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Friendship Fun: Building Bonds

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Lesson Plan

Friendship Fun: Building Bonds

Lessen anxiety around friendships

This lesson plan is designed to help second graders reduce anxiety around making friends through engaging activities and discussions. Over six weeks, students will participate in game-based and collaborative learning activities that promote understanding and empathy. The lesson includes a video component to introduce concepts and a quiz to reinforce learning. By the end of the program, students will feel more confident in their ability to form and maintain friendships, leading to a more positive school experience.

Audience

Second graders

Time

15 minutes for 6 weeks

Approach

Game-Based Learning, Collaborative Learning

Materials

Video: Short Film: It's OK to Feel Worried, Quiz: Friendship Fun Quiz, Projector or screen, Bulletin board, Paper leaves, Markers, Space for circle seating, Emotion cards, Scenario cards, and Reflection sheets or journals

Step 1

Week 1: Reflecting on Current Friendships

15 mins

  • Welcome students and explain the focus of the session: reflecting on current friendships and understanding feelings.
  • Show the video Short Film: It's OK to Feel Worried.
  • Facilitate a circle time where students share their thoughts on their current friendships.
  • Personal Reflection Questions:
    • How do you feel about your friendships right now?
    • What do you enjoy most about your friends?
    • Is there anything that worries you about making or keeping friends?
    • How do your friends make you feel happy or supported?
    • What would you like to improve in your friendships?
  • Discussion Question: What does being a good friend mean to you?

Step 2

Week 2: Qualities of a Good Friend

15 mins

  • Review the previous week's discussion on friendship.
  • Create a "Friendship Tree" on a bulletin board where students add leaves with qualities of a good friend.
  • Discuss each quality as it's added, providing examples such as kindness, honesty, loyalty, empathy, sharing, listening, respect, and helpfulness.
  • Also discuss qualities that might not be desirable in a friend, such as dishonesty, selfishness, rudeness, unreliability, and exclusivity.
  • Encourage students to decide if these are qualities they value or do not value in a friend.
  • Discussion Question: Can you think of a time when someone was a good friend to you? What did they do?

Step 3

Week 3: Flexible Thinking

15 mins

  • Discuss what flexible thinking means and why it's important in friendships.
  • Play a game where students come up with different ways to solve a problem or complete a task.
  • Scenarios:
    • Your friend wants to play a game you don't like. What are some different ways you can handle this situation?
    • You and your friend both want to be the leader in a group activity. How can you work it out?
    • Your friend is upset because they lost a game. How can you help them feel better?
    • You and your friend have different ideas for a class project. How can you combine your ideas?
    • Your friend accidentally broke your favorite toy. What are some ways to handle this situation?
  • Discussion Question: How can being flexible help you get along better with your friends?

Step 4

Week 4: Managing Emotions

15 mins

  • Discuss how emotions can affect friendships.
  • Use "How would you feel?" scenarios to help students connect emotions to different situations.
  • Scenarios:
    • You see your friend playing with someone else and you feel left out. How would you feel?
    • You did well on a test and your friend congratulates you. How would you feel?
    • You accidentally broke your friend's toy. How would you feel?
    • Your friend didn't invite you to their birthday party. How would you feel?
    • You helped your friend when they were sad, and now they're happy. How would you feel?
    • Your friend shares their snack with you. How would you feel?
    • You and your friend worked together on a project and got a good grade. How would you feel?
    • Your friend forgot to include you in a game. How would you feel?
  • Discussion Question: What can you do if you're feeling upset with a friend?

Step 5

Week 5: Conflict Resolution

15 mins

  • Discuss common conflicts in friendships and ways to resolve them.
  • Present common friendship scenarios and discuss solutions as a class.
  • Scenarios:
    • Two friends want to play different games during recess. How can they decide what to do?
    • A friend borrowed something and forgot to return it. What should you do?
    • You and a friend had an argument and haven't talked since. How can you make up?
    • A new student wants to join your group, but your friend doesn't agree. How can you resolve this?
    • You feel left out because your friends are making plans without you. What can you do?
    • Your friend is talking to someone else and you feel jealous. How can you handle this feeling?
    • You and your friend both want to sit next to the same person. How can you decide fairly?
    • Your friend is upset because you accidentally hurt their feelings. How can you apologize?
  • Encourage students to suggest solutions and role-play if time allows.
  • Discussion Question: What can you do if you have a disagreement with a friend?

Step 6

Week 6: Building Confidence

15 mins

  • Reflect on what students have learned over the past weeks.
  • Use a sharing circle to allow students to express how they feel more confident in making friends.
  • Distribute the "Friendship Fun Quiz" to assess understanding and provide feedback.
  • Discussion Question: How do you feel about making new friends now compared to before?
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Quiz

Friendship Fun Quiz

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Worksheet

Friendship Reflection Sheet

This reflection sheet is designed for students to fill out at the end of the sessions to assess their feelings and confidence about friendships.

How do you feel about making new friends now compared to before the sessions?








What is one thing you learned about being a good friend?








Can you describe a time during the sessions when you felt more confident about your friendships?








What is one thing you would like to continue working on in your friendships?








How do you plan to use what you've learned in your everyday interactions with friends?








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