Ages: 7-12

Lesson Objective:

A children’s lesson based on identifying the social supports around them, how they affect and interact with their support systems, and how to work together with peers to become better support for others.

Group Meeting:

• Gather your group to the meeting area and have them take a seat.

• Introduce the lesson by telling the group, “Today we’re going to discuss the different people in our lives and the ways they support us.”

• Explain to the group, “All social support is helpful, but different types of support helps in different ways. Your best friends at school may support you in a different way than your grandma.”

• Using butcher paper or a whiteboard, divide your visual into the following sections:

1. 1. 1. Emotions
      2. Hands-on 
      3. Information
      4. Social

• Explain each kind of support:

1. 1. 1. If someone supports you with emotions they are someone you can talk to about your feelings. Someone who listens or can relate to you. Someone who can help you manage stress or anger. Someone to celebrate good news with.
      2. If someone supports you hands-on, this means they are someone that helps you in practical ways and meeting your basic needs. They may give you rides to the mall or school, or give you lunch money.
      3. If someone gives you informational support, they are someone who teaches you or helps you problem-solve. They may give good advice or know the right people to help you.
      4. If someone gives you social support, this is a person who makes you feel loved, secure, and gives you somewhere to belong.

• Tell the group to name off people who fit these different categories, and write it out on your visual. Have them explain how each person fits an area.

• Ask the group, “Are there people in more than one category? How does that look in your life?”

• Explain to the group, “It’s not only important to have supportive people in our life, but also find ways to keep them too. If we only take from the people that help us, we may lose that support. A good, balanced relationship has the following three qualities: trust for each other, knowing you have each other’s back, and being around for when things get tough. This isn’t only for friends and people we love, but also with a good team.”
• To move onto the next activity, tell the group their teamwork and relationship skills will be put to the test with a team challenge.

Summary of Tasks/Activity:

 Egg Drop Challenge

1. Split up children into groups of four or less
2. After splitting up into groups, kids will send a member to retrieve certain items. Each team will receive:
   1. One egg
   2. Two popsicle sticks
   3. One piece of paper
   4. One string
   5. Three rubber bands
   6. Four straws
   7. One sandwich bag
   8. Three pieces of tape
3. With these tools, the teams will have 10 minutes to build a device that will keep the egg from breaking when dropped from a high level (probably from the hand of the instructor who will stand on a chair). 
4. The goal is to prevent the egg from breaking, but it will be even better if there are no cracks in the egg after the drop!

Materials/Equipment:

• Eggs
• Tape
• Yarn
• Popsicle sticks
• Paper
• Rubber bands
• Straws
• Sandwich bags

Class 8 — Social Support PDF Lesson Plan