This book is the result of a collaboration between academics at the University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau and teachers in schools. It is an excellent resource for teachers wanting to teach about resilience, mental health, interpersonal skills, and wellbeing.
It contains lesson plans designed to enhance learning to enable primary students to develop knowledge, understandings, and skills in the areas of:
- personal identity
- communication and relationships with others
- wellbeing
- health promotion, action, and activism.
Designed to be used at multiple year and curriculum levels, this book is intended to be most useful for students in Years 1–6 but it can be used with students at higher levels as well. It is up to individual teachers to decide how they might adapt, apply, and use the activities and ideas in this book. For this reason, the authors have not specified particular curriculum links for each activity (links will depend on how you use the ideas and what topics you focus on).
This resource will enhance youth capabilities to understand different cultural perspectives and approaches to mental health, as well as specifically developing skills to enhance resilience, social cohesion, and social justice. This resource was co-written with teachers working in a range of schools with Pacific, Māori, Asian, and Pākehā New Zealand children (and those from other ethnicities). As a result of this process, the resource aims to engage with the diversity of young people in New Zealand schools.
Dr Katie Fitzpatrick is Professor of health, wellbeing and curriculum in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland. She has a background teaching health and physical education in high schools and universities. Her research focuses on health education, physical education, sexuality education, critical pedagogy, and critical ethnographic methods.
Dr Melinda Webber (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Whakaue) is Professor in Te Puna Wananga in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland. She has published widely on the nature of Māori identity. Melinda’s research examines the ways race, ethnicity, culture, and identity impact the lives of young people, particularly Māori students.
Dr Jean M Uasike Allen is a lecturer in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland. She has a background in teaching in primary schools and universities, and is passionate about education, justice, and her community.
Dr Darren Powell is an Associate Professor of health education in the Faculty of Education and Social Work, Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland. Following 11 years teaching in primary and intermediate schools, his research centres on children’s understanding and experience of health education, physical education, food in schools, body image, and consumerism.
Kat Wells is an experienced secondary teacher and has held leadership roles in health and physical education. She was HOD health education and faculty leader for student services at Lynfield College in Auckland and has been involved in many whole school wellbeing initiative.
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