Getting along with others

This lesson introduces the key concepts of cooperation, peer relations, interpersonal skills, getting along with others, and team-building.

A lesson plan for grades K–5 Guidance and Healthful Living

By Scott Ertl

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Related topics

• Learn more about appropriate behaviors, character education, friendship, and guidance.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• review and learn additional benefits of getting along with others.
• review and learn additional ways to get along with others.
• identify their own behaviors that make it easier and harder to get along with others.
• develop an action plan for improving current behaviors to help them get along with others.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

45 minutes

Materials/resources

• pencil and paper
• one of each worksheet for each student:
• Lesson 1: doc | rtf
• Lesson 2: doc | rtf
• Poster: doc | rtf

Pre-activities

It could be helpful for students to explore how different character traits relate to either getting along with others or getting in trouble with others.

• Students can explore how the following character traits improve peer relations: responsibility, respect, courage, fairness, citizenship, honesty, kindness, and perseverance.
• Have students explore negative consequences when students do not get along with each other. Examples may include: feeling rejected, feeling unhappy, being excluded from activities, getting in trouble, being blamed for accidents, being unliked by peers, parents are ashamed, unpopular, and losing friends easily.

Activities

1. Instruct students to explore different benefits for getting along with others. Have them write down 1-2 positive consequences for getting along with others. Then brainstorm the class’ responses by listing them on the board. Have students add class ideas that are generated to their Lesson 1 worksheet. (Include benefits like: have more friends, not left out of games, win more team games, parents are proud, fewer fights, less arguments, others share more, don’t get as hurt, makes the world a better place to live, get special privileges, and geel happier.)
2. Have students consider different behaviors that help us get along with others. State all behaviors positively. For example, instead of recording “Don’t lie,” rephrase as “Tell the truth” or “Be honest.” Each student should write down 2-3 behaviors individually before having the class share responses. (See attachment for Lesson 1). When compiling class responses on the board, have students include all behaviors on their individual worksheets. (Positive behaviors can include: share with others, help others, tell the truth, invite others to play, compliment others, respect others, be polite, use my manners, smile, follow rules, be patient, forgive others, and admit mistakes.)
3. After students have recognized many of the benefits of getting along with others and specific ways to do so, they are ready to evaluate their own behaviors. Using different behavioral opposites, have students place an “X” to best describe their behavior along the continuum. You can use a Likert scale or simple line between behaviors. (See attachment for Lesson 2) (Behavior opposites can include: Lies/Tells the Truth, Selfish/Sharing, Positive/Negative Attitude, Patient/Impatient, Blames Others/Admits Mistakes, Inconsistent/Dependable, and Puts Others Down/Stands Up For Others.)
4. After students evaluate their current behaviors, have them identify the three behaviors that most impede their getting along with others (on the worksheet, they are the “X’s” that are on the left).
5. Then, have students determine specific ways to engage in the opposite behaviors more often. For example, a student with the behavior “Lies” might decide to “Tell the truth” more on the bus and at lunch. Another example could include how a student who is “Selfish” could decide that he/she could “Share” more compliments, praise, and belongings with classmates.
6. In conclusion, distribute index cards for students to record the three targeted behaviors for them to concentrate on improving. Ask where the index cards can be placed to be most helpful to use as a daily reminder. Some students will choose to have them taped on their desk, others will want it on their mirror at home, while others will want it taped to their notebook, locker, planner, or bookbag.

Assessment

Lesson goals can easily be evaluated by looking at each student’s worksheet and seeing how much information has been completed.

Students should list 8-12 Benefits of Getting Along With Others and 12-18 Ways to Get Along With Others.

On the Lesson 2 handout, students should identify the 3 behaviors they need to improve the most and write how they plan to change those behaviors.

Supplemental information

Comments

Follow-up lessons can include a “Get Along Gang” group for smaller numbers of students to explore behaviors that would assist in peer relations. Daily and weekly self-reports can monitor success of targeted behaviors.