Introduction
Developing social-emotional skills is crucial for middle school students as they navigate friendships and build connections with others. One essential skill for students to learn is how to make plans with friends, which involves good communication, asking questions, and suggesting activities. This blog post will outline a no-prep activity, discussion questions, and related skills to help educators teach middle school students the art of making plans with friends.
No-Prep Activity
This no-prep activity is called “Making Plans Role-Play.” The goal is to help students practice initiating conversations, suggesting ideas, and agreeing on a day and time to hang out. Here’s how it works:
- Divide students into pairs. Assign one student as Person A and the other as Person B.
- Person A will initiate the conversation by asking Person B if they want to do something together (e.g., “Do you want to do something this weekend?”).
- Person B responds positively (e.g., “Sure! What should we do?”).
- Person A suggests an activity (e.g., “I was thinking you could come over, and we could watch movies?”).
- Person B agrees and asks for more details (e.g., “Okay. When?”).
- Person A provides a day and time (e.g., “Are you free on Saturday afternoon?”).
- Person B confirms (e.g., “Yeah. I could come at 3.”).
- Person A concludes the conversation (e.g., “Awesome!”).
After the role-play, have students switch roles and practice the conversation again. Encourage students to try different activities and times to practice various scenarios.
Discussion Questions
- Why is it important to communicate clearly when making plans with friends?
- How can you show your interest in hanging out with someone while still being open to their suggestions?
- What are some other ways to initiate a conversation about making plans with friends?
- How can you handle a situation where you and your friend cannot agree on an activity or time to hang out?
- What are some strategies for being flexible and accommodating when making plans with friends?
Related Skills
Teaching students how to make plans with friends is just one aspect of social-emotional learning. Some other related skills that educators can focus on include:
- Active listening
- Empathy and understanding
- Conflict resolution
- Assertiveness
- Collaboration and teamwork
Next Steps
Now that you have a simple, no-prep activity and discussion questions to teach middle school students how to make plans with friends, it’s time to put these ideas into practice. For more resources and free samples of social-emotional learning materials, be sure to visit Everyday Speech and sign up for access. You’ll find a wealth of tools and strategies to help your students develop essential life skills and navigate the challenges of adolescence with confidence.
