Our Friendship Toolkit

Overview

In this final lesson of Friendship and Feelings, students bring together strategies practised across the unit for recognising emotions, communicating respectfully, solving problems and seeking support. They rotate through realistic scenarios, then create and share a personal toolkit for everyday friendship challenges.

Learning intentions

• WALT apply friendship, emotion and conflict-resolution skills in everyday situations.
• WALT choose communication that is respectful and suited to the situation.
• WALT explain why a strategy may help someone feel safe, included and supported.
• WALT reflect on how our choices contribute to hauora and positive relationships.

Success criteria

• I can choose an appropriate strategy for a friendship situation.
• I can explain why my strategy fits.
• I can show respectful friendship behaviour.
• I can identify people who can support me when I need help.

Curriculum links

• Relationships: developing critical thinking, respectful discussion and empathy to understand others and build inclusive, respectful relationships.
• Relationships: adapting verbal and non-verbal communication to suit different contexts, cultures and personal experiences.
• Bodies | Minds / Self-care: using strategies such as positive self-talk and goal setting to manage moderate stress and pressure.
• Health and Physical Education: relationships with other people, personal identity and hauora.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Reconnect and celebrate. Teacher welcomes students, displays the WALT and uses the opening question and unit recap to revisit key learning: feelings can give us information, calm choices help us think, and respectful communication supports relationships. Students share one strategy from the unit that has helped them or someone else.

2. 5–10 min · Model the toolkit. Teacher models a scenario such as, “Two people want the same equipment,” thinking aloud through the steps: notice the feeling, pause and calm, describe the problem, listen, suggest a fair solution, and seek help if needed. Teacher records examples on the strategy steps and respectful phrases and explains that the best strategy depends on the situation. Students identify which words, body language and calm choices make the response respectful.

3. 10–25 min · Scenario stations. Teacher places three tasks around the room and gives each student a starting point. Use the Friendship Skills Scenario Cards for the scenarios, with one adult-supported station if possible. Students rotate every five minutes:

• Choose: select a helpful strategy and explain why it fits.
• Practise: role-play the situation using a respectful phrase and calm body language.
• Reflect: identify the feeling, possible viewpoints, and when to involve a trusted adult. Teacher listens for empathy, safe choices, active listening and flexible communication, using the station instructions and discussion prompts to keep each rotation focused.

4. 25–37 min · Create a personal toolkit. Teacher distributes the personal Friendship Toolkit template and reminds students they may write, draw, dictate, act or use text-to-speech. Students complete five sections: feeling words, calm choices, respectful phrases, problem-solving steps, and support people. They choose one scenario from the stations and add the strategy they would use, including a short explanation of why it fits. Teacher conferences briefly with each student and prompts: “What might the other person be feeling?” and “What could you say without blaming?”

5. 37–42 min · Share and improve. Teacher invites students to share one toolkit idea in a circle, pair or recorded response, then displays the sharing sentence starters. Students give kind, specific feedback using “That could help because…” or suggest a respectful alternative. Students may revise one part of their toolkit after listening to others.

6. 42–45 min · Reflection and celebration. Teacher uses the Friendship Skills Reflection Mat for a brief group reflection, selecting prompts appropriate to the time. Students name one strength they have developed, one strategy they will practise, and one way they can include others. Teacher celebrates growth across the unit and collects the toolkit as evidence of learning.

Resources

• the Friendship Toolkit teaching deck
• the personal Friendship Toolkit template
• the Friendship Skills Scenario Cards
• the Friendship Skills Reflection Mat
• Pencils, coloured pencils and clipboards or firm writing surfaces
• Timer
• Optional tablet or audio recorder with text-to-speech/read-aloud tools
• Quiet space or visual boundary for students needing reduced stimulation

Assessment

• During modelling and stations, listen for students identifying feelings, considering another viewpoint, selecting a suitable strategy and explaining why it fits.
• Use the toolkit to check that each student can record or communicate feeling words, a calm choice, a respectful phrase, problem-solving steps and a support person.
• Ask each student to complete the oral or written exit response: “When a friendship problem happens, I can ___ because ___.” Note who needs further teaching or rehearsal.

Differentiation

• Support reading and communication with icons, read-aloud or text-to-speech, large-print templates, short instructions and sentence starters such as “I feel…”, “Could we…?” and “I need help from…”.
• Offer choice of speaking, drawing, acting, scribing, recording or using a word bank. Allow students to rehearse with a peer, teacher aide or teacher before sharing with the group.
• For students who become overwhelmed, preview scenarios, avoid requiring personal disclosures, provide a quiet role such as observer or strategy coach, and accept fictional examples.
• Extend confident learners by asking them to compare two possible strategies, explain how culture or personal experience might affect communication, or adapt their response for a different context.

Extension

• Write and perform a short scenario that demonstrates a problem, a respectful solution and a reflection on why the solution helped.
• Include two possible responses and explain which is more appropriate, considering feelings, safety, fairness and the effect on the relationship.