Lesson Plan
Buddy Up Lesson Plan
Students will identify qualities of a good friend, practice kind communication through role-play, and create friendship bracelets to celebrate friendship.
Building friendships fosters empathy, social-emotional skills, and a supportive classroom community. This lesson helps 2nd graders learn to communicate kindly and appreciate peers.
Audience
2nd Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Discussion, role-play, and a hands-on craft.
Materials
- Friendship Vocabulary Cards, - Kindness Scenario Cards, - Sentence Starter Strips, - Buddy Bracelets Template, and - Chart paper and markers
Prep
Prepare Materials
10 minutes
- Print and cut Friendship Vocabulary Cards.
- Print and cut Kindness Scenario Cards.
- Print Sentence Starter Strips and Buddy Bracelets Template.
- Set up chart paper and markers.
- Review lesson flow and prompts.
Step 1
Warm-Up Discussion
5 minutes
- Gather students in a circle.
- Ask: “What makes a good friend?” and record answers on chart paper.
- Encourage use of vocabulary from Friendship Vocabulary Cards.
- Support: provide sentence starters for students needing language help.
Step 2
Friendship Vocabulary Exploration
5 minutes
- Display Friendship Vocabulary Cards on the board.
- Read each word aloud and discuss its meaning (e.g., caring, honest, helpful).
- Have students give examples of each quality from their own experiences.
Step 3
Kindness Role-Play
10 minutes
- Pair students and give each pair a Kindness Scenario Card.
- Students practice role-playing the scenario, using Sentence Starter Strips to guide their dialogue.
- Rotate cards so pairs experience different scenarios.
- Extension: challenge pairs to invent their own friendship scenario.
Step 4
Bracelet Craft & Reflection
10 minutes
- Distribute Buddy Bracelets Template and art supplies.
- Students personalize a bracelet for their partner and write one friendship quality on it.
- Partners exchange bracelets and share why they appreciate that quality.
- Exit Ticket: each student names one new thing they learned about being a good friend.
Slide Deck
Buddy Up!
Friendships and Kindness
2nd Grade Social-Emotional Lesson
30 minutes
Welcome students to our lesson on friendship. Explain that today we will explore what makes a good friend, practice kind communication, and celebrate our friendships with a fun craft.
Lesson Objectives
• Identify qualities of a good friend
• Practice kind communication through role-play
• Create friendship bracelets to celebrate our friends
Read the objectives aloud and ensure students understand the goals. Use simple language and point to each item as you go.
Warm-Up Discussion
What makes a good friend?
• Listen and record ideas
• Use kind words and examples
Gather students in a circle. Prompt them with “What makes a good friend?” Write answers on chart paper. Encourage all voices and celebrate each contribution.
Friendship Vocabulary
Caring
Honest
Helpful
Friendly
Ask: How can you show these qualities?
Display each vocabulary word one at a time using the Friendship Vocabulary Cards. Read the word, define it, and invite students to share an example.
Kindness Role-Play
• Pair up and pick a scenario card
• Use sentence starters to practice:
– “I feel happy when you… ”
– “Thank you for being a friend by…”
• Rotate cards and try new situations
Demonstrate one scenario with a volunteer. Show how to use a sentence starter. Then prompt pairs to practice with their Kindness Scenario Cards.
Bracelet Craft & Reflection
• Decorate a bracelet for your partner
• Write one friendship quality on it
• Exchange bracelets and share why you picked that quality
Hand out the Buddy Bracelets Template and art supplies. Model writing a friendship quality on the bracelet. Circulate to support creativity and conversations.
Exit Ticket
Name one new thing you learned about being a good friend.
Collect quick exit tickets by having students share one new thing they learned about being a good friend. Use this to inform future lessons.
Worksheet
Friendship Vocabulary Cards
Print and cut along the lines. Use these cards to learn and remember each friendship word!
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CARING
Definition: Caring means you show you care by listening, helping, and being kind to your friends.
[Draw a picture that shows someone being caring]
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HONEST
Definition: Honest means you always tell the truth and share your real feelings with your friends.
[Draw a picture that shows someone being honest]
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HELPFUL
Definition: Helpful means you offer to do things that make your friends’ lives easier or happier.
[Draw a picture that shows someone being helpful]
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FRIENDLY
Definition: Friendly means you greet others with a smile, use kind words, and include everyone in games.
[Draw a picture that shows someone being friendly]
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KIND
Definition: Kind means you do small, nice things to make a friend feel special and happy.
[Draw a picture that shows someone being kind]
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Activity
Kindness Role-Play Cards
Print and cut along the lines. Use these cards to role-play with a partner and practice kind communication!
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Card 1
Scenario: Your friend is building a block tower and it falls down. They look sad.
Task: Show how you can help them feel better and help rebuild.
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Card 2
Scenario: You see a classmate carrying a heavy backpack and struggling.
Task: Act out how you would offer to help carry or hold it for them.
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Card 3
Scenario: A new student is sitting alone at lunch and looks nervous.
Task: Role-play how you would invite them to sit with you and start a friendly conversation.
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Card 4
Scenario: Your friend dropped their crayons and they rolled away.
Task: Show how you can help pick them up and say something kind.
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Card 5
Scenario: You notice someone sitting by themselves at recess.
Task: Practice going over, introducing yourself, and asking to play a game.
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Card 6
Scenario: A classmate looks upset because they did not win a game.
Task: Act out how you would cheer them up and encourage them.
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Card 7
Scenario: Your friend shares their snack with you.
Task: Role-play how you can say “thank you” and show gratitude.
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Card 8
Scenario: You accidentally bump into a friend and they drop their papers.
Task: Show how you would apologize and help pick up the papers.
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Worksheet
Sentence Starter Strips
Print and cut along the lines. Use these strips to help you start kind conversations with your friends!
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“I feel happy when you __________________________.”
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“Thank you for _________________________________.”
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“I like it when you ______________________________.”
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“You are a good friend because ____________________.”
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“I appreciate it when _____________________________.”
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“Could we _________________________________ together?”
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“I’m sorry for _________________________________.”
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“Let’s _________________________________ this afternoon.”
Worksheet
Buddy Bracelets Template
Print and cut along the lines. Decorate your bracelet and write a friendship quality on it!
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For: _________________________________
You are a good friend because: ___________
[Decorate your bracelet here]
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For: _________________________________
You are a good friend because: ___________
[Decorate your bracelet here]
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