Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Thematic Unit
Helping
Learning for Life and Work (SLD)
Writers’ Group
www.nicurriculum.org.uk
Key Elements: Personal understanding, mutual understanding, personal health, cultural understanding, economic awareness
Attitudes and Dispositions: Personal responsibility, mutual understanding, concern for others, commitment/determination/resourcefulness,
openness to new ideas, curiosity, community spirit, tolerance, integrity, respect
Learning Experiences: Investigating and problem-solving, linked to other curriculum areas, relevant and enjoyable, skills-integrated, active
and hands-on, offers choice, challenging and engaging, supportive environment, positive reinforcement, ongoing reflection, enquiry-based,
openness to new ideas, culturally diverse
The Thematic Units connect the Learning for Life and Work subject strands of Personal Development, Local and Global Citizenship, Home
Economics and Employability and demonstrate how they contribute to the understanding of a central theme. They provide a number of
learning, teaching and assessment activities (and are accompanied by supporting resources) to help you address, interpret and develop the
Northern Ireland Curriculum’s key elements and Statements of Minimum Requirement.
Each Thematic Unit contributes to the statutory requirement for Learning for Life and Work and also links to other Areas of Learning. In
addition, there are opportunities to develop learners’ Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities, incorporate Assessment for Learning principles
and make connections to the Cross Curricular Skills.
The units are not intended to be prescriptive and are not the only way to approach the Northern Ireland Curriculum. You do not have to follow
them rigidly. Instead, we encourage you to choose from the wide range of learning, teaching and assessment activities in the units and adapt
and extend them as appropriate for your classes.
Local and Global Citizenship Local and Global Citizenship Personal Development
Equality and Social Justice Democracy and Active Self-awareness
Investigate (in local and Participation Explore personal values, morals
global contexts) how and why Investigate various ways to and beliefs
some people may experience participate in school and society
inequality/social exclusion
on the basis of their material Personal Development
circumstances Local and Global Citizenship Self-awareness
Human Rights and Social Explore and express a sense
Responsibility of self
Investigate the principles of social
responsibility and the role of
individuals in promoting these
Select, classify,
What does ... develop awareness of Together discuss what ‘helping’ means. Explore different types of helping (for
compare
different forms of help. example giving assistance, improving a situation or easing a problem).
‘helping’ mean? and evaluate
information
Then using Resource 1 individually or in small groups, allow your learners to sort
the pictures into different ways of helping. Use the template best suited to their
Communication -
level of ability.
Communicate
information, ideas,
Resource 1: Ways Of Helping
opinions and
feelings using an
expanding language
Skills tabs printed in yellow are Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities
Key Question Learning Intention Possible Learning, Teaching and Assessment Activities Skills and
Learners will have Capabilities
opportunities to …
Ask focused
What help do ... make connections between Recall your class conversation on types of help you can offer others. Then, together,
questions
ideas and information. try to think of groups of people who need extra help. Use Resources 2–6 to consider
people need? why these different groups need extra help (for example babies, parents, older
Communication -
people, teenagers, pets, the homeless) and the types of help they need. Resources
Sequence, order,
2–5 illustrate types of help some groups need.
classify and make
comparisons
Resource 2: A Baby Needs Help To …
Then, allow your learners to create a list of questions for the visitor.
Visit a homeless shelter or hospice. Alternatively, invite a speaker from the Simon
Community or similar charity organisation to talk to your learners.
Ask focused
Who helps me? ... explore different types As a class, discuss the different forms of help people give. Next, ask your learners
questions
of help. to talk about who helps them in their daily activities (for example feeding them,
keeping them healthy, teaching them and keeping them safe). Finally, allow your
Communication -
learners to complete Resources 7–11 to sort or match helpers with the types of help
Communicate
they give.
information, ideas,
opinions and
Resource 7: Who Helps Me?
feelings
Invite people from the community to come into school and talk to the learners about
the work they do (for example a school nurse, a fire fighter, a dentist, etc.).
Alternatively, arrange a visit to local workplaces to ask people about their work
and see demonstrations (for example a supermarket, a hairdresser’s, waste
disposal centres, etc.).
Key Question Learning Intention Possible Learning, Teaching and Assessment Activities Skills and
Learners will have Capabilities
opportunities to …
Generate possible
How can I help? ... examine ways in which they As a class, discuss the ways that they help at home, in school and in the world. Use
solutions, try
help others. the following focused questions to stimulate discussion:
out alternative
− What help can you give?
approaches,
− Why should you be helping others?
evaluate outcomes
− Does everyone need help?
− How might people feel when you help them?
Communication -
Listen to and take
Have your learners complete Resources 12–14 to identify ways they can help and
part in discussions
the places where they can help. For Resource 13, they could draw pictures or use
and role-plays
magazine photos or photographs of themselves helping at home.
Over the course of one week, allow your learners to record the different ways they
helped others by completing Resource 15.
Further Suggestions
Together, focus on one or two specific helpful skills that they can practise at home,
and help them to develop these in the classroom (for example cook a meal, make a
sandwich, polish a shelf, etc.).
As a class, visit an old people’s home to provide entertainment for the residents or
help with gardening.
Make links
What help ... identify the reasons why we Together, discuss what life is like for people living in developing world countries.
between cause
need to help developing world Using magazines and brochures or the internet, allow your learners to look at
might people in countries. photographs of people and places in the developing world. What are some of the
and effect
developing world differences they can see? Select, classify,
countries need? compare
• Magazine and brochure images of developing world people and places and evaluate
information
• Access to websites featuring developing world aid and issues
Using ICT -
Using Resources 16 and 17, help them to compare the resources available here with Research and
those available in the developing world. select information
Key Question Learning Intention Possible Learning, Teaching and Assessment Activities Skills and
Learners will have Capabilities
opportunities to …
What help ... identify the reasons why Use Resources 18–24 and the websites listed to further explore the needs of people
we need to help developing in the developing world.
might people in countries.
developing world Resource 18: Schools In The Developing World 1
countries need?
Resource 19: Schools In The Developing World 2
• www.globalgang.org/reallife/Default.aspx
Links to stories from young people
• www.unicef.org.uk/tz/resources/assets/pdf/indiapack_photo6text_durga.pdf
Resource providing pictures of life in India for a 12-year-old girl
• www.photovault.com/Link/People/o/vPoverty3rdW/POVVolume01.html
Series of photographs from the developing world
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_5150000/newsid_5157100/5157124.stm
Story of boy and his family facing hunger
Practical activities could include using pictures from websites such as:
Using Mathematics -
www.concern.org
Identify and collect
www.unicef.org
information
www.savethechildren.org
www.theredcross.org Using ICT -
www.goal.ie/drought/album/index.html Research,
select, process
Use Resource 26 to carry out and record their investigation findings. and interpret
information
Resource 26: Charity Investigation
Discuss with them ways they can help, including by buying Fair Trade products,
giving to charities or taking part in fundraising activities.
There are many ways we can help others. Place each picture in the correct column.
Types of Helping
Sharing a Problem Making Things Better Helping Someone
There are many ways we can help others. Place each picture in the correct column.
Types of Helping
Making Things Better Helping Someone
recycling bottles
doing work together
giving directions
A baby needs
help to...
A puppy needs
help to...
An elderly person
needs help to...
A person in the
developing
world needs
help to...
stay healthy find shelter
What help do these people need? Use the Word Bank below for clues.
Word Bank
sick person
house
love
upset girl
a friend to cheer them up
food
elderly person
someone to talk to
baby
Fill in the chart by naming the people who help you. Or use the pictures and place them in the correct
space.
learn
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stay healthy
have fun
classroom
assistant doctor caretaker police officer
You may not realise it, but many people have helped you today! Look at each event and write who helped you
next to it. Use the questions to help you.
To get up
Did someone wake you?
To get dressed
Who washed your clothes?
SCHOOL
To get to school
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To learn
Who’s in school?
To have break/lunch
Who made/bought it?
To have fun
Who are your friends?
Below are things that we need help to do. Use the pictures to decide who helps us with these. Place the
correct picture or pictures in the empty spaces.
be safe
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learn
get food
Complete each sentence below to explain how each person helps us. Use the phrases in the box as clues.
A dentist helps by ... A firefighter helps stopping crime and keeping us safe
by ...
Below are different things that you can do to help. Tick the box showing where you would help people by doing
these things.
wash dishes
support a charity
tidy bedroom
be nice to friends
In each shape, draw a picture of one way you can help others. Or, paste in photographs from magazines or
photographs from home that show ways you can help.
I help with the dishes. I help with the shopping. I help by answering the phone. I help tidy up.
I help in the garden. I help do the cooking. I help wash the car. I help with the pets.
I help tidy my room. I help my grandparents. I help keep my home clean. I help my friends at school.
Make a record of the ways you help others in a week by colouring in the squares when you have completed
the task. You can record other ways you help in the blank squares.
I tidied up. I washed the dishes. I stacked the chairs. I dried the dishes.
I gave out books. I helped at breaktime. I listened in class. I delivered the roll book.
Which of these do you think a person living in the developing world might not have? Circle your answers.
How is where you live different from communities in developing countries? Write the differences in the
boxes below.
Look at these pictures of classrooms in two different schools. Decide which classroom has the better:
board places to sit desks equipment building books
Look at the photograph. What differences can you see between this classroom and your classroom?
Find five differences.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Look at the photograph. What difference can you see between this classroom and your classroom?
Find five differences.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The weather is very hot and it does not rain very often.
This makes it difficult to grow crops.
Causes Of Hunger
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In The World
Word Bank
war weather poverty bad government land ownership
My name is Hassan. I live in a small village in Ghana. I am 13. I live with my parents, who have no jobs. My
two older brothers and I go to school in the nearest town. It is a long walk (3 kilometres).
I wake up very early every morning. I wash my face and clean my teeth. Then I do my jobs. I wash the bowls,
sweep the floors and get water. I like to help my parents but the work is hard.
I carry a bucket to get water. There is a well near my house. Sometimes there is no water in it. Then I have
to go to another well. Sometimes there is no water there either. This means I have to buy the water from a
stand pipe. One bucket of water costs 10p. We need five buckets of water every day. This costs 50p. I have to
work many hours to get 50p.
After I have collected the water, I wash and get ready for school. I used to ride my bike but now it is broken.
Now I have to walk to school. After school I walk back home to rest and eat.
I have to pay for my books at school. I do jobs for others in the village to earn money for the books.
Sometimes I go to church in the evening. Other days, I stay at home and do my homework, or any other jobs
that need done.
Listen to the story of the boy’s life in Ghana. How is it different from your life? Complete the table below.
Me Hassan
Where do I live?
Who is in my family?
These items have been delivered to developing world countries in an aid truck. How do you think these things
will help the people there?
Oxfam
RSPCA
Age Concern
NI Hospice
Variety Club
Mencap