Working at
Harmony
The main theme of this unit is to experience listening as
an important communication skill. Listening is particularly
important when people are experiencing change in their
lives, and change happens in all our lives at some time.
The activities suggested focus on encouraging listening
skills and helping to develop empathy.
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding: Key Stage 2, Year 6
Strand 2: Mutual Understanding in the Local and Wider Community
Unit 4: Working at Harmony
Complementary Units: Speaking Up for Me
Check It Out First!
Decisions! Decisions!
Teaching approaches
Classroom Ethos
Fair Grouping
Mutual understanding is process based. The main
focus is on developing attitudes and skills. For example,
in this unit children develop self-awareness, listening,
cooperation and empathy. Everyone’s experiences and
opinions are valued and respected. Right answers are
not sought. Everyone is given the opportunity to express
their views and tell their stories. That is how we learn to
understand each other.
Fair group the children using other learning and teaching topics.
For example, if you are doing a local study in the Cushendall
area, organise groups of four by making four cards for each of
the following words: Lurigethan, Charlie McAuley, Tieveragh,
Layde, Dall, Glenballyemon, and Glenariff. Mix up the cards
and allocate randomly within the class. Alternatively, write a
short description of each place or person and have the children
sort themselves into the groups, naming the place or person
described on their cards.
Fair Pairing
Working with Others
Fair pair children using other learning and teaching
topics, for example have two piles of cards: one
showing shapes and the other using words to describe
the shapes. Ask the children to pair up by matching
the words on one card to the shape on another. For
example, an outline of a circle is matched with the word
circumference; or, an angle of 35° is matched with the
word acute (see Resource B).
You may decide to Fair Pair and Fair Group the children once
each week or twice each month. Having the children work with
others in this way helps their mutual understanding of each
other and is well worth the time it takes to organise.
Key Experiences
in initiating, developing and sustaining
mutually satisfying relationships
Building on Key Stage 1
Initiating and developing mutually
satisfying relationships:
- knowing how to be a good friend; and
- understanding that they can take on some responsibility in their family
and friendship groups.
Working at Key Stage 2
Initiating, developing
and sustaining mutually
satisfying relationships:
-
-
-
recognising the benefits of friends and families;
finding out about sources of help and support for individuals, families and groups; and
considering the challenges and issues that can arise at home, at school between friends, and how they can be avoided, lessened, or resolved.
Moving towards Key Stage 3
Personal Development Key Concept: Relationships
Personal Development Key Concept: Self-awareness
Home Economics Key Concept:
Home and Family Life
Progress in learning
• I can show that I am listening.
• I can repeat what someone says to me in my
own words.
• Other people think I am a good listener.
• I can suggest how other people might be feeling.
• I can express how I am feeling.
• I can tell other people politely when someone or something is annoying me.
• I know that life brings changes.
• I know that some changes will feel good
and others will feel bad.
• I am learning ways of coping with change.
2
Key Stage 2, Year 6
Strand 2: Mutual Understanding in the Local and Wider Community
Working at Harmony
Learning intention:
Learning together
Understand the factors
that contribute to mutually
satisfying relationships
Key Questions for your Planning Board
What do
we know
already?
These are a range of questions that you and your class can use to plan the unit.
The Planning Board is a work in progress, and as questions are answered others can be asked.
What do we
want to find out?
Who can help us
to learn more?
What can we bring?
What can we make?
How will
we begin?
How will we show
our learning?
How are we
What do
going to arrange we need?
our classroom?
Where can we
find out more?
What do
we have?
What can we do?
Who can come
to visit our class?
How are we
going to tell
people?
Who are we going to tell? What do we need?
Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities by the end of Key Stage 2
Managing information
Be able to ask deeper and wider questions to
clarify a task and to plan and set goals;
Begin to challenge conventions and assumptions;
Be able to classify, compare and evaluate
information, and to select the most appropriate
methods for a task;
Develop methods for collating and recording
information and monitoring progress on a task; and
Have a sense of audience and purpose.
Understand more than one point of view;
Examine options and weigh up pros and cons;
Try alternative problem solving solutions and
approaches; and
Use different types of questions systematically
and with purpose.
Being creative
Pose questions that do not have straightforward
answers and seek out problems to solve and
challenge the routine method;
Working with others
Become more independent in social and
interpersonal skills;
Show that they can work in different roles in a
group and take responsibility for appropriate tasks;
Be willing to help others with their learning;
Understand and learn to respond to feedback; and
Work with peers to reach agreements and begin to
manage disagreements.
Thinking, problem solving
and decision-making
Use all the senses to stimulate and contribute to ideas;
Self-management
Experiment with different modes of thinking
(for example visualisation);
Evaluate what has been learnt and compare
approaches with others;
Show the ability to use memory strategies to
deepen understanding;
See opportunities in mistakes and failures;
Make links between learning in different contexts;
Learn from and build on own and others’ ideas
and experiences;
Become more self-directed by working
independently or with a group;
Value other people’s ideas;
Learn ways to manage own time;
Experiment with objects and ideas in a playful way;
Seek help from a variety of sources;
Make ideas real by experimenting with different
ideas, actions and outcomes; and
Work towards personal targets identified
individually or jointly with the teachers; and
Begin to develop value judgments about the merits
of their work.
Be more confident in the knowledge of personal
strengths and weaknesses.
Identify and order patterns and relationships through
a range of strategies such as grouping, classifying
and reclassifying, and comparing and contrasting;
Make and test predictions, examine evidence and
make links between possible causes and effects;
Discriminate between fact and opinion
and question the reliability of evidence;
3
4
Across the Curriculum: Connecting the learning
Language and Literacy
Working with Others
Mathematics and Numeracy
Listening attentively
and giving feedback
Democratic decision
making while using
mathematical language
Words and
phrases I will
hear and use
Empathy Angry
Emotions
Glad
Nervous
Being sensitive to others’ feelings
Respect
Frustrated
Rejected
Understanding
Acceptance
Confused
e
t
a
i
e
t
a
i
t
r
p
o
o
r
p
Neg lnfluenced Ap
Learning activities
Activity 1
Taking time to listen
Activity 3
Rory’s team
Existing listening skills are built
on and further developed.
Children find ways to express their
own needs within a relationship.
Activity 2
Listening for feelings
Activity 4
Coping with change
Children begin to interpret how
someone may be feeling.
Strategies to cope with change
are developed.
5
6
Learning activity 1: Taking time to listen
CORE CONCEPT
We all need to work on our listening skills to
better understand what people are saying
when they are talking to us. We need to think
not only about the spoken word but also
about tone of voice, body language and what
is not said in order to increase our depth of
understanding. Listening is the basis of good
relationships, mutual understanding and
effective communication. Clear communication
is important when others are trying to receive
the correct message.
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERIA
We will demonstrate good listening skills.
We will give clear messages when we talk
to others.
POINTS TO NOTE
Year 6 listening skills build on
those developed in Year 5, so you
may wish to revisit Year 5 Living.
Learning. Together. activities in
order to familiarise yourself with
and remind the children of good
listening skills. As in previous
years, it is important that you be
sensitive to the children’s differing
listening abilities and encourage
their development. Some children
may be shy and find it difficult to
participate in the activities. Others
may have hearing difficulties or
come from cultures that have
different values or attitudes to
ours. Others may find it difficult
to interpret feelings.
Also, when we try to understand
what others are saying, it does not
mean that we have to agree with
them; it just means that we try to
understand fully why they think
what they do. Then we can begin
to interpret the feelings associated
with what is being said.
Finally, the speaker is responsible
for what he or she says, but the
listener is responsible for what he
or she hears. The listener needs
to clarify what is ‘heard’ by asking
questions (see Year 5 Green Unit
4, Resource B). Above all, this is
as much about listening to the
children and developing your own
skills as it is about developing the
children’s skills!
The activities are not intended to
be followed sequentially but can
be developed throughout the
school year as your children’s
skills develop. Listening strategies
can be used across the curriculum.
WHAT YOU NEED
- Letter to Parent(s)/Carer(s) (Resource A)
- Fair Pair Cards (Resource B)
- Guidelines for Listening (Resource C)
- Three simple picture outlines (alternatively, see Primary Values p251)
WHAT TO DO
- Review
- Something that Happened to Me
- Guidelines for Listening
- Communicating Clearly
Guidelines for Listening
Review
Give the children a few minutes to note down individually what they know
about listening skills. Then, fair pair the children (see Resource B), and ask the
pairs to share their notes and to refine their lists. Ask each group to contribute
a suggestion. Finally, compare and discuss each suggestion so that you and
the class can evaluate their current understanding of listening skills. Use the
following questions to help prompt discussion:
-
-
-
-
-
-
What has everyone learned?
Listening well is sometimes difficult to do? Why?
What are some reasons why people don’t listen?
What can we do about these reasons?
What’s wrong with not listening when someone is talking to you?
How can not listening create difficult feelings between family or friends?
Something that Happened to Me
Begin by asking the children the following question: Have you ever had a
bad misunderstanding because you didn’t listen carefully or because
somebody didn’t listen carefully to you? Ask the children to share those
instances with the class and to explain what their feelings were. Remind
them to think carefully about the words they use so that they don’t mention
a person’s name. Ask them to share by saying: Someone said _____ or
Once when someone told me to _____ . There will be no judgement of
what happened. You just need an example. Encourage them to concentrate
carefully and to give the facts of what happened. Explain that sometimes
when we are trying to give the facts of a situation, it helps not to use adjectives.
Then, use the following questions to prompt class discussion:
- How can listening carefully help friendships?
- When somebody is not listening to you,
what can you do to encourage them to listen?
As a class, draw up a Class Listening Contract. You may decide to remind
children of Learning Activity 3 in the Year 5 Green Unit. Alternatively, use
Guidelines for Listening (Resource C) to initiate discussion. The children could
design and represent the contract as a flow chart or poster.
Ask the children to start to practise their listening skills in the everyday
situations in the classroom and in the playground. These situations might
include a misunderstanding, a disagreement, when someone feels something
is unfair, when someone has great news, etc. The children will best learn this
skill when you and the other adults in the classroom model good listening
skills and seek to facilitate, rather than instruct, in the above situations. Review
the contract regularly and change as necessary.
Communicating Clearly
Good communication is important for
good listening. Collect three pictures
showing a simple shape, stylised
animal (for example a cat, pig, bird)
or building (for example a house).
See Primary Values pp250-251 for
examples of stylised animals.
Begin by showing the class a sample
stylised image. Explain that the activity
will be for them to instruct someone on
how to draw an image without using
expressions such as ‘like a leg’ or ‘like
a handle’. Instead, they must use clear
communication and instructions like:
‘Draw a circle with a diameter of 5cm.
Inside this circle, 1 cm from the base of
the circumference, draw another circle
with a diameter of 2cm’.
Then, do the activity once as a class.
Ask another classroom adult or two
volunteers to leave the room. Then,
show the rest of the class a new
picture you have chosen. Invite the
adult or volunteers back into the
classroom, and ask the children
to start giving the instructions (one
instruction at a time). The adults or
volunteers then draw the picture
according to the instructions.
The class should not see the resulting
picture until they have given all their
instructions. Afterwards, they may give
further instructions until it is completed
satisfactorily.
Discuss helpful and unhelpful
instructions and the need to be
specific. When everyone is clear about
the task, let the children work in pairs,
each completing a different drawing.
You can use geometrical drawings to
extend the children’s mathematical
language skills, but remember that
the main purpose of this exercise is to
extend their communication skills!
Later, you can repeat this exercise
using a different picture, but this
time encourage the listeners to ask
questions to clarify their understanding
as they do the drawing.
7
8
Learning activity 2: Listening for feelings
CORE CONCEPT
Listening for feelings is an important
aspect of listening and encourages
the development of empathy.
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERIA
We will demonstrate listening skills and
identify feelings associated with what
is being said/not said.
We will understand and talk about the
importance of being empathetic.
il sten
POINTS TO NOTE
To introduce this exercise,
consider having a brief
discussion about a magic
market and what might be
bought there. Listening to what
the children ‘buy’ will give you a
greater insight to their thoughts
and feelings. You may need
to consider how to adapt the
activities for those who find the
interpretation of feelings difficult.
Many children will only be able to
practise these skills at the simplest
level, but you and the classroom’s
other adults can guide them by
consistently modelling the skills.
It is an ongoing concept and is
not confined to this year, this unit
or just children.
WHAT YOU NEED
- I’ll Be Late (Resource D) or Brendan Needs a Friend (Resource E)
- Initial Feelings 1 (Resource F)
- Initial Feelings 2 (Resource G)
- A selection of pictures or the children’s favourite photographs
WHAT TO DO
- Circle Work
- Story
- Discussion
- Circle Work
- Picture Activity
- Class Discussions and Debates
Circle Work
Sit the children in a circle. Ask a volunteer to finish the sentence:
I went to the magic market and I bought _____ . The next child
then repeats the sentence and adds on an extra item.
Continue this for six or seven children, with each child including the
items suggested by previous children. Repeat so that every child in
the class gets an opportunity to participate in this activity, but adjust
the number to ensure that every child can succeed and none is
embarrassed by not being able to remember the items. Elicit from the
children the important aspects of listening that they used during this
activity. Ask them what they do when they are really listening (being
quiet, concentrating, careful listening, looking, ignoring distractions,
remembering). Remind the children about the Class Listening Contract.
Story
Read one or both stories (I’ll Be
Late or Brendan Needs a Friend)
with the children. Ask the children
to listen carefully to the story and,
in particular, to the feelings of the
different characters in the story. Use
Resources F and/or G to enable each
child to note their initial thoughts
about the people involved in the story,
how the characters feel and what the
characters might need to help with
their feeling. Rather than guide the
children as to the people to identify in
the story, let their choice indicate their
skills in empathy. List the feelings they
identify in the story.
Discussion
Use the following questions
for discussion
I’ll Be Late:
- Why did Jane not notice that her dad was in bad form?
- How did her dad show the
way he was feeling?
- Could she have behaved in
a different way?
- Did Sarah listen well?
If not, what stopped her?
- How might Sarah help the situation now?
Ask the children to identify those
people they wrote about and to
Picture Activity
discuss what they thought they
needed. Ask them to give reasons
and relate this to their own
experiences if they wish.
Brendan Needs a Friend:
- Why did Brendan want to go home with Jim and Tom?
- How was Brendan feeling?
- In what way did he show
his feelings?
- How do you think Jim felt
when he heard about Brendan being bullied?
- Did Jim listen well?
If not, what stopped him?
- How might Jim help the situation now?
Ask the children to identify those
people they wrote about and to
discuss what they thought they
needed. Ask them to give reasons
and relate this to their own
experiences if they wish.
Circle Work
Pass the speaking object around
and invite each child to complete
the sentence: When I’m listened
to I feel _____ . Encourage them
to talk about their own experiences
of listening to a friend who had a
problem or being listened to when
they, themselves, had a difficulty.
You will need a selection of eye
catching pictures, for example the
work of an artist that you are studying
in Art and Design. Display the pictures
so that everyone can look at them
and choose one which appeals
to them in some way. Fair pair the
children and give each pair four or
five minutes to talk about their picture
with their partner (two minutes per
partner). At the end, ask each child
to explain to the rest of the group
what his/her partner liked about the
picture. Alternatively, ask the children
to bring in a favourite photograph
and to discuss with a partner why
they chose it.
You may decide to allocate a total
number of minutes to each pair
for discussion without offering any
reminder to ‘change over’. This gives
each person in the pair responsibility
for the allocation of time. Each pair
will need to decide for how long
each should talk and to take mutual
responsibility for ‘changing over’.
Each person also needs to decide
what to do if the other person
overruns his/her time allocation.
Giving such implicit responsibility
further develops empathy.
Class Discussions
and Debates
Using a class discussion or debate
format, both formal and informal,
ask the children to summarise what
the previous speaker has said before
they can speak themselves. Use the
‘speaking object’ as used in Circle
Time to contribute to a more equal
distribution of speaking time and to
encourage listening.
The listening skills of all of us are
at differing stages of development.
These exercises are not designed to
embarrass or denigrate those who
find listening, interpreting associated
feelings or remembering difficult.
For those who find remembering
difficult, encourage them to initially
make brief notes. This can create
confidence. However, as talking is
an oral activity and listening skills
are being promoted, you should
encourage the children to develop
their memory skills along with their
listening skills. When they learn to
think more about what the speaker is
saying and less about what they want
to say in response, they will find it
easier to remember what the speaker
is saying.
9
10
Learning activity 3: Rory’s team
CORE CONCEPT
We can all be influenced by family and friends,
and sometimes this can lead to problems.
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERIA
We will understand and discuss how family
and friends can influence our thinking.
We will demonstrate how to make our views
known in a difficult situation.
POINTS TO NOTE
At this stage of development,
children spend an increasing
amount of time in the company
of diverse groups. Their growing
freedom brings more responsibility
and the need to make important
decisions about what they do.
Rory’s Team
Tell the children that they are going to hear a story about the influence a group of friends had on a
young person. Then, read Rory’s Team with the class. Afterwards, ask the children to name some of
the feelings experienced by the people in the story. Use the following questions to initiate discussion:
- What do you think was going through Rory’s mind when the older children laughed?
- Why did Rory wish that he supported a ‘better’ team?
As a class, use Resource I to compare and contrast two football teams. Ask those who do not
support either team to comment constructively on the similarities and differences discussed by those
who do support them. For example, see Class Discussions and Debates in Learning activity 2.
- Is this a good way to choose a team to support? Why? Why not?
- When might using a strategy like this be useful?
WHAT YOU NEED
- Rory’s Team (Resource H)
- Compare and Contrast (Resource I)
- Choices (Resource J)
WHAT TO DO
- Rory’s Team
- Feelings
- How Do You Tell Someone
that You Don’t Want to
Do Something?
Feelings
Ask the children to imagine how they might feel if they were asked
to leave their group of close friends because they wanted to do
something different than the group. Highlight the importance of
friendship. Ask the children to discuss what they would lose if they
could no longer belong to their group of friends. Has anyone an
example of this? How did it work out? Record their responses in a
Circle of Feelings on the board. The following is an illustration of this:
How Do You Tell Someone That You
Don’t Want To Do Something?
Pose the following questions to the class:
- How do you think Rory felt when the tickets arrived?
- What options did Rory have?
sad
rejected
left out
alone
If I could no longer
belong to my
group of friends,
I would feel.....
upset
lonely
annoyed
angry
Make a class list and group similar suggestions together until you have at
least four or five possible options. Using Resource J, assign one option to
each group. Ask them to explore the strengths and weaknesses/pros and
cons of their given option. Then, ask each group to share their option with
the class as well as the pros/cons that they identified. As a class, decide a
possible course of action for Rory.
You can use the following questions to explore the topic further:
- Will family always come first?
- Will friends always come first?
Writing
Give each group time to write a short role play and to enact their story.
The role play should be about a real or made-up situation where an
individual wanted something different than the group and felt pulled
between family and friends, or between two school clubs, for example
music and sport.
11
12
Learning activity 4: Coping with change
CORE CONCEPT
Change is a normal feature of life.
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERION
We will identify how life brings change.
e
g
n
a
ch
POINTS TO NOTE
If we accept that change is
normal and we develop some
coping strategies, then we have
a better chance of coping when
faced with difficult changes.
Living.Learning.Together. is
not a counselling resource. If
after using the activities you feel
that a child has been adversely
affected by change, follow the
school’s procedures for providing
additional support to that child.
WHAT YOU NEED
- Circle Time: Changes (Resource K)
- Circle Time: A New Child in the Class (Resource L)
- Changes in Our Lives (Resource M)
WHAT TO DO
- Changes I Liked
- Discussing Changes
- Circle Time
- Changes I Didn’t Like
Changes I Liked
Circle Time
Discuss changes in nature and positive changes that have happened
in the local community. Discuss changes that have happened in school.
Discuss the feelings that everyone may have had at the prospect
of change and the advantages that are now evident. Discuss the
advantages and disadvantages of the situations discussed. Do the
advantages outweigh the disadvantages or vice-versa?
Use the Circle Time activities presented in Resources K and/or L to
discuss changes that the children have experienced.
Then, ask each child to think of one change in his/her life and why it
was they liked the change.
Discussing Changes
Ask the children to talk to a parent or, with their permission, a neighbour
or older relative. As a class, devise a questionnaire that explores what
changes their chosen person has seen. This could be in the area of food,
work, roles within the family, school, behaviour, entertainment or holidays.
Prepare the children for the fact that some people may have had very sad
changes in their lives. Expecting children only to relate to ‘happy’ times is
not realistic and does nothing to develop coping strategies for sad times
in their own lives. It also suggests that it is ‘wrong’ to be sad.
Questions to explore via the questionnaire could include:
- What was the biggest change that happened in the life of this person?
- How did the person feel?
- How long did it take the person to come to terms with the change?
- How did the person cope?
- Did anything help the person to cope?
- How does that person feel about the change now?
Changes I Didn’t Like
It is particularly important to give
parents the opportunity to speak
to you about this part of the Unit. It
is also important to be particularly
sensitive to children who are new
to the class, come from another
culture, have recently experienced
changes in their medical condition,
have suffered bereavement, etc.
This may be the only opportunity for
a child in the class to talk about a
situation that has been difficult and
to have class members listen and
try to empathise with the child.
Before you begin, explain what the
lesson is about so that they have
the opportunity to express any
concerns. Then, ask the children if
anyone would like to talk about a
change he or she didn’t like. It may
help to have the children respond
to the sentence stem: I didn’t like
it when _____ . In some cases, it
may also be appropriate to ask the
children to talk about ‘someone
close to me’ or ‘someone I know’
rather than name specific people
in a whole class situation. For those
children who are willing to share,
ask them:
-
-
-
What did it feel like?
Who were you able to talk to?
What if anything helped
the situation?
From the discussion, develop a
list of strategies and of people
or organisations that can help in
difficult situations. These might
include a teacher, bereavement
organisations, Childline, Northern
Ireland Commission for Children
and Young People or the Citizens
Advice Bureau. You can also look
in local and national newspapers
for organisations that help families,
young people and children. Finally,
invite visitors from appropriate
organisations to talk to the class.
13
14
Resource A
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Green Unit
Learning activity 1 : Taking time to listen
Letter to
Parent(s) /
Carer(s)
my schoo
l
15
Class Teacher
Yours faithfully,
I hope you enjoy discussing this unit with your child. If at any time you want any further
information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
The unit goes on to recognise that for all of us life brings change – some good, some
bad, and none in a particular order! If we accept that change is normal and we develop
some coping strategies, then we have a better chance of coping when faced with difficult
changes. Children will be asked to discuss the good or bad changes that you or other
relatives or friends have experienced. Expecting them only to relate to ‘happy’ times is not
realistic and does not help them develop coping strategies for sad times in their own lives.
It also suggests that it is ‘wrong’ to be sad. We hope you understand.
We will be reading short stories together to enable the children to discuss the feelings
associated with what is said. We do this by thinking about the tone of voice and body
language of the speaker as well as the words that are spoken. The topics of the stories
may lead to discussion on issues such as bullying, redundancy or illness. These activities
are designed to encourage the children to listen carefully and to respond thoughtfully
when others are speaking.
When we try to understand what others are saying, it does not mean that we have to
agree with them; it just means that we try to understand fully why they think what they do.
Then we can begin to interpret the feelings associated with what is being said. Together
in class we will draw up a list of ways in which we listen well to others. Please take time to
talk to your child about this list, and speak to me if you think there may be any problems
for your child in following what the class has agreed.
Our theme for this unit is Working at Harmony. We will be thinking about how to further
develop our listening skills and to consider the feelings of those speaking to us so that
we can understand them better. Listening is the basis of good relationships, mutual
understanding and effective communication, and clear communication is important when
we are trying to give or receive the correct message.
Dear Parent(s)/Carer(s),
Date
my school
Insert school logo or letter head
16
Resource B
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Green Unit
Learning activity 1 : Taking time to listen
Fair Pair
Cards
17
18
Resource B
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Green Unit
Learning activity 1 : Taking time to listen
Fair Pair
Cards
Square
Parallelogram
Octagon
Right angled
triangle
Cylinder
Hexagon
Pentagon
Cuboid
Isosceles
triangle
Equilateral
triangle
Acute angle
(less than 90°)
Obtuse angle
(bigger than
90° but less
than 180°)
Semi-circle
A circle with
a radius
Circumference
Circle
A shape with
four right
angles
Reflex angle
(bigger
than 180°)
A solid shape
with eight
corners and
six faces
In this four sided
shape, only the
opposite angles
are equal
A solid shape
with two
circles and one
rectangle
Trapezium
A four sided
figure with
only one pair of
sides parallel
Rectangle
Cone
19
20
Resource C
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Green Unit
Learning activity 1 : Taking time to listen
Guidelines for
Listening
STOP
Stop whatever you are doing in
order to give the person who is
speaking your full attention.
LOOK
Look at the person – do not stare.
Let the person see that you are
paying attention to him/her.
LISTEN
Try to hear not only the words of
the other person, but also what
the speaker’s body is saying.
Suggestions in Year 5
Look at the person who is talking.
Listen without interrupting.
Ask questions about feelings and facts to make sure you understand.
Nod your head or speak quietly to show you understand.
Check with the speaker to make sure you have understood what was
said by repeating what you heard in your own words.
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22
Resource D
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Green Unit
Learning activity 2: Listening for feelings
I’ll Be Late
Sarah was late for her friend Jane’s party
and was rushing around the house
getting ready. She heard her father drive
up outside and thought, “Great, I will be
able to get a lift over to Jane’s house.”
Dad came through the door slowly. His
head was bent and he was looking at the
ground. His briefcase seemed heavy.
12
9
3
6
k
c
o
t
k
tic
Sarah rushed over to him and said,
“Dad, can I have a lift to Jane’s house?
I’m late already for the party.” Her Dad
looked up and said, “Where is your
mother?” Jane didn’t know. She burst in,
“Dad, you have to give me a lift to Jane’s
house or I’ll miss the party.” Her Dad said,
“Could you get me a cup of tea first?”
Later when Jane was home she heard
her parents talking in the kitchen. Her Dad
was sitting with his head in his hands.
She wondered why he was looking so
dejected. Her mother had her hand on his
shoulder and was saying, “Maybe it will
not be as bad as you think.”
e
v
a
h
u
o
y
Dad,
a
e
m
e
v
i
to g
s
’
e
n
a
J
lift to
l
l
’
l
r
o
house
y
t
r
a
p
e
miss th
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24
Resource E
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Green Unit
Learning activity 2: Listening for feelings
Brendan
Needs a
Friend
It was first break time and Jim was playing
in the playground with his friend Tom. They
were having a great game when Jim’s
cousin, Brendan, who was looking a bit
worried, interrupted them. Brendan was in
Year 5 and Jim was his hero. They got on
well and played a lot together when the
families visited each other at the weekend.
Brendan asked Jim could he go home from
school with him that evening. Jim felt a bit
annoyed at the interruption but said yes.
Later at lunch time, Brendan came over
again and reminded Jim to wait for him
that evening.
It was a lovely September day and the
sun was shining. The teacher was doing
a topic about autumn. She told the boys
to collect as many samples of the fruits of
autumn as they could find that evening
and let them out of school on the dot
of three so that they had plenty of time
to look. Jim and Tom loved wandering
in the woods, and they were impatient
to be off. Tom said he knew where they
could find loads of conkers, beech nuts,
acorns and haws. So off they ran home
to tell their parents that they were going
searching. While they were in the woods,
Jim remembered Brendan.
Later that evening after supper, Brendan’s
dad arrived at the door. He was looking
cross and worried. He sat down and told
Jim’s parents that some bigger boys were
bullying Brendan on the way home from
school each day. They would wait until
he was on his own and then pick on him.
Today they had hit him, knocked him down
and thrown all his books around.
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26
Resource F
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Green Unit
Learning activity 2: Listening for feelings
Initial
Feelings 1
12
9
3
I’ll be late
6
Person
Feels
Needs
27
28
Resource G
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Green Unit
Learning activity 2: Listening for feelings
Initial
Feelings 2
Brendan Needs a Friend
Person
Feels
Needs
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30
Resource H
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Green Unit
Learning activity 3: Rory’s team
Rory’s Team
Rory supported Bolton Wanderers. He had done
so since he was five years old. His dad came
from Bolton and his grandmother still lived
there. He’d never been to see his team playing
and he rarely saw them on television. That was
the problem. They weren’t a very successful
team and they weren’t very popular either. In
fact, apart from his dad and himself, Rory didn’t
know anyone else who supported Bolton! But
every Saturday evening Rory sat with his dad
and listened to the football results.
Sometimes if Bolton was playing one of the
bigger teams, he would see highlights from the
game - it was usually United or City putting five
goals past the Bolton keeper! But once in the
first round of the cup, Bolton beat Liverpool 3-0.
Rory and his dad cheered and cheered when
they heard the result.
Then they were beaten in the next round.
Rory and his dad kept a scrapbook every
season. They cut out articles from football
magazines and match reports from the paper.
Rory’s Uncle Simon, who was a Bolton fan too,
sent him programmes from the matches that
he attended.
At school, Rory’s classmates supported
Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.
They were the most popular teams. Two of the
girls supported Chelsea and the twins, Martin
and Liam, supported Newcastle. When Rory
was in Year 5 he wore his navy and white scarf
to school. The other children asked him whose
colours they were. They all laughed when Rory
said he supported Bolton Wanderers. After
that, Rory rarely joined in when they talked
about football.
In Year 6, Rory wished he supported a better
team. He really liked Liverpool. Two of the
Republic of Ireland team played for them.
Eoin and Conor, his best friends, supported
them. Rory wondered what Dad would say if
he told him that he didn’t want to be a Bolton
Wanderers fan anymore. He thought about
asking his parents to buy him the Liverpool
strip for his birthday.
Just before his tenth birthday, Uncle Simon
wrote to say he had tickets for a match in two
weeks’ time. He sent plane tickets for Dad
and Rory, too. Dad was really excited.
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32
Resource l
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Green Unit
Learning activity 3: Rory’s team
Compare
and Contrast
A.
B.
Similarities
How are they
the same?
How are they
different?
Differences
What do
you notice?
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Resource J
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Green Unit
Learning activity 3: Rory’s team
Choices
What can we do?
How many options can we think of ?
The choice we are considering is:
Pros
Cons
Is this a good choice?
Give a reason for your answer
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36
Resource K
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Green Unit
Learning activity 4: Coping with change
Circle Time:
Changes
Suggested Success Criteria
Children will reflect on change in their lives.
Mixing-Up Activity
Using Silent
Statements
Ask the children to change places
if they:
- have ever gone to another school;
- moved to a different home;
- lived in a different town;
- have a younger brother or sister; or
- have had a change in their life
in the past year.
Sentence Completion
Ask the children to complete this
sentence stem:
When something changed
in my life I felt _____ .
(When a Feelings vocabulary list
is kept in the class and added
and referred to regularly, children
will be more confident in trying to
clarify a feeling and in finding the
best word to express their feeling.
Otherwise, they will find it difficult
to think of feelings other than sad
or angry when they could have
used: anxious, nervous, worried,
furious, etc.)
Information Sharing
Changes in Our Lives (Resource M)
uses change situations to enable
children to:
- find out who in the class has also experienced a situation;
- have the opportunity to discover that they are not alone in their situation; and
- realise that if they are alone in a situation, they are not odd; they are just different and that’s okay.
Give out Resource M and ask
everyone in the room to complete
their sheet. Explain that they must
approach other children and
ask them questions to identify
one situation that that child has
experienced. They should have
each person they find sign the
relevant quadrant.
Closure
You can follow this with a discussion
of the variety of changes that have
been experienced; and changes
that are not on the sheet.
Explain to the children that
everyone experiences change(s)
to varying degrees at some time in
their lives. Some changes we like.
Some changes we don’t like. Some
changes we can avoid, and some
changes we cannot avoid.
You could discuss other changes
using the Think, Pair, Share
approach. What would be the
advantages/disadvantages of
any of the following:
- a family member winning
the lottery;
- a parent getting a job in
When each person has every
another country;
square on their sheet signed by
- getting a new brother or sister;
a different person, sit everyone
- moving to a new school;
down in a circle and discuss the
- having a new teacher;
following questions:
- changing school terms from
-Was it difficult to ask other three to four;
people a question?
- starting the school day at -Were any questions particularly 8.00am; or
difficult to ask?
- working with another school -Was it difficult to answer any
where most of the children are
of the questions?
of a different religion.
-What did you learn from
this activity?
Close Circle Time by having the
children complete the following
statement: When change
happened in my life, something
that helped me was when ____.
Evaluation
Always evaluate the Circle Time
session so that what you heard
or observed can inform your
next session. Think of ways in
which you can understand
each child better.
Children can evaluate circle time
by completing the sentence stem:
Something I enjoyed/did not
enjoy about this session ____.
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Resource L
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Green Unit
Learning activity 4: Coping with change
Circle Time:
A New Child
in the Class
As this session focuses attention on the new child, talk to the child first and seek his or her permission.
Suggested Success Criteria
Children will reflect on the effect of change.
Children will understand each other better.
Welcome and
Introduction
Introduce the new child and
welcome him or her to the class.
Make a positive statement about
something you have discovered
about the child.
Mixing-Up Activity
Ask the children to change
places if they have ever:
- moved house;
- gone to a different school
(for example playgroup); or
- had a friend move away.
Sentence Completion
Information Sharing
Closing Activity
Ask the children to complete the
following statements:
-Something I would/do really miss about my (old) school is _____ .
-Something that would make me feel better (if I had to go to
a new school/in this new school) is ______ .
Encourage other class members
to offer suggestions for helping the
new child to integrate. Ask them
to start their suggestion with the
phrase: Would it help if _____ ?*
Allow the children to choose
a game chosen from those
previously played in Circle Time.
Encourage the new child to
respond with: Yes, I would like
that. Thank you for suggesting
it or No, I don’t think I would
like that, but thank you for
suggesting it.
Something I learned from this
session was _____
Adjust these sentences so that
each class member, including the
new child, can answer.
Evaluation
Encourage them to create an
Action Plan for the next week.
Monitor and review it regularly.
Would it help if …? ideas are adapted from the Jenny Mosley Quality Circle Time model which is referenced in the Suggested Further Reading section in this Unit.
*
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Resource M
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Green Unit
Learning activity 4: Coping with change
Changes in
Our Lives
Find someone who:
Has moved house
Has a younger
brother
Wears glasses
Has stayed
in hospital
Has ever lost a
favourite toy
Has parents who
are separated or
divorced
Has joined an
organisation or club
Has been to a
different school
Has no brothers
or sisters
Has had a family
member die
Lives with one
parent
Has a parent who
isn’t at home every
night because of
their job
Has stayed away
from home for at
least three nights
Has a younger sister
You choose!
Someone who ....
41
notes
Suggested stories
Fleischman, P. Weslandia
(Walker Books: 2000) 978-0744577358
Patten, B. Impossible Parents
(Walker Books: 2006) 978-1406306132
Wisniewski, D.
The Secret Knowledge of Grown Ups
(Harper Trophy: 2001) 0 06443753 1
McCombie, K.
Indie Kidd: My Big (Strange) Happy Family
(Walker Books: 2007) 978-1406300789
Willis, J. Grandad and John
(Walker Books: 2007) 978-1844288984
McCombie, K.
Indie Kidd: Oops, I Lost My Best(est) Friends
(Walker Books: 2007) 978-1406307184
Browne, A. The Tunnel
(Walker Books: 1997) 978-0744552393
Lears, L. Ian’s Walk: A Story About Autism
(Albert Whitman and Co.: 2003)
0 80753481 1
Ahlberg, A.
‘It’s a Puzzle’ from Please Mrs Butler
(Puffin Books: 1984) 0 14031494 6
Parry Heide, F. and Van Clief, S.
That’s What Friends Are For
(Walker Books: 2003) 978-0744580600
McNaughton, C. There’s an Awful Lot
of Weirdos in Our Neighbourhood
(Walker Books: 2000) 978-0744577785
Fine, A. Nag Club
(Walker Books: 2005) 978-1844289400
Goldthorpe, M. ‘Eczema’ in Poems
for Circle Time and Literacy Hour
(LDA: 1998) 1 85503269 4
Burningham, J. Granpa
(Red Fox: 2003) 0 09943408 3
Benjamin, F. Coming to England
(Puffin Books: 1997) 0 14038081 7
* James, S. Leon and Bob
(Candlewick: 1997) 1 56402991 3
* Simmonds, P. Fred
(Red Fox: 1987)0 09926412 9
* see CCEA’s Primary Values
Suggested
further reading
Useful
websites
Donoghue, P.J. and Siegel, M.
Are You Really Listening?
Keys to Successful Communication
(Sorin Books: 2005) 1 89373288 6
Circle Time resources
www.circle-time.co.uk
McDermott, D. R. Developing Caring
Relationships Among Parents, Children,
Schools and Communities
(Sage Publications: 2007) 1 41292786 2
Mosley, J. and Sonnet, H. Making Waves
(LDA: 2002) 1 85503357 7
Mosley, J. Quality Circle Time
in the Primary Classroom
(LDA: 1997) 1 85503229 5
CCEA. Primary Values
(CCEA: 2005) 1 85885337 0
Bereavement
www.childbereavement.org.uk
www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk
Active Learning and Teaching Methods
www.nicurriculum.org.uk
Northern Ireland Commission for Children
and Young People
www.niccy.org
Childline 0800 1111
www.childline.org.uk