Nature and Mental health Lesson Plan

This lesson plan for Key Stage 2 explores the question: "Do we take the benefits of nature for granted?" The class begins with a one-minute review of feedback from the previous term's topic, allowing pupils to see the results and engage with the outcomes. Following this, the lesson moves into a starter activity where pupils rank five different activities they did during lockdown, assessing how much time they spent outdoors. This sets the stage for a discussion on the current relevance of the topic, helping pupils understand why it's being talked about in the news.

The lesson continues with a 'Would you rather?' activity, where pupils physically use their feet to indicate their preference for indoor or outdoor activities, fostering engagement and personal reflection on their choices. Next, a true or false quiz educates pupils about the mental health benefits of nature, providing them with facts and dispelling myths. Afterwards, pupils work in small groups to prepare a two-minute speech that presents their views on the week's question, using provided prompts to structure their arguments. For those who finish early, there's an extension task where they create a poster to encourage local community members to enjoy nature. The lesson also includes a 'Career Launchpad' segment, where pupils can listen to a lockdown poem about nature by Sir Michael Morpurgo and hear from a professional, Jo, who works in nature and conservation, linking the topic to real-world applications. Finally, pupils engage in a class vote, reviewing arguments for and against the topic before casting their votes.