Image
Learning objective
Students develop an understanding that social skills are required to build and maintain friendships.
Take home messages
Curriculum links
WA curriculum links
HPE: Communicating and interacting for health and wellbeing
People and social skills to interact with others:
- expressing needs, wants and feelings,
- active listening
- self-discipline
International technical guidance on sexuality education
Key concept 1.2 (5-8 year olds):
- There are different kinds of friendships
- Friendships are based on trust, sharing, respect, empathy and solidarity
Materials
- 5-6 hula hoops
- Music (any songs that evoke movement around hoops)
- Good Friend songs (Each song approx 1min 30sec)
- Group 1 activity: Friendship flowers
- paper plates [one per student]
- photo of each student printed out (to fit inside paper plate) OR students can draw a self portrait
- strips of green paper or ribbon (for stem of flower). These can be cut to height of child as added display of their growth.
- Group 2 activity: Friendship flower petals
- petal shapes pre-cut on different coloured paper
- Group 3 activity: Puppets
- puppets/ finger puppets/ soft toys for role play
- Group 4 activity: Books
- Take home activity sheet - this can be photocopied onto green card or students can colour at home.
Before you get started
- It is important to be mindful that some students have difficulty making and keeping friends and may need additional support during such lessons.
- Read background notes:
Learning activities
Group agreement
5 min
Teaching tip: A group agreement must be established before any Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) program begins to ensure a safe learning environment. Read: Establishing a group agreement for tips on how to create one and what to include.
- Revise the class group agreement.
Hoop activity
15 min
- Place 5 or 6 hoops on the ground in an area where students can safely run around.
- Have students move around the hoops to some music. When the music stops call out a number between 1 and 5. Students need to cluster in a hoop in groups of this number.
Teaching tip: There may be students left out of a hoop during the game. Be mindful that the same children are not left out each time. You may wish to use other adults in the room to be part of the game to assist with this.
- When students are left out of a hoop, observe how the other students respond (e.g. Do they notice the students left out? Do they invite them in? Do the students left out of a hoop join together?).
- Play a few rounds of the game.
Ask:
How did it feel to be one of the students in the hoop?
(great, winning, part of a group, etc)
How did it feel to be one of the students not in the hoop?
(not good, upsetting, left out, ok once but not fun when it happened again, frustrating, etc)
- Draw attention to actions of some of the behaviours, for example:
I notice that some students said 'no' to others joining their hoop. How do you think that made them feel?
(left out, sad, upset, angry, etc)
I notice that some students that weren't in the hoop joined with each other to make their own group. How do you think that made them feel?
(better because they were with friends, not so left out, etc)
Teaching tip: When describing the actions of students, keep the statements general rather than naming individuals (unless complementing positive behaviours).
- Explain:
"Being left out does not make people feel good.
We are going to play the game again, but this time we are going to aim not to have anyone left out. If I say the number 3, you need to have AT LEAST 3 people in your hoop, but you can have more so that no one is left out.
I would like to see you inviting people into your hoop or helping them to find another hoop of 3 or more."
- Play the game again with the new rules for a few rounds.
- Discuss:
How was this game different?
(no one was left out, no one was sad or upset, everyone had fun)
- Explain:
"One tip for being a good friend, is to help people feel included and welcome. Today we are going to have a look at more qualities that make a good friend."
Song
10 min
- Listen to one of the Good Friend songs.
Teaching tip: Put closed captions on so students can start to recognise words of the song.
- Ask:
What are some qualities of being a good friend in this song?
(make you laugh/smile, invite you to play, share things, do things together, play together, help you, play fair, care, take turns, cheer them up, etc)
What are some other qualities that make someone a good friend?
(say hello, listen to you, ask you questions, want to know about what you like, want to know about your pets, etc)
Group activities
20 min
- Divide class into 4 groups for group activity rotation.
Group 1: Friendship flowers (adult led)
| Group 2: Friendship flower petals (adult led)
Teaching tip An adult may be required to encourage students to make petals for specific students to ensure everyone has enough petals to complete their flower and/or adults may complete petals for students. |
Group 3: Puppets
| Group 4: Book corner
|
3-2-1 Reflection
Puppet role play reflection
10 min
- Use the puppets or toys to role play the following scenarios to recap key messages.
- Scenario 1: Not liking the same things is ok
Puppet 1: I don't like drawing
Puppet 2: Well I don't like riding bikes
Puppet 1: Well we can't be friends!
- Ask:
Do your friends have to like all the same things as you?
(no, you can like different things, they might like some things the same and some different, you might have different friends that like to do certain things e.g. dance lessons, building cubbies, etc)
- Invite a student to be Puppet 2 and suggest good tip for being a good friend in this scenario.
(e.g. Puppet 2: well we both like doing dress ups, shall we do that instead?)
- Scenario 2: Having more than one friend is ok
Puppet 1: You can't be friends with Jay. You're MY friend!
Puppet 2: (sad/cries)
- Ask:
Is puppet 1 right? Do you have to be friends with only one person at a time?
(no, you can have multiple friends)
Does being friends with another person make you less of a friend to your other friends?
(no, you can be a good friend to many people at once)
- Explain:
"If I have a bag of lollies and I give a lolly to you, to you, to you, and to you, what happens to all the lollies? They are all gone, they run out.
What if my bag was full of smiles? If I give smile to you, and to you and to you, what happens to all the smiles? Do my smiles run out? No. Smiles, don't run out.
Friendship also doesn't run out the more I give it to others. In fact, in many ways, the more kindness and friendship you give, the more you get back."
- Invite a student to be Puppet 2 and suggest good tip for being a good friend in this scenario. (e.g. Puppet 2: It is ok to have more than one friend. How about we all play together? OR Puppet 2: How about I play with Jay at recess and you at lunchtime)
- Scenario 3: We don't have to be friends with everyone
Puppet 1: You never play with Ali.
Puppet 2: Ali and I don't get along very well and we don't like doing any of the same things.
Puppet 1: You HAVE to be friends with Ali! Teacher says we ALL have to be friends!
- Ask:
Do we have to be friends with everyone?
(no!)
- Explain:
"We don't have to be friends with everyone but we do have to treat everyone with respect. If you really don't get along with someone or they don't make you feel good, you can still be kind and respectful without being their friend."
Teaching tip: This concept is related to protective behaviours. It is important for students to understand they don't need to be friends with people who don't make them feel good. It can be useful to revisit trusted adults and help-seeking.
- Teacher to model how Puppet 2 might respond.
Puppet 2: "Ali is amazing at climbing to the top of the play equipment and riding super fast on the scooter. When i play on the scooter he gets frustrated with how slow I go and I get scared at how fast he goes. We always seem to argue when we play together. It's ok for us not to play together."
- Display the take home messages and read them aloud.
- Friends are people we care about and want to spend time with.
- Our friends can be just like us or very different from us.
- Taking turns, playing fairly and listening when people talk can help us to get along with others.
- We don't have to be friends with everyone, but we do have to be respectful.
Health promoting schools
Family activity
- Take home activity: Friendship flowers leaves - give students two leaves to take home so that their family members can add a reason why their child/sibling is a good friend. Bring them back to school to add to the display.
Curriculum
- Ask the music specialist to teach the students songs about friendship.
