HASS · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Roles and Responsibilities in School

Active learning turns abstract concepts about school roles into concrete experiences. Students need to see, hear, and practice responsibilities to understand how each person’s job keeps the school running smoothly. Movement, discussion, and real-world tasks make these ideas memorable and meaningful.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS2K03

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 45 min · Small Groups

Role-Play Circuit: School Jobs

Divide class into stations for principal (decision-making scenarios), teacher (lesson planning with props), student (tidy-up tasks), and aide (safety checks). Groups rotate every 10 minutes, practicing and noting responsibilities. Debrief with whole-class share.

What are the different jobs and responsibilities of the people in our school community?

Facilitation Tip

During Role-Play Circuit, circulate with a checklist to note which students hesitate, indicating they need clearer role descriptions before acting.

What to look for

Provide students with a worksheet featuring pictures of different school staff members. Ask them to draw a line connecting each person to one of their main responsibilities, such as a teacher to 'teaching students' or a cleaner to 'keeping the school tidy'.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 30 min · Pairs

Staff Interview Pairs: Real Voices

Pair students to prepare 3-4 questions about a staff member's role and responsibilities. Visit assigned staff for short interviews, record key points on charts. Regroup to compile a class 'School Helpers' book.

How does each person's role help our school run well and be a good place to learn?

Facilitation Tip

For Staff Interview Pairs, provide a simple script template so students focus on listening for real duties rather than making up answers.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine our school is a team. What is one job you do that helps our team win (i.e., run well)?' Encourage students to share their personal contributions and explain why that contribution is important for the school community.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 25 min · Whole Class

Responsibility Mapping: Whole Class

Project a school map or draw one on board. Students suggest sticky notes for roles and duties in zones like classroom, office, playground. Discuss how they connect to make school great.

What are some ways students could take on more responsibility to help our school community?

Facilitation Tip

In Responsibility Mapping, use sticky notes so students can physically move ideas, revealing patterns in how roles interconnect.

What to look for

On a small slip of paper, have students write down one new responsibility they could take on at school and one reason why that responsibility would help the school community. Collect these as students leave the classroom.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Role Play
• 35 min · Individual

Student Duty Brainstorm: Individual Start

Students list 5 personal responsibilities, then share in small groups to vote on new class duties like 'greeter' or 'recycler.' Present top ideas to staff.

What are the different jobs and responsibilities of the people in our school community?

Facilitation Tip

During Student Duty Brainstorm, limit the first round to three ideas per student to keep responses focused and manageable.

What to look for

Provide students with a worksheet featuring pictures of different school staff members. Ask them to draw a line connecting each person to one of their main responsibilities, such as a teacher to 'teaching students' or a cleaner to 'keeping the school tidy'.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by modeling curiosity about unseen jobs, inviting guests to share their routines, and using role-play to test assumptions. Avoid over-simplifying roles; instead, highlight overlaps, like how a teacher’s planning supports a cleaner’s efforts. Research shows that when students act out scenarios, they retain 90% of information compared to 10% from reading alone, so prioritize experiential tasks over lectures.

Success looks like students explaining roles with real examples, not just repeating textbook definitions. They should connect responsibilities to outcomes, such as a tidy classroom supporting learning or a principal’s schedule affecting everyone. Clear links between jobs and their impact show deep understanding.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Role-Play Circuit, watch for students who portray the principal as bossy without showing decision-making or support tasks.

  Guide the group to act out specific tasks like scheduling meetings or solving a playground conflict, then ask peers to identify the leadership shown in the scenario.

• During Responsibility Mapping, listen for students who say ‘students don’t do anything important’ when listing duties.

  Prompt them to re-examine the map, asking, ‘How does keeping the library organized help reading time?’ to reveal the connection between student actions and learning.

• During Staff Interview Pairs, notice if students claim all teachers do the same job after hearing one interview.

  Have pairs share differences they heard, then list specializations like art or reading support on the board to clarify teacher roles.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play