Rest and Reload: Exploring Wellness Strategies Worldwide

Teacher introduces Activity 1 by explaining how students will explore relaxation and mental reload strategies from their own context and compare them with international peers.

Students discuss the learning goals around emotional intelligence and stress management, connecting the project to their personal well-being and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being).

Students share initial thoughts on the question: 'What does being healthy and relaxed mean to you?' on the project board, posting short responses or images that represent their idea of rest.

As a class, students brainstorm different ways the driving question could be worded, considering what they want to learn from their international peers (for example, 'What are the best ways young people relax?' or 'How do different cultures approach stress management?').

Students vote on the final wording of the driving question: 'What are the different ways young people in our communities relax and reload after stress, and what can we learn from each other's approaches?'

Students discuss what they already know about relaxation methods versus what they want to discover from their international peers, documenting their ideas in a shared Google Doc.

Guide students to identify 2-3 relaxation methods from their own context they are curious to research and compare with other cultures.

In Activity 2, teams synthesize their local research into a creative presentation comparing at least three relaxation methods from their context, choosing one format: short video (2-3 minutes), infographic using Canva, podcast, or illustrated slideshow using Google Slides.

Students include evidence of effectiveness in their presentations, such as quotes from interviews, research findings about stress reduction, or explanations of cultural significance (for example, 'Meditation is practiced by 70% of teenagers in our community because it helps them focus on schoolwork').

Teams prepare 3-5 minute presentation scripts with clear explanations of each relaxation method and why it matters to young people in their context.

Each team posts their completed presentation on the project board for the partner classroom to view and respond to.

In Activity 3, teams present their wellness research during an International Wellness Exchange Forum, either via asynchronous video forum or synchronous video call, sharing their 3-5 minute presentation and asking prepared questions to international peers.

Students watch presentations from partner classes and document key observations about similarities and differences in relaxation methods using a shared collaborative mural or Google Doc (for example, 'Both countries use music for relaxation, but they listen to different genres').

Peers respond to each presentation with observations, questions, and reflections on how the relaxation methods compare to their own practices, using the group chat or comment feature on the project board.

In Activity 4, students complete individual reflections addressing three key questions: 'What relaxation strategies will I try based on what I learned? How did connecting with students from another country change my understanding of wellness? What surprised me about how different cultures approach stress management?'

Students write their reflections in a personal journal or shared document, providing specific examples from the international exchange that influenced their thinking.

Students share their reflections in a group discussion, listening to peers' insights about which wellness strategies they plan to try and what they learned from the international exchange.

In Activity 5, the class creates a collaborative reflection document summarizing key insights from both classes about universal human needs for rest and reload, highlighting cultural differences and similarities discovered through the project.

Students acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of their international peers by writing thank you messages or appreciation notes in the group chat or on the project board.

Guide students to consider how the skills they developed (emotional intelligence, critical thinking, intercultural communication) will help them in future global collaborations and in managing their own stress and well-being.