Friendships and Change

Curriculum links (copy-paste)

AC9HP4P04 — select, use and refine personal and social skills to establish, manage and strengthen relationships. AC9HP4P02 — plan, rehearse and reflect on strategies to cope with different changes and transitions, such as classroom changes. AC9HP4P10 — investigate and apply behaviours that contribute to their own and others’ health, safety, relationships and wellbeing. AC9HP4P06 — explain how and why emotional responses can vary and practise strategies to manage emotions. AC9HP4P08 — describe and apply protective behaviours and help-seeking strategies in online and offline situations.

Overview

In this lesson, students practise friendship skills and learn a simple, repeated routine for managing change in the classroom. The low-variance structure uses clear visuals, step-by-step modelling, guided practice, role-play, and short check-ins to support students with ADHD and Autism.

Learning intentions

• Students will practise the friendship skill: “Kind words + helpful actions + including others”.
• Students will sort examples of friendship behaviours and choose a better alternative.
• Students will practise a predictable change routine: “First-Then + breathing + ask for help”.
• Students will rehearse responses to classroom change scenarios using coping strategy cards.
• Students will reflect on one friendship goal and one coping strategy for next time.

Success criteria

• I can use kind words, helpful actions, and include others when I play or talk.
• I can explain how friendship behaviours can help or hurt others’ feelings.
• I can use “First-Then + breathing + ask for help” when something changes.
• I can choose a coping strategy card and practise it with my group.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome + predictable agenda (low variance). Teacher greets students at the door, shows the 6-step agenda on the board with icons (Check-in → Friendship → Sort & choose → Role-play → Change routine → Reflection). Students do a quick yes/no feelings check: “Do you feel ready today?” (show yes/no card).

2. 5–10 min · Emotional check-in routine. Teacher models: “If my body feels wiggly, I can still join in.” Students use emotion cards (happy/okay/worried/angry) to hold up one card and do silent “breathing 1-2” together (short, gentle inhale/exhale). Teacher notes who chooses worried/angry for extra support later.

3. 10–18 min · Explicit teach: friendship skill. Teacher says the skill and points to a visual anchor chart: “Kind words + helpful actions + including others.” Teacher models each part with sentence starters:

• Kind words: “Can I join?” “Nice try!”
• Helpful actions: share, take turns, invite someone in
• Include others: “We have space—come play” Teacher teaches 3 example scenarios (use short scripts + act them out): Scenario A: Someone is alone at playtime → model inviting them in. Scenario B: Someone drops a game piece → model helpful action + kind words. Scenario C: Someone wants to play but the group says “no” → model including others: “We can take turns. You can be next.” Students repeat the skill phrase chorally and practise one starter sentence in unison.

4. 18–23 min · Guided practice: hands-on sort & choice. Teacher hands out a “Friendship helps” vs “Friendship hurts” sorting set (large cards on desk or taped floor zones). Students place each statement card under the correct heading, then choose 1 “better alternative” card (e.g., “That was mean” → “Let’s use kind words”). Teacher prompts with specific questions: “How might the other person feel?” and “What would kindness look like here?” Support: give a colour-coded prompt card set (green = helps, red = hurts) and allow students to sort with a partner if needed.

5. 23–33 min · Role-play stations (cue cards + script). Teacher explains routine: “Watch → Practise → Switch roles.” Students rotate through 3 stations (3–4 minutes each; teacher circulates). Station 1: Joining a game / asking to play

• Cue cards: “Can I join?” “What’s the plan?”
• Script lines: “Hi, can I play too? You can go first, then it’s my turn.” Station 2: Handling disagreement kindly
• Cue cards: “I feel…” “Let’s try…”
• Script lines: “I didn’t like that. Can we do it another way?” Station 3: Including others after rejection
• Cue cards: “Come with us” “We have space”
• Script lines: “We’re taking turns. Do you want to be next?” Teacher provides a “calm body” option card for any student overwhelmed (sit with support, then rejoin when ready). Students practise using the friendship skill phrase once during their role-play.

6. 33–39 min · Teach managing change: Plan, preview, ask for help. Teacher introduces the mini routine with visuals:

• First-Then (visual strip): “First: listen / Then: start activity”
• Breathing: “Smell the flower, blow the candle” (2 slow breaths)
• Ask for help: “Can I have help? / What should I do first?” Teacher models with a pretend change: “The teacher swaps stations—my plan is different.” Teacher explicitly states feelings may vary, then shows coping steps in order.

7. 39–44 min · Scenario practice: choose coping cards. Teacher reads 3 short scenarios (one at a time, predictable format). Example: “Teacher swap”, “Timetable change”, “Game rules change”. For each scenario, students pick 1 coping strategy card and show it (First-Then / Breathing / Ask for help / Use a break card). Students do a quick shared response: say the coping routine phrase and one sentence of help-seeking if needed: “I can ask for help by saying…”.

8. 44–45 min · Reflection + exit ticket (quick, consistent). Students complete an exit ticket card with two prompts:

• “Today I can…” (one friendship action or phrase)
• “Next time change happens, I will…” (one coping strategy from the cards) Teacher collects and gives brief verbal feedback to 2–3 students.

Resources

• Friendship skill anchor chart (text + icons)
• “Friendship helps / hurts” sorting cards (laminated if possible)
• Better alternative cards (kind words + helpful actions + including others)
• Emotion cards (happy/okay/worried/angry)
• Role-play cue cards and printed simple scripts for each station
• First-Then visual strip cards
• Coping strategy cards (First-Then, Breathing, Ask for help, Break/Reset)
• Prompt cards (sentence starters)
• Timer for station rotations
• Exit ticket slips and pens/clipboards

Assessment

• Formative observation checklist (teacher notes during sorting + role-play):
• Uses kind words sentence starter at least once.
• Demonstrates helpful action or inviting/including behaviour.
• Sorts at least 2 examples correctly as “helps” and explains the reason briefly.
• During role-play, uses a calm strategy when disagreement/embarrassment appears (e.g., “I feel…”).
• Identifies and uses at least one step of the change routine in scenario practice (First-Then/breathing/ask for help).
• Quick check: observe the number of students who choose “Ask for help” appropriately during scenarios (not avoidance).
• Exit ticket review: look for a specific friendship action and a specific coping strategy (not just “be calm”).

Differentiation

• Extra support:
• Provide sentence starter strips at desks (kind words, ask to join, disagreement kindly).
• Offer a “choice board” of two coping strategies first, then expand for students who can handle more.
• Use partner scaffolds (same-support buddy) for sorting and role-play, with roles assigned (speaker/actor/timekeeper).
• Allow movement breaks using a “reset corner” with breathing cue.
• Extension for others:
• Ask for a “why” explanation: “Which emotion might the other person feel and why?”
• Add a follow-up: “What would you do if they say ‘no’ again?” using another script line.
• ADHD/Autism supports:
• Predictable agenda on board with the same order every time.
• Visual timers for stations and transitions.
• Clear start/stop signals and minimal verbal overload (teach in short chunks).
• Trauma-informed approach: validate feelings (“It makes sense to feel upset”) and focus on skills, not blame.