Exemplar Lesson Plan and rationale: PSHCE lesson Plan: Death Education with Y4

Rationale for the lesson plan

Lesson objectives

Three objectives have been chosen connecting knowledge and awareness, with understanding and then extending into enhancement of personal resilience skills. This progression of knowledge to conceptual understanding and then skills development is constructivist in design (Piaget  1952) and also equips children with strategies to cope with loss as well as awareness of it, a key principle of effective loss education (Brown 2000, Stokes 2009, Winston’s Wish 2011, Child Bereavement Charity 2011)

They include awareness of feelings associated with the death of parent, which could be challenged as too sensitive for Y4 children, yet the reality is that many children are bereaved of a parent or experience similar emotions through separation and divorce by the time they are eight or nine (Childhood Bereavement Network 2009). The context here is softened by the use of fiction characters, allowing for empathy and transference of emotions (Brown 2000, Stokes 2009, Winston’s Wish 2011, Child Bereavement Charity 2011) but this objective would be reconsidered if there was a child in this class who had been bereaved within the previous two years. In this situation I would consult with the child on the content and give the option of alternative work outside the classroom. Choice and involvement in planning for children who are affected by bereavement is critical to their coping success in these situations (Brown 2000, Stokes 2009, Winston’s Wish 2011, Child Bereavement Charity 2011, Jigsaw4u 2011). In addition, Christ’s (2000) extensive research identified that children of the Y3-4 age range who are bereaved often want to talk about their situation and their lost parents.

The objectives are simple but require both imagination and some recognition of emotions/ feelings. These can be expected from Y4 pupils (DfES SEAL 2005, DfEE 1999,  Antidote 2008) but individual class composition and stage of development would need to be a factor in the selection of objectives and in the differentiation of work (Kyriacou 2007, Pollard 2008).

Curriculum Links

The objectives and content link to the DfEE (1999) National Curriculum Non-statutory Guidelines for PSHE for Key Stage 2 which are currently in use in schools. These require children to communicate their own ideas and views, to use their imagination to identify with other people’s experiences and feelings and to now where support can be obtained for themselves or their family and friends. In addition it has drawn on the SEAL unit on Changes (DfES 2005) which identifies the need for coping strategies in times of life change such as parental loss.

Content and Teaching and Learning Approaches

The content has been selected to meet the learning objectives (Kyriacou 2007). It involves interactive group storming of  ideas to clarify the orphan status of the fiction character Harry Potter. However the storming in groups then feeding back to the class on all we know about Harry Potter is a way of briefing those children unaware of this character and his situation. The use of the word orphan (written on the board to assist visual recognition of the word and support visual learners (Kyriacou 2007) will focus attention on the main objective of the lesson and context for the following activities.

The lesson then adopts a visual stimulus, (again supporting visual learners and introducing variety into the lesson input (Kyriacou 2007) showing an extract from the fist Harry Potter film when Harry is still of primary school age. This is done because this extract ‘The Mirror of Erriseg’ deals directly with Harry’s longing to know and meet his dead parents, something which the extract establishes is impossible. This, whilst sad, reflects the reality of the world the children live in and presents the truth rather than wish fulfilment, a factor which assists adjustment to real events in later life (Stokes 2004, Child Bereavement Charity 2011, Winston’s Wish 2011.

The development through question and answer addresses how and from whom Harry Potter gets help when he is feeling this sad or miserable moves the lesson onto the issue of strategies for support and also develops pace in the lesson (Kyriacou 2007).

The final activity asks children to draw around their own hand on paper and consider who they could go to if they are feeling sad or miserable. It is designed to help identify multiple support sources in their own life, and is both kinaesthetic in learning approach, developmental, in extending recognition of help and crucially takes the child from a fiction character to themselves all of which assist learning  (Kyriacou 2007, Stokes 2004, Child Bereavement Charity 2011, Winston’s Wish 2011). Careful supervision of this activity is needed, with those struggling to think of help sources supported by the teacher (who can at least add themselves to a finger on each of these hands (Stokes 2004, Child Bereavement Charity 2011, Winston’s Wish 2011, Jigsaw4u 2011). The important point is that the children do have at least someone to turn to and thus should add a positive end to this lesson.

Reference List

Antidote (2008) The Emotional Literacy Handbook, London: Fulton

Child Bereavement Charity accessed at   on 3/9/11

Brown, E. (2000) Loss, Change and Grief: An Educational Perspective, London: Fulton

This book provides a really practice and insightful guide to the support of children with bereavement needs in primary school. It addresses age related needs and responses and practical activities for teachers and support staff to use. It includes a detailed application of grief theory and offers advice on professional support outside school.

Childhood Bereavement Network & National Children’s Bureau (2009) Key Findings from new CBN and NCB research in bereaved children, London: CBN/NCB

Christ, C. H. (2000), Healing Children’s Grief: Surviving a Parent’s Death through Cancer, Oxford: Oxford University Press

This book is very readable and is extremely valuable to teachers in primary age phases, as it utilises extensive research evidence to identify typical grief reactions and behaviours of children at different ages, providing real support for teachers needing to respond to specific age needs in these situations and who struggle to understand the differential responses of siblings.

DfEE (1999) National Curriculum Handbook for England KS1 & 2, London: DfEE

DfES (2005) Excellence and Enjoyment: Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning, London: DfES

Jigsaw4u website (2010) accessed at www. jigsaw4u.org.uk 3/9/11

Kyriacou, C. (2007) Essential Teaching Skills (3rd edition) London: Nelson-Thornes

Piaget, J. (1952) The Origins of Intelligence in Children, New York: International Universities Press

Pollard, A. (2008) Reflective Teaching, (3rd edition) London: Continuum

Stokes, J. (2009) ‘Resilience in Bereaved Children’ Bereavement Care Journal, 2009, Vol 28 pp1-9

Stokes, J. (2004), Then, Now and Always: Supporting Children as they Journey Through Grief: A Guide for Practitioners, Cheltenham: Winston’s Wish

Wish Website (2010)   accessed 3/9/11

This website is invaluable to all professionals and carers and children with grief issues. It has many resources, lesson plans, book suggestions and policy and practice advise for primary schools and gives access to an on-line support and advice line and a telephone line. It is user –friendly and child friendly and reassuring in its tone.