Boundaries: Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships
How can understanding what makes relationships healthy help us build stronger connections?
How to Use This Lesson
This is a Harmony Student Wellness lesson, a week-long, music-centered social-emotional learning lesson designed to be taught across multiple sessions, culminating in an arts-based project. This lesson can be taught in isolation or as part of the larger Harmony Student Wellness program. For more support on implementation, see the Implementation Guide on the program page.
Essential Question
How can understanding what makes relationships healthy help us build stronger connections?
Objectives
Mastery Objective
- Students will be able to recognize healthy and unhealthy relationships and identify people they can turn to for support.
Day 1 - Students will:
- Listen to “That’s What Friends Are For” by Dionne Warwick
- Understand different types of relationships people can have with each other
- Recognize qualities of healthy relationships
Day 2 - Students will:
- Listen to “Boundaries” by Laura Marano
- Recognize the importance of boundaries in all relationships
- Write a poem about boundaries
Day 3 - Students will:
- Listen to “Landed” by Ben Folds
- Identify signs of an unhealthy relationship
- Consider what to do if a relationship is recognized as unhealthy
Day 4 - Students will:
- Listen to “Because of You” by Kelly Clarkson
- Identify steps that can be taken if in an unhealthy relationship
- Determine which trusted adults can be spoken to and how to begin a conversation
Arts-Based Activity - Students will:
- Reflect on relationships in their lives and recognize which are healthy and supportive
- Write and illustrate a postcard expressing appreciation for someone with whom they have a healthy relationship
Background
In this lesson, students will consider different types of relationships and discuss what qualities make a relationship healthy or unhealthy. They will understand the role of boundaries in their relationships, and they will identify who in their lives they can turn to for support. The lesson ends with students writing a postcard to someone they have a healthy relationship with.
Disclaimers
This lesson contains content that could be difficult for some students to engage with and that could prompt personal conversations. Before beginning this lesson, review the content in full and consider what local and school-specific support resources are available. Additional online resources include www.loveisrespect.org, www.healthyrelationshipsinitiative.org, and www.joinonelove.org.)
Materials
Required for all lessons:
- Student Journals
- Art Supplies
Arts-Based Activity:
- Cardstock for postcards, cut into half sheets
Slides
Playlists
Connected Themes
SEL Competency
SEL Subskill(s)