. This will lead to students taking on the persona of
their chosen person (costume, voice etc) and presenting their findings, fielding questions all
in the first person.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
During the ‘Notables’ project each student will be responsible for selecting a person who
has made a positive contribution to the world. Students will then become an expert on that
person.
This project will include in-depth research accumulated from a variety of sources including
our library, the public library, and the internet.
Students will present their person to guests (either family or fellow classmates/teachers)
who will be invited to ask our ‘Notables’ about themselves, their accomplishments, their
values and the time period in which they lived.
EXAMPLES OF NOTABLES:
- Malala Youseff - Nobel Peace prize winner, ambassador for girls education (values:
courage, perseverance, kindness, hope)
- Mahatma Gandhi - the main leader of the Indian independence movement (values: love,
forgiveness, social justice, kindness)
- Martin Luther prominent civil rights leader in the US (values: courage, perseverance,
faith, hope)

I N FO R M AT I O N FO R S T U D E N TS
INFORMATION
FOR STUDENTS:
FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE NOTABLES PROJECT, THE TERM ‘NOTABLE
PERSON’ MEANS THE FOLLOWING:
• Someone who has a significant, POSITIVE impact on humanity as a whole.
• Someone who has had a significant, POSITIVE impact on sections of humanity.
THE NOTABLE PERSON MAY BE DEAD OR ALIVE.

Your work must focus on the NOTABLE aspect/s of your person, what values do they/did
they display in their life– eg: Adam Goodes setting up a foundation for young Indigenous
children not the fact that he was a famous footballer
The following are not reasons for someone being considered notable for the purposes of
the Notables project:Someone being famous (e.g. Princess Mary of Denmark)
• Someone being good at something (e.g. David Beckham)
• Someone being rich (e.g. Bill Gates)
• Someone being in the news a lot (e.g. a current politician)
• *unless you can prove that this person lives by their values and has a positive impact
SCOPE OF PROJECT
Our ‘Notables’ project is divided into five sub-projects:
1. Research:
• A list of 10 research questions that you will answer about your chosen person. Questions
will prepare you for the presentation. Based on these findings you need to create a
compass of values that represents this person.
2. Presentation: This is the multimedia presentation (approximately 3-4 minutes) that you
will deliver to your peers. It should provide all the most important details of your ‘Notables’
life and their positive contribution to the world
• What drives this notable?
• Who is my notable person?
• Why did I choose my notable person?
• When and where did he/she live?
• What has she/he done for the world and society?
• How did their values help them to achieve this?
• How would the world be different had my notable person not existed?
3. Speech: You will deliver a 2 minute speech ‘in character’ to our classroom.
*You will be dressed and act as your notable person

INFORMATION
FOR STUDENTS:
4. Display table: You will create a table that will place the audience in the time and place
the eminent person lived. Many of the tasks below can be done in class at school. You may
also have ideas not on this list.
• QUESTION BOX - The students choose ten questions that they feel confident they can
answer about their ‘Notable’. Each question is written on a card and then placed into a
box to be drawn out by people visiting the display.
• COSTUME - Keep this as simple and low-cost as possible. Use old clothes and borrow
from friends.
• QUOTATIONS - Printed out large, these can look great. They might be words said by the
‘Notable’ person in a speech, or a quotation from a book written by the ‘Notable’, or
words that someone else has said about him/her.
• NOTABLE’S BIOGRAPHY - For this part of the project, you need to use the research on
your notable person to display what you learnt from them. Include WHY you have
chosen this notable person and how they have inspired you. The values compass must
be displayed on this poster. The written component needs to be presented on a single-
sided sheet of paper mounted on card and must be able to be attached to the wall for
display purposes.
See sample work in next page
NON ESSENTIAL ITEMS/IDEAS:

• Food This may relate to the Notable’s life or country of origin. This item MUST be
approved by your teacher.
• Pictures/Photos* of the Notable person. Your teachers can help with photocopying
these if desired.
• Activities These could include quizzes, word searches, colouring competitions, or hands-
on experiences. You only need one!

I N FO R M AT I O N FO R S T U D E N TS - A SA M P L E P R O J E C T
WORK SAMPLE FROM A
STUDENT:
My notable person is Adam Goodes. I chose him because I had always admired him as an
AFL player/ In the last few years of his career he was being booed by opposition and
crowds and how well he felt with it was amazing but the fact that he even had to was
horrible. Recently I saw the movie The Australian Dream where I found out a lot more
about Adam Goodes. It was incredible but also really sad. I learnt all about Adam’s
experiences on and off the AFL field.
He has inspired me never to be racist and to stand up for what you believe in no matter
what the circumstances. I feel like I’m a better person after learning about him and it
makes me think more critically about what I do and how it affects other people. In
situations of racism, I have learnt to not think about what the person who said it meant
but how it affected the victim. He is overall a great role model and an amazing person.
Born on the 8th of January 1980, in Wallaroo South Australia, Adam Roy Goodes is most
known for being a (retired) AFL player and Aboriginal Australian activist. He was born to
Graham Goodes (of British ancestry) and Lisa May (of Aboriginal ancestry), along with
his two brothers Jake and Brett.
Goodes started playing AFL competitively in high school, which is also when the
derogatory comments about his nationality started to sting, although his friends were
never racist and never made him feel different. The majority of his friends were white so
he relied on his relatives to teach him about his history.
His love for AFL truly began when he started representing his schools football team at
age 16 when he began playing with the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup. He went
on to play in a winning premiership side, where he was scouted by the Sydney Swans and
went on to play with them in 1999.
Only when he moved to Sydney did he become so heavily involved in his Aboriginal
background. He went to his first indigenous camp in Melbourne where he raised he
didn’t know anything about his ‘mob’ and became very interested in learning more. The
more he learned the more proud he got about his culture. This is when the names and
insults started to cut pretty deep. This is also when he swore to himself that he would call
out all racist comments made to him.

INFORMATION
FOR STUDENTS:
5. Reflection: A written reflection needs to take place following the presentation:
1. What did I learn from the project and my notable?
2. What did I learn about myself, my learning, etc.?
3. Why is this project important?
4. What did I do well?
5. How could I have improved?

A P P E N D I X CO N V E R SAT I O N S TA R T E R S - F LO U R I S H W I T H F R I E N D S
APPENDIX
CONVERSATION STARTERS
1. If you had to do something for an entire day, without stopping, what would it be? Why?
2. If you could click your fingers and be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
3. If you could have four people, dead or alive, famous or not, to come for dinner, who would you
choose? Why?
4. If you could have a super power, just for one day, which one would you choose? Why?
5. If the classroom could have anything in it - what you put in here? Why?
6. If you had the power to change one thing about that world that would help it, what would you
change?
7. Would you rather go to school for an entire year without a day off and then have a full year off? Or
stick to the way things are? Why?
8. If it could rain food on you, what would you choose it to be?
9. Would you rather be able to breathe under water or fly, why?
10. If you could be of benefit without any limitations, what would you choose to do for others? Why?
11. If you could turn back time, what would you change?
12. Would you rather eat worms or spiders? Why?
13. If you could change two things about the school, what would they be?
14. Are you more terrified of sharks or crocodiles. Why?
15. If you were a piece of ham and you were trying to escape from a plate so as to avoid being eaten, how
would you do it?’
16. Would you rather swim in the waters off Antarctica in your bathers or walk through the Sahara desert
in a winter jackets you couldn’t take off? Why?
17. If you had a glass of water that was filled half way - would you say it was half full or half empty? Why?
18. If you lived inside the story of a book would it be Harry Potter or The Lion the Witch and the
Wardrobe?
19. If you won 1 million dollars tomorrow how would you spend it?
20. If you had the power to make either kindness or humour compulsory for all students, which one
would you choose? Why?

A P P E N D I X CO N V E R SAT I O N S TA R T E R S - S H A R I N G S TO R I E S
APPENDIX
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
Jake loves the usual things a kid his age loves. Minecraft, soccer, a bit of Fortnight when he is allowed, his
dog and above it all, he loves his friends. They make him laugh. One of his mates is a boy called George,
who he has been friends with since he was in preschool. Their mums are friends, they go on holidays
together. They have always had each others backs. Lately though, for no real reason, everyone seems to
be finding George annoying. Tim, a boy in their group pulled everyone aside while George was out of
the room the other day and suggested that they start ignoring George, ghosting him a little until he gets
the hint that they don’t want to hang out with him anymore. Jake has a question:
“What do you mean by ghosting?” Jake asks
Tim: “ You know, like we all just completely cut him out, ignore him, walk past him, when he speaks look the
other way until he gets the hint he doesn’t belong with us anymore. Either do it with us, or don’t. But if you
don’t you can’t really hang out with us either”
Jake feels really torn, friends are everything, he really likes George but he doesn’t want to loose his other
five friends. He decides he has no choice.
For the next 3 days, Jake ghosts George along with the other boys. When George tries to speak they walk
away, if George cracks a joke they don’t smile, at play time they keep moving away from him not
acknowledging anything he has said. After the third day George directly walks up to Jake and in
desperation says:
“Jake, why won’t you talk to me anymore? What have I done? What can I do to make this stop? I don’t get
it.”
Tim is watching this interaction and Jake can feel the other boys also staring at him. He doesn’t respond,
and walks away to join the other boys who give him a cheer and get on with playing.
While Jake likes getting the admiration from his mates, he feels a little sick too. That night he can't sleep.
When he wakes in the morning his mum asks him directly about George, explaining that she had spoken
with his mother and that George had stopped eating and was desperately sad. Jake snaps at his mum and
rolls his eyes throughout the conversation:
Mum says finally with exasperation:
“Whatever George has done or not done. The least you can do, is tell him. Ignoring someone is one of the
highest forms of school cruelty”
Remorse smacks Jake in the face, he knows what he has to do. At the school gate he sees George, he runs
up
“George, Im sorry, I’ve been a jerk, it was Tim’s idea to ghost you, but it was really mean, I will stop doing it
ok?”

A P P E N D I X CO N V E R SAT I O N S TA R T E R S - S H A R I N G S TO R I E S
APPENDIX
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
George looks at him and then immediately looks past him and away, saying nothing and making it clear, it
is not ok.
You get to choose what Jake does next out of these two options
Option a) Jake chases after George and repeats the apology
Option b) Jake walks away, shrugs his shoulders and thinks, well I tried.
Option a)
Jake chases after George and repeats the apology, this time pleading a little bit
“Please George, I really stuffed up, it was so mean. Please can we be friends again, I really am sorry”
This time George looks directly at him and says “Leave me alone, friends are meant to be loyal to each
other, I can’t trust you again”
Meanwhile, the other boys see this all unfold and have a quick meeting
“Let's ghost Jake too, he can’t be trusted”

Jake spends the rest of the day being ghosted by the friends he was trying to fit in with. George ignores
him and Jake feels utterly rubbish, he also feels something else though, shame. He now knows exactly
how George felt. And he doesn’t even care about his other friends anymore. He doesn’t know how to
make things right again. He also feels so bad about himself. He decides he has two options, you get to
choose one of them:
a) Try to apologise again in person to George and if that fails write him a letter. Commit to being a better
person, forgiving himself and letting George know that he made mistake but does have his back.
b) Forget about George, he will probably never forgive you, you may as well continue on this road with
the cool kids and see where it takes you. Do everything in your power to get back in with their group.
Option b)
Jake walks away, shrugs his shoulders and thinks, well I tried. He joins his other friends but he feels strange
for the rest of the day. He agrees with everything Tim and the other boy say, he pretends to find things
they do funny. George meanwhile seems more confident and uninterested in them. Jake goes home, his
mum tries asking him about it but he snaps at her and said “I tried”. That night, Jake realises he has two
options. You can choose what he does next:
He can:
a)Write George a letter AND also tell the boys he isn’t going to be ghosting anyone anymore. He knows
he risks losing their friendship but he can’t keep pretending to be someone he isn’t. While he might be
alone, it kind of feels lonely fitting in to a group that makes him feel rubbish.
b) Commit to being friends with the boys and ignoring George, that way he will at least have people to be
around. He doesn’t want to be alone.
* What do you think happens next?!

A P P E N D I X VA LU E S
APPENDIX
VALUES
W I T H T H A N K S TO T H E I N S T I T U T E O F P O S I T I V E E D U C AT I O N , G E E LO N G G R A M M A R S C H O O L
FO R T H E I R WO R K O N D E S C R I B I N G T H E FO L LOW I N G VA LU E S
Cheerfulness
Being generally cheerful and positive
Nature
Connecting with nature
Love
Sharing close relationships, emotions and experiences with those close to me
Health
Prioritising my own health and wellbeing
Humour and playfulness

Having fun and including humour in your life
Gratitude
Expressing gratitude as a fundamental component of relationships
Resilience
Being able to stand strong or pick myself up again when things get hard
Mindfulness
Being in the moment; having awareness of the moment to moment consequences of my actions
Diversity
Being willing to include others and accept all others
Respect
Showing respect to all of those around me
Competition
Competing against others or myself
Perceptiveness
Seeing possibilities as they arise, understanding the nuances of situations

APPENDIX
VALUES
Service
Serving others or a greater cause
Serenity
Moment of calm and quiet
Sense of Peace
Having a sense of inner harmony and composure
Empathy
Being able to put myself in the shoes of another
Thoughtfulness
Acting with consideration of the consequences of my actions
Happiness
The importance of joy and contentment in my life
Recreation
Being involved in recreational activities
Fairness
Having my decisions or interactions result in equitable outcomes
Dependability
Meeting my obligations; being someone people can count on
Openness
Being open to possibilities
Creativity
Creating or enjoying original works, whether the arts, gardening, ideas…

APPENDIX
VALUES
Religion
The belief in and worship of a higher power
Physical work
Participating in physical work, working with my hands or body
Meaningful work
Engaging in activities which link to my sense of meaning or purpose
Teamwork
Being part of a team and working with others to complete a shared goal
Kindness
Acting with kindness
Vulnerability
Being open to uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure
Hope
Believing in the possibility of a better future
Awe
Feeling wonder and inspiration in the presence of beauty and excellence
Courage
Acting bravely, stepping outside of my comfort zone
Social intelligence
Being aware of others – their feelings, motivations and interests
Loyalty
Being loyal to friends, family, those around me

APPENDIX
VALUES
Reliability
Doing what I say I will do, following through on my promises
Persistence
Keeping going when obstacles present themselves
Punctuality
Being on time
Judgement
Taking decisive action, making wise assessment of situations
Leadership
Helping to guide and direct others
Learning
Researching ideas and things; gaining knowledge
Motivating
Making things happen, being an agent for inspiration and change
Honesty
Being honest above all else
Efficiency
Completing tasks in the best possible way; working without waste
Growth
Striving to be a better person
Faith
Having a belief in a higher order or reason for events

APPENDIX
VALUES
Integrity
Behaving in a way that is consistent with my beliefs, even when challenged by others
Optimism
Believing in positive results or outcomes
Order
Following rules, doing things in an organised manner
Open-mindedness
Taking in all details, withholding judgement until I have all the information
Critical thinking
Being aware of other ways of doing things; playing devil’s advocate
Acknowledgement
Being admired by others, getting recognition
Independence
Being self-sufficient; not being indebted to or reliant upon others
Adventure
Filling life with new experiences and uncertain outcomes
Ambition
Being ambitious and hard working
Balance
Balance between work; leisure and relationships
Citizenship
Being a concerned and aware citizen of my community, contributing to the world around
me

APPENDIX
VALUES
Curiosity
Discovering new things; exploring ideas
Fitness
Physical fitness; engaging in sports or activities
Wealth
Financial prosperity
Freedom
The freedom of all people to act according to their own values or beliefs
Flexibility
Being adaptable in my response to situations
Forgiveness
Forgiving others and being forgiven
Passion
Being emotionally involved in what I am doing
Trustworthiness
Being someone that the people around me trust
Uniqueness
The uniqueness of all individuals
Wisdom
Having and sharing knowledge
Zest
Enthusiasm and vigour
Problem solving
Helping others, resolving disputes, coming to solutions

APPENDIX
VALUES
Reputation
Being considered a good person by the community
Competence
Being competent and effective
Self-control
Being disciplined and resisting temptation
Security
Being safe from danger; feeling good about myself and my possibilities
Accomplishment
Having a sense of accomplishment and making a lasting contribution, a feeling of success
Discretion
Being thoughtful in my communications, avoiding causing offence
Determination
Being motivated to complete tasks
Professionalism
Acting in a manner accordant to the situation
Dignity
Acting and treating others with dignity
Reason
Having a logical and measured approach
Acceptance
Accepting others as they are

APPENDIX
VALUES
Spirituality
The human spirit or soul, rather than material things; connection to something bigger than myself
Strength
Acting with strength – physical or emotional
Connection
Having close relationships with others
Relaxation
Down-time; enjoying time spent relaxing
Humility
The belief that the contributions of others are as valuable as my own

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GROW YOUR MIND LESSONS & PROJECTS

FOR YEARS 1-6

YEAR 2 - OPERATION B.O.B

YEAR 3 - FLOURISH WITH MY FRIENDS

YEAR 4 - SHARING STORIES, SPOTTING STRENGTHS

YEAR 5 - MY DOSE OF WELLBEING

YEAR 6 - DEVELOPING MY INNER COMPASS

growyourmind.life | © Grow Your Mind 2020

SKILLS: according to the NSW PDHPE syllabus

growyourmind.life | © Grow Your Mind 2020

PROJECT: MINDFUL MOMENTS

ACTIVITY 1: CONNECT WITH YOUR CLASS

ACTIVITY 2: ROLE PLAY

ACTIVITY 4: REFLECTION + TAKE HOME CHALLENGE

growyourmind.life | © Grow Your Mind 2020

ACTIVITY 1: CONNECT WITH YOUR CLASS

ACTIVITY 2: READ THE BOOK AND DISCUSS

ACTIVITY 3: ROLE PLAY DOING THINGS MINDFULLY

growyourmind.life | © Grow Your Mind 2020

ACTIVITY 1: CONNECT WITH YOUR CLASS

ACTIVITY 2: DRAW THE FEELING, GIVE IT A COLOUR

ACTIVITY 3: CREATE AN ART DISPLAY

growyourmind.life | © Grow Your Mind 2020

ACTIVITY 1: THREE THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW

ACTIVITY 2: MINDFULLY LISTENING TO MUSIC

ACTIVITY 3: MINDFULNESS IS NOT JUST BREATHING AND LISTENING

growyourmind.life | © Grow Your Mind 2020

STUDENTS/TEACHERS CAN CHOOSE FROM THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:

growyourmind.life | © Grow Your Mind 2020

PROJECT: SPOTLIGHTING A B.O.B. PERSON

ACTIVITY 1: CONNECT WITH YOUR CLASS

ACTIVITY 2: INTRODUCING BOB

ACTIVITY 3: B.O.B BRAINSTORM

ACTIVITY 4: REFLECTION AND MAKE A PLAN

growyourmind.life | © Grow Your Mind 2020

ACTIVITY 1: CONNECT WITH YOUR CLASS

ACTIVITY 2: SPOTTING THE STRENGTHS THAT ENABLE PEOPLE TO

ACTIVITY 3: DRAFT A THANK YOU NOTE

ACTIVITY 4: EDIT, SEND AND REFLECT

growyourmind.life | © Grow Your Mind 2020

ACTIVITY 1: BRAINSTORM WITH TITLES

ACTIVITY 2: COMPLETE BRAINSTORM AND COME UP WITH

ACTIVITY 3: CREATE A FILM!

ACTIVITY 4: REFLECT AND PLAN

growyourmind.life | © Grow Your Mind 2020

growyourmind.life | © Grow Your Mind 2020

PROJECT: UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIPS

ACTIVITY 1: CONNECT WITH YOUR CLASS

ACTIVITY 2: CLASS DISCUSSION AND BRAINSTORM

ACTIVITY 3: HEALTHY INGREDIENTS LIST

growyourmind.life | © Grow Your Mind 2020

ACTIVITY 1: CONNECT WITH YOUR CLASS

ACTIVITY 2: BRAINSTORM ALL THE WAYS TO DEAL WITH CONFLICT

ACTIVITY 3: ROLE PLAY TWO WAYS TO DEAL WITH CONFLICT

growyourmind.life | © Grow Your Mind 2020

ACTIVITY 1: CLOUDS AND CONNECTING

ACTIVITY 2: DESCRIBE ARGUMENT FROM 2 VIEWS

ACTIVITY 3: SHARE PERSPECTIVES WITH THE CLASS

growyourmind.life | © Grow Your Mind 2020