The Big Move

The Big Move is a set of classroom resources for upper primary students that will:

  • build students' resilience and enhance their own capacities for health and wellbeing
  • develop students' knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable informed and health-promoting responses to drug-related information and situations.

The video and CD-ROM together tell the story of Ruben, Carla and their father, Leo, who are moving to a new town. The video takes place in Penguin Bay, before Ruben, Carla and Leo move to New Town. The CD-ROM continues the story of the family after the move.


The video contains four trigger scenarios to raise discussion about change and peer pressure, particularly around negotiating relationships with friends and family. In this context the issues of alcohol and tobacco are raised in the second and third triggers.

The video is approximately 15 minutes long and can be used to introduce the CD-ROM or as a stand-alone resource.

The CD-ROM continues the story of the family after the move, as Ruben and Carla negotiate new people and situations in New Town. The CD-ROM also explores health issues related to alcohol, tobacco and caffeine.

The CD-ROM is divided into five scenarios, called 'encounters', each with a main plot and one or more subplots. The main plot contains a problem that the characters need to solve, and the subplots contain other problems that students can explore. The students' task is to explore the story and identify a problem, and then construct one or more solutions to the problem.

Interaction between students is encouraged, both while they work on the computer, and in the extension activities they can complete away from the computer.

The CD-ROM can be used as follow up to the video or as a stand-alone resource.