You will learn
- Say what global friendship is.
- Name ways to build it.
- Name shared values.
- Plan a friendship activity.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Friends can live far apart.
- Friendship needs kindness and respect.
- Kindness and fairness are shared values.
- We can build friendship safely.
Words to know
a close, caring bond between people
of the whole world
calm and harmony without fighting
something we believe is important
1. Discover: The friendship song
Ms Smith plays a song from another country and teaches the class a verse. Then the class teaches a verse of a Sierra Leonean song. They record both and share with the partner class through the school. “We sing different songs,” says Fatmata, “but the feeling is the same.” “That is global friendship,” says Ms Smith.
Think: What would you share with a friend far away?
2. Understand: Friendship
Idea 1: Global friendship
Friendship is a close, caring bond. Global friendship means connecting with people in other countries. It begins with kind words, curiosity and respect. Friends can live far apart and still care.
Idea 2: Building it safely
We build friendship through class link-ups with a partner class, shared stories, songs, art and joint projects. All contact goes through the teacher. We share first names and school life only, never private details.
Idea 3: Shared values
People everywhere value kindness, fairness, honesty and peace. A value is something we believe is important. Remembering shared values helps us solve problems and build a peaceful world.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Share
What to share?
- Think.
- List.
- Say.
Answer: Songs and drawings.
Example 2 (We do it together): Value
A shared value.
- Think.
- Choose.
- Say.
Answer: Kindness.
Example 3 (You try): Plan
A friendship activity.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Plan.
- Say.
Answer: Swap drawings.
Did you know?
International Day of Friendship is celebrated on 30 July each year, as declared by the United Nations.
Why this matters
Friendship across countries builds understanding and peace.
4. Explore: Friendship plan
Plan a friendship activity with a partner class (real or pretend): a song swap, art swap or story swap. List steps, safety rules and shared values.
- Choose.
- Plan.
- Safety.
- Share.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Art needed no translation.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Friendship is ___.
- Global means ___.
- Peace is ___.
- A value is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is friendship?
Caring bond.
Question 2. What does global mean?
Of the whole world.
Question 3. What is peace?
Calm without fighting.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is friendship?
- What does global mean?
- What is peace?
- What is a value?
- Name a shared value.
Level 2: Grow
- Why build friendship?
- Why safety?
- Why shared values?
Level 3: Stretch
- Plan an activity.
- List safety rules.
- Name values.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Name two ways to build friendship across countries.
Show a sample answer
Songs; art swap.
Another one. Think of one way to be a friend to someone far away.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: They can live far apart.
Fix: Never private details.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what global friendship is.
- I can name ways to build it.
- I can name shared values.
- I can plan a friendship activity.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Friends can live far apart.
- Friendship needs kindness and respect.
- Kindness and fairness are shared values.
- We can build friendship safely.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Collaborative action project. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Say what global friendship is. [2 marks]
- Name three ways to build friendship safely. [3 marks]
- Name two shared values. [2 marks]
- Plan a friendship activity with a safety rule. [3 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Meaning [1]; example [1]
- Three [3]
- Two [2]
- Activity [1]; steps [1]; safety [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is friendship?
- What does global mean?
- What is peace?
- What is a value?
- Name a shared value.
- Why build friendship?
- Why safety?
- Why shared values?
- Plan an activity.
- List safety rules.
Homework
Draw a friendship picture to share with a partner class.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is friendship? | Caring bond. | 1 |
| 2. What does global mean? | Of the whole world. | 1 |
| 3. What is peace? | Calm without fighting. | 1 |
| 4. What is a value? | Believed important. | 1 |
| 5. Name a shared value. | Kindness. | 1 |
| 6. Why build friendship? | Understanding. | 1 |
| 7. Why safety? | Protect. | 1 |
| 8. Why shared values? | Connect. | 1 |
| 9. Plan an activity. | Plan. | 1 |
| 10. List safety rules. | Rules. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Caring bond.; 2 Of the whole world.; 3 Calm without fighting.; 4 Believed important.; 5 Kindness.. Level 2: 1 Understanding.; 2 Protect.; 3 Connect.. Level 3: 1 Plan.; 2 Rules.; 3 Values..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say what global friendship is | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Name ways to build it | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Name shared values | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Plan a friendship activity | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Friends must live close.” They can live far apart.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a friendship bracelet design.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child plans a friendship activity. Please remind your child about online and letter safety. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Share songs.
- Talk about friends far away.
- Keep private details private.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say what global friendship is; name ways to build it; name shared values; plan a friendship activity.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 2 ideas: children worldwide, shared resources, caring for the environment and rights.
Materials. Paper, crayons, recordings. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Arrange a partner class.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the friendship song story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach friendship.
Guided activity (10 min). Friendship plan.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. How can we build friendship across countries?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Friends must live close.” They can live far apart.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Make a friendship bracelet design. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 2 Unit 10, topic 9; NCSS C3 Framework, global connections and taking informed action; Cambridge Primary Humanities, people and the world; IB Primary Years Programme, sharing the planet. These sources informed the lesson.