Friendship Script

Introduction: What is Friendship? (5 minutes)

"Hello everyone! I'm so glad we're here together today. We're going to talk about something super important: friendship! We all have friends, or we're learning how to be a good friend, right?"

"To start, I want you to think for a moment: What does friendship mean to you? What comes to mind when you hear that word? You can share a word, a feeling, or even a short sentence. Let's go around the circle and hear from a few of you."

(Allow students to share. Affirm their responses, e.g., "That's a great point!", "Yes, feeling supported is important.")

"Those are all wonderful ideas! Friendships are indeed special connections where people care about each other, have fun, and support one another. It's about feeling safe and happy with someone. Today, we're going to explore how we can make our friendships even stronger and happier for everyone involved."

"Let's look at our first slide to get us started!" (Move to Friendship & Boundaries Slide Deck Slide 1)

Understanding Respect (7 minutes)

"Now that we've thought about what friendship is, let's talk about how we keep those friendships healthy and strong. A big part of that is something called respect."

"Look at this slide: Friendship & Boundaries Slide Deck Slide 2: Showing Respect. What do you see here?"

(Read the bullet points on the slide: listening, valuing ideas, being kind, not interrupting, giving space.)

"Respect means treating others the way you want to be treated. It means showing you care about their feelings and thoughts. If your friend is talking, what's a respectful thing to do?"

"That's right, listening! What if your friend has an idea for a game that's different from yours? How can you show respect?"

"Exactly! You can listen to their idea, maybe even try it, or at least talk about why you like your idea. It's about valuing their input. Can anyone think of another way we can show respect to our friends?"

(Encourage students to brainstorm. Guide them with prompts if needed, e.g., "What about when you're playing a game and someone loses? How can you show respect then?")

"Fantastic ideas! Showing respect helps everyone feel valued and happy in a friendship."

Setting Boundaries (8 minutes)

"Sometimes, even with friends, we might feel a little uncomfortable, or we might need something different than our friend does. That's where boundaries come in!"

"Let's look at Friendship & Boundaries Slide Deck Slide 3: Setting Boundaries."

(Read the definition and examples on the slide.)

"Think of boundaries like invisible lines. These lines help us feel safe and comfortable in our friendships. They help us tell our friends what we like and what we don't like, or what we need."

"For example, if your friend keeps trying to tickle you, but you don't like it, what could you say to set a boundary?"

"Yes! You could say, 'Please don't tickle me, I don't like it.' And a good friend will hear that and stop, because they respect your boundary. Or, if you're trying to read and your friend is being really loud, you might say, 'I need some quiet time to finish my work.'"

"It is absolutely okay to say 'no' when you need to, or to ask for what you need to feel comfortable. Good friends listen and respect those requests."

"Now, I want you to think-pair-share. Turn to a partner next to you. Think of one situation where you might need to say 'no' or set a boundary in a friendship. Talk about it with your partner for about two minutes. What would you say?"

(Allow students to discuss in pairs. Circulate and listen, offering support if needed.)

"Wonderful discussions! It's so important to know that you have the right to set those boundaries. Now, we're going to put some of these ideas into practice with an activity!"

Friendship Scenarios Activity (7 minutes)

"I'm going to hand out these Friendship Scenarios Activity worksheets, and you'll also get a small whiteboard or a piece of paper and a pencil."

"On the worksheet, you'll see different situations that friends might find themselves in. Your job is to read each scenario and think about how you could respond using what we've learned about respect and boundaries. How would you show respect? How would you set a boundary if needed?"

"Let's do the first one together as an example. (Read the first scenario on the worksheet, or provide a simple example.) How would you respond to this?"

(Guide students through the example, encouraging different responses.)

"Great! Now you can work individually or with your partner on the rest of the scenarios. I'll be walking around if you have any questions or want to share your ideas."

(Allow students to work. Circulate and provide feedback and encouragement.)

Cool-Down: My Friendship Rules (3 minutes)

"Alright everyone, let's bring it back together. You did a fantastic job thinking through those scenarios!"

"To wrap up our lesson today, I'm going to give you a My Friendship Rules Cool-Down sheet. On this sheet, I want you to write down one or two important rules you think are essential for a good friendship. Think about what we talked about today – respect and boundaries – and how they help make friendships strong and happy."

(Distribute the cool-down sheets.)

"Take a couple of minutes to write down your rules. When you're done, you can hand them to me as your exit ticket. This will help me see what you've learned today!"

(Collect sheets as students finish.)

"Thank you all for a great discussion today! Remember to use these ideas to build wonderful, respectful friendships!"

Friendship Scenarios Activity

Instructions: Read each scenario carefully. On your whiteboard or paper, write down how you would respond to the situation to show respect and/or set a boundary. Be ready to share your ideas!

Scenario 1

Your friend wants to play tag, but you really want to keep drawing. They keep asking you to play, even after you said you want to draw.

How would you respond to your friend?

Scenario 2

Your friend accidentally knocks over your carefully built block tower. They didn't mean to, but you feel frustrated.

How would you show respect and let your friend know how you feel?

Scenario 3

Your friend wants to borrow your favorite book, but you're still reading it and don't want to lend it out yet.

How would you set a boundary politely?

Scenario 4

During group work, your friend keeps talking over you and interrupting your ideas.

What would you say or do to show respect for yourself and ask your friend to listen?

Scenario 5

Your friend tells a secret that you shared with them, even after you asked them not to tell anyone.

How would you talk to your friend about this and set a boundary for the future?

My Friendship Rules Cool-Down

Instructions: Think about everything we discussed today about friendship, respect, and boundaries. Write down one or two important rules that you think are essential for a good friendship.

My Friendship Rule #1:

My Friendship Rule #2:

(Optional: Draw a small picture that shows one of your rules in action!)