Lesson Plan
Growing Friendships Guide
Students will be able to identify and describe key characteristics of positive friendships and demonstrate ways to nurture healthy relationships within the classroom community.
Understanding and practicing good friendship skills helps create a supportive, kind, and collaborative classroom environment where everyone feels valued and connected. These skills are essential for social-emotional growth and overall well-being.
Audience
2nd Grade Students
Time
60 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussions, visual aids, a creative project, and reflective journaling.
Materials
Our Friendship Garden Presentation (slide-deck), My Friendship Flower Project (project), Friendship Seed Thoughts Journal (journal), Construction Paper, Crayons/Markers, Scissors, and Glue
Prep
Prepare Materials
15 minutes
- Review the Our Friendship Garden Presentation and become familiar with the content.
- Print copies of the My Friendship Flower Project template (or have construction paper ready for students to draw their own flowers).
- Print copies of the Friendship Seed Thoughts Journal.
- Gather construction paper, crayons/markers, scissors, and glue.
Step 1
Warm-Up: What Makes a Friend?
10 minutes
- Begin by asking students: "What does it mean to be a good friend?" Allow a few students to share their initial thoughts.
- Show the first slide of the Our Friendship Garden Presentation (Title Slide).
- Introduce the idea that friendships are like gardens that need care to grow.
Step 2
Exploring the Friendship Garden
15 minutes
- Use the Our Friendship Garden Presentation to guide a discussion on the five seeds of friendship: Kindness, Respect, Trust, Communication, and Forgiveness. For each seed, discuss what it means and ask students for examples. Encourage active participation and sharing of ideas.
Step 3
My Friendship Flower Project
20 minutes
- Introduce the My Friendship Flower Project. Explain that students will create their own flower, with each petal representing a friendship quality. Provide clear instructions and distribute materials. Circulate to offer support and answer questions as students work.
Step 4
Reflecting on Friendship (Journal)
10 minutes
- Distribute the Friendship Seed Thoughts Journal. Guide students to complete one or two prompts, reflecting on how they can apply the friendship skills learned. Encourage quiet reflection and thoughtful responses.
Step 5
Cool-Down: Sharing Our Garden
5 minutes
- Ask a few students to share one petal from their Friendship Flower or one thought from their journal. Briefly reiterate the importance of nurturing friendships. Conclude by praising their efforts in building a kind classroom community.
Slide Deck
Welcome to The Friendship Garden!
What helps friendships grow beautiful and strong?
Welcome students and introduce the topic of friendship. Ask them to share their initial thoughts on what makes a good friend. Use this to set the stage for the 'friendship garden' metaphor.
Friendships Are Like Gardens
Just like a garden needs special things to grow, our friendships need special care too!
What do gardens need to grow? (Sunlight, Water, Good Soil, Seeds)
What do friendships need to grow strong and healthy?
Explain that friendships, like gardens, need care. Each element we discuss is like a part of the garden that helps it flourish. Ask students to think about what these elements might be.
Seed #1: Kindness
Being nice with your words and actions.
- Sharing
- Helping others
- Using gentle hands and words
How can you show kindness to a friend today?
Introduce the first 'seed' of friendship: Kindness. Discuss what kindness looks like and sounds like in actions and words. Ask for examples.
Seed #2: Respect
Valuing others' feelings and ideas.
- Listening when they talk
- Asking before borrowing
- Being polite
Why is respecting a friend important?
Introduce the second 'seed': Respect. Explain that respecting a friend means valuing their feelings, ideas, and differences. Ask for examples of how to show respect.
Seed #3: Trust
Being honest and reliable.
- Keeping promises
- Telling the truth
- Being there for your friends
How does it feel when someone breaks your trust?
Introduce the third 'seed': Trust. Discuss what it means to trust someone and why it's important in a friendship. Give examples like keeping promises.
Seed #4: Communication
Talking and listening to each other.
- Sharing your feelings
- Listening carefully
- Finding solutions together
What happens if friends don't talk to each other?
Introduce the fourth 'seed': Communication. Explain that talking and listening are both important for good communication. Ask for examples of good communication.
Seed #5: Forgiveness
Letting go of anger when mistakes happen.
- Saying "I'm sorry"
- Accepting apologies
- Understanding that everyone makes mistakes
Why is forgiveness a strong part of friendship?
Introduce the fifth 'seed': Forgiveness. Discuss that even good friends have disagreements, and forgiveness helps friendships heal and grow. Give simple examples.
Let's Grow Our Friendship Flowers!
Now it's your turn to create your very own Friendship Flower!
Each petal will show a special quality that helps friendships grow.
Transition to the project. Explain that students will create their own flower, with each petal representing a quality of friendship. Distribute the project guide and materials.
Reflecting on Friendship
Take some time to think about what you've learned. How can you use these ideas to be an even better friend?
Write your thoughts in your Friendship Seed Thoughts Journal.
Explain the journal activity. Students will reflect on how they can apply these friendship skills. Distribute journals.
Nurturing Our Garden of Friends
Remember, every day is a chance to plant new seeds of friendship and help existing friendships bloom!
Keep practicing kindness, respect, trust, communication, and forgiveness.
Conclude the lesson by reinforcing the main message: strong friendships make our lives happier, and we all have a role in nurturing them. Encourage students to practice these skills.
Project Guide
My Friendship Flower Project
Grow Your Own Friendship Flower!
Just like a garden grows beautiful flowers, our friendships grow when we take care of them with special qualities. In this project, you will create your very own Friendship Flower!
What You Need:
- A piece of construction paper or the provided flower template.
- Crayons or markers.
- Scissors.
- Glue.
Instructions (Aim for 20 minutes!):
-
Draw Your Flower Stem and Leaves: Quickly draw a stem and two leaves for your flower. These represent the strong foundation of your friendship.
-
Draw Your Flower Center: In the middle of your flower, draw a circle. This is where you will write your name, because you are at the center of your friendships!
-
Create Your Petals: You will need five petals for your flower. Each petal will represent a special quality that helps friendships grow.
- Cut out five petal shapes from construction paper, or use the provided template (if available).
- On each petal, write one of the five friendship qualities we discussed:
- Kindness
- Respect
- Trust
- Communication
- Forgiveness
-
Illustrate Your Petals (Quickly!): Draw a simple picture or symbol on each petal that shows what that quality looks like in a friendship. Don't worry about perfect details, just show your idea!
- Kindness: Two friends sharing.
- Respect: Two friends listening.
- Trust: Two friends with a secret.
- Communication: Two friends talking.
- Forgiveness: Two friends high-fiving after a disagreement.
-
Assemble Your Flower: Glue your five petals around the center of your flower. Make sure they are spread out nicely.
-
Get Ready to Share: When you are done, be ready to briefly share your Friendship Flower with the class. Explain one petal that is most important to you.
Your Friendship Flower is a reminder of all the wonderful ways you can help your friendships bloom!"
Journal
Friendship Seed Thoughts Journal
Planting Seeds for Strong Friendships!
Today, we talked about how friendships are like gardens and how we can help them grow. Now it's your turn to think about how you can plant some amazing friendship seeds!
Prompt 1: My Friendship Garden
Think about a time when someone was really kind to you. How did that make you feel? How can you show kindness to a friend this week?
Prompt 2: Watering Our Friendships
We learned that respect helps friendships grow. What does it mean to respect someone? How can you show respect to your classmates or friends at school?
Prompt 3: Sunny Days and Rainy Days
Sometimes friends have disagreements, just like gardens can have rainy days. What is one way you can communicate or forgive a friend if you have a problem?
Prompt 4: My Friendship Superpower
If you could have one friendship superpower (like super kindness or super listening), what would it be and why? How would you use it to make your friendships even better?