7-8 Relationship Skills Banner

  •  

     

     

    RELATIONSHIP SKILLS  7th-8th GRADES

    Relationship Skills Competencies

    7th- 8th Grades Indicators of Relationship Skills 

    1. Use positive communication and social skills to interact effectively with others.

    ●        Practice reflective listening.

    ●        Demonstrates the ability to perform different roles in a cooperative group to achieve group goals.

    ●        Uses understanding of how and why others respond in each situation (e.g., assertive, passive, or aggressive) to respond respectfully and effectively to others.

    ●        Identifies appropriate and inappropriate uses of social and other media and the potential repercussions and implications.

    2. Develop and maintain positive relationships.

    ●        Distinguishes between helpful and harmful peer pressure.

    ●        Demonstrates strategies for resisting harmful peer pressure.

    ●        Is involved in positive activities with their peers.

    ●        Develops friendships based on personal values.

    ●        Identifies the impact of social media in developing and sustaining positive relationships.

    ●        Identifies the difference between safe and risky behaviors in a relationship.

    3. Demonstrate an ability to prevent, manage, and/or resolve interpersonal conflicts in constructive ways.

    ●        Identifies the roles of individuals in conflict and understands one’s own responsibility in reaching a resolution.

    ●        Develops self-awareness of their part and actions in creating conflict (e.g., spreading rumors, use of social media, wrongful accusations).

    ●        Applies conflict resolution skills to de-escalate, defuse, and resolve differences.

    ●        Identifies and accesses positive supports when needed in a conflict situation/crisis.

     

    SEL Academic Integrated Strategies for Relationship Skills

    7th-8th Grades

    ●Seat students in heterogeneous teams (not random, not student-selected, not homogenous).

    ●Have individual students take a turn to greet students at the door in the morning.

    ●Have teams create a team name or team cheer.

    ●Provide sentence starters for students to use in a class discussion.

    ●Create and practice group jobs so students learn to work effectively in groups.

    ●Have one-on-one interviews with students.

    ●Have students write alternative endings to stories through changing the behavior of one character.

    ●Conduct class meetings in which students are given the opportunity to support each other and validate their emotions.

    ●Have students perform different roles in cooperative learning groups (i.e., leader, recorder, reporter, timekeeper) to develop and practice communication skills.

    ●Cooperative Learning Structures that build partners and teams: Think-Pair-Share or Turn & Talk, Numbered Heads Together, Round Robin, Round Table, small group roles (i.e., task leader, materials monitor, timekeeper, reader).

    ●Have students discuss a topic, either as a class or in small groups, then use reflective listening to paraphrase key discussion points.

    ●Have students read a book then discuss why the characters responded in a certain way.

    ●Invite a representative from a human resources department to speak about the implications of social media on hiring practices. Have students respond by writing a social media pledge for themselves, outlining how they will use social media responsibly.

    ●Develop a peer mediation program that allows students to assist each other in solving problems.

    ●Provide students opportunities to practice positive peer support through class meetings, small groups, and school-sponsored activities.

    ●Have students review social media posts and discuss how those posts impact positive and negative relationships.

    ●Have students write and perform conflict resolution skits.

    ●Have students research and write a paper on how conflict resolution is portrayed in the media.

    ●Provide students with a six-step approach to resolve conflict: 1) cool off; 2) use “I” messages; 3) restate the conflict; 4) take responsibility; 5) brainstorm solutions; and, 6) affirm, forgive, or thank.

    ●Ask students to identify at least one person to provide support when dealing with a conflict.

    ●Conduct class debates over an issue that must end in a win-win for the class to be successful.

    SEL Direct Instruction Resources for Relationship Skills

    Curriculum Resources

    7th-8th Grades

    Utah Core Health Standards

     

     

    Strand 1: Health Foundations and Protective Factors of Healthy Self

     

    Strand 2: Mental and Emotional Health

     

    Strand 3: Safety and Disease Prevention

     

     

     

    Strand 4: Substance Abuse Prevention

     

     

    MindUp

     

     

     

     

     

    Unit 1: Getting Focused

     
    • L1: How Our Brains Work
    • L2: Mindful Awareness
    • L3: Focused Awareness: The Core Practice

    Unit 3: It’s All About Attitude

     
    • L10: Perspective Taking
    • L11: Choosing Optimism
    • L12: Appreciating Happy Experiences

    Unit 4: Taking Action Mindfully
    • L13: Expressing Gratitude
    • L14: Performing Acts of Kindness
    • L15: Taking Mindful Action in the World

     

    Botvin Life

    Skills

     

    Health

    Lessons

    7th Grade

     

     

     
    • Communication Skills
    • Assertiveness
    • Resolving Conflicts

     

     Nearpod

     

    SEL

    7th Grade

    8th Grade

    Pure Edge, Inc.

     

     

     

     

    Pure Edge Brain Breaks

    Training Manual

    Pure Edge Brain Breaks Training Manual

    Strategies for educators and learners to support social, emotional, and academic development through mindful movement and rest.

    ● Arrival: Engaging in a Mindful Minute offers learners a chance to check in with themselves at the start of the day.

    ● Large Group/Circle Time: Simple breathing exercises will visually hold attention in the large group setting.

    ● Small Group: Small group offers time to give feedback and answer questions.

    ● Refocus Between Lessons: Bring in a little movement and breathing as a brain break to re-energize learners.

    ● Before Testing: Use mindful breathing exercises to help learners focus and relieve testing-related stress.

    ● Lining Up: Help learners stay calm during the transition to and from the classroom.

    ● Recess: Refocus and calm down after recess.

    ● Create a Calming Center: Have a Breathing Ball available for learners to access in a quiet area.

    ● Departure: A gratitude activity is a great way to start off or wrap up the day.

     

    Learning to Breathe
    • B-Body: Listen, your body is trying to tell you something.
    • R- Reflections and Thoughts: Thoughts are just thoughts.
    • E- Emotions: Surf the Waves of your emotions.
    • A- Attention: Attention to body, thoughts, and feelings is good stress reduction.
    • T- Tenderness: Take it as it is. Learn to be kind to yourself.
    • H- Healthy Habits of Mind: Finding ways to practice mindfulness in your life reduces stress and increases inner strength.
    • E- Empowerment: Gain the inner edge.