Friendship Links

Friendship Links

This activity can be used with groups or classrooms of all ages. 

Objective:  To facilitate student’s abilities to express positive feelings towards another person and to build class harmony.  

Materials: Strips of colored paper, markers, crayons

Procedure:

1.

Discuss  friendships

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qualities to look for in friends

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where they see their friendships in 1, 5, 10, 10 years,

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how might friendships change when moving to a new school or school building

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what makes them a good friend

2.

Ask students to begin thinking about the people around the classroom and to brainstorm as many positive attributes as they can about their peers.  Teacher may demonstrate by brainstorming on the board about someone whom they all know (principal).  Emphasize the importance of listing only POSITIVE characteristics.

3.

Pass out strips of paper to each student and yourself.

4.

Explain that the strips of paper will be used to make a friendship chain and stapled together (similar to ones made at Christmas and used to decorate).  

5.

Students should write their name on the strip – big enough for other students to know who the strip belongs.

6.

Students will pass the strips around the room and will write a positive statement or compliment on the strip and then sign their own initials.  Please monitor for positive statements only.

7.

Students will review the nice statements made about them.

8.

Discussion points:

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How did you feel when the person read nice things about you?

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Did you agree with what people wrote about you?

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Why is friendship so important?

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What makes you a good friend?

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What things could you work on to become a better friend?

**It makes it easier if students only pass slips of paper when instructed to do so by the teacher

**Monitor slips to make sure the same statement is not being written over and over (i.e – smart, funny, nice)