Formula Guide Lesson Plan Formula Guide Plan
Friendship Formula: Social Skills!
Duration
30 Minutes
Learning Objective
Students will identify and practice key social skills like sharing, taking turns, and understanding others' feelings, enabling them to build positive relationships and navigate social interactions more effectively in group settings.
Prep & Materials
To Do (15 mins)
Review Slide Deck & notes
Print & cut Bingo cards
Prepare Role Play cards
Copy Checklist Worksheets
Required Items
Whiteboard & Markers
Projector for Slides
Bingo Game Set
Scenario Cards
Why This Lesson?
"Developing strong social skills helps students build lasting friendships, reduces conflict, and fosters a more inclusive and supportive classroom environment. These skills are crucial for their overall well-being and academic success."
Audience Focus
Tier 2 Support
5th Grade Boys with Autism
Approach: Interactive discussion, gamified practice, and simulation.
Instructional Steps
1
Warm-Up: What Makes a Good Friend?
5 Minutes
Ask: "What does it mean to be a good friend?"
Scribe responses on whiteboard.
Transition to Slide Deck to introduce objectives.
2
Social Skills Bingo Game
10 Minutes
Introduce the Bingo cards and explain rules.
Call out skills (e.g., "sharing," "listening," "kind words").
Bingo winner shares a real-life example of a skill they marked.
Discuss why these specific skills help in social settings.
3
Role Play: Practicing Our Skills
10 Minutes
Students pick a scenario card in pairs or small groups.
Act out the scenario focusing on the "Friendship Formula" skills.
Provide positive reinforcement and guide problem-solving.
4
Cool-Down: Social Skills Checklist
5 Minutes
Distribute and guide students through the checklist worksheet.
Encourage reflection on daily application (school/home).
Emphasize that consistency is the "secret ingredient" to friendships.
Friendship Formula Slides Friendship Formula
Social Skills for Success
Today, we'll learn how to be awesome friends and classmates!
Teacher Note
Welcome students and introduce the lesson with an engaging question. Ask what they think 'getting along with others' means.
What are Social Skills?
They are the tools we use to talk, play, and work with others.
Talking politely
Sharing
Listening
Think of them as your
"Social Toolbelt"
Teacher Note
Explain that social skills are like tools we use to interact with people. Give simple examples like saying 'please' and 'thank you'.
Why do they matter?
Build Connections
Social skills help us make and keep friends.
More Fun!
Makes school more fun and exciting.
No More Confusion
Helps avoid misunderstandings and arguments.
Team Success
Builds strong teamwork in games and projects.
Teacher Note
Discuss why these skills matter. How do good social skills make school more fun? How do they help us at home?
Super Friend Skills
Listening Actively
Paying attention and showing you hear what someone is saying.
Sharing & Turns
Letting others use things and waiting patiently for your turn.
Kind Words
Speaking respectfully and offering genuine compliments.
Empathy
Trying to see things from someone else's point of view.
Teacher Note
Introduce each skill with a brief explanation and an example. Encourage students to share their own examples.
Time to Practice!
Now, let's put our social skills to the test with some fun activities and games!
Ready? Let's go!
Teacher Note
Transition to the game and activity. Explain that practicing makes us better!
Social Skills Bingo Game Social Skills Bingo
The Friendship Formula Game
Teacher Resource
How to Play
Give each student a Bingo Card (provided on next page).
The teacher (Caller) randomly selects a skill from the Call List below.
If a student has that skill on their card, they mark it off.
The first student to get 3 in a row (across, down, or diagonal) shouts "BINGO!"
The Challenge: To win, the student must choose one marked skill and describe a real-life example of how to use it.
Call List
Mark these off as you call them out
Listening
Sharing
Taking Turns
Kind Words
Eye Contact
Asking for Help
Offering Help
Saying "Please"
Waiting Patiently
Inviting Others
Apologizing
Compromising
Handling Frustration
Cooperating
Giving Compliments
Pro-Tip for Tier 2:
For students with autism, use the visual icons on the Bingo cards to prompt recognition. If a student is stuck on giving an example, provide a "Sentence Starter" card (e.g., "I used [skill] when I...") to help them formulate their response.
Student Bingo Cards
Formula Card Alpha
Listening
Kind Words
Taking Turns
Asking Help
FREE SPACE
Sharing
Waiting Patiently
Offering Help
Eye Contact
Formula Card Beta
Cooperating
Saying "Please"
Listening
Inviting Others
FREE SPACE
Apologizing
Taking Turns
Handling Frustration
Giving Compliments
Formula Card Gamma
Offering Help
Waiting Patiently
Sharing
Listening
FREE SPACE
Compromising
Kind Words
Eye Contact
Cooperating
Formula Card Delta
Apologizing
Giving Compliments
Asking Help
Sharing
FREE SPACE
Waiting Patiently
Inviting Others
Taking Turns
Role Play Scenario Cards Scenario Lab Cards
Practice Makes Perfect
Teacher Resource
Objective
To practice using social skills (listening, sharing, kind words, taking turns, empathy) in simulated real-life situations.
How to Facilitate
Group Up: Divide students into pairs or small groups of 2-3.
Select & Discuss: Each group picks a card. Before acting, they must discuss which "Formula Ingredients" (skills) they will use.
Action: Students act out the scenario for the group.
Lab Debrief: After each role-play, ask the audience:
"What social skills did you see being used?"
"What else could they have done?"
"How did that make the other person feel?"
Tip for Success
Model the first scenario yourself with a student or assistant. Show both a "failed experiment" (poor social skills) and a "successful reaction" (good social skills) to highlight the difference.
SCENARIO 1
Sharing Toys
You and a friend both want to play with the same popular toy during free time. Your friend grabs it first. What do you do? How do you use your social skills to handle this situation?
Social Skills Lab
SCENARIO 2
Group Project Trouble
One classmate isn't doing their share of the work, and the other is trying to take over everything. How can you use your communication skills to make the project fair?
Social Skills Lab
SCENARIO 3
Hurt Feelings
You accidentally say something that makes your friend upset. Your friend looks sad. How do you recognize their feelings and make things right?
Social Skills Lab
SCENARIO 4
Joining a Game
You want to join a game that a group of classmates is already playing at recess. How can you politely ask to join without interrupting?
Social Skills Lab
SCENARIO 5
Different Opinions
You and a friend are planning an activity, but you both have very different ideas. You can't agree. How can you use compromising skills to find a solution?
Social Skills Lab
Social Skills Checklist Worksheet My Social Skills Checklist
Analyzing My Social Formula
NAME:
DATE:
Objective: Reflect on the social skills we learned today and plan how you can use them to build great friendships!
Part 1: Checking My Skills
Read each skill below. Put a check () in the box if you practiced it today. Put a star () if you want to practice it more!
Listening Actively
I can pay attention when others are speaking.
How I can use this skill:
Sharing & Taking Turns
I can share materials and wait for my turn.
How I can use this skill:
Using Kind Words
I can speak politely and give compliments.
How I can use this skill:
Understanding Feelings (Empathy)
I can try to understand how others might feel.
How I can use this skill:
Asking for Help
I can ask for help when I need it.
How I can use this skill:
Part 2: My Reflection
1. Which social skill do you think is the most important for making new friends? Why?
2. Think about a time today when you used one of these social skills. What happened?
3. What is one social skill you want to practice more this week at school and at home?
4. How do you think practicing social skills helps you get along better with everyone?
Verified Social Scientist