Student digital journal

The process Investigate Create Deviate Collaborate Evaluate Celebrate Activate The module is broken into seven distinct steps and it is intended that each is a pre-requisite for the next step. Students start with the INVESTIGATE step and work through to the EVALUATE step. Students then get to select which step will be the culminating step e.g. CELEBRATE or ACTIVATE. This step could include a rich presentation task that could be used as an assessment opportunity. See handout for more details of the process – includes an explanation of the process, skills and suggested content.

Investigate: overview Investigate the Internet as a source of health information and support services. What do I have to do: Identify cues of reliability and accuracy Create a database of reliable youth-friendly health information websites Dispel myths related to mental health problems. In this step, students will explore the Internet as a source of health information and support services. Teachers may provide some explicit teaching in relation to Boolean search techniques and how to assess the accuracy and reliability of websites. (See draft documentation from Teacher Resource) Students will develop and refine practical skills in order to become critical consumers of health information from the web. These skills will include: Identifying cues of reliability and accuracy for a range of websites Creating a database of reliable, youth-friendly health related websites. Depending on students’ prior knowledge, teachers may also provide some explicit teaching in relation to the issue of youth mental health, the importance of resilience, coping skills and help seeking behaviours.

Investigate: task 1 For your allocated health issue: find a range of websites use the criteria to evaluate their reliability create a list of reliable websites, providing reasons for your judgement.

Investigate: task 2 Mental health mythbuster For your allocated myth: research the development of the myth provide strategies to dispel the myth

Create: overview Create a fictional “peer group” of four characters and a backstory for each. What do I have to do: Create a “peer group” Create a back story for each character Identify characters’ mood and the influences on how they are feeling

Create: task 1 Select 4 characters to include in your “peer group” and drag them into place You In this step, students will create a fictional peer group with four other characters. They will select the characters, name them and then create a backstory for each. Students can also create their own character pictures using avatars or other images. Characters must be fictional and photos are not allowed to be of people who are known to students e.g. celebrities or young people within the local community.

Insert copy of character’s face here Create: task 2 Record character 1’s backstory here. Example: Damo is one of my best mates. He is a cool guy. He is very perceptive about the world and people around him. He has interesting ideas and opinions on things. He is fun to hang out with but he is also quite angst-ridden. Damo started at school last year in Year 9 and he doesn’t really have much idea about what he wants to do with his life. He’s been pretty down lately and I think he might have started smoking pot. Enter character 1’s name here Insert copy of character’s face here The backstory will explore the relationships of the characters to each other, aspects of each character’s life that may be affecting their health and wellbeing and factors that may influence their health decisions and behaviours.

What’s happening in your character’s life to make them feel this way? Create: task 3 What’s happening in your character’s life to make them feel this way? Example: Damo is fighting with his parents about the new friends he is hanging around. His parents keep saying his friends are pressuring Damo into doing things that he doesn’t want to do. Damo feels like nothing he does is good enough and this is making him feel like crap. To change where the pointer is indicating on the moodmeter, click on the pointer and use the green dot which is above the object handles to rotate the pointer around the gauge. Provide background as to why your character is feeling this way. The hyperlinks at the bottom of the page will take you to factsheets on the Reach Out website that will give you more information about feeling this way. NOTE: You can only use the hyperlinks when you are viewing the powerpoint as a slide show. Copy and paste this slide to create a new slide for each of the characters and use the red pointer to indicate their general mood. If you want to find out more info about feeling this way use the links below >>> Crap OK Awesome

Deviate: overview Propose strategies to support members of your “peer group” who are going through a tough time. What do I have to do: Select a scenario and identify which character will be involved Propose ways that you could support your “friend” to help them through the situation and ensure that they stay safe and healthy

Deviate: task 1 Select a range of scenarios from Learning Resource 4 and type into the spaces provided Type here Type here Type here The scenarios used in this step of the module can be modified depending on the teaching focus of the unit of work. For example, the scenarios could all deal with drug use issues or there can be a variety of scenarios relating to depression, anxiety, relationships, sexual decision making, dropping out of school etc. The module will contain about 20-30 scenarios for teachers to select from (see Learning Resource 4). Teachers can also develop their own scenarios.

Answer the following questions for each of your selected scenarios Deviate: task 2 What are the possible outcomes of the character’s actions? What factors are influencing the character’s behaviours and actions? What can the character do to stay safe and healthy? What can you do to support them to stay safe and healthy? is starting to become more and more withdrawn from your group. You heard from some other kids that he has been going out partying pretty hard on the weekends with some older kids. You’re worried that he might be hitting the grog a bit too hard. Students determine which character is going to be affected by the selected scenario. Teachers should not allow students to nominate themselves as the character affected. This is to ensure that all of these issues are being explored through the third person.

Collaborate: overview Discuss the strategies that have been proposed to support your “peers” who are going through a tough time. What do I have to do with my group: discuss the questions on the next slide for each of your scenarios develop a plan of action to support each of your “friends” who are going through a tough time

As a group discuss the following questions for each of your scenarios Collaborate: task 1 How might this situation impact on the character’s health and wellbeing? How might this situation impact on the character’s relationships with the other members of your peer group? What factors are influencing the character’s behaviours and actions? What can the character do to stay safe and healthy? What can you do to support them to stay safe and healthy? In this step you will: Analyse the range of influences that impact on an individual’s ability to behave in a safe and healthy way. Propose and evaluate strategies that take into account these influences and support young people to behave in safe and healthy ways. Research and develop a plan of action to support the character to work through each of the scenarios. Key questions: Who might you include in your personal support network? How can your support networks help you through tough times? How can you help friends through tough times? Who can help you support friends in need?

Evaluate: overview Evaluate proposed strategies and decide which ones would work best for you What do I have to do: evaluate each of the strategies that your group proposed to deal with each scenario describe the strategies that you would be most comfortable and confident using if you found yourself in this situation

Culminating task Activate You can choose to undertake the Activate task which requires that you undertake a social action or advocacy project within your local community. Celebrate You can choose to undertake the Celebrate task, in which you will create a digital story that captures a positive aspect of your life.