target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="#fb3_img_img_c88b87a2-ead9-5ce6-bdb8-302ee6cae74a.png" alt=""/>Discuss the importance of shared interests in relationships. However, emphasise that partners can have different interests and still enjoy a stable relationship.
Give the students some case studies of different types of relationships. Ask them to work in pairs to decide if the relationship is stable or unstable.
Discuss each of the case studies with the class and invite the students to give their opinions.
Lesson 2
In this lesson the students will learn about different types of healthy relationships.
Introduce the students to a variety of relationship types, including same-sex relationships, marriage, co-habiting, relationships within the family, foster parents, adoptive parents, single parents, friends and acquaintances.
Provide the students with a brief description of different types of relationships and ask them to identify what type of relationship is being described.
Explain that regardless of the type of relationship, healthy relationships share common characteristics. Ask the students to identify these.
Give the students descriptions on cards of healthy and unhealthy relationships using short scenarios (not just intimate relationships). Ask them to sort them into ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ relationships. Ensure that the scenarios cover the full spectrum of relationships.
Go through the activity as a class and provide students with feedback.
Lesson 3
In this lesson the students will learn about marriage and the legal rights and protections that are associated with it. Students will learn about acceptable and unacceptable behaviour within marriage.
Prepare a presentation that includes the key facts about marriage, including cultural perspectives on marriage (for example, arranged marriages). Explain how marriages are celebrated differently in accordance with people’s beliefs and give examples.
Explain that healthy marriages are characterised by love, trust, respect, openness, kindness, empathy and support. Alternatively, ask the students to identify the characteristics of a healthy marriage. Are there any other characteristics?
Ask the students to identify the characteristics of an unhealthy marriage.
Give the students a card-sorting activity and ask them to sort descriptions of marriages into either ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’ marriages.
Go through the activity as a class.
Explain that sometimes people are exposed to risks within marriage. Give an example of what might constitute risky behaviour within a marriage.
Place three cards on the wall in separate corners of the classroom with the labels ‘risky’, ‘not risky’ and ‘some risk’. Read out a description of a marriage and ask the students to stand next to the appropriate card by moving to a corner of the room. Repeat with different scenarios. Provide students with an opportunity to say why they have chosen to stand next to a specific card and invite students to share different opinions.
Lesson 4
In this lesson the students will learn about the characteristics of successful parenting.
Provide the students with nine statements to illustrate the characteristics of successful parenting. These are listed below:
–providing food;
–providing clothing;
–providing a home;
–instilling positive character traits;
–providing love;
–protecting children from harm;
–helping their child to become independent;
–helping their child to feel confident;
–ensuring access to education.
Ask the students to arrange the statements into a diamond nine arrangement to show levels of importance.
Go through the activity with the class, providing the students with an opportunity to move statements from one place to another in the diamond nine arrangement.
Lesson 5
In this lesson the students will learn how to evaluate relationships within families, friendships and intimate relationships, and the importance of consent.
Explain to the students about the characteristics of safe families, safe friendships and safe intimate relationships.
Explain the importance of consent within relationships. Explain that in this unit, consent within intimate relationships will not be covered because this is addressed in a separate unit.
Provide the students with a definition of consent.
Discuss the factors that can affect a person’s capacity to provide consent. Examples include consuming alcohol or drugs, being subjected to threats, or having low self esteem or disabilities.
target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="#fb3_img_img_c88b87a2-ead9-5ce6-bdb8-302ee6cae74a.png" alt=""/>Discuss the importance of shared interests in relationships. However, emphasise that partners can have different interests and still enjoy a stable relationship.
