Key Messages

  • Sexual consent can only be legitimately given if a person has all the information about what they are consenting to.

Learning Intention

To discuss stages of a relationship. To unpack what is realistic in terms of discussing consent or negotiating the next step of a relationship.

Time

20 minutes

Required Resources

  • Provided SHV prompt sheet for each group or A4 page for each group.
Download Required Resources

Teaching Notes

This is a fun icebreaker activity to start off a session which leads to discussion of consent and relationships. Students should be encouraged to be creative and use language which is appropriate for their age group (swearing / slang may be suitable in some schools or groups).

Procedure

This can be done as a whole class activity or in small groups of 3-5 people.

  1. Students are directed that the story will be romantic.
  2. One person reads the prompt then adds to the story without sharing what they have written.
  3. Students can use the sentence starter provided.
  4. Paper is folded so only the last section can be seen.
  5. Pass the paper to the next person.

Option to print the prompt on page below or can be done on scrap paper.

Questioning

  1. How was consent negotiated?
  2. What made the stories funny?
  3. What made the stories realistic?
  4. Was love mentioned?
  5. Do stories about intimacy or romance have to include love or sex?
  6. How can consent be negotiated when you don’t have all the details?
  7. What assumptions did students make about how fast the relationship was progressing in the story?

Summary

This activity can be used to highlight the importance of making decisions together about the next stage of a relationship. If one person doesn’t have all the details, it makes negotiating the next step of a relationship difficult.

Curriculum Information