Let’s Be Friends

A prevention curriculum
teaching young children
positive social skills,
“Let’s Be Friends”
presents useful tools that
enable students to co-
create a positive social
environment that fosters
kindness, compassion and
responsibility.

Let’s Be Friends
Elementary Curriculum
Grades 2-3

Lesson One:
Positive Attributes
Lesson Two:
Internal & External Strengths
Lesson Three:
What is a Friend?
Lesson Four:
Qualities of Friends
Lesson Five:
Understanding Conflict
Lesson Six:
Building Empathy
Lesson Seven:
Ways to be a Friend
Lesson Eight:
Reflecting on Friendships
Let’s Be Friends
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................. 3

Before You Begin ........................................................................... 5

Contributors ................................................................................. 9

Materials Needed ..........................................................................10

Lesson 1: Positive Attributes................................................................12

Lesson 2: Internal and External Strengths.................................................14

Lesson 3: What is a Friend? ................................................................16

"A Recipe for Friendship"................................................................18

Lesson 4: Qualities of Friends ..............................................................19

Role Play Scenarios ........................................................................22

"The ABC’s of Problem Solving" .......................................................23

Lesson 5: Understanding Conflict..........................................................24

The "I Message" Process..................................................................26

Lesson 6: Building Empathy ...............................................................28

Lesson 7: Ways to be a Friend..............................................................31

Lesson 8: Reflecting on Friendships ........................................................33

Glossary/The Language of Peer Aggression ..........................................35

Resources ...................................................................................42

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 2

Introduction
Let’s Be Friends is a prevention curriculum that teaches young children positive social skills. The
purpose of Let’s Be Friends is to present useful tools to students that enable them to take active roles
in the creation of a positive social environment, which encourages kindness, compassion and
responsibility.

The Ophelia Project® is delighted to provide this fun and educational friendship unit
designed for primary school students. We believe that it is important for schools to add a
fourth “R” to the “Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic” adage, which is Relationships. In
today’s schools, an intense focus on math and reading literacy is pushing the teaching of
social skills farther out of the elementary school.

Children should be taught the skills to know how to:

• Get along with others
• Be a friend
• Be part of a social group

In general, people - even teachers - assume that children know how to interact with one
another in positive ways, but what actually occurs in classrooms challenges this belief. The
potential for meanness, both inside and outside of the classroom, is taking on new and more
creative forms. Another alarming phenomenon shows that children are much more likely to
talk back to their teachers and to other adults in their lives. These adults seem to tolerate,
and implicitly condone, a greater amount of negative behaviors. It follows that students are
demonstrating increased aggressiveness, reduced respect for adult authority and insensitivity
to the feelings of others.

Research shows that children learn what is considered acceptable social behavior by
observing adults, siblings, peers and older schoolmates. Each group’s activities contribute to
the formation of a child’s normative beliefs about how to behave, especially as the child
experiments with different kinds of behaviors and receives feedback from those around her.
By the third grade, most students have already developed normative beliefs about how to
function in a social environment, and these beliefs guide future behavior. If a child’s early
formative experiences involved much screaming and yelling as a form of communication, he
or she has likely learned to expect this type of behavior from others and most likely believes
it is an acceptable way to communicate with others. A child who is allowed to tease, taunt
or exclude another student in the classroom, lunchroom or on the playground learns that his

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 3

actions are sanctioned and he will continue to use them.

The Ophelia Project® is committed to empowering the kid in the middle, often called the
bystander, witness or the silent “it’s-none-of-my-business” student. We believe that
everyone plays a role in creating positive, safe social climates. Therefore, everyone has a
responsibility to become involved in addressing peer aggression. Acts of aggression often
occur when adults are not around, so we must count on the children present to take a stand
if we truly want to address the aggression in a community.

Our programs strive to develop a sense of personal power within each child, such as:

• Recognizing my responsibility to protect myself and my classmates

• Making the effort to welcome a new student into my work or play
• Speaking out to defend a classmate when s/he is being treated unfairly
• Reporting to an adult when a classmate needs help and is in trouble

The Ophelia Project®’s initial efforts focused on middle schools, where students hurt each
other through numerous different forms of aggression. Covert bullying is a common
practice in middle schools, a place where many adults silently support exclusion, teasing,
rumor spreading and gossiping by failing to take action or by being unaware that there is a
problem at all.

We encourage teachers of young children to be diligent in holding themselves and their

students accountable when their actions knowingly and unknowingly hurt someone else.
Through this prevention curriculum, The Ophelia Project® encourages teachers to help
students get in touch with their own emotions and those of their peers, because lessons in
building positive relationships last a lifetime.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 4

Before You Begin
Goal
The goal of this curriculum is to create safe social climates for children. This is accomplished
by:

• Providing opportunities for children to develop positive self-concepts

• Developing a definition of friendship
• Encouraging students to nurture their friendships with others

Curriculum Implementation
The lessons in Let’s Be Friends are designed to be presented in a sequential, eight-lesson
unit. Because many of the lessons use the same materials and/or refer to the previous
lesson, it is recommended that the lessons be delivered within a two- to four-week period.

Let’s Be Friends can be implemented in either second or third grade classrooms. Teaching
the unit to all students in the same grade is the most effective way to implement the
curriculum. Some schools may prefer to adapt the lessons for first graders or choose to
extend the unit for a period of several weeks. Teachers should feel free to adapt this
curriculum to meet the specific needs of each school. A needs assessment is recommended
to determine the level of programming that will be most beneficial to your school. Contact
The Ophelia Project® national office at 1-888-256-5437 for details.

Integration
Let’s Be Friends is specially designed so that it can be integrated into any number of school
programs. One program The Ophelia Project® recommends is health education. The lessons
will have the most impact when linked to what actually happens on the playground, in the
lunchroom and during open-ended class time.

Lesson Plans
The lesson plans in this curriculum were created with a teacher’s needs and goals in mind.
Each lesson is designed to be as easy as possible for you to prepare for and teach. Each lesson
is titled and contains:

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 5

 • A summary of the lesson and key objectives for student learning
• Materials needed to teach the lesson
• Specific procedures on how to teach the lesson, including an anticipatory set and
closure

Evaluation
The following criteria are suggestions for assessing the impact of the unit on students:

• Participation in discussions and/or activities

• Fulfillment of assignments
• Adherence to the ground rules of the classroom
• Efforts outside of the classroom to make a positive difference

Listen carefully to the questions students ask during these lessons; it will reveal a great deal
about what they are thinking and how the material is affecting them. The ways in which the
students interact with each other is also a good indicator of how the lesson is affecting them.

Program Closure
The key to the success of this curriculum is how the students behave after the unit is
over. The goal of Let’s Be Friends is for students to use the information and skills they have
learned both inside and outside the classroom. Students should transfer what they have
learned in class to situations that they encounter in their everyday lives.

One of the best ways to accomplish this goal is to make a commitment to reinforce the unit
concepts throughout the year. Inform students of this plan and ask them for suggestions
about how to make the information more meaningful. A student-organized awareness
campaign, for example, could be conducted to help younger students observe how friends
should treat each other.

Comfort and Privacy

Many times throughout this unit, students are asked to share their personal stories. Some
students are comfortable with this, while others are not. The Ophelia Project® believes that
no one should be forced to comment and that everyone should be given the chance to “pass”
on sharing if they so choose. It is important that the curriculum reaches both types of
children, and for that reason it is important to establish and have students follow these four

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basic ground rules:

• Respect people’s privacy by keeping a NO NAMES policy, e.g., “I know someone

who … ”
• Pass if you do not wish to speak
• Give others a chance to speak
• Let others speak without interruption

Thoughts on Grouping Students

The way students are assigned seating and grouped for class activities can foster friendships
and diffuse aggressive situations. Careful thought should be given to the ways in which
students are grouped.

When students are told to find a partner, much can be observed:

• Who is left standing alone?

• Which students reach out to others to be sure they have someone to work with?
• Who are the leaders in the class?
• Which students are shy and find this simple act difficult?
• When is exclusion intentional and therefore hurtful?
• How does the practice of finding a partner support or detract from the lesson goals?

An alternative strategy to random partnering is to instruct students to, “Turn to the person
on your right (in front of you, behind you),” when they are to work in pairs. Walk around
to ensure that everyone has a partner. When there is an uneven number, quickly create a
group of three so that no child is left out.
In addition to using grouping as a learning strategy, teachers can help students build new
friendships by using a variety of different criteria in grouping students. The more students
get to know their classmates, the less likely they are to taunt, exclude or spread rumors.
With this in mind, students can also be grouped in the following ways:

• Pair a quiet, shy student with someone who is caring and friendly and can make him
or her feel like a part of the group

• Group students in ways that highlight their strengths; e.g., an artistic student can be
the illustrator during collaborative work; a more organized student can help those
who are easily distracted

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 • Encourage interactions between students who don’t really know each other; put the
new child in a group situation quickly so that s/he gets to know other children and
vice versa

• Proactively support a student who has been the target of peer aggression by grouping
him or her with students who will be kind and inclusive

• Discourage interaction between students who have been in an aggressive incident or

who tend to gang up on other children in the class

• Changing classroom seating arrangements monthly or bi-monthly provides students

with the opportunity to get to know each other; getting to know others who are
different also breaks down barriers that might lead to prejudice and discrimination

Use cooperative learning strategies to encourage positive interactions and

expand students’ friendships. These learning strategies build appreciation for diversity
and tolerance, and highlight each student’s skills and abilities. Cooperative learning often
requires more class time to complete an activity; however, the development and practice of
social skills involved in group problem solving is well worth it. Social skills can only be
“learned by doing.”

Pay particular attention to the new student in class. New students often become
targets of aggression. They need special attention and careful pairing with caring students
and buddies to help them through their first weeks at a new school. As a teacher who is
concerned with creating safe social climates, you should anticipate possible problems and
take action to prevent such issues.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 8

Contributors
The following people contributed to the production of the Let’s Be Friends curriculum and
lessons, copyright 2004-2006.

Debbie Amantangelo
Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary School principal, Erie, Pennsylvania

Karen Fortebraccio
Lawrence Park Elementary School teacher, Erie, Pennsylvania

Jane Kerschner
The Ophelia Project, Director of National School Programs, Chevy Chase, Maryland

Nancy Nevel
Tracy Elementary School, teacher, Erie, Pennsylvania

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Materials Needed
The resources for each lesson are simple, easy to find materials. It is important to gather all
materials before beginning the lesson. Below is a list of resources needed for each lesson.

Lesson 1

• Essential Question 1: What is something you do well?

• A mirror
• Pattern for paper figure
• Crayons or markers

Lesson 2

• Essential Question 2: What’s inside you that makes you special?

• Pre-cut oak tag headbands (1 per student)
• Six 1x11-inch strips of construction paper per student
• Crayons or markers

Lesson 3

• Essential Question 3: A friend is …

• Drawing paper
• Crayons or markers
• Large paper cut-out of gingerbread person
• “A Recipe for Friendship” handout (included)

Lesson 4

• Essential Question 4: How am I a good friend to others?

• Role play scenario cards
• “ABC’s of Problem Solving” chart (included)

Lesson 5

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 • Essential Question 5: What happens when friends fight?
• “Six Crows” by Leo Lionni
• Chalkboard or chart paper
• “I Message” Process chart (included)
• Construction and writing paper

Lesson 6

• Essential Question 6: How can you make someone who is unhappy feel better?
• Life-size cut-out of a human body made of bulletin board paper
• Pipe cleaner
• “Band-Aid” template (included)

Lesson 7

• Essential Question 7: What are the important friendship messages that I can share?
• Various materials for a creative project

Lesson 8

• Chart paper
• Crayons or markers

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 1
Lesson 1
Mirror, Mirror
Positive Attributes
Objectives:
Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Identify personal strengths

• Identify positive behaviors/strengths in others
• Categorize strengths into two groups: internal (invisible) and external (visible)

Essential Question:
What is something you do well?

Materials:
• Essential Question 1: What is something you do well?
• A mirror
• Pattern for paper figure
• Crayons or markers

Summary:
Students brainstorm about the personal strengths that help them make good choices. They
determine whether the strengths are visible or invisible, and then share their observations.

Procedure:
1. Anticipatory Set: Display the essential question for this lesson and select a student to
read the question aloud. Remind students to think of the answer to this question as
the lesson proceeds.
2. The teacher introduces the lesson by gazing into a “magic” mirror and says, “Mirror,
mirror on the wall ... show me how I am the best of all.” The mirror acts as a helping
tool for the teacher to recognize his or her special strengths. The teacher then relates
his or her personal strengths to the class.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 12

 3. The teacher asks for volunteers to look into the magic mirror and repeat the rhyme.
Each participant will name his or her own special strengths.
4. The teacher works together with the students to compile a list of common strengths
by brainstorming with the class.
5. The magic mirror is passed around the classroom, so that each student has the
opportunity to view him or herself in this way.
6. The teacher defines what “visible” and “invisible” strengths are and gives the class
several examples. Each idea on the list is then labeled as either visible (V) or invisible
(I).
7. Students are given paper figures to trace and decorate to look like themselves,
reflecting on what they learned when looking in the mirror. Then, ask the students
to write their visible strengths around the edges of their paper figures and their
invisible strengths toward the center of their figures.

Closure:
1. Ask students to respond to the essential question: What do you do well? What are some of
your strengths? Which one(s) are unique to you/make you special?
2. Ask students to explain the difference between visible and invisible strengths.
Explore the topic by posing specific questions, such as, “If thinking carefully is one of
your strengths, how can this help you to make good choices?”
3. Have individuals share their paper figures with classmates, who can offer even more
suggestions of strengths to add to one another’s figures.
4. The paper figures can be used to create a colorful and informative bulletin board for
the classroom that reminds the students of what they have learned in this lesson. A
second bulletin board could be created, titled: “How our strengths help us make
great choices!”

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 13

 2
Lesson 2
Inside Out
Internal and External Strengths
Objectives:
Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Identify invisible strengths

• Share invisible strengths with others
• Recognize and appreciate others’ invisible strengths

Essential Question:
What’s inside you that makes you special?

Materials:

• Essential Question 2: What’s inside you that makes you special?

• Pre-cut oak tag headbands (one per student)
• Six 1x11-inch strips of construction paper per student
• Crayons or markers

Summary:
Students find a creative way to show others their invisible strengths.

Procedure:
Note: Prior to this lesson, the teacher should note and record times when students were kind
or caring toward others.
1. Anticipatory Set: Display the essential question, read it aloud to the class and return
to it at the end of the lesson.

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 2. Review with the class the strengths that were written on the paper figures created
during Lesson 1. Comment on how visible strengths are easy for people to see, but
invisible ones require some extra work to discover (e.g. if you are a good artist, you
can show people your work; if you are sensitive to the feelings of others it is obvious
when you treat people well).
3. Relate examples of students’ kindness and caring toward others that you witnessed in
the days leading up to the lesson. Ask your students to share a time when they were
kind and caring to others.
4. Ask the class: “Which person is always able to see the invisible qualities?” Elicit the
response “me.” Explain that, “You are usually the only one who is aware of your own
invisible qualities, but we want others to see them as well.” Let the students know
that to help others see these invisible strengths they will make a “caring crown.”
5. Distribute a pre-cut oak tag headband and six 1x11-inch strips of construction paper
to each student.
6. Have students write “Caring Crown” on the headband and record several of their
invisible strengths on the strips. If time allows, the students may decorate the
headband.
7. Staple or glue the headband to fit each child's head. Next, attach each construction
paper strip to the headband, with the side where the invisible strengths are written
facing inward, toward the child’s head. The strips are attached on both ends to the
headband, intersecting in the middle to form a dome.
8. When all the crowns are completed, explain that invisible strengths are the ones that
will be most valuable. “These invisible strengths are the ones that make you a good
friend and a caring person. We want others to see these strengths. To make them
visible, watch what I do ... ” Take a pair of scissors and cut the strips at the very
center (where they all intersect). Watch as all the strengths pop out!

Closure:
1. Let the students wear their crowns as a way to showcase and highlight their invisible
strengths.
2. Return to the essential question: What’s inside you that makes you special? Ask students
to share their answers.
3. Tell the students that you will be on the look out for demonstrations of their invisible
strengths and that each student should remember to look for those qualities in his or
her classmates.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 15

 3
Lesson 3
Recipe for Friendship
Qualities of a Good Friend
Objectives:
Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Describe a friend
• Define friendship
• List qualities they seek in a friend
• Describe how to treat a friend

Essential Question:
A friend is ...

Materials:

• Essential Question 3: A friend is …

• Drawing paper
• Crayons or markers
• Large paper cut-out of gingerbread person
• Recipe sheet handout (included)

Summary:
Students will be asked to demonstrate pro-social behavior. They will learn to name qualities
to describe a friend and to define friendship. Each student will have the opportunity to
describe a friend in his or her own life and consider ways to nurture that relationship.

Procedure:
1. Anticipatory Set: Display the essential question for this lesson and select a student to
read it aloud. All students should be thinking of the answers to this question as the

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 16

 lesson proceeds.
2. Revisit Lesson 2 with the caring crowns. Encourage students to wear their crowns
while they review what they have learned about both visible and invisible strengths.
3. Give students a sheet of drawing paper with the instructions: “Draw a picture of you
and a friend having fun together.”
4. When the drawings are complete, ask students why they have so much fun with their
friend and why they like spending time together. Students should describe what they
specifically like about their friends.
5. Mount the gingerbread person on the board and ask: “If we could create a friend,
what qualities would that person need to have?” The teacher writes qualities on the
gingerbread person as the discussion progresses. (Include both visible and invisible
strengths.)
6. The teacher takes down the gingerbread person from the board. Students volunteer
to hold the figure and, from what they have learned, describe the ways to treat a
friend. The teacher compiles a list of suggestions.
7. The teacher introduces the “A Recipe for Friendship” activity. Discuss how a recipe
can be used to make something special. The class then works together to create a
friendship recipe, including ingredients and directions. Be sure that students include
both visible and invisible qualities.
8. Students use the recipe template to create their own recipe ingredients. This may be
illustrated.
9. The teacher compiles all the individual recipes into a cookbook for friendship that can
be put on display in the classroom to remind and encourage students to use what they
have learned during the lesson.

Closure:
1. Ask students to give their response to the essential question: A friend is ...
2. How does the dictionary define a friend?
3. What did the students learn about friends and friendship?

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 A Recipe for Friendship
If you could cook up the perfect friend, what special ingredients
would you include? What is your friend like? What qualities do you
think are important for a friendship to be healthy?

Write down a list of friendship ‘ingredients’:

Ingredient List:

Now, how would you put your friend together?

HOW TO MIX IT UP:

Remember to encourage the good ‘ingredients’ in

your friends!

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 18

 4
Lesson 4
Am I a Friend?
Qualities of Friends
Objectives:
Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Identify ways to be a friend to someone else

• Develop methods to maintain friendships

Essential Question:
How am I a good friend to others?

Materials:

• Essential Question 4: How am I a good friend to others?

• Role play scenario cards
• “ABC’s of Problem Solving” chart (included)

Summary:
Students role play various situations in which friends mistreat others. Through discussion
and brainstorming, students develop several solutions to handle these conflicts, which serve
as friendship-building tools.

Procedure:
1. Anticipatory Set: Display the essential question; read it aloud to the class.
2. The teacher shares his or her own personal story about how a friend hurt his or her
feelings.
3. Explain to the class: “Today we will be doing (or watching) several role play
situations. We will explore examples of how friends can hurt each other. We will
then brainstorm ways to change this hurtful behavior into something more positive.”
Note: This activity may be difficult for children who are shy or have never done role playing

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before. One way to address this would be to ask older students to come to the class to act
out a scenario, or to spend some additional class time practicing role playing before using it
in this lesson.
4. Explain that most conflicts require some kind of problem solving skill in order to
resolve them.
5. Display the ABC's of Problem Solving chart (on page 24):
6. Ask, “What is the problem?”
B rainstorm some solutions
C hoose the best one
D o it
E valuate the solution
7. Break the class up into groups of three or four and assign students various scenarios
to act out.
8. Distribute story cards (one scenario per group) and allow approximately ten minutes
for the groups to review and practice the role play. The story cards are suggestions.
Scenarios that occur within the specific school community should be used. The
teacher should make sure that none of the names of the students in the class or grade
level are used. (See role play scenarios on page 24.)
9. Ask the first group to perform its scenario for the class. Explain that the students are
an audience and are watching this all happen as a third party. They are bystanders or
kids in the middle. Encourage them to think about how it makes them feel to watch
these situations happen to some of their classmates.
10. Process the role plays by asking students to describe what happened. Students should
remain in character as each one is asked to answer the following questions. The
purpose of the questions is to focus on the feelings of both the target and the
aggressor in each situation.
Questions for the target: What were you thinking during the role play?
How did you feel? Describe what was done to you (e.g., left out).
Questions for the aggressor: What where you thinking about in this
situation? Why did you act this way (e.g., kept her from joining the game)?
How and what were you feeling?
Questions for the audience/kids in the middle: How did you feel
watching the aggressor behave that way toward the target? Have you ever seen
something like this happen before?

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 11. Ask the class to work through the “ABC’s of Problem Solving” chart and begin to
brainstorm new, more positive and constructive behaviors in each role play situation.
What could the target do differently? What could the kid in the middle do?
Emphasize the importance of the kid in the middle or the target doing something to
improve the situation. Encourage positive change from both perspectives.
12. Select the best solution for each situation and have the group perform the role play
again, this time with the new solution. Afterward, ask for feedback from the group.
13. Repeat this entire process for the remaining groups. Note: It may take several sessions
to give every group a chance to share.

Closure:
1. Create a list of possible solutions when dealing with problems involving friends.
Encourage students to share other problems they’ve faced, in addition to those
addressed during the role plays.
2. Return to the essential question: How am I a good friend to others? Ask students to share
their answers based on what they have learned.

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Role Play Scenarios
Scenario 1:

Tanya is having a birthday party. She keeps telling her friend, Mary, that she
is not invited, saying: “You can’t come to my party, Mary, because you were
talking to that new girl, Sally.”

Scenario 2:

Christopher is riding his bike and wants to race against Sam. Sam says
“okay,” but when they race, Sam wins. Now Christopher makes fun of Sam
and calls him a cheater.

Scenario 3:

Maria’s pet has died and she arrives at school feeling very sad. She cries all
day long. Alex and Andre make fun of her. Before long, all the kids are
calling her a crybaby.

Scenario 4:

Marta and Anna are playing together at recess. Marta makes all the
decisions about what to do. Anna wants to go outside, but Marta says no!
She says that if Anna doesn’t want to play inside, she won’t be her friend.

Scenario 5:

Brock and Darnell are playing on the playground at recess. All of the kids
want to use the slide, but Brock and Darnell are only letting kids who have
a certain kind of name-brand sneakers go down the slide.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 22

The ABC’s of Problem Solving

Ask, “What is the problem?”

Brainstorm some solutions
Choose the best one
Do it
E valuate the solution

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 5
Lesson 5
Friends Forever?
Understanding Conflict
Objectives:
Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Identify qualities that make a good friend

• Identify qualities that hurt a friendship
• Use “I Messages” to communicate needs and feelings

Essential Question:
What happens when friends fight?

Summary:
During this lesson, students will be able to reexamine the qualities of friendship and
problem solving to begin to create solutions to conflicts that may arise between friends. This
lesson is a wonderful example of how you can integrate a lesson on friendship-building skills
into a reading lesson. The concepts presented in this unit are strengthened when they are
highlighted during daily learning.

Materials:

• Essential Question 5: What happens when friends fight?

• “Six Crows” by Leo Lionni
• Chalkboard or chart paper
• “I Message” process chart (included)
• Construction and writing paper

Procedure:
1. Anticipatory Set: Examine the birds on the cover of the book “Six Crows.” Discuss
crows with the class (e.g., what they eat, where they live). Use references to gather

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 24

 some basic information on crows beforehand, if necessary. Begin the lesson by telling
the class that “the author, Leo Lionni, uses animals to teach us a valuable lesson about
our friendships and ourselves.” At the end of the story, students will be able to
explain what that lesson is.
2. While reading the story aloud to the class, ask:

What do you think the farmer might do to keep the crows out of the field?
(Prediction)

Who do you think is sillier, the farmer or the crows? Why? (Evaluation)

Do you think it is too late to make peace? Explain your answer. (Analysis)

What actually changed the minds of the crows and the farmer? (Comprehension)
3. Post-reading, relate “Six Crows” to the children’s own friends. Ask: “Has there ever
been a time when you and a friend ended up fighting, like the farmer and the crows?”
Spend a few minutes sharing the students’ stories and place emphasis on how the
problem was resolved in the “Six Crows” story.
4. Revisit the gingerbread person activity (Lesson 3) and remind the class of the
qualities we look for in a friend. Next, ask students, “What kinds of things can hurt a
friendship?” Write their ideas on the board under the heading “Friendship Busters.”
Continue to relate ideas to the story (e.g., “What did the farmer and crows do to
‘bust’ their friendship?”). Other examples of “Friendship Busters” include: stealing,
making others feel left out, being mean, etc.
5. Ask: “What steps can you take to solve a conflict with your friends?”
6. Brainstorm ways to solve conflicts. One suggestion is to use “I Messages.” Proceed to
teach the “I Message” process (see page 27).

Closure:
1. Ask students to respond to the essential question: What happens when friends fight?

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 25

The “I Message”
Message” Process
When using an “I Message,” start with the word
“I” and then clearly state how you feel.

Example: I feel excluded or I am hurt …

Next, add WHAT the other person did or is

doing that made you feel that way.

Example: I feel excluded when you don't let me sit

at the lunch table.

Clearly and simply say WHY you feel this way.

Example: I feel excluded when you don't let me sit

at the lunch table, because we are friends and I want
to sit with you.

Finally, state WHAT you want or need the

other person to do.
©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 26
 Using “I Messages”
Messages”

I feel …
(name the emotion)

When you …
(state what your classmate did)

Because …
(explain why you feel that way)

I need you to …
(tell your classmate what you want them to do)

Example:
I feel excluded
when you don’t let me sit at the lunch table,
because we are friends.
I need you to stop telling me where I can or cannot sit at lunch.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 27

 6
Lesson 6
Turn the Frown Upside Down!
Building Empathy
Objectives:
Students will demonstrate the ability to:
• Exhibit empathy toward others
• List ways to make others feel good
• Reflect on ways to help their own unhappy moods change for the better
• Reflect on ways to help others change their unhappy moods for the better

Essential Question:
How can I make someone who is unhappy feel better?

Materials:
• Essential Question 6: How can you make someone who is unhappy feel better?
• Life-size cut-out of a human body made of bulletin board paper
• Pipe cleaner
• “Band-Aid” template (included)

Summary:
Using a tracing of a life-size human body, the students will discover ways they can make an
unhappy friend feel better. They will put their ideas onto a “Band-Aid” template and paste
them on the body.

Procedure:
1. Anticipatory Set: Display the essential question for this lesson and select a student to
read the question aloud. Remind students to think of the answer to this question as
the lesson proceeds.
2. The teacher shares with the class a time when he or she was feeling sad, but then did
something to make him or herself feel better.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 28

 3. Discuss with the class ways in which they are able to cheer themselves up. When they
are feeling sad, how do they turn that frown upside down and create a smile?
4. Refer to the large cut-out of a person who is wearing a pipe cleaner frown. After you
have heard some suggestions from the students about how they are able to make
themselves feel better when they are down, change the pipe cleaner into a smile.
Explain that in this lesson they will write down suggestions about how to make
someone who is unhappy feel better. Students should write their ideas on a “Band-
Aid” from the “Band-Aid” template (page 32).
5. The “Band-Aids” are then glued onto the paper cut-out, representing ways in which
the students can help when someone they know is sad.
6. Alternate Option: Turn the class “Band-Aid” activity into a small group project, tracing
several bodies to fill with “Band-Aids.” Each group gets to work with its own cut-out,
placing “Band-Aid” suggestions onto the body.

Closure:
1. Display the completed human body cut-out(s) in the classroom or hallway.
2. Return to the essential question: How can I make someone who is unhappy feel better?
Have students discuss the ideas that they believe could best be used to help improve
this kind of situation.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 29

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 30
 7
Lesson 7
Showing We Care
Demonstrating Ways to Be a Friend
Objectives:
Students will:

• Create a project that expresses their understanding of friendship (e.g., how to be a

good friend, how to nurture a friendship)
• Understand that by speaking out, they can make a difference in their own lives, those
of their peers and within the larger school community

Essential Question:
What are important friendship messages that I can share?

Materials:

• Essential Question 7: What are important friendship messages that I can share?
• Various materials for a creative project

Summary:
Students will demonstrate what they have learned about friendships by completing a creative
project.

Procedure:
1. Anticipatory Set: Display the essential question for this lesson and select a
student to read the question aloud. Students should be thinking of the answer
to this question as the lesson progresses.
2. Explain to the class that one way to help remember the lessons they have learned
during this unit is to teach and express them to others. Tell them, “Today we will
begin a campaign. You will create a project that will help people become more aware
of how to be a friend and how to help a friend.” Identify an audience for the project

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 31

 (e.g., parents, younger peers, siblings).
3. Project examples include: songs, skits, jingles, stories, poems, posters, school wide
announcements, articles for the school paper, a Web site, multimedia presentations,
videos, games and banners.
4. Ask the class to brainstorm ways to help people become aware of how to be a friend
and how to help a friend. Remind them of what they have learned so far from the
unit. What do they think everyone should know? Direct the class to develop several
friendship themes or slogans (e.g., Kindness is cool! Everyone is welcome here!
Hurray for differences!).
5. Discuss ways in which the students can share their messages with their target
audience. Allow students to select and plan out their projects. Be a facilitator and
offer advice and support, but allow the students’ creativity to direct them. Help the
students plan and organize their projects. Students can work independently or team
up with others. If students are going to work in pairs or in small groups, think
beforehand about how to guide this process. Asking for help from parent volunteers
or older students may be a good idea.

Closure:
1. Ask students to give their response to the essential question: What are important
friendship messages that I can share?
2. When the projects are finished, ask students to share theirs with the class. Plan to
build awareness in the school community by presenting the projects at an open
house, parents’ night or student assembly. Invite family members, members of the
media, community members or the entire school to see what the students have
learned and how they feel about friendship.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 32

 8
Lesson 8
Reflecting on Friendships
Summary of Unit Lessons
Objectives:
Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Evaluate their new understanding of friendship and the goals they accomplished
during the culminating projects (Lesson 7)

Materials:

• Chart paper
• Crayons or markers

Summary:
Students will reflect on the friendship unit and the culminating projects.

Procedure:
1. Anticipatory Set: Talk with the class about how people enjoy discussing a book or
movie with others who have seen or read the same thing. Explain that when sharing,
people like to reflect on the good points of the book or movie, as well as the parts
they would change (e.g., what they did and didn’t like). The class will reflect on the
activities of the past week(s) and what they learned about friendships.
2. Brainstorm answers to the following questions and record responses on separate
pieces of chart paper. A carousel brainstorming technique can be used, where
students write down their own responses to the questions. If this method is
preferred, place the chart paper in various places around the room and have the
students travel in small groups to respond to each of the following questions.

• Why did we spend class time doing these lessons?

• What new things did you learn from these lessons?
©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 33
 • What activities did you enjoy the most? Why?
• What did you dislike about the projects?
• What would you do to change or improve them?

Closure:
1. Display the chart papers around the room and read the responses aloud. As a group,
reflect on and explore what the class learned from the Let’s Be Friends unit.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 34

 THE LANGUAGE OF
PEER AGGRESSION

Type of
Definition & Behaviors
Aggression

Includes physical, verbal and relational aggression. All of these types

Peer Aggression
of aggression affect both boys and girls. (Crick et al., 1999)
Harm through damage or threat of damage to another’s physical well-
Physical Aggression
being (Crick and Grotpeter, 1995)
Obvious and/or hidden verbal acts of aggression toward another,
Verbal Aggression
such as threats, putdowns and name calling
Behavior that is intended to harm someone by damaging or
manipulating his or her relationships with others (Crick and
Grotpeter, 1995). Relational aggression behaviors include exclusion,
Relational Aggression
malicious gossip and rumor spreading, teasing and name calling,
alliance building, covert physical aggression, and cyberbullying
(more about this newest form of relational aggression below).
Overt Aggression Obvious, blatant acts of aggression
Covert Aggression Hidden acts of aggression (e.g. body language, exclusion)
Defensive response to provocation with intent to retaliate
Reactive Relational
Aggression Example: A child is being teased repeatedly in school and then
becomes a teaser himself for protection.
Proactive behaviors are a means for achieving a goal (e.g. may need to
Proactive Relational exclude someone to maintain your own social status)
Aggression Example: A girl is mad at another girl for being “more popular” so she
spreads a sexual rumor about her to ruin her reputation.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 35

 Bullying
Definition & roles in bullying and aggression
Language

Negative actions carried out by physical contact, words, making

faces, gestures, rumors, intentional exclusion (Olweus, 1997)

Bullying 3 Criteria of a bullying incident:

Intentional harm

Carried out repeatedly

Relationship characterized by imbalance of power
Three roles of aggression: the aggressor, the target and the bystander
Aggressor or Bully The person who chooses to hurt or damage a relationship.
The person who is aggressed upon. A passive target is picked on for
no reason. The provocative target may behave in such a way (i.e.
Target or Victim
annoying, poor social skills, poor hygiene) that others think s/he
deserves or asks for the aggression.
The person or persons who are not aggressors or targets but are
Bystander or caught somewhere in between. They are often scared, stuck and
silent. The kid in the middle is part of a social situation as a bystander.
Kid in the Middle
Kids in the middle are involved in the aggression and have the
potential to take action to change the situation for the target.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 36

Influences on
Terms in changing normative behavior
Behavior

Expected or accepted rules for behavior. The Ophelia Project®

Social Norms
promotes pro-social norms in its work with schools and communities.
Self-regulating beliefs about the appropriateness of social behavior
Normative Beliefs
(Huesmann, 1988, Huesmann and Guerra, 1997)
Involves 3 components. All must be present for empathy to take
place:

Emotional Component: the ability to identify other’s feelings

Cognitive Component: the ability to understand another
person’s perspective
Empathy
Application Component: the ability to respond appropriately
Example: Your friend finds out that other girls are talking about her
behind her back. You were a part of it. You see that she is hurt and
upset. You imagine how you would feel if your friends were trashing
you behind your back. You feel her pain, apologize for your role and
intervene on her behalf.
Is the tendency to interpret events in a paranoid manner.
Crick published an article in “Child Development” (Vol. 73, No. 4),
showing that relationally aggressive girls display hostile attribution
bias (HAB).
Hostile Attribution
Bias (HAB) Example: A relationally aggressive girl may overhear two girls talking
about having a party, and assume she has been deliberately excluded.
An aggressive child is bumped in the hallway and perceives that bump
as intention, while a non-aggressive child would view this as an
accident.
The capacity for recognizing our own feelings, and those of others,
for motivating ourselves and for managing emotions well in ourselves
Emotional Intelligence and our relationships (Goleman, 1998). (See Daniel Goleman’s book
“Emotional Intelligence: Why it can Matter More Than IQ”)
Having emotional intelligence means being able to

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 37

 recognize what you are feeling so that it does not interfere
with thinking. It becomes another dimension to draw
upon when making decisions or encountering situations.
(Susie Orbach, “The Guardian,” August 12 1998,
http://www.antidote.org.uk/html/susieonemotionallite
racy.htm)
CASS™ is an acronym for Creating A Safe School – The Ophelia
Project™’s signature program, developed six years ago. CASSTM now
CASS™ Continuum exists as a continuum, representing the vast array of services and
programs that The Ophelia Project® offers schools and communities
to support them in creating safe social climates.
Mentorship is an important vehicle for promoting positive change.
Mentors are carefully trained to understand pro-social behavior, to
demonstrate effective communication skills and to serve as role
models for peers and younger children. Mentorship experiences build
leadership capabilities in students.
A Mentor is : A Mentor is not:

A role model
A therapist

A listener
A parent

A resource for
A counselor
information
A rejecter
Mentorship
A leader
An expert

An encourager, gives
An advisor
praise
Analytical

A communicator
Authoritarian

A skill builder
Critical

A negotiator
Disrespectful

An empathizer
Judgmental

Non-judgmental
Supportive

Resourceful

Respectful

The ability or capacity to lead (dictionary.com). Participating in

Leadership CASSTM provides an opportunity to develop leadership skills for both
adults and children.
‘To forgive someone’ is to let go of the hurt another person has
Forgiveness
caused you so you can move on without the hurt affecting your life.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 38

 Below are definitions of actions used in
normal social interactions. Placed on either
end of a continuum, the first action is positive
and socially acceptable and the second is
Exploring
used solely to gain power and/or hurt and
Actions
humiliate another. Drawing distinctions
between the behaviors helps adults and
students identify and change hurtful
behaviors.

Joking or kidding with a friend is a way to tease each other in a kind

way. It is done with no malicious intent and if it bothers the person
Joking or Kidding who is being joked with, the joker will stop.
versus Taunting Taunting is calling someone names with the intent to hurt another
person, and to feel more powerful than the person who is being
taunted.
Telling is reporting to an adult when a person sees something cruel
happening to oneself or others. The intention of the reporting is to
keep another, or the teller, safe from harm.
Tattling is telling an adult something someone else has done to get
attention or get them in trouble. Tattling includes exaggerating a
Telling versus Tattling harmless incident or lying to an adult about what someone else did.
(Barbara Coloroso describes the difference on pages 134-135 in her
book “The Bully, The Bullied, and The Bystander,” 2003).
The elementary school statement is: “Telling is keeping someone or
you safe AND tattling is getting someone in trouble.”
Flirting is giving attention to someone who you find attractive. If that
attention makes the person uncomfortable, the person flirting will
Flirting versus Sexual apologize and not do it again. Flirting is within the scope of normal
Harassment social adolescent behavior.
Sexual harassment is using sexual language or actions to hold power

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 39

 over someone else. This is neither playful nor healthy social behavior.
There are legal ramifications for behavior that is deemed sexual
harassment.
Sharing is telling information about a friend to another friend to keep
a mutual acquaintance updated.

Sharing versus Gossiping is telling people secrets you promised not to tell others,
Gossiping telling people about someone else in order to get more attention
from others, telling people a lie about someone to get back at them,
or exaggerating the truth about what someone did to make them look
bad to others. The intent of gossiping is malicious.
Good popular vs. bad popular; Cooperation vs. competition;
Being a good friend vs. being a bad friend; Healthy conflict vs.
Other Sets to Explore
relational aggression; Gentle irreverence (playful kidding) vs.
sarcasm (mean-spirited)

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 40

 Source: The Center for Safe and Responsible
Cyberbullying Internet Use provided all the definitions
below (www.cyberbully.org)

A shared online journal where people can post diary entries about
Blog
their personal experiences and hobbies
Sending or posting harmful or cruel text or images using the Internet
Cyberbullying
or other digital communication devices
Cyberstalking Harassment that includes threats of harm or is highly intimidating
Denigration Sending or posting harmful, untrue or cruel statements about a
(Put-downs) person to other people
Actions that specifically and intentionally exclude a person from an
Exclusion
online group, such as exclusion from an IM “buddies” list
Sending angry, rude or vulgar messages directed at a person or
Flaming
persons privately or to an online group
Harassment Repeatedly sending a person offensive messages
Pretending to be someone else and sending or posting material that
Masquerade
makes that person look bad, or puts that person in potential danger
Sending or posting material about a person that contains sensitive,
private or embarrassing information, including forwarding private
Outing and Trickery
messages or images. Engagement in tricks to solicit embarrassing
information that is then made public.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 41

Resources
Books on Bullying for Children
Alexander, M. G. (1981). Move Over, Twerp. New York: Dial Books.
Age range: 4 to 8

Berenstain, S. and J. (1989). The Berenstain Bears and the In-Crowd. New York: Random
House.
Age range: 4 to 8

Berenstain, S. and J. (1993). The Berenstain Bears and the Bully. New York: Random
House.
Age range: 4 to 8

Berry, J. (1989). Let’s Talk About Being Bullied. New York: Smithmark.
Age range: 4 to 6

Bomberger, J. (1997). Benny Gets a Bully-Ache. Chicago: Freedom Publishing Company.

Age range: 4 to 8

Bosch, C. W. (1988). Bully On The Bus. Seattle: Parenting Press.

Age range: 6 to 10

Brown, M. (1983). Arthur’s April Fool. New York: Little, Brown & Co.
Age range: 6 to 10

Carlson, N. (2003). Loudmouth George and the Sixth-Grade Bully. Minneapolis:

Carolrhoda Books.
Age range: 4 to 8

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 42

Clements, A. (2001). Jake Drake, Bully Buster. New York: Aladdin.
Age range: 5 to 8

Cosby, B. (1997). The Meanest Thing to Say. New York: Cartwheel.

Age range: 5 to 8

dePaola, T. (1990). Oliver Button Is A Sissy. New York: Voyager Books.

Age range: 5 to 8

Henkes, K. (1991). Chrysanthemum. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Age range: 4 to 8

Howe, J. (1996). Pinky and Rex and The Bully. New York: Aladdin.
Age range: 5 to 8

Johnston, M. (1999). Dealing with Bullying. Center City, Minnesota: Hazelden.

Age range: 4 to 8

Kasza, K. (1997). The Rat and the Tiger. New York: Putnam.
Age range: 5 to 8

Lionni, L. (1995). Six Crows. New York: Scholastic.

Age range: 5 to 8

Lovell, P. (2001). Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon. New York: Putnam.
Age range: 5 to 8

Lucado, M. (1997). You Are Special. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 43

Age range: 5 to 10

Nass, M. (2003). No More Bullies. Nashville: W Publishing.

Age range: 7 to 9

O’Neill, A. (2002). The Recess Queen. New York: Scholastic.

Age range: 5 to 9

Peet, B. (1977). Big Bad Bruce. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

Age range: 5 to 8

Thomas, P. (2001). Stop Picking On Me: A First Look At Series. Hauppauge, New
York: Barron’s Educational Series.
Age range: 4 to 6

Walker, A. (1991). Finding the Green Stone. New York: Harcourt.

Age range: 6 to 12

Wells, R. (1973). Benjamin and Tulip. New York: Dial Books.

Age range: 4 to 8

Wells, R. (1992). Hazel’s Amazing Mother. New York: Puffin.

Age range: 5 to 8

Web Resources on Bullying

The Ophelia Project

www.OpheliaProject.org

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 44

Stop Bullying Now: Take a Stand, Lend a Hand
www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp?area=main

National Mental Health Information Center

www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/15plus/aboutbullying.asp

Books for Elementary School Teachers

Beane, A. (1999). The Bully Free Classroom: Over 100 Tips and Strategies for Teachers K-8.
Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing, Inc.
Practical strategies for teachers to implement in their classrooms.

Brodkin, A. M. (2001). Fresh Approaches to Working with Problematic Behavior. New York:
Scholastic Press.
Dr. Brodkin, a childhood expert, shares strategies for reaching and teaching children who disrupt, withdraw
and struggle to be a harmonious part of the classroom.

Elias, M., et al. (1997). Promoting Social and Emotional Learning: Guidelines for Educators.
Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
The members of the Research and Guidelines Committee of the Collaborative for the Advancement of Social
and Emotional Learning (CASEL) have developed 39 guidelines for adopting programs that educate
knowledgeable, responsible and caring young people.

Freedman, J. (2002). Easing the Teasing: Helping Your Child Cope with Name Calling, Ridicule,
and Verbal Bullying. New York: Mc Graw Hill.
A great resource for parents and teachers; full of example strategies for kids.

Kaufman, G., et al. (1999). Stick Up for Yourself! Every Kid’s Guide to Personal Power and
Positive Self-Esteem. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing.
This self-help book for kids includes a section on how to deal with bullies; provides information, descriptions
and interventions.
Kivel, P. (2001). I Can Make My World A Safe Place. Alameda, California: Hunter House
Publishers.
This book addresses the many ways someone can hurt others (including bullying) and what can be done to
stop it.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 45

Madison, L. (2002). The Feelings Book: The Care & Keeping of Your Emotions. Wisconsin:
Pleasant Co.
Discusses a variety of emotions girls might experience and suggests ways of dealing with them.

Polland, B. (2000). We Can Work It Out: Conflict Resolution For Children. Berkeley, California:
Tricycle Press.
Text and photographs designed to create opportunities for children to talk about their experiences of conflict
and the variety of ways to resolve them.

Romain, T. (1997). Bullies Are a Pain in the Brain. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing.
A simple handbook written for children about bullies, the myths surrounding bullying issues and
interventions. Includes resources for students, teachers and parents.

Romain, T. (1998). Cliques, Phonies, & Other Baloney. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing.
Discusses cliques and their negative aspects; gives advice on forming healthy relationships.

Webster-Doyle, T. (1991). Why is Everybody Always Picking on Me: A Guide To Handling

Bullies. Middlebury, Vermont: Atrium Society.
Stories and activities show how to resolve conflicts nonviolently; constructive ways for young people to
peacefully confront hostile aggression.

©2007 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved. Let’s Be Friends - 46

 718 Nevada Drive
Erie, PA 16505
Phone: (814) 456-5437
Toll Free: (888) 256-5437
Fax: (814) 455-2090
[email protected]
www.opheliaproject.org

©2006 The Ophelia Project. All Rights Reserved.