Session 1 Script

1. Welcome & Purpose (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Hi [Student Name], welcome! Today our goal is to learn how to start a conversation with someone new and keep it going. This skill will help you make new friends and feel more confident.”
Teacher: “Why do you think starting a conversation might feel challenging?”
Student: (student shares: “I don’t know what to say,” or “What if they don’t respond?”)
Teacher: “Great answers. Sometimes we worry we’ll run out of things to say or feel awkward. That’s why we practice openers and follow-up questions—they make talking easier.”

2. Model Conversation (10 minutes)

Teacher: “I’m going to role-play as a peer you don’t know. Listen to how I start and then ask a question to keep it going.”

Teacher (as peer): “Hey, I noticed you’ve got a theater program sticker on your laptop. Do you like theater?”
Teacher (normal voice): “Did you catch that opener? It’s an observation + question.”
Teacher: “You could follow up with another question, like ‘What was the last show you saw?’ or comment, ‘I love musicals too!’”

Teacher (as peer): “Yeah, I actually saw Hamilton last month.”
Teacher: “If I were you, I might say, ‘That’s awesome! Which song did you enjoy the most?’ Now I’ll try it.”

Teacher (as student): “That’s awesome! Which song did you enjoy the most?”
Teacher (as peer): “I really liked ‘Wait For It.’ The lyrics are powerful.”
Teacher (normal voice): “See how asking ‘Which song…?’ got me to share more? That’s a follow-up question.”

3. Guided Practice (15 minutes)

Teacher: “Now it’s your turn. I’ll pretend to be a new peer. You draw an idea from our Conversation Starter Cards and start talking.”

– Student draws card: e.g., “You’re wearing a cool band T-shirt.”
Teacher (as peer): “Oh, this? It’s my favorite band.”
Teacher (aside): “Student, try your opener now.”

Student: “Hey, I love your shirt! Are you a fan of them too?”
Teacher (as peer): “Yeah, I’ve been listening to them since middle school.”
Teacher (aside): “Now ask a follow-up question to learn more.”

Student: “That’s so cool—what’s your favorite song of theirs?”
Teacher (as peer): “Probably ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ It always gets me.”
Teacher (aside): “Great job! You used an opener and a follow-up question.”

(Repeat with 1–2 more cards. Encourage two follow-ups each time.)

4. Reflection & Feedback (10 minutes)

Teacher: “Let’s talk about what felt easy and what felt tricky.”
Student: (shares reflections)
Teacher: “According to our Initiating Conversation Rubric, you did an excellent job noticing details and asking questions. One thing to work on is adding a short comment before your next question—like, ‘That’s awesome’—to show you’re listening.”

5. Conclusion & Homework (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Today you practiced openers and follow-up questions. Next, I want you to try this in real life. Find one new classmate, use an opener, ask two follow-ups, and write down how it went in your journal.”
Teacher: “Bring your journal to Session 2 so we can talk about it. Great work today!”

Session 1 Discussion

Purpose

Reflect on your first real-life conversation using openers and follow-up questions. Identify successes, challenges, and set goals for next time.

1. Reflection on Your Conversation

1. Who did you talk to, and where did the conversation take place?

1. What conversation starter did you use? Write the exact words you said.

1. How did your peer respond? How did their response make you feel?

1. What follow-up questions or comments did you use? List at least two.

1. What went well in the conversation? What felt challenging?

2. Planning for Next Time

1. Based on this experience, write one new opener you’d like to try in your next conversation.

1. What follow-up question could help you learn more about your peer’s interests or hobbies?

3. Peer or Teacher Share (Optional)

If you’re sharing this with a classmate or teacher, ask:

• What stands out about my opener or follow-ups?
• What suggestion would you give me to make the conversation flow even better?

4. Teacher Notes & Next Steps

• Strengths to highlight: ________________________
• Area to focus on in Session 2 (maintaining conversation): ________________________

Use your reflections to guide our next lesson on keeping conversations going and deepening peer connections.

Conversation Starter Cards

Use these prompts to initiate a conversation. Draw a card and make the statement or observation, then follow up with at least two questions or comments to keep the dialogue going.

• “I love your T-shirt—are you a fan of that band too?”
• “I noticed your theater program sticker—do you enjoy acting or going to shows?”
• “I saw you have a biking helmet in your bag—where’s your favorite trail to ride?”
• “That graphic novel looks cool—what’s the story about?”
• “Your water bottle has a marathon logo—did you run that race?”
• “I heard you humming a song—what’s your current favorite tune?”
• “I like your backpack design—where did you find it?”
• “I saw you at the coffee cart this morning—what’s your go-to drink?”
• “Your phone wallpaper is interesting—who or what is it?”
• “I noticed you have a guitar case—what kind of music do you play?”

Tip: After your opener, ask a follow-up question (e.g., “What do you like most about it?”) or share a brief comment (e.g., “That sounds awesome!”) before asking another question.

Initiating Conversation Rubric

Use this rubric to evaluate how effectively the student starts a conversation with a peer. Each criterion is scored on a 1–4 scale:

• 4 = Exemplary
• 3 = Proficient
• 2 = Developing
• 1 = Beginning

Total Score: ___ / 20

Next Steps:

• Highlight areas scoring 1–2 as focal points for Session 2 on maintaining conversation.
• Celebrate criteria scored 3–4 and encourage the student to continue using those strengths.

Use this rubric during the Reflection & Feedback portion of Session 1 Lesson Plan to guide growth in conversation skills.

Session 2 Script

1. Warm-Up & Journal Share (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Welcome back, [Student Name]! First, let’s open your Student Conversation Journal. Who did you talk to, and how did it go?”
Student: (shares: e.g., “I talked to Alex in biology,” “They seemed friendly but I ran out of questions.”)
Teacher: “Thanks for sharing. I see one success: you used two follow-up questions. One challenge was keeping the conversation flowing. Does that sound right?”
Student: (confirms)
Teacher: “Great. I’ll write ‘success: follow-ups used’ and ‘challenge: smooth transitions’ on the board. Today we’ll practice deepening dialogues and shifting topics smoothly.”

2. Model Deepening Dialogue (10 minutes)

Teacher: “Watch me model a conversation with a new peer. I’ll use these strategies: refer to details, add comments, ask ‘why’/‘how,’ and transition topics.”

Teacher (as peer): “Hey, I heard you were in the spring choir concert last week. How did it go?”
Teacher (normal voice): “First, I opened by referencing your concert—that’s using prior details.”
Teacher (as student): “It went really well! My solo got a big round of applause.”
Teacher (normal voice): “Now I’ll add a comment and ask a ‘why’ question.”
Teacher (as student): “That’s amazing! Why did you choose that solo piece?”
Teacher (as peer): “I picked it because the lyrics really spoke to me about perseverance.”
Teacher (normal voice): “Notice I said ‘That’s amazing!’—that’s a supportive comment. Then I asked ‘why’ to dig deeper.”
Teacher (as student): “How did practicing that song change your approach to choir?”
Teacher (as peer): “It made me more confident to try challenging parts.”
Teacher (normal voice): “Good. Finally, I’ll transition to a related topic.”
Teacher (as student): “Speaking of confidence, I saw you at the drama club meeting yesterday—are you trying out for a play?”
Teacher (normal voice): “I smoothly shifted from choir to drama by linking confidence to your next interest. Those four strategies help a conversation feel natural.”
Teacher: “Can you name each strategy I used?”
Student: (names: referencing details, comment, why/how question, topic transition)
Teacher: “Exactly!”

3. Guided Practice with Cards (15 minutes)

Teacher: “Now it’s your turn. Draw two prompts from our Deepening Conversation Cards. For each, I’ll be your peer. Use at least three follow-up questions, one supportive comment, and one topic transition.”

– Student draws card: e.g., “I saw you painted your helmet. Who taught you to paint?”
Teacher (as peer): “My art teacher encouraged me last year.”
Teacher (aside): “Start your opener and deepen from there.”
Student: “That’s cool—how did your teacher show you the techniques?”
Teacher (as peer): “She gave me simple stencils at first.”
Student: “I bet that was helpful—what stencil did you start with?”
Teacher (as peer): “A leaf pattern, because I love nature.”
Student: “Nice choice! Speaking of nature, do you go hiking on weekends?”
Teacher (aside): “Great—three follow-ups, a comment, and a transition to a new topic.”

(Repeat with second card. Encourage journaling of each question, comment, and shift.)

4. Reflection & Feedback (10 minutes)

Teacher: “Let’s reflect. Which part felt most natural? Which was tricky?”
Student: (shares reflections)
Teacher: “Using our Maintaining Conversation Rubric, let’s rate:

• Depth of follow-ups
• Use of supportive comments
• Smoothness of topic shifts

Teacher: “You did well on supportive comments but could work on making transitions smoother. That will be our focus.”

5. Conclusion & Homework (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Today you practiced deepening and moving between topics. For homework, have a short conversation with a peer—use three follow-ups, one comment, and one transition. Record every line in your journal.”
Teacher: “Bring your updated journal to Session 3. Great work!”

Deepening Conversation Cards

Use these prompts to deepen a conversation and smoothly transition to related topics. Draw a card and incorporate:
• A “why” or “how” question
• A follow-up asking for feelings or details
• A brief transitional phrase to shift topics

• “I saw you at last week’s drama rehearsal—what was the most memorable moment for you, and why?”
• “You mentioned biking on trails—how do you plan your route, and what’s one tip you’d give a new rider?”
• “You just finished that graphic novel—what about the main character’s journey resonated with you?”
• “I heard you hum a tune in class—how does that song influence your mood during the day?”
• “You’re in theater and choir—how do you decide which art form to focus on each week?”
• “I noticed you decorated your bike helmet—what inspired that design, and how long did it take?”
• “You ran that 5K—what part of the race challenged you the most, and how did you push through?”
• “You play guitar—how did you choose your first song to learn, and what was the hardest chord?”
• “If you could recommend one book, show, or album that changed your perspective, which would it be and why?”
• “You said you’re learning watercolor painting—what drew you to that style, and have you tried other mediums?”

Tip: After your deep question and response, transition smoothly with phrases like “Speaking of that…,” “By the way…,” or “That reminds me…” before introducing a related topic or question.

Maintaining Conversation Rubric

Use this rubric to evaluate how effectively the student sustains and deepens a peer conversation. Each criterion is scored on a 1–4 scale:
• 4 = Exemplary
• 3 = Proficient
• 2 = Developing
• 1 = Beginning

Total Score: ___ / 20

Next Steps:

• Focus on criteria scoring 1–2 as areas for improvement in Session 3 on deepening connections.
• Celebrate strengths in criteria scoring 3–4 and encourage continued use of those strategies.

Use this rubric during the Reflection & Feedback portion of Session 2 Lesson Plan to guide growth in sustaining and deepening conversations.

Session 3 Script

1. Welcome & Journal Reflection (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Hi [Student Name], welcome back! Let’s start by looking at your latest entry in your Student Conversation Journal. Which conversation felt really successful, and what was one challenge you noticed?”
Student: (shares successes and challenges)
Teacher: “Thanks for sharing. I’m writing your success—like using follow-ups—and your challenge—like planning next steps—on the board. Today we’ll turn those conversation skills into real friendship invitations.”

2. Recap & Consolidation (10 minutes)

Teacher: “Before we plan, let’s quickly recap our go-to strategies:

1. Openers: noticing something specific about a person.
2. Follow-up questions: asking ‘why’ or ‘how’ to learn more.
3. Supportive comments: showing you’re listening.
4. Smooth transitions: linking topics naturally.

Teacher: “Which of these felt most natural for you? Which do you want to lean on when you invite someone?”
Student: (responds, e.g., “I like asking ‘how’ questions,” or “I’m good at supportive comments.”)
Teacher: “Perfect. We’ll build your invitation around your strengths.”

3. Model Friendship Planning (10 minutes)

Teacher: “I’ll model how to plan and phrase a clear invitation. Watch for four steps: choose the activity, notice a detail, propose time/place, and mention a follow-up check-in.”

Teacher (as student): “Hey, I noticed you love biking on trails. I’m heading to the River Loop Trail this Saturday at 10 AM—would you like to join me for a ride?”
Teacher (as peer): “That sounds fun! I’m free Saturday morning.”
Teacher (as student): “Great! I’ll text you the exact meeting spot on Friday. And afterward, we could grab a smoothie at the café—does that work?”
Teacher (normal voice): “Notice these steps:

• Detail: I referenced biking.
• Clear invitation: I named the trail, day, and time.
• Logistics: I said I’d text the meeting spot.
• Follow-up check-in: I suggested grabbing a smoothie and checking in on plans.

Teacher: “Can you point out each step I used?”
Student: (identifies detail, invitation, logistics, check-in)
Teacher: “Exactly!”

4. Guided Activity & Role-Play (10 minutes)

Teacher: “Now it’s your turn. Here’s your Friendship Action Plan. Fill in:

• Peer’s name and interest.
• Chosen activity.
• Date, time, and place.
• How you’ll phrase your invitation.
• How you’ll follow up.

Teacher: “Once you’re ready, we’ll role-play your invitation with me as the peer. Then we’ll do a check-in role-play—ask how it went.”

– Student completes plan.
– Role-play invitation:

Student (as inviter): “Hey [Peer Name], I remember you said you’re into theater. There’s a one-act play this Thursday at 4 PM in the school auditorium—would you like to go with me?”
Teacher (as peer): “I’d love to! Thanks for asking.”
Student (as inviter): “Great! I’ll pick up two tickets and confirm with you tomorrow. After, we could chat about our favorite scene—sound good?”
Teacher (normal voice): “Nice work—clear plan, invitation, logistics, and check-in suggestion.”

– Role-play follow-up check-in:

Student (as inviter): “Hi [Peer Name], how was the one-act show yesterday? Which character did you like best?”
Teacher (as peer): “I really liked the lead—it was so emotional!”
Teacher (normal voice): “Perfect! You used a check-in and a follow-up question.”

5. Reflection & Discussion (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Let’s reflect using the prompts in our Session 3 Discussion. How did planning feel? What would you adjust next time?”
Student: (shares reflections)
Teacher: “Sounds good. Which action will you take in the next 48 hours?”
Student: (commits, e.g., “I’ll send the invitation by text tonight.”)

6. Conclusion & Commitment (5 minutes)

Teacher: “You’ve practiced three friendship steps: plan your invite, make the invitation, and follow up. Which step feels most exciting?”
Student: (responds)
Teacher: “Fantastic. I believe in your plan—go ahead and send that invitation today, then record your peer’s response in your journal. We’ll check back on how it went at our next meeting. Great work today!”

Session 3 Discussion

Purpose

Reflect on your friendship planning and invitation experience. Identify successes, challenges, and set goals for your next steps.

1. Reflection on Your Friendship Plan

1. Which peer did you invite, and what activity did you plan together?

1. How did your peer respond when you extended the invitation?

1. How did you feel before making the invitation? How did you feel afterward?

2. Feedback on the Experience

1. What part of the invitation process felt most natural or easy for you?

1. What part felt challenging or would you adjust next time?

1. Which Chat & Connect strategy did you use most effectively (e.g., specific opener, follow-up question, supportive comment, smooth transition, clear logistics)?

3. Planning Next Steps

1. What is one change or improvement you will make when inviting someone next time?

1. What friendship-building action will you take within the next 48 hours (e.g., send the invitation, follow up, plan another activity)?

4. Teacher Notes & Next Steps

• Successes to highlight: ______________________________
• Area to focus on in future sessions: ______________________________

Use your reflections here to guide ongoing friendship-building and check-ins in upcoming meetings.

Friendship Action Plan

Use this template to plan a peer invitation and follow-up, turning your conversation skills into a real friendship-building activity.

1. Peer & Interest

Peer Name:

Shared Interest or Detail (from conversation):

2. Activity Options

Option 1 – Activity Idea:

Option 2 – Activity Idea:

3. Invitation Details

Chosen Activity:

Date & Time:

Location / Meeting Spot:

Invitation Wording
Write exactly what you will say or text:

4. Follow-Up Plan

How will I check in after the activity? (e.g., question, comment, next invitation)

Method of Follow-Up:
(Choose one: text, call, in-person, social media)

5. Notes & Next Steps

Use this space for any reminders, adjustments for next time, or questions you want to ask later:

Session 3 Friendship Building Rubric

Use this rubric to evaluate how effectively the student plans and carries out a friendship-building invitation and follow-up. Each criterion is scored on a 1–4 scale:

• 4 = Exemplary
• 3 = Proficient
• 2 = Developing
• 1 = Beginning

Total Score: ___ / 20

Next Steps:

• Focus on criteria scoring 1–2 to strengthen planning details, invitation clarity, and follow-up specificity.
• Celebrate criteria scoring 3–4 and encourage continued use of those strengths in future friendship-building efforts.

Use this rubric during the Reflection & Discussion portion of Session 3 Lesson Plan to guide the student’s growth in planning, inviting, and sustaining new peer connections.