All of us need people around us, people we love, like, or even dislike Relationships among people can certainly get complicated, but they are always fascinating. During the next weeks we will focus on different issues related to friends, friendship and family relations.

This module will give you the opportunity to establish contact with young people from different countries. It is important to get to know you, that's why you start this module by sending an introductory message about yourselves, your school and your city or town. Work together as a class and send your presentation to the KidCom Who-Am-I? room. Pictures and drawing are welcome - or a web page presenting your class, school or the place where you live. If you have a web page, please send us the web address.

Classroom Discussion Questions

1. What are the qualities of a good friend? If you needed a new friend, what qualities would you like him or her to have?
2. How do you know that a person is your friend? Does your friend have to say something or do something to be your friend?
3. How do you take care of your friend and how do you keep your friend as a good friend? Is it important to listen to your friend? Should friends be able to make mistakes sometimes but still keep their friends? Do we sometimes have to forgive when we have friends?
4. Did you choose your best friend, or were you "chosen"? What made you choose her/him as your friend? Why do you think you were chosen? How would you feel about not being "chosen" as somebody's friend?
5. What is important for you when you choose a friend? Is it important for you that your friend is popular among the others? Does it matter if others think that your friend is "cool" or not?
6. Is it important what a kid looks like whether you choose him or her for a friend?
7. Would you consider having a friend with another skin colour than your own? Do you think this would cause a problem for you? Tell us why or why not. How could you solve such a problem?
8. Some kids are afraid of making new friends. What could help a new kid in your school or neighbourhood to make new friends? What advice would you offer to people who have trouble making friends?
9. Do you know how it feels not to have a friend? If you were ever in this situation how did you finally make new friends? Was there one person who was very kind to you who helped you meet new friends?

Classroom Activities

1. In this activity everyone in the class begins by writing 6 things that characterize a good friend. By the end of the activity you will narrow your class's list to only a total of 6. This is how you do it:
   • Each and every one in the group or class makes a list of the 6 most important things that characterize a good friend.
   • Divide into 3 groups and make a new list with the 6 most important words from your group based on your individual lists.
   • Write the words from the 3 groups on the blackboard. Then the whole group or class has to make a list of the 6 most important words.

   Consider these questions after you have finished the classroom activity:

   • Why did you choose these 6 words? Why are they the most important?
   • Did you discover that many of you listed the same words in your lists? Why do you think this happened?
   • Did you get any of your own words on the list for the group or class?
   • How did you feel when you did?
   • If you didn't get any of your words on the this list, how did you feel?

   Send your 6 words to the KidCom Who-Am-I? room, and add a few lines about why you chose them. Please add a few sentences telling how you felt about doing this activity. Print messages sent from other participants and discuss them in your class. Compare the words the others have chosen with those of your own class/group.

2. Create a friendship "garden" on your display board. Make paper flowers and place your special words on the petals of the flowers. Place small pictures of your class all around the garden.
3. For a whole week do something nice for your classmates but do it secretly. Think of little kindnesses you can do without telling the person you did it.
4. Finish the sentence: "A friend is one who..." and make a display of these sentences in your classroom. Place them around the room with an illustration to decorate them.
5. Make a list of popular songs that are about friendships. With your teacher's permission, bring the songs to school on tape or CD and play them during a "friendship" class.
6. Write "Friendship Poems" and post them in KidSpace.
7. Draw a picture of someone in your life who has been a good friend for you.
8. Make a special folder for all of your new online friends. Place copies of their e-mail to you in this folder. Be sure to reply to all messages as soon as you can so that you do not disappoint your new friends.

Remember to respond to the messages sent from other classes or groups.