Home›Lesson Plans›Social-Emotional Learning›Relationship Skills · Grade 7

Healthy Friendships

Seventh graders learn what makes a friendship healthy — respect, trust, support, kindness, and space — so they can build and keep friendships that lift them up, and recognize ones that don’t.

Grade 7CASEL: Relationship Skills40 minutes1 class periodCASEL SELExplicit teaching4 StandardsCASEL
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain healthy friendships.
  • ✓Name friendship qualities.
  • ✓Match qualities to actions.
  • ✓Be a good friend.
Essential Question

Friendships are a huge part of middle school. But what makes a friendship a HEALTHY one? What are the signs of a good friendship?

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

Match the Friendship Quality

Project this and match each friendship quality to what it looks like — tap a quality, then tap what it looks like.

🤝 Match each quality to what it looks likeTry it
Quality
What It Looks Like
Now tap what it looks like!
The Lesson · SEL Flow (Check-In · Learn · Practice · Apply · Reflect)

40 minutes, five moves

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

1

Check-In — What Makes It Good

5 min

Friendships are huge — but what makes a friendship healthy?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Do a check-in.
  • Ask about good friends.
  • Be caring.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Check in.
  • Reflect.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Friendship Qualities

10 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Match the Friendship Quality.
  • Note each quality.
  • Note what it looks like.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Note them.
  • Reflect.
3

Practice — Practice

11 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a quality you value.
  • Give an example.
  • Explain healthy vs. not.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Give one.
  • Explain.
4

Apply — Apply

9 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a quality to a friend.
  • Explain why it matters.
  • Notice a healthy sign.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Show it.
  • Explain.
  • Notice.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a friendship quality.
  • Say why it matters.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

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

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CASEL 5 Social & Emotional Learning Competencies.

CASEL
Relationship Skills

Build and maintain healthy relationships.

CASEL
Relationship Skills

Show respect, trust, and support.

CASEL
Social Awareness

Recognize healthy relationships.

CASEL
Relationship Skills

Communicate and cooperate.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Quality + action cards.
  • Sentence frame: “A good friend ___.”
  • Use scenarios.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with respect and kindness.
  • Match one pair at a time.
  • Give an example.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Recognize unhealthy signs.
  • Explain setting boundaries.
  • Make a friendship pledge.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🤝Quality cards
  • 💻Match the Friendship Quality
  • 📚Friendship stories
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

friendshipa bond between friendshealthygood for both peoplerespectvaluing each othertrustbeing honest and reliablesupportbeing there for each otherkindnesstreating with careboundarya limit you setloyaltysticking by a friend
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 two qualities of a healthy friendship.
Sample: respect, trust, support, kindness, or space.
QUESTION 2
What does trust look like in a friendship?
Keeping promises and being honest.
QUESTION 3
Why is “space” part of a healthy friendship?
Because good friends let each other have other friends and interests.

Reflect: be a good friend.

Have students name one friendship quality they’ll show a friend this week. A printable friendships 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: Healthy FriendshipsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 Relationship Skills: Healthy FriendshipsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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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: Healthy FriendshipsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: boundary, friendship, healthy, kindness, loyalty, respect, support, trust
  1. sticking by a friend
  2. a limit you set
  3. good for both people
  4. treating with care
  5. valuing each other
  6. being honest and reliable
  7. a bond between friends
  8. being there for each other

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name two qualities of a healthy friendship.
  2. What does trust look like in a friendship?
  3. Why is “space” part of a healthy friendship?
Answer key — Part A: 1) loyalty · 2) boundary · 3) healthy · 4) kindness · 5) respect · 6) trust · 7) friendship · 8) support
Part B: 1) Sample: respect, trust, support, kindness, or space. 2) Keeping promises and being honest. 3) Because good friends let each other have other friends and interests.