SPHE for Me Teaching Guide – Junior & Senior Infants

Just Rewards Publications

Letterkenny

Co. Donegal

www.justrewards.ie

ISBN 978-1-913137-69-4

© Just Rewards 2023

Author: Michael J. Ward

Series consultant: Niamh Byrne

Editor: Niamh O’Carroll (O’Carroll Editorial)

Design: Audrey Kavanagh

Images: p6 © FoxyImage/Shutterstock.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publications may be copied, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the publishers or else under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Irish Copyright Licensing Association.

Web references in this book are intended as a guide for teachers. At the time of going to press, all web addresses were active and contained information relevant to the topics in this book. However, Just Rewards Publications and the author do not accept responsibility for the views or information contained on these websites. Content and addresses may change beyond our control and pupils should always be supervised when investigating websites.

Welcome to the SPHE for Me teacher’s book. This resource and its accompanying workbooks will provide you with a comprehensive and creative course mapped to the SPHE Primary School Curriculum. Through a series of active learning sessions, children will be engaging with the key themes and issues of the curriculum, which address physical and emotional changes along with sensitive issues such as personal safety and relationships.

The SPHE curriculum promotes the personal development of children through fostering their sense of well-being, belonging and self-confidence. Opportunities are provided to nurture an understanding of personal responsibility for behaviour and actions, the self-awareness to recognise and appreciate individual abilities, and the skills and confidence to manage their emotions. The aim is to develop confident, socially aware individuals who have the skills and experience to deal with the changes and choices they will face as they mature towards adulthood.

This teacher’s book takes an ordered approach through the three strands of the SPHE curriculum – ‘Myself’, ‘Myself and others’ and ‘Myself and the wider world’. The planning grid on pages 7 to 10 provides an overview of the activities related to each strand and learning outcome. You are encouraged to be adaptable with your planning, choosing activities that may address current issues or concerns in your school setting – or similarly, building on areas of interest that have emerged from the children’s learning. This resource and its activities offer a flexible learning course that you can tailor to the individual needs and aims of your school.

Course breakdown

Each title in the SPHE for Me series contains dedicated activities to help you confidently deliver the SPHE curriculum, offering a range of learning experiences to enable children to actively engage with the themes and issues. Each twoyear course comprises:

• Comprehensive curriculum coverage: Activities are mapped closely to the strand units of the SPHE curriculum, with an activity provided for each specific learning outcome. The planning grid provides an at-a-glance overview and links to the workbook pages that support and develop each theme.

• Creative activities: Each activity offers detailed guidance on how to lead a creative and absorbing learning session. Activities employ a variety of teaching methods, including drama and role-play, debates and discussions, co-operative games and research tasks. Each activity is also accompanied by a workbook page for children to complete.

• Cross-curricular approach: While the focus of each activity is the SPHE learning outcome, they also take a strong cross-curricular approach, providing children with rich experiences across a breadth of subjects, including visual arts, SESE, maths and language. This will support an integrated approach to teaching the SPHE curriculum in the context of the limited discrete time usually allocated for the subject.

• Workbooks: Each teacher’s book has two linking class workbooks that contain lively and creative worksheets to support the learning outcomes. The workbooks have been designed to provide children with opportunities to respond to themes in a variety of ways – through games and puzzles, discussion prompts, guided research, engaging narratives, and more. By completing the workbooks, children will be recording their own learning journey through the content and will provide a valuable record of their progress that can help inform your own assessment and evaluation of each child’s learning.

• Supplementary resources: Additional resources to support some of the activities are available online at www.justrewards.ie/resources. These include supplementary worksheets and visual resources to enhance children’s learning experience.

Stay Safe Programme

While the SPHE for Me series covers every learning outcome in the SPHE curriculum, it is mandatory for schools to also follow the Stay Safe Programme. This programme is designed to reduce children’s vulnerability to abuse and bullying through the provision of a personal safety education programme. You can find out more about this programme at www.staysafe.ie.

School approaches to RSE

School policy and ethos will determine your approach to relationship and sexuality education, so it is important to adhere to this. As we are mindful that some lesson content may not comply with school policy, worksheets on sensitive topics have been provided in an online-only format (rather than included in the corresponding workbook). We felt it was important to cover these topics, so the activity notes are included in this teacher’s book and accompanying materials are available online for use at your discretion.

We’re in it together

It is important to acknowledge the role of parents and guardians in teaching the life skills promoted in the SPHE curriculum. They are in a key position to help influence children’s attitudes and behaviour. Many of the issues explored in the curriculum, such as bullying, diet and exercise, relationships and personal safety, can all benefit from positive support at home.

To this end, you may want to send a letter home to families to inform them of the themes and issues you will be tackling each term. In this way, parents and guardians can take an active role in their children’s learning, by being encouraged to talk about the issues raised – or offer support if needed. Likewise, some activities offer opportunities for parents and guardians to participate by providing resources (such as baby or toddler photographs), helping their child with research, offering support when completing diaries and other recording tasks, and so on.

This partnership can be valuable in encouraging children and maintaining their engagement with the content. It will also open an important channel of communication should any sensitive issues be of particular concern to a parent or guardian, allowing these to be addressed ahead of time.

Differentiation

A positive classroom culture is imperative for successful implementation of the SPHE curriculum. Strategies such as circle time will support this and provide a safe learning environment for all children, in which they will feel comfortable to share their ideas, opinions, views and experiences with their classmates.

In terms of differentiation, groupings within the class can be key. Providing roles for children during discussions can work well to ensure that all children take part and have a role to play. Roles assigned may include manager, record keeper, spokesperson, secretary, and so on, assigned to allow children the opportunity to use their individual skills and talents.

Questioning is another area of differentiation to consider. It is recommended that children be provided with extensive opportunity for discussion throughout SPHE sessions; asking both lower- and higher-order questions will encourage them to consider their ideas and opinions, and to clarify and justify their responses. Tied in with this is the importance of providing adequate wait time to ensure that all children have time to think through their answers and responses.

Assessment

Assessment provides a teacher with the knowledge of how and what children are learning. A combination of assessment of learning and assessment for learning will deliver key information on pupil progress and inform planning for future lessons and learning opportunities for children.

The main assessment tools for SPHE include teacher observation, teacher-designed tasks and tests, and portfolios and projects. SPHE for Me provides wide-ranging activities which will enable children to build a unique portfolio of their work. The workbooks also include a self-assessment feature on each page, whereby children are encouraged to consider and rate their own level of understanding of the learning outcome, using child-friendly I can … statements.

A photocopiable observation chart is provided on page 60 of this teacher’s book. It can be used flexibly for assessment of the key areas in the holistic development of individual children, and will provide a useful record for communication in relation to the social skills of each child during, for example, parent-teacher meetings.

As noted in the SPHE curriculum guidelines: In many situations the real impact of the learning in SPHE will take place long after the child has left primary school (SPHE Curriculum page 71).

21st century learners

The activities in this course are designed to help foster and promote personal skills such as creativity, resilience, adaptability and self-discipline. With a focus on paired and group work, the activities put a strong emphasis on children collaborating and communicating with others. This gives them a great opportunity to develop and strengthen relationships with peers, and become more confident in discussing difficult topics with others. Your role as teacher therefore becomes much more of a guide or facilitator, offering prompts and guidance when needed – but giving children the space and freedom to express themselves and take a lead in their own learning.

The world is constantly going through social, economic and technological change, and none of us can accurately predict the future. The challenges that our children will face are ever shifting as they grow towards adulthood and prepare to venture out into the world. While we can’t always be there with them on their journey, we can equip them with the skills and tools they will need to succeed. Academic knowledge is, as always, of vital importance, but the SPHE curriculum and the themes that it tackles – in many ways – provide the compass to help children navigate the physical, emotional and social challenges along the way.

So, it’s essential that we grasp the wonderful opportunity that we have today, to teach and instil in our children the selfbelief, confidence and life skills that will help shape their futures. The children we teach today have every potential to become the happy, capable and inspiring role models of tomorrow.

Michael J. Ward and Niamh Byrne

Strand: Myself Workbook pages

Self-identity

Self-awareness

Discuss and appreciate all the features that make a person special and unique

Begin to understand, appreciate and respect personal abilities, skills and talents

Recognise and record personal preferences

Become aware of his/her immediate world through the senses

Developing self-confidence

Express own views, opinions and preferences

Become more self-reliant and independent – accepting that making mistakes and trying again are part of the learning process

Begin to learn how to cope with various changes as they occur

Who chooses

Identify some everyday choices made by himself/herself and those that are made by others

Begin to develop some awareness of factors that may influence decisions or choices taken

Taking care of my body

Knowing about my body

Appreciate the need, and understand how to care for his/her own body in order to keep it healthy and well

Respect his/her own body and that of others

Name parts of the male and female body, using appropriate anatomical terms

Explore and discuss the different things the body can do

Recognise and practise basic hygiene skills

Junior Infants

1. This is me

Junior Infants

2. I can . . .

Senior Infants

1. I like, you like

Senior Infants

2. Sounds all around

Junior Infants

3. Toy sale

Senior Infants

3. Making mistakes

Senior Infants

4. Fly away worries

Junior Infants

4. Who chooses

Senior Infants

5. Big Decisions

Junior Infants

5. Healthy me!

Senior Infants

6. Playground play

Junior Infants

6. Build a body

Senior Infants

7. My amazing body

Junior Infants

7. Clean and healthy

Senior Infants

8. Healthy hands

Food and nutrition

Realise that each individual has some responsibility for taking care of himself/herself

Become aware of the importance of food for growth and development

Explore food preferences and their role in a balanced diet

Discuss and explore some qualities and categories of food

Realise the importance of good hygiene when preparing food to eat

Senior Infants

9. Healthy hearts

Junior Infants

8. Shopkeeper

Junior Infants

9. My happy plate

Senior Infants

10. Growing Vegetables

Senior Infants

11. Messy kitchen

Feelings and emotions

Identify some of the factors that promote growth

– love, warmth, affirmation

Realise that growth and change are part of the process of life and are unique to each individual

– physical: increase in shoe size

Recognise that the ability to take responsibility for himself/herself and others increases as he/she grows older

Become aware of new life and birth in the world

Develop an awareness of human birth

Identify what babies need to help them to grow and develop

Name a variety of feelings and talk about situations where these may be

Explore the variety of ways in which feelings are expressed and coped with

Begin to be sensitive to the feelings of others and to realise that the actions of one individual can affect the feelings of another

Explore and discuss occasions that can promote positive feelings in himself/herself

Explore appropriate safety strategies

Safety and protection

Personal safety

– knowing how and when to seek help, knowing who to ask, people I can trust and tell

– not wandering off on his/her own

Identify situations and places that are safe and those where personal safety might be at risk

Realise how other people can persuade him/her to engage in unsafe behaviour

Safety issues

Identify people who are responsible for safety in the community and learn and practise safety strategies for crossing the road, using the bus or being a pedestrian

Realise and understand that rules are necessary in order to protect people and keep them safe

Explore how accidents might be prevented at home, in school, on the farm, or in the water

Realise that many substances used at home or in school are dangerous and that permission should be sought before exploring the contents

Identify some of the substances or things that are put onto the body and their associated functions

Explore occasions when medicines, injections or pills are needed and the safety rules that apply when taking medicine

Junior Infants

10. Toy rescue

Junior Infants

11. My shoe

Senior Infants

12. Scruffy Sal

Junior Infants

12. Farmyard match-up

Senior Infants

13. A new baby

Senior Infants

14. Looking after baby

Junior Infants

13. How am I feeling?

Junior Infants

14. Feeling faces

Senior Infants

15. How would I feel?

Junior Infants

15. A gift for me

Senior Infants

16. Safe adults

Senior Infants

17. Let’s go and play!

Junior Infants

16. The good seed

Junior Infants

17. Crossing the road

Senior Infants

18. Dinosaur in our school

Senior Infants

19. Staying safe

Junior Infants

18. Hungry Goldilocks

Junior Infants

19. Summer holiday

Senior Infants

20. First aid kit

As I grow I change

Strand: Myself and others

Identify and name the people who constitute a family and appreciate that all family units are not the same

Realise that he/she belongs to a family and that each person has a place and role within a family

Explore the things that families do together

Realise how families take care of, support and love each other

Explore and acknowledge many of the things that can be learned in the home

Identify, discuss and appreciate his/her own friends

My friends and other people

Discuss and examine the different aspects of friendship

Identify and appreciate friends at school and how they can help and care for each other

Discuss and appreciate all those considered special, both within and outside the family circle

Recognise and appreciate differences in people and know how to treat others with dignity and respect

Recognise and explore bullying behaviour, who is involved and the effects on different people

Know that bullying is always wrong and know what should be done if one is being bullied or sees it happening to someone else

Relating to others

Listen and respond to the opinions and views of others

Use verbal and non-verbal behaviour to perform social functions

Practise care and consideration, courtesy and good manners when interacting with others

Resolve conflicts with others

Workbook pages

Junior Infants

20. My Family

Senior Infants

21. Who is at home?

Junior Infants

21. Teddy’s big adventure

Junior Infants

22. My happy hug

Junior Infants

23. Granny’s birthday

Junior Infants

24. My friendship bracelet

Senior Infants

22. Friends share

Senior Infants

23. Friendship bench

Senior Infants

24. Treasure hunt

Junior Infants

25. Pet club

Senior Infants

25. Friends stick together

Senior Infants

26. No bullying!

Junior Infants

26. Taste test

Junior Infants

27. Show and tell

Junior Infants

28. Circle time

Senior Infants

27. Saying sorry

Strand: Myself and the wider world Workbook pages

Developing citizenship

My school community

Recognise the name of his/her own school and the people who contribute to the life of the school

Realise that each person is important and has a unique and valuable contribution to make to the class

Recognise the importance of sharing and co-operating and being fair in all activities in the class and school

Realise and understand the necessity for adhering to the class and school rules

Explore and respect the diversity of children in the class and school

Senior Infants

28. Welcome to our school

Junior Infants

29. Rainbow elephant

Senior Infants

29. Pen friends

Junior Infants

30. Golden sunflower

Senior Infants

30. Come and visit

Recognise and appreciate people or groups who serve the local community and how their contribution enhances the quality of life of others

Recognise and become familiar with the rules within a group or wider community, those who safeguard these rules and the importance of obeying the rules in order to keep people safe

Suggest ways of helping other people at home, in school and in the local community

Recognise that each person has an important contribution to make to the life of the community

Begin to become aware of local identity and to participate in and enjoy celebrating local events

Appreciate the environment and realise that each individual has a community and individual responsibility for protecting and caring for the environment

Realise that he/she receives information from many different sources

Identify favourite television programmes, videos and video games and indicate reasons for preference

Explore popular stories, books and rhymes and discuss some of the characters and their appealing traits

Begin to use and explore the various kinds of information technology available

Begin to explore and talk about the difference between advertisements and programmes

Junior Infants

31. I went shopping

Senior Infants

31. Park Rules

Junior Infants

32. Helping hands

Senior Infants

32. Helping hero

Senior Infants

33. Our county

Junior Infants

33. Litter watch

Junior Infants

34. A different story

Senior Infants

34. What’s on my screen?

Junior Infants

35. Monster story

Junior Infants

36. Colour mix-up

Senior Infants

35. Gadgets at home

Senior Infants

36. Robot Friend

Living in the local community

Environmental care

Media education

Strand: Myself

Strand unit: Self-identity

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Discuss and appreciate all the features that make a person special and unique

• Begin to understand, appreciate and respect personal abilities, skills and talents

• Express own views, opinions and preferences

• Identify some everyday choices made by himself/ herself and those that are made by others

Key words

children’s names, alphabet, body parts (eye, nose, mouth, ear, etc.), choice, decision, money, routine, sequencing (first, next, then, etc.), toys, unique

Cross-curricular links

• Arts: Visual arts (activities 1, 2)

• Language: Oral (activity 2)

• Maths: number (activity 2))

Resources

• Small sponge ball

• Initial letters on paper/card

• Parachute or large blanket

• 1–3 dice and coloured counters

• Images of everyday activities

• Suggested book: Dogger by Shirley Hughes (Red Fox, 2009)

Strand unit: Taking care of my body

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Appreciate the need, and understand how to care for his/her own body in order to keep it healthy and well

• Name parts of the male and female body, using appropriate anatomical terms

• Recognise and practise basic hygiene skills

• Become aware of the importance of food for growth and development

• Explore food preferences and their role in a balanced diet

Key words

body parts (eye, nose, mouth etc.), clean, dirty, energy, food, germs, healthy, hygiene, meal, plaque, shop types (butcher, baker, fishmonger, greengrocer, etc.), teeth, toothbrush, unhealthy,

Cross-curricular links

• Maths: number (activity 6)

• Language: Oral (activity 6)

• SESE: Science – living things (activities 6, 7, 8, 9)

• Arts: Visual arts (activity 9)

Resources

• Dice and counters

• Toothbrushes and beakers of water

• Printed food images for collage

• Online resources: images – foods

• Suggested books: Ketchup on Your Cornflakes by Nick Sharrett (Scholastic, 1996), I Can Eat a Rainbow by Olena Rose (Independent, 2021)

Teaching notes

Have a pretend garden area where children can plant, look after and dig up plastic vegetables using trowels, rakes and other role-play garden equipment. The area could be a tray filled with soil and pebbles or an area in your outdoor setting.

Strand: Myself

Strand unit: Growing and changing

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Identify some of the factors that promote growth: love, warmth, affirmation

• Realise that growth and change are part of the process of life and are unique to each individual: physical – increase in shoe size

• Become aware of new life and birth in the world

• Name a variety of feelings and talk about situations where these may be experienced

• Explore the variety of ways in which feelings are expressed and coped with

• Explore and discuss occasions that can promote positive feelings in himself/herself

Key words

adult, angry, grow, gift, happy, love, measure, present, relaxation, rest, sad, scared, size, warmth, unique, young

Cross-curricular links

• SESE: Science – living things (activities 10, 12)

• Language: Oral (activities 10, 12)

• Maths: Measures – length (activity 11)

• Arts: Visual arts (activity 11)

• Arts: Drama (activity 13)

• Arts: Visual arts (activities 13, 15)

Resources

• Toys/empathy dolls

• Blankets and cushions

• Bowls of warm water, soap and flannels

• Standard and non-standard measuring equipment

• Small world toy farmyard animals

• Coloured circles of card – yellow, red, blue and white

• Online resources: images – animals and their young, emotions

• Suggested books: Farmyard Hullabaloo by Giles Andrae (Orchard Books, 2000), What the Ladybird Heard by Julia Donaldson (Macmillan, 2021), Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell (Walker Books, 1995)

Teaching notes

If there is a family with links to a farm or who keep animals (such as chickens), invite them in to visit the children to explain how they care for the animals.

Strand: Myself

Strand unit: Safety and protection

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Realise how other people can persuade him/her to engage in unsafe behaviour

• Identify people who are responsible for safety in the community and learn and practise safety strategies for crossing the road, using the bus or being a pedestrian: crossing the road with an adult

• Realise that many substances used at home or in school are dangerous and that permission should be sought before exploring the contents: never touch, taste, smell unknown substances

• Explore some of the substances or things that are put onto the body and their associated functions

Key words

body, car, cream, medicine, pedestrian, persuade, pill, hot, protection, road, safe, school crossing patrol, sunny, tablet, traffic lights, unsafe, vehicle, zebra crossing

Cross-curricular links

• Arts: Visual arts (activity 16, 17)

• Language: Oral (activity 16)

• SESE: Geography – local community (activity 17)

• SESE: Geography – natural environments (activity 19)

Resources

• ‘Bad Seed’ puppet (optional)

• Pre-cut road shapes

• Small world town toys – people, vehicles, etc.

• Images of road safety/crossings (optional)

• Empathy doll

• Empty bottle of pills/tablets

• Variety of hats – sun visor, straw hat, baseball cap, woolly hat, cycling helmet, etc.

• Sun cream/lotion (optional)

• Suggested book: The Bad Seed by Jory John (HarperCollins, 2019)

Teaching notes

In preparation for activity 17, encourage parents/ guardians to discuss the journey to school with their children. If they travel with their children, ask them to make a map of the journey that their child can use as a prompt to discuss with other children.

Myself: Self-identity

1. This is me

Self-identity

Discuss and appreciate all the features that make a person special and unique

Introduction

Hold a regular morning circle time, where children can learn each other’s names (particularly important at the start of a new year). Have a small ball that you can roll to each child. Sing the following chant to ‘Row, row, row your boat’. Roll, roll, roll the ball, gently to [insert child’s name]. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, now let’s roll it on. The child with the ball then chooses the next child to roll the ball to, and so on.

Main activity

Children can decorate the initial letter of their name using available art and craft materials. Have an adult scribe the letters, making these large and bold so children can use collage if they wish to decorate the letter. Alternatively, children can make their letters out of playdough by moulding them onto a template of the letter) or practise mark-making in a salt or sand tray. As they work on their individual letters, help them to practise the sound of the letter, then say it in their full name. The completed letters can form part of a display, alongside a picture or photograph of each child.

Conclusion

Children can use the workbook to create a self-portrait, adding features to the template provided. Encourage use of a mirror so that children can observe features. Hold a follow-up session where children can share their pictures. Talk about the features we have in common (two eyes, nose, mouth, ears, etc.) and the features that might make us different (hair colour/length, eye colour, etc).

2. I can . . .

Self-identity

Begin to understand, appreciate and respect personal abilities, skills and talents

Introduction

Start with the children standing evenly spaced and holding onto the edge of a parachute (or a large piece of fabric). Practise lifting it up above your heads and then lowering it. Place a balloon or an inflatable ball in the middle of the parachute. Work co-operatively as a team to guide the ball around the parachute. Call out a child’s name and see if the children can move the ball towards that child.

Main activity

Discuss how you all played together as a team to move the ball around the parachute. What other games or activities do children enjoy and like to play with their friends? Support children in discussing and sharing these. Set up some activity tables for children to choose from, where they can collaborate and play with others using building bricks, construction kits or playdough to make a model, using large sheets of paper and art materials to create a picture, and so on. Encourage the sharing of resources and respecting each other’s ideas. Talk afterwards about what each group created together and children’s individual contributions.

Conclusion

Children can play the boardgame in the workbook with a partner. Use a 1–3 dice and coloured counters. Children move around the board. When they land on an activity, they can discuss if they can or can’t yet do the activity with their partner. This could also be played at home with a family member.

Myself: Growing and changing

3. Toy sale

Self-identity

Express own views, opinions and preferences

Introduction

Share the popular storybook Dogger by Shirley Hughes (Red Fox, 2009). There are read-aloud versions available online. Encourage children to explore the illustrations and consider how the main character, Dave, might be feeling at certain times in the story – such as when he loses his favourite toy and when he is reunited with his toy at the end.

Main activity

Look together at the workbook, which features a display of different toys at a toy sale. You may wish to allow time for children to colour in the page before you discuss the features of the toys. Are there any examples of toys that the children have at home that they like to play with? Then, with a partner, have each child imagine they have money to buy one toy from the sale. Which toy would they choose and why? Let children share their choices with their partner. Then invite children to explain their partner’s choice to the rest of the class. Identify if there are any popular choices of toy.

Conclusion

Invite children to draw a picture of their favourite toy. Create an ‘Our favourite toys’ display of the children’s pictures.

4. Who chooses?

Self-identity

Identify some everyday choices made by himself/herself and those that are made by others

Introduction

Play a game of ‘would you choose…’ where you present children with two options to choose from. For example, would you choose to be an elephant or a mouse? Would you choose to explore the Moon or the jungle? Would you choose to be super strong or super smart? Explore lots of fun and imaginary situations and encourage children to give reasons for their choices.

Main activity

Explain that the game was all about making choices – but the choices were not very realistic! Can the children give you some better examples of choices that someone might make? Explore their ideas. Through discussion, start to encourage children to consider choices that they make at home and at school. Are there some choices that are made for them by others? Who might make these choices for them? Explore the choices that are made by others at school – for example, when breaktime and lunchtime start and end, what book is read at story time, and so on. You could have some picture cards of various everyday activities to display to help accompany this discussion and sort them into hoops based on ‘choices I make’ and ‘choices grown-ups make’.

Conclusion

Look together at the workbook and discuss the choices that are pictured. Children can circle the person who makes each choice for them. These can then be shared and discussed afterwards.

Myself: Taking care of my body

5. Healthy me!

Taking care of my body

Appreciate the need, and understand how to care for his/her own body in order to keep it healthy and well

Introduction

Begin with a warm-up exercise session. You may wish to perform this to music or play a video that the children can join in with. Afterwards, ask the children how they feel. They might feel hot and out of breath. Some children may describe their heart beating fast. Talk about how our bodies like exercise because it keeps us fit and strong.

Main activity

Ask the children to think about different ways that we can exercise. Explore their examples, such as running, playing a sport, riding a bike, playing in the park, swimming, and so on. If you wish, you could mime activities for the children to guess. Afterwards, look together at the workbook. Ask the children to identify the examples of physical exercise that the children are doing to stay healthy (playing football and running). What else are the children doing to stay healthy? Explore the other images and invite children to explain what activity is being shown. Reach an understanding that, to keep healthy and well, it is also important to keep our bodies clean, eat healthily and have a good night’s sleep.

Conclusion

Children can end the session by colouring the pictures in the workbook.

6. Build a body

Taking care of my body

Name the parts of the male and female body, using appropriate anatomical terms

Introduction

Begin with a game of ‘Simon Says …’ where you call out and touch different body parts. Children must only copy you if you say ‘Simon Says’ beforehand (for example, Simon says touch your elbow). You can also introduce left and right commands. Confident volunteers can then take over the role of caller.

Main activity

Invite groups to draw around one child’s body – either using crayons and large sheets of paper or using chalk in an outside area. Prompt children to talk about the body parts they are drawing around (head, fingers, arm, leg, etc.). Using their drawn bodies, ask children if they can point to various body parts. Where would we find a nose, ear, mouth, toe, etc.? Invite children to point to their own matching body part. Confident children could be challenged to think about what is inside our bodies. Allow time for children to draw and talk about their ideas. Some children may know about bones and the skeleton, or even some organs such as the heart and lungs.

Conclusion

Children can play the ‘build a body’ game in the workbook with a partner. Each player rolls a dice and moves their counter around the track. When they land on a relevant body part, they can draw it on a sheet of paper or model it out of playdough. The goal is for the first player to complete a full body.

Myself: Taking care of my body

7. Clean and healthy

Taking care of my body

Recognise and practise basic hygiene skills

Introduction

Prior to the session, arrange for children to bring in their toothbrush from home. Begin by discussing the different things we do to keep our bodies clean – washing hands, having a bath or shower, brushing teeth, wearing clean clothes, and so on. Talk about the importance of washing hands regularly, especially before eating and after using the bathroom.

Main activity

Talk about how everyone wants a happy, healthy smile, and that means looking after our teeth. Explain that, when we eat food, plaque can form on our teeth. This is a sticky substance made up of germs that can be harmful to our teeth. Elicit the importance of brushing teeth every morning and before going to bed at night. Invite volunteers to use their toothbrush to model how they clean their teeth. Then model good practice – you could do this to music or a tooth-brushing action song. Have beakers of water so that children can clean their brushes afterwards.

Conclusion

Look together at the workbook. Using the pictures as a prompt, discuss the different ways that we can keep our bodies healthy and clean. Ask the children to talk about the ways that they stay clean.

8. Shopkeeper

Taking care of my body

Become aware of the importance of food for growth and development

Introduction

Begin by exploring why we need food. Elicit or explain that food is important fuel for our bodies. Food gives us energy so that we can play and work, and helps our bodies to grow and to stay healthy. Do all living things need food?

Main activity

Invite children to share their experiences of shopping with family members. Where do they go to buy food? Discuss what types of food are sold in different shops – for example, butchers, greengrocers, bakers and farm shops. If children are mainly familiar with supermarkets, talk about the different sections of a supermarket – fruit and vegetables, baked goods, meat and fish counters, and so on. It may be possible to display photographs of examples of each shop in your local area. On a central table, have a selection of printed food images (see online resources), food packaging and play food for groups to explore and name. Talk about what types of shops would sell the different food. Look together at the workbook. The children can choose one of the shops from your discussion and draw some of the food that might be found there in the shop window.

Conclusion

Invite children to share their workbooks with the class. Encourage them to talk about the variety of foods that can be bought from their shop. Remind them that all these foods provide our bodies with the fuel they need to have energy.

Myself: Taking care of my body

9. My happy plate

Taking care of my body

Explore food preferences and their role in a balanced diet

Introduction

Share a picture book about food, such as Ketchup on Your Cornflakes by Nick Sharrett (Scholastic, 1996) or I Can Eat a Rainbow by Olena Rose (Independent, 2021). Use this as a starting point to talk about favourite foods and meals. Recap that food is important fuel for our bodies. We need food to have energy and be active, and also to grow and to stay healthy.

Main activity

Using play food or images (see online resources), look at a selection of different foods – meats, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, and so on. Ask children if they can name the foods. Which ones do they like/not like? You might want to explore any food allergies or dietary requirements children may have. Explain how each type of food helps us to grow and stay healthy. Elicit the importance of eating a varied diet to ensure our bodies get the fuel they need. Using the workbook, children can record their favourite meal/foods. These can be drawn or painted, or collaged using art materials.

Conclusion

Invite children to share and compare their plates in groups or as a whole class.

Myself: Growing and changing

10. Toy rescue

Growing and changing

Identify some of the factors that promote growth: love, warmth, affirmation

Introduction

Prior to the session, set up some toys around your outdoor setting, ideally empathy dolls, teddy bears or characters that the children may be already familiar with. Explain to the children that the toys were playing and exploring, but have got lost. The toys might be very upset and need to be taken care of. Can the children help? Allow time for the children to find the toys.

Main activity

Back in the classroom, discuss how you might care for the toys so that they feel safe and loved again. You may wish to set up a ‘toy hospital’ with beds and blankets. Talk to the children about the things that makes them feel happy and comforted when they have been upset. Perhaps they like having a story read to them, having a hug, listening to gentle music, going for a walk, receiving a gift, and so

on. Pairs of children can adopt one of the toys to look after for the session. Some toys may need to be cleaned or washed after getting dirty, so bowls of warm soapy water can be provided. Clothing could be pegged up to dry and the toy wrapped in blankets afterwards.

Conclusion

Congratulate the children on being caring and considerate. Children can talk about how they cared for their toy and link this to their own experiences. They can then complete the workbook page using pictures and words to describe how they looked after their toy.

Myself: Growing and changing

11. My shoe

Growing and changing Realise that growth and change are part of the process of life and are unique to each individual: physical – increase in shoe size

Introduction

Have the children sit in a circle. Invite them to sit with their legs out so that everyone can see each other’s feet. Pose the question: Who do you think has the longest shoe? Explore children’s ideas. Choose pairs and ask the children to predict who has the shortest/longest shoe. Then have the pairs stand next to each other, putting their feet side by side to compare.

Main activity

Ask the children: How else might we measure our shoes? Explore children’s ideas. Have standard and non-standard measuring equipment available for children to use, as well as art and craft materials. Children can be put into groups to measure and find out who has the shortest and longest shoe in their group. Children could draw around the shoes and then measure the prints or have children stand while others measure their feet. Discuss each group’s results afterwards and the measurements they recorded.

Conclusion

Provide access to art and collage materials so that children can decorate their own imaginary shoe in the workbook. These can then be shared afterwards, with children discussing their choice of colours, patterns and theme.

12. Farmyard match-up

Growing and changing

Become aware of new life and birth in the world

Introduction

Start your session by sharing a picture book with a farm theme, such as Farmyard Hullabaloo by Giles Andreae (Orchard Books, 2000), What the Ladybird Heard by Julia Donaldson (Macmillan, 2021) or Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell (Walker Books, 1995). Encourage children to explore the illustrations and make predictions about what farm animals might appear next. Use the book as a stimulus to explore children’s own experiences of farms and farm animals.

Main activity

Share the images of adult and young farmyard animals (see online resources). Invite children to name the animals (horse and foal, cow and calf, etc.) and match them up. What features helped us to match up the animals? Ask the children to think about the needs of the animals and how a farmer might provide these – such as food, shelter, space to exercise, and so on. You may wish to refer back to your picture book and any tasks that were highlighted. Next look at the workbook together. Explain that the children can draw lines to help the adult animal to find its missing young.

Conclusion

Provide small world farm animals that children can use to retell the story or to create their own farmyard adventure.

Myself: Growing and changing

13. How am I feeling?

Growing and changing

Name a variety of feelings and talk about situations where these might be experienced

Introduction

Start your session by sharing an image of someone expressing happiness (see online resources) and ask the children if they can identify the emotion. Establish that the child pictured is happy and invite children to share their own experiences of feeling happy. Ask the children if they can show you a happy face.

Main activity

Share the images that show other emotions such as sad, angry, worried, excited and surprised. Explore each one in turn and ask the children if they can name the feeling. You may also wish to add word labels to each feeling. Describe some scenarios and ask children to point to one of the emotion images to describe how that character might be feeling. For example: it is home time and Cara can’t find her coat; Michael is going on holiday with his family in the morning; Patrick is starting a new school, and so on. There may be multiple possible feelings related to each scenario which will encourage further discussion.

Conclusion

Children can complete the workbook page by drawing lines to match the images to their correct label to identify each feeling.

14. Feeling faces

Growing and changing

Explore the variety of ways in which feelings are expressed and coped with

Introduction

Display the workbook during circle time. Point to the happy face and ask children if they can tell you how that character might be feeling. Can they make a similar face? Play a game where children ‘pass the feeling’ around the circle by making the appropriate face. Repeat with the other three faces in the workbook. Then call out one of the feelings and ask children to show you that face.

Main activity

Revisit each of the feeling faces in the workbook. Ask children if they have ever experienced that feeling and gently encourage volunteers to share what made them feel that way – for example when they fell and hurt themselves, when they couldn’t go out to play because it was raining, and so on. Be sensitive as you explore each feeling. If necessary, provide careful prompts by discussing times when you might have felt happy, sad, angry or worried. Divide the class into groups of four, where possible, and provide appropriately coloured circles of card (yellow, blue, red, white). Children can use art and collage materials to create a happy, sad, angry and worried mask. The workbook can provide helpful prompts for drawing the face, then children can collage hair and other features onto their mask. They could even create a fun character – perhaps a scary monster for angry!

Conclusion

Make the masks available in your role-play area for children to explore the theme further.

Myself: Growing and changing

15. A gift for me

Growing and changing

Explore and discuss occasions that can promote positive feelings in himself/herself

Introduction

Start by revisiting the feelings that you have explored previously (see activity 13). You could use the same images or introduce new ones, and ask children to identify the feelings. Explain that today you are going to focus on the feeling of happiness.

Main activity

Provide pairs or small groups with a large sheet of paper. Explain that the children are going to draw some of the things that make them feel happy inside. Encourage them to think about your previous discussions of scenarios that might make us feel happy – such as playing with friends, going to a birthday party, learning a new skill, and so on. While they work, visit each group in turn to discuss the children’s ideas and offer prompts where necessary. Afterwards, invite each group to present their pictures and discuss what they included. Draw out any examples where the actions of others made someone happy, such as receiving a gift or invitation, being given praise or help, and so on. Reach an understanding that everyone likes to feel happy and special, and there are lots of way we can help others to feel happy and special too.

Conclusion

Children can use their workbook to draw a picture of a special gift they would like to receive. Explore ideas and point out that the gift might be a toy – but it could also be something that they hope for, such as making a new friend, learning a new skill, and so on.

Myself: Safety and protection

16. The good seed

Safety and protection

Realise how other people can persuade him/her to engage in unsafe behaviour

Introduction

Share the picture book The Bad Seed by Jory John (HarperCollins, 2019) – there are read-aloud versions available online. Discuss some of the things that the Bad Seed likes to do, like cutting in line, not listening to others, and so on.

Main activity

Pause the story and ask the children to consider whether they would want to be friends with someone like Bad Seed. What things might Bad Seed want to do? Explore their ideas. You could use a ‘Bad Seed’ puppet that children hold as a speaking object. Give some scenarios and challenge children to think about whether it is a bad thing or a good thing – for example, running off in a supermarket, climbing a very high tree, playing football on the road, shouting at people, and so on. Are these things we think Bad Seed might do? How might we persuade him to change his mind? Encourage volunteers to give Bad Seed good advice. Complete the story to learn how the Bad Seed became a Good Seed by changing his behaviour. Use this to reinforce a positive message of friendship and kindness, and how we should only ask our friends to do good things.

Conclusion

End the session with children completing the workbook page by colouring around the pictures that show good, safe behaviour.

Myself: Safety and protection

17. Crossing the road

Safety and protection Identify people who are responsible for safety in the community and learn and practise safety strategies for crossing the road, using the bus or being a pedestrian

Introduction

In groups, explain to the children that they will be making their own playmat of their local area. Start by asking children to create a 2D picture of their home using art and craft materials. Glue these around the edge of a large sheet of card. Children can then place a small world figure on their home to represent them. But oh dear – there is a problem! We can’t visit our friends because there are no roads linking us together. Let’s make some!

Main activity

Have pre-cut road shapes that the children can work together to arrange on the mat. Link the homes together. Once they are happy with the arrangement, glue the road pieces down. Place some vehicles on the roads. Explain that the roads are very busy and there is lots of traffic. What might help us to cross the roads safely? Explore children’s ideas and offer prompts as necessary to consider the options, such as holding hands with a parent and finding a safe place to cross. Discuss safe places to cross – for example, a school crossing patrol, zebra crossings, traffic lights, and so on. If possible, have relevant images and discuss how they are used. Work together to use art materials or small world toys to add these elements to your road map. Plan some safe journeys together using your road map.

Conclusion

Recap the road safety rules that you have explored. Children can complete the workbook page by drawing a path to

18. Hungry Goldilocks

Safety and protection Realise that many substances used at home or in school are dangerous and that permission should be sought before exploring the contents

Introduction

Gather the children for circle time. Introduce an empathy doll and explain that they are not very happy. Encourage children to ask questions to explore the situation further. Through questioning, children should discover that the toy is not feeling well. Their tummy hurts and they feel a bit sick. Everything was fine until they ate some sweets.

Main activity

Have the toy reveal what ‘sweets’ they ate – an empty bottle or blister pack of medicine pills. Ask the children if they think that these are sweets. What do they think these might be used for? (These are medicines and should only ever be taken if they are given by a trusted adult.) Taking other people’s medicines/pills can be very dangerous. Talk about what the children should do to help the sick toy. Stress that a trusted adult should be told immediately, such as your parent, teacher or SNA. You could role-play this by taking the toy to the nominated adult. The toy could then be returned to the class later when they are safe and well again.

Conclusion

End the session by completing the workbook page. Recap the story of ‘Goldilocks and the three bears’ before explaining the scenario – Goldilocks is once again exploring the three bears’ cottage, but what is safe/not safe to eat?

Myself: Safety and protection

19. Summer holiday

Safety and protection Explore some of the substances or things that are put onto the body and their associated functions

Introduction

Ask children to imagine it is a hot, sunny day. Lead a role-play by exploring actions such as fanning yourself to keep cool, rolling up sleeves, drinking something cool, eating an ice cream, finding some shade, paddling in the sea, and so on. Children can copy your actions and suggest their own as you all perform the role-play.

Main activity

Discuss the things we should remember if we want to play out in the sun. Present the children with a collection of hats. Include a varied assortment, some of which would be ideal for wearing in the sun (sun visors, straw hats, baseball cap, etc.) and some that would be inappropriate (woolly hat, bowler hat, cycling helmet etc.). Let the children explore the hat collection with you. Consider which hats would be best for keeping faces shaded from the sun. Ask the children if there is anything else that we wear in hot, sunny weather. They may suggest sunglasses and sun cream. Explain that cream stops the sun harming our skin. Pretend to put some in your hands and then rub it onto your arms and face to demonstrate.

Conclusion

Pairs of children could dress dolls, preparing them for going out in the sun. They can pretend to rub lotion onto the doll’s body, which will encourage them to consider the areas that they will need to protect from the sun’s rays. Finally, children can complete the workbook by ‘packing’ for a summer holiday.

Strand: Myself and others

Strand unit: Myself and my family

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Identify and name the people who constitute a family and appreciate that all family units are not the same

• Explore the things that families do together

• Realise how families take care of, support and love each other

• Explore and acknowledge many of the things that can be learned in the home

Key words

activity, birthday, brother, care, celebration, family, gift, grandparent, home, love, party, parent, relative, sister

Cross-curricular links

• Arts: Drama (activity 23)

• Arts: Visual arts (activities 20, 21, 22)

• Language: Oral (activities 20, 21)

Resources

• Family photographs from home

• Small world toys with family theme

• Teddy bear that children can take turns to bring home

• Online resources: images – family activities

• Suggested book: Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney (Walker Books, 2007)

Teaching notes

Ask families to help their child to create an album showing things the child would like to share about their family. Adults can assist in taking photographs, suggesting drawings, writing names and labels, and so on.

Strand unit: My friends and other people

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Identify, discuss and appreciate his/her own friends

• Recognise and appreciate differences in people and know how to treat others with dignity and respect

Key words

animal, choice, colour, different, favourite, friend, friendship, gift, pattern, pet, respect, same, sharing

Cross-curricular links

• Language: Reading – motivation and choice (activity 25)

• Language: Oral (activity 25)

• Maths: Algebra – extending patterns (activity 24)

• SESE: Science – living things (activity 25)

Resources

• Coloured beads and pipe cleaners

• Fiction/non-fiction books about animals

• Suggested book: Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev (Simon & Schuster, 2016)

Strand: Myself and others

Strand unit: Relating to others

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Listen and respond to the opinions and views of others

• Use verbal and non-verbal behaviour to perform social functions: introducing others, expressing thanks, making requests

• Practise care and consideration, courtesy and good manners when interacting with others: giving and taking turns in listening and speaking

Key words

choice, considerate, greet, introduce, listen, opinion, respect, senses, smell, touch, taste, thank

Cross-curricular links

• Arts: Visual arts (activity 28)

• Language: Oral (activities 26, 27, 28)

• SESE: Science – living things (activity 26)

Resources

• Sensory paints

• Samples of fruit and vegetables to taste

• Images of fruits and vegetables (optional)

• Examples of children’s previous work

• Speaking object/toy

Myself and others: Myself and my family

20. My family

Myself and my family Identify and name the people who constitute a family and appreciate that all family units are not the same

Introduction

Prior to the session, ask parents/guardians to provide some family photographs for children to refer to and discuss. In small groups, allow time for children to play with small world toys that feature adults and children, or have access to different sized dolls, puppets, teddy bears, and so on. While playing, ask the children if they can show you a family. Prompt them to talk about their play family and make connections with their own.

Main activity

Provide art and craft materials for children to create a picture of their family in their workbook. Confident children may wish to mix media, starting with a painting or drawing, then using different craft materials to collage clothing, hair or other features onto their picture. Visit each child in turn to discuss their picture with them. Using the photographs from home as a prompt, support the children in naming and describing who the people are in their picture and the role they play in the family unit. If children have complex family settings, it is always advisable to ask for guidance from those they live with so that the right approach is taken.

Conclusion

Allow time for children to share their picture with the class. Where appropriate, talk about any similarities and differences between the families, such as number of brothers and sisters, and so on.

21. Teddy’s big adventure

Myself and my family

Explore the things that families do together

Introduction

Introduce the children to your ‘travel teddy’. Explain that teddy likes to find out about new places and meet new people. Let the children decide on a name for the travel teddy. You could have some pretend postcards of places that teddy has visited, which you can discuss together.

Main activity

Explain that teddy is keen to get to know the children better and would love to visit their homes and meet their families. If you wish, children could use their family photos (see activity 20) to introduce their families to the teddy. This provides a good opportunity to recap the names and roles of children’s family and relatives. Set up a routine whereby a child can take the teddy home with them at weekends or when they are going on a special trip. Then have a regular circle time each week where the child talks about the things they did together. In this way, children will have an opportunity to talk about their family –and it will give other children a chance to take an interest in the lives of others.

Conclusion

Children can use the workbook to record a visit by their teddy. This may be a drawing or painting, or could include a montage of photographs assembled with adult assistance. This will provide an ideal prompt when children share their adventures with others.

Myself and others: Myself and my family

22. My happy hug

Myself and my family

Realise how families take care of, support and love each other

Introduction

Start the session by sharing the picture book Guess How Much I Love you by Sam McBratney (Walker Books, 2007). Afterwards, use actions with the children to explore the different ways that Big Nut Brown Hare and Little Nut Brown Hare measured their love for each other – by hopping, stretching arms out wide, stretching up to the Moon, and so on.

Main activity

Ask the children for examples of how families might show love to each other. Share the images that show family activities (see online resources) – going to the park, sharing a meal, reading a bedtime story, playing a game together, and so on. These can be used as helpful prompts. If you have introduced the travel teddy (see activity 21), you can refer to some of activities that children have shared. Ask the children if they would like to show someone in their family how much they love them, just like the characters in the storybook. Look together at the workbook and explain that children can decorate the ‘happy hug’ for one or more of their family members. An adult can scribe their names, then children can use art and collage materials to decorate their hug in whatever way they wish.

Conclusion

Let the children take their workbooks home to share the ‘happy hug’ with their family member(s).

23. Granny’s birthday

Myself and my family

Explore and acknowledge many of the things that can be learned in the home

Introduction

Ask the children if they have ever had a birthday party. Talk about the things they might associate with such an event, such as a cake, presents, decorations, and so on. Explain that you are going to share a poem in which a little girl gets ready for her Granny’s birthday.

Main activity

If possible, have another adult read the poem in the workbook while you and the children act out the actions that are mentioned, such as getting washed, brushing hair, baking a cake, getting dressed, tying shoelaces, riding a bike, making a card, hanging decorations, and so on. End your role-play by singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Granny. Look back at the illustrations that accompany the poem and invite children to help you recap some of the things that the character did throughout the day. Ask the children to think about what skills the character has learned or is still learning – getting washed and dressed independently, helping to bake a cake, tying shoelaces, riding a bike, and so on. Encourage children to think about a skill they have learned at home, or one they are practising to get better at.

Conclusion

Play a game of charades where you give a child an activity or skill performed in the home and they mime the activity for the other children to guess.

Myself and others: My friends and other people

24. Friendship bracelet

My friends and other people

Identify, discuss and appreciate his/her own friends

Introduction

Explain that the children are going to make special friendship bracelets for their partner. Have some examples that you have already made to show them. To make their bracelets, provide children with coloured beads that they can thread carefully onto a pipe cleaner.

Main activity

Start by having these beads in small cups of just one colour. Give one colour to each child. Ask the children if their partner would like a bracelet of just one colour, or if they think they would like lots of different colours. If so, prompt children to think about what they will need to do. Reach an understanding that the colours will need to be shared. Have a bowl or tray in the centre of the table where children can tip out their colours. Then encourage them to work on their bracelets. Confident children could explore repeating patterns by alternating colours, for example. Work on friendship bracelets of your own (to ensure that no one in the class will be missing a bracelet).

Conclusion

Encourage children to give their bracelet to their partner. These can then be put on their wrist and the ends of the pipe cleaner twisted together to secure it. Children can then go on to complete the workbook page by colouring in a friendship bracelet using the same colours as they used to make a bracelet.

25. Pet club

My friends and other people

Recognise and appreciate differences in people and know how to treat others with dignity and respect

Introduction

Share the popular picture book Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev (Simon & Schuster, 2016) – there are read-aloud versions available online. As you share the story, encourage the children to consider how the boy might be feeling because he is excluded from the pet club. Contrast this with events later in the story when he makes a club with other children who have unusual pets.

Main activity

Ask children to imagine they have been invited to the boy’s new club and they can bring along their own unusual pet. What pet will they bring? Provide access to fiction and non-fiction books that feature a range of animals. Invite children to explore these to choose their own unique pet. They can then use the workbook to draw and decorate their pet. Afterwards, gather children on the carpet. Explain that, in your club, every pet is welcome. Shall we see what exciting pets everyone has brought? Invite each child to show and describe their pet, and explain why they chose it. Compare and contrast the different pets, putting emphasis on the different choices that children have made.

Conclusion

Encourage the children to consider other differences. Go around the circle asking children to share their favourite food, colour, picture book, game/hobby, and so on. Remind children that we are all unique and special. Our differences should be celebrated, and no one should feel left out.

Myself and others: Relating to others

26. Taste test

Relating to others

Listen and respond to the opinions and views of others

Introduction

Prior to the session, notify parents/guardians that children will be tasting fruit and vegetables and check for any allergies. Tell the children that they are going to be exploring their senses. Start the session by providing some sensory paints (these could be scented with different food flavouring extracts). Have children explore the paints with hands and fingers to investigate the scents and textures. Which paint did they like working with best?

Main activity

Explain that the children are now going to be exploring their sense of taste and giving their opinions on different fruit and vegetables. Give each child a small bowl and fork so that they can try each of the fruit and vegetables on offer should they wish to. Try and provide some samples that children may be less familiar with. Next to each fruit/vegetable, have a small printed image that children can glue into their workbook. (Alternatively, children can draw the fruit and vegetables themselves.) After they have tasted the item, they can colour in the thumbs up or thumbs down symbol to show their preference.

Conclusion

Children can compare their workbooks in small groups. Encourage them to talk about what they liked and didn’t like –and to listen to the opinions of others. You could create a simple pictogram or tally chart to show the number of likes and dislikes for each fruit/vegetable.

27. Show and tell

Relating to others

Use verbal and non-verbal behaviour to perform social functions

Introduction

Explain that the children are going to have some special visitors who are interested in seeing what you have been learning. (These visitors could be from the school or local community, perhaps the principal and another member of staff.) The children will have opportunity to choose a favourite piece of work to show to the visitors.

Main activity

Ask the children if they have ideas on how they might greet their visitors and make them feel welcome. Explore their ideas. They may even suggest having welcome snacks and drinks, or other ideas that you could incorporate. Then discuss how children might display and talk about their chosen work – for example, by creating a gallery, or having tables set up that will display similar work. Explain that the visitor might ask the children some questions and elicit what makes a good communicator (listening carefully and then responding, having good manners and being polite). Finally consider how we might show our appreciation, such as saying thank you and goodbye. Introduce the song in the workbook. Practise the words and actions so children can perform it for their visitors.

Conclusion

Before your show and tell day, have the children practise greeting each other politely, asking questions about each other’s work and saying thank you and goodbye. Then invite your visitors to view and celebrate the children’s work. The children can perform the song at the end of the visit.

Myself and others: Relating to others

28. Circle time

Relating to others

Practise care and consideration, courtesy and good manners when interacting with others

Introduction

Arrange the children for a circle time session and start by playing a game of Telephone. Pass a silly message around the circle (e.g. The elephant ate all the pancakes) by whispering into the first child’s ear. They pass the message on to the next child, and so on, until the message arrives back at you. Repeat what you have heard. Is the message the same or has it changed?

Main activity

Play a version of the game ‘I went to the shop and I bought’ (see page XXXXX) with your speaking object. Remind children of your circle time rule that only the child holding the speaking object can speak, and everyone else should quietly listen. Start a sentence for the child with the speaking object: I went to the shop and I bought …. Invite the child to list five things that they would buy on their trip. Then challenge the other children to see if they can remember the listed items. Some children may even remember the order. Let other confident volunteers have a go. Again, congratulate children on careful listening. Finally, have a simple quiz with some questions on a recent or familiar topic. Encourage children to put up their hands to answer and not to shout out.

Conclusion

Congratulate the children on the circle time skills that they have practised today. Children can colour in the workbook page to consolidate their learning.

Strand: Myself and the wider world

Strand unit: Developing citizenship

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Realise that each person is important and has a unique and valuable contribution to make to the class

• Realise and understand the necessity for adhering to the class and school rules

• Recognise and appreciate people or groups who serve the local community and how their contribution enhances the quality of life of others

• Suggest ways of helping other people at home, in school and in the local community

• Appreciate the environment and realise that each individual has a community and individual responsibility for protecting and caring for the environment

Key words

acceptance, behaviour, care, chores, clean, contribution, customer, difference, kindness, label, money, price, rules, share, shopping, sign, shopkeeper, home, help, litter, unique

Cross-curricular links

• Arts: Drama (activities 31, 32)

• Arts: Visual arts (activities 29, 30, 33)

• Language: Oral (activity 30)

• SESE: Geography – local community (activity 31)

• SESE: Geography/Science – environmental awareness and care (activity 33)

Resources

• Large outline shape of elephants – one per group

• Puppet or empathy doll

• Photos of the children following classroom rules

• Golden sunflower display – large gold circle and individual petal for each child

• Equipment for supermarket role-play

• Items for ‘litter hunt’

• Online resources: images – household chores

• Suggested book: Elmer by David McKee (Anderson Press, 1990)

Strand unit: Media education

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Realise that he/she receives information from many different sources

• Explore popular stories, books and rhymes and discuss some of the characters and their appealing traits

• Begin to use and explore the various kinds of information technology available

Key words

colour, different, favourite, interactive, picture book, projector, same, story, right, wrong, sequencing language (first, next, then, etc.), slow

Cross-curricular links

• Arts: Visual arts (activities 34, 36)

• Language: Oral (activity 34, 35)

• Language: Reading – engagement (activities 34, 35)

• SESE: Science – living things (activity 35)

Resources

• Art and collage materials

• Overhead projector and coloured shapes

• Digital camera (optional)

• Computer/tablet with paint program (optional)

• Suggested books: The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Peg by Eugene Trivizas (Farshore, 2023), The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Will Grace (Scholastic, 2007), The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson (Random House, 2006), The Lonely Beast by Chris Judge (Anderson Press, 2011), Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems (Walker Books, 2008), Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni (Dragonfly Books, 2017)

Teaching notes

For activities 34 and 35, links could be provided for children’s families so that they can explore the stories on computer or tablet at home.

Myself and the wider world: Developing citizenship

29. Rainbow elephant

Developing citizenship

Realise that each person is important and has a unique and valuable contribution to make to the class

Introduction

Start the session by sharing the storybook Elmer by David McKee (Anderson Press, 1990). Encourage children to consider how Elmer might be feeling and predict what they think will happen next. Do they think the story has a happy ending? Draw out the themes of difference and acceptance.

Main activity

Provide groups with a large outline of an elephant and a selection of art and craft materials to choose from. Explain that the children are going to be creating their own herd of elephants. How will each group make their elephant unique and special? Allow time for children within each group to explore the resources and discuss ideas. They can use the workbook to draw their ideas. (Alternatively, the workbook could be used later for children to copy their group’s finished elephant.) When groups have agreed on a plan, they can then decorate their elephant. Perhaps they will create a collage of coloured paper to create an Elmer patchwork, or explore other patterns and shapes. Visit each group in turn and commend children on their contributions and teamwork – sharing resources, helping others with ideas, helping with the placing/arrangement of colours and so on. The completed artwork can then form a display of unique and special elephants.

Conclusion

Groups can introduce and talk about their elephant, explaining their choice of colours and patterns. Use your display as a prompt to recap the theme of the book – that difference is to be celebrated, and everyone is important and special.

30. Golden sunflower

Developing citizenship

Realise and understand the necessity for adhering to the class and school rules

Introduction

Introduce children to a new class member (e.g. a puppet or empathy doll). Use your toy as a stimulus for children to recap your class rules by explaining that the toy is not aware of the rules they should be following. Offer prompts as necessary.

Main activity

If possible, have photographs available that show the children following each of the rules that you have identified. This is also a good opportunity to congratulate class members on their good behaviour, ensuring that each child is commended in some way. Children may also have classroom jobs, such as tidying the role-play area, collecting or distributing materials, and so on. Again, these could be celebrated and discussed. Reveal a golden sunflower display with the head of the flower being a large circle of gold card/paper. Stick your photographs onto the circle and write the associated rules underneath. Give each child a petal-shaped piece of card to decorate their name on. They can then glue or tape their petal to the sunflower to show that they agree to keep to the golden rules.

Conclusion

Children can colour and decorate the sunflower in their workbook. Encourage children’s parents/guardians to ask them about the rules that they follow in class.

Rainbow elephant

Myself and the wider world: Developing citizenship

31. I went shopping

Developing citizenship Recognise and appreciate people or groups who serve the local community and how their contribution enhances the quality of life of others

Introduction

Prior to the session, ask children’s parents/guardians to take them on a shopping trip. This could be to a supermarket, farmer’s market, a local shop, etc. Encourage them to explore the different items on offer and other shop features such as price labels and signs. Back at home, children can use their workbook to record their visit through pictures.

Main activity

Work together to set up a supermarket role-play area. Begin by asking children to share their workbooks and talk about their own shopping experiences. Develop these experiences into ideas for your supermarket or farmer’s market. Children can help sort and arrange play food, or food packaging if available (you may wish to send a request home for empty packaging). Consider what signs and labels might be required to help customers. Assign roles for children, either as shopkeepers, assistants or customers. Provide prompts as necessary to develop the role-play. For example, shopkeepers could promote their goods, describing what is good about the products, assistants could help with bagging items or placing them in baskets for the customers to carry away. Encourage the children to lead the role-play, developing the roles and situations freely as they play and use the equipment available.

Conclusion

Afterwards, ask the children to think about the valuable service that people who work in supermarkets and similar shops or markets provide. Consider other shops and services in your local area and the role they play in your community.

32. Helping hands

Developing citizenship

Suggest ways of helping other people at home, in school and in the local community

Introduction

Play some lively music while you lead children through a guided role-play where they act out various household chores. Actions might include sweeping/vacuuming, setting a table, folding clothing, preparing a meal, watering plants, cleaning windows, tidying a bedroom, and so on.

Main activity

Congratulate the children on all their hard work to make the home clean and tidy. Ask them if they can remember any of tasks they performed. Share the images of household chores to help recap (see online resources). Ask children if there are any tasks that they help with in their own homes. Explore their responses and experiences. Some children may have a pet and so may be able to act out and describe some of the things they do to look after it. Other children may have a baby in their family who they help to care for.

Conclusion

Look together at the workbook. Invite children to draw a picture in each of the helping hands to show a chore that they could do (or like doing) to help around their home.

Myself and the wider world: Developing citizenship

33. Litter watch

Developing citizenship Appreciate the environment and realise that each individual has a community and individual responsibility for protecting and caring for the environment

Introduction

Prior to the session, set up a ‘litter hunt’ in an area of your outdoor setting. Have a selection of safe and clean litter (that has been washed ahead of time and is safe to handle). Your collection might include plastic bottles, yoghurt pots, sweet and crisp wrappers, plastic bags, drink cartons, and so on.

Main activity

Introduce an animal toy to the children. Explain that they are very sad and worried. There is a lot of litter around and they are worried that their friends might be hurt or trapped. Would the children like to help? Lead the children to your assigned outdoor space. Ask how the children feel about seeing all the litter. What can we do to help? Adults can have plastic bin bags which the children can deposit the litter into. Encourage them to search around, under and on top of objects to find all the litter. Once the litter has been cleaned up, view your outdoor setting. How do we feel now that the area is clean and tidy? Ask the children to consider why leaving litter might be dangerous. Consider the threat to humans (slipping on litter, getting cut or injured) and animals (getting trapped, trying to eat leftover food, etc.).

Conclusion

Back in the classroom recap the importance of putting litter into bins to keep the environment clean and safe to play in. Look together at the workbook. Children can complete the page by circling all the litter.

Myself and the wider world: Media education

34. A different story

Media education

Realise that he/she receives information from many different sources

Introduction

Read a traditional version of ‘The three little pigs’. Afterwards, invite children to recap the story. What happened first, next, then, and so on. Who were the heroes and who was the villain? If you wish, you could have children take on the roles of the characters and act out the story, whilst others help with narration and direction.

Main activity

Share a contrasting version of the story with the children. Good examples include The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas (Farshore, 2023) and The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Will Grace (Scholastic, 2007). Read-aloud versions of both stories are available online. After sharing the story, invite children to compare and contrast the new version with the traditional version. Consider the characters, setting and plot. What is the same/different? Ask children to discuss which version of the story they preferred, giving their reasons why.

Conclusion

Using their workbook, children can come up with their own twist on the tale of ‘The three little pigs’. Encourage them to decide who will be the heroes and the villain of their story. These can then be drawn and coloured. If necessary, an adult can help with the title by scribing words for the child to copy.

Myself and the wider world: Developing citizenship

35. A monster story

Media education

Explore popular stories, books and rhymes and discuss some of the characters and their appealing traits

Introduction

Share a popular storybook that features a memorable monster character. Good examples include The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson (Random House, 2006), The Lonely Beast by Chris Judge (Anderson Press, 2011) and Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems (Walker Books, 2008). Afterwards, encourage children to recall their favourite parts of the story.

Main activity

Focus on the main monster character of each book. How would the children describe them? They may recall physical descriptions of the monster from the text as well as some of their personality traits. Ask the children if they would like to create their own monster character – they could imagine that this character will be the star of a new storybook. Provide groups with access to art and collage materials to create a model or picture of their monster. Encourage them to think back to the storybook you shared, and what made that monster character interesting. As children work on their models/pictures, visit each group in turn to discuss their ideas. As well as appearance, prompt them to think about the personality of their monster. Will the monster look scary but really be friendly and kind?

Conclusion

Afterwards, ask the children to think about the valuable service that people who work in supermarkets and similar shops Invite groups to share their models/pictures and talk about their monster. This might include the name of their monster, its physical appearance and its personality traits. As a follow-up activity, children can use the workbook to draw and decorate a cover for their monster’s story.

36. Colour mix-up

Media education

Begin to use and explore the various kinds of information technology available

Introduction

Share the storybook Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni (Dragonfly Books, 2017). There are read-aloud and animated versions of the story available online. The story uses coloured shapes to explore colour-mixing. When Little Blue and Little Yellow give each other a hug, they discover that together they make green.

Main activity

Set up an overhead projector at a level where the children can interact with it. Place a yellow and a blue shape on the projector. Children can then see how the shapes appear big as they are projected on your wall or screen. Cross the two shapes (as they hug each other!) and observe what happens. Their colour changes just like in the book. Provide other shapes and colours for the children to play with and explore. You could also introduce digital cameras for children to record their favourite patterns. Other groups could use a paint program on a computer or tablet device to explore making shapes and patterns using the available tools. Then discuss how they might make a new page for the storybook – perhaps with two new characters who combine in a ‘hug’ to make a new colourful character.

Conclusion

In a follow-up session, children can use the workbook to explore colour-mixing by choosing two colours to paint each of the characters, then mixing the colours together to decorate the third character.

Strand: Myself

Strand unit: Self-identity

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Recognise and record personal preferences

• Become aware of his/her immediate world through the senses

• Become more self-reliant and independent: accepting that making mistakes and trying again are part of the learning process

• Begin to learn how to cope with various changes as they occur

• Begin to develop some awareness of factors that may influence decisions or choices taken

Key words

choice, cope, decision, ears, far, favourite, hear, listen, loud, near, noise, options, persuade, photograph, prefer, problem, quiet, record, respect, sound, quality, worry

Cross-curricular links

• Arts: Drama (activity 3)

• Arts: Visual arts (activities 2, 4)

• Language: Oral (activities 1, 3, 5)

• Maths – Number (activity 1)

• SESE: Geography – natural environments (activity 2)

• SESE: Science – living things (activity 4)

Resources

• 1–3 dice and counters

• Recording equipment (e.g. recordable buttons) and digital camera

• Empathy doll

• Butterfly shapes cut from grey card

• Books/images featuring butterflies

• Suggested book: The Worrysaurus by Rachel Bright (Orchard Books, 2020)

Teaching notes

A positive classroom environment and safe space is especially important for discussions around any worries or fears that the children may have.

Strand unit: Taking care of my body

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Respect his/her own body and that of others

• Explore and discuss the different things the body can do: move, feel, think, grow, heal

• Recognise and practise basic hygiene skills

• Realise that each individual has some responsibility for taking care of himself/herself

• Discuss and explore some qualities and categories of food

• Realise the importance of good hygiene when preparing food to eat

Key words

brain, clean, crawl, dance, danger, exercise, feel, fruit, gentle, germ, good behaviour, grow, healthy, heart, hop, hygiene, jump, move, respect, rough, rules, run, safe, safety, skip, stretch, think, walk, wash, vegetables

Cross-curricular links

• Arts: Drama (activity 6)

• Arts: Visual arts (activities 8, 9)

• SESE: Geography – human environments (activity 11)

• SESE: Science – living things (activities 7, 8, 9, 10)

Resources

• Glitter and hand gel

• Bowls of warm water, soap and paper towels

• Heart-shaped stickers (optional)

• Selection of vegetables and matching seeds/seed packets

• Cress seeds, clean yoghurt pots and cotton wool

• Ingredients for salad/fruit salad

• Online resources: images – happy heart activities

• Suggested books: The Busy Body Book by Lizzy Rockwell (Random House, 2008), Ready Steady, Mo! by Mo Farah and Kes Gray (Hodder Children’s Books, 2016), I Don’t Want to Wash My Hands by Tony Ross (Anderson Press, 2017), Oliver’s Vegetables by Vivien French (Hodder, 1995), Jasper’s Beanstalk by Nick Butterworth (Hodder, 2014), Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert (Harcourt, 2008)

Teaching notes

As a more environmentally friendly option for activity 8, you could use a product such as Glitter Bug or Glo Germ instead of glitter. These are lotions that glow under a UV light (available from online stores).

Strand: Myself

Strand unit: Growing and changing

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Recognise that the ability to take responsibility for himself/herself and others increases as he/she grows older

• Develop an awareness of human birth

• Identify what babies need to help them grow and develop

• Begin to be sensitive to the feelings of others and to realise that the actions of one individual can affect the feelings of another

Key words

baby, born, care, develop, emotion, feeling, grow, hygiene, love, pregnant, responsible, toddler

Cross-curricular links

• Arts: Drama (activity 14)

• Arts: Visual arts (activity 14)

• Language: Oral (activities 12, 14, 15)

• Maths: Measures – length (activity 13)

• SESE: Science – living things (activities 13, 14)

Resources

• Children’s baby photographs

• Baby doll for each group

• Toy baby equipment – bottles, bath, clothes, nappies, wipes, toys, etc.

• Digital camera (optional)

• Images showing different emotions

• Online resources: worksheet ‘A new baby’; images –feelings

Teaching notes

In preparation for activities 13 and 14, you could explore real baby clothes together (it may be possible for children to bring in their own baby clothes –sleepsuits, bootees, etc.). Compare the sizes of the clothing with the children’s clothes and explore the materials they are made from.

Strand unit: Safety and protection

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Explore appropriate safety strategies: knowing how and when to seek help, knowing who to ask, people I can trust and tell

• Identify situations and places that are safe and those where personal safety might be at risk

• Realise and understand that rules are necessary in order to protect people and keep them safe

• Explore how accidents might be prevented at home, in school, on the farm, or in the water

• Explore occasions when medicines, injections or pills are needed and the safety rules that apply when taking medicine

Key words

accident, adult, behaviour, doctor, danger, medicine, first aid, nurse, protect, rule, safe, trust

Cross-curricular links

• Arts: Visual arts (activities 18, 19)

• Language: Oral (activities 16, 17)

• SESE: Geography – human environments (activities 16, 17, 18, 20)

• SESE: Geography – environmental awareness and care (activity 19)

• SESE: Science – living things (activity 20)

Resources

• Photographs of school staff

• Online resources: images – unsafe items

• Suggested books: Dinosaurs in My School by Timothy Knapman (Scholastic, 2022), Going to the Doctor (First Experiences) by Anna Civardi (OUP, 2012), We’re Going to the Doctor (Campbell Books, 2019)

Teaching notes

Using images from the local area will make the concept of safe places to play more relatable to the children.

Myself: Self-identity

1. I like, you like Self-identity

Recognise and record personal preferences

Introduction

Begin the session by asking children a series of What is your favourite …? questions (favourite food, drink, tv show, sport or game, animal, season, movie character, story book, and so on). They can record their answers on a single page using words or pictures.

Main activity

Have the children stand facing you in a line with their answer sheets from the introduction session. Starting with the first question, ask a child to call out their preference. For example: What is your favourite colour, Sam? The child says their answer and all the children who wrote the same answer go and stand behind that child; the other children stay where they are. Then choose another child to say their preference in the same category. Again, children with the same answer go and stand behind that child. Continue until all the children are either grouped or standing alone. Compare numbers. Discuss the most/least popular choices inviting volunteers from each group to give reasons for their choices. Continue the game by asking children to return to their starting positions and moving on to the next category.

Conclusion

In pairs, children can play the game in the workbook with a 1–3 dice and counters. Each player takes a turn to move on the track. When they land on a space, their partner asks Do you like …? and names the pictured object. The child can then respond. At the end of the game, children can see if they remember each other’s likes and dislikes.

2. Sounds all around

Self-identity

Become aware of his/her immediate world through the senses

Introduction

Start by asking the children to tell you what part of their body they use to hear with. Explain that hearing is one of our five senses. Can the children name their other senses? (Sight, taste, touch and smell.) Ask the children to listen quietly to the sounds all around them. After a minute or so, ask children to describe any of the sounds that they heard. Reinforce vocabulary related to hearing and distance, such as loud, quiet, near, far, noise, sound and so on.

Main activity

In groups, take children to explore your school and grounds with recording equipment (such as recordable buttons/pegs) to record the sounds that they can hear. Guide children to two or three locations where there will be opportunities for varied sounds. At each location, children should be encouraged to listen quietly, record any interesting sounds and take a photo of the location. Back in the classroom, children can discuss the different sounds that they remember hearing on their walk. Which sounds were the loudest/quietest? Did any groups encounter sounds that the others did not? Were they able to identify what was making the sound?

Conclusion

Using their workbook, invite children to colour the things that they would be able to hear. When sharing their work, children can describe or try and make the associated noises or you could have sound clips to play that children can match to their pictures.

Myself: Self-identity

3. Making mistakes

Self-identity Become more self-reliant and independent: accepting that making mistakes and trying again are part of the learning process

Introduction

Introduce an empathy doll or other classroom character that the children are familiar with. Explain that the doll is feeling a bit sad today and encourage children to ask questions to elicit a conversation with the doll. Reveal that the doll is sad because they made a mistake and ruined their picture. What might the children say to the doll to reassure them?

Main activity

Ask the children if they have ever made a mistake or been unhappy with their work. Gently encourage volunteers to share their experiences. Arrive at an understanding that everyone makes mistakes from time to time – and mistakes can be very helpful. Why are mistakes helpful, do we think? Explain that, when we are learning, we are often trying things out for the first time or practising to get better at something. Sometimes we make mistakes or are not sure what to do next. What can we do if that happens? Explore ideas such as asking for help, taking a break, having another go, and so on. You could create a scenario for confident volunteers to role-play with one in the role of a child who is stuck and the other playing the teacher.

Conclusion

Children can colour in the workbook page to explore some techniques to handle scenarios when they might make a mistake. Revisit these at a later date so that children can talk about times when they have used one of the techniques to help them.

4. Fly away worries

Self-identity

Begin to learn how to cope with various changes as they occur

Introduction

Share the storybook The Worrysaurus by Rachel Bright (Orchard Books, 2020). There are readaloud versions available online. In the story, Worrysaurus describes his worries as a butterfly in his tummy. Explain that we all have worries from time to time. Worries are not always bad, but sometimes they can get stuck in our tummies and might feel like butterflies. Ask the children if they have ever been worried about something. How does a worry make them feel?

Main activity

Discuss how Worrysaurus coped with his worries by thinking about all the things that made him feel happy. Ask children to think about some of the things that make them feel happy and confident. Create a wall display of worry butterflies – butterfly shapes cut from grey card. Invite children to help you transform them into happy butterflies. Task each child with decorating their own happy butterfly. Provide books and images of butterflies so that children can explore their colours and patterns. Each colourful butterfly can replace one of the grey ones on your display until you have created a bright and positive display of colourful butterflies.

Conclusion

Children can record a worry in their workbook, then decorate a colourful happy butterfly. You may wish to sensitively view children’s worry statements and address some of these anonymously through circle time sessions.

Myself: Self-identity

5. Big decisions

Self-identity

Begin to develop some awareness of factors that may influence decisions or choices taken

Introduction

Prior to a storybook session, explain to the children that there is a big decision to be made. Reveal two storybooks and tell the children that it is up to them to decide which one you will be reading next. Allow time for the children to explore the cover of each storybook and encourage them to share their initial thoughts about the story/characters that most appeal to them.

Main activity

Ask the children how they could go about choosing which storybook you will read next. Prompt if necessary to explore a variety of ways that a decision could be reached. For example, children could share reasons for their decision, have a show of hands, choose randomly (e.g. picking the name of the book from a hat), and so on. Talk about ways that would be fair (a show of hands for example) and those that might not (one child making the decision). Allow time for the children to discuss these methods between themselves and to choose the method that they think is the fairest. They might settle on a combination – for example, children making an individual case for their choice and then having a show of hands afterwards. Once the book has been chosen, ask children if they think the decision was fair.

Conclusion

Children can complete the workbook page by colouring in their choices for each prompt. They could then compare with a partner and discuss the reasons for their choices.

Myself: Taking care of my body

6. Playground play

Taking care of my body

Respect his/her own body and that of others

Introduction

Begin by exploring the four scenarios pictured in the workbook. Visit each scenario in turn and discuss what is happening. Do the pictures show good or bad behaviour? Are the children showing respect for each other? How might they feel? Do they feel safe or unsafe? Talk about the meaning of respect – for example to show care and concern for someone or something.

Main activity

Ask the children to imagine that they are observing these examples of behaviour in the yard. Discuss what action someone might take if they saw this happening – telling an adult, comforting a child who is hurt or upset, and so on. Next, consider the type of advice that could be given to the offending child – show respect, say sorry, play nicely, and so on. Following your discussion, assign one of the unsafe scenarios to each group and invite them to create a role-play to explore the scenario and its consequences and provide a positive outcome. Invite groups to share their role-play with the class. Talk about how each group decided to handle the situation. Revisit the scenes of good behaviour and reaffirm any class or school rules you have about showing respect for others.

Conclusion

Children can complete the workbook page by colouring the borders of the unsafe examples in red and the safe examples in green.

Myself: Taking care of my body

7. My amazing body

Taking care of my body

Explore and discuss the different things the body can do

Introduction

Share a storybook on the theme of bodies and fitness, such as The Busy Body Book by Lizzy Rockwell (Random House, 2008) or Ready Steady, Mo! by Mo Farah and Kes Gray (Hodder Children’s Books, 2016). There are read-aloud versions of both books available online.

Main activity

Talk about all the different things our bodies can do – run, walk, crawl, skip, jump, stretch, hop, dance, and so on. Perform a simple exercise routine with children running on the spot, stretching arms above their head, balancing on one leg and hopping. Talk about the parts of the body that they are using – stretching arms and standing on tiptoes, wiggling fingers as they reach for the ceiling, and so on. Develop this by talking about all the things that our bodies can do now that they couldn’t do when we were little – riding a bike, swimming, catching a ball, bouncing a ball, etc. Prompt children to think about other skills they have learned as their bodies have developed, such as reading, writing, dressing ourselves. Reach an understanding that our bodies are constantly growing and getting stronger, and this enable us to do lots of different things.

Conclusion

Children can use the workbook to record the results of various physical challenges such as how many hops they can do in one minute, how long they can stand on one leg, and so on. These challenges could be repeated over a couple of sessions to monitor improvement.

8. Healthy hands

Taking care of my body

Recognise and practise basic hygiene skills

Introduction

Share the picture book I Don’t Want to Wash My Hands by Tony Ross (Anderson Press, 2017). There are read-aloud versions available online. In the story, the Little Princess is told repeatedly to wash her hands after doing various activities. Discuss the different things the Princess does that would pick up germs – using the toilet, playing with a pet, sneezing into her hands, and so on.

Main activity

Mix glitter with hand gel and ask children to rub it all over their hands. Ask them to imagine that the glitter represents germs. How can we get rid of them? Provide some bowls of warm water and soap. Demonstrate proper handwashing technique. Model washing between each finger, rubbing palms, washing around the wrists and back of the hand, and so on. Children can also follow the visual sequence in the workbook. Explain that, to wash our hands properly, we should wash them for around 20 seconds, or as long as it takes to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice. Children may have fun inventing their own songs and rhymes to accompany their handwashing. Afterwards, children can hold up their clean glitter-free hands!

Conclusion

Children can use the workbook as a prompt for creating their own poster, video, display or other resource to help teach others proper handwashing technique. These could be shared with the wider school community – perhaps in areas where hands are likely to pick up germs, such as outdoor spaces, toilets, and so on.

Myself: Taking care of my body

9. Happy hearts

Taking care of my body

Realise that each individual has some responsibility for taking care of himself/herself

Introduction

Ask children if they know where their heart is. Place a hand on your left/middle chest and explain that this is where our heart is. Perform a short exercise routine. Afterwards, children might be able to feel their hearts beating quickly. Explain that when we do exercise, our heart beats faster because it needs to work harder to keep us active. Our heart likes working hard, so we should try and do some exercise every day.

Main activity

Ask children to consider the types of exercise that they could do to keep their hearts happy and working hard. To support the discussion, share the happy heart images (see online resources) which show various activities such as cycling, swimming, climbing, running, reading, sleeping, and so on. Ask children to name the activities and decide whether they think it is a happy heart activity or not. Does the activity make our heart work harder? If you have printed copies of the images, children could place a heart-shaped sticker on the pictures they have chosen. Ask children to talk about the exercise and activities that they like to do.

Conclusion

Children can use the workbook to draw and label four of their own happy heart activities.

10. Growing vegetables

Taking care of my body

Discuss and explore some qualities and categories of food

Introduction

Share a picture book on the theme of growing vegetables such as Oliver’s Vegetables by Vivien French (Hodder, 1995), Jasper’s Beanstalk by Nick Butterworth (Hodder, 2014) or Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert (Harcourt, 2008) – read-aloud versions are available online. Use this as a stimulus for talking about different vegetables and how they are grown.

Main activity

Have examples of different vegetables ready for the children to handle and explore. As children handle the vegetables, encourage them to talk about the shape, colour, size and weight. If possible, have samples for the children to taste. You can also share a selection of seeds and seed packets for children to explore and match to the relevant vegetables. Ask children to consider how a seed becomes a vegetable that we can eat. Explain that they are going to grow some cress seeds in the classroom and observe them. Help the children to add damp cotton wool to clean yoghurt pots, sprinkle with cress seeds and place in a sunny spot.

Conclusion

Children can use the workbook to document how they planted and grew the cress seeds. When grown, the cress could be washed and added to a salad snack or sandwich.

Myself: Taking care of my body

11. Messy kitchen

Taking care of my body

Realise the importance of good hygiene when preparing food to eat

Introduction

Start the session by exploring the illustration in the workbook. Explain that a parent is preparing food in their kitchen at home. There are a number of safety issues to spot. Working individually or in pairs, children can circle the dangers and discuss with their partner why they think they might be a problem.

Main activity

Discuss the image as a whole class and talk about the dangers that the children were able to identify. As well as the obvious safety hazards such as the sharp knife, spilled water, trailing cable and overboiling saucepan, there are also hygiene issues to spot such as the muddy child, pet on the work surface, food left unattended, adult in dirty work clothes and not wearing an apron, and so on. As you raise and discuss each point, help children to think about the possible outcomes and how they might be harmful. Talk about the importance of handwashing before handling food, keeping fresh food in the fridge, and putting rubbish in the bin. Explain or elicit that it is important that we don’t get dirt or germs onto our food because this can make us ill. We should always keep the area clean when preparing or eating food.

Conclusion

Children can help you to prepare a healthy salad or fruit snack. Put into practice some of the points you have discussed, such as washing hands, cleaning surfaces, wearing aprons, avoiding clutter, and so on.

Myself: Growing and changing

12. Scruffy Sal

Growing and changing

Recognise that the ability to take responsibility for himself/herself and others increases as he/she grows older

Introduction

Begin by looking at the workbook together. It’s time for school, but Sal doesn’t look ready at all! Identify all the problem areas that suggest that Sal has not been responsible in taking care of herself or her belongings. If possible, display an enlarged version of the page on an interactive whiteboard and invite children to circle the problem ‘hot spot’ areas.

Main activity

Ask the children to imagine that they are now responsible for getting Sal ready for school. Working with a partner, children can explore and discuss the items pictured on the right-hand side of the workbook page. They can the work individually to draw a line to link each item to its relevant ‘hot spot’ areas to help clean, dress and tidy up the character ready for school. Once the pages are completed, invite children to share their ideas using the enlarged version displayed on the whiteboard. Draw attention to tasks they used to need help with but can do for themselves now they are older (washing hands and brushing teeth, getting dressed, etc.), as well as those they may still need help with (tying laces etc.).

Conclusion

Invite children to share their own morning routines for getting ready for school. As well as personal hygiene, you could explore breakfast (food for energy) and any other jobs they might have – putting their lunchbox in their bag, helping with a younger sibling, feeding a pet, and so on.

Myself: Growing and changing

13. A new baby

Growing and changing

Develop an awareness of human birth

Introduction

Prior to the session, ask parents to provide a baby photo of each child. Start by playing a ‘guess the baby’ game. Display one of the photographs and see if the children can guess which class member it is. Are there any clues in the physical features that the children can identify? Continue through your available photographs – you could include some photographs of staff members as babies too.

Main activity

Look again at a selection of the photos and talk about some things the babies have in common (small, little or no hair, sleeping, smiling, being held, drinking milk, etc.). Pose the question: What can babies do for themselves? Encourage children with young siblings to share their own experiences. Elicit that newborn babies cannot walk, talk, feed themselves or even sit up unaided. They depend on their parents and families for everything. As they grow, babies become stronger and learn to eat, sit, crawl, talk, and so on, gradually growing into toddlers and eventually becoming children in Senior Infants! Provide copies of the online worksheet ‘A new baby’ and explore the images, which show a boy in different stages of life as he grows.

Conclusion

Children can cut out the images from the online worksheet and stick them into their workbooks in the correct order to show a human life cycle.

14. Looking after baby

Growing and changing

Identify what babies need to help them grow and develop

Introduction

Recap what the children learned about babies in your previous session (see activity 13). Introduce a baby doll and explain that the children are now going to be caring for a baby for a few days. What do we need to do to look after baby? Explore the children’s initial ideas. Elicit the importance of treating the baby with love and care.

Main activity

Provide groups of children with a doll to look after along with other play equipment and accessories such as a feeding bottle, baby bath, blankets, sponges, baby clothes, wipes, nappies, toys, and so on. Discuss the role each item plays in looking after baby. Allow the groups time to care for their baby over the course of a week, visiting each group in turn to ask questions and provide prompts and support if necessary. If possible, take photos of the children as they feed baby with a bottle, wash, dry and dress baby, and so on. Children can also rock their baby, tell the baby a story or sing a lullaby to mimic their understanding of how adults would look after a baby.

Conclusion

Using the photos as prompts, ask each group to share how they looked after their baby. Children can then use the workbook to draw pictures of the tasks they performed.

Myself: Growing and changing

15. How would I feel?

Growing and changing Begin to be sensitive to the feelings of others and to realise that the actions of one individual can affect the feelings of another

Introduction

Share the images showing different feelings (see online resources) and ask children to name each feeling. Reaffirm that we all experience a range of feelings. Some can be big and others small, and sometimes they are nice and other times they can make us feel uncomfortable.

Main activity

Look at the workbook together and explain each of the situations: starting at a new school, getting a new puppy, discovering a broken toy, having no one to play with. Begin by asking the children to match an emotion card to each of the situations to best describe how the child might be feeling. Consider whether the child might be feeling a mix of emotions. For example, they might feel happy and excited to be starting a new school, but also worried. Similarly, the child might be angry that their toy is broken and also sad. Sensitively explore any of the children’s own experiences that are similar to those pictured. What might they say or do to reassure or help the child in the picture? What helped them to deal with a similar situation?

Conclusion

Children can complete the workbook page by drawing a feeling face next to each situation and then writing the associated emotion. Invite children to share their workbooks with a partner to compare the emotions they chose and discuss the scenarios.

Myself: Safety and protection

16. Safe adults

Safety and protection Explore appropriate safety strategies: knowing how and when to seek help, knowing who to ask, people I can trust and tell

Introduction

Create a board of photographs that displays familiar adults in your school, including the principal, teachers, secretary, SNAs, and so on. Challenge the children to name the pictured individuals and their job in the school, providing assistance as necessary. Explain that these are all adults who can help us at school. We can trust them to keep us safe.

Main activity

Describe some situations where a child needs help – for example, they have hurt themselves, someone has hurt them or been mean to them, they need to phone their home, their parent/ guardian is late picking them up, they have lost or found something, and so on. Ask children to suggest who they might approach for help by pointing them out on the board. There may be more than one answer so encourage discussion, but reaffirm that any trusted adult will be willing to help. Now look together at the workbook. Sometimes we might need help when we are outside of school – perhaps if we are lost, need to cross a busy road, and so on. Who are the trusted/safe adults that we can approach? Discuss why these would be trusted adults compared to a stranger (due to the job/role they perform). Children can complete the page by colouring in the trusted adults. You could extend the activity by exploring the children’s colouring resources available on the Garda website (https://garda.ie/en/ crime-prevention/children-s-corner/).

Conclusion

Reaffirm your school’s safety rules and ensure children understand that they can ask any member of staff for help.

Myself: Safety and protection

17. Let’s go and play!

Safety and protection

Identify situations and places that are safe and those where personal safety might be at risk

Introduction

Invite the children to talk about the places they like to play or visit with friends. These might include a local park, playground, their home or garden, a soft-play centre, cinema, and so on. Encourage children to explain why they enjoy playing/going there.

Main activity

Explain to the children that not all places are safe to play around or to visit, especially if no adult is present. Can the children think of any locations in their local area that might be unsafe or dangerous? Listen to their ideas before looking together at the workbook. Explain that the two children are wondering where they should go to play. Some of the places are safe and some are unsafe. Explore the first picture together (a playground) and discuss whether it is safe to play there. Remind the children that, even if a place is safe, we should always make sure our parent/guardian knows where we are playing. Invite children to circle the safe play areas in green and the unsafe areas in red. Afterwards, encourage children to share their answers and give reasons.

Conclusion

Revisit each of the pictured locations to discuss why they are safe or unsafe. Reinforce the understanding that trusted adults should know where we are at all times. Invite children to teach a toy or empathy doll what they have learned.

18. Dinosaur in our school

Safety and protection

Realise and understand that rules are necessary in order to protect people and keep them safe

Introduction

Start the session by sharing the picture book Dinosaurs in My School by Timothy Knapman (Scholastic, 2022). There are read-aloud versions available online. Afterwards, discuss what it might be like to have a dinosaur in the classroom. What problems might the dinosaur cause? Look back at the story images and encourage children to respond to the different situations.

Main activity

Look together at the workbook. Identify the problems that the pictured dinosaur is causing in the classroom. Discuss each one in turn and consider with the children the things that the dinosaur might be doing wrong. Ask the children if it is important to have rules. Do they know your class/ school rules? What rules do they think the dinosaur is breaking? Decide on a rule for each of the pictures. For example: Clean up spills, Don’t leave a mess, No running, No jumping the line, etc. Consider other scenarios that are not pictured where a rule might be important – for example, keeping the cloakroom area tidy, raising a hand before speaking, wearing the correct uniform, and so on.

Conclusion

Children can help you to create a poster that illustrates the rules of behaviour for your classroom. This could feature dinosaur characters to continue the theme of the story book.

Myself: Safety and protection

19. Staying safe

Safety and protection

Explore how accidents might be prevented at home, in school, on the farm, or in the water

Introduction

Recap the previous session by revisiting the workbook and discussing the important rules that the dinosaur was breaking. You could also display and discuss your rules of behaviour poster. Explain that your dinosaur character is starting to learn how to be a good class member, but perhaps they might still need some help.

Main activity

Invite children to complete the workbook page by marking a safe path for the dinosaur, avoiding the things that might be dangerous to play with (tablets, lawnmower, garden shears, bleach, knife, etc.). Ask the children to share these and compare the pathways that they have coloured in. Can they name the harmful items that needed to be avoided? Display the images of the unsafe items from the workbook (see online resources). Discuss each one in turn, encouraging children to identify the item and tell you why it might be unsafe to play with.

Conclusion

In groups, children can work on creating their own larger maze display with examples of safe and unsafe items. These could be drawn, painted or collaged onto their display. The finished mazes could then be shared with other groups to see if they can guide dinosaur safely to the end.

20. First aid kit

Safety and protection

Explore occasions when medicines, injections or pills are needed and the safety rules that apply when taking medicine

Introduction

Share a picture book about a visit to a doctor or hospital. Good examples include Going to the Doctor (First Experiences) by Anna Civardi (OUP, 2012) and We’re Going to the Doctor (Campbell Books, 2019). There are read-aloud versions available online.

Main activity

Use the storybook as a stimulus for children to share their own experiences of being sick and how they got well again. Did they need to see a doctor? Link this to a discussion of medicines children may be familiar with, such as cough syrup, paracetamol, ointment/cream and so on. Some children may have certain health conditions such as asthma or eczema and can discuss the use of inhalers and creams. Remind children never to touch any medicine and to tell an adult if they ever accidentally swallow any. Provide role-play equipment (stethoscope, white coats/aprons, paper and pens, toy medicines, plasters and bandages, and so on) so that children can explore a visit to a doctor, with a toy acting as the sick patient. Children can role-play examining their toy, deciding what injury or illness they have and how to treat it.

Conclusion

Children can complete the workbook page by drawing lines to place the correct items inside the doctor’s medical kit. Afterwards, talk about the items that the children chose and discuss their purpose. What advice would they give to a child regarding medicines?

Strand: Myself and others

Strand unit: Myself and my family

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Realise that he/she belongs to a family and that each person has a place and role within a family

Key words

brother, cousin, different, extended family, family, father, grandparents, home, mother, relative, sister

Cross-curricular links

• Arts: Visual arts (activity 21)

• SESE: Geography – human environments (activity 21)

Resources

• House-shaped templates

• Suggested books: The Family Book by Todd Parr (little Brown, 2010), All About Families by Felicity Brooks (Usborne, 2018)

Teaching notes

Be mindful of the different family situations in your classroom and ensure fair and inclusive representation of every type of family.

Strand unit: My friends and other people

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Discuss and examine the different aspects of friendship

• Identify and appreciate friends at school and how they can help and care for each other

• Discuss and appreciate all those considered special, both within and outside the family circle

• Recognise and explore bullying behaviour, who is involved and the effects on different people: the bully, the child being bullied, the onlookers, the family of the victim

• Know that bullying is always wrong and know what should be done if one is being bullied or sees it happening to someone else

Key words

bully, care, fair, friendship, kind, help, family, lonely, on purpose, teacher, share, trust, unkind

Cross-curricular links

• Arts: Visual arts (activities 22, 23, 24, 26)

• Language: Writing – motivation and choice (activity 25)

• Language: Oral (activity 26)

• SESE: Geography – human environments (activities 23, 24)

• SESE: Science – living things (activity 22)

Resources

• Art and craft materials and activities for Friendship Day

• Digital camera (optional)

• Junior Infants class photo – several copies cut into six pieces

• Pebble with googly eyes

• Online resources: worksheet ‘Treasure hunt clues’

• Suggested books: Sharing a Shell by Julia Donaldson (Macmillan Children’s Books, 2018), The Story of Fish and Snail by Deborah Freedman (Penguin, 2013), Can I Join your Club by Chris Kelly (Little Tiger, 2017), Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry (Clarion Books, 2018)

Teaching notes

Bullying is a sensitive topic so it is important that children feel comfortable sharing their experiences –you may wish to use circle time for these discussions.

Strand: Myself and others

Strand unit: Relating to others

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Resolve conflict with others: learning to listen to others, to apologise and accept apologies, to compromise and to forgive

Key words

apologise, compromise, conflict, forgive, friendship, handshake, listen, resolution, sorry, talk

Cross-curricular links

• Arts: Drama (activity 27)

Resources

• Pinecone with googly eyes

• Hand and arm templates to make ‘handshakes’

Myself and others: Myself and my family

21. Who is at home?

Myself and my family

Realise that he/she belongs to a family and that each person has a place and role within a family

Introduction

Explore a picture book about different types of family, such as The Family Book by Todd Parr (Little Brown, 2010) or All About Families by Felicity Brooks (Usborne, 2018). There are readaloud versions available online. As children explore the images and scenarios, encourage them to discuss the similarities and differences. Gently encourage children to relate these to their own circumstances, if appropriate.

Main activity

Provide art and craft materials. Ask children to draw the members of their family on separate squares or circles of paper. Each drawing could just be a face or a whole person. Some children may be able to write a name on their portrait also. Using the workbook, ask children to glue the family members that they live with onto the house. Then provide some pre-made house templates cut from card – or children can make their own. Children can then continue drawing relatives and extended family members and sort them into the relevant homes. Have your own version prepared for reference. Once the portraits have been arranged on the house templates, they can be glued in place. Children can then place their homes side by side and use as a prompt to discuss their immediate and extended family with a partner.

Conclusion

As a whole class, discuss immediate and extended family and the roles different members might play within a family. Some family members may not live locally so children can discuss the ways they stay in touch or times when they get together.

Myself and others: My friends and other people

22. Friends share

My friends and other people

Discuss and examine the different aspects of friendship

Introduction

Begin with a circle time discussion about sharing. Ask the children why it is important to share with our friends. For example, sharing shows our friends that we care about them; it is kind and fair; when we share our toys, everyone can have fun. Explore children’s experiences of sharing. How does it make them feel to share with others?

Main activity

Share the storybook Sharing a Shell by Julia Donaldson (Macmillan Children’s Books, 2018). There are read-aloud versions available online, including the ‘Sharing a Shell’ song performed by the author and her husband. Afterwards, ask the children if they can remember the creatures that shared Crab’s shell and their individual talents (scaring away fish, cleaning the shell). What message do the children think the story is trying to teach? Discuss what a caring friend is and what they might do for us. Write useful words on the board – for example, kind, honest, thoughtful, help, share, love, play, listen, and so on. These words could form the basis for a ‘Sharing a shell’ themed display about friendship, with the words displayed on pebbles around your own rock pool. Children can then decorate their own character to add to the display along with their name. The workbook colouring-in page provides some ideas for beach-life characters that children could choose from and create using art materials.

Conclusion

Children can add their character to the display and talk about how they intend to be a good friend to others.

Myself and others: My friends and other people

23. Friendship bench

My friends and other people

Identify and appreciate friends at school and how they can help and care for each other

Introduction

Share a storybook about friendship and kindness. Examples might include The Story of Fish and Snail by Deborah Freedman (Penguin, 2013) and Can I Join your Club by Chris Kelly (Little Tiger, 2017). There are read-aloud versions available online.

Main activity

Use the story as a stimulus to talk about the things that make a good friend – for example, sharing, helping others, having fun together, being kind and caring, and so on. Discuss what happens at break time and invite children to share what games they like to play with their friends. Ask how someone might feel if they had no one to play with. What could someone do if they saw a sad or lonely child with nobody to play with? For example, we could ask the child if they are ok, invite them to join our game or spend time talking and playing with them. That is how friends help and care for each other. After the discussion, if possible, set up a Senior Infants friendship bench or designated area in the yard. Explain that children can go there if they are feeling lonely and would like to be included.

Conclusion

Children can complete the workbook page by gluing and sticking drawings of friends they played with today onto the bench.

24. Treasure hunt

My friends and other people

Discuss and appreciate all those considered special, both within and outside the family circle

Introduction

Hold a special Friendship Day to celebrate the qualities of being a good friend. Make the children aware of this event ahead of time so that they can contribute ideas and also consider the types of behaviour that the day will be promoting – helping others, sharing, being kind, teamwork, and so on.

Main activity

If possible, link up with another class for this special event so that children will have opportunities to play with and interact with children outside of their normal friendship group. Set up a variety of collaborative activities that children can enjoy. Try and encourage them to pick and choose the activities they wish to engage in, so that they have the freedom to explore their own interests. Activities might include art projects, such as making friendship cards and badges, or contributing to a collaborative ‘Friendship day’ display. Children can bring in favourite games from home to share and teach others. Encourage collaboration and kindness as children play and learn together. If possible, take photographs of the children throughout the day to print and add to the display.

Conclusion

End the day with a special treasure hunt where children can work in small groups to solve clues. For the treasure, cut copies of the children’s Junior Infants’ class photo into four pieces which they will hunt for and piece together again. Hide each piece using the clues and locations on the ‘Treasure hunt clues’ worksheet (see online resources). There are corresponding picture clues in the workbook.

Myself and others: My friends and other people

25. Friends stick together

My friends and other people

Recognise and explore bullying behaviour, who is involved and the effects on different people

Introduction

Share the picture book Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry (Clarion Books, 2018). Read-aloud versions are available online. Encourage children to respond to the pictures and words as they consider how Stone might be feeling when Pinecone makes fun of him, and how Stick might have felt to see Stone get teased. Before continuing the story, ask children to predict how it might develop.

Main activity

Sensitively explore any of the children’s experiences of when they might have felt upset because of the words or actions of someone else. Explore how Stick helps Stone by becoming his friend. Compare Stick’s kind behaviour with the unkind behaviour of Pinecone. What would the children say to Pinecone to help him change his ways and be a better friend to others? Work together to decide on the things that a friend can do to show that they are kind and considerate of others. Recap learning from activities 22 to 24 to prompt children. At the end of the story, Pinecone has changed his ways and become a friend. Consider the things that might have influenced Pinecone’s decision.

Conclusion

Children can decorate the workbook page by creating their own Stick and Stone characters. They can also think of a kind thing that the characters might say to each other, and scribe these statements in the speech bubbles.

26. No bullying!

My friends and other people Know that bullying is always wrong and know what should be done if one is being bullied or sees it happening to someone else

Introduction

Prior to the lesson, hide a pebble with googly eyes in the classroom. Begin by recapping the story of Stick and Stone you shared in the previous session (see activity 25). Explain that you think Stone is hiding again because he is feeling upset. Invite the children to help you find ‘Stone’ in your classroom.

Main activity

Bring Stone back to the carpet or circle-time session. Encourage children to ask Stone questions with you providing responses. Reveal that Stone is being bullied by Pinecone, who has gone back to his old ways. Ask the children if they know what bullying means. Help them to reach an understanding that bullying is when someone does something to hurt someone on purpose, and this happens multiple times rather than just once. Illustrate this by telling the children that Pinecone has been making fun of Stone every day – and some of Pinecone’s friends have joined in. Ask the children to describe how Stone must feel. What would they like to say to him to comfort him? Emphasise the importance of telling a trusted adult if we are being bullied, or if we see someone else being bullied.

Conclusion

Look together at the workbook. Explain that children are going to create a poster to show that bullying is never right. Children can draw or write to create their anti-bullying poster.

Myself and others: Relating to others

27. Saying sorry

Relating to others Resolve conflict with others: learning to listen to others, to apologise and accept apologies, to compromise and to forgive

Introduction

Invite the children to help you recap the story of ‘Stick and Stone’ (see activity 25). Focus on Pinecone’s behaviour. How did that behaviour make Stone feel? What could Pinecone do to make things better? Introduce a pinecone with googly eyes and invite the children to give ‘Pinecone’ advice.

Main activity

Draw out some of the children’s ideas such as Pinecone saying sorry, giving Stone a hug, and so on. Explain that Pinecone is afraid because he thinks Stone will be angry with him. Reintroduce your ‘Stone’ character from activity 26 and ask children what advice they would now give Stone. Arrive at an understanding that when someone is saying sorry it is important to listen and, if it is a genuine apology, to accept it. Develop this into role-play scenarios that pairs of children can act out. Provide simple conflict situations (one child has knocked over another, said something unkind, not taken turns, taken belongings, etc.) and explore how an apology can be given and accepted. Use the workbook as a visual prompt to work through each step – explaining, listening, shaking hands. Help children to understand that conflict will arise, but it is how we handle it that is important to a happy classroom. Saying sorry and accepting an apology will help to put a friendship back together.

Conclusion

Provide templates of hands and arms for children to decorate using art and craft materials. These can be used to create a ‘handshake’ display by pairing up the hands.

Strand: Myself and the wider world

Strand unit: Developing citizenship

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Recognise the name of his/her own school and the people who contribute to the life of the school

• Recognise the importance of sharing and cooperating and being fair in all activities in the class and school: learning and understanding how to work and play together in a group, taking turns

• Explore and respect the diversity of children in the class and school

• Recognise and become familiar with the rules within a group or wider community, those who safeguard these rules and the importance of obeying the rules in order to keep people safe

• Recognise that each person has an important contribution to make to the life of the community: caring for the local environment

• Begin to become aware of local identity and to participate in and enjoy celebrating local events

Key words

apologise, behaviour, celebrate, community, cooperate, county, differences, event, fair, group, local, respect, rules, school, share, teamwork

Cross-curricular links

• Arts: Drama (activity 32)

• Arts: Visual arts (activities 28, 29, 32, 33)

• SESE: Geography – human environments (activities 28, 30, 31, 32) Resources

• Photographs of school staff and their associated locations around the school

• Image of school logo

• Coloured ribbons or tokens

• Co-operative games/activities

• Map of Ireland

• Online resources: images – people and places around the world, people who help us

• Suggested books: Draw the Line by Kathryn Otoshi (St Martin’s Press, 2021), Supertato by Sue Hendra (Simon & Schuster, 2014), Super Daisy by Kes Gray (Red Fox, 2009)

Teaching notes

If any families work within the emergency services or another health-related service, such as a hospital, dentist or vets, arrange a visit from the parent/guardian so that they can discuss their job with the children.

Strand unit: Media education

SPHE Learning outcomes

• Identify favourite television programmes, videos and video games and indicate reasons for preference

• Begin to use and explore the various kinds of information technology available

• Begin to explore and talk about the difference between advertisements and programmes

Key words

advert, character, game, gadget, imaginary, persuade, product, programme, real, sell, technology, television, video

Cross-curricular links

• Arts: Visual arts (activities 34, 35, 36)

• Language: Writing – purpose, genre and voice (activity 36)

• Language: Oral (activity 34, 35, 36)

• SESE: Geography – human environments (activity 35)

Resources

• Cardboard frames (to represent TV screens)

• Home display boards

• Shopping catalogues/magazines with household technology items

• Computers with internet access (optional)

• Examples of child-appropriate adverts

• Online resources: images – robot friend

Myself and the wider world: Developing citizenship

28. Welcome to our school

Developing citizenship

Recognise the name of his/her own school and the people who contribute to the life of the school

Introduction

Tell the children that they are going to be celebrating your wonderful school. Begin by asking them to complete the workbook page by decorating it in any way they wish. Leave this open ended so that children are free to respond in a manner of their choosing to the title Welcome to our school. Some children may draw themselves and friends, others might include adults from the school community, while some children may express themselves through colours, patterns and even words.

Main activity

Invite children to share their workbook pictures and talk about their choices. Identify any children and adults in the pictures and draw out children’s knowledge and understanding of the people they associate with their school community. If possible, provide a selection of photographs of different areas of your school. You might want to have these taken from interesting and unusual angles so that children must explore and look closely to identify each area. Then share again your photographs of associated adults from activity 15 – the principal, secretary, teachers, SNAs, playground supervisors, caretaker, and so on. Challenge children to name the adults and their role and match them to the location images that best show where they would be found.

Conclusion

Explore the name of your school and any story/logo associated with it. Work together to decorate each letter of your school’s name and create a banner that could be displayed in the entrance area to welcome visitors to your school.

29. Pen friends

Developing citizenship

Recognise the importance of sharing and co-operating and being fair in all activities in the class and school

Introduction

Share the picture book Draw the Line by Kathryn Otoshi (St Martin’s Press, 2021). There is also an animated version of this wordless story available online. Have children respond to the images as you move through the story, discussing the friendship then separation of the two children, and how they reconcile their differences to share a happy friendship.

Main activity

Set up some co-operative games for the groups to complete. These could be challenges like completing a jigsaw, building a tower, making a model by referring to a completed image, and so on. Provide each child with a coloured ribbon or token. There should be several of each colour so that children can form small groups with others who have the same colour. Try and ensure that children are grouped outside of their ordinary friendship groups. Afterwards, talk about whether the children enjoyed playing and learning co-operatively. Recap the story and reaffirm the importance of teamwork and co-operating. Things are better when we work together.

Conclusion

Children can complete the workbook page with a partner. Give each child a different coloured crayon and encourage them to enjoy taking their crayons ‘for a walk’, creating patterns and shapes. Each child can start in a different corner, then they work together to create a picture or pattern.

Myself and the wider world: Developing citizenship

30. Come and visit

Developing citizenship

Explore and respect the diversity of children in the class and school

Introduction

Share the images of people and places around the world (see online resources). Set these out as a gallery display for the children to explore and view. Ask the children what title they would give to your gallery display – for example ‘Around the world’.

Main activity

Spend time looking at some of the details in the photographs, such as any human and physical features of the environment. This might provide opportunity to compare with familiar features of your local area. What clues are there that these photographs might have been taken in a different place/country? The images can also be used to encourage children to talk about their own families and backgrounds. Provide prompts to help children share information and stories about countries and cultures they might be familiar with through immediate or extended family, or through travel abroad. It may help to find out some of this information beforehand through children’s parents/guardians in preparation for this session. Where appropriate, use a map of the world to mark some of the locations mentioned.

Conclusion

The workbook features two children from different countries for children to colour. They can draw a picture of another country they would like to visit, or are familiar with, in the space provided. This could lead to further follow-up activities, exploring flags, images and maps of the different countries.

31. Park rules

Developing citizenship Recognise and become familiar with the rules within a group or wider community, those who safeguard these rules and the importance of obeying the rules in order to keep people safe

Introduction

Start your session by recapping your class rules. You may have these on display for the children to refer to. Consider if there are rules for conduct around the rest of the school. How do we know there are rules? Are they displayed? Take the children for a walk around the school to consider rules that might be appropriate for different areas: the corridors, school building, outside area, recycling area etc. Look at any signs linked to these rules.

Main activity

Back in the classroom, ask the children if they need to follow any rules outside of school. Explore their ideas and examples. Look together at the illustration in the workbook. Individually or with a partner, ask children to identify the rule breakers in the image and consider the consequences of the rule they are breaking. Then hold a whole-class discussion about the rules that are being broken. How do we know that there is a rule to be followed? Who might be responsible for enforcing these rules? Children may have spotted the park owner, the traffic warden and the guard in the image. Discuss the rules that they could be responsible for.

Conclusion

End the session with a discussion about why we have rules. Reach an understanding that rules are there to keep us safe and to protect our environment.

Myself and the wider world: Developing citizenship

32. Helping hero

Developing citizenship

Recognise that each person has an important contribution to make to the life of the community

Introduction

Share a picture book with a superhero theme, such as Supertato by Sue Hendra (Simon & Schuster, 2014) or Super Daisy by Kes Gray (Red Fox, 2009). Discuss how superheroes are brave and caring, and like to help people. Ask the children to consider if there are heroes in our community who like to help others. Explore children’s ideas, offering prompts as necessary to consider the guards and fire service, doctors and nurses, vets, road workers, and so on.

Main activity

Share the images of people who help us (see online resources). State an emergency or a situation where someone might need help and choose a volunteer to pick the correct image. There might be more than one answer to some scenarios. Ask children to talk about what that person might do to help. Afterwards, provide groups of children with one of the images. What superpowers would help that person to do their job even better? Let the children talk about, then act out, their different ideas. For example, perhaps a fire-fighter can shoot water out of their fingers, a guard might have super speed to catch criminals, a doctor might have x-ray vision to see into our body, and so on.

Conclusion

Children can draw a picture of their helping hero in their workbook, possibly showing them using their powers to help others. Provide support for children to write their hero’s name, job title and superpowers.

33. Our county

Developing citizenship

Begin to become aware of local identity and to participate in and enjoy celebrating local events

Introduction

Begin by asking the children to tell you the name of your school. Does the school have the same name as your local area? What town or city is the school is in or nearest to? Ask the children to think about their local area or town. How would they describe it to someone? What makes their local area special? For example, natural features (beach, woodland, etc.), indoor or outdoor play areas, shops of interest, cinema, restaurants, and so on. Invite children to share experiences of their favourite local places.

Main activity

Move on to talk about your county. Can the children tell you what county your school is in? Locate your county on a map of Ireland. Explain that the children are going to be creating a brochure or poster advertising your county as a good place to live or visit. Invite children to share their ideas for what could be included in the brochure/poster. As well as places of interest, you may want to consider any history, recent sporting events or local celebrations that may be significant to the school and wider community. In preparation, children can use their workbook to record their favourite things about the county they live in. This could be a combination of words and pictures.

Conclusion

Work together to produce a brochure/poster celebrating your county. Start by referring back to your previous discussion and the children’s workbooks, and asking the children what words and images they would like to include.

Myself and the wider world: Media education

34. What’s on my screen?

Media education

Identify favourite television programmes, videos and video games and indicate reasons for preference

Introduction

Invite children to use the workbook to draw a picture of their favourite film, TV programme or video game. You may wish to set this as a homework task prior to the session. Ask them to think about some of the main characters that could be included in the picture.

Main activity

Gather the children for circle time. Each child can display their ‘screen’ and take turns to talk about the programme or game that they have drawn. Find out if this is a favourite of any other children and invite them to share their opinions on why it appeals to them. Afterwards, divide the class into groups. Provide each with a large sheet of sugar paper and a cardboard frame to represent their screen. Ask children to imagine they are creating a new TV programme or video game. Ask them to discuss and sketch out their ideas as a group before transferring them onto their paper to make a collaborative picture. This could be created by collaging separate elements, then sticking them onto the paper.

Conclusion

Invite each group to present their ‘screen’ to the rest of the class and talk about their programme or game, using their picture as a prompt. Other children can ask questions or compare with their own creations.

35. Gadgets at home

Media education

Begin to use and explore the various kinds of information technology available

Introduction

Prior to the session, ask parents/guardians to help children to record a ‘technology diary’ for one day or evening, where they record all the different examples of technology that are used in various rooms of the home. Children can use their workbook to draw pictures and label the different examples.

Main activity

Provide groups with a display board with a basic outline of a home with four or more labelled rooms or areas (kitchen, bedroom, living room, bathroom, etc.). Explain that the children are in charge of buying the technology and machines for the home. Provide children with shopping catalogues and/or printouts of items from internet shopping sites for children to cut up and stick into the relevant area of the home. If you wish, children could be supervised on the computer to view one or two internet shopping websites, to explore using the search tools with an adult to find technology for their home. Children can view their list of items, make selections and preferences, and then print out their chosen item to add to their display.

Conclusion

Invite groups to share their homes and talk about the technology in each of their rooms. Compare and contrast the homes and the technology that was chosen. Discuss which rooms have the most/least technology and consider why that might be the case.

Myself and the wider world: Media education

36. Robot friend

Media education Begin to explore and talk about the difference between advertisements and programmes: what is real and imaginary, the content of advertisements and favourite programmes

Introduction

Begin the session by discussing some of the children’s favourite programme. If you have completed activity 34, some children will be able to use their workbook as a prompt to talk about the characters and features of their show, and why it is a favourite. Ask children if there are adverts before or after their favourite programme. How is an advert different from a programme? (The purpose of an advert is to make us want to buy something.)

Main activity

If possible, watch some child-appropriate adverts on a tablet device or whiteboard – for example, adverts selling toys, breakfast cereals, juices, crisps, and so on. Discuss what each advert is selling. Some adverts may have a story which the children can respond to by exploring the characters and how they link to the product. Challenge them to consider how the advert makes the product appealing – because it wants to persuade you to buy it. Next, tell the children that they are going to become advert makers! Reveal the image of a robot (see online resources). Explain that this is a new product called Robot Friend. He/she is designed to be a best friend. What things do they imagine he/she might be able to do? What would be most appealing to persuade someone to buy it.

Conclusion

Children can draw their favourite ideas in the spaces in the workbook to show all the wonderful and amazing things that their Robot Friend can do. Confident writers could also use words to label and describe these.

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SPHE for Me –Senior Infants 9978-1-913137-64-9

SPHE for Me – Junior & Senior Infants Teacher’s book 978-1-913137-69-4

SPHE for Me – 1st/2nd Class Teacher’s book 978-1-913137-47-2

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