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Friendship Web

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Lesson Plan

Web-Weaver Guide

Enable a 1st grader to visually map their social network, identify different friendship roles, and set two personal goals for inclusive, positive peer interactions over the coming weeks.

Mapping friendships and exploring roles builds self-awareness and empathy, while setting personal goals empowers students to practice inclusive play and strengthen peer relationships.

Audience

1st Grade Student

Time

3 sessions × 20 minutes

Approach

Three 20-minute 1:1 sessions using mapping, role exploration, and guided goal setting.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Session 1: Mapping Your Friendship Web

20 minutes

  • Open Friends Map Slides to the blank web template.
  • Ask the student to name classmates or peers they enjoy playing with.
  • Have the student write or draw each friend’s name/avatar in the web’s nodes.
  • Let them color each friend’s circle using crayons or colored pencils.
  • Discuss which friendships feel strongest and which ones they’d like to grow.

Step 2

Session 2: Exploring Friendship Roles

20 minutes

  • Explain that friends can play different roles (e.g., helper, listener, teammate).
  • Shuffle Connection Yarn Circle Activity Cards.
  • For each card, read the role aloud and ask the student to think of a friend who fits it.
  • The student holds one end of the yarn, names the friend, then tosses the yarn ball to build a web.
  • Continue until several roles have been linked, creating a colorful yarn web.
  • Talk about how each role makes play more fun and inclusive.

Step 3

Session 3: Setting Personal Friendship Goals

20 minutes

  • Review the friendship web and role insights from Sessions 1–2.
  • Give the student their My Friendship Goals Journal.
  • Prompt them to write or draw two specific goals for inclusive play (e.g., invite someone new to join).
  • Ask guiding questions: “How will you do this?” and “When will you try it?”
  • Encourage the student to decorate their journal page.
  • Summarize the goals and praise their thoughtful planning.
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Slide Deck

Mapping Your Friendship Web

In this activity, you’ll create a web showing all the friends you enjoy playing with. Let’s see how many connections you have!

Welcome! Today we’ll map out all the friends and classmates you play with. Keep it fun and encourage the student to name as many peers as they can think of.

Your Friendship Web

[Insert Blank Web Diagram]
• Center circle: You
• Surrounding circles: Empty

Draw lines from you to each friend’s circle and write or draw their names.

Display the blank web template. Point out the center circle labeled “You.” Ask the student to draw or write each friend’s name in the empty circles and connect them to you.

Example Friendship Web

[Insert Example Web Diagram]
• You in the middle connected to Alex, Maya, Jordan, and Lee.
• Each friend’s circle is colored differently.

Show an example of a completed web. Talk through how this student added names and colored each circle. Emphasize that there’s no right or wrong answer.

Exploring Friendship Roles

Friends can be:
• Helper – Someone who offers to share or assist
• Listener – Someone who hears your ideas and feelings
• Teammate – Someone you work and play games with

Think of a friend who fits each role.

Introduce the idea that friends play different roles. Use this slide to segue into Session 2 on roles. Ask the student: “What does a helper friend do?”

Setting Your Friendship Goals

Your turn to set two goals for inclusive play:

Questions to consider:
• How will I do this?
• When will I try it?

Write or draw your ideas here!

Prepare the student for goal setting in Session 3. Encourage them to think of two things they can do to include others or grow new friendships.

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Activity

Connection Yarn Circle Activity

Materials: Ball of yarn, shuffled Connection Yarn Circle cards (see below)

Objective

Help the student explore different friendship roles by building a physical web of connections.

Instructions

  1. Set Up: Have the student sit in a circle or open space. Place the ball of yarn in the center and shuffle the deck of cards face-down.
  2. Explain the Game: Tell the student that each card shows a special friendship role and a question about a friend who fits it. When they draw a card, they’ll name a friend, answer the question, then hold one end of the yarn and toss the ball toward you or a marker point—keeping hold of their end—creating a strand in the web.
  3. Draw & Toss:
    • The student picks the top card and reads the role aloud (e.g., “Helper”).
    • They name a classmate who plays that role (e.g., “Jordan helps me zip my coat.”)
    • They answer the prompt, hold the yarn, and toss the ball across the circle, making a connection line.
  4. Continue: Repeat until most cards have been used, building a colorful yarn web of roles and friends.
  5. Reflect: Once the web is complete, talk about:
    • Which roles had lots of friends?
    • Which roles were harder to find?
    • How can you be a good friend in new ways?






Connection Yarn Circle Cards

Role • Prompt

Helper • Think of a friend who helps you. How do they help?
Listener • Name a friend who listens to you. What do they listen to?
Teammate • Who do you like teaming up with? What games do you play together?
Cheerleader • Who cheers you on? How do they make you feel?
Explorer • Who likes discovering new things with you? What did you discover?
Kind Helper • Name someone who shares with you. What did they share?












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Journal

My Friendship Goals

You’ve explored your friendship web and learned about different roles friends can play. Now it’s time to set two goals to help you practice inclusive, caring, and fun play with others!

Goal 1: My First Friendship Goal

What is my goal?
Write or draw your first goal below.







How will I do this?
Describe one or two steps you’ll take.




When will I try it?
Pick a day or time to practice this goal.




Goal 2: My Second Friendship Goal

What is my goal?
Write or draw your second goal below.







How will I do this?
Describe one or two steps you’ll take.




When will I try it?
Pick a day or time to practice this goal.




Reflection Questions

Why are these goals important to me?
Think about how they will help you and others.







How will I feel when I reach these goals?
Imagine your feelings and write or draw them.







Great work planning your friendship goals! Remember to revisit these pages and celebrate your progress. 🎉

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