What is a positive role model?

What are the qualities of a positive role model?

In this film, M8-E the robot is tying to figure out the answer to this question, with help from his classmates Milo, Emma, Josh, Tanvi and Zayn.

To help pupils explore this question too, why not watch the film as a class to see what M8-E learns? You could then explore the activities together to help them consider what qualities positive role models demonstrate and how they might influence other people.

The group is puzzled by M8-E choosing to copy everything Milo does, finding some of M8-E’s actions frustrating. They find out that M8-E sees Milo as a role model but needs help to understand that he can be influenced by Milo’s qualities to enhance his own, rather than just copying Milo’s actions.

This guide encourages pupils to explore the qualities of a positive role model, and how they might use these attributes to influence their own behaviour.

Learning objectives:

• I can identify the qualities of a positive role model.

• I can explain how role models might influence what people say and do.

This activity can help pupils to recognise the attributes of a positive role model. You could, on a large piece of paper or whiteboard, create a class mind map around the words ‘role model’. Ask pupils to say anything that they associate with the phrase and write these down. These could be aspects of someone’s personality, names of people they see as role models or things a role model might say or do.

You might want to pick out some of the themes to discuss further. For example:

• Why do you think a role model should behave in this particular way?
• Why is that a quality of a good role model?
• Why did you choose that particular celebrity?
• Does a role model have to be rich and famous or can it be someone you know?

To enable reflection, you could let pupils respond to questions without agreeing or disagreeing with what they say.

Milo: “If I’m M8-E's role model… that’s a big responsibility! I don’t always know the right thing to do.”

Finally, perhaps refer back to what Milo says at the end of the film. Ask pupils why they think it’s a big responsibility to be a role model.

For this activity, you could draw an outline of a person on a large piece of paper (or the board) and put it up somewhere in the classroom. Ask pupils to replicate this themselves on a piece of paper (you could also provide them with a template if you prefer). On their outline, encourage them to write down at least one thing next to the head, heart and hands that a positive role model:

• thinks (head)
• feels (heart)
• does (hand)

Ask each child to transfer what they have written onto three sticky notes and place these against the head, heart and hands of your large outline. If you don’t have sticky notes, they could write them directly on the outline or on the board.

Encourage the class to reflect on the things they have written. Questions along these lines might help with this:

• Are these things easy or difficult to replicate?
• Do they think, feel or do any of these things in their own interactions with friends and family?
• How could they be a role model to others by thinking, feeling and doing these things more often?

You might like to consider starting this activity by asking pupils to stand on an imaginary line depending on whether they think they could be a good role model (with one end being a great role model and one end being a poor role model). You could ask them to share a reason why they have chosen to stand in a particular spot if they would like to.

You could build on this by replaying or recapping this part of the film:

Milo: “But I’m not a role model! I’m not popular or rich or famous - who would want to be like me?”

M8-E: “I have observed that you give people your time, you are helpful, you are kind.”

Emma: “Being a role model isn’t about being popular.”

Tanvi: “It’s about what you do, how you are with people.”

Encourage pupils to consider which qualities they have (or behaviours they demonstrate) that could make them a good role model. Ask them to identify at least three things and write them down using the sentence starter: ‘I could be a good role model because I…’

If they struggle to identify positive qualities or behaviours, you might like to encourage them to think about things they do in or out of school which demonstrate something positive. This could be reading bedtime stories to a younger sibling, helping a friend with their classwork or being polite and friendly to someone they don’t know.

Finally, you may wish to repeat the starter activity, asking pupils to return to the imaginary line. After reflecting on their qualities and behaviours, have pupils’ opinions about whether they could be a good role model changed?