EMMAVILLE CENTRAL

SCHOOL

STAGE 4 TERM 1
2017
 SIMILARITIES & DIFFERENCES
You are a unique individual with thoughts, emotions and behaviours independent of your family,
friends and peers. You have the ability to see, understand, and know the world around you in a way
only you can. You developed these abilities, strengths and knowledge over your lifetime. Because we
all have very different lives and experiences, we all have huge differences in who we are.
To see how different we are, walk around the room and find a person who matches each of the
statements. Write their name in each box. You cant use the same person for more than 2
statements.

CLASSROOM BINGO: find someone who. . . .

IS LEFT HANDED LOVES HORSES OR DOESNT DRINK LOVES PLAYING KEPT THEIR NEW
DOLPHINS COKE FIFA YEAR RESOLUTION
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LOVES TO READ IS A TWIN OR HAS 2 OR MORE HAS NEVER PLAYED HAS NEVER BEEN
KNOWS A TWIN PETS MONOPOLY SNORKELLING
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SPEAKS 2 OR MORE PLAYS AN HAS BEEN ON T.V, IS ON FACEBOOK GOES FOR THE
LANGUAGES INSTRUMENT IN THE NEWS OR CANTERBURY
.......................... NEWSPAPER BULLDOGS
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KNOWS A FUNNY WAS BORN IN HAS NEVER HAS BROKEN MORE HAS BEEN TO
JOKE FEBRUARY BROKEN A BONE THAN 2 BONES SYDNEY
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You didnt become the person you are today all on your own. Most likely, there were adults in your
life that helped you to realize these abilities and strengths that you were developing. Maybe a
teacher helped you see your artistic ability, or a family member encouraged you to try out for a team
or enter a writing contest. Cultural and family traditions and beliefs also played a role in the person
youve become. You are an individual who has used your experiences to develop a sense of self.
Because of these factors, we are all extremely different in some ways but very similar in other ways.
 SENSE OF SELF
Our sense of self is what and how we think of ourselves. It includes the roles, qualities, behaviours
and skills that we consider most important about ourselves. Everybody has a sense of self; in fact,
most people have a number of important ways of thinking about themselves.

Our sense of self can be made up by a number of different things including:

Occupation: teacher, student, farmer, etc
Social and family role: friend, brother, sister, mother, father, etc
Interests and skills: sport, music, art, academia, etc
Characteristics: hard worker, funny, smart, shy, fit, etc

Our sense of self is very dynamic (it changes all the time) and is influenced by our environment and
surroundings. For example, if you are a member of an encouraging sport team you are more likely to
feel accepted and confident in your abilities. But if you are part of a non-supportive or negative
team, you may have negative feelings about yourself in that situation.

Physical
How we look
and our gender
Mental & Personal
Emotional factors
What we think Skills, interests
and feel and abilities

Environment
Where we are
Social and who we
Relationships are with
with others

Experiences
What has
happened in
our lives
As we know, our sense of self can be affected by our gender. Often we are made to believe that
males and females should look and act in certain ways and if we dont align with these expectations
it can affect our self esteem. What are some of the ways males and females are expected to look
and behave?

FEMALES MALES
As we grow older, we tend to have thoughts and draw conclusions about who we are as a person.
Take a moment to write down some words or phrases that describe the kind of person you are.

How did you describe yourself? Funny? Smart? Energetic? Flexible? Emotional? Its likely that some
of your answers reflect particular personality traits, yet all of your descriptions offer a window into
your sense of self.
Although sometimes we are very in touch with who we are as people, sometimes others dont get to
see the real us. Take some time to record the things you think other people notice about you as well
as the deeper things about yourself that others might not know.
 Different person in different places?
Sometimes we can be a very different person depending on where we are and who we are with. For
example, when we are at school we might be very quiet and studious; but when we are at home
with our friends and family we might become very loud and outgoing. Your teachers are the same.
When they are at work they are probably very professional, however, they are real people outside of
work and might be loud, funny or lazy at home.

Write down how you behave in the following situations and why you behave the way you do.

AT HOME. . . .

AT SCHOOL. . . .

WHEN YOU ARE WITH PEOPLE YOU DONT KNOW. . . .

WHEN YOU ARE WITH PEOPLE YOU DONT LIKE. . . .

 CONNECTEDNESS
It is very important for human beings to belong. Everyone fears being excluded or isolated and we
often think there is something wrong with us if we arent included. As we get older, these feelings
become more intense.
Write down the different types of relationships people value at different times in their lives. Who do
we need to feel connected to? In what way? Why?
WHY DO CONNECTIONS MATTER?
Connections with others are very important. Our connections help us to feel supported and wanted
and give us opportunities to seek help when we need it. Our connections with others make a huge
difference in all aspects of our lives and can be very important for our happiness and health.
i) Compare the following two characters in terms of their connections with others (friends, family
and their wider community). ii) How do the characters behave and feel? Do they have different
qualities? How are they treated by others?
Bart and Milhouse have large differences in the
types of connections they have. Although many of
these are due to factors outside of the school
environment, getting involved at school could help.
Lets assume Bart and Milhouse both attend our
school. What are some ways that Milhouse could
make more connections? What are some things he
could do? Who could he go to?

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 COMMUNICATION
We know that connections with others are extremely important. One of the most effective ways to
develop and maintain connections is by communicating effectively. Interpersonal communication
(communication between 2 or more people) is the process by which people exchange information,
feelings, and meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages. This is generally done face-to-face.

Although communicating seems very simple because we do it every day, it can be quite complicated
for a number of reasons:
Interpersonal communication is not just about what is actually said, but how it is said and
the non-verbal messages sent through tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures and body
language.
Interpersonal communication is context specific. Who you are communicating with, where
you are and the reason for communication all affect the messages you are trying to send.
Most importantly, communication can be complicated because you can't take back
something once it has been said.

We know that communicating is very important for everyday activities - we also know that most
people will understand what we are trying to say when we say it. However, sometimes there are
barriers which stop us from communicating effectively. Brainstorm some barriers that make
communicating more difficult.
Conflict resolution is an area of communication that most of us struggle with. When we are mad or
annoyed we sometimes say things we dont mean and make things worse for ourselves and the
other person involved.
 Think about all you know about effective communication. Go through each scenario and write down
how you would respond in each of the situations. What would you say and do to fix the problem?

You are in class and although you are not talking, your friend is talking to you. The teacher turns around and gets you into trouble. You
didnt do anything wrong so you are not happy. The teacher begins teaching again and you decide to . . . .
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You are on the playground at recess and you hear someone say something about you. You dont know what they said but you arent
friends with them so you decide it must have been bad. You decide to . . . .
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One of the students in your class can be very rude at times. They often say things in a very blunt way and put you and others down. They
have just said something you didnt like and decide you will get involved. You . . . .
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You are in class and although you are not talking, your friend is talking to you. The teacher turns around and gets you into trouble. You
didnt do anything wrong so you are not happy. The teacher begins teaching again and you decide to . . . .
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 CHANGES & CHALLENGES
Our lives are constantly changing in many ways. Adolescence is a time of particularly large change in
all aspects of our lives and can involve physical, social and emotional changes. The transitions during
adolescence can be difficult; however, it can also be seen as a positive challenge because it has some
exciting changes that come with it. Often, this is a time period where young people are given more
responsibility and greater freedom to try new things.

What are some changes you are excited for?

Although changes can be a really good experience, sometimes they can also be very difficult. For
example, we might go through some personal or family problems, we might lose a girlfriend or
boyfriend or someone close to us might leave. These types of challenges can wear us down
physically, emotionally and psychologically.
 When we are facing a challenge or going through a change we might feel stressed. Stress is your
body's way of responding to any kind of demand or threat (whether it is physical, social or
psychological). When we feel stressed, our mind and body begin to behave differently to normal.
Write down some of the changes you notice when you are feeling stressed. Think about the physical,
social, psychological and emotional changes that occur.

When Im feeling stressed

What are some of the challenges and changes (either good or bad) you might face this year that will
make you feel this way? For example, you might think about meeting new friends, taking on more
responsibility at home or school or even asking out a boy or girl you like.

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Coping with changes and challenges
When we experience changes in our lives, such as the separation of parents, the diagnosis of an
illness in a friend, the move from primary into secondary school, and the changes that occur in our
body during puberty, we can feel as though we are out of control. We may feel very vulnerable
about what will happen next for us, and be worried about not having the ability to manage anymore.

When we experience challenges, it can feel like we are walking uphill all of the time. We may think
that we will never be happy again. Yet, there is something positive about changes and challenges
they help us to grow into ourselves and understand more about our values and who we are. It is
during times like these that we have the opportunity to take charge of a situation through taking
control of how we behave, what thoughts we think and how we speak to ourselves (known as our
self-talk).

Fortunately, resilience and coping skills can be learnt and improved. There are things that you can do
yourself to cope with changes and challenges, including getting eight hours sleep each night, eating
healthy food throughout the day and exercising regularly. There are many other things people can
do to relax when they are feeling stressed.

Progressive relaxation
One strategy many people find useful is progressive relaxation. This involves consciously relaxing the
muscles in your body to relieve stress and tension.
Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit, then close your eyes and let your body go loose. You can lie
down, but this will increase your chances of falling asleep. Although relaxing before bed can improve
your sleep, the goal of this exercise is to learn to relax while awake. Follow your teachers prompts,
ensuring you remain very still and quiet.
Coping Strategies
Read through the list of coping strategies. Put a tick in the boxes of the ones you think you might try.
Once youve gone through them all, add 4 strategies of your own to the bottom.

Have a crylet yourself feel sad, angry or frustrated.

Punch your pillow.

Clean your room, getting rid of everything that you do not need, and havent used for
yearsmake a fresh start.

Write down everyones birthdays in your calendar, as well as public holidays and other fun
events you would like to do throughout the year.

Brush your teeth and smile in as many different ways as possible.

Play a team sport like football, tennis or netball on a weekly basis.

Dance and sing around the house, alone or with your friends!

Create a scrapbook with all of your favourite photos, postcards and letters from friends

Visit or call a friend.

Take some photos of the day outside.

Get some rest.

Write a list of why you are the most awesome person on earth.

Draw yourself as a cartoon superhero

Watch a funny film

Do ten star jumps and ten push ups!

Create a new hairdomake it as wild and out there as possible and laugh at yourself!

Pretend you have an accent and speak to your family or friends with ittry to sustain it for
an hour without laughing!

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 SEEKING HELP
Sometimes when we are feeling overwhelmed we arent able to solve the problem all by ourselves.
When we feel this way it is a good idea to seek help from somebody we trust. You should be careful
that the person you go to with a problem will treat you with respect and be sensible in trying to help
you. You should be confident that the person will treat the information you share as confidential,
unless you give them permission to share it. Importantly though, if you are in any physical or
emotional danger, the person you go to may have to report the situation to protect you.

Make a list of the top 5 people you can go to when you need help.

1. ..................................................................................................

2. ..................................................................................................

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5. ..................................................................................................

Kids Helpline
The Kids Helpline provides telephone and online counselling free of charge 24 / 7. The service is free
for all Australians under the age of 25. You can call the helpline about anything from family
problems, friendship breakups, feeling badly about yourself or if you are experiencing abuse of any
kind. Counsellors answer calls from all around Australia and support young people by:
Listening to what they have to say
Understanding what is happening in their life
Helping them to express their feelings
Providing ideas and encouragement
 Offering someone else help
Sometimes it is easier to talk to somebody if you are involved in an activity together, for example
going for a walk, cooking dinner or washing the car. This way you can have a more casual
conversation in a less confrontational setting. Regardless of what you are doing, there are certain
things you can say and do to support someone who needs help. Put a tick next to the statements
that you think are a good idea and a cross next to the ones that are bad idea.

You are not alone in this

There are a lot of people with bigger problems

Everybody feels this way sometimes

You are important to me

You are not going crazy

Snap out of it

Stop feeling sorry for yourself

I am here to help if you need to talk

I know exactly how you feel

I know you can get through this

Think of a problem you have had in the past. Write down what the problem was, who you could
have spoken to about it and what you would have liked them to say.

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TOPIC WORD SEARCH
 DEFINITIONS
Write your own definition for the words below. If you are having trouble, try using a dictionary or
the internet.

Stress

Challenge

Support

Connections

Communication

Obstacle

WORD JUMBLE
Un-jumble the following words to create words that are linked to the topic of work you have just
completes.

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__________
______
___________
___________
 SUPER YOU!
Draw yourself as a superhero and write down what skills and abilities you have. When deciding on
your superhero abilities think about what you are good at now - exaggerate these to create a super
you! Name your hero and design your outfit to reflect the new super you.