Lesson: Everyone Can Use A Friend
This lesson plan and accompanying activity are designed to be taught after showing the jsk stories Students with Disabilities presentation. Feel free to change, adjust, and customize these plans according to your classroom or circumstance. The lesson and activity go well together, but can be split into separate days if need be.
Concept 1 – Be a friend, be an advocate.
-Discuss: How do you feel when you have family or friends to support you in the happenings of your life? What are some things you could do to be a more supportive friend and advocate to people with disabilities?
- Whether it be at school, a future job, or a film- and theatre-related project, you may have the opportunity to work with a person with a disability! Sometimes people feel nervous or hesitant when working with a person with a disability. This may be because they’ve never worked with people with disabilities before, or they’re afraid they might say/do something wrong. If you’re ever in a situation like this, just be yourself!
- A person with a disability may look, speak, or walk differently than you. They may process information and think about things differently than you. And that’s okay! Just remember, we all share that desire to feel like we belong, to feel included, and to feel respected. We all wish to be supported and understood. We all could use a true friend.
- Part of being a true friend to someone with a disability is supporting them when they advocate for themselves, helping them if they desire your help, and looking out for them and their best interest when they’re not present to do so themselves. Being considerate and thoughtful, even in the smallest of things, will help you develop strong bonds of friendships with others.
Concept 2 – Say no to bullying.
-Discuss: How would it make you feel if you found out that your friends were talking about you behind your back? How can sometimes “joking around” actually be a form of bullying?
- People with disabilities are often targeted victims of bullying. Bullying doesn’t just have to be physical. Bullying can be something done or said intentionally to harm another person mentally, emotionally, and even verbally. Bullying can take place face-to-face, online, through social media, or through phone calls and texts.
- Bullying can look like calling other people names, straight to their face or behind their back. It can look like gossiping about another’s appearance, imitating the way their voice sounds, or mimicking the way they move around. This type of behavior is never appropriate.
- In school, work, or in your local community you may see others participate in this type of inappropriate behavior. They may say that they mean no actual harm and they’re just “joking around”. This type of “joking around” is not funny or respectful in any way to the person they are talking about or making fun of. If you see this kind of behavior at school, help set an example. Explain to your peers how this kind of behavior is actually harmful to others. Do not participate, listen, or laugh at this kind of behavior- even if you’re not the one actually conducting the behaviors. If this kind of bullying doesn’t stop, notify a teacher! Bullying will never create an environment for learning, growth, and unity.
Activity: Movie
Materials Needed:
Projector or TV
The DVD or ability to stream the movie *Wonder
*Students can also bring their own snack, a blanket, or pillow to add more fun to this activity!
As a class, watch the movie Wonder. After the movie, consider discussing the following questions with your students:
- Why was Auggie nervous about going to a private school?
- Do you think Auggie was worried if he’d make any friends?
- How do you think Auggie felt when he and Jack started to become friends?
- Do you think Jack became friends with Auggie because he felt sorry for him because of his facial deformities, or because he and Auggie got along, had commonalities, and their personalities clicked?
- How do you think Auggie felt when he overheard Jack and the other students talking about him behind his back?
- Why is it important to avoid gossiping? Being a true friend to someone means being their friend at all times and all places, even if they’re not with you.
- How do you think Auggie felt when Jack apologized? If you were Jack is there anything else you would have done differently to apologize?
- What does being a true friend look like to you?
*Teachers- if you desire, you may elect to read the novel Wonder by R. J. Palacio rather than watching the movie. You can do this together as a class, or assign your students to read it individually.
Download Disabilities Lesson Plan & Activity #3 (English) here.