Our Safe Harbor: Starting the Conversation

Gabriela Gonzalez

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Our Safe Harbor: Starting the Conversation Lesson Plan

Students will be able to co-create group agreements and complete a pre-assessment to share their initial thoughts about their family's situation.

This lesson establishes a safe and supportive learning environment, allowing students to feel comfortable sharing their experiences and perspectives. It's crucial for building trust and understanding within the classroom community.

Audience

5th Grade

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion and reflective activity.

Materials

Our Safe Harbor: Starting the Conversation Slide Deck, and Pre/Post Assessment Rubric

Prep

Review Materials

15 minutes

Review the Our Safe Harbor: Starting the Conversation Slide Deck and the Pre/Post Assessment Rubric. Ensure you are familiar with the content and activities. Prepare any necessary physical materials like markers and chart paper for group agreements, if not using digital tools.

Step 1

Welcome & Icebreaker: Two Truths and a Lie (10 minutes)

10 minutes

Greet students warmly as they enter.
- Explain the 'Two Truths and a Lie' icebreaker: students will think of two true statements about themselves and one lie. They will share these with a small group or the whole class, and others will guess the lie.
- Facilitate sharing, encouraging lighthearted interaction and active listening.
- Transition by explaining that today's lesson is about creating a space where everyone feels safe to share their true selves.

Step 2

Create Group Agreements (15 minutes)

15 minutes

Introduce the concept of group agreements using the Our Safe Harbor: Starting the Conversation Slide Deck. Explain that these are rules we create together to make our classroom a 'safe harbor.'
- Ask students: "What do we need to do to make sure everyone feels safe, respected, and heard in our conversations about our families and experiences?"
- Record student suggestions on chart paper or a whiteboard. Guide them to focus on positive actions (e.g., 'Listen actively,' 'Respect differences,' 'Keep discussions confidential') rather than just 'don'ts.'
- Consolidate and refine the agreements into a concise list. Have students verbally agree to these norms.

Step 3

Introduce Group Purpose (10 minutes)

10 minutes

Using the Our Safe Harbor: Starting the Conversation Slide Deck, clearly state the purpose of the group: to explore and understand diverse family situations and provide mutual support.
- Emphasize that everyone's family situation is unique and valuable, and the goal is to learn from each other in a supportive, non-judgmental environment.
- Briefly explain that the pre-assessment is not a test, but a way for you (the teacher) to understand their initial thoughts and feelings so you can better support them. Reiterate the importance of honesty and confidentiality based on the group agreements.

Step 4

Complete Pre-Assessment (10 minutes)

10 minutes

Distribute the pre-assessment. Explain that this is a private reflection for them to share their initial thoughts and feelings about their family's situation.
- Reiterate that there are no right or wrong answers and that their honest responses will help you tailor future lessons.
- Encourage students to take their time and answer thoughtfully. Collect the pre-assessments as students complete them. Remind them that their responses are confidential and will be used to help you understand and support them better. Grade the pre-assessment using the Pre/Post Assessment Rubric.

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Slide Deck

Our Safe Harbor: Starting the Conversation

Creating a Safe Space for Our Stories

Welcome students and set a positive tone for the lesson. Briefly introduce the topic of creating a safe space for sharing.

Welcome & Icebreaker: Two Truths and a Lie

Think of two true things about yourself and one lie.
Share with a partner or small group.
Can your group guess the lie?

Explain the 'Two Truths and a Lie' icebreaker. Give students a few minutes to think of their statements. Facilitate the sharing and guessing process, encouraging laughter and light interaction. Connect this activity to the idea of getting to know each other.

Creating Our Safe Harbor: Group Agreements

What rules do we need to make everyone feel:

Safe?
Respected?
Heard?

Let's create our agreements together!

Introduce the idea of group agreements. Ask students for their input on what makes a classroom a safe place to share. Write their suggestions on chart paper or the board. Guide them to focus on positive behaviors.

The Purpose of Our Journey Together

We are here to:

Learn about different family experiences.
Understand and respect each other.
Build a supportive community.

Transition to the purpose of the group. Emphasize that every family is unique and valuable. Explain that this group is about understanding and supporting each other.

Your Voice Matters: Pre-Assessment

This is a private space for your thoughts.

It's not a test.
Share what you genuinely think and feel.
Your answers help me understand how to best support you.

Introduce the pre-assessment. Clearly state that it's not a test, but a way for you to understand their thoughts to better support them. Reiterate confidentiality.

Thank You for Sharing!

Remember our group agreements.
Your honest thoughts are valuable.
I look forward to our journey together!

Conclude the lesson by thanking students for their participation and emphasizing the importance of their honesty and the group agreements. Collect the pre-assessments.

Rubric

Pre/Post Assessment Rubric

This rubric will be used to assess student responses on the pre-assessment and can be adapted for post-assessments to measure growth in understanding and reflection.

Criteria

Criteria	Exceeds Expectations (4)	Meets Expectations (3)	Developing (2)	Beginning (1)
Thoughtfulness & Self-Reflection	Student provides detailed, insightful responses that demonstrate deep personal reflection and a clear understanding of their family situation, connecting it to their personal experiences and feelings.	Student provides clear and thoughtful responses, demonstrating a good level of personal reflection and an understanding of their family situation, with some connection to their experiences and feelings.	Student provides somewhat general or limited responses, showing some reflection but lacking deeper insight or specific connections to their personal experiences or feelings about their family situation.	Student provides minimal or superficial responses, with little to no personal reflection or connection to their experiences or feelings about their family situation.
Understanding of Safe Space & Confidentiality	Student explicitly references the importance of a safe space and confidentiality in their responses, demonstrating a clear understanding of these concepts and how they apply to group discussions.	Student implicitly demonstrates an understanding of a safe space and confidentiality through their respectful and appropriate responses, adhering to the spirit of group agreements.	Student's responses may occasionally include details that disregard the spirit of confidentiality or safe sharing, indicating a developing understanding of group norms.	Student's responses lack consideration for confidentiality or safe sharing practices, indicating a need for further understanding of group norms.
Completeness & Effort	Student thoroughly answers all questions, providing comprehensive details and clearly putting significant effort into their responses.	Student answers all questions adequately, providing sufficient detail and demonstrating clear effort in their responses.	Student answers most questions but may lack detail or effort in some areas, or leaves some questions incomplete.	Student provides very limited answers, leaves many questions blank, or shows minimal effort in completing the assessment.