Friendship Warm-Up: The Friendship Web

Instructions:

1. Think about what makes a really good friend.
2. On your own paper or a sticky note, write down ONE quality that you think is essential for a good friendship (e.g., honesty, kindness, humor, listening, being supportive).
3. When prompted, be ready to share your quality with the class!

Teacher Note: You can do this as a verbal share-out, or if you have sticky notes, have students write them down and then create a

Friendship Cool Down: My Friendship Takeaway

Instructions:

1. On a piece of paper or an exit ticket, complete the following sentence:

   "One new strategy I learned today for nurturing healthy friendships is..."

2. You can also draw a small symbol or emoji that represents this strategy.

Teacher Note: Collect these as students leave to quickly gauge their understanding and reflection.

Healthy Friendships: Initial Thoughts

Use these prompts to facilitate a class discussion after the warm-up and introduction of the lesson.

Discussion Prompts:

• What do you think makes a friendship strong and lasting?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Can you recall a time when a friend really supported you? What did they do or say?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Why do you think it's important to have healthy friendships in our lives?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• What are some things that can make friendships difficult sometimes?
  
  
  
  
  
  

Friendship Scenarios: Navigating the Bumps

Instructions:

Work in your small groups to read the scenario assigned to you. Discuss the questions below and decide how you would best handle the situation. Be prepared to share your scenario and your group's solution with the class!

Scenario 1: The Misunderstanding

Your friend, Alex, has been quiet and distant for a few days. You thought everything was fine, but then another friend tells you that Alex is upset because they heard you were talking about them behind their back. You know this isn't true, and you're confused and a little hurt.

Discussion Questions:

• What's the first thing you should do in this situation?
  
  
  
• How can you use effective communication to resolve this misunderstanding?
  
  
  
• What role does empathy play here, even if you feel wrongly accused?
  
  
  

Scenario 2: The Exclusion

You and your friend, Sam, usually walk home together. Lately, Sam has started walking with a new group of friends and often rushes off without you, sometimes even ignoring you when you say hi. You feel left out and a little sad.

Discussion Questions:

• How does this situation make you feel? Why is it important to acknowledge these feelings?
  
  
  
• What's a healthy way to approach Sam about how you're feeling?
  
  
  
• What are some positive ways to handle feeling excluded in a friendship?
  
  
  

Scenario 3: The Disagreement

You and your friend, Jamie, have been planning a project together for school. You both have very different ideas about how to approach it, and you keep disagreeing, which is making it hard to get anything done. You're worried it might affect your friendship.

Discussion Questions:

• What are some strategies for resolving disagreements respectfully?
  
  
  
• How can you both compromise to find a solution that works?
  
  
  
• What is important to remember about your friendship even when you disagree?
  
  
  

Scenario 4: The Broken Promise

Your friend, Chris, promised to help you study for a big test, but at the last minute, they cancelled to go to a concert. You feel let down and unprepared for the test, and this isn't the first time Chris has broken a promise.

Discussion Questions:

• How has Chris's action impacted your trust in the friendship?
  
  
  
• What would you say to Chris to express your feelings without accusing them?
  
  
  
• What steps can be taken to rebuild trust in a friendship when a promise is broken?
  
  
  

My Friendship Map: Reflecting on My Social Circles

This worksheet is designed to help you think about your own friendships and how you can nurture them to be even stronger and healthier.

Part 1: My Friendship Circle

Think about 2-3 important friendships in your life right now. These can be with classmates, neighbors, or anyone you consider a good friend. Write their initials or a nickname in the circles below.

## Part 2: Qualities in My Friendships

For each friend you identified above, think about the qualities they bring to your friendship and the qualities you bring to theirs. Use the healthy friendship qualities we discussed (trust, respect, communication, empathy) and any others that come to mind.

Friend 1 (Initials/Nickname: _________)

• What qualities do they bring to our friendship?
  
  
  
  
• What qualities do I bring to our friendship?
  
  
  
  

Friend 2 (Initials/Nickname: _________)

• What qualities do they bring to our friendship?
  
  
  
  
• What qualities do I bring to our friendship?
  
  
  
  

Friend 3 (Initials/Nickname: _________)

• What qualities do they bring to our friendship?
  
  
  
  
• What qualities do I bring to our friendship?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Part 3: Growing My Friendships

Answer the following questions to help you think about how you can continue to nurture your social circles.

1. Thinking about one of your friendships, what is one thing you could do this week to show more trust, respect, communication, or empathy?
   
   
   

2. Recall a time you faced a small challenge with a friend. What did you learn from it, and how might you handle a similar situation differently in the future?
   
   
   

3. What is one goal you have for your friendships moving forward? (e.g., be a better listener, reach out more often, try new activities together)