Pass It On: Teaching Challenge
You’ll need
- A4 paper
- Pens or pencils
Before you begin
- Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There's also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
- Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
- Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help.
Running this activity
- Gather the group and talk about what makes a great leader. Ask the group to think about:
- What qualities do great leaders have?
- How do they present themselves?
- How do they talk to and support others?
- What kinds of things do they teach or share?
- Explain that great leaders share knowledge to make a difference, whether that’s helping a person or solving a problem. In this activity, everyone will write down specific ways they could share their knowledge or skills with the group. You will then work in teams to create fun, engaging "lessons" for others.
- Give each young person a copy of the template, or ask them to draw their own with six boxes. They should title the boxes as shown on the template.
- Spend one minute on each box, encouraging everyone to write as many ideas as they can think of. No idea is a bad idea.
- Remind them to think about:
- What they know
- What they are good at
- What they enjoy doing
- Move through each box until all six are completed (total of 6 minutes).
- Ask the young people to pair up or form small groups. Each group should look at each other’s answers, agree on one topic from any of the boxes, and develop it into a short, five-minute session.
- Give each group around 15 minutes to plan their session. Encourage them to think about:
- What are they teaching or sharing?
- How will they deliver their message? Could it be through a game, quiz, presentation, or another creative way?
- What equipment or materials might they need?
- Remind them that their session can take any form. The focus is on sharing something positive, meaningful, and engaging that could make a difference to others.
- Once everyone is ready, invite each group to deliver their session to the rest of the group. Encourage the audience to take part, ask questions, and celebrate each group’s effort.
- After all the sessions are complete, ask everyone to share or write down one positive comment and one constructive piece of feedback for each group.
- Finish by reminding them that great leaders share knowledge in ways that help, engage, and inspire others.
Something I could teach using equipment we have in the room
-
How to put up a tent or tarp
-
How to play a specific game
-
Tying knots (using rope)
-
Using a compass or map reading
Something I could teach without using any equipment
-
How to introduce yourself confidently
- How to play a new game
-
Sharing a tip for staying organised
- Giving advice
Something I could share that might help one person in the group
-
How to tie their shoelaces quickly
-
How to take a good photo
-
A tip for overcoming nerves before a presentation
-
A strategy to complete a task faster
Something I could share that could help everyone in the group
-
A warm-up game or team challenge
-
A first aid tip or safety rule
-
A way to plan a group task efficiently
-
A method for staying motivated during activities
Something that could make a difference to my community
-
Organising a litter pick or clean-up
-
Collecting items for a local charity
-
Teaching younger Scouts a useful skill
-
Sharing tips for keeping local spaces safe and tidy
Something that i could teach to promote teamwork or help people understand each other
-
Leading a team game or challenge
-
Explaining a problem-solving activity
-
Sharing tips for resolving disagreements
-
Helping someone feel included
Reflection
This activity was all about sharing knowledge, being a leader, and communicating ideas clearly. What did you enjoy most about teaching or sharing your mini-lesson? Which part of planning or delivering your session was the hardest, and which was the easiest? Why do you think that was?
Think about the different ways you communicated your ideas. Did you use a game, demonstration, story, or quiz? Which method was the most fun, and which helped others understand your message best? Did you have to think creatively or try a new approach to make your lesson engaging?
You may have had to take on a leadership role when delivering your session. What do you think makes a good leader? Did anyone in your group show those skills? What did you like about how you or others led the session? What worked well, and what could be improved next time?
Consider feedback and learning from others. Did you notice a method or idea someone else used that you wanted to try yourself? How did it feel to teach or share knowledge with younger Scouts or a different age group? How did it feel to support or guide others through your lesson?
Finally, think about the impact of sharing knowledge. How could your session make a difference to others or your community? What did you learn about yourself, your skills, and the importance of helping others learn?
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.
- To make this activity easier, you could give Young people the option to choose a requirement from a badge to base their mini-lesson on, giving them a clear starting point. They could also deliver their session to a younger age group.
- To make this activity harder, you could challenge them to teach a skill or concept they don’t already know very well, requiring research and practice before delivering it.
Make it accessible
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
Want to learn more about how Get Into Teaching is inspiring the next generation of teachers, or find out more about teaching as a career? Visit our partner page with Get Into Teaching – it’s full of tips, resources, and fun ways to develop skills that could inspire your future!