Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

20 minutes

Explore: What’s the skill?

30+ minutes

Discover: Minute to win it

10 minutes

Thrive: Building new skills

Explore: What's the skill?

Step 1

This step looks at Game 1 - Apple, Orange, Banana.

Invite students to make a standing circle, then ask them to turn to their right and place their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them.

Provide the following instructions:

When the word ‘Apple’ is said, you will jump forwards.
When the word ‘Orange’ is said, you will jump backwards.
When the word ‘Banana’ is said, you will turn 180 degrees and place your hands on the shoulders of the new person standing in front of them.

Play the game and give multiple commands at once to increase difficulty, such as ‘Apple, Apple, Banana.’

Step 2

This step looks at Game 2 - Simon Says.

Play a game of ‘Simon Says’ - the leader (Simon) instructs the group to do different movements. When the leader doesn’t say ‘Simon says’ at the beginning of the instruction, those who do the action will be required to sit out. Rotate the position of the leader if time permits.

Step 3

This step looks at Game 3 - The Alphabet Game.

Ask students to form pairs and compete for points based on an agreed topic.

Provide the following instructions:

Decide on a topic such as ‘Food’ or ‘The Ocean’ or ‘Capital Cities.’
Take turns moving through the alphabet and come up with a word that relates to the selected topic.
If they can’t think of a word, their partner scores a point.

Example:

If the topic is ‘Food’, the first person could start by saying ‘Apple’, then their partner might say ‘Burrito’, and so on.

Step 4

Debrief the 3 games focusing on the skills involved for each.

Use the following questions to prompt discussion:

What skills did you need to have in each of these games?
Answers: Game 1: coordination; Game 2: active listening; Game 3: memory recall.
Did you find one easier than the others? Why?
Did any of these games help reveal other skills you possess? What are they?

Provide the following explanation to assist their thinking:

We all have a range of unique skills, strengths and abilities. It is important to understand that no-one will have the exact same skill set as someone else. Depending on each individual, they may find some tasks or challenges easier to complete or overcome than others.

Advise students that today is about tapping into their personal skills and strengths while also helping their peers to uncover and utilise theirs.

Discover: Minute to win it

Teacher note: To reduce preparation time, place items in piles around the room for students to collect on behalf of their team.

Step 1

Invite students to form teams of 6-8 and project the Challenge resource checklist on the board. Ask them to gather the correct number of items from the list.

Step 2

Hand out the Challenge task sheet and Challenge scorecard (1 per team) and read out the following rules:

Each task takes 1 minute and can only be completed by 1 member of the team.
Teams can appoint the tasks one of two ways but cannot do a combination of both. Option 1: self-appoint the tasks based on what you think you’re good at; Option 2: have members of the group nominate the most suitable person based on group knowledge and judgement.

Each team member must complete 2 tasks as a minimum (they should rotate, taking turns so no-one misses out).
Each group keeps their own score.

If possible, project a 16-minute timer on the screen, then announce ‘Go’ when all teams are ready.

Step 3

Once the time is up, ask teams to total their scores and pack away any unused items. Next, encourage them to reflect on how their team performed, then debrief as a class.

Use the following questions to prompt discussion:

Did you choose your own tasks or assign them to each other? Why?
What could be some of the benefits of each option?
How did your chosen option affect your team’s performance?
What would you do differently?

Step 4

This step is optional, if time permits.

Advise that teams will now compete against each other using the same set of tasks. Give teams a moment to strategise and re-assign tasks based on previous outcomes and discussions. The nominated player from each team should move to the centre of the room with teams supporting around the edge. Complete each task as a class and tally scores.

Step 5

This step is optional only if Step 4 was completed.

Facilitate a group discussion to help teams reflect on their performance.

Use the following questions to prompt discussion:

What changes did your team make, and did they make a difference to your score? Why do you think that is?
How did you encourage your team to play to their strengths?
Why is recognising strengths in others as important as recognising your own?
Did anyone try something for the first time? Or did you stick to your known skills?
When should we try something for the first time versus going with what we are confident doing?

Thrive: Building new skills

Step 1

Invite students to reflect on what they learned about themselves as a result of playing Minute To Win It. Ask them to consider which of the games they would like to have tried but didn’t (due to lack of confidence or feeling as though someone else would be better at it). Facilitate a discussion around the importance of trying new things in the right environment.

Step 2

Without the time pressure, give students up to 5 minutes to try any tasks they would like to experience.

Step 3

Facilitate a class discussion to wrap up the lesson.

Use the following questions to prompt discussion:

How did you feel while doing the task? Why do you think you felt this way?
Was it as scary or hard as you thought it would be?
Why was it easier to try it now rather than earlier in today’s lesson?
Which skills did you apply to the game you tried?

Provide the following explanation to assist their thinking:

When we are learning a new skill or developing skills we already have, it is normal to feel awkward and unsure. However, with practice and a growth mindset, our ability and confidence level will increase. When we spend time trying new things, our comfort zones will grow and we might even uncover new skills and strengths we didn’t realise we had that we can build on moving forward.

Purpose: Developing Skills and Strengths

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Summary

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