Heart Detectives Facilitator Guide Session 1 of 4 Friendship Circle Curriculum • Grade 1
30 Minutes
Heart Detectives Facilitator Guide
Objective: Help girls notice emotion clues in faces, bodies, and voices to build empathy and caring responses.
Focus Skill Feelings & Empathy
Circle Setup Calm carpet circle or kidney table; soft talking piece (stuffed animal or heart pillow).
Supplies Needed Empathy Clues Activity Sheet, crayons/colored pencils, hand mirror (optional).
Group Norm "One heart speaks at a time; kind eyes look and caring ears listen."
1
Welcome Circle & The Feelings Meter
5 Mins
Script: "Welcome to our Friendship Circle! Today we are becoming Heart Detectives. Detectives use special clues to understand what someone feels on the inside."
Warm-Up Activity: Pass the heart talking piece. Each student shares their name and places a thumb on the Feelings Meter (Thumb Up = Happy/Excited, Thumb Middle = Okay/Quiet, Thumb Down = Sad/Tired).
2
Core Concept: The 3 Clues of Empathy
10 Mins
Clue 1: Face
Smile vs. frown, wide eyes, wrinkled forehead, tears, mouth tight.
Clue 2: Body
Slumped shoulders, crossed arms, tapping feet, bouncing with joy.
Clue 3: Voice
Whispering, yelling, shaky voice, laughing, silence or sighing.
Definition for 1st Grade: "Empathy is seeing with your eyes, hearing with your ears, and caring with your heart."
3
Detective Roleplay & Activity Sheet
10 Mins
Partner Mystery: Pair girls up. Partner A makes a feeling face (e.g., surprised, left out, proud); Partner B guesses the feeling and names 2 clues they noticed.
Empathy Action Steps: When a friend looks sad or lonely, what can a Heart Detective do? 1. Sit near them. 2. Ask: "Are you okay?" 3. Offer a smile or a turn to play.
Individual Work: Distribute the Empathy Clues Activity Sheet for students to complete emotion matching and their caring helper drawing.
4
Closing Circle & Empathy Pledge
5 Mins
Group Chant: Put hand over heart and repeat together: "My eyes look, my ears hear, I care for friends both far and near!"
Take-Home Mission: Challenge each girl to spot one classmate who needs a smile before tomorrow's circle.
Facilitator Tip: If a student feels shy sharing, allow them to point to an emotion picture card. Page 1 of 1
Empathy Clues Activity Sheet Session 1 Activity
Empathy Clues Activity Sheet
Name:
Date:
Use your detective eyes and caring heart to solve the feeling mysteries!
1
Clue Match: How Do They Feel?
Look at the clues. Draw a line from each child's clue to their feeling word.
Big smile, shining eyes, laughing
Frown, tear on cheek, slumped head
Tight fists, eyebrows down, stomping
Sitting alone by fence, looking away
Sad
Happy
Left Out
Angry
2
Be an Empathy Helper!
Imagine your classmate is sitting alone at recess. Draw what you would do to help her feel cared for.
Draw Your Picture
What kind words will you say to her?
"I can say: "
My Official Heart Detective Pledge
"I promise to look for feeling clues and show kindness when a friend needs a helping hand."
Student Signature:
Certified
Friendship Circle SEL • Grade 1 Keep this sheet in your Friendship Folder!
Playground Pals Facilitator Guide Session 2 of 4 Friendship Circle Curriculum • Grade 1
30 Minutes
Playground Pals Facilitator Guide
Objective: Equip girls with concrete steps to join play smoothly, share toys fairly, and be welcoming includers.
Focus Skill Friendship & Play
Group Setup Circle seating with an open central floor area for interactive play simulations.
Materials Friendship Recipes Activity Sheets, 1 toy basket or set of building blocks, sand timer.
Motto of the Day "More friends make more fun—open the circle and welcome everyone!"
1
Welcome Circle & Compliment Web
5 Mins
Review & Share: Ask: "Did anyone spot an empathy clue on the playground yesterday?" Validate responses.
Compliment Pass: Pass the talking piece. Each girl says one friendly thing to the peer next to her (e.g., "I like your smile," "You are fun at recess," "You are a good builder" ).
2
The 3-Step "Join-In Jump" Formula
10 Mins
1. Watch
Look at what game they are playing and see how the roles work before jumping in.
2. Walk Over
Stand close with smiling eyes and open body (hands relaxed, no grabbing).
3. Ask or Offer
Say: "Can I play too?" or offer an idea: "Can I help build the tower roof?"
The Includer Habit: When someone asks to play, what do we say? "Sure, come on in!" If game has fixed teams, say: "Let's make teams of three!"
3
Fair Share Practice & Role-Plays
10 Mins
The 3 Fair Share Solutions: 1. Take Turns (use sand timer or 10-count). 2. Trade (swap markers/toys). 3. Team Up (build one castle together).
Live Role-Play Scenario: Two girls pretend to color with only one glitter crayon. Coach them to use the Trade or Timer strategy instead of grabbing.
Student Activity: Distribute the Friendship Recipes Activity Sheet for personal reflection and recipe ingredient sorting.
4
Circle Cheers & Recess Goal
5 Mins
High-Five Chain: Each girl high-fives her neighbor and shares one game she loves to play with friends.
Recess Challenge: Practice the 3-step join-in or invite one new friend into a game today!
Friendship Recipes Activity Sheet Session 2 Activity
Friendship Recipes Activity Sheet
Name:
Date:
Mix together the best ingredients to make strong, joyful friendships on the playground!
1
Mix the Friendship Bowl!
Check the ingredients that make friendships sweet and fun. Cross out the ones that spoil the recipe.
Warm Smiles
Grabbing Toys
Listening Ears
Taking Turns
Bossy Voices
Saying "You Can Play!"
2
The 3-Step Join-In Jump
Practice what to say when you want to join friends playing at recess.
Step 1 Watch & Notice See what game they are having fun playing.
Step 2 Walk & Smile Stand close with friendly, welcoming eyes.
Step 3 Ask Kindly Ask to join or offer a helpful play idea.
Finish the sentence you will use to ask to play:
"Can I please join and play ?"
3
Draw an Inclusive Playground Game
Draw you and your friends playing together and sharing a recess game (like tag, jump rope, swings, or four-square).
Draw Your Play Scene
Official Playground Pal "I invite friends in and share with a happy heart!"
Pal Pledge Star: ★
Friendship Circle SEL • Grade 1 Keep this sheet in your Friendship Folder!
Brave Voices Facilitator Guide Session 3 of 4 Friendship Circle Curriculum • Grade 1
30 Minutes
Brave Voices Facilitator Guide
Objective: Help girls use a clear, calm, and assertive voice to set kind boundaries and ask for adult help when needed.
Focus Skill Boundaries & Voice
The Hula Hoop Metaphor Bring 1 hula hoop (or string ring) to demonstrate the invisible "Personal Space Bubble."
Materials Boundary Bubbles Activity Sheets, crayons, Three Voices animal picture cards.
Session Motto "Kind hearts can have strong words: I say what I need with care and calm."
1
Welcome Circle & The Space Bubble Demo
5 Mins
Bubble Concept: Place a hula hoop on the floor. Step inside. "Each of us has an invisible bubble around our body. Good friends respect our bubble. If someone pops your bubble or touches your things without asking, you have the right to speak up!"
Warm-Up Gesture: Have all girls stretch out arms, draw a giant circle in the air, and take a deep breath into their "bubble."
2
The Three Voices: Mouse, Tiger, Honeybee
10 Mins
1. Mouse Voice
Too quiet, looks at ground, doesn't speak up, feels pushed around on the inside.
2. Tiger Voice
Too loud, mean, yells, pushes, bosses friends around, hurts feelings.
3. Honeybee Voice
Brave & Kind! Clear, eye contact, calm posture: "Please stop, I don't like that."
Key Insight: Being nice does not mean letting others treat you unkindly. A Honeybee Voice protects your bubble while keeping your words polite.
3
The 3-Step Brave Boundary Practice
10 Mins
The 3 Boundary Steps:
1. Stand Tall & Hand Up (Stop sign) 2. Clear "I" words: "Please stop." 3. Walk away & tell an adult
Script Practice: "Scenario: Someone cuts right in front of you in the water fountain line." Coach students to say: "Excuse me, I was waiting in line. Please go to the back."
Student Activity: Distribute the Boundary Bubbles Activity Sheet to complete the voice matching and speech bubbles.
4
Closing Circle & Brave Honeybee Cheer
5 Mins
Chant: Stand tall together: "I am kind! I am brave! I use my Honeybee Voice every day!"
Boundary Bubbles Activity Sheet Session 3 Activity
Boundary Bubbles Activity Sheet
Name:
Date:
Protect your personal space and practice speaking up with a brave, kind voice!
1
Which Voice Is Speaking?
Draw a line from each sentence to the voice being used: Mouse (too quiet), Tiger (mean/bossy), or Honeybee (brave & kind).
"Gimme that right now or you can't be my friend!"
*(Says nothing, looks down at shoes, feels sad)*
"Please don't push my chair. I need my personal space."
Mouse Voice
Tiger Voice
Honeybee Voice
2
Write Your Honeybee Boundary Words
Practice standing tall, looking eye-to-eye, and using your brave voice.
Scenario A: A friend grabs your colored marker without asking.
"I can say: Please ask first. I am using this ."
Scenario B: Someone wants to play a game that makes you uncomfortable.
"I can say: No thank you. Today I would rather play ."
3
My Personal Space Bubble
Draw yourself inside your peaceful, happy bubble. Add things that help you feel safe and calm.
Draw Inside Your Bubble
When Friends Don't Listen: Stop, Walk, Tell! If someone keeps crossing your boundary, go straight to a trusted teacher.
Trusted Adult:
Friendship Circle SEL • Grade 1 Keep this sheet in your Friendship Folder!
Peace Makers Facilitator Guide Session 4 of 4 (Finale) Friendship Circle Curriculum • Grade 1
30 Minutes
Peace Makers Facilitator Guide
Objective: Teach girls calm-down strategies, restorative communication, and sincere 3-part apologies to repair friendships.
Focus Skill Conflict Resolution
Circle Focus Normalizing disagreements: "Good friends disagree sometimes, but Peace Makers know how to rebuild the bridge."
Materials Repair Bridge Activity Sheets, crayons, graduation star stickers, group certificates.
Graduation Celebration Celebrate completing all 4 Friendship Circle sessions with a special badge ceremony.
1
Welcome Circle & The Balloon Cool-Down
5 Mins
Teaching: "When we feel mad or hurt, our brains feel like an over-inflated balloon. We cannot solve problems when our balloon is about to pop!"
Balloon Breathing Practice: Put hands on belly. Inhale slowly through nose for 3 counts (inflating the belly balloon), hold for 1 count, slowly exhale like letting air out of a balloon (ssshhhh ). Repeat 3 times.
2
The 4-Step Friendship Repair Bridge
10 Mins
Step 1 Cool Down Belly breaths until body is calm.
Step 2 Talk It Out "I felt ___ when you ___."
Step 3 Listen & Echo "I hear you felt sad about..."
Step 4 Fix It Apologize + make amends.
The 3-Part Apology Formula: 1. "I'm sorry for..." (name it) • 2. "Next time I will..." • 3. "How can I help fix it?" (NEVER say "I'm sorry, BUT you did this...")
3
Live Bridge Practice & Activity Sheet
10 Mins
Partner Roleplay: Scenario: Two friends both reach for the same jump rope at recess and pull hard.
Student A: "I felt angry when you pulled the rope from my hands. I was excited to jump."
Individual Worksheet: Distribute the Repair Bridge Activity Sheet for the apology builder and repair action match.
4
Graduation Circle & Friendship Star Celebration
5 Mins
Graduation Ritual: Present each girl with her completed Friendship Star Certificate. Each girl shares one superpower she learned (Empathy, Sharing, Brave Voice, or Peace Making).
Final Group Cheer: Put all hands in the center:
Repair Bridge Activity Sheet Session 4 Activity
Repair Bridge Activity Sheet
Name:
Date:
Rebuild the bridge when friendships get bumpy! Practice real apologies and celebration.
1
The 3 Parts of a Heartfelt Apology
A real apology doesn't make excuses. Complete the three steps of a healing apology:
A 1. Say what you did: "I am sorry for ."
B 2. Promise a better choice: "Next time I will ."
C 3. Ask to fix it: "Can we rebuild our bridge with a ?"
2
Match the Mistake to the Repair!
Draw a line from each problem to the caring action that fixes it.
Knocked over your friend's blocks
Said "You can't play with us"
Took too long on the swing turn
Step off and say: "Your turn now!"
Help stack the blocks back up
Apologize and invite her right in
Friendship Circle Star Graduate
Awarded for kindness, bravery, and friendship skills
This certifies that ________________________________ has mastered the powers of Empathy, Inclusion, Brave Voice, and Peace Making!
Star Pal Signature:
Counselor / Teacher:
Friendship Circle SEL • Grade 1 Graduate Keep this award to remember your friendship powers!
