Primary ICT: Whiteboard Lesson Starts - Beliefs and Values

Selflessness (Yr 5/6) Should he stay with his fellow soldier or should he help himself?

·  Hand out some sweets around the class. Tell children to wait until they have all been given out before they eat them. Have enough sweets available for all the class apart from 2 or 3 children. Ask the children when you have run out of sweets, what are you/they going to do about it? (They may suggest sharing, giving them all back, telling those without a sweet to accept that they have to go without – have some spares for these children for later!)

·  Ask – “Why did/didn’t you want to give your sweets away?” OR “Why were you prepared/not prepared to go without your sweets?”

·  Show the Lesson Starter “Selflessness” on the IWB.

·  After watching the film clip, the children should discuss in pairs what they think the soldier should do. After a few minutes, pairs to feedback their views to the whole class.

·  Back in their pairs, the children should now take a role each and act out the final part of the clip, imagining how the characters might have felt. They then add to their drama how they think the episode might have ended i.e. what the soldier’s decision was. Encourage the children to think about the characters’ feelings when they make their decision about what the soldier would have done.

·  Hot seat a child who thinks the soldier would have left his friend. Then hot seat a different child who thinks that the soldier would have risked his own life in order to save his friend. Alternatively, the teacher could be hot seated in both roles.

·  Set up several Conscience Alleys around the classroom. Choose one child in each to answer the question “Should I stay and help my friend, risking my own life, or should I save myself?” When all groups have finished, hear what decision the different children came to.

·  Working alone, write

5 reasons for saving your own life

4 thoughts that might go through your head as you leave your friend

3 reasons for saving your friend and risking your own life

2 things that your friend’s family might say to you if you saved his life

1 thing that you think your mum or dad would say to you to help you make up your mind.

·  Pin up at different places in the classroom 2 large pieces of paper on which are written the scenarios (i.e. leave you friend/risk your own life to save your friend). Ask the children to “vote with their feet” and go to stand next to the decision that they think the soldier should make. Children from each position then to explain their reasons to the children who made the opposite decision.

·  If time or as a follow up activity, ask the children to write a poem or create a piece of art or music which conveys the emotion of the soldier as he makes his decision.

Note to teachers

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