Unit Plan 16 (Grade 2 Counselor): Joining Groups and Including Others

Focus: Teach students how to join play or group work respectfully and how to include classmates who may feel left out. The counselor models phrases for joining, such as “Can I play?” “What are you working on?” and “Can I help?” Students also practice inclusive responses, such as making room, offering a role, or suggesting a fair turn-taking plan.

Grade Level: 2

Subject Area: School Counseling (Inclusion • Friendship Skills • Respectful Communication)

Total Unit Duration: 1–2 weeks, 30 minutes per session

I. Introduction

This Grade 2 counseling lesson helps students practice two important friendship skills: joining a group respectfully and helping others feel included. Students learn that it can feel hard to ask to join a game, partner activity, lunch conversation, or group project. They also learn that classmates can make a big difference by making room, offering a role, listening, and using kind words.

The counselor models joining phrases such as “Can I play?” “What are you working on?” and “Can I help?” Students also practice inclusive responses such as “You can join us,” “You can have this role,” “You can play the next round,” or “Let’s make a fair turn-taking plan.” The goal is for students to use empathy, respectful listening, and safe conflict-resolution skills to build stronger classroom and recess communities.

Essential Questions

• How can students join play, conversations, or group work respectfully?
• How can students include classmates who may feel left out?
• What words help someone feel welcomed into a group?
• How can students listen and respond respectfully when someone asks to join?
• How can fair plans, turn-taking, and adult help support peer conflicts?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Identify how a student might feel when trying to join a group or when being left out.
2. Practice respectful joining phrases such as “Can I play?” “What are you working on?” and “Can I help?”
3. Practice inclusive responses such as making room, offering a role, inviting someone in, or suggesting a fair turn-taking plan.
4. Listen to classmates’ ideas and feelings and respond in a respectful, connected way.
5. Use respectful words, compromise, turn-taking, walking away, or adult help when joining or inclusion problems become conflicts.
6. (Optional Session) Apply joining and inclusion skills through role-play, scenario sorting, or a fair-plan practice activity.

Standards Alignment — Grade 2 (ASCA-based Custom)

• C:S3.2a — Show Kindness and Empathy
  • Use words and actions that show care for others’ feelings and experiences.
  • Example: A student notices a classmate looks sad and says, “Are you okay? Do you want to sit with me?”
• C:S3.2c — Listen and Respond Respectfully
  • Listen to others’ ideas and feelings and respond in a respectful, connected way.
  • Example: A student says, “I heard you say you felt left out. That would feel hard.”
• C:S4.2c — Resolve Conflicts Safely and Respectfully
  • Use respectful words, compromise, turn-taking, walking away, or adult help to solve peer conflict without unsafe behavior.
  • Example: A student says, “Please stop. I don’t like that,” and then asks an adult for help if the behavior continues.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can ask to join a group respectfully.
• I can include someone who may feel left out.
• I can listen when someone asks to join or shares a feeling.
• I can use kind words and fair plans during group problems.
• I can ask an adult for help if a problem keeps happening or becomes unsafe.