Lesson Plan
Friendship Fixers & Adult Allies
Students will identify trusted adults and practice strengthening connections with them. They will also learn and apply restorative practices to repair damaged relationships through engaging scenarios.
Building strong connections with trusted adults provides vital support, and learning restorative practices helps students navigate conflicts, build empathy, and maintain healthy relationships, fostering a positive school environment.
Audience
6th Grade Small Group (2-4 students)
Time
35 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, scenario-based role-playing, and guided reflection.
Prep
Prepare Materials
10 minutes
- Review the Slide Deck: Friendship Fixers & Adult Allies to familiarize yourself with the content.
- Print and cut out the Scenario Cards: Repairing Relationships Game. Consider laminating them for future use.
- Print one copy of the Journal: My Adult Allies & Repair Plan for each student.
- Arrange the classroom for small group discussion and role-playing activities.
Step 1
Warm-Up: Who's Your Go-To?
5 minutes
- Display the first slide of the Slide Deck: Friendship Fixers & Adult Allies.
- Ask students: "Think about school. Who are the adults you feel comfortable talking to when you have a question, need help, or just want to share something cool?"
- Facilitate a brief discussion, emphasizing the importance of having trusted adults. Encourage students to share general roles (e.g., 'my math teacher,' 'the librarian') without naming specific individuals if they prefer not to.
Step 2
Understanding 'Trusted Adults' and Strengthening Connections
7 minutes
- Transition to the next slides in the Slide Deck: Friendship Fixers & Adult Allies to define 'trusted adults' and discuss why these connections are important.
- Ask: "How can we make these connections even stronger? What does it look like to build trust with an adult?" (e.g., saying hello, asking for help, sharing successes/challenges).
- Introduce the concept of a 'network' of adults who care about them.
Step 3
Introducing Restorative Practices
5 minutes
- Move to the slides explaining restorative practices. Focus on the idea of repairing harm and understanding perspectives.
- Explain: "Sometimes, even with our best intentions, we might say or do something that hurts someone else or damages a relationship. Restorative practices help us fix that harm."
- Briefly introduce key questions: 'What happened?', 'Who was affected?', 'What needs to happen to make things right?', 'How can we prevent this from happening again?'
Step 4
Activity: Repairing Relationships Game
15 minutes
- Introduce the Scenario Cards: Repairing Relationships Game. Explain that students will pick a card and, as a group, role-play how they would use restorative questions and actions to repair the relationship described.
- Distribute the Scenario Cards: Repairing Relationships Game. Have each student (or pair) pick a card.
- Guide the students through role-playing the scenarios. Encourage them to use the restorative questions discussed previously.
- Circulate and provide feedback, prompting deeper thinking: "How do you think the other person feels? What specific steps can you take to rebuild trust?"
Step 5
Cool-Down: My Adult Allies & Repair Plan
3 minutes
- Distribute the Journal: My Adult Allies & Repair Plan.
- Ask students to quickly jot down one trusted adult they want to connect with more and one idea for repairing a relationship they might have in the future.
- Conclude by reinforcing the power of strong connections and the ability to mend relationships.
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Slide Deck
Who Are Your Go-To Grown-Ups?
Think & Share:
Who are the adults at school you feel comfortable talking to?
Welcome students and introduce the topic of building strong connections. Ask students to think about adults they trust at school.
What Makes a Trusted Adult?
A Trusted Adult Is Someone Who:
- Listens to you.
- Helps you when you need it.
- Cares about your well-being.
- Makes you feel safe.
Why are they important?
- Support system
- Guidance and advice
- Feeling safe and understood
Discuss the definition of a trusted adult. Emphasize that it's someone who listens, helps, and genuinely cares.
Level Up Your Connections!
How to strengthen your bond with trusted adults:
- Say hello in the hallway.
- Ask for help when you need it.
- Share your successes and challenges.
- Participate in activities they lead.
- Show appreciation!
Brainstorm ways to strengthen these connections. Encourage students to think about small, consistent actions.
Oops! Relationship Roadblocks
Sometimes, even good friendships hit bumps.
- We might say something hurtful.
- We might do something unkind.
- We might misunderstand each other.
It's okay! The important thing is knowing how to repair the harm.
Transition to the second part of the lesson: repairing relationships. Explain that mistakes happen, and learning to fix them is crucial.
Restorative Practices: Fixing the Harm
What are Restorative Practices?
It's about repairing harm when something goes wrong.
Instead of just asking "Who is to blame?", we ask:
- What happened?
- Who was affected and how?
- What needs to happen to make things right?
- How can we prevent this from happening again?
Introduce the core idea of restorative practices: focusing on the harm and what's needed to fix it, rather than just punishment.
Game Time: Relationship Repair Crew!
Your Mission:
Pick a scenario card and role-play how you would repair the relationship using restorative questions.
Remember to ask:
- What happened?
- Who was affected?
- What needs to be done to make it right?
Explain the role-playing game. Encourage students to actively participate and use the restorative questions.
You've Got This!
Today you learned:
- How to connect with trusted adults.
- How to repair relationships when things go wrong.
These are superpowers for a happy school year!
Conclude by reinforcing the importance of both trusted adults and the ability to repair relationships.
Worksheet
Scenario Cards: Repairing Relationships Game
Instructions: Cut out each scenario card. As a group, pick a card and role-play how you would repair the relationship using restorative questions. Remember to think about:
- What happened?
- Who was affected and how?
- What needs to happen to make things right?
- How can we prevent this from happening again?
Scenario 1: Teacher Trouble - You Spoke Out of Turn
During class, your teacher asked a question you felt was unfair, and you responded loudly and disrespectfully. Now the teacher is visibly disappointed, and you feel bad about how you reacted.
Scenario 2: Teacher Trouble - The Unfair Comment
Your teacher made a comment in front of the class about your effort that felt unfair and embarrassed you. You've been avoiding eye contact with them ever since, and it's making you dread that class.
Scenario 3: Broken Promise - Student to Student
You promised a classmate you'd help them study for a big test, but then you forgot and went to a friend's house instead. Now your classmate is really upset and feels let down, especially because they struggled on the test.
Scenario 4: Borrowed Without Asking - Student to Student
A classmate borrowed your favorite drawing pencil without asking and then broke the tip. They haven't mentioned it, but you saw them with it and now you're feeling angry and your trust is shaken.
Scenario 5: Missing Homework - Student to Teacher
You've forgotten to turn in your homework for the same teacher three times in a row, even after they reminded you. Now the teacher seems frustrated and has stopped asking if you have it, making you feel like they've given up on you.
Scenario 6: Misunderstood Instructions - Teacher to Student
Your teacher gave instructions for an assignment, but you were confused and made a lot of mistakes. When you asked for help, the teacher seemed impatient, making you feel dumb and unwilling to ask more questions.
Scenario 7: Leaving Someone Out - Student to Student
You and your friends planned a fun activity for after school, but you accidentally left out another student from your group who really wanted to join. Now they seem sad and withdrawn, and you realize you should have included them.
Scenario 8: Unfair Criticism - Student to Student
You shared an idea in a group project, and another student immediately shut it down and said it was 'dumb.' You felt hurt and now you're hesitant to share your thoughts in front of them.
Journal
My Adult Allies & Repair Plan Journal
Part 1: My Trusted Adult Network
Think about our discussion today. Who is one trusted adult at school you want to connect with more often or strengthen your relationship with?
Trusted Adult's Role (e.g., Librarian, Coach, Teacher, Counselor):
What is one small step you can take this week to strengthen your connection with this adult? (e.g., say hello, ask a question, share something positive)
My Action Plan:
Part 2: Restorative Repair Reflection
Think about a time when you might have accidentally (or on purpose) upset someone, or a situation where you might need to repair a relationship in the future. You don't have to share specifics if you don't want to.
What is one idea you learned about today that could help you repair a relationship if it were damaged?
My Repair Idea:
Why do you think it's important to try and repair relationships when they are damaged?
Importance of Repair: