Making and keeping friends can be a big challenge for students, and this is especially true during remote learning or during long breaks like summer vacation.
In this lesson, you will help your students complete a pen pal printable they can share with someone they will miss. This will help them learn how to develop and maintain friendships and feel connected even when they cannot see each other in person.
You can use this as a one-time activity, or it can be the start of a longer term back-and-form between students.
Recommended Grade Level: Elementary and Middle
SEL Skill(s): Communication, Social Initiation
Duration: 45 minutes
Materials:
- Pen Pals printable
- Link to a list of Knock Knock jokes
Directions for Making and Keeping Friends Worksheet
Provide a worksheet to each of your students. You can send (or add to Google Classroom) the typable PDF to students working remotely or provide a printed copy.
IMPORTANT: You will want to make sure everyone is included, so every student creates a worksheet AND every student is the receiver of a completed worksheet. You may need to pair your students up to get coverage and/or, you can have students create worksheets to send to multiple people,
The worksheet has 5 areas for the students to complete:
- A statement: “The think I like the most about you is …”
- A would you rather question: “Would you rather eat ice cream or candy for an entire year?”
- A free-form message area that is formatted to look at a text message on a phone
- An area for a Knock Knock joke
- A prompt: “Next time I see you I would like to …”
Specifically for #4, the section for the Knock Knock joke, we have started the joke with the two standard phrases “Knock Knock” and “Who’s there?” And there are 3 text areas for them to add an actual joke. For example they might say:
“Boo”
“Boo who”
“Awww, don’t cry”
Or,
“Tank”
“Tank who?”
“You’re welcome”
If you need ideas for additional Knock Knock jokes, here is a list of 101 from Parade Magazine.
After your students complete their pen pal worksheet, please help facilitate the exchange.
Additional Resources
Related Lessons and Programs