Relationship Skills
Family Resources on Friends Make A Difference
Lesson Topic
Students will practice writing an elevator pitch focused on the important characteristics of friendship.
Essential Question
What are the characteristics of a good friend?
Friends Make A Difference
If this lesson was used in the classroom: Students analyzed how choosing positive friends encourages adolescents to make positive choices themselves. In class students discussed what to consider when making a choice of friends. In groups students developed and shared “elevator pitches” to describe the process for choosing friends wisely.
Getting Ready for the Conversation
The video for this module features an adolescent named Ambra and some of her friends who have fun together, but they also encourage each other to make positive choices. Have the high school students in your household developed such a thoughtful plan for their future?
Conversation notes:
Often adults think about “peer pressure” in negative terms. While often times discussion of peer pressure involves situations where a teenager is encouraged to negatively by peers, peers can also be a positive force for adolescents. Parents and adult mentors should find ways to encourage teens to make friends with others who will encourage positive choices and behaviors.
This article by Dr. Suzanne Degges-White describes qualities of friendship at Psychology Today:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lifetime-connections/201503/the-13-essentialtraits-good-friends
Article on teens developing positive friendships by Holly Tiret at the Michigan State University Extension:
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/helping_teens_develop_positive_friendships
It is important to help teenagers make positive friends, here are some tips from Healthy Children:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/school/Pages/Making-Friendsin-High-School.aspx
Constructive Conversation Starters
The first item is for follow-up after viewing the lesson video and participating in class activities.
Tell me (or us) about the elevator pitch your group wrote. Why did your group choose this pitch about positive friendship? Were there other good pitches from other groups? Why did you find these other pitches interesting?
Who is (or are) the friend(s) that encourage you to make positive choices? How do you know these friends encourage positive qualities? Why should you keep this (or these) friendship(s) strong?
What are the qualities in a friend that encourages you to make good choices? What are the things a negative peer would encourage? Why is it important for you to spend as much time as possible with the peers that will encourage you to make good choices? How can you continue to grow these types of friendships?
School to Home Resources on Friends Make A Difference
Lesson Plan
Interactive Reflection > Open/Download Complete PDF Lesson
Friends that keep you motivated
Ambra says, “those are the best friends, they’re so funny…being around people like that, just like myself that keeps me motivated”. What do you think Ambra’s friends do that keeps her motivated? How do friendships provide a person with joy and happiness?
The good kind of peer pressure
Dr. Marylin Billingsly says, “peer pressure is not always bad, it can be very good, it can be encouraging sometimes a young person may not choose high risk behaviors and may not want to do the wrong thing”. What do you think Ambra would say about the choices she makes because of her friends? What examples can you offer of one of your friends influencing you to make a wise choice? Why do believe that your friendships encourage you to be positive?
Things about choosing friends
While speaking to a group of younger high school students Johnny Hays says, “choose your friends wisely, is what I would definitely say because you don’t know if they’re for you or against you”. Why do you think Johnny believes choosing friends is an important activity for high school students? How do you know if a friend has your best interest in mind? How do you rate yourself in terms of thinking about the interests or needs of your friends? Explain.
Writing an elevator speech
Look at this article from the Toastmasters International website. What are the reasons for giving an elevator speech? What is a problem that you think you could solve for someone? Why do you think you could solve this problem? What would be a good anecdote that you could use that succinctly describes this skill you have? Why is it a good idea to prepare and practice your elevator speech?
https://www.toastmasters.org/Magazine/Articles/Elevator-Speech/
Additional Reflection Questions > Open/Download PDF
