Introduction
Social-emotional learning (SEL) is essential for students to develop healthy relationships and effectively navigate social situations. One crucial aspect of SEL is teaching students how to make plans with friends. This involves learning to initiate conversations, suggesting activities, and agreeing on a day and time. In this blog post, we will discuss a no-prep activity to help students practice these skills, as well as discussion questions and related skills to enhance their learning experience.
No-Prep Activity
To help students practice making plans with friends, try this simple and engaging role-playing activity. No materials or preparation are required, making it easy for educators to implement in the classroom.
- Divide students into pairs.
- Explain that one student will play the role of the person initiating the plan (Serena), while the other will play the role of the friend responding (Kate).
- Provide the following example dialogue for students to use as a guide:
Serena: Do you want to do something this weekend?
Kate: Sure! What should we do?
Serena: I was thinking you could come over and we could watch movies?
Kate: Okay. When?
Serena: Are you free on Saturday afternoon?
Kate: Yeah. I could come at 3.
Serena: Awesome!
Encourage students to practice this dialogue, taking turns playing both roles. Once they are comfortable with the conversation, challenge them to create their own dialogues with different activities, days, and times.
Discussion Questions
After completing the activity, facilitate a group discussion using the following questions to help students reflect on their learning and consider the importance of making plans with friends.
- Why is it important to know how to make plans with friends?
- What challenges might you face when trying to make plans with others? How can you overcome them?
- How can being flexible and open to suggestions help when making plans with friends?
- What other strategies can you use to initiate a conversation about making plans?
- How does practicing these skills contribute to your overall social-emotional development?
Related Skills
In addition to learning how to make plans with friends, students can benefit from developing other related social-emotional skills. These include:
- Active listening: Paying attention and responding appropriately to others during conversations.
- Problem-solving: Working together to overcome obstacles and find solutions in social situations.
- Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others, which can help foster stronger connections and friendships.
- Conflict resolution: Addressing misunderstandings or disagreements in a respectful and constructive manner.
Next Steps
To further support your students’ social-emotional learning, consider signing up for free samples of our skill-building materials. Our resources cover a wide range of SEL topics, including making plans with friends and many more. Access these valuable materials by visiting Everyday Speech’s sample materials.
