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Friendship Forest

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Lesson Plan

Friendship Forest

Young learners will understand qualities of a good friend, practice kind interactions, and learn how to initiate and maintain healthy peer relationships.

Building positive friendships is crucial for social-emotional development. This lesson helps students develop empathy, communication skills, and a sense of belonging.

Audience

Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st Grade Students

Time

45-60 minutes

Approach

Engaging storytelling and interactive activities centered around a 'Friendship Forest'.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, Markers or crayons, Construction paper, Scissors, Glue sticks, Optional: Nature sounds or calming music, Friendship Forest Slide Deck, Friendship Forest Activity, and Friendship Forest Discussion Prompts

Prep

Prepare Materials

15 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: What Makes a Friend?

5-7 minutes

  • Begin by asking students: "What do you think a friend is?" and "What makes someone a good friend?"
    - Record their ideas on the board.
    - Introduce the idea of our 'Friendship Forest' where we'll explore these ideas more deeply.

Step 2

Story Time: Welcome to Friendship Forest

10-15 minutes

  • Use the Friendship Forest Slide Deck to guide a story about the Friendship Forest.
    - Narrate the slides, emphasizing the different qualities of friendship represented by various trees (e.g., a strong oak for loyalty, a bright flower for kindness).
    - Pause to ask questions and encourage students to share their own experiences.

Step 3

Activity: My Friendship Tree

20-25 minutes

  • Distribute materials for the Friendship Forest Activity.
    - Guide students through creating their own 'friendship tree' where they draw or write qualities of a good friend on leaves.
    - Circulate and provide support, encouraging them to think of specific examples.
    - Once completed, have students share one quality from their tree with a partner or the class.

Step 4

Discussion: Growing Our Forest

10-12 minutes

  • Facilitate a class discussion using the Friendship Forest Discussion Prompts.
    - Focus on how we can show kindness, resolve small conflicts, and invite new friends to play.
    - Reinforce the idea that everyone can contribute to a strong and kind 'Friendship Forest' in our classroom and community.

Step 5

Cool-Down: Friendship Seeds

3-5 minutes

  • Ask students to think of one small way they can be a good friend today.
    - Have them share their idea with a neighbor or write/draw it on a small 'seed' slip of paper.
    - Collect the 'seeds' and affirm their commitment to growing kindness.
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Slide Deck

Friendship Forest: Growing Our Connections!

Get ready to explore the wonderful world of friendship!

Welcome students and introduce the topic of friendship. Ask them what they think the lesson will be about based on the title.

What Makes a Friend?

What is a friend?
What makes someone a good friend?

Begin the warm-up. Ask students the questions on the slide and encourage them to share their initial thoughts. Record ideas on the board as suggested in the lesson plan.

Welcome to Friendship Forest!

Imagine a special forest where every tree helps us learn about friendship.
What kind of trees do you think live here?

Introduce the concept of the Friendship Forest. Explain that each tree represents a different important part of being a good friend.

The Kindness Tree 🌳

The Kindness Tree teaches us to be gentle and caring.
It reminds us to use kind words and do kind things.

Discuss kindness. Ask students: "How can we show kindness to our friends?" Encourage examples.

The Sharing Bush 🌿

The Sharing Bush shows us how to share our toys, ideas, and even our happy feelings.
Sharing makes everyone feel included!

Discuss sharing. Ask students: "What are some things we can share with our friends?" (e.g., toys, ideas, smiles)

The Listening Willow 👂

The Listening Willow has big, open leaves that help us hear and understand our friends.
When we listen, we show we care.

Discuss listening. Emphasize the importance of looking at the person speaking and understanding what they say.

The Helpful Vine 🌱

The Helpful Vine reaches out to offer a hand when a friend needs it.
Helping friends makes our friendships strong!

Discuss being helpful. Ask for examples of how students can help their friends.

My Own Friendship Tree!

Now it's your turn to grow a special tree!
What qualities will your friendship tree have?

Transition to the activity. Explain that they will get to make their own friendship tree.

Growing Our Forest Together

How can we make our classroom a true Friendship Forest?
What can you do to be a great friend today?

Lead into the discussion. Encourage students to think about how these qualities apply to their own interactions.

Remember to be a Friendship Gardener!

Every act of kindness, sharing, and listening helps our friendships grow big and strong!
Thank you for being a wonderful friend!

Conclude the lesson. Reiterate the main message about being a good friend.

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Activity

My Friendship Tree: Growing Good Friends!

Objective: To identify and illustrate qualities of a good friend.

Materials:

  • Construction paper (for tree trunk and leaves)
  • Crayons or markers
  • Scissors
  • Glue stick

Instructions:

  1. Create Your Tree Trunk: Take a piece of brown or grey construction paper. Draw and cut out a tree trunk. This is the strong base of your friendship!











  2. Design Your Leaves: Take several pieces of green (or any color!) construction paper. Draw and cut out leaf shapes. You will need at least 5-7 leaves.











  3. What Makes a Good Friend? On each leaf, draw a picture or write a word (or both!) that shows a quality of a good friend. Think about what we learned in the Friendship Forest Slide Deck!
    • Examples: Sharing, Listening, Being Kind, Helping, Playing Fair, Taking Turns, Giving Compliments.











  4. Grow Your Tree! Glue your leaves onto your tree trunk. Make a beautiful, full tree that shows all the ways to be a good friend.











  5. Share Your Tree: When you are finished, be ready to share one special leaf from your Friendship Tree with a classmate or the whole class!
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Discussion

Friendship Forest: Growing Our Connections Discussion

Objective: To encourage reflection and conversation about applying friendship qualities in real-life situations.

Instructions for Teacher: Facilitate a whole-class or small-group discussion using the prompts below. Encourage students to share personal examples and listen respectfully to their peers.

Discussion Prompts:

  1. Thinking about our Kindness Tree: Can you think of a time when someone was really kind to you? How did it make you feel? How can you show kindness to someone today?



  2. Exploring the Sharing Bush: Why is sharing important in a friendship? What happens if someone doesn't want to share? What can we do then?



  3. Listening with the Listening Willow: Imagine your friend is telling you something important. What does it look like and sound like to be a good listener? What if you interrupt your friend?



  4. Helping with the Helpful Vine: When might a friend need your help? What are some ways you can offer help to a friend in our classroom or on the playground?



  5. Our Classroom Friendship Forest: How can we make sure our classroom feels like a strong and happy Friendship Forest for everyone? What are some things we can all do to be better friends to each other?



  6. Making New Friends: What could you say or do to invite a new student to play or join your group? Why is it important to try and make new friends?
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