Activity Introduction
Quick summary: In this lesson, students will learn how and why anger is triggered and how it affects the body systems. They will identify how activating events and personal beliefs interact with anger. They will learn to work with the flight, fight or freeze response system to calm their anger and find a variety of ways to reduce their likelihood of heightened responses to everyday situations.
The STOP the Coward Punch education package aims to spread awareness about the devastating effects of the coward punch on our community. This education package was developed by a team of experts, including a youth worker, education specialist and specialist teachers and references the latest research and laws on coward punches.
Learning intentions:
- Students understand how an activating event and belief can cause an anger response
- Students understand how the flight, fight, freeze mechanism affects the body and brain
- Students understand that anger is a normal and healthy response, but that it can have devastating consequences
- Students know how to calm their anger through breathing, meditation and discharging activities.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Years 9 & 10 Health and Physical Education:
- Plan, rehearse and evaluate options (including CPR and first aid) for managing situations where their own or others’ health, safety and wellbeing may be at short or long term risk (ACPPS091)
- Propose, practise and evaluate responses in situations where external influences may impact on their ability to make healthy and safe choices (ACPPS092)
Syllabus outcomes: PD5-6, PD5-7, PD5-8, PD5-9, PD5-10
General capabilities: Literacy, Personal and Social Capability
Relevant parts of Years 9 & 10 achievement standards:
Students evaluate the outcomes of emotional responses to different situations. Students access, synthesise and apply health information from credible sources to propose and justify responses to health situations. They apply decision-making and problem-solving skills when taking action to enhance their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing.
Topic: Social Issues, Health & Wellbeing
This lesson is part of the wider unit of work STOP the Coward Punch: HPE – Years 9 & 10.
Time required: 70 mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate class discussion.
Resources required:
- Device capable of presenting a video to the class
- Student Worksheets – one copy per student.
Related professional development: Strategies for Dealing with Aggressive and Violent Behaviours
Keywords: anger, anger management, strategies, self-control, flight, fight, freeze, FFF response, communication, self-awareness, feelings, emotions, coward punch
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
