SkillRise Spark · Riverside Café · Facilitator sheet

The Shift Schedule

Reading overlapping shift and break times accurately enough to plan delivery coverage. Estimated 30–45 minutes (not yet classroom-validated).

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Learning outcomes (observable)

Aims to listen for in discussion. Learners are not rated; writing on the learner sheet is optional.

Identifies the people, facts and competing responsibilities in The Shift Schedule.
Explains what one possible action protects, what it risks and a realistic next move.
Drafts a specific sentence or check they could adapt outside the fictional scenario.

Competency focus (SkillRise descriptions)

Practices: Workplace Numeracy, Reading a Schedule, Professional Communication. Internal mapping, not an external standards alignment.

Communication. Learner chooses or drafts what to say, then explains why that wording fits. Review: The exact line chosen on the evidence card and any drafted sentence on the learner sheet.
Problem-solving. Learner lists known facts, open questions and a sensible first step. Review: The 'facts I used / still needed to check' learner-sheet prompt.
Money and numeracy. Learner checks a calculation or figure and explains how they know it is right. Review: The worked answer and check described on the learner sheet.

Preparation

Play the activity once yourself (about 15 minutes, estimated).
Print or display the learner sheet; decide whether learners work alone, in pairs or as a group.
Read the safety note below and agree that passing or writing silently is always allowed.

Safety or role boundary

Use the written schedule and ask when information is unclear. Do not guess about coverage when a missed handoff could affect safety, pay or service.

Session plan

0–5 min	Frame the fictional practice, read the opening prompt and make passing or writing silently explicit options.
5–20 min	Play The Shift Schedule. Pause at the first decision to separate known facts from assumptions.
20–32 min	Compare two defensible choices. Name who each protects, who carries the risk and any fixed boundary.
32–40 min	Use the learner sheet to draft one clear next move. Sharing remains optional.
40–45 min	Close with the optional real-world step and explain how to reopen an evidence card if one was saved.

Delivery options

Individual: Play independently, pause before each choice to note a reason, then complete any learner-sheet prompt privately.
Paired: Share one screen. One person reads and one tracks facts, assumptions and affected people; switch roles after the first decision.
Group: Project the activity, collect choices by show of hands, written vote or silence, then invite reasons without asking for personal disclosure.

Opening prompt

“Which parts of a schedule need calculation rather than a quick visual guess?”

Discussion questions

What exact times established the overlap?
How did the break affect the answer?
What could someone say if they were not confident in their calculation?

Optional real-world practice step

Check one real timetable, appointment window or schedule by writing down its start, end and any break separately.

Follow-up

At the next meeting, invite learners to say whether they tried the optional step or noticed a similar decision. Passing is always allowed.

Companion · optional “Try it your way” practice

Explore time and responsibility

Purpose. Discuss numeracy, coordination and the difference between being available and being assigned.

Durable skills explored: Numeracy, Coordination, Workplace literacy.

This uses the same Wednesday schedule Emma showed you, with one extra note from the roster.

Source material (as learners see it)

Riverside Café · Wednesday

Emma — 06:30–14:30 (break 10:00–10:30)
You — 09:00–15:00 (break 12:30–13:00)
Jay — 13:00–21:00 (break 17:00–17:30)
Delivery — 11:00–11:30

No receiving assignment is recorded.

Discussion prompts

Why doesn't the 12:30 break reduce the overlap?
Who could receive the delivery, and who has agreed to?
What changes — and what doesn't — when the break moves?

One possible response

Overlap: 13:00–15:00, two hours. Your break ends at 13:00, before Jay starts.

During the delivery, you and Emma are both working and not on break. Jay hasn't started.

“I can receive the delivery if you cover the floor — can you confirm?”

The example is one possible response. Accept equivalent forms such as 2 or 2.0 hours; the reasoning about intervals and assignment matters more than the format.

What changes if…?

Your break moves to 13:30–14:00.

Working overlap is now 13:00–13:30 plus 14:00–15:00.
Total: 1.5 hours.
Delivery availability is unchanged — you and Emma are still the ones working at 11:00.

Participation options

Individual:: Learners calculate on paper or on screen, or talk through the intervals without writing.
Paired:: One partner reads times aloud while the other marks the overlap on a timeline; swap for the changed condition.
Group:: Draw a shared timeline from 06:30 to 21:00. Mark shifts and breaks, then move the break and recount together.

Writing is optional; learners may think privately, discuss, or skip. Nothing is graded or collected. Source: Blueprint v3.0 · Section 33 · shiftschedule · p. 121.

Discussion prompts

Discussion prompts only — learners are not rated, graded or ranked. Learners can think privately, write if they wish, speak or pass. Pairs and groups can explore different choices without reaching agreement. Nobody needs to share personal experiences.

Recognizing the workplace issue: What pressures were in play at that moment?
Who else was affected, and what did they need?
Considering options and consequences: What might each option protect, and what might it risk?
Who would carry the cost of each choice?
Explaining a reasoned decision: What made your choice make sense to you?
What is the strongest case for a different choice?
Identifying a practical next step: What is one thing someone could say or check next?
How might that step change in a different workplace?

Facilitator reminders

Invite reasoning, not disclosure. Ask what the character could do and why. Never require learners to share personal experiences; offer 'think about it privately' as a normal option.
Allow disagreement and silence. Different choices are expected. Silent participation, written answers and passing are all legitimate ways to take part.
Separate judgment from personality. Talk about actions and reasons, not character traits. 'You checked before promising' rather than 'you're cautious'.
Ask who bears the consequences. For each option, ask who gains, who waits and who carries the risk — customers, coworkers, the business or the worker.
State safety boundaries clearly. Some lines are not matters of style: allergens, machine guards, privacy and unsafe lifting. Name the boundary plainly before or after play. Never demonstrate an unsafe workaround.
Not an employment screening tool. Do not use choices, reflections or evidence cards to select, rank or assess people for jobs or placements. The scenarios are fictional practice.
Describe evidence cards accurately. An evidence card records the choices a learner made and anything they wrote in a fictional scenario. It is not a grade, credential or proof of workplace competence, and it is saved only in that learner's browser.