Lesson summary
In this series of 2 minute activities, students will develop body awareness through a variety of mindful practices, including crouching, standing, shape-making, breathing and balancing. In each activity, students will be asked to take a moment and notice how their bodies feel. They will also consider how they are feeling emotionally, what they are thinking and any other things their body is sensing. Through these practices, students will develop their natural awareness, improve their concentration and become more mindful in their daily lives.
Learning Goals:
- To develop natural body awareness.
- To create enhanced focus and improved concentration.
- To develop self-knowledge, empathy, emotional regulation and resilience.
- To cultivate present moment awareness so that calm, considered and conscious choices can begin to replace impulsive, unconscious reactions.
Lesson guides and printables
Lesson details
Curriculum mapping
Australian Curriculum content descriptions:
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 well being for individuals and their communities (ACPPS058)
- Explore how participation in outdoor activities supports personal and community health and well being and creates connections to the natural and built environment (ACPPS059)
Syllabus Outcomes: IRS3.11, ALS3.6, COS1.1, COS3.1, SLS1.13, SLS2.13, SLS3.13, INS1.3, INS3.3, IRS1.11, GDS2.9, PHS2.12, PHS3.12.
Time required: 2 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.
Resources required
- These resources are optional extras: Audio recording: The Nature of Mindfulness: Mindful Wave Breathing, calm music (if desired) such as Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Saint-Saens’ Aquarium, Ken Davis’ Early Morning in the Rain Forest, etc.
Additional info
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.
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