Lesson 11: Playing with Others

Essential Question: How do I ask someone to

play at recess? What actions should

I demonstrate?

Click for Lesson 11 (PDF)

Lesson Overview

1. Brain Warmup

2. Read Aloud

3. Modeling Activity

4. Group Activity

6. Brain Cooldown

Purpose:

- By applying conversation skills and knowledge, students will be able to refer to those skills when engaging in conversations with other students to develop friendships. It is important for students to learn how to engage in conversations with individuals their own age.

Vocabulary:

- friend

- actions

- conversation

Additional Book

Keep Your Ear on the Ball by Genevieve Petrillo

- This read aloud expresses the importance of accepting on another for their abilities and disabilities, while demonstrating friendships on the playground.

Click the book for the read aloud.

Additional Lesson

Activity

Recess Challenge:

- Challenge students to ask a new friend to play at recess. Remind students to introduce themselves, state what they want to play, and ask if the other student wants to join them.

Additional Resources

Wonder Grove Kids- RESPECT at Recess:

- In this video, students demonstrate how to show respect at recess by saying and doing many different actions.

Brain Warmup: Hi My Name is ______________

Purpose: This activity will allow students to practice conversation and introduction skills by introducing themselves to a guest teacher.

Materials: ‘introducing myself’ poster from Lesson 2

Time: 5 minutes

Procedure:

Students will sit at their desk or at a table to complete activity. When the guest teacher or faculty member arrives, ask the teacher or faculty member to introduce himself or herself.
Explain to the students that everyone will be introducing themselves to the guest teacher or faculty member. Before introductions, review the ‘introducing myself’ poster. Remind students to make eye contact with the audience or guest in the classroom and to keep a distance between self and visitor.
When a student is introducing himself or herself, student can stand up at their desk or stand up in the front of the classroom. Remind student to use ‘hi, my name is____’.
Each student will have an opportunity to introduce themselves to the guest in the classroom. When all students have introduced themselves, thank the visitor for coming to the classroom.

Read Aloud: The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill

Before reading ask the students “what actions are appropriate in school?” Ask for a few volunteers to share their ideas.

This read aloud describes a student who is known as the ‘Recess Queen’ and she instills fear in all the other students. The story follows the Recess Queen’s journey and experiences when a new student decides to break all her rules. After the read aloud, engage in a discussion incorporating the use of the following discussion questions.

Should Mean Jean act like that at recess?
How do you think others feel at recess when Mean Jean makes all the rules?
What does bullying mean?
Do you think Mean Jean is a bully?

Note: When discussion bullying, remember to emphasize that bullying occurs every day usually at a specific time during the day. Bullying can occur when a student is using harmful hands and words with another student.

Click for Read Aloud of the Story

Modeling Activity: Steps to Asking a Friend

Purpose: This activity utilizes the ‘think aloud’ method to model how to ask a friend to play at recess.

Materials: ‘steps to asking a friend’ poster

Time: 10 minutes

Procedure:

Students will sit on the carpet or an open floor space.
Introduce the ‘steps to asking a friend’ poster. The poster includes three steps: 1. Introduce yourself using ‘hi my name is _____’; 2. State what you want to play; and 3. Ask the student to play with you.
Introducing Yourself: Utilize the ‘think aloud’ method to model how to introduce yourself. An idea of what to say when introducing yourself: ‘I would like to play with this student, but I need to introduce myself. Hi my name is ________. ‘
State What You Want to Play: Utilize the ‘think aloud’ method to state what you want to play. An idea of what to say when stating what you want to play: ‘At recess I like to swing on the swings and play soccer. I need to tell the other student the activities I like to play. So I am going to say I would like to play soccer.’
Ask the Student to Play with You: Utilize the ‘think aloud’ method to ask the other student to play. An idea of what to say when asking the other student: ‘I want to play soccer, but I need to ask the other student if he or she wants to play. I ask the student, do you want to play soccer with me?’
After modeling the three steps, discuss the two outcomes that could happen when asking a friend to play.
1. The student will agree to play.
2. The student will want to play another activity and say no.
When a student agrees to play: Express to students, it is important to say thank you to the other student for playing with you. Remember to use eye contact, personal space, and kind actions.
When a student says no: Express to students that some students may not want to play the activity you suggested, or they want to play independently at recess. It is important for the students not to become upset because one person said no to playing with them. As a class, brainstorm ideas on what actions are appropriate when a student does not want to play with them.
Action Ideas:
1. Say thank you to the student
2. Find another student to ask and play with
3. Play independently
4. Ask an adult for assistance

Click for 'Steps to Making a Friend' Poster

Group Activity: Pretend Recess

Purpose: This activity allows students to practice using the three steps to asking a friend to play in a safe and comfortable setting.

Materials: ‘steps to asking a friend’ poster, list of recess activities

Time: 10 to 15 minutes

Procedure:

Students will sit on the carpet or open floor space. All students will have the opportunity to ask a friend to play with them at recess.
Before asking friends to play, create a list of recess activities that are popular at recess. Students can reference this list when asking a friend to play with them.
Post the ‘steps to making a friend’ poster as a reminder for students on what to do. Step 1: introduce yourself, step 2: state what you want to play, and step 3: ask the student to play with you.
Call two students up at a time. One student will be Partner A and the other student will be Partner B. Partner A will ask Partner B to play with them. Partner A will use the ‘steps to asking a friend’. Partner B will respond and want to play with the other student. Partner A and Partner B will switch roles.
This process will continue until all students have had a chance to ask a friend to play with them at recess.
After practice and role modeling, ask students “what do you do if a friend says no when you ask them to play?” Allow students time to brainstorm ideas and ask for volunteers to share.

Brain Cooldown: Smile or Frown

Purpose: This cooldown activity focuses on what happens when a friend does not agree to play with them at recess or says no when asked to play.

Materials: ‘smile or frown’ graphic organizer

Time: 5 minutes

Procedure:

Students will sit at their desk or at a table to complete graphic organizer. Pass out graphic organizer to all students. Read each scenario to the class.
Students will answer scenario with a smiley face or a frowny face based on the actions demonstrated in the scenario.
Each scenario is when a student says no when asked to play. The scenarios describe actions that could occur after asking a friend who says no to playing.
1. Smiley face: students will draw a smiley face when an action demonstrated is kind and appropriate. Example: student will thank the other student and walk away or student will find another friend to ask.
2. Frowny face: students will draw a frowny face when an action demonstrated is inappropriate and negative. Example: student yells at other student for not playing or cries when other student says no.

Click for 'Smile or Frown' Graphic Organizer