Lesson Plan

Friendship Foundations Lesson Plan

Students will learn and practice key relationship skills—effective communication, empathy, and conflict resolution—through interactive activities and real-life scenarios to strengthen friendships and foster a supportive classroom community.

Building healthy relationship skills fosters a supportive environment and improves student interactions. Teaching communication, empathy, and conflict resolution empowers 7th graders to navigate social challenges, reduce misunderstandings, and create lasting friendships.

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Lesson Preparation

10 minutes

Step 1

Introduction & Icebreaker

5 minutes

Step 2

Exploring Communication & Empathy

10 minutes

Step 3

Conflict Resolution Activity

10 minutes

Step 4

Reflection & Closing

5 minutes

Slide Deck

Friendship Foundations

Welcome everyone! Introduce today’s topic: Friendship Foundations. Highlight that we’ll explore communication, empathy, and conflict resolution. Mention the gradient blue theme to keep slides inviting.

Session Objectives

Read each objective aloud and elaborate briefly: effective communication helps us express ourselves clearly; empathy deepens understanding; conflict resolution keeps friendships healthy.

What Is Communication?

Define communication. Emphasize both speaking and active listening. Ask students for examples of good versus poor communication.

What Is Empathy?

Define empathy and contrast it with sympathy. Invite students to think of a time someone showed them empathy.

Empathy Wheel Activity

Pass out the Empathy Wheel Handout. Explain that each slice has a scenario. Students pair up, pick a scenario, then practice articulating the other person’s feelings.

Conflict Resolution Steps

Introduce the four core steps. Point to the Conflict Resolution Steps Poster. Ask students to repeat each step aloud.

Practice with Scenarios

Divide students into groups of three or four. Hand each group 2–3 Scenario Cards. Encourage them to identify which step fits each scenario and prepare a quick role-play.

Reflection & Personal Action

Hand out the Friendship Reflection Worksheet. Ask students to choose one skill to strengthen this week and write an action step.

Key Takeaways

Highlight the three key skills one more time. Encourage students to look for opportunities to practice these skills every day.

Thank You & Next Steps

Thank students for their participation. Remind them to track their progress on the worksheet and share successes next week. Close the session.