Friendship Shapes

Friendship Shapes lesson plan

Focus on friendship by writing and singing songs, talking about friendship skills, and creating textured art images about the joy of having friends.

  • 1.

    Read a book or watch a video about friendship with your classmates. Think of people you call your friends. How do friendships start? What are the characteristics of a good friend? How do friends keep a relationship going?

  • 2.

    Work in groups of 2 or 3. Choose a common tune such as "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" or "This Land is Your Land." Sing the song together, and notice the musical phrases. Come up with your own lyrics, matching the tune of the original song, but focusing on ideas about friendship. Write the words with Crayola® Crayons on construction paper. Share your song with the group.

  • 3.

    Create a textured image with your own unique designs. Carefully cut imaginative Friendship Shapes from sandpaper with Crayola Scissors. Arrange the shapes in a pleasing manner on oaktag or poster board, and attach them with Crayola School Glue. Dry.

  • 4.

    Remove the wrapper from a favorite crayon color. Ask a friend to hold a sheet of construction paper over the shape arrangement for you. Rub the side of the crayon over the surface of the paper to reveal your image.

  • 5.

    Slightly reposition the paper on top of the shape arrangement. Choose a second crayon color and repeat to create a shadow effect. Create several rubbings, experimenting with different color combinations and degrees of pressure when rubbing crayon over sur

Benefits

  • Students broaden their social skills awareness as they define and discuss friendship, what makes a good friend, and how to make new friends.
  • Children create and arrange short songs about friendship, writing their own lyrics to well-known tunes.
  • Students design textured images representing the joy of friendship, exercising fine motor and visual skills.

Adaptations

  • Hang friendship designs as a backdrop for a performance of friendship songs. Ask children to teach their songs to the whole class, then invite other classes to a Friendship Festival.
  • Attach Friendship Shapes to larger pieces of poster board and add captions in Crayola® Marker about how good friends act. Post as year-round reminders.
  • Make copies of the lyrics to children's friendship songs. Children design covers for their songbooks. Make extras for other classes.