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Friends in Action

Lesson Plan

Friends in Action Lesson Plan

In this 10-minute lesson, students will learn to share and take turns using nonverbal cues—visual cards, gestures, and tokens—during a guided activity and playful game.

Nonverbal learners benefit from clear visual supports and hands-on practice to develop peer interaction, self-regulation, and cooperative play skills.

Audience

Nonverbal ECSE Students (Ages 3–5)

Time

10 minutes

Approach

Model with visuals, gesture practice, reinforce with tokens.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Nonverbal Supports

5 minutes

Step 1

Welcome & Visual Greeting

2 minutes

  • Play the Hello Song Audio.
  • Point to each child’s picture on the Choice Board Visuals and wait for their choice (wave, clap, or high-five icon).
  • Model the chosen gesture, then guide the child to copy using hand-over-hand support.

Step 2

Introduce Sharing & Turn-Taking Visually

2 minutes

  • Show the “Share” and “Your Turn” cards from Visual Cue Cards.
  • Point to each symbol and use a gesture to demonstrate giving and receiving.
  • Hold up a token, then place it in a child’s hand, signaling “your turn” with a picture prompt.

Step 3

Guided Nonverbal Activity

3 minutes

  • Pair students and place one toy and two tokens between them.
  • Show a sequence strip (from Choice Board Visuals) illustrating: play → pass token → partner plays.
  • Prompt children with the strip and use gestures or hand-over-hand to guide token passing.
  • Use the Share & Take Activity Sheet so children can place stickers or color when they complete each step.

Step 4

Social Skills Game Adapted

2 minutes

  • In a circle, place the plush bear in front of Child 1 and the sand timer in the center.
  • Child 1 picks up the bear (gesture “my turn” card), then silently hands it to Child 2 who receives with the “your turn” card.
  • Start the timer; each pass is cued by showing the timer and a picture of the bear.
  • Encourage using emotion cards (from Emotion & Response Cards) to show feelings after passing.

Step 5

Closure & Visual Reflection

1 minute

  • Lay out the emotion cards in a row and ask each child to point to the one that shows how they feel.
  • Give a token to any child who points to the “happy” card after sharing or waiting their turn.
  • Show the “Great Job!” card and guide all children to clap or signal thumbs-up.
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Activity

Share & Take Activity Sheet

Session: ________ Name: ________

We practiced sharing and taking turns today! Use stickers and visuals to show how you did it.

1. When I Shared 🙌

Draw what you did to share with your friend, or place a sticker below each time you shared.







My Sharing Stickers: ⬜ ⬜ ⬜ ⬜ ⬜

2. When I Took Turns 🔄

Draw what you did to let someone else have a turn, or place a sticker below each time you waited.







My Turn-Taking Stickers: ⬜ ⬜ ⬜ ⬜ ⬜

3. How I Feel 😊 😐 😢

Point to or place a sticker on the face that shows how you feel after sharing and taking turns.

😊 Happy 😐 Okay 😢 Sad

⬜ ⬜ ⬜

Great job practicing sharing and turn-taking! Remember to use your tokens during play time to show it’s someone’s turn next.

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Game

Pass the Bear

Description: A quick circle game to practice sharing and turn-taking using a plush bear, nonverbal cue cards, and an emotion-response integration.

Materials:

Time: 2 minutes

Instructions

1. Circle Formation & Cue Introduction

  • Invite students to sit in a circle.
  • Show the “My Turn” and “Your Turn” cards from Visual Cue Cards.
  • Point to the “My Turn” card, then gesture holding the bear; point to “Your Turn” as you pass it.

2. Play the Game with Nonverbal Cues

  • Place the sand timer in view and flip it to start.
  • Child 1 holds the bear, points to “My Turn,” then silently hands the bear to Child 2, who points to “Your Turn” and then “My Turn.”
  • Continue passing until the timer runs out.

3. Emotion Response Integration

  • After each pass, briefly show an Emotion & Response Card (happy, neutral, sad).
  • Encourage each child to point to the card that matches how they feel about waiting or sharing.

4. Encourage & Reinforce

  • Use gesture prompts: point to the cards if a child pauses.
  • Provide tokens for each successful nonverbal cue use (pointing to “My Turn” or “Your Turn”).

5. Variations & Extension

  • Vary the timer length as confidence grows.
  • Add a second plush toy for dual passing practice.
  • Use different emotion cards each round to expand feelings vocabulary.

Learning Target:
Children will use nonverbal visual cues to indicate “my turn” and “your turn,” and identify their feelings using Emotion & Response Cards, reinforcing sharing, turn-taking, and emotional awareness.

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Reading

Social Story: Sharing

🧸 Sharing means giving my toy to a friend.


🤲 I hold the toy in my hand.


🤝 I give the toy to my friend.


😊 My friend takes the toy and smiles.


🔄 When my friend is done, they give it back.


🎉 Sharing is fun! 😊

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