Pre-Primary
Lesson
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50 minutes

GDHR Topics

Learning objective

Seek, give or deny permission for personal space and possessions.

Take home messages

  • Everyone has a personal space “bubble”
  • You need to ask before entering other people's personal space "bubble"
  • Other people need to ask you before entering your personal space "bubble"
  • You can say yes or no when someone asks to enter your personal space "bubble"

Materials

  • Hoola Hoops – enough for everyone class, if not available ask students to walk around with their hands out.
  • Access to "This is my Bubble (Personal Space Song)" from Youtube - or have song lyrics printed out/written on board for students to sing along to;
    This is my bubble, this is my bubble, this is where I feel comfortable,
    This is my bubble, this is my bubble, this is where I feel comfortable,
    This is my bubble, this is my bubble, please don’t let it pop – x3 each time changing the matching actions as per below
    R1- with hoop up, R2 - with hoop on ground and hands out, R3 – hoop on ground with hands down. 

     

Before you get started

  • Protective interrupting - Teachers need to know and understand how to use this technique to prevent students form potentially disclosing sensitive information or abuse in front of other students.
  • Dealing with disclosures - Teachers must be aware of the school and legal procedures if a student discloses personal issues, particularly disclosures of sexual abuse.
  • Read Educators note: Protective behaviours education so teachers are aware of the concepts of protective behaviours education

Learning activities

Group agreement

5 mins

Teaching tip: A group agreement must be established before any Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) program begins to ensure a safe learning environment. Read Essential Tool: Establishing a group agreement for tips on how to create one and what to include.

  1. Revise or create the class group agreement.

Asking permission

10 min

  1. Ask: 
    How would you ask permission to borrow your friend's pencil?

    How would you ask a sibling if you could borrow a toy?

    How would you ask a care giver if you can go to the park?

  2.  Say:
    "We know how to ask permission to do things or borrow things. Asking permission to enter someone’s personal space is the same except you can’t SEE someone’s personal space. Personal space is like an invisible bubble around someone’s body. Everyone has this invisible bubble and if you want to enter this space you have to ask them, and they have to say yes or show yes before you enter it."
  3. Ask: 
    How would you ask permission to enter someone's personal space?

Personal space bubble practice

30 min 

Teaching tip: For the next activity you will need a fair bit of open space so consider moving to the school gym or oval. 

  1. Ask students to stand up and spread out and put hands out with palms up and turn in a circle slowly. Explain that this is the size of their personal space bubble.
  2. Ask them to keep turning slowly but change the heights that they do this at. Explain that the personal space bubble is all around them

  3. Explain you are going to play a personal space bubble game with three rounds:

    Round 1: Give students a hoola hoop each and ask them to move around the room holding them while trying not to bump into each other. 

    Round 2: Students to move around the room again but this time they are allowed to ask permission from someone with the same-coloured hoop as theirs if their hoops can over-lap. Everyone to try asking someone and everyone who is asked is to practice saying no.

    Round 3: Students to move around the room again but this time they are allowed to ask permission of someone with a different coloured hoop if their hoops can over-lap. Each student decides if they want to say yes or no. If a student says yes, their hoops can gently overlap. 

Teaching tip: You may want to demonstrate exactly what to do at the start of every round. Watch to make sure students are moving slowly, asking politely and crossing hoops gently. Can be used to discuss non-verbal behavioural elements of consent and permission giving/getting. 

3-2-1 Reflection

How did that feel? 

10 min

  1. Ask:

    When someone said no to you entering their personal bubble, what did you do?

    (Found someone else to ask, walked away, didn't go in their bubble)

    How would you feel if someone entered your personal space after you said no? 

    (Sad, annoyed, angry) 

    Why is it important if someone says no to follow it? 

    (Good friend, don't hurt their feelings)

    Why might someone say no when you ask to enter their personal space?

    (Shy, want to be left alone, don't know you)

    What should you do if someone enters your personal space without your permission? 

    (Move away, tell them again, talk to an adult)

  2. Say: 
    "Sometimes if people enter our personal space bubble without permission it can make us feel uncomfortable or scared. We all have a right to feel safe at all times. When you feel uncomfortable or scared you can talk to someone you trust like a teacher or parent or another adult you trust."

Health promoting schools

Background teacher note: Health promoting schools framework.

Partnerships

Family 

  • Talk Soon. Talk Often: a guide for parents talking to their kids about sex is a free hardcopy resource that can be bulk ordered by schools and website. Send a copy home to parents prior to starting your RSE program. The booklet offers ages and stage related information on puberty (and other topics) so that parents can reinforce the topics covered in class. (How to order hard copies.) Provide the link to parents on school websites and social media.
  • Run a parent workshop and run this activity with parents to model the content that will be covered in your RSE program.
  • Run a parent and child evening session, where the children can teach the parents what they have been learning about.

Have a question?

Email the GDHR Team at gdhr@health.wa.gov.au

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