Skills for the Future
Lesson 1: Making Healthy Choices
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Introduction with Gavin
What students will do
Watch Gavin’s introduction, identify influences on decisions and discuss an everyday example.
Your role
Invite curiosity with open questions. Give thinking time and allow fictional examples. Help students distinguish choices they can make from circumstances outside their control.
What to observe
Notice whether students identify an influence, anticipate a consequence and listen to a different experience. Look for emerging self-awareness, curiosity, empathy and respect, supported by what students say or do.
Let’s begin by watching my introduction to Making Healthy Choices. Here’s something I’d like you to think about: if we know what is good for us, why do we sometimes choose the opposite?
As you watch, notice the things that can influence a decision. It might be how you feel, how much sleep you’ve had, what your friends are doing or something you’ve seen online.
Afterwards, tell a partner about one everyday choice you’d like to understand better. You can make up an example if you prefer. We’re going to explore what helps you make a thoughtful choice, then try one small change in your own life.
Weekly vocabulary
What students will do
Match vocabulary to meanings and explain three words through familiar examples.
Your role
Offer cards, conversation or drawing as entry points. Ask students to explain their thinking before supplying a definition. Clarify misunderstandings through examples.
What to observe
Listen for accurate vocabulary, connections to everyday life and willingness to ask questions or revise an explanation. These may show communication, critical thinking, curiosity and intellectual honesty.
Before we go any further, let’s get comfortable with a few useful words: wellbeing, habit, cue, consequence, influence, self-regulation, peer pressure and agency.
Have a look at the vocabulary cards and match each word to its meaning. Choose three words and explain them in your own way. You could talk, write or draw an example.
Think about a phone notification. That sound can be a cue to pick up your phone, even when you were doing something else. Can you think of another cue in your day? What could you change to make a helpful choice easier?
Provocation of the Week
What students will do - Explore the statement commonly attributed to Socrates, “To know yourself is the beginning of wisdom.” Discuss how self-awareness can influence healthy choices, share personal perspectives, listen to others and consider how understanding their own feelings, habits and values might affect their decisions.
Your role - Create a safe environment for thoughtful discussion and respectful disagreement. Encourage students to question assumptions and explain their reasoning. Ask questions such as “What makes you think that?”, “How might knowing yourself change your decisions?” and “Could someone experience this differently?” Recognise that culture, family circumstances, resources and personal experiences influence the choices available to young people. Avoid requiring students to disclose personal information.
What to observe Look for students who can explain their thinking, provide examples, consider alternative perspectives and connect self-awareness with decision-making. Notice evidence of empathy, open-mindedness, integrity, confidence and reflective thinking. Value the quality of their reasoning rather than whether they agree with the statement.
“To know yourself is the beginning of wisdom.” — Commonly attributed to Socrates
How can knowing yourself help you make healthier choices?
Think about this question for a moment. Do you believe that understanding your feelings, habits, strengths and weaknesses can help you make better decisions?
Can you think of a time when you made a choice because of what other people were doing, rather than what you really wanted?
Discuss your ideas with a partner or small group. Listen to different perspectives and explain your reasoning. Remember, there isn't always one correct answer.
Now consider: If you understood yourself a little better, what is one healthy choice you might make differently?
Be ready to share your thinking with the class.
Information card and evidence
What students will do
Read health information and interpret a figure by checking its source, date and age group.
Your role
Help students separate recommendations from survey findings. Explain that the 2022 figures are population estimates based on self-report. Use age-appropriate guidance for students aged 18 and over. Invite questions without comparing students’ bodies or routines.
What to observe
Notice whether students check evidence, recognise limitations and avoid drawing conclusions about individuals from group data. Look for health literacy, reasoning, curiosity and responsible use of information.
Let’s look at what happens when we give our bodies and minds the care they need. Read the information card about sleep, movement, food and stress. Which idea catches your attention?
Australian guidance recommends 8–10 hours of sleep for ages 14–17 and 9–11 hours for ages 5–13. For ages 5–17, it recommends at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each day. [3]
In 2022, an estimated 83% of Australians aged 15–17 did not meet the physical activity component of the guidelines, and 80% did not meet the muscle-strengthening component. [4]
Choose one figure and investigate it. Who is it about? When was the information collected? Where did it come from? Tell a partner what it helps us understand and what it cannot tell us about you personally.
Interactive micro-credential - Take the course!
What students will do
Explore interactive scenarios, consider consequences and rehearse a safe response and a practical plan.
Your role
Let students make and explain choices before discussing feedback. Use examples involving scrolling, peer pressure, movement or stress. Offer a text or teacher-guided version where needed.
What to observe
Listen for a pause before deciding, consideration of alternatives, appropriate refusal and help-seeking. Notice problem-solving, self-regulation, courage, responsibility and respect for boundaries.
Resource: 10–15 minute interactive module to add. Feedback should explain the reasoning and allow another attempt.
Now let’s practise making decisions in a few everyday situations. Work through the short interactive course. You’ll make choices, receive feedback and have another go when you need to.
As you explore each situation, ask yourself: What is influencing me? What could I do? What might happen next? Which choice fits my values and keeps me safe?
You’ll practise saying no, suggesting an alternative and asking for support. Then we’ll make a small plan: when will you act, where will you be and what might help?
Finish with an “If this happens, I will…” sentence. Keep it realistic. A useful plan is one you can actually try.
Make Your Choices - Your two-week journey
What students will do
Choose five of the ten challenges, follow their instructions, implement them over two weeks and document their experiences in a personal journal. Review progress on day 7 and reflect on learning on day 14.
Your role
Support student choice, independence and ownership. Help students make their plans realistic, accessible and achievable. Encourage honest reflection rather than perfect completion. Offer a supportive halfway check-in, allow adjustments and respect students' privacy.
What to observe
Look for evidence of independence, responsibility, perseverance, self-awareness, decision-making and flexibility. Notice how students respond to setbacks, recognise patterns, seek support and adapt their behaviour. Record specific observations rather than personality labels.
Senior extension: Ask students to identify one personal barrier and one environmental barrier, then explain how they adapted their approach to overcome them.
Your challenge: Over the next 14 days, choose 5 of the 10 healthy choices from your Choose Your Challenge Card and try to put them into practice in your everyday life. Choose activities that interest you, matter to you and fit your circumstances. Follow the instructions on the card to help you get started. You can spread your five challenges across the two weeks rather than attempting them all at once.
Keep a journal: Each time you try a challenge, write a few words about what you did, how you felt and what you noticed. Record any difficulties or changes you made along the way.
Day 7: Check your progress. Which challenges are working? What is getting in the way? Do you need to adjust your approach? Remember, missing a day is an opportunity to learn, not a failure.
Day 14: Reflect on your journey. Look back through your journal and choose two examples that show what you discovered about yourself. Consider which healthy choices you might continue beyond the challenge.
Your goal isn't perfection. It's discovering how small, intentional choices can make a difference in your life.
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Reflect on your journey - Look how far you’ve come!
Over the past two weeks, you've taken action, made choices and discovered something about yourself. Now it's time to turn those experiences into something meaningful.
Log in to Upschool.co and open your Wheels of Reflection. Here, you'll reflect on your journey by answering three simple questions:
1. What did you do?
Describe the five healthy choices you explored, the actions you took, the challenges you faced and anything you changed along the way.2. How do you feel?
Think about how your experiences affected your confidence, independence, emotions or wellbeing. What did you discover about yourself? It's fine if you didn't notice a change.3. What will you do next?
Which healthy choices would you like to continue? What might you do differently? What is your next step?As you reflect, identify the skills and values you demonstrated, such as perseverance, responsibility, courage, independence or self-awareness.
Don't have an Upschool account yet?
Simply ask your teacher to create one for you at Upschool.co. You'll receive your own digital membership card and personal login. Every reflection you complete becomes part of your digital portfolio, building a record of your experiences, actions, skills and personal growth.
At the end of the term, you'll have the opportunity to present your journey to your school community. Think of it as your own Résumé of Change, showing not just what you've learnt, but who you're becoming.
Your actions create experiences. Your reflections help build your identity.
What students will do
Students will access their Wheels of Reflection on Upschool, answer the three reflection questions and identify the skills and values demonstrated throughout their two-week challenge. Their reflections will become part of their ongoing digital portfolio.
Your role
Ensure every student has an Upschool account and membership card. Support students in accessing their Wheels of Reflection and encourage thoughtful, authentic responses. Help them connect their actions to the skills, values and personal qualities they are developing.
What to observe
Look for evidence of self-awareness, honesty, independence, perseverance and an emerging sense of identity. Notice whether students can explain their choices, recognise personal growth and identify meaningful next steps.
End-of-term outcome
Students build a digital Résumé of Change, documenting their actions, reflections and development over time. With appropriate consent and privacy safeguards, they can share selected evidence of their learning with families and the wider school community.
Short quiz and certificate
What students will do
Complete the quiz, use feedback, revisit misunderstandings and submit a reflection and journey summary.
Your role
Use five short questions covering cues, influences, evidence, planning and setbacks. Provide explanatory feedback and opportunities to retry. Recognise completion of the learning and reflection, including an agreed accessible equivalent of the practical challenge.
What to observe
Notice whether students explain a choice, correct a misconception and transfer an idea to a new situation. Look for understanding, independence, perseverance and ownership of learning. Combine quiz responses with observations across the journey.
Resources: quiz and certificate template to add. The certificate recognises course completion; it is not a NESA qualification or a judgement of health.
Before we finish, let’s see what you’ve taken from this experience. Complete the short quiz about habits, influences, trustworthy information, making a plan and responding to setbacks.
Read the feedback carefully. If something doesn’t make sense yet, revisit it and try again. This is another opportunity to learn.
Then share your reflection and a short summary of your two-week journey. Once you’ve completed the learning, reflection and quiz review, you’ll receive your Skills for the Future certificate for Lesson 1 Making Healthy Choices.
Your certificate recognises the journey you’ve completed, including what you learnt when something didn’t go to plan. What is one idea you’ll take with you?
