Key Messages

  • There are different types of problems.
  • Students can identify the people at school I can ask for help (for big problems and little problems).

Learning Intention

To identify a range of common problems that students experience and when they may need help to solve these problems.

Time

30 minutes.

Required Resources

• A box (bag or envelope) of prepared ‘problems’ written on paper (we have listed a few below as a guide).

Download Required Resources

Teaching Notes

It is often taken for granted that students will ask for help when they need it, but successful help seeking is not a skill that all children have.

Some students are afraid to approach adults for fear of ‘getting into trouble’, not being believed or lack the ability to express what help it is that they are seeking. To make this learning sequence more
applicable to students' current lives, we have suggested day-to-day problems and questions that students might have at school.

Responsible adults and peers can be ‘officially identified’ by the students.

Procedure

  • Show students the box (bag or envelope) of problems. Explain that there are all sorts of problems in the box. Not all the problems are the same. Some are big problems, some are small. Small problems
    can be sorted out simply, often on our own. Big problems usually mean we need to ask for help.
  • Draw a table on the board with three columns and label them as follows:
    – Big problems (need help to solve it)
    – Small problems (can solve it myself)
    – Not sure
  • Ask a student to choose a problem out of the box. Read it out to the class. Ask students to consider the size of the problem. Example: Need to return your library book. Pose these questions:
    – Is it a small or big problem?
    – Do you think you know how to solve it?
    – Do you need help to solve it?
  • Discuss the solution. Use blutac to stick the problem onto the table on the board under its ‘correct’
    classification.
  • Repeat the procedure of sorting problems until all the problems are sorted.
  • Inform students that later, you will be discussing the ‘big’ problems and making a list of all the people who are ‘helping’ people who they could call on if they need help at any time.

Questioning

  1. Did everyone agree on whether the list of problems belonged in the big problem or small problem section?
  2. Why do some people think some problems are Big or Small?
  3. Who are some people in your life that can help you with some problems that you may have in the future?

Curriculum Information