Guidance Lesson: Choosing Friends Wisely in Elementary School

Topic: Choosing Friends Wisely

Grade Level: 1st and 2nd

Resources: 

• 2 shoe boxes (same size)
• Nice wrapping paper and a bow
• Newspaper and twine
• Small rocks/newspaper
• M&M’s

Rationale and purpose for the lesson: People have so much more depth to them than their physical appearance. Take time to get to know someone. Choose your friends based on their character and how they treat people, not based on their looks, such as how they dress, or what their hair looks like. Looks can be misleading, take time to get to know people by asking questions and spending time with them.

• Presents:
• Have students choose present based on appearance
• Have students ask questions to guess what is inside
• M&M’s:
• Have students pass around the shoe boxes and let them discover that even though something may look a certain way, doesn’t mean there isn’t something special on the inside. 

Introduction

Objective: Show how looks can be deceiving. It is what is on the inside that matters.

Previous Knowledge: Have them think of a time when they thought someone was scary, mean or unfriendly based on how they looked, but once they got to know them they became friends.

Create Anticipation: We brought a couple presents for all of you!! Raise your hand if you want this beautifully wrapped present with the pretty bow on top? Now raise your hand if you want this one wrapped in torn up newspaper and twine? What do you think is inside of each box? 

**Pick a few students to share why they picked the box they did. 

Activity

1. Pick two students to come up and stand next to each of the boxes.
2. Count of 3 have each student open the box up as fast as they can 
3. Ask how many students change their mind from the fancy box, to the torn up box
4. Have two new volunteers come up 
5. Have each student close their eyes and pick out an M&M and try to guess which color they picked
6. Pass around M&M’s for class to eat while you wrap up the discussion

Meeting objectives: Class will see that choosing the prettiest present (or friend) does not necessarily mean it is the best or the sweetest. The student guessing the color will show how once you taste the candy (get to know a person) the outside color (physical appearance) doesn’t matter. Each student eating the mixture of candy will realize that looks can be deceiving, because some have peanut butter filling while others have chocolate.

Engagement: Food, games, volunteering, and asking questions should keep students engaged throughout the lesson.

Bloom’s Taxonomy: We will be using question and answer, the shoe box activity, and volunteer opportunities to engage the students in higher level of thinking. After, we will discuss ways the students can use techniques of making new, valuable friends in their everyday lives, in or out of school. 

**Detailed examples are explained throughout the lesson**

Assessment/Evaluation 

Summary: Although the box was wrapped nicely it wasn’t nice on the inside, but the newspaper wrapped box was sweet on the inside even though the outside wasn’t pretty. Discuss how this relates to choosing friends. We have to get to know people by asking questions. The color on the outside of the M&M or the wrapping or someone’s physical appearance doesn’t matter. It’s what is on the inside of the candy, package and person that matters.

Assessment: Have them shout questions they can ask to get to know someone beyond what they look like. Write on the board.

Closing and Follow up 

Independent practice:  Have them pick one or a few of the questions from the board and find someone new on the playground or at lunch.