What this lesson is about
Friends, family, classmates and partners all shape how we feel. This lesson helps you recognize what a healthy relationship looks like, spot the warning signs when one isn't, and practice what to say.
By the end, you will be able to
- Name the qualities of a healthy relationship: respect, trust, honesty, communication, equality and personal space.
- Place real-life behaviors on a spectrum from healthy to unhealthy to controlling.
- Use clear, respectful words to set a boundary.
- Know how to support a friend and when to involve a trusted adult.
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Key words
Try to define each word in your head, then tap the card to check.
Activity 1 of 6 Done
Warm up
Think of someone you feel really good around: a friend, a cousin, a sibling, anyone.
What other students often write
A good friend listens, keeps my secrets, supports me, is honest with me and lets me be myself.
Uncomfortable: when someone makes fun of me, gets jealous, pressures me or ignores how I feel.
Notice that the good things are about respect and trust. The uncomfortable things are about pressure and control. That is the spectrum you'll explore next.
Activity 2 of 6 Done
The relationship spectrum
Relationships are not simply good or bad. They sit on a spectrum, and they can move along it over time. These signs apply to friends, family and partners alike. Control often looks like caring at first, and it is never your fault if someone treats you badly.
Where does it go?
Pick a zone for each behavior.
Activity 3 of 6 Done
Scenario explorer
Read each situation, decide where it sits on the spectrum, and think about what the person could do. Then check your thinking.
Where is this on the spectrum?
- Signs to notice
- How they might feel
- What they could do
- Who could help
Activity 4 of 6 Done
Write a boundary
Setting a boundary is not being rude. A person who respects you will listen. If they don't, that tells you something important. Use the formula to write what one of the characters could say.
- Names a feeling, not an insult
- Describes what happened, not the whole person
- Asks for something specific
Activity 5 of 6 Done
Quiz
Five questions. Pick an answer to see whether it's right and why.
0 of 5 answered
Activity 6 of 6 Done
Reflect
Teaching this in class?
Everything you need to run this lesson with a group of students in about 50 minutes. All files are A4 PDFs, ready to print.
Classroom pack
- Teacher guideFull lesson plan, script, answer keys and safeguarding notes
- Scenario cards8 illustrated cards to cut out, one set per group of 4
- Student activity sheetsWarm up, spectrum, scenario questions, boundary scripts, exit ticket
- Quiz and answer key5 questions for the end of the lesson
- Wall signsHealthy, Unhealthy and Controlling posters, landscape
For parents and caregivers
A one-page guide with what teens learn in this lesson, conversation starters, tips and where to get help.
Where to get help
If something in this lesson made you think of your own situation or a friend's, talk to a trusted adult or your school counselor. These lines in Lebanon can also help.