Lesson video

Hello.

I'm Ms. Kumar, and I'm so pleased that you've chosen to learn with me today.

Today's lesson is called The Importance of Friendships, and it's taken from our unit Healthy Relationships: How Can I Build Good Relationships? I would really recommend that you do this lesson with a trusted adult, as there might be parts of the lesson that you find challenging or worrying.

If at any point during the lesson you do feel worried or upset, please pause the video and speak to your trusted adult.

The outcome for today's lesson is, I can explain the importance of friendships and how friendships can change.

Before we start any learning, let's just remind ourselves of our important ground rules.

Laura reminds us to listen to others.

"It is okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before we make any assumptions or decide how to respond.

And if and when we do disagree, let's make sure that we challenge the statement and not the person." Andeep reminds us to respect privacy.

"We can discuss examples, but we should be careful not to use names or descriptions that could identify anyone, and that includes ourselves." Izzy reminds us that we have the right to choose our own level of participation.

"Everyone has the right to choose whether or not to answer a question or join in a discussion.

We must never put anyone on the spot or make anyone feel uncomfortable." And Jacob reminds us, no judgment.

"We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic, but we should be able to do that without a fear of being judged." Throughout today's lesson, you might notice that there are some words in bold black font.

These are keywords.

Let's take a quick look at today's keywords and what they mean.

Friendship.

This is a relationship between two or more people who care about and support each other.

And evolve.

Evolve is to change or develop.

Today's lesson is split into two parts.

Let's start with part one.

Why are friendships important? Friendships are really important because they can provide lots of things, such as support, connection, belonging, personal growth, and enjoyment.

Which benefit that can come from friendship is missing from the list below? We've got personal growth, belonging, enjoyment, and connection.

You can pause to have a quick think.

Press play when you're ready to move on.

The answer is support.

Why does Andeep think friendships are important? He says, "An article I read suggested that healthy friendships are important because they can provide you with practical and emotional support.

This can be really helpful if you are having a difficult time or even if you just need some simple encouragement or motivation." Andeep thinks friendships provide support and encouragement.

Why does Lucas think friendships are important? Lucas says, "The friendships that I have made have been really important in helping me to understand who I am and giving me a real sense of belonging and connection.

My friends and I often share similar interests and goals, helping me to be really clear about my identity." Lucas thinks friendships provide identity and belonging.

Why does Laura think friendships are important? Laura says, "Friendships are really important because they bring fun and enjoyment to my life.

I love laughing together over shared memories or having a person to watch a film with or even just enjoy going for a walk together.

Laura thinks friendships provide fun and enjoyment.

Why does Sam think friendships are important? "I've been reflecting on what my friendships have taught me.

From my friends, I've learnt about different cultures, viewpoints, and ways of thinking.

This has helped me to think more deeply about my own ideas." Sam thinks friendships provide learning and connection.

Who is explaining how friendships provide identity and belonging? Aisha says, "One of my friendships has really helped me to enjoy my weekends more.

We play table tennis at our local youth group." Andeep says, "My friendships have helped me to understand who I am in relation to my wider community." And Izzy says, "My closest friend has encouraged me to join debate club to increase my confidence." You can pause to have a think.

Press play when you're ready to see the answer.

The answer is Andeep.

He says his friendships have helped him to understand who he is in relation to his wider community.

In other words, his friendships have provided him with identity and belonging.

That brings us to the first task for today's lesson, Task A.

Jacob is not sure why friendships are so important.

Aisha explains that one reason is because they can provide practical support when times are difficult.

Explain three other reasons why friendships are important to Jacob and Aisha.

You can pause to do this task, and when you're ready to see some possible answers, just press play.

Let's see how you got on.

You might have said the following.

In addition to practical support, friendships can also provide emotional support.

This could be as simple as encouraging you to participate in a class discussion or just giving you the opportunity to communicate your feelings.

Friendships can also be important in helping you to understand yourself.

This includes your likes and dislikes, as well as your values and beliefs.

Another reason that friendships are important is that they can help you to find enjoyment and fun in life.

For example, by enjoying a shared interest in music or sport.

That brings us to the second part of today's lesson, how can friendships evolve? All friendships change over time.

While some friendships last through different phases of life, others may change and even fade.

These changes show how a friendship can evolve.

It is normal for friendships to evolve, especially if our interests change or we attend a new school or club.

It's also normal to experience times when we feel lonely.

This is nothing to be ashamed of, and most of us will feel this way at some point in our lives.

David explains, "If feeling lonely is starting to make us feel sad or upset, it's important to talk to a trusted adult, like a parent, carer, teacher or school counselor.

They can listen, help us understand our feelings, and support us in finding ways to feel more connected.

For example, they can help us join a club, introduce us to someone with similar interests, and check in with us regularly.

Which of the following is the correct definition of evolve in the context of friendships? a, having different interests and hobbies to your friends, b, how a friendship changes or develops over time, or c, being at a different school to your primary school friends.

Pause to have a quick think, and then press play when you're ready to see the answer.

The answer is b.

The correct definition of evolve in the context of friendships is how a friendship changes or develops over time.

Laura, Izzy, and Jun are discussing how and why their friendships have evolved.

Laura says, "I don't really speak to most of my friends from primary school anymore.

They don't live close to me, and our interests are really different now." Izzy says, "I used to be really close to one of my friends, but now we speak a bit less.

It's not a problem because we are both enjoying spending time with other people." And Jun says, "Someone I rarely spoke to at primary school has become a really good friend recently." Laura says, "I felt a little bit lonely after primary school, but my family reassured me that it's normal to feel this way during big life changes.

Feeling lonely reminded me how important friendship is to me, so I made a big effort at secondary school to make new friends.

Now I have lots of great friends." Izzy explains, "After I joined my new football team, I felt lonely at first because I didn't know anyone, but after a few weeks, I started talking to people, and now I've made some great friends.

Complete the sentences with the missing words.

While some friendships last through different phases of life, it is normal for these friendships to blank.

It is also normal to feel blank from time to time.

You can pause to have a quick think and then press play when you're ready to see the answers.

The missing words were evolve and lonely.

While some friendships last through different phases of life, it is normal for these friendships to evolve.

It is also normal to feel lonely from time to time.

How and why has Jacob's friendship evolved? How do you think Jacob might be feeling about these changes? Jacob tells us, "One of my friends told me that I was spending too much time with them and not giving them enough space.

I tried to understand.

Now we are less close, and I tried to keep boundaries in mind with my new friends.

Being there for someone doesn't literally mean the whole time.

It's just when you are needed." Jacob's friendship has faded.

He might feel sad that this has happened, but also glad that he has learnt his lesson and is able to apply that to his new friendships.

How and why have Andeep's friendships evolved? How do you think Andeep feels about these changes? Andeep tells us, "I think the number of friends you have is less important than the quality of your friendship.

I used to be really good friends with a big group of people, but now I spend time with my two closest friends who understand and support me best." Andeep's friendship group has become smaller as he has recognized the importance of spending time with those who really understand what it means to be a good friend.

These changes have likely made Andeep feel more confident and happy.

How and why has Sofia's friendship evolved? How does Sophia feel about these changes? "Recently, I've been drifting from one of my really good friends.

She's been so busy with drama club rehearsals, while I've been spending more time at home.

This has happened a few times before, and I'm fine with it, as long as she is also happy." Sofia tells us that she's spending less time with her friend as they are pursuing different interests and have different needs.

She recognizes the importance of both people being happy, showing her maturity as the friendship evolves.

True or false.

A friend is someone who is always available at all times.

You can pause to have a quick think and then press play when you're ready to move on.

The answer is false, but can you remember why? It is important to respect a friend's personal boundaries and recognize that their needs may be different to what we might think they want.

That brings us to the second and final task for today's lesson, Task B.

Identify three ways in which Laura's friendships have evolved.

"At the start of secondary school, everything changed.

In primary school, I had the same best friend for years, but at our new school, we were in different classes, and she joined art club while I started playing netball.

Sometimes we'd sit together at lunch, but it wasn't the same.

I also met a new friend on the netball team, and now we hang out almost every weekend.

I miss seeing my old friend, but I'm glad we can still talk, and I'm lucky to have a new friend too.

I've also realized that I prefer a small group of friends to a large one.

It just works better for me." You can pause to do this task, and when you're ready to see some possible answers, just press play.

How did you get on? Let's take a look at some possible answers together.

You might have said the following.

Laura's friendship with her best friend from primary school has faded since they started at secondary school.

They spend less time together and have different interests.

Laura has also made a new friend with similar interests who she is enjoying spending lots of time with.

Laura has also realized that she prefers hanging out with a small group of friends.

Well done if your answers were along those lines.

That brings us to the end of today's lesson, but before we finish, let's take a quick look at today's lesson summary.

Friendships are important in providing support, belonging, personal growth and enjoyment.

Friendships are fluid and evolve.

Some can get stronger, whilst others fade.

It is normal for friendships to evolve.

This is especially true if our interests and hobbies change or we start attending a new school or club.

It is also normal to feel lonely from time to time.

We can speak to a trusted adult if this is making us feel sad or upset.

It is important to respect a friend's personal boundaries and recognize that their needs may be different to what we might think they want.

Well done on all your hard work today.

I hope that you now have more of an understanding of why friendships are important.

See you again soon.

If you need any support after today's lesson, you can look at the following websites.

Childline.

This is a website and phone line which is able to offer confidential advice and support, And CEOP.

CEOP helps to protect children from online abuse and exploitation.