Where do I feel like I belong?
Feeling left out and isolated can make life hard. Students who are bullied often feel isolated from social activities and that they aren’t connecting with others. Knowing that there are places where they belong can improve their mental health and wellbeing.
Year level
7-10
Duration
5 minutes
Type
In class activity
Whole school and year assemblies
SEL Competencies
Self-awareness
Social awareness
Relationship skills
Learning intention
Students will be able to recognise places where they feel like they belong.
Key outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
identify places in their life where they feel they belong
recognise the characteristics of a school environment where students feel a sense of belonging.
Materials needed
Access to the ReachOut.com video ‘Where do I feel like I belong?’
Mapped to
Australian Curriculum Health and Physical Education
Analyse and reflect on the influence of values and beliefs on the development of identities (AC9HP8P01)
Analyse the impact of changes and transitions, and devise strategies to support themselves and others through these changes (AC9HP8P02)
Evaluate emotional responses in different situations to refine strategies for managing emotions (AC9HP10P06)
Australian Curriculum: General Capabilities
Personal and Social Capability:
Self-awareness
Social awareness
Ethical Understanding:
Understanding ethical concepts and perspectives
Critical and Creative Thinking:
Inquiring
NSW PDHPE Syllabus
Examines and evaluates strategies to manage current and future challenges (PD4-1)
Demonstrates self-management skills to effectively manage complex situations (PD4-9)
Assesses their own and others’ capacity to reflect on and respond positively to challenges (PD5-1)
Assesses and applies self-management skills to effectively manage complex situations (PD5-9)
Victorian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
Examine barriers to seeking support and evaluate strategies to overcome these (VCHPEP125)
Investigate the benefits of relationships and examine their impact on their own and others’ health and wellbeing (VCHPEP127)
Evaluate factors that shape identities, and analyse how individuals impact the identities of others(VCHPEP142)
Evaluate situations and propose appropriate emotional responses and then reflect on possible outcomes of different responses to health and wellbeing (VCHPEP147)
Activity 1
Instructions
5 minutes
As a group, watch the ReachOut.com video clip ‘Where do I feel like I belong?’. In the clip, young people talk about where they feel they belong in the world.
Ask the students to think about a place in their life where they feel they belong. Ask the following questions:
How do you feel when you are in this place?
What do you like so much about this place?
Ask the students to work with a partner and discuss the following:
What does a school where all students feel like they belong:
feel like?
look like?
sound like?
Debrief
This activity helps students to identify a place in the world where they feel like they belong, which can improve their mental health and wellbeing.
Stable relationships with friends, families and partners are really important for teenagers. They can influence their physical health, promote self-esteem and a sense of belonging, and help in the development of problem-solving and social skills.
