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Bridge Builders

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Kristen Morozin

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Bridge Builders Lesson Plan

Students will learn to listen carefully, understand others’ feelings, and speak kindly through fun, movement-based activities, building stronger friendships.

These skills help 3rd graders work together, reduce hurt feelings, and create a caring classroom where everyone feels heard and respected.

Audience

3rd Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Hands-on games, picture prompts, and circle sharing

Materials

Relationship Skills Slide Deck, Active Listening Picture Cards, Reflection Worksheet, Emotion Faces or Puppets, Chart Paper and Markers, and Timer

Prep

Review and Prepare Materials

5 minutes

  • Print one set of Active Listening Picture Cards for each pair
  • Cut out emotion faces or ready puppets for the Feeling Walk
  • Queue the Relationship Skills Slide Deck on the board
  • Prepare a chart sheet titled “Kind Words” and gather markers
  • Set a timer for short intervals (4–5 minutes)

Step 1

Introduction

5 minutes

  • Display the first slide of the Relationship Skills Slide Deck
  • Use simple language and pictures to define:
    • Listening: “Using eyes, ears, and heart”
    • Empathy: “Feeling with a friend”
    • Kind Talk: “Using polite words and smiles”
  • Ask students to share one time they felt happy when someone listened to them

Step 2

Listening Game

8 minutes

  • Pair students and give each pair Active Listening Picture Cards
  • Student A shows a picture and tells a short story about it; Student B listens, then draws or acts out what they heard
  • After 4 minutes, switch roles so both practice listening and speaking
  • Invite 2–3 pairs to show their drawings or skits to the class

Step 3

Feeling Walk

5 minutes

  • Tape emotion faces around the room (happy, sad, surprised, worried)
  • Call out a simple scenario (e.g., “You lost your favorite crayon.”)
  • Students walk to the face matching how they would feel and one volunteer explains their choice

Step 4

Kind Words Circle

7 minutes

  • Sit in a circle; prompt: “Say one kind thing using ‘I like when you…’ or ‘Thank you for…’”
  • Go around quickly so every student shares
  • Teacher records examples on the “Kind Words” chart for visual reference

Step 5

Reflection and Closing

5 minutes

  • Hand out the Reflection Worksheet
  • Students complete by writing or drawing one action: “I will… to be a good listener or friend.”
  • Invite a few volunteers to share their action plans
  • Summarize the three skills and cheer the class for trying their best
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Slide Deck

Welcome to Bridge Builders!

🤝 Make Friends
👂 Listen Well
💬 Talk Kindly

Welcome students! Say: “Today we are Bridge Builders. We’ll learn 3 skills to make friends and help each other.”

What Are Relationship Skills?

Skills to help us work and play together:
• Listening
• Caring
• Kind Speaking

Ask: “What helps us get along?” Show each word and picture.

Listening

👀 Use your eyes
👂 Use your ears
👍 Show you care (nod)

Model with a partner: look, listen, nod. Invite a volunteer to try.

Caring (Empathy)

❤️ Feel what others feel
🤗 Say “I’m here for you”

Demonstrate: pretend a friend is sad. Show empathy by saying, “I’m here for you.”

Kind Speaking

🗣️ Use “I feel… because…”
🙂 Use polite words and smiles

Explain the “I feel… because…” phrase. Practice one example together.

Why Practice?

😊 Fewer Fights
🤗 More Friends
🌟 Fun in Class

Connect each benefit to class life. Have students share one benefit.

Today’s Plan

  1. Listening Game
  2. Feeling Walk
  3. Kind Words Circle
  4. Draw & Share

Quickly review each activity and check materials: cards, faces, chart, paper.

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Activity

Bridge Builders: Active Listening Picture Cards

Use these 6 picture prompts for partner storytelling. Student A picks a card and describes what they see in 1–2 short sentences (e.g., “I see a dog running in the park.”). Student B listens with eyes and heart—nodding, making eye contact—and then retells the story in their own words. After 3 minutes, switch roles.

  1. A playground slide with three children zooming down together.
  2. A child helping pick up a tower of fallen books.
  3. Two friends sharing cookies at a picnic bench.
  4. A family walking their dog under a sunny sky.
  5. A child coloring a big, bright rainbow on paper.
  6. Two kids building a tall sandcastle by the sea.

Tip for listeners: Start with “What I hear you saying is…” or “It sounds like…” to check you understood correctly.

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Worksheet

Bridge Builders: Reflection Worksheet

Name: __________________________ Date: _______________

  1. Which skill did you practice today? Circle one:
    • Listening • Caring (Empathy) • Kind Speaking




  1. Draw or write one thing you noticed in your friend when you listened.







  1. Write a kind words sentence you could say to a friend.







  1. Draw or write one thing you will do this week to be a good friend.







(Optional) For ideas, look at the Active Listening Picture Cards or the Bridge Builders Overview Slides.

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