Key Messages

  • Everybody has the right to decide where their limit is in every relationship.
  • Intimacy can mean different things to different people.

Learning Intention

Students will: Identify issues relating to relationships and communication.

Time

30 minutes

Required Resources

  • One set of Intimacy scale card per group.
Download Required Resources

Teaching Notes

This activity lets students look at their own attitudes and values and how they might respond to real-life situations where they need to make choices. It generates a lot of discussion, so it’s important to allow plenty of time for each step. It’s designed to be done in groups, but also works well as a class activity, where some students are given a card and asked to silently put themselves on the continuum. Each student is then given the chance to explain their choice before taking part in a class discussion.

Please note: Many students assume that having sex refers to penis in vagina sex. Remind them that sex can happen in intimate relationships between people of any gender. Cards are written to be inclusive of all types of relationship. Reminders of this may be required.

Procedure

  1. Ask students to work with a partner to describe what intimacy means to them. Give them enough time to come up with definition and then hold a class discussion until everyone agree on what intimacy means.
    Please note: A dictionary definition of intimacy is a close, familiar and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with another person or group.
  2. Discuss with students' different types of intimacy (e.g. physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual and sexual intimacy), and whether it’s possible to experience one without the others.
  3. Divide the class into four groups.
  4. Give each group a set of Intimacy scale cards.
  5. Ask them to put each card on a scale from ‘Most intimate’ to ‘Least intimate’. Let students know there are no right or wrong answers, but that each group must try to come to an agreement about where the cards are placed. Allow plenty of time for group discussion.
  6. Ask each group to choose a spokesperson to share the three most and least intimate cards listed on their group’s scale and their reasoning.

Questioning

  1. Did everyone in the group agree on the rating?
  2. What would a couple do if they had different ideas about what intimate things they wanted to do together?
  3. Would the ratings change as a person got older?

Curriculum Information