Big Plans: YEAR 1 - HPE - Explore

Big Cuz and Little J are very excited that Sissy is coming to play with them over the weekend. They both see Sissy as their special friend. Big Cuz wants to play a ‘Sisters Only’ talent quest just for she and Sissy, and Little J plans an obstacle course for all to play. Eventually, Little J, Big Cuz and Sissy come together to test their skills on the obstacle course.

Explore - Recognise similarities and differences in individuals and groups, and explore how these are celebrated and respected


After viewing Little J & Big Cuz, Episode 13 ‘Big Plans’, engage students with the following activities to support their understanding about respecting others’ differences.

Ask students to focus their attentions on the games that Little J and Big Cuz chose to play. Big Cuz chose to play inside and create a game pretending to be a TV Quest star, and Little J chose to build an obstacle course outside, pretending to be a compere of a TV show.

Introduce the nursery rhyme, What are Little boys made of? (early 19th century)

What are little boys made of?
What are little boys made of?
  Snips and snails
  And puppy-dogs' tails
That's what little boys are made of

What are little girls made of?
What are little girls made of?
  Sugar and spice
  And everything nice [or ‘all things nice’]
That's what little girls are made of.

Have the class listen to and/or read the lyrics, and pose and respond to questions about the meaning of the poem. Explain that, in times past, people recognised that little girls and little boys behaved differently, spoke differently, and played differently. Have students consider if that is true today.

Divide the class into two teams, the girls’ team, and the boys’ team. Using a Venn diagram, ask the teams to create two lists, ‘games that girls play’ and a second list of ‘games that boys play’ and any games that both play could be listed in the overlapping area.

Have the groups submit their diagrams to compile a class list. Examine the games that only girls play and the list that only boys play, and ask the other teams if they have ever played a game of (whatever the students suggest?). If the answer is ‘yes’ then add the game to the middle section. Eventually, most, if not, all of the games should be in the middle section.

Highlight to students that while girls and boys have many similarities, likes and behaviours, that individually, all people are slightly different from others. This is what makes us all unique. Have students draw an outline of themselves on a sheet of paper, and have all students individually list or illustrate around the shape the games they playing, the art they like creating, the subjects they like speaking about, and the people they like spending time with, etc. Students can cut out pictures from magazines to add to the image.

Give the image the title, ‘Who am I?’ Display all the images in the classroom and have other students guess who they think each person is.

Suggested resources in respect to identity