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Safe Spaces Only

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Lesson Plan

Blueprint for Safe Zones

Students will collaboratively establish 5–7 classroom norms that promote emotional and physical safety and a sense of belonging, then commit to these guidelines through personal reflection.

Co-creating norms empowers students, builds ownership, and strengthens school climate by ensuring everyone’s voice is heard and respected.

Audience

8th Grade Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Guided discussion, collaborative brainstorming, and reflective journaling.

Materials

Blueprint for Safe Zones, Respect in Action Slides, Norms Poster Gallery, and Personal Safety Pledge

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

Step 1

Introduction and Purpose

5 minutes

Step 2

Brainstorming Norms

10 minutes

  • Divide students into small groups around Norms Poster Gallery sheets
  • In each group, students list ideas for norms that support emotional and physical safety (e.g., "Listen without interrupting," "Respect personal space")
  • Encourage students to think of both positive behaviors and boundaries

Step 3

Discussion and Consolidation

8 minutes

  • Have each group share their top 2–3 norms with the whole workshop
  • As a class, cluster similar ideas and refine into 5–7 clear, actionable norms
  • Record the final norms on chart paper or a shared digital board

Step 4

Personal Reflection and Commitment

5 minutes

  • Distribute the Personal Safety Pledge journals
  • Students write a brief reflection on why the norms matter to them and sign their pledge to uphold them
  • Collect pledges or display them in the classroom as a reminder

Step 5

Closing and Next Steps

2 minutes

  • Thank students for their contributions and emphasize shared responsibility
  • Explain how the norms will be revisited and reinforced in future lessons
  • Project the finalized norms for daily reference
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Slide Deck

Respect in Action

Welcome to Safe Spaces Only! Over the next 30 minutes, we’ll work together to create classroom norms that ensure everyone feels safe and respected.

Welcome students and introduce the purpose of today’s workshop. Explain that together you will create norms to make the classroom a safe, respectful place.

Why Classroom Norms?

– Promote respect and trust
– Ensure emotional & physical safety
– Build a sense of belonging
– Support everyone’s learning

Discuss why norms matter: reference examples from school, home, or teams. Highlight how clear expectations help everyone learn and feel valued.

Brainstorming Norms

In your small groups:
• Use the Norms Poster Gallery sheets
• List ideas for behaviors that keep us safe & respectful
• Think of positive actions and clear boundaries

(10 minutes)

Explain the group work process and distribute the Norms Poster Gallery sheets. Monitor groups and encourage creative, thoughtful ideas.

Consolidating Ideas

Share your top 2–3 norms with the class
We’ll cluster similar ideas
Refine into 5–7 clear, actionable norms
Record final norms for display
(8 minutes)

Invite each group to share their top norms. Cluster similar ideas, refine language, and guide the class to settle on 5–7 actionable norms.

Reflection & Commitment

Take your Personal Safety Pledge journal
Write why these norms matter to you
Sign your name to commit
We’ll display these pledges to remind us daily
(5 minutes)

Hand out the Personal Safety Pledge journals. Ask students to reflect on why the norms matter and sign their commitment. Explain how you’ll use these pledges moving forward.

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Activity

Norms Poster Gallery

Description: In this collaborative gallery-walk activity, small groups design visual posters of proposed classroom norms. Students will list, illustrate, and refine their ideas before sharing with peers for feedback.

Materials:

  • Chart paper or large poster sheets
  • Colored markers or pens
  • Tape or sticky tack for displaying posters around the room
  • Sticky notes for peer feedback

Instructions

  1. Set-Up (2 minutes)

    • Tape one poster sheet at each station around the room.
    • Provide each group with a marker set and a stack of sticky notes.

  2. Poster Creation (8 minutes)

    • In groups of 3–4, choose 3–5 norms you believe are essential for our classroom’s safety and respect.
    • On your poster sheet, write each norm as a short, clear statement and add illustrations, symbols, or color coding to make it engaging.
    • Leave space beside each norm for peer comments.






  3. Gallery Walk (5 minutes)

    • When time’s up, each group rotates clockwise to the next station.
    • Read the norms on each poster and use sticky notes to leave one positive comment or one constructive suggestion.

  4. Return & Refine (5 minutes)

    • Groups return to their original poster.
    • Review the feedback and discuss any adjustments to wording or emphasis.
    • Circle or highlight your final top 3 norms for the class-wide consolidation.






  5. Collection for Consolidation (—)

    • Gather all refined posters and display them at the front of the room to inform the whole-group clustering and discussion during the “Discussion and Consolidation” step of Blueprint for Safe Zones.
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Journal

Personal Safety Pledge

Today, we co-created classroom norms to ensure everyone feels safe and respected. Use this pledge to reflect on these norms and commit to upholding them each day.

  1. List the 5–7 norms our class agreed on:











  2. Choose one norm that matters most to you and explain why it is important:






  3. Describe a specific way you will demonstrate this norm in our classroom or school community:











  4. Write your personal pledge statement below. Begin with “I pledge to…” and finish with how you will uphold our norms:






Name: ________________________ Date: ____________

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