(PDF) Key Stage 1, PDMU, Sarah and The Whammi - Unit 3

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Unit 3 Sarah and the Whammi

Unit 3

Friendship

Section 1: Starting Out ............................................................ 4-6Task 3.1 The smile-o-meter ............................................................................4Media clip 3.1 Laura mocks the bullies on the bus ..................... 5Task 3.2 Friendship t-shirts .............................................................................6

Section 2: Moving On ................................................................ 7-9Task 3.3 The new girl ............................................................................................7Media clip 3.2 Mr. Gill introduces Angela to the class .............. 8Task 3.4 Helping words ......................................................................................8Task 3.5 Making connections .......................................................................9

Section 3: Going Further ..................................................10-11Media clip 3.3 Sarah and Angela becoming friends and Laura being left out ........................ 10Task 3.6 The car quiz ..........................................................................................11

Section 4: Exploring Deeper .........................................12-13Media clip 3.4 Sarah talking to mum and granny .................... 12Task 3.7 Sarah’s diary ......................................................................................... 13Task 3.8 The friendship potion ................................................................ 13

Section 5: Exploring More ..............................................14-15Media clip 3.5 Sarah making Laura and Angela sit beside each other ........................................................ 14 Task 3.9 The friendship bridge ................................................................. 15

FriendshipUnit ThreeLearning Intention:Understand the factors that contribute to mutually satisfying relationships.

Thinking, Problem-Solving and Decision-Making• Showtheabilitytolearnfromothersandwithothers.• Showfairnesstoothers.• Recogniseandrespectotherpeople’sfeelingsandideas.

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This unit deals with the ability to initiate and develop mutually satisfying relationships with others. The ability to make and sustain friendships that are healthy and emotionally nourishing is important for the well-being and happiness of all children. Friendships enable children to become less egocentric, more interactive with their peers and more concerned with the world around them. Friendships improve their understanding of themselves, their communication skills and, ultimately, their self-esteem. If they are to become mature and responsible adults, it is crucial that children develop the social skills necessary to manage a wide range of relationships at an early age.

The aim of this unit is to promote mutual empathy and social skills. To develop empathy, children must be sensitive to their own emotional needs. If they cannot understand their own emotional needs they will not understand the emotional needs of others. Children may learn to practise social skills. However, if their social skills are not informed by empathy, they may result in inappropriate behaviour that can harm good relationships or potential friendships. They will also be more likely to misread the emotional atmosphere of situations. Even if a child is sensitive and has a high degree of empathy, they might still lack the social skills required to act on their perceptions.

In the complex social dynamic of a class group, relationships can often be reduced to popularity contests. A child’s peer group can exert powerful influence and pressure in terms of values, behaviour and self-concept. It is vital that children acquire some insights into the dynamics at work within their peer group and realise that friendship is an area in which judgment and skills should be applied.

We can help children get the most out of their classroom relationships by helping them to understand their own and others’ needs. We can also help them identify, and perhaps deal with, aspects of relationships that are not helpful or healthy for their own development. Ideally, at the core of good friendships there should be mutual esteem, empathy and respect. However, very few friendships are forged on ideal terms and most children accept, or even seek out, relationships that are far from ideal rather than risk loneliness and isolation.

In Sarah’s group of friends and acquaintances, there are many different personalities. Each person has different strengths and weaknesses, and degrees of assertiveness, submissiveness, dependency and self-esteem. Similarly, there are many different personalities within your classroom. Everyone must learn to appreciate and accept similarities and differences.

FriendshipsUnit Three

Background

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Learning Intentions:We will have a greater understanding of what makes a good friendship.•We will learn more about the importance of a healthy relationship.•

Success Criteria:We will practise friendship skills.•We will practise making choices and talk about what has influenced them.•

Links to Living. Learning.Together.

Blue Unit

LEARNING ACTIVITY Background Notes

DETAILS OF WHAT TO DO

Task 3.1 The Smile-O-Meter

This activity deals with peer group pressure and one-sided friendships in which there is a dominant personality.

The aim of this activity is to help the children understand that to maintain a friendship they must:- think for themselves; and- not be led into behaviour or

attitudes that are against their better judgement.

In the first part of the exercise, all the activities seem designed to please Laura. However, as it becomes clear that the friendship is one-sided and that Sarah is suffering, there is a chance to re-dress the balance and make both friends equal.

One way to counteract peer group pressure is to get all children to understand that they are entitled to their own thoughts, emotions and opinions and that they start out as equals in friendly relationships.

Invite the children to respond to each of the statements and see what happens •to Sarah and Laura.

Extension ActivitiesAsk the children:

- What does agreeing with the statements do to Sarah? - Have you ever felt like Sarah did? - How did you feel and why?Organise the class into groups. Have them write a list of things that Sarah •needs to do.

Ask the children to think of ways that they can apply some of the learning in •this activity to conflicts/choices in the playground.

Use • Living.Learning.Together Violet Book, Year 5, Making Good Choices, Who Influences Me, pages 8 and 9.

Readaloudachoice/dilemmathatthechildrenmayhaveexperienced.For•example, Your Mum wants you to tidy your room and your friend has called to see if you can come to play. Ask the children if they have ever been faced with this type of dilemma. Next, ask them to think about what or who might influence theirchoice.Remindthemthatinfluencescanbebothpositiveandnegative.Recordtheiranswersontheboard.

Section 1Starting Out

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Media Clip 3.1 Laura Mocks The Bullies On The Bus

Laura is a good friend to Sarah. She is sensitive enough to know that Sarah is feeling humiliated by the boys at the back of the bus and leaps to Sarah’s defence.

People often find it easy to stand up for their friends. However it is harder to stand up for yourself when you are the target. There are signs that Laura seeks exclusivity in Sarah’s friendship. She is assertive and could dominate the relationship but they hold a balance. Sarah admires Laura’s outspokenness and Laura appreciates Sarah’s common sense. They have a similar sense of humour and are emotionally supportive of each other. In other words, they have mutual empathy. The danger of close, exclusive friendships is that one person can become emotionally dependent on the other, overly protective of the relationship and resentful of outsiders. Their ability to relate to a wide range of other people can become stunted and their potential for growth limited.

After viewing the clip, ask the children:

Why is Laura standing up for Sarah?•

Would Sarah do the same for Laura; and•

What do the two friends like about each other?•

Extension ActivityIn this activity, you need to use Little Pathways III, Let’s be Friends by Elaine Hall and The Churches’ Peace Education Programme. Go to Friendship Skills in Year 3, Don’t Put me Down, Lesson 1.

Build the story.•

Ask the children to look at the pictures as you place them in sequence on the •storyboard, or show each picture in sequence.

Allow the children to take in the information revealed in the pictures.•Discuss the actions of the various characters in the story and their roles in the •situation as victim, bully or onlookers.

Discuss the facial expressions and body language of the characters.•

Discuss which onlooker is most likely to offer friendship. •

Ask the children what they think happens next.•

Ask them the following questions:•

- Will they be best friends?

- What if the friendly onlooker has another friend?

- Are any of the scenes familiar?

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Task 3.2 Friendship T-shirts

A number of these words could apply equally to both girls. However the aim is to get the class to choose the most appropriate ten descriptions for each girl, based on Sarah and Laura’s perception and appreciation of each other. This requires the children to have empathy with both girls.

Have the children choose the most appropriate descriptions to design a t-shirt for Laura/Sarah. Tell them to use the magic eye icon to access Sarah and Laura’s thoughts to help them choose the right words.

Extension ActivityOrganise the class into pairs. Have them work together to design a t-shirt (either fabric or paper) for each other. Invite them to describe the symbols, colours, pictures or words included.

Display the t-shirts in the classroom.•

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Learning Intentions:We will be able to know how to take the lead in different situations involving •friendship skills.We will learn more about other members of the class.•

Success Criteria:We will practise using empathy skills.•We will use words that help us to be more inclusive.•We will engage in some activities to make wider connections in class.•

Links to Living.Learning.Together.

Indigo Unit Blue Unit



Task 3.3 The New Girl

This task helps the children understand the dynamics of the scene from three different perspectives. Note the subtle difference between Sarah’s thought (I could be her friend) and Angela’s (She could be my friend). Sarah’s thought is more actively pro-social. Angela’s thought is a bit passive and puts the onus for creating a friendship on Sarah. Sarah responds to her own impulse to help Angela, and to some extent Mr. Gill, with true leadership qualities. She makes the first move and initiates contact. In doing so, she becomes the leader.

You might want to discuss the quality of leadership in class and show Sarah as a good example to follow.

Have the class click and drag the correct thoughts to each of the girls.

Extension ActivityInvite the children to talk about which character they like or dislike and what they might be thinking if they were in the same circumstance.

Ask them to talk about ways we can share a friend. This is particularly important •for friendship issues in the playground.

Section 2Moving On

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Media Clip 3.2 Mr. Gill Introduces Angela To The Class So far, we have focused on explaining empathy. However, feeling empathy for another person is not sufficient. Empathy needs to be acted upon in order for it to have any positive effects. In this clip, Sarah puts herself in Angela’s position. She understands how nervous and alone Angela must feel and extends the hand of friendship. Sarah uses her growing social skills to make Angela feel welcome. Laura’s instinctive reaction is to resent the intrusion, indicating perhaps that she is the more dependent one in the relationship. In spite of her outgoing, assertive style, Laura is actually insecure in the face of a challenge to her exclusive friendship with Sarah. This, in turn, reduces her capacity to empathise with Angela.

Freeze frame the media clip and talk about the body language of the •characters, for example folded arms, serious face or unsmiling faces.

Ask the class the following questions: •

- What body language might the characters have used instead?- What does Angela’s expression and body language communicate?- Has Sarah interpreted the body language correctly?- What do you think are the consequences for Angela/Sarah/Laura?- Can we interpret body language wrongly? If so, what are the consequences? Check if the children are aware of their own body language. •

Extension ActivityUse• Little Pathways III, Let’s be Friends, by Elaine Hall and The Churches’ Peace Education Programme. Go to Friendship Skills in Year 3, First Day.

Show the class the picture set describing Emma’s first day.•

Ask them to put the six pictures into the correct sequence.•

RemindthemtolookatEmma’sfacialexpressionandbodylanguage.•

Next, invite them to describe how they think Emma is feeling.•

Ask them how a newcomer to their class might feel.•

Discuss why we have friends.•

Invite the children to consider how we can keep our old friends when we make •new ones.

Finally, ask the children to identify the dangers of exclusive friendships.•

Task 3.4 Helping Words

In this task, the children have to use their empathy to understand the plight of the other child, and their social skills to decide the appropriate course of action.

This activity is designed to encourage them to realise that we can all make the first move. The first move should also be appropriate and this calls for good judgment. Social skills, in which good judgment plays a part, can and should be practised and encouraged as normal behaviour.

Invite the children to be a leader like Sarah and help the five children in •different ways. They must choose which of the four action words promote some pro-social activity.

Extension ActivityDiscuss how different people can have different feelings or thoughts about the •same thing.

Organise the class into groups.•

Have each group choose one of the four words for each of the five characters.•

Ask them to make a sentence with that word. For example, for Character 1:•

- I would like to invite you to my house (Group 1);- I could show you around our street (Group 2);- I could ask him his name…my name is… (Group 3); and - I can offer you a share of these sweets (Group 4).

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Task 3.5 Making Connections

The game is an ice-breaker activity. It gives the children an opportunity to use their social skills. Hopefully they will find out things about each other that will encourage further interest and perhaps further bonding.

Print out the 36 cards and randomly distribute one to each person. •

Teachers may use their discretion to ensure that close friends receive cards that •are not easily connected.

Instruct the children to use the picture on the card to try to connect with as •many other children as possible. Warn them that they might have to use their imagination!

Encourage them to make contact outside of their own circle of friends and to •share their experiences with children they don’t normally relate to very much.

Stop at regular intervals to ask newly formed groups to describe their •connections. Then, ask the children to find new connections. Change cards as necessary.

Ask the children what they liked/didn’t like about the activity and what they •have they learned.

Make connections with other classroom games/active learning such as:•

- People Bingo (Active Learning and Teaching Methods for KS1 and KS2, page 56 from the KS1-2 Curriculum Support and Implementation Box);

- Revolving Circles (Active Learning and Teaching Methods for KS1 and KS2, page 61) to find out three things they didn’t know about some of the other people in their class; and

- Alphabet Game (Nichola Lynagh and Mary Potter Joined Up page 127).http://www.nicurriculum.org.uk/personal_development_and_mutual_understanding/useful_links.asp

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Learning Intentions:We will learn more about inclusive and exclusive friendships.•We will learn how to resolve a conflict.•

Success Criteria:We will engage in a • community of enquiry about three conflict/friendship situations. We will complete a quiz and have a debate about making new and keeping old •friends.


Violet Unit



Media Clip 3.3Sarah and Angela Becoming Friends and Laura Being Left Out

At times, friendships can be complicated. They require thought and understanding. They carry with them responsibility to consider the effect of our actions on others and to act with consideration, openness and honesty. Empathy is the key to maintaining friendships.

Sarah displays good social skills towards Angela, motivated by informed empathy. However, she does not show such understanding of Laura’s feelings. She wants both girls to be her friends but she fails to include or share her feelings with Laura. Angela’s loneliness makes her so needy for a friend that she wants to secure Sarah for herself. It is healthy for children to relate to a wide circle of friends and to learn how to resolve conflicts.

After viewing the clip, talk about the situation Sarah is in. Use similar scenarios •to explore the issues, for example:

- Sarah has made friends with a new girl called Angela, but now her old friend Laura is feeling left-out. What would you do?

- You tell your friend something that happened to you that was quite embarrassing. Your friend tells the others in the class. What would you do?

- You and your friends go for a trial football match/singing test to see if you are suitable for the school team/choir. They are picked and you are not. What would you do?

Fair pair the children and ask them to think about one of the scenarios. •

Ask each pair to decide who will report back and agree what will be said.•

Invite each pair to feedback their response to the scenario.•

Encourage others in the class to question/seek clarification.•

Ask the pairs if they would now make any changes to their original response. If •so, ask for reasons.

De-brief by asking the children if this • community of enquiry is a good way to resolve conflicts.

Ask the children the following questions:•

- Think of any conflicts you have had in the past. Do you have a better understanding of them now?

- What have you learned about friendships?

Section 3Going Further

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Task 3.6 The Car Quiz

The aim of this activity is to test the children’s understanding of the clip and the dynamics between the characters. It also tests their ability to empathise with the characters and understand the situation from each character’s perspective.

Inform the class that Sarah did a really good thing making friends with Angela, •but now Laura isn’t happy. Invite them to use their empathy to see how many statements they agree with.

Extension ActivityUse statements from the Car Quiz (Task 3.6) to have a walking debate. •Designate one corner of the classroom for those who agree with the statement, one corner for those who disagree and a third corner for those who don’t know.

De-brief and summarise by asking: •- When you make new friends should you leave your old ones? - Is it better to have one friend than two? - Should your best friend have any other friends?

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Learning Intentions:We will have an opportunity to reflect on what we have learned about •friendships.We will learn about what makes a good friendship.•

Success Criteria:We will help Sarah complete her diary.•We will help Pointer make a friendship potion.•


Blue Unit



Media Clip 3.4 Sarah Talking To Mum And Granny

This scene illustrates how understanding another person’s feelings, especially in a problematic situation, can completely change your perception.

Sarah feels happier and more positive at the end of this scene. Her Granny understands her predicament, extends her empathy and helps her to understand Laura’s feelings.

Sarah feels more empowered and confident. She is ready to invite Laura to her birthday party and indicate that she is still an important friend.

After viewing the clip, talk about the ways we sometimes include and exclude •others, often unintentionally.

Ask the children what we can do to avoid excluding others. Would any of these •suggestions help Sarah?

As a class, consider if any of the suggestions should be added to the rule book •or classroom charter.

Extension ActivityShow the class pictures such as those used in • Living.Learning.Together Blue Book, Year 5, Seeing is believing, pages 36-37.

Discuss how what we see in the pictures might not be what other people see.•

In pairs or small groups, invite the children to talk about what they see in the •pictures.

Ask them to consider if everyone sees the same thing and if not, how their •perceptions are different.

Ask the class how other people’s perceptions can change the way we look at •things.

Section 4Exploring Deeper

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Task 3.7 Sarah’s Diary

This task allows the children to think carefully about the situation between Sarah, Laura and Angela. It tests their understanding of how each character is feeling and how their actions contribute to the problems. It also summarises the storyline for the class and reinforces the lessons learned.

Have the children fill in the missing words in Sarah’s diary. •

Ask them the following questions: •- Have you ever felt like Sarah? - Would writing about it help? - What do you think will happen next with Sarah/Laura/Angela? - What else can we do to include old and new friends? - Do you think friendships change? If so, how do they change?

You can develop this activity by using • Primary Values by Alison Montgomery and Ursula Birthistle. See Old Friends, New Friends by Dave Duggan, page 168.

Task 3.8 The Friendship Potion

The aim of this activity is to show that friendship is made up of many different elements. It also highlights some of the behaviours or attitudes that are unacceptable in good relationships.

To successfully complete the task, the children must show empathy, and a full understanding of the learning gained during the previous two units.

Have the children help Pointer make a friendship potion full of all the things •that make a good friend.

Tell them to click on each star to read what it says. •

If they agree with the statement, they should add it to the potion.•

Ask the children: •- What happens if you make the wrong choice? - How would such an action be harmful to self or others? - What happens if you make the right choice? - Is the effect of making the right choices in our friendships magical?

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Learning Intentions:We will have an opportunity to reflect on what we have learned about •friendships.We will learn about what makes a good friendship.•

Success Criteria:We will help Sarah complete her diary.•We will help Pointer make a friendship potion.•


Blue Unit



Media Clip 3:5 Sarah Making Laura And Angela Sit Beside Each Other

When Sarah gets on the bus with Angela and David, she has a momentary dilemma about whether she should sit with Laura or Angela. She solves the problem by letting Angela sit with Laura and to David’s surprise, sits beside him. She also asks them both to her birthday party and persuades Angela to include Laura in the sleepover.

Pointer’s potion helps us to understand the magic of friendship. Sarah uses it to make everyone friends.

Tell the children that when they are faced with a difficult dilemma (like the one •faced by Sarah) they should use the traffic lights thinking strategy to help them make a decision. Instruct them to follow the lights:

Redmeansstop;•

Amber means think; and •

Green means decide.•

Extension ActivityHave the class use a thinking frame to analyse: •- Sarah’s problem; - her solution; - the advantages and disadvantages of her solution; and - what they think is the best solution.

In groups, have the children practise making choices using real/current •dilemmas.

Ask each group to feedback the various problems and their solutions.•

Invite the rest of the class to analyse their solutions (peer assessment). •

Section 5Exploring More

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Task 3:9 The Friendship Bridge

In this activity, different words are written on logs piled up by a stream in the forest. The children have to help little Whammi pick the logs with the right words to build the friendship bridge to Loribest.

When friendships have been broken, we need to bridge the gap that has been created in order to renew them.

Invite the children to help the little Whammi to build a bridge to join Loribest •on the other side.

Have them choose the correct words to build the friendship bridge.•

Talk about what makes a good relationship.•

Ask the children if it significant that a bridge is being built.•

(PDF) Key Stage 1, PDMU, Sarah and The Whammi - Unit 3

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