Three lesson plans surrounding the theme of friendships to help support children’s wellbeing for module PRUH04

for Jan Gourd and Jayne Garcia...

The importance of supporting friendships...

For this task, I have based my sessions on building and supporting positive friendships through a variety of Dr Seuss books such as Thing one and Thing Two. The aim of

these sessions will hopefully help too support every child’s wellbeing within their Life-Long Learning (LLL), and also helping them to understand a variety of abilities to

recognise, communicate, and compare good and bad friendships together as a class (Yang & Valdés-Cotera, 2011 & Haynes, 2002). I hope to promote this in my activities

through simple discussions and tasks that enable the children to think precisely and to collaboratively communicate to one another about what qualities make someone a

good/bad friend. I have decided to create a variety of sessions that let the children within a class to think about solutions to problems through teacher led discussions or

through peer support as this links to the social constructivism paradigm (Whipp, 2003). This mainly links to Vygotsky’s Scaffolding ideologies (1896-1934), as through my

planned activities this will allow the children partaking in them to think for themselves, however, if they need help/support with their answers then the teacher or peers

within their class would be able to help and scaffold their learning to help them understand the topic (Berk and Winsler, 1995 & Van Der Stuyf, 2002).

Furthermore, the purpose of leading these activities will hopefully help to support all components of their mental/physical wellbeing as well as helping them to understand

the importance of understanding friendships. For instance, they will learn these components through understanding and reflecting on the ability to accept themselves by

recognising what they are like as a friend, the ability to full-fill one’s life by being able to think for themselves, and finally, the capacity to feel for others when they are not

feeling themselves positively (Reshma, n.d.).

The importance of supporting this theme within my activities links within many pedagogical paradigms today, especially the positive psychology ideologies. Positive

psychology simply surrounds the ideas of people discovering and understanding their own self through three different levels to help support aspects of human life such as

happiness and wellbeing to help them flourish within their learning and development (Pacini-Ketchabaw, Nxumalo, Elliot & Sanchez, 2015 & Kingdon, Gourd & Gasper,

2017). This is why my activities I have designed below link to Seligman (2002) ideologies, as they will hopefully help the children to understand through thinking and

communicating to one another about the capacity to love, to encourage others, forgiveness, originality and interpersonal skills which are all embedded within his theory

(Seligman, 2002 & Seligman, Rashid and Parks, 2006). Therefore, understanding skills such as these at a young age will help to support every child’s LLL by helping them to

understand how they can support and assist their own mental health and to support others which will help to improve their normal lives to help them to understand their

mindfulness (Yang & Valdés-Cotera, 2011 & Seligman & Csikszentmihaly, 2014). Overall, this is why I have designed these activities, as they allow children to think for

themselves and communicate with others about simple ideas of what makes a good friend, and what they could do to help stop bad friendships within their lives.

If activities such as the ones I have planned below were not implemented into our children’s educational lives through their school’s wellbeing policy, then this would have

numerous negative effects on their development, especially in relation to their wellbeing. For example, if they were not taught simplistic activities such as the ones below,

then they would not understand what they could do as humans to encourage and support people if they were not feeling the best mentally (Stainback, Stainback and

Wilkinson, 1992). Likewise, they would not also be able to acquire or understand simple skills such as improving their self-esteem which could lead to mental illnesses in

the future such as anxiety if they cannot understand ways to help themselves or others to feel better and feel more positive within themselves (Fisher, Masia-Warner and

Klein, 2004).

My activities will be discussed in more in depth on the other assignment which is due on the 29th May. Which is why for this task, I generated a basic overview of what my

activities I have planned will help children to understand if they participate in them. I hope you enjoy the activities I have planned below, and the resources and examples

of the completed tasks will be attached below to give you a visual idea of what the finished outcomes for the tasks will look like. Thank you, and hope you enjoy.

Word count for rationale- 764 words.

LESSON TITLE: Friendship Hands

Lesson number: Lesson one (Twenty minutes)

Learning Objective: Today we are going to learn how to create positive friendship hands.

Learning Outcomes: All students will discuss the Dr Suess quote provided and communicate why we should be unique.

Most will discuss what makes a good friend through the friendship hand activity.

Some will communicate what qualities are needed to be a good friend ready for the next session.

Wellbeing Area/ concept... Activity... Areas of development (Linked to the KS1 National Curriculum)...

Materials/Equipment needed...

The main focus of this activity is surrounding a theme of friendships. And the concept of this activity is to discover that as humans, each and every one of us is unique and that is what makes us ourselves.

First activity for this session is to look at the Dr Suess quote provided through a teacher led discussion, and discuss why we should be ourselves and to not worry about trying to be someone we are not. After this, please explain what we are going to do within this session (Five minutes).

Activity time- (Approximately Ten Minutes). The activity you will be leading is where the children draw around their left hand and write in the middle “five things that make me who I am and their name.” Then they walk around the classroom and ask five different peers (One for each finger) what makes them themselves (e.g

English language- Learning how to spell, sound out and write five words that make them who they are, such as funny.

Mathematics- You could relate this to children comparing their hand sizes through discussions of visual stimuli’s to work out the smallest hands to the biggest hands, and making patterns on their designs to make them look eye

Dr Suess Quote that I have provided for this session.

Writing pens and colouring pencils

White A4 Paper(One piece for each class member)

Thing one and Thing two book by Dr Suess (can be found cheaply on Amazon or could be found within the school library)

Lesson One...

friendly etc). Once they have found five positive things about themselves, then they are welcome to colour them in with colours and patterns.

Plenary- (Approximately Five Minutes). Teacher led discussion about what they have learnt during this session. Finally, as the teacher please could you read Dr Suess’s Thing one and Thing two book as this will come in handy for the next follow up session.

catching.

Arts and design- Drawing around objects such as their hands using fine motor skills, and creating patterns and designs on the hands to make them look colourful.

Personal, Social and Health education (PSHE)- Personal can help the children to understand what makes them unique and their own self. For social, they will be working together to come up with five points that make them unique. And for health, this will hopefully help build the morale and positivity within the class that helps strengthen wellbeing and positivity.

KEY VOCABULARY Unique, positive friendships, individual, its okay to be different, comparisons, friendships, helpful, appreciation, kind-hearted, a good listener and funny.

LESSON TITLE: Positive Friendship Quality Hands.

Lesson number: Lesson Two (Twenty minutes)

Learning Objective: Today we are going to learn how to create a hand full of qualities that make someone a good friend.

Lesson Two...

Learning Outcomes: All students will discuss what makes thing one and thing two good friends in the story I read to you in the last session.

Most students will discuss during circle time what qualities make a good friend and why are good friends important.

Some Students will complete a hand full of good qualities that make them a good friend.

Wellbeing area/concept of learning...

Activity... Areas of development (Linked to the KS1 National Curriculum)...

Materials needed...

The theme for this session also surrounds the theme of friendships, and what positive qualities make good friendships. And to discuss why these qualities make these good friendships through social and personal sharing activities such as the circle time activity.

Starter- Circle time discussing what makes thing one and thing two good friends in the story we read in the last session through teacher led discussions. Also discuss what qualities make a good friend through this circle time. (Six Minutes).

Activity- Children draw around their right hand this time and note in the middle of the palm “what qualities make a good friend and then their name.” And then get them to write five things (One for each finger) about what qualities make them a good friend. They could work together if they get stuck thinking about what qualities make them a good friend through discussion and communicating with their peers. (Ten Minutes).

Plenary- What have they learnt during this session through discussions as a group. And then please could the teacher read the book listed in the materials needed section ready for the final session. The book is Horton Hears a who by Dr Suess as this book has a hidden message in it ready for the final

English language- Learning how to spell, sound out and write five words about what makes good qualities within friendships.

Mathematics- You could relate this to basic counting and additions within maths. Such as counting how many hands or fingers they have as a group etc.

Arts and design- Drawing around objects such as their hands, and creating patterns and designs on the hands to make them unique to them.

Personal, social and health education (PSHE) -Personal can help the children to understand

Thing one and thing two book, in case children need to be reminded of the story

White A4 Paper (One piece for each class member)

Writing pens and colouring pencils

Horton hears a who book by Dr Suess (Could be found cheaply on Amazon, or your school may have a copy).

session. (Approximately Five Minutes). what qualities make good friendships, and how this makes us feel to have these good friendships within our lives. For social, they will be working together to come up with five points regarding positive qualities within a friendship. And for health, this will hopefully help build the morale and positivity within the class that helps strengthen well-being and positivity.

LESSON TITLE: What makes a bad friend hand, and how can we solve this as a class?

Lesson number: Lesson Three (Twenty minutes)

Learning Objective: Today we are going to learn about what qualities make a bad friend, and how can we solve this as a class?

Learning Outcomes: All students will discuss what makes a bad friend and what we learnt about bad friends in the book I read in the previous session (The book is Horton hears a who by Dr Suess).

Most students will draw around both hands and discuss what makes bad friends on one hand, and then what can we do to solve bad friendships on the other hand.

Some Students will communicate to me what they have learnt over the past three sessions, and what they are going to use in the future from these sessions.

Lesson Three...

Well-being area/concept of learning...

Activity... Areas of development (Linked to the KS1 National Curriculum)...

Materials needed...

The concept of learning for this activity will hopefully help the children to understand what makes a bad friend, and what we could do as humans to stop these bad friendships from happening as they do not make us feel the best inside.

Starting activity- Circle time discussion of “Horton hears a who” regarding what they have learnt from this book about what makes a bad friend, how did this make Horton feel, and how as a class we can solve bad friendships. (Five Minutes).

Main Activity- Draw around both hands and on one hand and write “five things (one for each finger) about what qualities make a bad friend. “And for the other hand please could they write “five things that we can do to solve bad friendships.” They then walk around the class or work in groups to discuss what makes a bad friend, and how they can solve this on the other hand. Once complete they can colour them in again. (Approximately 10 minutes).

Plenary- Teacher led discussion with class about what they have learnt through these three sessions and how they are going to use this in their future. (Five minutes).

English language- Learning how to spell, sound out and write five words that make bad friendships and discussion with peers within the class regarding how to solve bad friendships.

Mathematics- You could relate this to children counting and adding up all the hands and fingers they have written in the duration of these three activities. And how many fingers and hands they have written on together as a class. As this is a simple counting, addition and subtraction term within mathematics.

Arts and design- Drawing around objects such as their hands using fine motor skills, and creating patterns and designs on the hands to make them unique and colourful.

Personal, social and health education (PSHE)- Personal can help the children to understand what qualities make someone a bad friend, and what we could do to solve these bad friendships, such as

Writing pens and colouring pencils

White A4 Paper (One piece for each class member)

Horton Hears a who by Dr Suess (In case children need reminding of the story)

discussing and communicating within one another about how this person is upsetting them etc. For social, they will be working together as a class to discuss, communicate and compare within one another. And for health, this will hopefully help the children in the class to recognise for their future of what makes a bad friendship, and what they could do to stop this bad friendship from hurting themselves deep down such as their self-belief and confidence.

Resources for activities and examples of main activities...

Activity one...

Question hints for the teacher to ask students:

What does this quote mean to you?

What does the author mean when he says “a person is a person?”

How does this quote make you feel?

What does Dr Suess mean by “don’t give up?

Why should we not give up?

This is an example of what activity/lesson one should look like once completed. As the children can colour their hands in, or make patterns in them like I have.

This the example I have created for activity/lesson two to look like once completed by the children. Likewise, they can also colour or make patterns in their hands to make them creative and colourful.

This is what activity three should potentially look like once completed. As your class can colour and make patterns within the hands to make them colourful and unique to them.

References...

Berk, L. E., & Winsler, A. (1995). Scaffolding Children's Learning: Vygotsky and Early Childhood Education. NAEYC Research into Practice Series. Volume 7. National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1509 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036-1426 (NAEYC catalog# 146).

Fisher, P. H., Masia-Warner, C., & Klein, R. G. (2004). Skills for social and academic success: A school-based intervention for social anxiety disorder in adolescents. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 7(4), 241-249.

Haynes. J (2002) Children as Philosophers; Abingdon: Routledge.

Kingdon, Z., Gourd, J., & Gasper, M. (2017). Flourishing in the early years : contexts, practices and futures (1st ed.). London: Routledge.

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Nxumalo, F., Elliot, E., & Sanchez, A. (2015). Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Practices through pedagogical narration (1st ed., p. 113). Toronto: University Of Toronto Press.

Reshma, S. Mental Health: Definition, Components and Indicators. Retrieved 21 April 2020, from http://www.psychologydiscussion.net/health/mental-health-definition-components-and-indicators/2068

Seligman, M. E. (2002). Positive psychology, positive prevention, and positive therapy. Handbook of positive psychology, 2(2002), 3-12.

Seligman, M. E., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). Positive psychology: An introduction. In Flow and the foundations of positive psychology (pp. 279-298). Springer, Dordrecht.

Seligman, M. E., Rashid, T., & Parks, A. C. (2006). Positive psychotherapy. American psychologist, 61(8), 774

Stainback, W., Stainback, S., & Wilkinson, A. (1992). Encouraging peer supports and friendships. Teaching Exceptional Children, 24(2), 6-11.

Van Der Stuyf, R. R. (2002). Scaffolding as a teaching strategy. Adolescent learning and development, 52(3), 5-18.

Whipp, J. L. (2003). Scaffolding critical reflection in online discussions: Helping prospective teachers think deeply about field experiences in urban schools. Journal of teacher education, 54(4), 321-333.

Yang, J., & Valdés-Cotera, R. (2011). Conceptual Evolution and Policy Developments in Lifelong Learning. UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. Feldbrunnenstrasse 58, 20148 Hamburg, Germany.