Whakawhanake rautaki - Developing strategies

Explore the challenges we face and develop strategies to navigate them. Create scenarios, identify challenges, and then develop strategies to navigate them using the Element, Challenge, Context, Impact, and Emotion cards. 

Ata: Resource collection 

This activity is part of the Ata collection of resources. See the resource carousel below for more.

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Learners will

• Identify and explore areas of focus or interest. 
• Identify and explore strengths, weaknesses and areas of improvement. 
• Develop a voice and contribute to their learning pathway. 
• Develop insight and perspective about understanding different emotions and meeting challenges. 
• Develop and apply self-led problem-solving strategies in various scenarios. 

Ways to use the resource 

Introduce the activity as a classwide or group exercise over time to ease into the concepts. 

Rather than beginning with a scenario, you can start with: 

• An idea example a challenge, context, impact or emotion.  
• Building a character. Define the character’s qualities and challenges using the Element and Challenge cards. Then develop strategies for the character as a group example and ask who is a role model in your community? What challenge(s) might they face? 
• Focus on a particular learner’s challenges and strategies. 
• Modify the context, impact and emotion to explore different perspectives. 
• Using the blank cards or group discussion, come up with new ideas that are not in the pack. 

Shown here: The Developing strategies activity sheet with five cards placed on it. One card from each of the Element, Challenge, Context, Impact and Emotions card sets. There is a second activity sheet that has two more steps. See the instructions below for more information. 

Instructions 

What you will need 

• Element, Challenge, Context, Impact, and Emotion cards
• Developing strategies activity sheets: One per person or group

Set up 

1. Prepare cards 

Add or remove Idea cards from each pack to suit the age or developmental stage of learners. 

2. Prepare activity sheets 

Print or photocopy one Developing strategies activity sheet (simple or advanced) per person or group. 

3. Choose a scenario 

It helps to have a challenge, impact, or scenario in mind before you start the activity. This could be something happening in the classroom, something happening in the community, or something else topical. Your scenario may mean you pre-select one or more cards before the activity starts. 

Activity 

Place cards on the activity sheet. Discuss why each selection was made and how it relates to the other cards. We suggest introducing the card types one set at a time as you work through the steps. 

1. Select an element 

Select an Element card as a primary area of interest or focus. 

2. Select a challenge 

Select a Challenge card you want to explore or overcome. 

Each Challenge card links to an element (noted on the bottom left of the card). Ideally, your Challenge and Element cards should match. 

3. Select a context 

Select a Context card that represents where this challenge takes place. 

4. Select impact(s) 

Select one or more Impact cards that represent the things that are getting in your way. 

5. Select an emotion 

Select an Emotion card that represents how this challenge makes you feel. 

The next two steps relate to the advanced activity sheet only. 

6. Select solution impact(s) 

Select one or more Impact cards that represent the things that could help you overcome this challenge. 

7. Select a resolution emotion 

Select an Emotion card that represents how you would like to feel once you overcome this challenge. 

Discuss and customise 

Discuss the different ways in which you might approach these challenges. 

Document your thoughts and plans in a format that suits you. 

Using the blank cards or group discussion, come up with new ideas challenges, contexts, impacts and emotions that are not in the pack. 

Downloads

See Materials that come with this resource to download:

• Ata blank cards (.pdf)
  Blank Ata cards in an A3-size printable format. Use for capturing ideas and customising the resource. 
• Ata Developing Strategies cards (.zip)
  The Ata Developing strategies cards in jpg format.
• Ata Developing Strategies cards (printable) (.zip)
  The Ata Developing Strategies cards on print-friendly A3-size pages. Files are in pdf format. 
• Ata Developing Strategies activity sheets (.pdf)
  The A3-size Ata Developing Strategies activity sheets in pdf format. 
• Ata Developing Strategies teacher support material (.pdf)
  Teacher support material for the Ata Developing Strategies activity. 

Next steps 

• Teachers can use insights to inform future lesson plans and areas of learning inquiry. 
• Use the Approaching challenges and Learning stories resources to develop relevant learning experiences. 
• Once identified, learners can use strategies within relevant learning areas.