Strong Relationships

Overview

Lesson 2 of 7 in “Building Strong Friendships” helps students distinguish friendships from other relationships in their lives. Students practise identifying features of friendship and explore how boundaries and emotional safety can look in different kinds of relationships.

Learning intentions

• WALT distinguish between friendships and other types of relationships.
• WALT describe what makes a relationship supportive, respectful, and emotionally safe.
• WALT explain how boundaries help protect wellbeing while keeping relationships intact.
• WALT use respectful communication to respond to a tricky relationship situation.

Success criteria

• I can name at least three relationship types I have (e.g., friendship, family, classroom/acquaintance, community).
• I can explain how friendships are different from other relationships using clear reasons.
• I can identify what respect and emotional safety look like in each relationship type.
• I can choose one strategy for setting a boundary in a respectful way.

Curriculum links

• Health Education / Relationships (Self and others): managing emotions, setting boundaries, and resolving conflict in ways that protect wellbeing while keeping relationships intact.
• Health Education / Relationships (Years 1–10): building communication skills, empathy, and understanding of personal relationships and boundaries.
• Health Education / Relationships (Years 1–10): respectful interactions, inclusion, and emotional safety.

Lesson structure ({total minutes})

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and retrieval. Teacher briefly revisits last lesson: “What is a friendship?” Students do a quick think of one word that describes a friendship and share to a partner.
2. 5–15 min · Hook: sorting statements. Teacher displays 8–10 scenario statements (e.g., “We choose to hang out and care about each other”, “They are in my class”, “They look after me at home”, “We chat because we share an activity”, “They help me learn rules at school”). Students sort into three categories on paper or mini-whiteboards: Friendship / Other relationship / Not sure, then justify one choice with a reason.
3. 15–25 min · Mini-lesson: features of friendship. Teacher leads a short discussion and records class ideas under: Choice, Care, Trust/respect, Enjoyment/connection, and Boundaries. Students copy a simple “Friendship vs Other” comparison chart and add one example from their own life for each relationship type.
4. 25–40 min · Activity: relationship web and boundary check. Teacher provides a worksheet with a “Relationship Web” circle (centre = “People in my life”). Students place three people or groups they interact with (e.g., friend(s), family member(s), classmate(s), coach/teacher, neighbour/community group). For each, students answer:

• What type of relationship is it? (friendship/other)
• What does respect look like here?
• What boundary might be needed? Teacher circulates to prompt: “How do you know this is friendship, not just being in the same place?”

5. 40–52 min · Role-play: respectful boundary lines. Teacher sets a scenario: “Someone messages you to share a personal photo that you don’t want to send” or “A classmate keeps asking to join even after you say you’re busy.” In pairs, students select one boundary line from a provided set (e.g., “I don’t want to do that.” / “No, please stop.” / “I can’t share that.” / “I’m busy right now.”) and add a short reason and/or alternative. Pairs role-play for 30–40 seconds while others use a checklist: Is it respectful? Is it clear? Does it protect wellbeing?
6. 52–58 min · Whole-class debrief. Teacher asks: “Which features helped you tell friendship apart?” and “When you set a boundary, what stayed the same about your relationship?”
7. 58–60 min · Exit ticket. Students write one sentence answer: “One difference between friendship and another relationship is…” and one boundary strategy they can use.

Resources

• Relationship Web worksheet (one per student)
• Scenario statement cards (prepared by teacher)
• Mini-whiteboards or paper for quick sorting
• Boundary line sentence starters (printable card)
• Role-play scenario slips
• Class chart paper or digital slide for “Features of friendship”
• A simple checklist for peer feedback during role-plays

Assessment

• Formative: teacher checks sorting justifications and listens for accurate reasons (choice, care, respect, boundaries, emotional safety).
• Formative: worksheet responses show whether students can distinguish relationship types and identify respectful boundaries.
• Summative-in-class (light): exit ticket confirms understanding of friendship vs other relationships and one boundary strategy.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters for the comparison chart and Role-play boundary lines; offer an example “relationship web” for modelling.
• Support: for students needing more structure, allow them to choose only two relationship types to complete (rather than three).
• Extension: challenge students to add a “mixed relationship” example (e.g., someone you used to consider a friend but the relationship changed) and explain what signs changed.
• EAL/SEN: reduce cognitive load by using icons/colour-coding for categories (friendship/other/not sure) and allowing oral responses before writing.
• Encourage safe participation: students may use hypothetical examples rather than naming real people if that feels safer.

Teacher notes for scenarios (for consistency)

Use scenarios that are age-appropriate, non-graphic, and focus on everyday relationship issues (asking to join, sharing messages/photos, taking turns, inclusion). Remind students that every boundary is about safety and respect—not about being unkind.