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Being a Good Friend

Fifth graders build relationship skills by learning what makes a good friend — sharing, kind words, helping, and keeping promises — and what hurts friendships. They sort friendly behaviors from unfriendly ones, then set a friendship goal.

Grade 5Being a Good Friend35 minutes1 class periodCASELExplicit teaching4 StandardsCASEL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Name good-friend actions.
  • ✓Tell them from unkind ones.
  • ✓Share & include.
  • ✓Be a better friend.
Essential Question

What makes someone a good friend?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Good Friend, or Not?

Project this and sort each into Good friend or Not.

💛 Sort each — good friend, or not?Try it
💛 Good friend
👎 Not
Tap one, then tap a box.
The Lesson · Explicit teaching

35 minutes, five moves

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

1

Check-In — Good Friends

4 min

What does a really good friend do?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask the question.
  • Share ideas.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Good Friend

9 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Good Friend or Not?
  • Sort each one.
  • Note kind words & keeping promises.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

11 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say a kind word to a partner.
  • Take turns in a task.
  • Offer to help.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say.
  • Share.
  • Help.
4

Apply — Apply

7 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Set a friendship goal.
  • Name a kind thing to do.
  • Plan to do it.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Set.
  • Name.
  • Plan.
5

Reflect — Reflect

4 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a good-friend action.
  • Name an unkind one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Name one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CASEL Framework for Social and Emotional Learning across its five core competencies.

CASEL
Relationship Skills

Build and keep positive friendships.

CASEL
Relationship Skills

Communicate kindly and cooperate.

CASEL
Social Awareness

Include and respect others.

CASEL
Responsible Decision-Making

Keep promises and act fairly.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Friend/unkind cards.
  • Frame: "a good friend ___."
  • Role-play kindly.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Sort good vs not only.
  • Use 4 behaviors.
  • Use pictures.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Write a kindness pledge.
  • Make a new friend.
  • Help solve a friend problem.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 💛Friend-action cards
  • 💻Good Friend or Not?
  • 📋Friendship-goal sheet
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

friendsomeone you care aboutkindcaring and gentlesharegive others a turnincludelet others joinpromisesomething you say you’ll docooperatework togetherrespecttreat others welltrustcount on each other
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
Name a good-friend action.
Share, say kind words, help, or keep promises.
QUESTION 2
Name an unkind one.
Leaving people out, saying mean things, or breaking promises.
QUESTION 3
Why keep a promise?
It helps friends trust you.

Reflect: being a good friend.

Have students set a friendship goal and a kind action to do. A printable goal sheet is in the SEL 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.

🃏 Relationship Skills: 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.

📝 Relationship Skills: Being a Good FriendQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

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.

🖨️ Relationship Skills: Being a Good FriendPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: cooperate, friend, include, kind, promise, respect, share, trust
  1. let others join
  2. give others a turn
  3. work together
  4. count on each other
  5. someone you care about
  6. something you say you’ll do
  7. treat others well
  8. caring and gentle

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name a good-friend action.
  2. Name an unkind one.
  3. Why keep a promise?
Answer key — Part A: 1) include · 2) share · 3) cooperate · 4) trust · 5) friend · 6) promise · 7) respect · 8) kind
Part B: 1) Share, say kind words, help, or keep promises. 2) Leaving people out, saying mean things, or breaking promises. 3) It helps friends trust you.