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Are You Really Listening? The Friendship Hack

Lesson Plan

Are You Really Listening? The Friendship Hack

Students will be able to demonstrate one active listening skill, such as nodding or asking a follow-up question, to improve their friendships.

Strong friendships make school and life more fun! Learning active listening helps students connect better with their friends, understand them more deeply, and build trust.

Audience

5th Grade

Time

20 minutes

Approach

Through direct instruction, modeling, practice, and role-playing.

Materials

Prep

Review Materials

10 minutes

  • Review the Slide Deck to familiarize yourself with the content.
    - Print copies of the Active Listening Checklist for each student.
    - Prepare your own example of a time you used active listening.

Step 1

Warm-Up Question

3 minutes

Begin by asking students: "What makes a good friend?" Allow a few students to share their ideas, guiding them towards ideas of understanding and support. Connect this to listening.

Step 2

Model & Practice

7 minutes

Introduce active listening using the Slide Deck. Model one or two skills (e.g., nodding, making eye contact) yourself. Then, have students practice with a partner, discussing a low-stakes topic (e.g., their favorite animal) and focusing on demonstrating one active listening skill from the Active Listening Checklist.

Step 3

Role-Play Scenarios

7 minutes

Divide students into pairs. Provide simple friendship scenarios where one person shares a small problem or a happy event, and the other practices active listening using the Active Listening Checklist as a guide. Circulate and provide feedback. Emphasize demonstrating one skill clearly.

Step 4

Group Debrief

3 minutes

Bring the class back together. Ask students: "What was one active listening skill you tried today? How did it feel to use it?" Reinforce that practicing these skills helps build stronger, more empathetic friendships.

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Slide Deck

Are You Really Listening? The Friendship Hack

Let's become friendship masters!

Welcome students and introduce the lesson's exciting title. Explain that today they'll learn a 'hack' for better friendships. Emphasize that listening is a key part of strong relationships.

What makes a good friend?

Think-Pair-Share: What qualities do good friends have?
How does listening play a role?

Pose the warm-up question. Give students a moment to think, then call on 2-3 students to share their ideas. Guide the discussion toward concepts of understanding, support, and communication.

Active Listening: The Secret Ingredient

Active listening is showing someone you are truly hearing and understanding them.
It makes your friends feel valued and important!

Introduce the concept of active listening. Explain it's more than just hearing words; it's about showing you understand and care. Go through each skill briefly, then highlight one or two for demonstration.

Skill Spotlight: Practice Time!

Let's try it!
- Partner A shares a short story.
- Partner B practices ONE active listening skill from the Active Listening Checklist.
- Switch roles!

Demonstrate a simple active listening skill like nodding or making eye contact. Then, have students turn to a partner and practice. Give them a simple topic (e.g., favorite food, what they did last weekend) and instruct them to use one skill from the checklist. Remind them to refer to their Active Listening Checklist.

Friendship Scenarios: Role Play!

Work with a partner to act out a short scenario. One person shares, the other actively listens using skills from our Active Listening Checklist.

Scenario ideas:
- My dog did something funny!
- I'm worried about the math test.
- My favorite team won!

Introduce the role-play activity. Provide some simple scenarios. Emphasize that they should focus on practicing one active listening skill, not trying to solve problems. Circulate around the room, observing and offering quiet, supportive feedback.

Debrief: How did that feel?

What was one active listening skill you tried?
How did using it change the conversation?
Why is active listening important for friendships?

Bring the class back together. Ask the debrief questions to encourage reflection on their experience. Reiterate the importance of active listening in all relationships.

Keep Hacking Your Friendships!

Active listening helps you connect, understand, and build amazing friendships.
Keep practicing!

Summarize the main takeaway: active listening builds stronger friendships. Encourage students to keep practicing.

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Worksheet

Active Listening Checklist

Being a good friend means really listening! Use this checklist to help you remember ways to show your friends you are truly hearing them. Check off the skills you use during our practice and role-play activities today!

Listening Superpowers!

When your friend is talking, did you...

  • Nod your head? (Showing you're following along)
    • Yes, I did this!


  • Make eye contact? (Looking at them with friendly eyes)
    • Yes, I did this!


  • Face your body towards them? (Turning your whole body to show you're focused)
    • Yes, I did this!


  • Ask a follow-up question? (Like, "Then what happened?" or "How did that make you feel?")
    • Yes, I did this!


  • Say "Mmm-hmm" or "Uh-huh"? (Small sounds to show you're listening)
    • Yes, I did this!


  • Summarize what they said? (Repeating back in your own words, "So, you're saying...")
    • Yes, I did this!


Reflect and Connect!

  1. Which active listening skill did you try the most today?






  2. How did your friend react when you used an active listening skill?






  3. Why do you think active listening is important for good friendships?











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