Students can have a huge impact on the social wellness of their peers, and becoming aware of this is a great way to foster a community and help students recognize low levels of wellness in each other. In this activity, students will create an example of how they can improve someone else's social wellness. This could be done with objects, animals, or mythical creatures instead of people in order to limit any peers from being used as an example.
You may also want to show an example of someone with low social wellness or provide a completed cell in the template for students to continue in order to avoid using peers as an example. Finish the activity with a gallery walk to help promote a socially accepting environment for students.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard visualizing someone reaching out to improve someone else’s wellness.
Invite students to lead short group discussions on social wellness topics. This builds leadership skills and lets students practice empathy in a safe, supportive space.
Establish simple, positive rules for respectful dialogue before starting. Clear expectations help all students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts without fear of judgment.
Demonstrate how to listen attentively, paraphrase, and ask follow-up questions. Active listening shows students how to support each other and value diverse perspectives.
Rotate the role of discussion leader so each student has an opportunity to guide their peers. This boosts confidence and encourages greater participation from everyone.
Lead a quick class reflection on how student-led discussions made them feel. Reflection helps students connect discussion skills to social wellness and identify ways to support one another in the future.
Social wellness refers to building healthy relationships, fostering a sense of belonging, and supporting others. For students, it’s important because it helps create a positive, inclusive environment and improves emotional well-being and academic success.
Students can positively impact peers’ social wellness by including others, offering support, showing empathy, and encouraging kindness. Simple acts like inviting someone to join a group or listening to a friend can make a big difference.
A great activity is having students create a storyboard showing someone improving another’s social wellness. Using objects or animals instead of real people helps maintain privacy and encourages creativity.
After students complete their storyboards, display them around the room and let students walk through, viewing and discussing each example. This gallery walk promotes sharing ideas and fosters a more socially accepting classroom.
Using animals or objects in examples helps avoid singling out classmates, keeps the activity inclusive, and allows students to focus on the concepts of social wellness rather than personal details.