Active Citizenship and Democratic Action · 3rd Year

Active learning ideas

Welcoming New People to Our Community

Active learning helps students connect empathy to real actions when welcoming others. Role-plays and games let them practice kindness in safe, structured ways before trying these skills in their school or neighborhood.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Myself and the Wider World - Community and Belonging
• NCCA: Primary - Myself and the Wider World - Empathy and Respect

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• RAFT Writing
• 30 min · Pairs

Role-Play: Newcomer Scenarios

Divide class into pairs: one acts as newcomer, the other as host. Pairs practice greetings, tours of the classroom, and invitations to join games. Switch roles after 5 minutes and debrief as a class on what felt welcoming.

How can we make new people feel welcome in our school?

Facilitation Tip

During Role-Play: Newcomer Scenarios, assign clear roles so every student has a chance to be both the newcomer and the helper.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine a new student joins our class tomorrow. What are three specific things you could do or say to help them feel welcome and included?' Facilitate a class discussion, noting down student suggestions and encouraging them to build on each other's ideas.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• RAFT Writing
• 45 min · Small Groups

Welcome Committee Workshop

Form small groups to brainstorm and create welcome packs with drawings, notes, and class rules. Groups present ideas to the class, vote on favorites, and assemble sample packs. Display packs in the hallway.

Why is it important to be kind and helpful to newcomers?

Facilitation Tip

For the Welcome Committee Workshop, provide props like name tags and maps to make role-plays feel authentic.

What to look for

Give each student a slip of paper. Ask them to write down one action they will try to do this week to make someone new feel welcome, either at school or in their neighborhood. Collect the slips to gauge individual commitment.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• RAFT Writing
• 35 min · Small Groups

Inclusion Games Circuit

Set up three stations with games like tag, building blocks, and drawing. Rotate groups, ensuring every student invites one newcomer each round. Chart who felt included after each game.

What are some ways we can include everyone in our games and activities?

Facilitation Tip

In the Inclusion Games Circuit, rotate partners so students practice welcoming different peers each round.

What to look for

During a group activity, observe students' interactions. Ask targeted questions like, 'How are you making sure everyone has a chance to participate?' or 'What could we do to invite someone who looks left out?' This provides real-time feedback on inclusive behaviors.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• RAFT Writing
• 40 min · Pairs

Buddy System Simulation

Pair students randomly as 'buddies' for a mock school day. Buddies guide each other through routines like lining up or snack time. Reflect in circle on helpful actions.

How can we make new people feel welcome in our school?

Facilitation Tip

For the Buddy System Simulation, pair students with varied strengths to highlight how everyone has something to offer.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine a new student joins our class tomorrow. What are three specific things you could do or say to help them feel welcome and included?' Facilitate a class discussion, noting down student suggestions and encouraging them to build on each other's ideas.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with student experiences to ground the lesson in what they already know about feeling new. Avoid generic lectures about kindness; instead, guide them to connect emotions to concrete actions like sharing materials or inviting others to join. Research shows that students learn respect best when they practice it in context, not when they hear rules about it.

Students will show they understand inclusion by suggesting specific welcome actions and demonstrating them during activities. Observations and reflections will reveal whether they grasp why sustained kindness matters.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Role-Play: Newcomer Scenarios, students may assume the newcomer should handle everything alone.

  Use the role-play cards to guide helpers to offer specific support, such as asking, 'Would you like to sit with us?' or 'Can I show you where the bathroom is?' After each round, ask the newcomer to describe what felt helpful.

• During the Welcome Committee Workshop, students might believe that only certain actions count as welcoming.

  Have groups brainstorm a list of at least ten possible welcome actions, then narrow it to five. Challenge them to include actions that go beyond words, like sharing a snack or saving a seat.

• During the Buddy System Simulation, students may think one introduction is enough to make someone feel welcome.

  After the simulation, ask buddies to reflect on how they would continue the connection. Provide a checklist of follow-up actions, like inviting the new student to sit together at lunch the next day.

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Methods used in this brief

• RAFT Writing