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Being a Good Friend

First graders learn what it means to be a good friend — being kind, caring, sharing, and taking turns — and how good friends solve problems and help each other feel happy and safe.

Grade 1Getting Along30 minutes1 class periodC3 InquiryExplicit teaching4 StandardsC3
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain a good friend.
  • ✓Show kindness.
  • ✓Explain sharing and taking turns.
  • ✓Solve a problem kindly.
Essential Question

Having good friends makes school and life so much better! What does it mean to be a good friend, and how can you be one to others?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Investigate · Interactive

Being a Good Friend Check

Project each item and have children answer about being a good friend. The tool explains kindness, sharing, and helping.

🤝 Understand being a good friendTry it
Answer each question about being a good friend.
The Lesson · C3 Inquiry Arc (Question · Investigate · Evaluate Evidence · Communicate · Take Action)

30 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Question — Good Friends

5 min

Good friends make everything better — what makes someone a good friend?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask what a good friend does.
  • Name a kind act.
  • Get ready.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think about it.
  • Name one.
  • Get ready.
2

Investigate — Explore Friendship

8 min

Children investigate.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to Being a Good Friend Check.
  • Note kindness.
  • Note sharing.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer them.
  • Note kindness.
  • Note sharing.
3

Evaluate Evidence — Kind & Caring

8 min

Children explain.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain being a good friend.
  • Explain helping a sad friend.
  • Explain sharing.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain it.
  • Explain helping.
  • Explain sharing.
4

Communicate — Solving Problems

6 min

Children share.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain taking turns.
  • Give a kind solution.
  • Practice being kind.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain turns.
  • Give one.
  • Be kind.
5

Take Action — Take Action

3 min

Children conclude.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a way to be a good friend.
  • Say why it helps.
  • Do a kind act.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name it.
  • Say why.
  • Do it.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards (Grade 1 / Family & School).

C3
D2.Civ.7.K-2

Apply civic virtues like kindness and fairness.

C3
D2.Civ.10.K-2

Explain how people get along in a group.

C3
D2.Civ.1.K-2

Describe how to be a good member of a group.

C3
D4.6.K-2

Take informed action.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Kindness picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “A good friend ___.”
  • Act out kind choices.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with “be kind.”
  • Use pictures.
  • Practice sharing.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Make a friendship chart.
  • Role-play solving a problem.
  • Explain feelings.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🤝Friendship pictures
  • 💻Being a Good Friend Check
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 📋A kindness chart
  • 🎫Sticker charts
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

friendsomeone you like and trustkindfriendly and caringshareto give some to otherstake turnsto each have a turnhelpto make things easierfeelingshow someone feels insidefairtreating everyone the samecaringshowing you care about others
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What makes someone a good friend?
Being kind, caring, and helpful.
QUESTION 2
What can you do if a friend is sad?
Ask if they’re okay and try to help.
QUESTION 3
If two friends want the same toy, what could they do?
Take turns or share.

Growing at home? A kind act.

Have children do one kind thing for a friend or classmate this week and talk about how it made both of them feel. A printable friendship sheet is in the Social Studies library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Being a Good FriendFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Being a Good FriendQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Being a Good FriendPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: caring, fair, feelings, friend, help, kind, share, take turns
  1. to each have a turn
  2. someone you like and trust
  3. to make things easier
  4. friendly and caring
  5. to give some to others
  6. showing you care about others
  7. treating everyone the same
  8. how someone feels inside

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What makes someone a good friend?
  2. What can you do if a friend is sad?
  3. If two friends want the same toy, what could they do?
Answer key — Part A: 1) take turns · 2) friend · 3) help · 4) kind · 5) share · 6) caring · 7) fair · 8) feelings
Part B: 1) Being kind, caring, and helpful. 2) Ask if they’re okay and try to help. 3) Take turns or share.