Relationship Skills
Family Resources on Friendship
Lesson Topic
Celebrating similarities and differences between friends
Essential Questions
How do we celebrate differences between friends?
If this lesson was used in the classroom: Students learned the definition of friendship and how to be a friend to someone else. During one of class activities students made a life size drawing of themselves and reflected on how to make and keep friends.
Getting Ready for the Conversation
The video for this lesson features Corey and Jason who discuss their friendship and what they each have in common. They also reflect that being from different racial backgrounds does not prevent them from being close friends.
Conversation Starters and Practice at Home Activities
The first item is for follow-up after viewing the lesson video and participating in class activities.
Tell about the life size drawing you made. Why do you prick the details that you added?
What are the things about you that make you a good friend to others?
What are the things you look for in a friend? Why?
Tell about the friends you have. How can you make sure that these people stay your friends?
Is it ever necessary to end a friendship? What would be the reasons?
School to Home Resources on Friendship
Materials
- Paper and writing utensils
- Example of your own life size outline on a large piece of paper
- Poster sized or larger pieces of paper
- Pencils, crayons, markers or other art supplies
Previewing Activity:
Before watching the video have students sit in a circle.
Ask students to think about someone who is their friend. After giving time to think, ask students to now think about ways that they are similar to the friend they are thinking about and then ask students to think about ways that they are different from their friend (teacher may wish to have students write down thoughts on a piece of paper).
Without saying the name of who they are thinking of, have students share some of the ways that they are similar to their friend and some ways that they are different.
Use this to discuss that both similarities and differences are good things in a friendship. In other words, we need some things in common so we can share experiences with our friends, but it would also be boring if everybody were exactly the same.
Activity 1:
Watch video: Friendship: Cory and Jason [3 minutes]
Activity 2:
Use the following discussion questions following the video:
- 1. Why do you think it was so easy for Cory and Jason to become friends?
- 2. What are some benefits of having friends who are different from you (Cory and Jason talk about this in the video)?
- 3. Describe some ways that you can show you appreciate the differences you have with some of your friends.
Activity 3:
Body Trace
Introduction:
Show students the example of your own body trace. Teacher should decide ahead of time whether students will do tracings of head and shoulders or their entire bodies. Explain that students will work with a partner to trace their outlines on a large piece of paper. Point out to students that this is a way to demonstrate how unique each person is.
Direct Instruction:
Using the drawing of yourself, add in some details such as coloring hair or adding details about your eyes.
Explain that you are more than what people see when they look at you. You have thoughts, feelings, likes, dislikes and cultural heritage. Add some drawings or words around your picture to show these things.
For example, if you like to dance, you might draw a pair of dancing shoes to signify this or you could draw a stick figure of someone dancing or you could write some words to describe this on your poster. You could also write or draw something about your cultural history that is important as well. Choose several things to add around your tracing so that it is a useful example for students.
Guided Exploration (We do):
Ask a volunteer to demonstrate how students will lie down on the paper. The student can choose to lie on his/her back or the student could also choose a pose that shows movement.
Demonstrate how to trace around the student respectfully.
Assign partners, papers, and drawing supplies
Independent practice
Have students draw outlines of each other. Once each student has a drawing, have students draw her/his details on their own drawings.
Conclusion
When all outlines are complete, hang drawings on the wall around the room.
Ask students what they have learned about each other from the drawings.
Point out similarities among the things that were added to the poster that you cannot tell about someone by looking at them. If appropriate for the ages of students, ask about making judgements based only what you see when you look at someone. Teacher questioning should lead to a discussion regarding respecting differences and not making judgements about a person based on how they look.
Vocabulary and Definitions
Culture (n.), the ideas, beliefs and customs that are shared and accepted by people in a society.
- Many cultures celebrate their history with an annual festival.
Custom, (n.), something that people do in a particular society because it is traditional.
- It is an American custom to celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks.
