Friendship Unit Study

Proverbs Copywork Cursive	Philippians Copywork Cursive	Samuel Copywork Cursive
Proverbs Copywork Manuscript	Philippians Copywork Manuscript	Samuel Copywork Print

General Lessons on Friendship

A Good Friend
Ask your student what makes a good friend and give him a chance to think and come up with some suggestions. Answers might include:

~someone you enjoy being around
~someone you can trust
~someone who brings out the best in you
~someone who encourages you to do and be better

How to be a Good Friend
Look at these two verses and discuss how you can apply them in being a good friend.

Matthew 7:12- Do to others what you would have them do to you.

Philippians 2:4- Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Matthew 7:12 is also known as the Golden Rule. Gold is a precious metal and this is a very precious rule that Jesus gave us to follow in our relationships with each other.

To have good friends you need to BE a good friend. Think about this: If there you are in a group of four people and each person is thinking only of himself first, how many people are thinking of you? (only one) How about if each of these four people is thinking of each other's interests first? Then how many people are thinking of (and looking out for) you? (Three!) Which way do you think will create a stronger bond and friendship among this group of people?

Friends to Avoid
Look at Proverbs 12:26: A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

The Bible tells us that we should avoid friends who lead us astray. If a friend is encouraging you to do something that you know is wrong, then you should step away from that friendship. You don't have to be mean, you can still be nice, but you should not be spending time with someone who wants you to do anything that goes against what mom and dad have taught you. Remember our definition of friend before? Someone who is encouraging you to do wrong is not encouraging you to do better. They are not really your friend! They are not looking out for your interests, only their own.

Using discretion, you can discuss some possible situations with your student. Don't forget to cover what to do in these situations (and others).

~A friend encourages you to take a pack of gum from a store.
~Your friend wants you to go swimming at the neighbors house. They won't know, because no one is at home.
~One friend doesn't like your other friend and he encourages you to not talk to him either, or to call him names and make fun.
~Mom is in another room and your friend wants to secretly show you something on the internet.
~Your friend is watching TV, but it is a show you are not allowed to watch.

One Last Thing About Friendship
Friends will come and go in your life. If you are blessed you may have friends outside of your family for many years. If you have siblings, you will know them for the rest of your life! Little brother or sister may be annoying now, but they will be a treasured friend when you are older. Practice treating them like one RIGHT NOW!

For Your Older Student:
Proverbs 12 is rich! Consider doing an in depth study or even memorizing the chapter.
Psalm 1 also discusses walking in the counsel of the ungodly.

Read Aloud Resource for the Family:
Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends

Dogger by Shirley Hughes

Social Studies � Family and Friendship:
After reading the story what do you notice about the children in the story? (They are brothers and sisters, but they are also friends.)
What are some things you noticed that showed that they are friends? Possible answers: Dave cheerfully shared his ice cream with Joe. Bella, mom and dad help to look for Dogger when he is missing. Bella lent Dave a teddy bear. Bella helps Dave get Dogger back, even though she had to sacrifice her new prize bear.

Bible
Proverbs 18:24b ��there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.�
Siblings are usually pretty close, but this verse says there is someone who can be even closer. Who do you think that is?

Math � Ordinal Numbers
Take a look at the page with the racers. At the top are the Egg-and-Spoon racers. There are two children who are bending down to pick up their eggs. Using ordinal numbers, tell what place they are in. (7^th and 11^th) Next are the Wheelbarrow racers. Two children have fallen and their faces are on the ground. What places are they in? (3^rd and 6^th)Last is the Father�s Race. Two fathers have blue pants. What places are they in? (5^th and 10^th)

Math � Count by Twos and Threes
Looking at the page with the races � How many are racing in the Wheelbarrow Race? Count by twos to find your answer.
Turn to the next page and the Three-Legged Race. If each pair of children has three legs, how many legs are participating in the race? (21)Count by twos to find out how many children are racing. (14)

Math � Money
Take a look at the page with the toys for sale and Dogger in the middle. Take some change and take a look at the coins that it would take to purchase each item. Are there different ways to come up with each amount using different coins?

Try adding the cost of two toys together. How much will you need now?

Dogger costs $.50. Dave has $.10. How much more money does he need?

The Hungry Coat by Demi

Social Studies � Friendship
When Nasrettin arrived the first time, how was he treated? Were the guests of the banquet being good friends?

After leaving and getting cleaned up, Nasrettin returned to the banquet. This is a good time to discuss forgiveness. Nasrettin tells the truth in love (and a little humor) by showing his friends how superficial they were being.

Bible
What does the Bible say about what man looks at versus what God looks at? Read 1 Samuel 16:7b with your child: �Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Social Studies - Geography: Turkey
This is a Tale from Turkey. Locate Turkey on a map. What continent is it on? Turkey is in southwest Asia. What are the surrounding countries? What are the surrounding bodies of water? Much of Turkey is desert country and it has a hot climate. Turkey also has high mountains, from which the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow. The main language in Turkey is Arabic

Social Studies - Turkish Culture
Look through the pictures for hints as to the culture of Turkey in the Middle Ages. See if you can find examples of:
Architecture � domed buildings
Dress � turbans and brightly colored cloaks
D�cor - Persian carpets and brightly colored ceramic tiles
Style of dining � sitting on the floor

Language Arts � Vocabulary
Caravan - a group of travelers, as merchants or pilgrims, journeying together for safety in passing through deserts, hostile territory, etc.
Caravansary - an inn, usually with a large courtyard, for the overnight accommodation of caravans.
Hostel � an inexpensive place to stay overnight while traveling
Banquet � a lavish meal or feast
Glisten(ed) � to glow or shine
Tasseled � to fringe or decorate with tassels
Preen(ed) � to dress oneself carefully or smartly (primp)
Pilaf � a Middle Eastern rice dish cooked in meat or poultry broth
Baklava � A dessert made of paper-thin layers of pastry, chopped nuts, and honey.
Pomegranate � a fruit native to Asia
Persimmon - orange fruit resembling a plum

Just for Fun � Pilaf Recipe
3/4 cup long-grain rice
1 cup hot water or chicken stock
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
Pinch pepper

Wash the rice several times with warm water and drain. Then cover the rice with hot water and leave for about 15 minutes, then drain. Melt the butter in a cooking pot. Saut� the rice with butter for 2-3 minutes while stirring. Pour 1 cup of hot water or chicken stock in it. Add salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low and cook until the rice absorbs all the water.

Take the cooking pot away from the heat. Open the lid, place a clean kitchen towel across the top of the pot on the rim and put the lid on it. Let the Pilaf stand for about 5 minutes. We call this brewing time. Then serve.

* Don't stir Pilaf while it's cooking.
* Don't use a spoon to fluff Pilaf. Use a wooden or regular fork for it.

Makes 2 servings.

You can serve Turkish Rice Pilaf with any kind of meal. My favorite is having this delicious pilaf with plain yogurt and some chopped fresh green onions (only white parts) all over.

For this and other Turkish recipes, you can visit this website.

Just for Fun � Link

This website has a lot more information on Turkish culture, including pictures of architecture, decorative tiles and dress styles.

A Bargain for Frances by Russell Hoban

Social Studies � Friendship
Why did Frances� mom tell her to be careful?

Discuss what happens in the story. Was Thelma being a good friend? Was Frances being a good friend when she called Thelma on the phone? What did Frances mean when she said that being friends was more fun than being careful?

It is clear at the end that they have forgiven each other. They even share the candy and jump rope with Gloria, not even fighting about who gets to go first.

Bible
Philippians 2:4
"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Discuss how problems could have been avoided if each of the girls had been thinking of the other�s interests ahead of their own.

Math - Money
Frances had $2.17. The china tea set costs $2.07. Does she have enough money to buy it? How much change would she get back? Using real money, find different ways to count up to $2.17. How many quarters? How many dimes? Nickels? Pennies?

Language arts � Poetry
Look at the song on page 32. Can you figure out the rhyme pattern? (AABCCB)
How about the song on page 39? (AABB)
Can your student make up a simple poem or song about his favorite toys or friend?

Language Arts � Poetic License
In her song on page 39, Frances makes up a word so that her last word will rhyme with the lines before it. This is called poetic license. Writers are allowed to overlook some minor grammar or pronunciation rules in order to make a point.