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Who's In Your Support Circle?

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Lesson Plan

My Safety Net Lesson Plan

Students will identify at least three trusted adults and two friends who are part of their personal support network.

Understanding who to turn to for help is a crucial life skill that empowers students to navigate challenges and promotes emotional well-being.

Audience

3rd Grade Group

Time

20 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion and a creative mapping activity.

Materials

My Support Squad (slide-deck), Support Circle Map (activity), and Who Can Help Me? (worksheet)

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Introduction: What is a Support Circle?

5 minutes

  • Use the My Support Squad to introduce the concept of a 'support circle' or 'safety net.'
    - Ask students: "Who do you go to when you feel happy? Sad? Confused? Scared?"
    - Facilitate a brief discussion about different types of support (listening, advice, comfort).

Step 2

Identifying Trusted People

7 minutes

  • Guide students through the slides to discuss different categories of trusted adults and friends (family, teachers, counselors, coaches, close friends).
    - Emphasize that a support circle can include people at home, at school, and in the community.

Step 3

Support Circle Map Activity

6 minutes

  • Distribute the Support Circle Map to each student.
    - Instruct students to draw or write the names of people in their support circle in the designated areas.
    - Encourage them to think about different roles these people play (e.g., someone who listens, someone who makes them laugh, someone who helps with problems).
    - Circulate and offer assistance and encouragement.

Step 4

Wrap-Up & Reflection

2 minutes

  • Have students briefly share one person from their map (without details).
    - Distribute the Who Can Help Me? worksheet as an optional take-home or extension activity.
    - Reiterate the importance of reaching out to their support circle when they need help.
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Slide Deck

Who's In Your Support Circle?

Who helps you when you need it? Who makes you feel safe and happy?

Greet students warmly. Ask them to think about who they go to when they need help or feel a strong emotion. Introduce the idea of a 'support circle'.

Your Personal Safety Net

A group of trusted people who help you feel:

  • Safe
  • Happy
  • Understood
  • Brave

Explain that a support circle is like a 'safety net' made of people who care about them. It's important to know who these people are.

Family Members

Who in your family helps you?

  • Mom, Dad, Guardian
  • Grandparents
  • Aunts, Uncles
  • Older brothers or sisters

Discuss how family members can be a big part of their support circle. Ask for examples (e.g., parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, older siblings).

Adults At School

Who at school helps you?

  • Teacher
  • Counselor
  • Principal
  • Librarian
  • Lunch monitor

Talk about trusted adults at school. Emphasize that these people are there to help them learn and feel safe. Ask: "Who are some adults at school you trust?"

Friends Who Care

Good friends are important!

  • They listen to you.
  • They play with you.
  • They make you smile.

Shift to friends. Explain that friends can offer different kinds of support, like making them laugh or playing with them. Ask: "How do friends support you?"

Community Helpers

People in your community can also be part of your safety net!

  • Doctor
  • Police Officer
  • Firefighter
  • Coach

Introduce the idea of community helpers. Discuss how people like doctors, police officers, and firefighters also help keep them safe. "Who else in your neighborhood helps people?"

Creating Your Support Circle Map

Now it's your turn!

  • Think about all the people we talked about.
  • You'll get a special map to draw or write their names.

Explain the upcoming activity. Show an example of a blank support circle map and briefly describe how they will fill it out. Emphasize that it's their personal map.

Remember: You Are Not Alone!

When you need help or feel big emotions, reach out to your support circle. They are there for YOU!

Conclude by reinforcing the main message: it's okay and important to ask for help, and they have many people who care about them. "You are not alone!"

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Activity

My Support Circle Map

Having people who care about you and can help you is like having a special safety net! These are the people in your Support Circle.

Think about the different people in your life who make you feel safe, happy, or understood. Who do you go to when you need help?

Draw or write the names of the people in your support circle in the circles below. Try to think of people from different parts of your life (family, school, friends, community).



















































Who makes your support circle strong?

  1. One person in my support circle is:



  2. This person helps me by:



  3. If I have a problem, I can talk to:



  4. Something I like about my support circle is:



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Worksheet

Who Can Help Me?

It's important to know who you can go to for help! Think about these different situations and write down who you would talk to.

  1. When I feel sad or upset, I can talk to:


  2. If I don't understand my homework, I can ask:


  3. When I feel sick or hurt, I can tell:


  4. If someone is bothering me at school, I can tell:


  5. When I need a laugh or just want to play, I can go to:


  6. Name one new person you want to add to your support circle and why:


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