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Friendship Circle

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Lesson Plan

Friendship Circle Lesson Plan

Students will identify key qualities of a good friend and practice giving compliments to classmates through a group discussion and cooperative circle activity.

Building friendship skills supports social-emotional development, fosters a positive classroom community, and teaches students how to form respectful, caring relationships.

Audience

1st Grade Students

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion and cooperative circle activity.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

5 minutes

Step 1

Introduction

2 minutes

  • Gather students in a circle on the floor
  • Introduce today's topic: friendship and being a good friend
  • Explain that they will learn qualities of a friend and practice giving compliments

Step 2

Discuss Friend Qualities

5 minutes

  • Show slides on Friendship Circle Slide Deck highlighting qualities like kindness, listening, and sharing
  • Ask students for examples of when friends showed these qualities
  • Display an image of friends and ask what makes them good friends

Step 3

Compliment Circle Activity

6 minutes

  • Explain game: pass the plush toy around the circle
  • When a student receives it, they give a compliment to the person on their right using a prompt card
  • Use Friendship Prompt Cards to help students with ideas
  • Continue until all have had a turn

Step 4

Closure

2 minutes

  • Ask volunteers to share how it felt to give or receive compliments
  • Reinforce key qualities of friendship
  • Encourage students to practice these skills during the day
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Slide Deck

Friendship Circle

Welcome! Today we are going to learn about friendship and how to be a good friend.

Welcome students! Gather everyone in the circle. Introduce yourself and explain that today’s lesson is about friendship and how to be a good friend.

What Is a Friend?

A friend is someone who cares about you and makes you feel happy.

Ask: “What does ‘friend’ mean?” Solicit student responses and reinforce that a friend is someone who cares about you and makes you feel happy.

Qualities of a Good Friend

  • Kindness
  • Listening
  • Sharing

Point to each bullet as you read. Ask students to give an example of each quality.

Kindness

Being nice and caring toward others.

Discuss kindness. Ask: “How can we show kindness to our friends?” Show a picture of children helping each other.

Listening

Paying attention and caring about what friends say.

Talk about listening. Demonstrate good listening (looking at speaker, nodding). Ask for examples.

Sharing

Taking turns and offering things to our friends.

Explain sharing. Ask: “What do you like to share with your friends?” Highlight that sharing builds trust.

Compliment Circle Activity

Pass the toy around. When you get it, give a compliment to the person on your right using a prompt card.

Explain the activity step by step:

  1. We’ll pass the plush toy around the circle.
  2. When you get the toy, use a prompt card to give a compliment to the person on your right.
    Model one example.

Let’s Practice Friendship!

How did it feel to give or receive a compliment? Remember: be kind, listen, and share!

Invite volunteers to share how it felt to give or receive a compliment. Reinforce the three qualities and encourage students to practice during the day.

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Discussion

Friendship Discussion

Purpose: To help students share ideas and personal experiences about being a good friend, reinforcing kindness, listening, and sharing.

Discussion Structure (5 minutes)

  1. Introduction (1 minute)
    • Gather students back in a circle.
    • Remind them of the three qualities of a good friend: kindness, listening, and sharing (from Friendship Circle Slide Deck).
  2. Guided Questions (3 minutes)
    • Question 1: What does it mean to be a good friend?


      • Follow-ups: “Can you tell us about a time someone was a good friend to you?” “Why is that quality important?”
    • Question 2: How do you show kindness to your friends?


      • Follow-ups: “What did your friend do and how did it make you feel?”
    • Question 3: Why is listening an important part of friendship?


      • Follow-ups: “What does good listening look like?” “How do you feel when someone listens to you?”
    • Question 4: When might sharing help a friend?


      • Follow-ups: “What might you share with a friend?” “How does sharing make you feel?”
  3. Reflection and Closure (1 minute)
    • Invite one or two volunteers to share one thing they will do today to show they’re a good friend.


    • Encourage students to practice these friendship skills throughout the day.

Teacher Tips:

  • After each response, thank the student and ask if anyone else has something similar or different to add.
  • Keep the discussion positive and supportive; model active listening and encourage turn-taking.
  • Use the soft plush toy or ball from the compliment activity as a “talking piece” if needed to help manage turns.
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Activity

Compliment Circle Activity

Materials Needed:

Prep (5 minutes):

  • Print and cut out the Friendship Prompt Cards
    - Arrange students in a circle on the floor or carpet
    - Place the plush toy in the center of the circle

Instructions

  1. Setup (1 minute)
    • Have all students sit in a circle.
    • Show the plush toy and explain they’ll pass it around.
  2. Modeling (1 minute)
    • Teacher holds the plush toy, picks a prompt card, and reads it aloud, for example: “I like how you share your toys.”
    • Teacher then gives that compliment to the friend on their right and hands them the toy.
  3. Main Activity (4 minutes)
    • The student receiving the toy selects a prompt card.
    • They read the prompt and give that compliment to the friend on their right.
    • They pass the toy (with the used card set aside) to that friend.
    • Continue passing until every student has both given and received a compliment.
  4. Support Strategies (optional)
    • If a student feels shy, a peer or teacher can help read the prompt.
    • Encourage classmates to cheer or clap after each compliment to build a supportive environment.

Friendship Prompt Cards (#friendship-prompt-cards)

  1. I like how you share your toys.
  2. Thank you for helping me.
  3. You are a good friend because you listen.
  4. I enjoy playing with you.
  5. You are very kind.
  6. I appreciate that you are always nice to me.
  7. You make me laugh.
  8. You have a great smile.
  9. You are fun to be around.
  10. You are a good helper.
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