The Nature of Mindfulness - 5 minutes

Australian Curriculum content descriptions:

These activities can be used with all subject areas to enable deep focus and engagement within students; however, the following curriculum links directly relate to these activities.

Foundation Health and Physical Education:

• Identify and describe emotional responses people may experience in different situations (ACPPS005)
• Identify actions that promote health, safety and wellbeing (ACPPS006)

Year 1 & 2 Health and Physical Education:

• Identify and practise emotional responses that account for own and others’ feelings (ACPPS020)
• Explore actions that help make the classroom a healthy, safe and active place (ACPPS022)

Year 3 & 4 Health and Physical Education:

• Explore strategies to manage physical, social and emotional change (ACPPS034) 
• Identify and practise strategies to promote health, safety and well being (ACPPS036)

Year 5 & 6 Health and Physical Education:

• Plan and practise strategies to promote health, safety and well being (ACPPS054)
• Examine the influence of emotional responses on behaviour and relationships (ACPPS056)
• Investigate the role of preventive health in promoting and maintaining health, safety and wellbeing for individuals and their communities (ACPPS058)
• Explore how participation in outdoor activities supports personal and community health and wellbeing and creates connections to the natural and built environment (ACPPS059)

Syllabus Outcomes: COS1.1, INS1.3, IRS1.11, SLS1.13, GDS2.9, PHS2.12, SLS2.13, PHS3.12, SLS3.13, COS3.1, INS3.3, IRS3.11, SLS3.13, ALS3.6.

Time required: 5 minutes for each activity – these activities have been designed to ‘punctuate’ the day. You can use them before class, during class or at the end of class.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – lead students in mindfulness activities.

Activity 1: A range of local natural specimens, such as easily found pieces from the garden or school grounds: herbs, vegetables, leaves, sticks, bark from trees/shrubs, seed pods, long stemmed grasses, etc. Place these items on platters or trays.  Additional optional resource: audio recording: The Nature of Mindfulness: The sense of touch.

Activity 2: Hula hoops (one for approximately five students) and one wooden popsicle stick per child.

Activity 3: A range of simple instruments from the school to provide basic sounds, such as recorders, drums, rainsticks, beat sticks, etc.

Activity 4: A range of fresh and dried specimens from nature with a scent, such as flowers, herbs, leaves and dried spices. A range of man-made liquids, such as vanilla extract, hand wash, soap, shoe polish, etc. Wipe these onto cotton balls. Place these items on platters or trays.

Activity 5: Select a range of food, including salty, sweet, sour and bitter tasting foods. Man-made options include potato/corn chips, bread, biscuits and lollies (depending on allergy conditions of children). Also source a range of natural food, including fruits and vegetables such as apples, plums, strawberries, pineapple, lemon, tomatoes, cucumbers and celery, as well as fresh herbs such as mint, parsley and coriander. If possible, try and locate some Indigenous bush tucker fruit for the students to try! Place these items on platters or trays.

Following this lesson is an ideal way for students to participate in Planet Ark’s Schools Tree Day – the largest nature-care event in Australian schools. So, get growing! It only takes a minute to register for Schools Tree Day.