Disucssion activity about friendship
The teacher writes the following text in the language being taught, for instance, English (“To have good friends, you must be a good friend.”). The students divide the piece of paper to halves and write down how a good friend should and should not behave.
After a specified interval, the activity moves to the blackboard on which the teacher or students write the examples. This is followed by analysing the good and bad examples. The students are allowed to speak and describe their experience, feelings, their good and bad behaviour towards their friends.
Ultimately, the teacher asks whether or not the students agree with the main phrase written on the blackboard.
How this resource relates to Shaping Characters objectives
- Attitudes and attributes
- Education techniques
Actual outcomes
Educational objective: Understanding the importance of friendship; respecting other people
Qualities in focus: Empathy, awareness
Target group, age of the students: 9–15 years of age
Suitable for: English, German, Civics, Health Education
Resources required
Blackboard, marker, pen, piece of paper
Time needed
20 minutes
What could have been done differently or is planned for future repeats?
This is a very simple activity that can be used for a wide spectrum of elementary school students. If used in foreign language classes, I recommend older students with broader vocabulary, which is necessary for this predominantly verbal activity.
The activity opened up after a while, and the students agreed in some qualities they should observe in order to be good friends. I recommend keeping track of time.