Objective

By the end of this lesson, the student will have a better understanding of the importance of maintaining healthy relationships while hanging out with friends.

Materials and Prep

• Notebook or paper
• Pen or pencil

Before starting the lesson, make sure you have a clear understanding of what it means to have healthy relationships and the potential risks associated with unhealthy relationships.

Activities

1. Activity 1: Reflect on Current Friendships

Take some time to reflect on your current friendships. Write down the names of your closest friends and think about how they positively contribute to your life.

2. Activity 2: Identify Healthy and Unhealthy Traits

Create two columns on your paper, one for healthy traits and one for unhealthy traits. Think about the characteristics you value in a friend and list them under the appropriate column. Be honest and consider both positive and negative traits.

3. Activity 3: Evaluate Your Friendships

Using the list you created in Activity 2, evaluate your current friendships. Identify which friends exhibit more healthy traits and which ones may display more unhealthy traits. Think about how these traits affect your overall well-being.

4. Activity 4: Create an Action Plan

Based on your evaluation from Activity 3, create an action plan to improve the quality of your friendships. Determine if there are any toxic relationships that you need to distance yourself from, and identify ways to strengthen the healthy relationships.

Ninth Grade Talking Points

• "Maintaining healthy relationships is crucial for our overall well-being."
• "Healthy friendships involve mutual respect, trust, and support."
• "Unhealthy relationships can negatively impact our mental and emotional health."
• "It is important to recognize and address any signs of toxic friendships."
• "We have the power to choose the kind of friends we surround ourselves with."
• "Setting boundaries and communicating effectively are essential in maintaining healthy friendships."
• "Friendships should be based on shared values, interests, and positive influence."
• "It's okay to distance ourselves from friendships that are consistently negative or harmful."
• "Building and maintaining healthy friendships requires effort and open communication."