Lesson Plan
The Circle of Friendship
Students will be able to describe the qualities of a good friend, identify and practice problem-solving and refusal skills in social situations, and demonstrate empathy and respect for others, aligning with responsible decision-making and relationship skills.
Understanding the qualities of a good friend, practicing emotional regulation, and making responsible decisions are fundamental for building healthy relationships, navigating social challenges, and fostering a positive, inclusive environment. This lesson develops essential social-emotional competencies.
Audience
4th Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Discussion, role-play, and reflective drawing.
Materials
Slide Deck: The Circle of Friendship, Discussion Questions Ch. 14-15, Friendship Scenario Cards, Drawing paper, and Crayons or colored pencils
Prep
Teacher Preparation
15 minutes
- Review The Circle of Friendship Lesson Plan and all linked materials: Slide Deck: The Circle of Friendship, Discussion Questions Ch. 14-15, and Friendship Scenario Cards.
- Prepare projector or interactive whiteboard for the slide deck.
- Print and cut out Friendship Scenario Cards.
- Gather drawing paper and art supplies for each student.
Step 1
Warm-Up: What is a True Friend? (5 minutes)
5 minutes
- Display the 'Warm-Up: What is a True Friend?' slide from the Slide Deck: The Circle of Friendship.
- Ask students to think about what makes a true friend and share their ideas with a partner. Encourage them to consider various emotions involved in friendships.
- Facilitate a brief whole-class share-out, listing key qualities and feelings on the board (e.g., trust, frustration, joy).
Step 2
Read & Discuss Chapters 14-15 (10 minutes)
10 minutes
- Transition to the 'Read & Discuss Chapters 14-15' slide in the Slide Deck: The Circle of Friendship.
- Briefly recap previous chapters or key events leading up to Chapter 14.
- Read Chapters 14-15 aloud, or have students read independently/in pairs.
- Lead a discussion using the Discussion Questions Ch. 14-15 to explore evolving relationships, characters' emotional responses, peer influence, and effective/ineffective problem-solving strategies.
Step 3
Friendship Scenarios Role-Play (10 minutes)
10 minutes
- Explain the 'Friendship Scenarios Role-Play' activity, displaying the relevant slide from the Slide Deck: The Circle of Friendship.
- Divide students into small groups (3-4 students).
- Provide each group with a Friendship Scenario Card.
- Instruct groups to read their scenario and brainstorm how they would act as good friends, apply problem-solving steps, make safe choices, and demonstrate respect/empathy. Emphasize practicing refusal skills if appropriate.
- Have each group role-play their scenario and resolution for the class, or a subset of groups if time is limited.
- Facilitate a brief class discussion after each role-play, highlighting positive friendship qualities, effective decision-making, and conflict resolution skills demonstrated.
Step 4
Reflective Drawing (5 minutes)
5 minutes
- Introduce the 'Reflective Drawing' activity from the Slide Deck: The Circle of Friendship.
- Distribute drawing paper and art supplies.
- Ask students to draw a picture that represents what a true and positive friendship looks like to them, considering how friends manage emotions, make decisions together, and show respect. Encourage them to think about how they can be a contributing member to their own friendships.
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Slide Deck
Warm-Up: What is a True Friend?
Think: What does it mean to be a true friend? What feelings are involved in friendships?
### Share: Discuss with a partner.
### Reflect: What qualities and emotions are important in a friend?
Greet students and introduce the warm-up. Encourage open discussion about friendship, prompting students to identify various feelings (e.g., happiness, frustration, jealousy) that can come with friendships. Facilitate a brief partner share then whole group.
Reading Time: Chapters 14-15
Let's dive into Chapters 14 and 15 of our story. Pay close attention to:
- How characters interact and express their feelings.
- Any changes in friendships and why they happen.
- New challenges or decisions the characters face, and how they respond.
Recap previous chapters. Encourage active listening as you read, or give students time to read. Emphasize paying attention to how character relationships change, how characters express feelings, and the decisions they make.
Discussing Chapters 14-15
Let's talk about what happened in these chapters. We'll use our Discussion Questions Ch. 14-15 to guide us. Let's think about feelings, choices, and how characters treated each other.
Guide the discussion using the Discussion Questions Ch. 14-15. Encourage students to provide text evidence and respect different perspectives. Focus on emotional regulation, decision-making, and conflict resolution shown by characters.
Activity: Friendship Scenarios Role-Play
In small groups, you will receive a scenario about friendship.
- Read the scenario together.
- Discuss how good friends would act, using problem-solving steps and making safe choices.
- Think about how you can show loyalty, inclusion, empathy, and stand up to peer pressure.
- Role-play your scenario and how you would solve it positively, demonstrating respectful communication!
Explain the role-play activity clearly. Ensure students understand they are working together to find positive solutions, applying problem-solving steps, and practicing refusal skills. Distribute Friendship Scenario Cards. Emphasize demonstrating respect and empathy.
Cool Down: Reflective Drawing
Now, let's reflect on what we've learned about friendship.
- Draw a picture that shows what a true and positive friendship looks like to you.
- Think about the qualities, emotions, and decisions we discussed.
- How can you be a responsible and respectful friend? What kind of 'self-talk' helps you be a good friend?
Provide drawing materials. Explain that the drawing should reflect their understanding of a good friend and positive friendships, considering how friends manage emotions, make responsible decisions, and show respect. Encourage students to think about their own role in friendships and if they want to share their self-talk during challenges.
Discussion
Discussion Questions: The Circle of Friendship (Chapters 14-15)
Understanding Character Relationships & Emotions
- In Chapters 14-15, how do the relationships between the main characters evolve? Do you notice any new alliances or conflicts emerging?
- What kinds of feelings and emotions do the characters experience in these chapters? How do they show these feelings? Do any characters struggle to manage their emotions, and if so, how?
- Were there any moments where a character showed great loyalty or disrespect to a friend? Describe what happened and why you think it demonstrates loyalty or disrespect. What could have been done to show more respect?
Responsible Choices & Peer Influence
- Did you see any examples of peer pressure in these chapters? How did the characters involved react to it? What steps could they have taken to make a safer or healthier choice, or to use refusal skills?
- How do characters make decisions about who to spend time with or how to act in a group? Do these decisions reflect good friendship qualities, or are they influenced by others in a negative way?
Empathy, Inclusion & Conflict Resolution
- Was there a character who felt left out or excluded in these chapters? How did that make you feel as a reader? What could other characters have done to be more inclusive and show empathy? What steps could they have taken to understand the other person's feelings through active listening?
- Were there any conflicts between characters? What were the steps they took (or didn't take) to solve the problem? What steps do you think they should have taken to resolve the conflict respectfully?
Personal Connection & Self-Awareness
- Think about the qualities of a good friend. Which character in these chapters best demonstrates these qualities? Explain your reasoning with examples from the text. What personal responsibilities do they take on as a friend?
- Have you ever been in a situation similar to one of the characters in Chapters 14-15? How did you handle your emotions and make your decisions? What did you learn about friendship, and what kind of 'self-talk' helped you through it? How can you be a contributing member to your friendships and community?
Activity
Friendship Scenario Cards
Instructions: Read your scenario with your group. Discuss how a good friend would act, applying problem-solving steps, making safe and healthy choices, and demonstrating respect and empathy. Be ready to role-play your scenario and solution for the class!
Scenario Card 1: The New Kid
There's a new student in your class named Alex. During recess, you see your friends playing a fun game, but they haven't invited Alex to join, and Alex is sitting alone. What do you do?
- How do you think Alex might be feeling? (Empathy: Identify more complex feelings of others)
- What are some steps you can take to include Alex? (Problem-Solving: Practice the steps of problem solving)
- What would you say to your friends to encourage inclusion and show respect for Alex? (Relationship Skills: Demonstrate social skills; Social Awareness: Demonstrate respect for others)
- How does being inclusive make others feel, and how does it contribute to a positive school community? (Citizenship: Identify personal characteristics that contribute to the school community)
Scenario Card 2: The Secret
Your friend, Maya, told you a secret and asked you not to tell anyone. Later, another friend, Sam, starts asking you lots of questions about Maya, trying to get you to reveal the secret. What do you do?
- How might Maya feel if her secret was told? How might Sam feel if you refuse to tell? (Empathy: Identify more complex feelings of others)
- How can you show loyalty to Maya and use refusal skills with Sam without breaking Maya's trust? (Responsible Decision-Making: Apply refusal skills; Relationship Skills: Demonstrate social skills)
- What is a safe and healthy choice in this situation, and what role does peer influence play? (Responsible Decision-Making: Identify role of peer influence; Safe & Healthy Choices)
- Why is keeping a secret important for trust and maintaining a healthy friendship? (Relationship Skills: Demonstrate the social skills needed to maintain relationships)
Scenario Card 3: The Group Project Dilemma
You are working on a group project with two friends, Chloe and Ben. Chloe isn't doing her fair share of the work and is spending most of her time talking or drawing. Ben is getting frustrated and wants to tell the teacher. What do you do?
- How might Chloe and Ben be feeling? How can you help them identify and manage these feelings? (Emotional Regulation: Identify more complex feelings; Coping Skills: Identify helpful strategies)
- What steps can you take to solve this problem as friends before involving the teacher? (Conflict Resolution: Identify the steps of solving problems and conflicts; Apply the steps of solving problems)
- How can you approach Chloe respectfully and ensure everyone contributes fairly to the project? (Relationship Skills: Demonstrate respect for others' opinions; Personal Responsibility: Reflect on personal roles at school)
- What kind of self-talk could you use to help you calmly address the situation? (Self-Awareness: Understand the concept of self-talk)
Scenario Card 4: Peer Pressure to Be Mean
Your group of friends starts making fun of another student, Liam, for wearing old shoes. They laugh and tell jokes about him, and then they look at you, expecting you to join in. You know it's not right. What do you do?
- How do you think Liam might be feeling? How are you feeling in this situation? (Empathy: Identify more complex feelings of others; Emotional Regulation: Identify more complex feelings)
- How can you stand up to peer pressure and use refusal skills to make a safe and healthy choice? (Responsible Decision-Making: Apply refusal skills; Identify role of peer influence)
- What could you say or do to help Liam and demonstrate respect for him, even if he's different from your friends? (Social Awareness: Demonstrate respect for others; Citizenship: Demonstrate personal characteristics of a contributing member)
- Why is it important to be kind and inclusive, even when others aren't? How does this reflect your personal responsibilities as a community member? (Relationship Skills: Exhibit mutual respect; Personal Responsibilities: Identify responsibilities as a community)