Life Base Workshops

The children learn about the major food groups before looking at the interactive body model to learn how food, water and oxygen get into the body to give it energy. We look at the Healthy Wheel, considering the different things we need to be happy and healthy. Harold the Giraffe wakes up after a good night’s sleep and checks his lunch box for school but there is something missing! The children help Harold to work out what he needs to add, to ensure a balanced meal in his lunch box. Harold sets off to the school garden which gives us all some exercise. At the school garden Harold’s friend Kiki the Kangaroo tries to help Harold find some fruit for his lunch box but upsets their friend Derek the Penguin by mistake. The children help to resolve the conflict before Harold returns to sing them his special song about different foods.

Learning Outcomes

Children:

• Understand that there is mental as well as physical health and what they can do to maintain or improve their mental health.
• Recognise the impact of diet, exercise, medical drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function.
• Understand that the body gets energy from food, water and air (oxygen) and that exercise and sleep are important to our health.
• Know that foods can be divided into different groups and that a healthy diet is made up of a balanced mixture of these foods.
• Understand that a person’s behaviour can hurt others’ feelings and think of strategies for making up when friends fall out.

We begin by considering what our bodies need to stay physically and emotionally healthy, using our Healthy Wheel and Wellbeing Wheel. Harold tells us that he's very excited as he is having a party for all his friends! He is disappointed that one of his friends can’t come to the party because he is not feeling well. After a discussion about the safe use of medicines the children learn about the body using interactive techniques. They then join Harold at his party and his friend Derek offers to take photos. Using some of Derek’s photos the children become ‘Feelings Detectives’ to work out how the children in the pictures might be feeling and the possible reasons why. Back at the party Kiki turns up late but feels left out of the action – the children help her think through how she could solve this problem and everyone is friends again. After a final ‘body shake’ exercise routine Harold meets the children again and sings them his song about the importance of friendships.

Learning Outcomes

Children:

• Understand that there is mental as well as physical health and what they can do to maintain or improve their mental health.
• Recognise the impact of diet, exercise, medical drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function.
• Understand that the body gets energy from food, water and oxygen and that exercise and sleep are important to our health.
• Recognise, name and understand how to deal with feelings (e.g. anger, loneliness).
• Understand that that there are different types of bullying and unkind behaviour.
• Understand that bullying is unacceptable, but know that for most of the time, most children do not take part in bullying behaviour, or experience bullying.
• Know where someone could get help if they were being upset by someone else’s behaviour.

We explore the Wellbeing Wheel and discussions about its five ways to emotional good health are woven through the workshop. We also consider how to ensure that online behaviour is healthy and balanced. Using interactive techniques, the children consider the importance of each body organ before meeting the classroom brain. We learn how a brain sends and receives signals through the nerves and how it controls movements. Helping with Harold’s homework, the children explore whether choices about taking a medicine, exercise, sleep, drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes help or harm the body. At his school talent show Harold argues with his friend Derek over who should take the last place in the performance. The children help out by defining key friendship qualities and skills. Harold meets and thanks the children for helping and sings them his song about the importance of self-belief and friendship.

Learning Outcomes

Children:

• Understand that there is mental as well as physical health and what they can do to maintain or improve their mental health.
• Recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs (including medicines) and lifestyle on the way their bodies function.
• Understand how the brain sends and receives messages through the nerves.
• Understand that nicotine and alcohol are drugs and begin to understand the ways in which they can be harmful to the body.
• Identify: qualities of friendship; reasons why friends sometimes fall out; skills for making up again.
• Understand that the body gets energy from food, water and oxygen and that exercise and sleep are important to our health.
• Understand that for most people the internet is an integral part of life and has many benefits, and about the benefits of rationing time spent online.

Using the Wellbeing Wheel, the Five Ways to Emotional Wellbeing are explored. We also consider how to ensure that online behaviour is healthy and balanced. Harold is looking forward to his trip to Diversity World – a theme park where there is something for everyone. Using interactive techniques, we consider how choices we make, such as exercising and taking a medicine, can affect what happens inside the body. At Diversity World Harold and his friends notice the park rules on smoking and alcohol and we discuss why there are these rules. The three friends can’t agree what to do, all wanting something different. They decide to split up but Harold finds himself lonely without his friends. He decides to go on ‘The Conformatron’ where he learns how important it is for us to be able to make our own choices, and that we can still be friends with other people despite , and even because of their differences. Harold finds his friends and they happily spend the rest of the day together.

Learning Outcomes

Children:

• Understand that there is mental as well as physical health and what they can do to maintain or improve their mental health.
• Recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs (including medicines) and lifestyle on the way their bodies function.
• Understand the importance of self-respect and how this links to their own happiness.
• Know the importance of respecting others, even when they are different from them or make different choices or have different preferences or beliefs.
• Understand the need to manage conflict or differences and know ways of doing this, through negotiation and compromise.
• Understand that increasing numbers of young people are choosing not to smoke or drink alcohol
• Understand that the body gets energy from food, water and oxygen and that exercise and sleep are important to our health.
• Understand some of the key risks and effects of smoking and drinking alcohol.
• Understand that for most people the internet is an integral part of life and has many benefits, and about the benefits of rationing time spent online.

The theme of looking after our mental health, as well as physical health – and the connection between the two – is further explored, using the Wellbeing Wheel. We also consider how to ensure that online behaviour is healthy and balanced. Using our interactive resources we explore how our body systems work together to keep us alive. The children are given the opportunity to discuss not only what a drug is, but how drugs can be used for medical and non-medical reasons. The risks of smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol are explored, although there is an emphasis on the fact that an increasing number of young people choose not take these risks. Through role-play the children explore the influence of friends on decision making. They identify and practise assertiveness skills. The importance of our basic human emotional needs in our decision making is threaded through the programme.

Learning Outcomes

Children:

• Understand that there is mental as well as physical health and what they can do to maintain or improve their mental health.
• Recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs (including medicines) and lifestyle on the way their bodies function.
• Recognise basic emotional needs and understand that they change according to circumstances.
• Identify risk factors in a given situation (involving smoking or other scenarios) and consider outcomes of risk taking in this situation, including emotional risks.
• Identify characteristics of passive, aggressive and assertive behaviours and rehearse assertiveness skills.
• Understand the actual norms around smoking and the reasons for common mis-perceptions of these.
• Understand some of the complexities of categorising drugs.
• Know that all medicines are drugs but not all drugs are medicines and understand ways in which medicine can be helpful or harmful.
• Understand that for most people the internet is an integral part of life and has many benefits, and about the benefits of rationing time spent online.

We introduce the theme of decision-making and explore how the decisions a person makes can impact on both their mental and physical health. We explore the Wellbeing Wheel, looking in greater depth at the importance of looking after our mental health and the strong connection between mental and physical health, also considering how to ensure that online behaviour is healthy and balanced. We review children's knowledge of the body. Children list drugs they have heard of and then consider how these drugs have medical and/or non-medical uses.

Tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and solvents – and any other drugs that children ask about – are all touched on in this programme. They learn about the basic laws on drugs and how drug misuse can affect a young person’s future aspirations. Through the use of specially created films and role-play, the children explore aspects of peer dynamics and risk-taking in relation to alcohol and devise strategies for managing both influence and risk. Children consider the types of activities most young people enjoy doing which do not present the same risks as using drugs, legal or illegal.

Learning Outcomes

Children:

• Understand that there is mental as well as physical health and what they can do to maintain or improve their mental health.
• Recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs (including medicines) and lifestyle on the way their bodies function.
• Identify risk factors in a given situation (involving alcohol) and consider outcomes of risk taking in this situation, including emotional risks.
• Understand the law in relation to illegal drugs and that all drugs (legal or illegal) can cause harm.
• Understand the actual norms around alcohol and the reasons for common mis-perceptions of these.
• Recognise and empathise with patterns of behaviour in peer-group dynamics.
• Recognise the benefits of physical exercise, time outdoors, community participation, voluntary and service-based activity on mental wellbeing and happiness.
• Recognise basic emotional needs and understand that they change according to circumstances.
• Understand ways in which medicine can be helpful or harmful and used safely or unsafely.
• Understand some of the complexities of categorising drugs.
• Understand that for most people the internet is an integral part of life and has many benefits and about the benefits of rationing time spent online.