Lesson summary

In this lesson, students will explore the idea that we all have different strengths and weaknesses. They will participate in a range of challenges ('obstacle courses') based on different disciplines including sport, literacy, maths, design, science and coding, and then discuss which ones were easier or harder for each of them. This will then form the basis of a discussion about difference and how we include and support each other to succeed.

Learning intentions:

Students will...

understand that we all have different strengths

Success criteria:

Students can...

identify types of tasks that are easier or more challenging for them
recognise that others may find different things easy or challenging
consider ways that others can be supported and/or encouraged when tasks are more challenging for them
identify the benefits of working together with people who have different strengths to themselves

Lesson guides and printables

Lesson details

Australian curriculum content descriptions:

Year 3 and 4 Health and Physical Education

Adopt inclusive practices when participating in physical activities (ACPMP048)
Practise and refine fundamental movement skills in a variety of movement sequences and situations (ACPMP043)
Explore how success, challenge and failure strengthen identities (ACPPS033)
Describe how respect, empathy and valuing diversity can positively influence relationships (ACPPS037)

Year 3 English:

Understand that successful cooperation with others depends on shared use of social conventions, including turn-taking patterns, and forms of address that vary according to the degree of formality in social situations (ACELA1476)
Discuss how language is used to describe the settings in texts, and explore how the settings shape the events and influence the mood of the narrative (ACELT1599)
Listen to and contribute to conversations and discussions to share information and ideas and negotiate in collaborative situations (ACELY1676)
Use interaction skills, including active listening behaviours and communicate in a clear, coherent manner using a variety of everyday and learned vocabulary and appropriate tone, pace, pitch and volume (ACELY1792)
Re-read and edit texts for meaning, appropriate structure, grammatical choices and punctuation (ACELY1683)

Year 4 English:

Year 3 Mathematics:

Apply place value to partition, rearrange and regroup numbers to at least 10 000 to assist calculations and solve problems (ACMNA053)
Recall addition facts for single-digit numbers and related subtraction facts to develop increasingly efficient mental strategies for computation (ACMNA055)
Represent and solve problems involving multiplication using efficient mental and written strategies and appropriate digital technologies (ACMNA057)
Model and represent unit fractions including 1/2, 1/4, 1/3, 1/5 and their multiples to a complete whole (ACMNA058)
Make models of three-dimensional objects and describe key features (ACMMG063)

Year 4 Mathematics:

Apply place value to partition, rearrange and regroup numbers to at least tens of thousands to assist calculations and solve problems (ACMNA073)
Develop efficient mental and written strategies and use appropriate digital technologies for multiplication and for division where there is no remainder (ACMNA076)

Year 3 Science:

Living things can be grouped on the basis of observable features and can be distinguished from non-living things (ACSSU044)
A change of state between solid and liquid can be caused by adding or removing heat (ACSSU046

Year 4 Science:

Forces can be exerted by one object on another through direct contact or from a distance (ACSSU076)

Syllabus outcomes: INS2.3, IRS2.11, COS2.1, MOS2.4, GSS2.8, GYS2.10, GDS2.9, EN2-1A, EN2-2A, EN2-6B, EN2-8B, EN2-9B, MA2‑1WM, MA2‑2WM, MA2‑3WM, MA2‑4NA, MA2‑5NA, MA2‑6NA, MA2‑7NA, MA2-14MG, ST2-7PW, ST2-10LW, ST2-12MW.

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical Understanding, Literacy, Numeracy, Personal and Social Capability

Relevant parts of Year 3 and 4 Health and Physical Education achievement standards: By the end of Year 4 students identify influences that strengthen identities. They investigate how emotional responses vary and understand how to interact positively with others in a variety of situations. Students apply strategies for working cooperatively and apply rules fairly. They refine fundamental movement skills and apply movement concepts and strategies in a variety of physical activities and to solve movement challenges. They create and perform movement sequences using fundamental movement skills and the elements of movement.

Relevant parts of Year 3 English achievement standards: By the end of Year 3 students read texts that contain varied sentence structures, a range of punctuation conventions, and images that provide extra information. They understand how language can be used to express feelings and opinions on topics. They contribute actively to class and group discussions, asking questions, providing useful feedback and making presentations. They demonstrate understanding of grammar and choose vocabulary and punctuation appropriate to the purpose and context of their writing. They re-read and edit their writing, checking their work for appropriate vocabulary, structure and meaning.

Relevant parts of Year 4 English achievement standards: By the end of Year 4 students listen for and share key points in discussions. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, varying language according to context. They demonstrate understanding of grammar, select vocabulary from a range of resources and use accurate spelling and punctuation, re-reading and editing their work to improve meaning.

Relevant parts of Year 3 Mathematics achievement standards: By the end of Year 3 students recognise the connection between addition and subtraction and solve problems using efficient strategies for multiplication. They model and represent unit fractions. They recall addition and multiplication facts for single-digit numbers. Students make models of three-dimensional objects.

Relevant parts of Year 4 Mathematics achievement standards: By the end of Year 4 students choose appropriate strategies for calculations involving multiplication and division. They recall multiplication facts to 10 x 10 and related division facts.

Relevant parts of Year 3 Science achievement standards: By the end of Year 3 students group living things based on observable features and distinguish them from non-living things.

Relevant parts of Year 4 Science achievement standards: By the end of Year 4 students describe how contact and non-contact forces affect interactions between objects. They identify when science is used to understand the effect of their actions. Students follow instructions to identify investigable questions about familiar contexts and make predictions based on prior knowledge.

This lesson is part of the wider unit of work Including Everyone

Time required: 60 mins

Level of teacher scaffolding: Low – students are to complete each ‘obstacle course’ to the best of their ability, observing which ones are more or less challenging for them

Counters – enough green and red counters so that students can have one of each colour
Elastic bands
Geoboard
Lego
MAB (base 10) blocks
Matchsticks
Obstacle Course Answers
Obstacle Course Guide
Obstacle Course Resource Sheets: English Obstacles, Geometry Obstacles, Math Obstacles, Science Obstacles (The PE course is outlined in the Obstacle Course Guide.)
Obstacle Labels – optional
Plasticine
Various sport resources to create an agility sequence

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

Communication
Community engagement
Empathy
Problem solving
Social skills

These lessons have been developed in partnership with Down Syndrome Australia.

Including Everyone - Obstacles to Success

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Learning intentions:

Students will...

Success criteria:

Students can...

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